Each year, I look forward to seeing at least one Nicholas Sparks movie. It’s that light-hearted entertainment filled with commitment-shy lovers trying to hide dark, unhappy pasts.

Safe Haven is no exception.

The movie opens with a violent episode. A blood-splattered brunette is running down a dark Boston street.

Abuse. Murder. These are the thoughts that immediately come to mind as we watch an obsessed detective ( David Lyons)  launch a nation-wide man-hunt for her.

The scene changes abruptly when a blonde haired Katie (Julianne Hough) finds herself in the quiet seaside town of Southport, North Carolina. There, she decides to seek refuge and reinvent herself.

Content with working at a waterside cafe and redecorating her secluded cabin, Katie resists the overtures of her persistent neighbour Jo (Cobie Smulders) and Alex (Josh Duhamel), a single dad who runs the local grocery mart with the help of his children.

The romance heats up as the town prepares for the July 4 festivities and fireworks.

While parts of the movie are predictable, there is a surprise twist at the end.