I think the imagery of this book, for Nicholas Sparks, is by far perhaps the most 'mature' or adult-themed. Many of Nicholas' characters sometimes fall into the trap of speaking everything that is on their minds when one character falls in love at first sight by another character. Safe Haven is different in that the character's have a little mystery, and their voices come off more mature. With one character, Kevin, the alcoholic abusive husband, I was surprised and disturbed as a reader by the strong descriptive detail of his point of view. It almost felt like I was reading a story by a different author. The power and chaotic mind of Kevin in some ways overpowers the strength of the other characters, Katie and Alex, that we are supposed to be focusing on. There is no way that you really root for Kevin but towards the end of the story, the spotlight seems to be on him rather than the protagonists.

Like many Nicholas Spark's book, the story builds strongly 'til the halfway point, where you're anxious to know what happens and you can't possibly stop. I wish, however, that Nicholas Sparks had paused before writing the last two chapters. I felt that they were unfitting and also fitting compared to the rest of the story. Otherwise, the book is an interesting and fulfilling read for any Nicholas Sparks fan, or those who are interested in the drama/romance genre.