Love, Romance, & Chocolate

Emma Colvin, a talented New York food stylist, is blindsided when her boyfriend Todd breaks up with her just days before their Valentine's trip to Belgium, claiming she is not spontaneous enough. Encouraged by her friend, Emma decides to go on the trip alone. Upon arriving in the picturesque city of Bruges, she stays at Chateau Astrid, where the owner Marie informs her of a city-wide competition: Prince Frederic and his fiancée Annabelle are seeking a 'Royal Chocolatier' to create a signature chocolate for their upcoming wedding. Emma joins a chocolate-making tour led by Luc Simon, a rigid traditionalist who is initially annoyed by Emma's desire to experiment with flavors like lavender and orange blossom. However, when Luc's assistant Petra is forced into bed rest due to pregnancy complications, Emma offers to help run the shop in exchange for Luc using his connections to get her into the Royal Palace, which is otherwise closed to the public. As they work together, Emma discovers that Luc’s shop is in financial trouble and under threat from Max Van Dender, a rival chocolatier who uses modern, flashy techniques and wants to buy Luc out. Emma inspires Luc to look beyond his father's old recipes, using her grandmother’s romantic letters from Bruges as thematic inspiration. They bond over a 'smidge' and a 'skosh' of ingredients, eventually creating a 'True Love Petit Four' that features a heart shape and Emma's secret ingredient: cherry cola. A misunderstanding arises when Max tries to manipulate Emma, telling her Luc is only using her for her ideas, while Luc spots Emma having coffee with Max and assumes she is defecting to the competition. On the eve of the Valentine's Ball, Emma prepares to leave, feeling her 'temporary' role is over. However, Luc realizes he cannot lose her and finds her at the ball. He confesses his love in Dutch ('Ik hou van je') and asks her to stay in Bruges as his partner. The Royal couple announces Luc and Emma as the winners of the competition, and the film ends with the two running the successful shop together, proving that Emma is anything but predictable.