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.

Plot

Madison is working hard at her new job while also taking care of her two children and struggling to make ends meet. She doesn’t get much support from her ex-husband, who is chasing his dreams of making it as a manager. In the midst of it all is Alec, who has just become a sports commentator, largely thanks to his strong opinions. Madison is juggling a lot, while her ex tries to win her back and Alec does everything he can to win her heart.

Short review

No, it feels messy and a bit incoherent, and the resolution comes across as very contrived.

Plot

Mary works as a real estate developer, and now she has the chance to become a partner at the firm—if she can secure a specific deal. However, that deal requires her to return to her hometown. Her relationship with her family is, to say the least, strained, and she really doesn't want to go back. Believing she can close the deal in a single day, she goes anyway. But it turns out that in order to win the deal, she has to stay until Christmas. This means she'll have to confront both her father and sister—and also Carlos, who works at the local horse center. It becomes a tough reckoning with her past.

Short review

Not as lighthearted as I thought it would be, and not as bad either. Even if it might not be entirely cohesive, it's a fairly decent film, although the romance takes a bit of a backseat and doesn't come across as particularly convincing.

Plot

Casey and Henry happen to share the same birthday, and their respective birthday parties are booked at the same restaurant. When it turns out that Henry’s party forgot to order a cake, Casey offers to share, and they make their secret wishes and blow out the candles together. That could have been the end of it — but suddenly, their wishes start coming true… for the other person. Henry receives an invitation to participate in a televised dance competition, something Casey had wished for, while Casey unexpectedly inherits a farm — just what Henry had dreamed of. Can they help each other get what they truly want?

Short review

When you read the plot, it sounds a bit weak, but they’ve managed to turn it into a good romantic story.

Plot

Prince Desmond is set to marry Princess Coralina to ease tensions between their countries. But Coralina breaks off the engagement and marries a plumber instead. The conflict threatens to escalate, so they turn to Bea in Boston—or Princess Beatrix, as she is truly called. She has been living a quiet, anonymous life in the U.S. since stepping away from the spotlight. Hoping the conflict can be negotiated away, she agrees to get engaged to Desmond while talks are ongoing. This also means she must return home and take part in the charade.

Short review

For a movie about unknown kingdoms in Europe, this one actually isn’t as bad as most of the others. It’s a bit more unusual in that it’s not a common man or woman meeting royalty, but rather a prince and a princess meeting each other. Mallory Jansen also does a good job as Bea.

Plot

Abby works in a jewelry store but dreams of becoming a jeweler with her own creations. One day, she receives a call from a bank in Belgium informing her that her grandfather is behind on the payments for his jewelry shop in Antwerp. She decides to take some time off and travel there to help him get the business back on track after it has struggled since Abby’s grandmother passed away. In Antwerp, she meets Alexander, the son of her grandfather’s biggest rival. One thing leads to another, and suddenly Abby finds herself competing in a prestigious jewelry competition, where she is up against Alexander, among others. The competition could be Abby’s big breakthrough.

Short review

A nice little film that was slightly better than I had feared. It holds up for what it is.

Plot

When Alex's mother dies, she doesn’t inherit her mother’s company—where she also works—as she had expected. Instead, she receives a list of life goals that she wrote herself at the age of 14, along with instructions to complete them. If she does, there is some form of inheritance, but she doesn’t know what it is. Her mother has left short video messages for each goal she accomplishes. Alex’s whole life is turned upside down as she must find a new job and start questioning her life choices. One of the goals is to find love, and she meets Garret at her new job as a teacher. Meanwhile, the inheritance matters are handled by her mother’s young lawyer, Brad.

Short review

A really good film that offers a well-depicted story of how Alex, over the course of a year, embarks on an odyssey through her life. The film maintains a high standard and leaves you with a good feeling. It also features a short epilogue, which always enhances the experience.

Plot

Loryn is living a carefree life of luxury when her grandmother summons her to Chicago. She’s faced with an ultimatum: work at the family department store and learn the business, or lose her inheritance and luxurious lifestyle. She must work at the store anonymously to avoid being treated differently as the heiress to the owners. Aidan works at the store and is hoping for a promotion to assistant manager. He is tasked with making sure Loryn does a good job and learns the business—an almost impossible task, as Loryn has no intention of "working on the floor."

Short review

It's impossible to relate to Loryn's transformation from a superior luxury bimbo to an empathetic and kind colleague. It just happens without any explanation. Simply a pretty poor plot.

Plot

When Megan was a child, she received a charity Christmas gift that included a notebook with a verse that inspired her to write. The verse was also signed by Wesley Hardin Johnson, the child who had donated the gift. As an adult, Megan has become a reporter, and now her boyfriend—who is also her colleague at the newspaper—has just broken up with her. To make matters worse, he also gets the position Megan had been hoping for. The newspaper’s editor urges her to find a strong article idea to prove herself. In her search for a good story, she comes up with the idea of tracking down Wesley, the one who once sent the charity gift.

Short review

Maybe there's nothing seriously wrong with the film, but it still doesn't feel fully cohesive. I find the overall execution lacks finesse.

Plot

When Megan is ousted by the board from the company she herself founded, she struggles to find a new assignment. However, she needs something to occupy her time, and when her very disorganized sister asks for help getting her life in order, Megan comes up with the idea of forming a board to help her sister create the life she wants. She gathers a few suitable acquaintances who are willing to assist and even convinces psychology professor Dominic to join. Together, they set out to get her sister back on her feet—but what does her sister actually want in life? And what is it that Megan is hoping to achieve?

Short review

Maybe not a flawless film, but it has its charm and moments. In the end, it got a four.

Plot

Rebecca is skilled at coaching people toward improvement and achieving their goals. She becomes so well-known that she is invited for an interview on a morning TV show. The show is co-hosted by former football star Clive. He is highly skeptical of Rebecca's methods, and the interview goes poorly. However, Clive’s attitude puts him at risk of being dropped by the TV studio. His producer gives him an ultimatum: seek help from Rebecca or lose his job on the show. Rebecca is promised more television opportunities if she agrees to take on Clive. It turns out to be a tough challenge to confront Clive’s sceptical worldview.

Short review

You can say what you want about "life coaches," but as a romantic film, it delivers what it's supposed to according to a familiar formula.

Plot

Prince Henry's eight-year-old daughter is nervous about an upcoming official parade she is supposed to ride in. To take her mind off it, Prince Henry brings her to the United States and visits an amusement park. At the park, Lacey works as a fairytale princess. The real princess takes a real liking to Lacey, and when Henry sees how good Lacey is with his daughter, he gets the idea to hire her as a coach to help prepare for the parade. Before long, Lacey finds herself in a real kingdom—with a handsome prince.

Short review

Isn't there anything better to make romantic movies about than unknown kingdoms with princes? As with most of the oters this one isn't any good either.

Plot

In a merger between two companies, Liv and Tom end up working at the same firm. At the same time, the CEO wants everyone to start working from the office a few days a week, but since there isn’t enough space for everyone, people are assigned different office days. Without knowing who the other person is, Liv and Tom happen to be assigned the same desk—but on different days. They start leaving anonymous notes for each other, and a kind of connection begins to form. Meanwhile, they are also assigned to work together on matters related to the merger, which doesn’t go as smoothly. What will happen when they discover they are the ones leaving notes for each other?

Short review

Another take on the "You've Got Mail" theme, and it works reasonably well.

Plot

Pia is a photographer and runs a photo studio that she’s struggling to keep afloat. Now her sister is getting married, and in connection with that, their mother has brought in a fortune teller. He also reads Pia’s fortune and predicts that she will meet the love of her life within her next five dates. Her family persuades her to go on a series of dates, each more disastrous than the last. Meanwhile, it turns out that her ex, Charlie, is going to be the best man at the wedding, so she is also forced to confront him. For Pia, it becomes a struggle to get her family to accept that she wants to succeed in her career first and foremost.

Short review

A good romantic film with humor, set in an Indian-English setting. The fact that it's British is often a mark of quality in itself. It's made with a playful tone and portrays Pia as a strong woman who can stand her ground.

Plot

Amber leads a nomadic life, staying in one place only until she has saved enough money for gas to travel again. This time, she happens to rent a room above Clay’s antique shop. Clay lives a reclusive life and follows strict rules he has set for himself—such as never being alone in a room with a woman. Amber is fascinated by Clay and tries to get him to open up, which is not an easy task. From others in town, she learns that Clay hasn't always been the way he is now.

Short review

Something as unusual as a Christian film that is actually really good as a romantic movie. Partly because it maintains a high production quality, including the acting, and partly because the Christian theme is not overemphasized. What happened to Clay could just as well have happened to an atheist. The film also offers a truly romantic ending, even though the epilogue, as usual, could have been a bit more substantial.

Plot

When Abril hears that her cousin wants to sell the farm they co-own in Argentina, she travels there to try to keep it in the family. She hadn’t expected to run into her teenage love, Diego, but it turns out he’s back in town. Things get even more complicated when Abril realizes that he is the one who wants to buy the farm. He is just as determined to buy it as Abril is not to sell. While Abril searches for a way to keep the farm, an old unpaid loan surfaces, and suddenly both of them are at risk of losing everything to a real estate company that has acquired the debt. Now they must find a solution together.

Short review

The film holds up as a romantic movie, even if it doesn’t particularly stand out. As is often the case, they drag out the resolution for so long that it ends up feeling a bit abrupt (even though it is there).

Plot

Sarah is newly divorced, and her family is trying to get her to start dating again. Her sister signs her up on a dating site. Reluctantly, Sarah ventures into the dating world, and things don’t get off to a great start when her first date turns out to be her own father. After several failed dates, she meets Jake, who is also divorced and in a similar situation. Their first date doesn’t go particularly well either. At the same time, Sarah also meets one of the fathers of a child at the school where she works. However, despite more less-than-successful dates, Sarah and Jake continue to see each other.

Short review

A slightly more lavish Hollywood production with a plot that's a bit more intricate than in other romantic films. As a result, it's also better than average.

Plot

Kate and Mark meet by chance on the bus, but Kate has to get off before they have time to introduce themselves. Kate runs a gift shop in a building that is now threatened with demolition, and the real estate company wants to buy her out of her lease. As fate would have it, Mark works for the real estate company and is assigned to make sure Kate signs the agreement and vacates the premises by New Year's. However, Kate is determined to resist and save both the building and her shop. Now Mark finds himself in a dilemma, because the last thing he wants is to be in conflict with Kate—quite the opposite, in fact.

Short review

Yes, it's good. We've seen the plot before, but this time it works better than most. The conflict doesn't get too exaggerated, and they get extra credit for not saving the building by declaring it a historical landmark, like they always do.

Plot

Jen works at a publishing house that publishes books by the reclusive and somewhat secretive Liz. However, Liz decides to become more public in order to stay relevant, which is why she agrees to travel to Scotland to receive an award. But at the last moment, Liz falls ill, and it is decided that Jen will go to accept the award on Liz’s behalf. On the journey to Scotland, Jen is mistaken for Liz, and a series of mishaps lands her as a guest at the estate of the poet James. She doesn’t dare to reveal her true identity and instead tries to play along, pretending to be Liz. However, the situation becomes increasingly difficult.

Short review

Even though this film is set in Scotland — which is a big plus in itself — it still only earns a three. There are too many flaws in the plot, and in terms of production, it doesn’t quite measure up.

Plot

Tiffany's fiancé breaks up with her just a few weeks before the wedding, and she's mostly annoyed about having to cancel all the wedding arrangements. Her colleague and friend offers to take care of it, but when Tiffany discovers that her colleague has rebooked everything for her own wedding instead, she gets genuinely upset, as the two have always been rivals. She suddenly declares that her boyfriend is back and the wedding is back on. The problem is that she now has to present said boyfriend. Since she works as an agent, she seeks out actor Nick and hires him to play her boyfriend—just to snatch the wedding booking away from her colleague.

Short review

The film has its moments and is partly okay, but I found it hard to like the initially very unlikeable Tiffany and wasn't convinced by her transformation.

Plot

Lindsey works for the local municipality and has the challenging task of organizing the city's Christmas celebration. She is a widow and lives with her mother and daughter. At a Christmas market, her daughter receives an old Christmas stocking, which she brings home and hangs on the mantel. However, it has a tendency to fall down, and each time it does, they find something in the stocking that seems to be a sign of something about to happen. Lindsey has a hard time believing in the "magic," but her daughter becomes convinced. Meanwhile, Lindsey tries to work together with Scott, who is restoring the town’s gazebo in time for the holiday festivities.

Short review

Another Christmas movie with a touch of magic. It doesn't particularly stand out, but as a romantic film, it delivers what it's supposed to.

Plot

Harrington is the author of a highly popular book series, with the next installment soon to be published. However, when he posts a message on social media criticizing Christmas, his fans revolt. April works at the publishing house that releases Harrington's books and is now tasked with fixing the situation. She persuades him to return to his hometown—where he first began writing—to generate some positive publicity. He reluctantly agrees. April must now work to draw him out of the reclusive life he’s built since losing his parents and falling out of love with Christmas.

Short review

I had expected a much grumpier Harrington, but this is going surprisingly smoothly. However, the film is saved by the seasoned Paul Campbell and a positive Lyndie Greenwood, and still ends up with a four.

Plot

Rosie wants to expand her cosmetics business and needs an investor. In a makeup store, she happens to run into Simon, and as luck would have it, she accidentally spills makeup on him. Naturally, it turns out that he works for the very investor Rosie is hoping will want to invest in her company. Despite the incident, the investor decides to come on board—but on the condition that Simon gets involved and gets to know the business and the company. Simon is appalled by Rosie’s messy bookkeeping and relaxed approach to running the business, but at the same time, he realizes that she’s very good at what she does.

Short review

This film is a bit too lightweight and never really takes off. The core idea about her makeup business also feels incredibly weak, as if you could simply take a hobby and turn it into a commercially viable business concept.

Plot

Leah runs an organic food market, but to expand her business, she needs a loan from the bank—and for that, she has to show better profitability. She eventually turns to her friend Dexter, who works in marketing. At the same time, Dexter has been given the task of helping improve the somewhat tarnished reputation of TV chef Jonas. In an attempt to solve both problems at once, Dexter brings Leah and Jonas together and suggests that Jonas generate positive publicity by actively participating in a series of activities to promote Leah’s food market. Both are somewhat reluctant but still in need of the publicity.

Short review

A film that delivers romance by the book. Nothing particularly remarkable, but it meets the standard for a romantic movie.

Plot

Emma is denied a promotion to head chef at the restaurant where she works. When she suddenly realizes that the restaurant's owner, Vivian, is fond of gambling, she makes a bet with her: that she can turn the worst restaurant in town into the best one in just two weeks in order to earn the promotion. Vivian chooses Joe’s as the restaurant Emma must fix. It’s run by Joe, who inherited it from his father—and while he can cook, he clearly doesn't know how to run a restaurant. Emma convinces Joe to let her help get the restaurant back on its feet. But that proves to be no easy task, as it also means getting Joe himself in order.

Short review

The film is good, mainly thanks to Eva Tavares, who brings Emma’s energy and determination to life. As a romantic story, it rises slightly above average.

Plot

Becca risks losing her job as an editor if the publishing company is sold to a larger competitor. Their only chance is to find the mythical final book in a series to which the company holds the rights. Meanwhile, movie star Lee is trying to restart his career and wants to produce film adaptations of the books. But to do so, he needs approval from the series’ current rights holders, the surviving relatives of the author couple. Lee brings Becca with him to Arcania, where the rights holders live, and she sees an opportunity to find the legendary final instalment of the book series.

Short review

No, definitely not. The entire plot is weak with a number of implausible “clues.” It doesn’t help that the lead actors, especially Andrew Biernat, lack any sense of conviction. He must have been cast for his looks, because he certainly has no acting talent.

Plot

When Brooke’s boyfriend’s business — which she had invested a lot of energy into — finally starts to take off, he breaks up with her and kicks her out. Devastated, she moves back in with her mother. On her upcoming 30th birthday, she’s reminded of the vision board she made when she was 14. As she blows out the candles on her cake, she wishes for everything on it to come true. And suddenly, it starts to. This includes getting an interior design job in a luxury home owned by her old school crush, Hal (who also happens to be on the board). The renovations are being done by Josh. But isn’t it a bit strange that everything is falling into place — and does she still want the same things she did at 14?

Short review

No, it doesn’t hold up. It feels a bit sloppily thrown together with overly simplistic solutions. And there’s something about Josh/Jack Pearson that just feels off.

Plot

Savannah quits her PR job because it drains too much of her energy. She wants to focus on her daughter and her health vlog. She gets a chance to do a radio interview about the vlog with radio host Patrick, but a mishap during the interview causes it to go viral. Patrick, whose listener numbers are declining, needs something to boost the show, and his producer suggests bringing Savannah on as a co-host. Both Patrick and Savannah are skeptical of the idea, but for different reasons, they find themselves forced to work together.

Short review

En romantisk film i mängden. Den håller som sådan, varken mer eller mindre.

Plot

Jodi is a teacher but dreams of landing a film role. She is dating a film producer and hopes for a leading part in his upcoming movie about the Boer War. However, the role is that of a Boer woman, and she is English. When she hears a real Boer woman audition for the part, she realizes her shortcomings. Determined to succeed, she travels to South Africa to study the Boers. She ends up in a small town and on Kobus’s farm. Kobus is struggling to keep the farm running and reluctantly agrees to let Jodi stay for a while. She soon becomes involved in a local amateur theatre production with the same theme as the planned film.

Short review

Perhaps not a fully cohesive film, but the slightly unusual Boer setting still makes it stand out from the crowd. It gets a four-star rating largely because of that.

Plot

Eric travels to Italy to stop his daughter from buying a "one-dollar" house in a small village. The village has a program to sell abandoned homes cheaply in an effort to breathe new life into the community. However, his daughter is determined to go through with her plan to settle down there. Instead, Eric soon finds himself involved in the renovation project, enthusiastically encouraged by the town’s mayor, Francesca. There’s a lot that needs fixing, including paperwork, and Eric gets help from Francesca, who wants to see the house — and the village — come alive again. Although initially skeptical about Italy, Eric soon finds himself charmed by both the village and Francesca.

Short review

A charming film set in the picturesque Italian countryside. The romance is given room to unfold, there is even a secondary love story, making it a film that rises above average.

Plot

Monica works hard at the hospital but still misses out on the new position she had hoped for. Her mother then convinces her to, for once, take a vacation and go on a pilgrimage in Spain—just like her mother and father once did. Upon arriving in Spain, she joins a small group of fellow pilgrims consisting of their guide, Luis, and his father and his son. Monica struggles to slow down and to accept help when she needs it. However, during the pilgrimage, the group helps her get used to both taking things at a slower pace and accepting support—especially from Matt.

Short review

It’s a fairly decent romantic film. The religious message might be a bit much for me, but as a romance, it works.

Plot

Katie is a businesswoman hoping for her next promotion. She works hard and hasn’t been home in a long time. Her mother, who was widowed earlier in the year, really wants her to come home for Christmas, but Katie is reluctant to return to her hometown. However, she eventually lets herself be persuaded. Back home, she tries to stay indoors with her mother, but her mom keeps sending her out on various errands—where she runs into her old boyfriend, Matt. All part of her mother’s plan, of course. Soon, Katie finds herself facing a choice between career and love.

Short review

A stale vomit pill. And on top of that, low production quality. The entire plot revolves around the idea that the woman should stay at home by the stove and not think she can succeed in her career. Matt is also a slimy character with no redeeming qualities.

Plot

Katie is planning to travel home for Christmas with her boyfriend, who is also her coworker. But just before the trip, he breaks up with her, revealing that he’s moving across the country for a new job. Katie is devastated—perhaps mostly because she was finally going home feeling successful, with a great job and a handsome boyfriend. Her best friend then convinces her to hire a pretend boyfriend to save face, especially in front of her sister. Reluctantly, Katie agrees to interview a number of candidates, each one more hopeless than the last. But then Josh shows up.

Short review

No, there are better movies with the same theme (see Plot category: The pretend relationship). This one doesn't quite hold up.

Plot

Kiki, who runs her own food truck, has taken on the task of catering the food for Jenna and Andrew’s wedding. It’s an overwhelming job for Kiki, who isn’t used to cooking for so many people at once, but she is determined to pull it off. When she meets Andrew’s best man, Clay — a successful celebrity chef — she quickly starts to feel challenged. Clay offers to help Kiki, but she takes it more as an insult than a gesture of support. However, as the problems start piling up and the situation becomes untenable, she finally turns to Clay for help. He wants to make sure she succeeds — and that she also gets to experience the wedding itself.

Short review

This is the final movie in Hallmark’s Hearts Around the Table series (the order is embedded in the title), and it's not only a great romantic film but also, in a way, ties together the other movies as well. This is the fourth film in the series of standalone movies that are still connected.

Plot

Josh works as a teacher at the local school, where he teaches both math and physical sports. A new teacher, Ella, starts at the school; she teaches English and music. She soon realizes that the school's music program is severely neglected, with terrible facilities. At the same time, Josh needs new funding for the school's sports program, and their needs soon come into conflict. As the school simultaneously cuts back on funding, they are both forced to seek alternative sources of financing. After some initial competition, they gradually begin to collaborate in order to achieve their respective goals together.

Short review

It may be the weakest film in Hallmark's Hearts Around the Table series (the order is embedded in the title), but I think the series should be viewed as a whole, and therefore the rating is tied to the other films. This is the third film in the series of standalone movies that are still interconnected. (Josh and Ella also appear in the subplot of the following film.)

Plot

Shari returns home after a failed marriage to a diplomat. She is welcomed by her foster family, who remain close even though some have moved out. Shari has managed to get an apartment in an artist collective where she hopes to rekindle her artistic dreams. In the collective, Evan works as the building superintendent, and he helps Shari settle in. A connection forms between them, but Shari is very hesitant, as the ink on the divorce papers has barely dried. The foster family's Sunday dinners serve as a steady anchor in her life.

Short review

It's a good romantic movie, and perhaps it's the dynamic within the foster family and the four "siblings" who still stick together that elevates this above the average. This is the second installment in Hallmark's Hearts Around the Table series (the order is embedded in the title), which is a solid series of standalone films that are still interconnected. (Shari and Evans also appear in subplots of the subsequent films.)

Plot

Jenna grew up in a foster family with whom she still has a close relationship. She now works as an event planner and has landed an assignment to organize a charity gala for a wealthy billionaire. When she arrives at the first meeting, it turns out that the billionaire has sent a consultant to handle everything — and it turns out to be Andrew. Jenna and Andrew had a relationship during their school years that didn’t end well. Now, Jenna has to work with him to make the event a success. However, things may turn out to be easier than expected, and she receives strong support from her foster family.

Short review

It's a good romantic film, and perhaps it's the dynamic with the foster family and the four "siblings" who still stick together that elevates it above the average. This is the first installment in Hallmark’s Hearts Around the Table series (the order is embedded in the title), which becomes a strong series of standalone films that are still connected. (You can follow what happens to Jenna and Andrew as a subplot in the subsequent films.)

Plot

The manor where Lisa grew up with her sister, and which is owned by her grandmother, must be sold, and Lisa, who is now a real estate agent, has been given the task of selling it. She wants to sell it to a large family who can live there and take care of and preserve the manor. The last thing she wants is to sell it to a property developer. When Matthew shows up and expresses interest, she initially believes he is a family man, but when it turns out that he wants to buy the manor and turn it into a small hotel, she immediately objects. However, finding the perfect buyer proves to be difficult, and Matthew is not giving up easily.

Short review

The film is a good, average romantic story. Lisa’s stubborn resistance adds a fun twist. It doesn’t really offer any surprises for those familiar with romantic films, but it holds up.

Plot

Maria lives alone with her son outside a small town. One day, a wounded William stumbles in from the wilderness. He has a troubled past, but although Maria is cautious, she takes him in and tends to his wounds. Slowly, both William's and Maria's difficult backgrounds begin to unfold. A friendship forms and gradually develops into something more. But dark forces are at work in the town, and William ends up in conflict with the local sheriff.

Short review

A low-budget production, not surprisingly with a Christian message. The story is clumsy, as is the film as a whole. Spare yourself the pain of having to watch this.

Plot

David runs a small bookstore that is struggling. One day, his mother reveals that his father was not actually dead, as she had previously told him, but had been alive all along — though he has now truly passed away. As if that weren’t enough, his father has left him a villa in the Dominican Republic. It turns out to be worth a lot of money, and David travels there to oversee the sale. While there, he begins to learn more about his unknown father and discovers a different kind of life. The sale of the villa is handled by Maria, the daughter of the real estate agent who knew David’s father, and the process takes time. This is something David’s girlfriend back home does not accept, so she comes down as well to make sure the sale is finalized.

Short review

A very good film about gaining new perspectives and seeing your life and choices with fresh eyes. A well-portrayed story that offers a good feeling with some humor and warmth. It also feels more authentic thanks to the seamless mix of English and Spanish. (If you don't speak both languages, a subtitled version is recommended.)

Plot

Peyton runs a café where she sells her pastries, which have become known for their 'magical' properties, based on the names her grandmother once gave the recipes. Customers come for a chat with Peyton and to buy pastries that can help them achieve whatever they desire. Peyton, for her part, insists that there's no magic at all in her baked goods. Now, her employee has entered her into a competition to design the pastry for the prestigious Starlight Ball. The problem is that the organizer, Archer, accidentally received a "love pie" and is now smitten with Peyton—creating a potential conflict of interest.

Short review

A charming little film with just the right amount of "magic." It maintains a fairly standard level of quality, but small subtleties lift it above the average.

Plot

On Valentine's Day, Hannah ends up in an Uber/car share driven by Finn. When Hannah loses her phone and they search for it, they also discover a box with an engagement ring that someone has dropped in the car. Hannah convinces Finn that they must find the owner, who is probably planning to propose on this very day (Valentine's). Finn lets himself be persuaded, and they embark on an odyssey through New York with the goal of saving the engagement. It turns into an eventful evening where they experience quite a lot together.

Short review

This movie doesn't quite hold up. Doing everything they do during this evening in New York would take several days, while in the film it's supposed to be maybe 3–4 hours. And then I wonder why Finn is sitting in a red car on the movie poster when he drives a black car in the film.

Plot

Heather has a vlog about wine, and her producer wants her to create a Christmas episode. In order to have a chance to see her father, she comes up with the idea of doing an episode about a famous vineyard in her home state of Washington. When she arrives with her assistant, she quickly realizes that the vineyard has been sold and is now run by two brothers who specialize in ice wine. The older brother, Rudy, is skeptical about letting the vineyard be featured in the vlog. He is eventually persuaded, but he still feels uneasy. To lighten the mood, he agrees to do some activities with Heather to make things a bit more relaxed.

Short review

There are more films with this theme, and this one doesn't really stand out. As a romantic film, it works as it should.

Plot

By chance, Carol meets Max, and they immediately take a liking to each other and start dating. As Christmas approaches, Carol needs a recipe for a holiday-inspired dessert in order to get the sous-chef job she wants. The problem is that she’s never liked Christmas and finds it hard to feel inspired. Now Max wants her to come with him to his family’s home for the holidays, and when Carol realizes that his mother has a recipe for the perfect Christmas cake, she lets herself be persuaded—even though she doesn't like Christmas. However, once they arrive, she soon realizes that Max’s mother doesn’t like her and does everything she can to get Max to break off the relationship.

Short review

The film, at times, becomes silly and unconvincing. It feels as if events were invented and inserted just to illustrate the plot, but simple solutions were chosen that fail to come across as genuine.

Plot

Libby has just opened her new café before Christmas, but due to a misunderstanding, actor Peter anonymously gives her new business a bad review. She responds—also anonymously—to the post, and soon a debate is sparked that brings her venture some much-needed attention. Meanwhile, Peter’s brother needs a catering company for his engagement party, and Peter takes on the task. He comes into contact with Libby and likes her approach, so he hires her. What neither of them knows is that they are also exchanging anonymous messages with each other at the same time.

Short review

A fairly typical romantic film, but it has a certain charm that I think still added something.

Plot

Just before Celeste finishes her year of teacher training, the school decides not to keep her on. Her supervisor recommends a job as an au pair in New York—something she never imagined for herself. But she needs a job, so she accepts the position with Richard and his two children. It turns out the children have a knack for getting rid of their au pairs quickly, and Celeste also manages to make a rather poor first impression on Richard. However, her positive attitude slowly breaks down the children's resistance, and her unconventional teaching methods start to show results. But does Richard want her to stay?

Short review

The film works well as a romantic story. My only objection is the 19-year age difference between the actors playing Celeste and Richard—something that is completely ignored in the film but noticeable.

Plot

Ivy is a film director who is constantly pressured by her producer to make silly changes to her films. As she reflects on what made her first film so good, she gets the idea to track down the male lead actor, Hunter. He was great but only appeared in her first film. It turns out that he now lives in Serbia, and Ivy convinces her producer to let her go there and shoot the film. When she finds Hunter, he is very reluctant to participate, having sought peace and quiet in Serbia with his two sons. However, Ivy is charmed by Serbian culture and still tries to make the film happen.

Short review

The romanticized image of Serbia becomes a bit too much, and the film fails to convince. There's nothing seriously wrong, but the overall impression falls short.