When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.
But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.
When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.
But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.
"Love doesn’t mean anything if you’re not willing to make a commitment, and you have to think not only about what you want, but about what he wants. Not just now, but in the future." - Nicholas Sparks, Safe Haven
"When she looked up at him, it was suddenly easy for her to imagine that her fears were pointless. That he would love her no matter what she told him, and that he was the kind of man who loved her already and would love her forever." - Nicholas Sparks, Safe Haven
"Love doesn’t mean anything if you’re not willing to make a commitment, and you have to think not only about what you want, but about what he wants. Not just now, but in the future." - Nicholas Sparks, Safe Haven
"For them, it was nothing but an ordinary day on an ordinary weekend, but for her, there was something revelatory about the notion that wonderful moments like these existed. And that maybe, just maybe, it would be possible for her to experience similar days in the future." - Nicholas Sparks, Safe Haven
“I’ve come to believe that in everyone’s life, there’s one undeniable moment of change, a set of circumstances that suddenly alters everything.” - Nicholas Sparks, Safe Haven
“Every couple needs to argue now and then. Just to prove that the relationship is strong enough to survive. Long-term relationships, the ones that matter, are all about weathering the peaks and the valleys.” - Nicholas Sparks, Safe Haven
Inspiration
The inspiration for the story, like most of my novels, comes from the depths of a creative well, based on asking myself questions over and over. In other words, it wasn’t any one thing that inspired me to write this novel. I try to write something different each time I sit down to write; I try to surprise the readers. It had been a long time since I’d written anything to do with danger. I think the last one was The Guardian—and that was published eight or nine years ago—and that’s been a fan favorite. So I thought, “OK, what’s an element of danger I can put into a new story?” And from there, the thought process just kind of took over, and voila! The story Safe Haven came out.
Southport, NC
Steeped in history and picturesque beauty, there is little wonder why Coastal Living Magazine named Southport "America's Happiest Seaside Town." A visit to this historic maritime town takes you back into a distant past of pirates and privateers, antebellum Southern belles and blockade runners. Seafarers have been frequenting this community since as far back as the early 1500s, and today, Southport is as popular as it has ever been. Find out more at ncbrunswick.com.
An affirming and suspenseful story about a young woman's struggle to find love again after she arrives in a small North Carolina town.
When a mysterious young woman (Julianne Hough) arrives in a small North Carolina town, her reluctance to join the tight-knit community raises questions about her part. Slowly, she begins putting down roots, and gains the courage to start a relationship with Alex (Josh Duhanel), a widowed store owner with two young children. But dark secrets intrude on her new life with such terror that she is forced to rediscover the meaning of sacrifice and rely on the power of love in this deeply moving romantic thriller.
The film is directed by Oscar®-nominated Lasse Hallström, based on the best selling novel by Nicholas Sparks from a screenplay by Dana Stevens and Gage Lansky and also stars Cobie Smulders (The Avengers) and David Lyons (J.J. Abram’s Revolution).
- Director: Lasse Hallström
- Screenplay: Dana Stevens and Gage Lansky
- Cast: Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel, David Lyons, Cobie Smulders
- Run Time: 115 minutes
An affirming and suspenseful story about a young woman's struggle to find love again after she arrives in a small North Carolina town.
When a mysterious young woman (Julianne Hough) arrives in a small North Carolina town, her reluctance to join the tight-knit community raises questions about her part. Slowly, she begins putting down roots, and gains the courage to start a relationship with Alex (Josh Duhanel), a widowed store owner with two young children. But dark secrets intrude on her new life with such terror that she is forced to rediscover the meaning of sacrifice and rely on the power of love in this deeply moving romantic thriller.
The film is directed by Oscar®-nominated Lasse Hallström, based on the best selling novel by Nicholas Sparks from a screenplay by Dana Stevens and Gage Lansky and also stars Cobie Smulders (The Avengers) and David Lyons (J.J. Abram’s Revolution).
Film Stills
