Love Struck Café

6.3/10 · 1,727 ratings20171h 24mWeirdness 3/10Bingo card

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The premise

Megan returns to her hometown, where she must close a business deal, help out at her father's cafe, and confront lingering feelings for her childhood sweetheart.

How unusual is it?

Mostly classic comfort-watch, give or take a second-chance romance.

Who’s in it

Behind the camera

Show

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

  • The 'Philip' character is an extreme caricature of a city man, defined by 'juicing' and being 'the number seven fastest rising legal star'.
  • A goat jumping a fence and eating an entire apple pie is a pivotal plot point that forces Megan and Joe to bake together.
  • The boss, St. Clair, measures his life's happiness by his golf handicap and threatens Megan's job based on his poor performance on the green.

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 36 to find more movies that do the same thing.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)
Megan Quinn works at Stoneland Properties in Chicago, longing to transition from client relations to architecture. Her boss, Jordan St. Clair, offers her a career-making opportunity: travel to her hometown of Cedarvale and convince Frances Figgins to sell her land, which is the final obstacle for the massive Sapphire Lake development. Simultaneously, Megan's father, Matt, is hospitalized after falling from a ladder, forcing Megan to return home earlier than planned. Upon arriving, she literally runs into Joe Wainwright, her high school sweetheart who ended their relationship via a letter years ago and is now a single father and local farmer. Megan finds herself juggling her corporate mission with the chaotic reality of running her father's business, Rosie's Café, alongside her friend Dottie. Megan attempts to negotiate with Frances, but the elderly woman refuses to sell, citing the development's 'monstrosity of asphalt' as a betrayal of the lake's natural beauty. As Megan spends more time in Cedarvale, she bonds with Joe’s daughter, Lily, and helps them win the town's Apple Festival dessert competition using her late mother's recipe. The tension between Megan and Joe remains high until Frances reveals the truth: Joe broke up with Megan to ensure she wouldn't sacrifice her dreams of college and architecture for him. Meanwhile, Megan's Chicago boyfriend, Philip—a high-achieving lawyer who loves juicing and polo—arrives unexpectedly and proposes to her in the middle of the café. Realizing her heart is no longer in Chicago or with Philip, Megan declines the proposal. With the Monday morning deadline looming, Megan finds a 'third option' by redesigning the Sapphire Lake project into an eco-friendly, green development that preserves the landscape. Frances is moved by the new vision and agrees to sell. St. Clair is impressed and appoints Megan to lead the project, allowing her to move back to Cedarvale permanently. The film concludes with Joe giving Megan a promise ring in their old childhood meeting spot, signifying a new beginning for their relationship.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Megan is tasked by her boss to secure Frances Figgins' land for the Sapphire Lake project while her father is hospitalized in her hometown.

  2. Inciting Incident

    Megan returns to Cedarvale and has a literal run-in with her ex-boyfriend Joe, discovering he is now a single father.

  3. Midpoint

    Megan balances working at Rosie's Café and bonding with Joe's daughter, Lily, while Frances repeatedly rejects the corporate development plans.

  4. Complication

    Philip arrives from Chicago and proposes to Megan, forcing her to confront her feelings for Joe and her dissatisfaction with her city life.

  5. Climax

    Megan uses her architectural skills to create a sustainable 'third option' for the development, which satisfies both her boss and Frances.

  6. Resolution

    Megan breaks up with Philip, accepts a job leading the Cedarvale project, and reunites with Joe.

36 tropes in one movie

We counted 36 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Rating 6.3 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.3567

Higher-rated than 37% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Love Struck Café belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

  • “Sentimentality and business don't mix.”
    — Jordan St. ClairSt. Clair lecturing Megan on why she needs to be ruthless with Frances Figgins.
  • “A first love is a forever love.”
    — Frances FigginsFrances explaining to Megan why Joe never truly moved on.
  • “The first ingredient is love, when baking.”
    — Megan QuinnMegan teaching Joe's daughter Lily how to bake her mother's apple cake.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

  • Megan Quinn

    Lead

    Client Relations / Aspiring Architect

    AmbitiousSentimentalCreativeDutiful
  • Joe Wainwright

    Love interest

    Farmer

    High school sweetheart

    HardworkingSelf-sacrificingProtectiveHandy
  • Jordan St. Clair

    Antagonist

    Real Estate Developer

    Boss

    DemandingCorporateImpatient
  • Philip Allen Carter

    Supporting

    Attorney

    Chicago boyfriend

    ArrogantNeatAmbitiousHealth-conscious
  • Frances Figgins

    Supporting

    Landowner

    Family friend and business obstacle

    StubbornNature-lovingWiseMaternal

Questions people ask about Love Struck Café

Where can I watch Love Struck Café?

Love Struck Café is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is Love Struck Café?

Love Struck Café runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2017.

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