Plot

Morgan and Gabe grew up as neighbours and friends. Morgan is a paediatrician, and Gabe oversees the construction of the new home stadium for the Buffalo Bills. They are both big fans of the team. As Christmas approaches, it’s time for the team’s final game at the old stadium — a major event for both of their families. At the same time, Morgan learns that her uncle has received Christmas gifts from an unknown sender every year since he was sent to Vietnam, after someone anonymously helped his family while he was away. She gets the idea to find out who the anonymous donor is and gets help from Gabe, who at the same time struggles to admit what he truly feels for Morgan.

Short review

I think they’ve managed to make a really good film (despite the football theme). It’s romantic and entertaining. It’s also extra fun that it includes a number of cameos. Hunter King (Alana) and Tyler Hynes (Derrick) from Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story make brief appearances. Andrew W. Walker shows up as a bartender at the sports bar, and several members of the Buffalo Bills play themselves.

Plot

Josie, who works at a large hotel in Chicago, goes home for Christmas to her parents, who run a small inn in her hometown. She is taken aback to discover that her former boyfriend, Miles, is staying there with his wife and their daughter. As if that weren’t enough, another ex-boyfriend, Ellis, has also checked in. When it then turns out that the final booking is Sam — another of Josie’s former partners — things become truly complicated. Both Miles and Ellis also seek Josie’s advice about their new relationships. In the midst of all this, preparations are underway for the town’s Christmas celebrations, in which the inn is involved. Sam, however, is more than happy to help out. It becomes a Christmas to remember, to say the least.

Short review

A very entertaining and well-made romantic film. They do a great job of showing how Josie juggles all the challenges in a slightly hysterical situation. As a romantic story, it’s well constructed. It’s also fun to see Brittany Underwood and Alex Trumble in something genuinely good — they haven’t exactly had the strongest track records up to now.

Plot

Nicole is sent by her father — who is also her boss — to buy up properties in a small town in order to redevelop it and make it more modern. There she meets the pastor, Daniel, who is struggling to keep his church afloat as it is in serious need of renovation. Daniel, along with many others in the town, is strongly opposed to selling, convinced that the town’s close-knit community and character would be lost through development. Nicole is forced to stay in town to better understand the resistance. Perhaps there is a better way to help the town grow and thrive?

Short review

I’m somewhat conflicted about this film. I generally struggle a bit with the religious America angle and its reactionary way of thinking. At the same time, they have managed to put together a fairly decent romantic film that doesn’t become too difficult to watch from that perspective.

Plot

Abby leaves her café in capable hands over Christmas to travel home to her parents, who run an inn. When she arrives, she discovers that Jack has booked a room to stay there while visiting his sister. Abby and Jack had a bad date a long time ago, and Abby finds it a bit uncomfortable having him staying at the inn. Every Christmas, her parents host a potluck dinner at the inn, and Jack is more than happy to help with the preparations — which means Abby has to work with him after all. Perhaps he isn’t quite the same person he was twenty years ago.

Short review

A standard romantic film that works. It naturally doesn’t offer any surprises, but it delivers exactly what you expect, with actors we recognise.

Plot

Olivia has found a perfect apartment — she just needs to be able to afford it. Conveniently, she learns that she has inherited her aunt’s estate, which includes half of a cat café, the Catnip Café. She travels there to convince the other owner, Ben, that they should sell the café so she can get the money. Ben is a veterinarian who worked closely with Olivia’s aunt. He is now struggling to run the clinic on his own, but he doesn’t want to sell the café. Moreover, the café hosts important fundraising events every Christmas. He promises to sell after the events — unless Olivia changes her mind — if Olivia helps him market and organise them.

Short review

A very good romantic film delivered by two of the genre’s seasoned professionals, and it shows in the production. It turns into a thoroughly enjoyable feel-good movie.

Plot

The sisters Faith and Kelly are very different. Their grandmother has just passed away, and when her lawyer reads the will, it turns out she wanted Faith and Kelly to travel to France and Mont Blanc over Christmas to visit the place where their grandparents got engaged. Faith has no problem with this, but Kelly, who is more practical by nature, does not want to go. However, they end up travelling. In France, they are met by Frédéric, who will be their guide for the trip. This marks the beginning of an adventure in which Kelly’s practical and cautious nature is challenged, while she can’t help falling for Frédéric. Meanwhile, Faith struggles with her fear of commitment.

Short review

As a romantic film, this one holds up better than many. It also seems to have been filmed on location, sparing us the usual set-piece feeling that is otherwise quite common in these films.

Plot

Sienna runs a beauty salon where she works with her two best friends. They have their sights set on the annual Atlanta Tinsel Ball, which Sienna’s mother is also involved in organising. This year, the ball’s finances have been rescued by Lawrence, who hopes to promote his family’s wines from California at the event. Sienna’s mother is far less enthusiastic about his plans. Lawrence, however, becomes quite taken with Sienna. He asks her out on one date after another. Sienna remains cautious, as she doesn’t trust that Lawrence will stay.

Short review

Better than expected. As a romantic story, it works—provided you can tolerate beauty salons and similar themes. The women in the salon each have their own romantic challenges as well.

Plot

Riley runs a centre for animals in need of new homes. Now it’s threatened by the landlord, who is demanding higher rent when the contract is up for renewal. Prince Edward is making an anonymous visit to the town to meet an old college friend. His friend has a new investment opportunity that Edward is interested in. Edward also encounters Riley, becomes fascinated by her, and takes an interest in the centre she runs. However, it soon becomes clear that he has—without knowing it—found himself caught between conflicting interests.

Short review

There seems to be no end to how many princes and kings exist in the world of romantic films. This time, as so many others, it just doesn’t hold up.

Plot

Gentry’s father was a well-known country singer who quit in the middle of his career. She once thought about writing song lyrics herself, but lost her nerve and now works as a waitress. Now she is being asked to come to the Grand Ole Opry for a tribute to her father. She is hesitant to take part, but during a visit, when she sits in the seat she used to sit in as a child, she is transported back to the time of her father’s final concert. She is soon joined by her best childhood friend, Will. He helps Gentry try to find out why her father inexplicably put down his guitar. Will they change history? And what will they discover about each other?

Short review

Another time-travel story — but this time it’s not as bad. As a romantic film it works well, and they tie everything together nicely. A bit unusual that they travel back to a time when I was already an adult… which perhaps says something about my age. And if you’re a country fan, the film seems packed with cameos.

Plot

Monica has been an angel pairing people together for true love for many centuries. Michael is fairly new to the job and has a completely different approach to the challenge. This year, he even wins the award for Best Angel of the Year. But now it turns out that Monica and Michael have been assigned to match the same couple — something that goes against all the rules. Apparently, upper management has decided this should happen as part of potential future cutbacks. Against their will, the two are now sent to Earth to bring the couple together, despite their very different methods.

Short review

An interesting and rather frightening vision of heaven that they portray. The whole concept doesn’t work, no matter how hard they try. Not a terrible film, but definitely not a winner either.

Plot

Ally has finally found a buyer for her grandmother’s greeting-card shop. She travels there to arrange the sale and meets Bennett, who runs the shop for her. He doesn’t want her to sell, but Ally wishes her grandmother had sold it back when she had the chance in 1945. As they argue about this, lightning strikes, and when they look around, everything is different. They’re still in the shop, but something is strange. Then the shop’s owner suddenly walks in — it turns out to be Ally’s grandmother, and the year is 1945. Can Ally get her to sell it this time? And what happens if she does?

Short review

This was better than I expected. I have a bit of a hard time with these romantic films involving time travel. It doesn’t help that the underlying message they want to force-feed you is that everything happens according to God’s will. But aside from that, they’ve managed to put together a fairly decent romantic film.

Plot

Gemma works in marketing for local eateries in her hometown, and Max works as a sous-chef in New York. When they were young, they both worked at Rosa’s restaurant, and now they are suddenly summoned by her lawyer, who informs them that they have inherited her restaurant. There is one condition, however: they must be married — not necessarily to each other — within three weeks. Otherwise, the restaurant will go to Rosa’s nephew, who wants to tear it down. Gemma and Max have always been friends but never a couple. They now begin dating, each trying to find someone to marry so they can run the restaurant together. But does it really need to be that complicated?

Short review

It’s a good romantic film, even if one can question how they manage to ignore the obvious for so long. If you’re willing to overlook that, the film offers some charm, a bit of humour, and romance — in fact, two romances.

Plot

Justin has gone off to the cabin he had booked for his honeymoon to get some time alone. Then his ex-girlfriend’s cousin shows up — she had booked the cabin when she found out the wedding was off. With a storm approaching, Justin agrees to let her stay for a while despite the double booking. It’s a bit awkward having his ex’s cousin there, but still. As if that weren’t enough, his ex shows up with her new boyfriend. She had cancelled the cabin, but since it was supposed to be empty, she booked it again. Awkwardness piles on awkwardness, and with the storm raging outside, there’s no escape.

Short review

A so-called crap movie. Poor quality in just about everything — including the “storm.”

Plot

Mandy is trying to succeed as a real-estate agent at the same firm where her boyfriend Tom works. One day she fails to sell a house because of a cat making noise inside it. She takes the cat in but isn’t quite sure what to do with it. She then meets the veterinarian Jack and seeks his help with the cat. Meanwhile, her grandparents want her to take over their bowling alley. Tom thinks it’s an excellent idea to sell it to a property developer, but Mandy isn’t entirely ready to give up on the idea of taking it over herself. She also wants to organise a gala where people can adopt lonely animals — something she’s been inspired to do by Jack.

Short review

A B-production that doesn’t convince. It has a rather cheap feel to it, and it falls flat.

Plot

Gemma runs a company that organises events, mostly children’s parties. At one of these parties, a fortune teller appears and predicts that Gemma will have a truly terrible date — and then her true love will come along. She has a disastrous blind date with Nick, but on her way home she meets Enzo, who seems like a real dream man. Shortly afterwards, her mother — who wants her to aim for bigger, fancier events — pushes her to take on more prestigious assignments. One thing leads to another, and suddenly she is in charge of organising an event at a museum run by Nick. She does her best to get past their awful first meeting and deliver the event, while Enzo charms her with his flashy celebrity lifestyle.

Short review

There’s something English about this film, even though it’s American (and that’s a good thing). If you choose to buy into the slightly mystical fortune teller (who isn’t that prominent), this is actually a really good romantic film.

Plot

Chelsea and Jake are a couple and also hosts of a new renovation show that not only renovates houses but also the owners’ relationships. The show is very successful, but Chelsea is now looking forward to a Christmas holiday with Jake. However, it turns out that the TV network — and Jake — want to make a Christmas episode in which they renovate a house in New Hampshire. Chelsea is forced to give up her plan and travel there for the filming. Jake is completely focused on his career and soon rushes off to New York for meetings, just like the homeowner Cooper’s girlfriend. Chelsea is now left trying to create a program together with Cooper while the others are away.

Short review

It turns into a good romantic film, even if the resolution is perhaps a bit too smoothed over and free of conflict.

Plot

Natasha comes home to her grandmother for Christmas. It’s the first Christmas since her grandfather passed away. He has left a letter for Natasha in which it turns out that he had been the town’s secret Santa all these years, and now he hopes that Natasha will take over. She takes on the task and seeks out people in need, secretly leaving gifts for them at night. Meanwhile, the reporter Adrian is chasing a scoop and hopes to uncover the identity of the secret Santa. He meets Natasha and asks for her help in finding the mysterious giver.

Short review

I can’t quite put my finger on why this one didn’t reach a four, but perhaps it’s the whole concept of the grandfather’s secret Santa business.

Plot

Holly is a glass artist and is trying to get into the city’s Christmas market, but Jack — who is taking over from his father as the market’s organiser — doesn’t want to bring in an unknown artist. When it turns out that his main attraction, the glass artist Bianca, is threatening to pull out because she has just lost her assistant, Holly suggests to Jack that she can step in as Bianca’s assistant in exchange for being allowed to sell at the market. Bianca, who is Holly’s great idol, reluctantly agrees. Now Holly and Jack must juggle the big diva to ensure the Christmas market’s success.

Short review

A standard romantic film that doesn’t really stand out from the crowd, but it works as a romantic movie even if one perhaps misses a bit of spark between Holly and Jack.

Plot

Joy is a successful cookbook author whose books are built around her family — her husband Max, her two children, and her parents. She is also very private and protects her family from the media. But now her sponsor wants to broadcast a live show from her home at Christmas, where she is to introduce her family. Joy protests but is soon forced to go along with it. The problem? She doesn’t have a family. She has to recruit her best friend, Max, to play her husband, the neighbour’s children to be her own, the housekeeper to play her mother, and the mailman to be her father. A recipe for disaster?

Short review

I’ve seen similar stories before, and this one works as a romantic film. At times it’s a bit funny with its complications. But you can’t help reflecting on all the time Joy and Max have wasted. It is, however, nice to see Chad Michael Murray in a role where he isn’t as smug as he can be in other films.

Plot

Andie får i uppdrag att skriva en artikel om hur man blir av med en dejt på 10 dagar. Samtidigt slår Ben vad om att han kan få en kvinna att bli kär i honom på samma tid. Hans kollegor känner dock till Andies uppdrag och passar på att slå vad med honom att det är henne han ska vinna. Då börjar en kamp där Andie försökar alla knep i boken för att bli av med Ben medan han genomlider allt bara för att vinna sitt vad. Det blir allt jobbigare och allt mer frustrerande. Men all tid tillsammans föder också något oväntat som inte är enligt någon plan.

Short review

The film is quite old by now, and it would have benefited from Ben having to repent a bit for his rather cocky attitude. That’s mostly why it only ended up with a rating of three.

Plot

Molly has started a club for the mothers in town, where they raise money for charity. She also works at the local newspaper after becoming a widow and moving back home with her son. However, the newspaper is struggling to attract advertisers, and they bring in Ashley, who travels around as a consultant and problem-solver. He has his daughter with him as well. He becomes interested in Molly’s club, but since he isn’t a mother, she won’t let him join. So he starts a dads’ club instead and begins competing with Molly, who has her sights set on winning the prize for raising the most money for charity.

Short review

It ended up as a four in the end, even though the film has its weaknesses. Ashley can come across as a bit too insensitive in the way he goes after Molly.

Plot

Rosemary runs a very successful advertising agency with her colleague. But when her mother is injured and unable to help in the family’s bookshop, she takes a few days off to go home and assist. At the bookshop, she runs into Will, who is there helping her father. Will has recently moved to town and is looking for a new job. In the meantime, he lends a hand with various tasks around town. It also turns out that he is a skilled furniture maker. Soon, Rosemary finds herself drawn into a project Will has taken on — creating a new wall decoration for the local church.

Short review

You probably have to be a Christian American to think this film is worth anything. I’m not.

Plot

Blair and Josh broke up when Blair chose the same military career as Josh, preventing him from getting the position he wanted. To make matters worse, their fathers were old military rivals as well. Several years later, Blair is serving at a home base and hoping for a promotion when Josh suddenly turns up — he has been reassigned there. Their rivalry flares up again, and it ends with both of them being given disciplinary duty over Christmas. But when a snowstorm threatens the delivery of Christmas presents to the children in town, they volunteer to head out together and try to save the situation.

Short review

It’s not exactly seamless, nor is it convincing. The fact that they both serve in the military is somewhat unusual, but it doesn’t really help.

Plot

Belle is deeply involved in the town’s charity organisation. However, the building they use is very worn down, and since the organisation struggles to attract engagement, the municipality is considering moving it to other, smaller premises. Belle, however, wants to do everything she can to breathe new life into the organisation and save the location. At the same time, Will — who has just returned to town after his military service — shows up. He is eager to help with various repairs and improvements that are needed. The municipality has also brought in a new consultant, Clara, who tries to help Belle keep up while also giving her time to reflect on her own life.

Short review

The film doesn’t quite land. Perhaps it’s a bit too American in its glorification of the military and Christianity.

Plot

Bella is a star in a TV dance show, but her dance partner’s (and former boyfriend’s) new girlfriend is plotting to take her place as a judge on the show, and the whole situation turns into a viral conflict in front of the cameras. Bella quits the show and goes to stay with her best friend. Her friend runs a dance school and plans for it to enter a prestigious competition.with a team. Bella is soon drawn into the school’s activities, and working there is Will, whom she already knows. She starts trying to persuade him to start dancing.

Short review

No, this one never caught my interest. I don’t know whether it was the theme or Kym Johnson Herjavec as Bella that caused it, but it just didn’t turn out well.

Plot

At a New Year’s party, Tuesday meets a man and they share a kiss in the cloakroom, but when he hesitates, she runs off. A year later, Tuesday — a well-known influencer — is about to launch a new line of handbags for Christmas. But suddenly her designs have leaked, and the entire launch is threatened by cheap knock-offs. Tuesday’s colleagues bring in an IT expert, David, to track down the leak. To her dismay, he turns out to be the man she kissed on New Year’s Eve. She tries to avoid the awkward situation but is forced to work with him.

Short review

No, a trash production. The plot is weak and unconvincing, and the poor acting performances don’t help.

Plot

Ella Neezer is a tough boss who also dislikes Christmas. So much so that she even books a flight over Christmas Day to Australia. Her downtrodden assistant is forced to come along and miss Christmas with her son Tim. As irritable as ever, Ella checks in and is surprised to find that her ex-boyfriend, Jake, is booked on the same flight. And not only that — he has the seat next to hers. Ella dozes off, and in her dream she is visited by a ghost showing her things from her past. You can guess the rest…

Short review

This film turned out to be better than expected. The Scrooge storyline is rather worn out, and it took a while before this one won me over. But it picks up and has some humour. Maybe it was the fact that it was better than expected that made it land at a five.

Plot

Sydney pitches the acquisition of a champagne estate in France so well that her company sends her to Paris to secure the deal. Since she has promised her best friend to take an evening off while in Paris, she does — and ends up meeting Henri, and one thing leads to another. The next morning, however, she has to rush to her meeting with the owner of the champagne estate, who is to meet the various prospective buyers. She is completely stunned when it turns out that Henri is the owner’s son. And not only that — he is also very opposed to her company as a buyer. However, his father invites all the buyers to spend a week at their vineyard to determine who will be allowed to purchase it.

Short review

A good story with warmth and humour. A cool bookshop plays a certain role — not to mention the champagne. It’s also worth noting the supporting character Roberto, who adds a fun bit of spice to the mix.

Plot

Princess Victoria is under pressure from all her duties as she prepares to take over as regent. She decides to take a few days off and travel to the ranch she and her father visited when she was a child. The farm is still owned by the same couple as before, but they now get help from their son, Huntley. Unaware of who Victoria really is, Huntley sets out to give her a true farm experience by putting her to hard work. She nonetheless takes on the challenge. But is she ready to take on the challenge of ruling?

Short review

Yet another princess story, and this one doesn’t hold up. Not only is the whole concept weak to begin with, but this time the feeling is especially “cheap” and not very engaging.

Plot

Charlie has taken over her father’s car repair shop. They’re just managing to get by, but when a big chain opens a competing workshop in the neighbourhood, her business is truly threatened. At the same time, she’s chatting online with an anonymous guy who shares her interest in classic cars. One day, her shop is visited by Beau, whose friend is getting a manicure at the small nail business that Charlie’s receptionist has started in the workshop’s lobby. There’s chemistry between them, but Charlie doesn’t know that Beau is the one responsible for the competing garage. She also works up the courage to suggest meeting her anonymous chat companion.

Short review

Love in the workshop. It’s a good romantic film that I thought might derail a few times, but they manage to keep it on track. You don’t quite get the big, satisfying revenge against the large chain, but they still make it work.

Plot

The year is 1905, and Ella has a plan to start a charitable organisation. However, her father informs her that at the Christmas ball she is to become engaged to a man she has never met. In anger, she takes off in her boat, where she sees a comet and wishes to find true love. Suddenly, there is a man in the boat — Nick — who is just as surprised as she is. They return to Newport, where the year is 2025, something perfectly normal for Nick but not for Ella. Her home is now a museum where Nick works as a historian. They soon realise that she must return to her own time, otherwise her achievements there will be lost. But at the same time, Ella has found Nick.

Short review

This type of time travel has the whole concept working against it, and the film’s depiction of 1905 leaves something to be desired. But as a light-weight romantic fairy tale, it’s still okay.

Plot

Emma is a pastry chef and has just been shortlisted for a prestigious chef position in New York. Before Christmas, she goes home to her parents in Wisconsin. There, she is set to take part in a pie-baking competition, as winning would mean a great deal for her parents and their business in her hometown. Once home, her mother tells her that Mitch, whom she dated during school, has returned to town. Her mother strongly hints that she should see him. At the same time, Emma realises that her parents’ business is struggling a bit.

Short review

In terms of production quality, there’s nothing wrong with this film — but the story… Everything revolves around Emma’s parents being right that she should give up her dreams, return to the small town, and get back together with Mitch. The parents’ complete lack of understanding for Emma’s ambitions had me squirming with anger.

Plot

Dawn wants to become an artist, and she has been accepted to an art school in Paris, France. The problem is that she can’t afford to go. Her sister convinces her to take part in a reality show in which a wealthy man meets potential partners. Just the compensation for being accepted onto the show would give her enough money to go. When she also learns that it’s supposed to be filmed in Paris, she becomes even more interested in the idea. Her plan is to get accepted and then quickly get herself eliminated from the show, because she’s not looking for a partner. Then the problems begin: it turns out the filming is in Paris, Texas, and the main star of the show is Trey — someone she’s met once before, and he has no intention of letting her slip away.

Short review

Better than I expected. The cast of characters in the reality show are amusing caricatures that add a bit of extra spice. Dawn is also quite strong in her self-awareness. A romantic piece of entertainment that turns out well.

Plot

Abby is the assistant and ghostwriter for the successful influencer and love advisor Serena. She carries a heavy load and hopes that one day she will be acknowledged for everything she writes. Serena is scheduled to be interviewed by Jack, a journalist from New York. She also plans to charm him into accompanying her as her partner to the annual gala where they award the prize for best podcast. But before the interview, Serena suffers an allergic reaction and sends Abby to postpone it. Jack is ready to head back home, but Abby promises to give him background and context about Serena to make him stay. They spend the next few days doing just that until Serena is ready.

Short review

As a romantic story, it works. The main ingredient is the downtrodden assistant who finally gets the recognition (and love) she deserves. One does, however, wonder how things ultimately turned out for the self-absorbed Serena…

Plot

In her free time, Brielle dives for objects on the ocean floor. One day she finds a ring that she manages to trace back to Marcus. When she contacts him, it turns out he has just returned to Tahiti for a few weeks. They meet, and it turns out that Marcus’s fiancée lost her engagement ring at the same time he lost his own ring. He hires Brielle to help him search for her ring as well. Meanwhile, Brielle’s sister shows up. She studies in the US but arrives with her fiancé, as they plan to get married in Tahiti. However, the sister has a complicated relationship with their father. All the while, Brielle and Marcus continue searching for the engagement ring.

Short review

If you can swallow the idea that Marcus travels to Tahiti to search for a ring he has no idea where he lost, then this is still a fairly decent romantic film.

Plot

Doug’s girlfriend gets tired of him and leaves him. Faced with this sudden change, Doug naturally becomes depressed. One day he is disturbed by a lost bird that invades his home. In an attempt to get rid of it, he visits the city zoo, where he meets Holly, a bird specialist. However, she can’t help him remove the bird, which is also injured. Doug, unable to bring himself to get rid of it, finds himself taking care of it, and a bond forms between him and the bird, which in some way gives his life meaning. This also leads to him meeting Holly again.

Short review

This film is a bit unusual, but in a good way. It has a warm sense of humour, and the characters are unpolished. It feels genuine, yet a little crazy. Recommended. Tip: Watch the video during the end credits.

Plot

When Kate asks her strict boss for a promotion, the boss sends her to the small town of Kashmir to help the boss’s cousin, Thomas, market his boot-camp training business. It just so happens to be the town where Kate’s grandmother lives. Thomas turns out to have worked in the Coast Guard and has a straightforward, no-nonsense approach to almost everything. He has no online presence and doesn’t market his business at all. His only client is the owner of the town’s café. Kate sets out to break through Thomas’s tough exterior and get him to accept new ways of doing things.

Short review

A very average romantic film, but one that works well for what it is.

Plot

Stephanie has just ended a relationship that had grown stagnant. They were also coworkers. Now she’s heading to her best friend in Miami to look for a new job in marketing. At her first interview, however, she goes to the wrong place and accidentally ends up with Harry, who is in the middle of interviewing candidates for a private tutor for his two daughters. When she fails her actual interview, and Harry still hasn’t found a suitable candidate, he asks her to consider working for him instead. Stephanie, who has previously worked as a teacher, is very hesitant — but her friend convinces her to at least give it a try.

Short review

One could perhaps debate the daughters’ motive for driving Stephanie away and the way they go about it, but I still think the film was good, and that everything else makes it a solid watch.

Plot

Widow Jen has just moved with her daughter to be closer to her parents. Surprised by a parent meeting on the very first day, she ends up with two other mothers in a group tasked with organizing an activity day at the school — a duty that is generally avoided. It turns out to be three very different personalities in this small group, but they manage to motivate each other to take on the unpopular assignment. It also means that Jen has to work together with the school’s gym teacher, Dan. That collaboration turns out to be more interesting than she expected.

Short review

I thought this film was a bit better than average, mainly thanks to a gentle everyday humour in the interplay between the class mums.

Plot

Nora works at a newly founded advertising agency that desperately needs a new client. When her best friend tells her about a dairy farm that makes incredibly good ice cream, she gets the idea to help them launch nationally. She contacts them and is invited to come visit. When she arrives, it turns out that James — who works for her former employer, now their biggest competitor — has also been invited. Both of them are asked to stay and help out on the farm to prove who would be better suited for the job.

Short review

This one lands at a four, but somewhat hesitantly. I missed the spark between them all the way up to the sudden kiss at the end.

Plot

Veterinarian Holly stops in the small town that shares her name. She grabs a cup of coffee at the local café, but when she goes to pay, they don’t accept credit cards. Despite trying, there’s nowhere to withdraw cash, so she leaves her business card and drives on. However, she’s stopped by the police and accused of dodging the bill. She is sentenced to a week of community service with Henry at the town’s animal hospital. It turns out to be an unusual week for Holly.

Short review

A lousy film that doesn’t convince on any level, neither in terms of plot nor acting.

Plot

Georgia is doing her best to pull off this year’s Christmas play at the local community center. Meanwhile, Chase Knightly is under media scrutiny for his reckless lifestyle. When he finds himself locked out and needing a place to lay low until he can get back home, he takes refuge at the center.
There, he stumbles into a room where Georgia is rehearsing — and things take an unexpected turn when the press assumes she’s his latest girlfriend. Realising that a steady relationship could improve his public image and help secure an important business deal for his father, Chase convinces Georgia to play the part. Though reluctant, she agrees — on the condition that his family invests in a new community center.

Short review

No, this one doesn’t make it over the line. Chase’s transformation from playboy to responsible businessman isn’t believable, and overall it’s painted with strokes that are a bit too broad.

Plot

Sophie is promoted to sous-chef at the New York restaurant where she works. Meanwhile, her sister is struggling to keep their old family restaurant afloat back home. With things reaching a crisis point, Sophie manages to get a few days off — on the condition that she also prepares a special dinner for her boss, who’s meeting potential investors in the same town.
Back home, Sophie runs into Cam, her old school crush, who still works in the local fishing industry. What follows is a few weeks of juggling: saving the family restaurant, meeting her boss’s high expectations, and navigating the resurfacing feelings she has for Cam.

Short review

It may not stand out much from the crowd, but it's well made and works nicely as a romantic film. Like so many others in the genre, it certainly would have benefited from a brief epilogue — but all in all, it delivers what it promises well.

Plot

Shalini was engaged to Neil as a child in India. When she finishes her studies, she’s ready to marry him — but Neil has since moved to the U.S. Meanwhile, Rob — somewhat unexpectedly — has managed to convince Nicole, the girl he fancied back in college, to join him in L.A. He becomes a talent agent and ends up working alongside Neil, who soon charms Nicole.
Then Shalini arrives from India, looking for Neil. He has no intention of marrying her, leaving her stranded and lost in Los Angeles. Rob, eager to prove himself as an agent, is given the challenge of turning an unknown into a star. He persuades Shalini to give it a shot — and she agrees, hoping that success might win Neil back.

Short review

A rather poor romantic film, full of clichés. It clearly shows its age — over 15 years old — and wasn’t particularly good even back then.

Plot

Newly divorced Celeste is facing a big change as her daughter is soon leaving for university. Her best friend thinks she needs to get out of the house more and, when she’s unable to help her friend John herself, she persuades Celeste to step in.
John is set to compete in a birdwatching competition and needs a partner — especially as he’ll be up against his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. Despite knowing very little about birds, Celeste throws herself into the challenge with enthusiasm. She turns out to have quite a knack for it, and before long, John finds himself thinking about more than just beating his ex.

Short review

Romantic films with narrow themes — like birdwatching — often run the risk of feeling a bit silly. However, this one manages much better, delivering a solid romantic story. It's lifted especially by Rachel Boston as Celeste, who brings a warm and positive energy to the role.

Plot

Julia writes historical romance novels set in the medieval era, filled with princes and castles. At a book signing, she’s approached by Prince Maximilian (Max) and his sister. They want her help in finding a love match for Max, who prefers to marry for love rather than go through with the arranged marriage planned for him.
Julia is hesitant — after all, she’s a romance novelist, not a matchmaker. But Max is persistent, and she eventually agrees, on the condition that her best friend be allowed to write an article about him to help launch her journalism career. Max is unsure about the idea, but agrees to it in exchange for Julia’s help.

Short review

Yet another prince and yet another contrived storyline. There may not be anything particularly wrong with the production or the performances, but the plot is simply too weak to carry the film.

Plot

Natalie, a children’s book illustrator, is in need of a strong concept if she hopes to land a coveted position at the publishing house she works for. One day at a café, she stumbles upon a wish list written by Caroline, the daughter of widower Wes. But it’s no ordinary wish list — it’s a heartfelt letter to Jesus, filled with wishes not for herself, but for the happiness and well-being of others. Moved by the idea, Natalie begins developing a children’s book inspired by the list — and at the same time, sets out to help make the wishes come true in real life. Along the way, she also grows closer to Wes and his daughter.

Short review

A word of warning — if you struggle with starry-eyed faith in God and Jesus, this might not be the film for you. However, if you can look past that, or at least tolerate it, it holds up as a romantic story.

Plot

Mike works in his father’s fruit and veg shop, which is now under threat of demolition by local politician Gregory, backed by the sleazy developer Zeffo. When Mike confronts Gregory, it quickly becomes clear that Gregory is driven by a grudge — Mike stole his girlfriend many years ago. Mike also meets Honey, Gregory’s secretary, and the plot thickens. As events unfold, Mike and his father receive unexpected support from the local mafia, who happen to be fond of their shop. Honey, too, turns out to be sympathetic — especially towards Mike — and soon joins the effort to save the business.

Short review

A bit of a low-budget film with occasionally unconvincing performances and an equally unconvincing plot. And yet, it somehow carries a certain charm precisely because of that. Don’t expect a masterpiece — but it offers light entertainment nonetheless, not least when viewed as a kind of pastiche.

Plot

Kate is about to start as a columnist for a new publication when she learns that there's another contender for the position — Joseph, who also believes the job is his. They’re suddenly pitted against each other in a competition for the role.
Kate is assigned to write an article about Joseph’s long-standing family-run dating agency, while Joseph is challenged to prove that his dating method works — by finding the perfect match for Kate.
Having run her own love advice blog for years, Kate is highly sceptical of dating apps in general, and the situation is made even more frustrating by the fact that she now has to compete with Joseph.

Short review

We’ve seen this concept before, and we’re bound to see it again. This time, it includes a secondary romance that also gets caught up in the final-act complications. Naturally, everything works out in the end, and while the film doesn’t particularly stand out from the crowd, it still delivers a solid romantic experience.

Plot

Cameron is new at school and quickly becomes interested in Bianca — who, unfortunately for him, has her eyes set on Joey. But there’s a catch: Bianca isn’t allowed to date unless her older sister, Kat, is dating too. The problem? Kat can’t stand boys and has no intention of dating anyone.
In a complicated scheme, Cameron convinces Joey to pay another student, Patrick, to try and woo Kat. Patrick agrees to take on the challenge, though it proves to be anything but easy. As the school prom draws near, questions arise: Is Patrick really as tough as he seems? And can he break through Kat’s wall of resentment?

Short review

At times a rather tiresome patchwork of a film, but not entirely without its moments of charm and substance. In the end, it earned a three — but not more than that.

Plot

Zoe has a medical condition that may leave her infertile, so she decides to try for a baby before it’s too late. Without a partner, she chooses to go the artificial route — and becomes pregnant. Around the same time, she meets Rob on a date, and things seem promising.

At work, Zoe is approached by Emmet, a high-profile client desperate to improve his public image. She initially refuses to take on the job, but when Emmet finds out she’s pregnant and on her own, he offers to support her — being a single father himself. It turns into a complicated arrangement, with Zoe caught between her growing feelings for Rob and an unexpected connection with Emmet.

Short review

Perhaps not entirely seamless, but it still turns out to be a good romantic film. Emmet’s transformation works surprisingly well, despite my initial doubts. And while the statistically unlikely coincidence at the end is certainly up for debate — it still somehow works.

Plot

Liara and her fiancé are set to get married and honeymoon in Italy — but just before the trip, he suddenly announces they should take a break and that he’s going to Thailand alone for a month. Encouraged by her mother, Liara decides to go to Italy on her own. Her parents got engaged there, at a particular house her father had always dreamed of buying. While exploring Rome, Liara ends up — by chance — in the same small village where her parents got engaged. There, she discovers that the very house her father once loved is now for sale… for one euro. On a whim, she buys it, plunging headfirst into a renovation project like no other. Thankfully, she finds help in Leo, an American living in the village.

Short review

A very good romantic film set in a romanticised version of Italy. The storyline is well-crafted, and it manages to do without the usual contrived misunderstanding that so often crops up — and irritates — in this type of film. A true feel-good experience.

Plot

Three of Claudia’s friends have all been proposed to while wearing a particular dress. But when it’s Claudia’s turn to wear it, her boyfriend Mike doesn’t propose as expected. Disappointed, she refuses to believe in the dress’s supposed magic. Now, with her best friend Barbie about to get married, the group gathers to help prepare for the big day. As maid of honour, Claudia is paired up with Preston — the bride’s brother — to help with the wedding tasks. There’s always been something between them, but Barbie has never been able to accept it. Mike also shows up for the wedding, and now Claudia’s friends are determined to get him to propose properly.

Short review

Predictable, as romantic films tend to be, but it does exactly what it’s supposed to — and does it well. All in all, it's an enjoyable watch when seen for what it is. That said, one might reasonably wonder why the dress is red on the poster but black in the actual film…

Plot

Anna’s boyfriend, Jeremy, fails to propose as she had expected. However, she’s heard of an Irish tradition where women can propose to men on Leap Day — a day that happens to fall during their planned trip to Ireland. Determined to take matters into her own hands, Anna sets off for Dublin. But when her flight is diverted to England, she ends up on a rough journey by boat, eventually finding herself stranded in a small village in the Irish countryside. Anxious to reach Dublin in time for Leap Day and Jeremy, she reluctantly hires the local pub owner, Declan, to drive her there. What follows is a chaotic road trip — made no easier by the fact that she and Declan don’t exactly get along.

Short review

A very good romantic film with a slightly higher-budget feel. It dares to be less polished, offering a touch of clever Irish humour throughout. The story also takes its time — unlike many in the genre, it doesn’t rush the resolution, allowing the emotional payoff to land more naturally.

Plot

Sir Cole is out hunting when he encounters an old woman in the woods. She gives him a quest to complete before Christmas Eve in order to become a true knight. Suddenly, he wakes up at a Christmas market in present-day Bracebridge, Ohio. There, he meets Brooke, a local schoolteacher. Later, in a confused state, he wanders into the road and she accidentally hits him with her car. After he’s discharged from the hospital, Brooke offers him a place to stay in her guesthouse, since he appears to have nowhere else to go. She helps him navigate the strange new world he’s found himself in — but what exactly is his quest?

Short review

Perhaps a fairly decent romantic film at heart, but it falls somewhat flat due to the overall concept. Yes, it’s meant to be a fairy tale, but it all feels a bit too polished — especially in how effortlessly he reacts to modern life.

Plot

Anna returns to Barcelona to celebrate Erica’s engagement. At the same time, she’s hoping to further establish herself as a food blogger. She crosses paths with Javier, a member of the Estrella family — famous for growing a rare and highly sought-after saffron. Anna wants to write about them, but the family has always kept a low profile and refuses to be featured. Later, while setting off on a culinary road trip, Anna’s car breaks down. She makes her way to the nearest village, which turns out to be home to the Estrella family. For various reasons, the family assumes Anna is Javier’s girlfriend — and from there, the charade begins.

Short review

This film is a follow-up to To Barcelona, With Love. Together, the two films feature two well-known faces from the world of romantic cinema: Alison Sweeney and Ashley Williams. This time, it’s Anna (played by Ashley) who finds romance. A well-made romantic film that definitely holds its own.

Plot

Erica has lived in Barcelona for many years and works, among other things, as a translator. She’s known the local bookseller Nico for a long time, and there’s definitely a spark between them. Nico has now invited the author Anna, whose novel — set in Barcelona — has been a bigger success there than anywhere else. The twist is that Erica was the one who translated the book, and she took certain liberties in her translation — a key reason for its popularity in Spain. On top of that, Nico wants Erica to host and guide Anna in the lead-up to the book signing. Erica suddenly finds herself caught in several conflicts of interest.

Short review

This film is connected to its sequel, To Barcelona, Forever. Together, the two films feature two familiar faces from the world of romantic cinema: Alison Sweeney and Ashley Williams. This instalment focuses on how Erica (played by Alison) finds love, and how both her life and Anna’s are turned upside down. It’s a solid and enjoyable romantic film.

Plot

Jeff is at odds with his neighbour Christine, who wants to evict him so she can expand her living space ahead of her upcoming wedding. Tensions between them escalate, but things take a turn when Jeff learns that his ex-wife is getting remarried. Wanting to attend the wedding with a date to prove he’s moved on, he struggles to find someone willing. In desperation, he asks Christine. She sees an opportunity and agrees — on the condition that he finally moves out. Though they can’t stand each other, they go to the wedding together… and, unsurprisingly, things quickly spiral out of control.

Short review

More of a Hollywood-style production, this one delivers a solid story with several twists along the way. Their conflict drags on longer than I expected, and it turns out to be quite a fun romantic film.

Plot

Tara and three women she meets on New Year’s Eve all have complicated love lives. At the stroke of midnight, they agree to form The Love Club to support one another. Ten years later, Tara decides to celebrate her freedom and independence, and calls in her friends from the club. The problem is that her mother — who’s constantly pressuring her to get married — unexpectedly shows up. Tara always lies about having boyfriends to keep her mother off her back, and this time she panics and pretends that Noah, a musician she’s hired for her club, is her partner. Things quickly spiral out of control, and suddenly her mother thinks they’re getting married.

Short review

The fourth film in a series of four (in the first season) called The Love Club. The episodes are standalone, but the later films also tie in with the earlier ones. This time, they’ve gone with a fake relationship storyline — a classic in the genre — and it works well as a romantic film.

Plot

Lauren and three women she meets on New Year’s Eve all have complicated love lives. At the stroke of midnight, they agree to form The Love Club to support one another. Ten years later, Lauren is newly separated from her husband and dreams of opening an art gallery. She calls in The Love Club to help her move forward with her dreams — and start dating again. The others arrive, and although not all of them are convinced the separation was the right move, they get to work. The gallery plans start to take shape, and along the way Lauren meets Carlos. But her friends have other plans.

Short review

The third film in a series of four (in the first season) called The Love Club. The episodes are standalone, but the later films also connect with the earlier ones. This instalment doesn’t quite fit the concept, as the couple are already together from the start — but since it’s part of the series, it came along for the ride. It works as a romantic film, and Franco Lo Presti as Carlos is as slick and slimy as ever — though this time, it doesn’t pay off.

Plot

Sydney and three women she meets on New Year's Eve all have troubled love lives. At the stroke of midnight, they agree to form The Love Club to support one another. Ten years later, she runs into Byron — a man she’s had an on-again, off-again relationship with. He’s set to take part in a running competition, and despite not having competed in years, she signs up too. Her friends from the club join in to support her. When Sydney needs help with her training, she gets assistance from Theo, who actually runs a restaurant. Sydney, being a food blogger, offers to help him in return. But even as they grow closer, she can’t quite shake her feelings for Byron.

Short review

The second film in a series of four (in the first season) called The Love Club. The episodes are standalone, but the later films also connect with the earlier ones. This instalment is stronger than the first and works well as a romantic story, even if it ends somewhat abruptly.

Plot

Nicole and three women she meets on New Year's Eve all have troubled love lives. At the stroke of midnight, they agree to form The Love Club to support one another. Ten years later, Nicole’s boyfriend has just proposed, but she still thinks about the pen pal who never showed up for their date. Feeling uncertain after accepting the proposal, she calls in her friends from The Love Club, and they persuade her to track down the mysterious pen pal. One of the men they believe it could be works at an inn. They head there, and Nicole pretends to be the interior designer the inn has hired.

Short review

The first in a series of four films (in the first season) called The Love Club. The episodes are standalone, but the later films also tie in with the earlier ones. This instalment isn’t exactly the strongest — and while it’s not outright bad, it never quite manages to be particularly good either.

Plot

Laura and Michael first met as youngsters back home in Australia, but Laura had her sights set on studying in England and left. Twenty years later, she’s living in London with her British husband, Jason, and their three sons. She is suddenly diagnosed with MS — the same condition her mother suffers from. In quick succession, she loses her job and Jason, who is killed in a car accident. With nothing left to hold her in London, she heads back to Australia with her sons to be with her parents. There, she bumps into Michael — and his daughter. Could a new life still be waiting for her, after everything?

Short review

A beautifully crafted film with a serious theme, made with great sensitivity. It delivers a subtle story filled with humanity and romance.

Plot

Lidia is in the process of taking over responsibility for the family restaurant, where she also works as a chef. It’s a traditional Italian restaurant, and Lidia is determined not to change anything, insisting the menu must remain as it has always been. Then along comes Daniel, a tech mogul who has recently ventured into the restaurant business. He wants to invest in the restaurant, and although Lidia—who has visited his first attempt—is reluctant, she eventually agrees as she needs the investment. A struggle ensues, with Daniel wanting to innovate while Lidia wants to preserve. Can they find a balance?

Short review

This film holds its own among the rest. It's well-written, well-acted, and doesn't go over the top. All in all, it's simply a good romantic film.

Plot

In the town of Paradise, the pencil factory is the main employer, and when its owner dies, it falls to his son, Michael, to return home and try to deal with the situation. The factory is heavily in debt, and the bank is calling in the loans. Since the father had also mortgaged his private assets, Michael’s mother now risks losing everything. Michael sets out to salvage what can be saved — but this also means shutting down the factory, causing the town to lose its only major employer. The factory’s financial manager, Charlie, who is also Michael’s childhood friend, has a plan that might turn things around. But is Michael willing to listen to her?

Short review

The film is perhaps more about the issue with the factory than the romance, though the romance is still present. It’s a good film, a bit rougher around the edges than most in the romance genre. Still, one might question the ever-present resistance to progress and technology — a mindset that feels misguided.

Plot

Designer and marketer Daisy works extra shifts at her best friend’s café and also fosters and trains dogs awaiting adoption. One day, the café is visited by Jace, who once grew up in town but later became famous as one half of a TV presenting duo. He has just broken up with his girlfriend and co-host, and moved back to town. Daisy isn’t fond of how he abandoned his ideals for his career, and when he wants to adopt a dog, she says no — she doesn’t believe he’s serious. However, when a design competition comes up that Daisy wants to enter, she gets the idea that her showcase could be relaunching Jace’s career.

Short review

A good romantic film – it benefits a great deal from Daisy standing her ground in her scepticism towards Jace, rather than falling for him straight away. A solid romantic feel-good movie.

Plot

Jenny and Ryan have always been mates. Jenny is absolutely obsessed with the pop star Jason. Over the summer, Jenny and Ryan are working at a Caribbean holiday resort. One day, Jason arrives to stay the night at the hotel where they work. In the evening, his entourage goes on a boat trip, and Jenny manages to get on board as part of the service staff. As fate would have it, Jason falls overboard and Jenny dives in after him. The next day, they wash ashore, and Jason also sprains his ankle. Jenny now finds herself in her dream situation – alone with her idol. And when she eventually discovers that they are not on a deserted island at all, but just a few kilometres from the hotel, she decides to keep it a secret from Jason.

Short review

A film that perhaps wasn’t particularly good to begin with hasn’t improved with age. It’s more or less what one might expect from this type of film (a turn-of-the-century teen movie) – that is to say, bad.

Plot

Chelsea has been tasked by the bank she works for to review a number of properties they own in England to determine whether they can be sold. While she’s there, she stays at one of the manor houses owned by the bank. She soon realises there’s something mysterious about the cellar and can’t resist going down to investigate. Once there, she sees a man through a mirror. It is Charles, who is in the same cellar but in the year 1799. They are able to speak to each other through the mirror, and Chelsea keeps returning to learn more. However, she suffers an allergic reaction, and Charles steps through the mirror to help her. Suddenly, he is trapped in the present day – but how will he get back?

Short review

These time travel films usually have the concept working against them, and they rarely succeed. But if you're willing to buy into the fairytale, this time they've managed to put together a good romantic story. A nice little extra touch is the caretaker at the estate, whose presence adds a pleasantly quirky element.

Plot

Through her podcast, Tara promotes her beauty products, but sales are slow. What she really wants is a job as a TV presenter. Suddenly, she receives an offer to take part in a reality show where you're meant to marry someone the TV company has matched you with as your perfect partner. Tara sees this as a chance to boost her career – and perhaps even land her dream job. However, she has no intention of actually getting married. She manages to find out who the TV company has chosen for her and goes to see him to persuade him to fake the whole thing. It turns out to be Joe, whose daughter signed him up for the show – and he has no interest in taking part.

Short review

The film holds up well as a good romantic movie, even though for most of it I felt that Tara’s life goals were questionable — but even that were resolved in the end.

Plot

By chance, Todd ends up becoming the manager of his friend Ryan. Several years later, Ryan is a major film star, but his reputation as a playboy is starting to jeopardise his career. To salvage the situation, Todd convinces him to take part in a reality show aimed at finding a woman for him to settle down with. Charlie lives in Boston, and her sister signs her up for the programme. Though hesitant, she agrees to take part and is soon drawn into the absurd spectacle. Ryan goes along with it and does what’s expected, but Todd finds it increasingly difficult to cope as he begins to fall for Charlie.

Short review

Despite being over 20 years old, this film still holds up well. They've managed to create a surprisingly neat ending, full of feel-good charm.

Plot

Organised and meticulous Maya works at a dog food company. At the same company works Patrick, the owner’s son – a careless playboy. Now, the company’s mascot, a dog, is to be driven from the East Coast to California as part of a marketing campaign. Patrick’s father sees this as an opportunity to find out whether his son is good for anything, and assigns him the task of driving the dog. When the dog’s usual caretaker finds out that Patrick is the one doing the driving, she backs out of accompanying him. Maya sees this as a chance to visit her parents for Christmas and agrees to take charge of the trip. A journey full of conflict is about to begin.

Short review

The film is more than ten years old, and it shows. Patrick is, admittedly, supposed to be unbearable, but is so to such an extent that it’s hard to see what Maya sees in him — or whether he actually changes at all when faced with conflict.

Plot

Niki has a podcast where she gives relationship advice based on her own perfect relationship. Her agent calls her to a meeting with a publisher who wants to release a book based on her podcast, and he invites her to a weekend away with a few other authors. Niki is thrilled but panics when she realises she’s expected to bring her perfect boyfriend. The problem is—he doesn’t exist. She scrambles to find someone to play the part, but without success. In the end, she asks her incredibly annoying neighbour, Luke, with whom she’s actually in a bit of a feud. He eventually lets himself be persuaded to come along.

Short review

The film has its weak moments, but overall it measures up as a romantic film and turns out quite good in the end.

Plot

Lexi is a psychologist who works with couples therapy. When a visiting couple can't see eye to eye, she starts talking about her own dating life to help them along. She lets her own struggles guide them in the same way they helped her find the right path.

Short review

A real low-budget film. The entire film is slow and unengaging. As a sign of how carelessly it’s made, everything during the opening credits plays in reverse. Such a sloppy mistake says a lot.

Plot

Becca runs her yarn shop, sourcing her wool from her father's farm. But she's struggling to make ends meet. Logan has just left his job in sales for a position in the PR department of an oil company. Becca's sister's husband works on one of the company's oil rigs, and when the company loses contact with the platform, it falls to Logan to answer Becca’s and her sister’s questions. To improve the company's image, they send Logan to Montana to show that they care about their employees. There, Logan meets Becca – and before long, he finds himself more deeply involved in the fight to save those on board the oil rig.

Short review

Better than expected, Logan/Olivier Renaud is a likeable character. If it hadn’t been about oil production – without even a mention of the environmental issues – it might have earned a five. As it is, it gets a four instead.

Plot

Gwyneth feels the pressure of needing to find her life partner but isn’t quite sure how to make it happen. At work, her boss wants the team to win a new account, but it involves advertising a remedy for baldness – something Gwyneth doesn’t believe in. Meanwhile, she keeps seeing adverts for the dating site Christian Mingle. Although not a convinced believer herself, she decides to sign up. Through the site, she meets Paul, a devout Christian who is also looking for a life partner. They really hit it off, but it also means Gwyneth has to pretend to be a Christian.

Short review

Well, what can I say? Yet another Christian film, and even though it's not quite as bad as many others, what really gets to me is Paul's dull demeanour and fundamentalist Christianity. Even though he admits he was wrong in the final scene, it still doesn't sit right.

Plot

Emma sets off to scout out locations on behalf of her boss, a renowned travel book author. However, her car breaks down and she ends up in the town of Love while it’s being repaired. There, she meets Riley, who makes a terrible first impression. The town has won the award for the friendliest town in the state twenty years in a row, and now the mayor is determined to win again this year. Ryan is his son, and when he mistakes Emma for her boss—the travel writer—his father immediately wants him to show Emma around and persuade her to write about the town, giving them a chance to win once more.

Short review

A decent effort, but it has its flaws — in particular, the ending felt like it had gaps and came across as almost a bit odd.

Plot

Jo is a highly successful children's author, but her first attempt at writing for a slightly older audience doesn't appeal to the publisher. She's given two weeks to come up with something new. The problem is, it's Christmas and she's heading home to celebrate with her three sisters, so she’s forced to combine the holiday with developing a new concept. In the meantime, the publisher sends Fritz, one of their editors, to support Jo in coming up with a better idea. He travels there but misses the chance to explain why he’s there, and instead becomes acquainted with Jo, whose sisters encourage her to spend time with Fritz.

Short review

Allegedly based on Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, but apart from the sisters' names, it seems to have very little in common with it (I haven’t read the book, though…). Perhaps there is nothing particularly wrong with the film as such, but I soon grew tired of the overwhelming amount of charitable work and references to God. It all just became a bit too much.

Plot

Katie's twin brother persuades her to join him and his Peruvian girlfriend on a trip to Peru. He’s planning to propose to his girlfriend at Machu Picchu and wants Katie there for support. He’s mapped out everything in detail, but once they arrive in Peru, the girlfriend’s best friend Carlos turns up and throws a spanner in the works by constantly suggesting they change their plans, as he has other ideas. Of course, he doesn’t know the brother is planning to propose, as he’s trying to keep it a surprise. It falls to Katie to fend off Carlos’s suggestions and help make it possible for her brother to carry out his plan.

Short review

Hmm, the film teeters on the edge pretty much the whole time, and the actual climax falls rather flat – leaving us with nothing more than a commercial for Peru.

Plot

Johnny lives his life as a mechanic in the United States. Meanwhile, Sir William wishes to renounce his dukedom in England. Next in the line of succession is a relative whom his assistant, Prudence, strongly disapproves of. While going through some papers, she discovers an old marriage certificate and realises, through it, that Johnny is Sir William’s unknown son. She travels to the United States and, at Sir William’s request, invites Johnny to come to England to see if he would like to take on the dukedom. Johnny is highly sceptical of the whole thing, having never known who his father was.

Short review

I was sceptical about this one, for obvious reasons. European royalty in romantic films rarely works well. As it turned out, it wasn’t a king but a duke (which doesn’t really make much of a difference), but the film turned out to be slightly better than expected and had a certain charm.

Plot

After a difficult divorce, Frances is persuaded by her friends to go on a holiday to Tuscany — a trip they themselves are unable to take. The journey is actually a gay holiday, but Frances decides to go anyway, in need of a change of scenery. During the trip, she spots a house for sale and, on a sudden impulse, decides to buy it and move there. The house is in serious need of renovation, and she eventually hires three Polish workers to help fix it up. Along the way, she gets to know the locals, and quite a lot happens. Will she succeed in her quest to build a new life?

Short review

A very good film, which perhaps shouldn’t have been included in the collection since the happily-ever-after romance only occurs right at the very end and doesn’t get much attention. But the film is so good that I included it anyway.

Plot

Joe works at a bus garage when his mother passes away. His friends encourage him to take the opportunity to do something for himself now that he has inherited some money. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and is trying to recreate his grandmother’s sauce recipe. On a sudden impulse, he decides to buy a restaurant space to renovate and open. His idea is to have grandmothers (nonnas) cook the food and for the restaurant to evoke a sense of family. His friends are skeptical, but he is determined and seeks out some women who can cook. In the midst of all this, he also runs into Olivia, whom he once took to a failed prom date.

Short review

A well-made and rather rich film that is very good. The romance takes a back seat, while the restaurant and its chefs are in the spotlight. But the film made it into this collection because it was so good.

Plot

Olivia grew up working in her father's model-making business. Now that her father is about to retire, she hopes to take over the company. But suddenly, her father has brought in Simon to see if he can boost the business and perhaps even take over the firm. Olivia's father wants to evaluate whether she or Simon is better suited to take the reins. But he also expects them to prove they can work together. Perhaps not the most ideal circumstances for a successful collaboration.

Short review

Here, it's the plot itself that's the problem. The entire premise that the father wants to subject his daughter to this simply doesn't hold up. At least not in the way it's presented.

Plot

Jason is struggling to make it as an actor. He lands a gig in a commercial, but they only want real couples. To get the job, he convinces Nora—whom he met at a café—to come along and pretend they're together. Nora hesitantly agrees, and the commercial turns out to be a success. Suddenly, they’re seen everywhere as a couple, which becomes a bit awkward—especially for Nora’s boyfriend. The campaign is so successful that they’re asked to continue the series of ads. Meanwhile, Jason is trying to write his own TV show, hoping someone will pick it up. As they continue working together, they get to know each other better—but is there something more between them now?

Short review

It feels a bit fresh since the narrative style is a little different and the main characters don't completely follow the usual pattern. It turns into quite a good romantic story.

Plot

Brooklyn is tired of the formal reporting on financial news. But when she tries to lighten things up a bit, she gets a warning from her boss. However, a new opportunity arises when the station’s entertainment reporter is unable to attend the annual balloon festival in Albuquerque. Brooklyn is sent instead, along with Elise, her photographer. Arrangements have been made for them to stay with Jared, who runs the balloon company Love in the Air. The problem for Brooklyn is that she’s afraid of heights, so going up in a balloon is something she hopes to avoid. Jared, who takes the opportunity to show her around town, challenges her to face her fear.

Short review

Quite beautiful scenes with the sky full of hot air balloons, especially the evening scenes. If you like ballooning, it probably has something to offer. But if you take that away, there’s not much left, and the final scene in particular is both silly and fake.

Plot

Trish works in PR at Sunny Day Lemonade. One of their initiatives is to try to influence legislation in various states to allow children to have so-called lemonade stands. A case now emerges in Golden Valley where a little girl has been ordered by the city to shut down her stand. Trish doesn’t want to go there, as it’s her old hometown that she has left behind, but with no one else available, she’s forced to go anyway. To make matters worse, it turns out the girl’s father is Evan, whom Trish dated back in school. On top of that, she also has to deal with her relationship with her mother while trying to influence the city council.

Short review

A typical romantic film that doesn’t stand out from the crowd. It delivers what it’s supposed to—that’s really all there is to say.

Plot

Emily is on her way to Bali for Christmas to escape the holiday madness. However, her plane makes an emergency landing in Colorado, and while trying to locate her missing luggage, she slips and hits her head. When she comes to, Chris is there, helping her up. She soon realizes that everything around her is starting to unfold like a classic Christmas movie. Though she’s not a fan of the holiday, she now finds herself caught in every cliché a Christmas film has to offer. She comes to understand that she won’t be able to leave until she has played her part in the story—which includes working together with Chris.

Short review

The idea is fun and the film includes a few amusing moments if you've seen many movies of this kind. But there's no getting around the fact that it doesn't quite measure up. The acting isn't very strong, and there are some flaws in the plot. And the Santa i horrible.

Plot

Charlie's girlfriend has to go away, so Charlie travels to New York alone to take care of their wedding arrangements. At the hotel, Anna is also staying for the same reason, and her boyfriend is away too. They run into each other during their wedding preparations and start spending time together, becoming friends. But their friendship also makes them start questioning their partners and the promises they’re about to make. Over time, they begin to realize there’s something between them that goes beyond friendship. But what are they supposed to do about it?

Short review

An older film, but it's quite charming. Time has treated it fairly well. It holds up as a romantic movie and meets the standard.

Plot

Ethan has been diagnosed with a terminal tumor and given six months to live. He has quit his job and is working through his bucket list. During a skydiving jump, he meets Annamaria, a physical therapist in her everyday life. She starts helping Ethan with his various problems. But is the diagnosis correct — and what should Ethan do if it isn’t?

Short review

A real low-budget film, a weak script, terrible direction, silly attention-seeking that doesn't work, exaggerated characters, etc., etc. Just watch the opening scene with the credits and you'll see what I mean—then you can turn it off. It never gets any better.

Plot

Movie star Cole wants to make a film about how the small town of Quincy got rich thanks to Crown Cola. His location scout is sent there to check out potential filming spots and meets Summer, who helps him find the right places. Meanwhile, Cole is caught up in a messy divorce where the rights to his film are at stake. His lawyer advises him to go to Quincy to keep a low profile. When Cole arrives and meets the feisty Southern girl Summer, he immediately realizes she’s perfect for the lead role in the movie. However, things get complicated, as his wife was originally meant to play the role, and Summer’s relationship with the townspeople has been strained for some time.

Short review

The film contains some so-called mommy porn and Summer perhaps overacts a bit in her role as a femme fatale. But there’s still something about it that drew me in. Summer’s strength, fierceness, and determination—despite her exaggerated posing—somehow elevate the whole thing. In the end, I gave it a four after all.

Plot

Stella is trying to make a name for herself as a hat designer. She sneaks into a hotel room to place one of her creations among the hats Rosalind is to wear at the upcoming derby, but she is caught by Christian, Rosalind’s son. However, he helps her slip away unnoticed, and Rosalind ends up choosing Stella’s hat. This means she gets to design all of Rosalind’s hats leading up to the derby. It also means she gets to know Christian and can help him with her knowledge of horses, as his horse is competing in the derby. However, Stella must fight to win over Rosalind’s current designer and her assistant.

Short review

The entire plot feels a bit silly with hat competitions and such. The film simply ends up being too lightweight.

Plot

After a failed album, John has moved to Cyprus to get away. What he didn’t know was that the house he bought is located on a cliff where people commonly go to end their lives. He tries to acclimate to his new home and makes new acquaintances. Among others, he meets Melina, a young singer on the island. He’s also unprepared to encounter Sia, whom he was once in a relationship with a long time ago. Old memories resurface, while he also has to deal with those who come to the cliff seeking to end their suffering.

Short review

A very well-made romantic film that offers warmth and humor. A few surprises add spice to the mix and elevate it even further.

Plot

Martin lives with his son and runs an animal sanctuary. One evening, they are interrupted by Robin and her daughter, who are seeking care for their chicken. Martin treats the chicken and keeps it under observation for a few days. Robin’s daughter wants to visit and see all the animals, and she and Martin’s son get along well. There is also a complicated attraction between Martin and Robin. Over the following period, they meet in various situations, but at the same time, Robin has to deal with her ex-husband, who suddenly wants to see his daughter.

Short review

Perhaps at its core a perfectly decent romantic film, but here it is brought down by poor sound mixing. The audio at times feels dubbed and recorded at different occasions. Even the music doesn’t work well. The acting performances are decent, but the direction could have been better. This is a typical example of how low production quality can bring down an otherwise fairly okay story.

Plot

Matt works as a postman and lives with his niece, Emily, whom he has custody of after her parents passed away. One day, Kristi arrives at the post office with the task of answering all the letters addressed to Santa. However, the post office manager suspects that Kristi has been sent to spy on him and assigns Matt to investigate everything he can about the mysterious Kristi. Meanwhile, Kristi receives letters addressed to Santa from Emily, who wishes for Santa to find someone for Matt to love. But who is Kristi really, and where does she come from?

Short review

Even though the film can be somewhat charming at times, its quality doesn't exceed a three.

Plot

Emma works as an event planner, and when the New Year's event she had planned to take on falls through, she decides to accompany her father to Scotland. He wants to go there to trace the family's roots in a small village called Glenrothie. Upon arrival, Emma is struck by the fact that the village doesn't seem to celebrate Christmas. It turns out that the laird who owns the village is opposed to Christmas decorations. However, the villagers would love to see their village beat the neighboring one in the annual competition for Best Christmas Village. Before long, Emma finds herself drawn into the effort as the event planner — which means she has to deal with the laird and his son, Alex.

Short review

The fact that this film is set in Scotland is clearly a bonus, but it also delivers a good romantic story, even if it might not particularly stand out from the crowd.

Plot

Izzy is in the middle of helping launch a new café when Grant Beiste shows up. He has a strong social media presence, which he uses to help the company he works for drive out small businesses and take over their properties. They quickly end up in a conflict that leads to Grant driving away, but in doing so, he accidentally hits Izzy’s father, who ends up in the hospital. As a result, Grant starts losing followers and needs to repair his reputation. The company he works for forces him to reach out to Izzy for help with this, in exchange for making sure her father gets back on his feet.

Short review

A misguided plot that constantly teeters on the edge. Grant's "transformation" isn't convincing, and he truly behaves like a jerk. How Izzy could ever see anything in him is completely incomprehensible.

Plot

When Liam forgets their anniversary, Morgan breaks up with him, feeling that he lacks commitment. As Christmas approaches, Morgan decides to go on a retreat for singles. It is organized by a woman who wants to highlight Christmas traditions and promote well-being as a single person. As the week begins, Morgan suddenly realizes that Liam has signed up for the same retreat.

Short review

I’m generally skeptical of stories where the characters break up and then get back together. Why? What has actually changed? The film overall doesn’t really land and never becomes particularly good.

Plot

Felicity works as a successful event planner and is promised a chance to become a partner at the firm if she agrees to travel on short notice to organize a royal wedding between a princess and a commoner. The wedding will also mean that the princess gives up her title, and that her brother, Vincent, will become the crown prince instead. Vincent has always lived a quiet life, staying out of the media spotlight. The wedding is set to take place on Christmas Day, and Felicity travels there with her daughter to organize everything in a relatively short time. She is thrown into a struggle between traditions, expectations, and a future prince bound by them.

Short review

As expected from a romance involving a prince in some unknown country (somewhere in Europe?), this film isn't particularly good. Everything just feels very forced and unreal.

Plot

Willa accidentally sends out a critical message when she's distracted by Calvin, a news reporter who embarrasses himself live on TV. A year later, with both their careers in ruins, their paths cross when Willa mistakenly picks up the wrong luggage at the airport where Calvin now works as a very unmotivated lost baggage handler. Both are deeply disillusioned, and somehow they connect through this shared state and start meeting in other contexts as well. An unusual friendship begins to form. Maybe together they can turn things around for both of them.

Short review

A slightly different kind of romantic film that isn’t as polished as most others – but that’s exactly what makes it work.

Plot

Holly is a successful marketing professional who gets an important assignment just before Christmas, together with her colleague, the photographer Milo. In the rush on the sidewalk, she accidentally falls and hits her head, and when she regains consciousness, Bo (or Beau?) is the first person she sees. He is the perfect, handsome, and caring man she’s always dreamed of. They start dating, and at first, everything seems right. At the same time, Holly struggles to handle the assignment at work, and she and Milo have a hard time agreeing on the right concept. Meanwhile, Bo begins to interfere more and more. Is he really the perfect man?

Short review

The statue or mannequin that comes to life features in other films as well. This time, however, I think they’ve managed it a bit better. An explanation is provided at the end, and it holds up better than in other similar movies. As a romantic story, it works well.

Plot

Christine is a Christmas elf at the North Pole and curious about life out in the world. Santa gives her a mission: to visit a family that is starting to lose their Christmas spirit. The parents are working so hard in their store during the holiday rush that they have no energy left for anything else related to Christmas, which has caused their daughter to give up on it as well. Only the son still believes in Christmas. Christine gets a job as the family’s nanny and does what she can to turn things around, with some support from the children’s uncle, who still holds on to the Christmas spirit. But can she manage it without getting too emotionally involved?

Short review

A romantic Christmas tale, and if you take it as just that, I think it delivers as it should and is at times a charming one.