Enjoyed as much as Nicholas Sparks titles!
590472
Enjoyed as much as any book by Nicholas Sparks....and his titles are my #1 favorites so this is a great review for GOOD SAM.
4536640
Nicholas Sparks has a way with words to bring the characters alive. The romances,keen observations of the settings, twist and turns in the plot keeps ones interest as the story unfolds. I have read many of his books and plan to read more.
1437172
Great story in the typical Nicholas Sparks style.
332031
Another great book by Nicholas Sparks!  A little surprised when Marge was sick, but a great way to tie in the story!
130062
I always anticipate the release of a Nicholas Sparks book in the fall.....that and football season :-) and The Longest Ride was worth the wait! It had all the emotional intensity between the pages I have come to love and look forward to experiencing whenever I read one if his novels. It was a great read reminding me of the importance of not taking the people you love for granted. You'll love the way this one ends!
3829114
This was my first book to read by Nicholas Sparks and I have to say that it was very heartwarming and very easy to read!  I really enjoyed reading about his life as a child and about his personal struggles throughout his life.  I am the kind of person who gets bored easily and loses interest quickly, and Nicholas Sparks actually kept my attention and interest the entire time.  I liked his story so much that I ordeded The Notebook (I loved the movie!).  I am sure I will enjoy this book even more since I already know the storyline!  Overall I think his writing is excellent and I can't wait to read the rest of his books!
3097976
I think anyone who enjoys stories woven with family relationships as well as love stories, but not necessarily wild adventure and mystery, will put this book in a favorites category.  The way Nicholas Sparks involves you with the characters and curiosity about what is ahead makes it hard to put down!  It's a beautiful story of sad and happy times that I could relate to as I read the book.
3605284
I have read a number of Nicholas Sparks books and I have enjoyed just about all of them, except At First Sight. Message in a Bottle was one of my favorites. This novel I would have to say falls somewhere in between, but I still loved it. Mr. Sparks just has knack for writing romance novels and this was another of his beautiful stories. I wanted the ending to be different, but then I'm not the writer. Speaking of ending there seemed to me that a sequel would be something he should consider. If so I would buy it without hesitation. Some of the reviewers thought the book was depressing, but I didn't feel that way. From mid way the book was sad and yes a tear or two rolled down my cheeks, but the way the author wrote the scenes I was prepared for the outcome. There are numerous reviews that give lots of detail on the story, so I won't add more print, except to say I thought the book was terrific.
1375774
I love Nicholas Sparks. Ive read everything hes written and couldn't wait for my copy of Safe Haven to arrive.

Safe Haven had a different feel than many of Nicholas Sparks books. It was much less sappy than most of his books. Dont get me wrong I love sappy but this book was much deeper than many of his other books. It explored life in an abusive relationship and the struggle to escape and start over.

I felt a connection to the characters and never lost interest in the story. The audio narration was well done. The only thing that annoyed me was the whiny voice the narrator used for 5 year old Kristen. Fortunately she didn't have many lines in the book.

This book played out in a predictable manner. Although one thing I have learned from reading Nicholas Sparks is that sometimes he is not predictable and he goes for the heart-break ending. This book did have an unpredictable element to the ending but thankfully it was a touching unpredictable and not a heart-breaking unpredictable.

Content: Just a couple of swear words. One of the characters in this book is psycho, I mean seriously crazy. We hear his demented crazy thought process and the details of some of the things he does are described. There are scenes of physical abuse described and a few sex scenes that aren't overly graphic but are lewd. Although I cant classify this book as clean it wasn't nearly as graphic as it could have been. It was well written and I would recommend it to adults who have read this content warning.

Rating: 4 Stars. I made it through this book in less than 2 days. Some great writing from Nicholas Sparks.

Source: I received an audio version of this book from Hachette.
1857150
This book kept me reading to the end. Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors!  This story had mystery, suspense, and of course, a beautiful example of love, not only between a man and a woman, but of a dog's devotion to his master. Another great read!
2303119
I love all the Nicholas Sparks books.  Guess I am a romantic and this one did not disappoint.
2702610
Love this book!! I loved the movie too!! Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors, and he did not disappoint with The Notebook.
2435474
This book was true Nicholas Sparks and as always I couldn`t put it down. Romance, drama, excitement... it was all there.
1792177
I enjoy reading, but it usually takes me time to get through a book... finished this one so quickly.  This should definitely be the next Nicholas Sparks book to be made into a movie.  Definitely purchasing another Sparks book!
1143423
I kept reading, even though I knew exactly what was going to happen at the end. Typical Nicholas Sparks. I will go to the movie, if only to see James Marsden!
3813145
Typical nicholas sparks-book. Entertaining, quick and easy!
4360114
This book started very slow for me, and I almost stopped reading it, noting that it was not as good as most Nicholas Sparks books.  But somewhere along the way, I became very engaged and couldn't put it down, which IS very much like his other books!  I rank books by how much I cry, and I think I sobbed almost more towards the end of this book than many of the others!  Great characters and although I predicted most of the "events" it was an enjoyable read.