Safe Haven was written by Nicholas Sparks in 2010, was filmed during 2012 and released on February 14, 2013 - a romantic film released on Valentine's Day, how adorable! As far as inspiration for this novel, Sparks' says that he hadn't written anything containing danger since The Guardian and that was published in 2003 so he was trying to think of things to write about that would surprise his readers and he came up with Safe Haven. Many of his fans are very pleased with the way the plot turned out and were surprised and the twist at the end (Spoiler alert! Katie's friend, Jo, turns out to be Alex's late wife in spirit form). In short, this story involves a lady named Kate who falls in love with "a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children...but struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her" (Sparks). New Bern, North Carolina is the setting of Safe Haven along with The Wedding, A Bend in the Road and The Notebook. New Bern is a quiet town on the coast of North Carolina and the second oldest town in North Carolina that is filled with American history. The character of this town creates the perfect romantic feel needed for Sparks' novel Safe Haven. Sources