Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Blonde heroine with denim shorts and a dark past? Check.

Sensitive hunk with a tortured soul? Check.

Sundappled setting? Check.

Latest Videos FromGamesRadar+

Watch full video here:

You know what you’re getting in a Nicholas Sparks adaptation, but Lasse Hallström’s stab - in which Katie (Julianne Hough) escapes to a small seaside town and finds out love really does conquer all - is by the numbers even by Sparks’ standards.

It’s hard to imagine a blander duo than Hough and Josh Duhamel as they knock awkwardly against one another in their painfully telegraphed love scenes, and a third-act twist is unintentionally hilarious.

Emma Didbin is a writer and journalist who has contributed to GamesRadar+, The New York Times, Elle, Esquire, The Hollywood Reporter, Vulture, and more. Emma can currently be found in Los Angeles where she is pursuing a career in TV writing. Emma has also penned two novels, and somehow finds the time to write scripts for Parcast – the Spotify-owned network that creates thrilling true crime and mystery podcasts.