Lily Bloom (a bland Blake Lively), freshly repotted in Boston to escape her traumatic childhood, is on a roll. She’s just achieved her dream of opening her own flower shop, and she’s in an outwardly admirable relationship with a hunky neurosurgeon (Justin Baldoni, who also directs). But she is seeing hints in her man of the control freak her dad is – the precise thing she is trying to get away from.

This is when her first love (Branan Sklenar), now an ex-marine and budding restaurateur, makes a timely reentry to her life. Then stuff happens.

The above not filling you with a strong desire to rush out and spend money on this? Not meant to. Unless you’re wondering who’s picking up where notoriously gooey filmmaker Nicholas Sparks left off. 

This cliché-ridden film gets points for addressing the serious issue of spousal abuse, although it blunts its impact by settling for to some light messaging to cover up the issue’s moral messiness. But it does so in a emotionally manipulative way that’s almost an insult to all the actors involved. A colossal bore. It may, however, see some use as suitable punishment for misbehaving boyfriends and husbands. (130 min)