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    Romance to the Rescue

    5.8/10 · 677 ratings·2022·1h 27m·Weirdness 3/10
    Romance to the Rescue poster

    At a glance

    3/10

    Mostly standard issue

    What bumps it up: Mistaken identity.

    Season
    Multiple
    Setting
    Small Town
    Time period
    Contemporary
    Leads start as
    Complete Strangers
    Runtime
    1h 27m
    IMDbLetterboxdTMDBHallmarkJustWatch

    Where to watch

    🇺🇸United States15 ways

    Stream

    • YouTube TV
    • Hallmark+ Amazon Channel
    • Hallmark+ Apple TV Channel
    • Hallmark TV Amazon Channel

    Free

    • Hoopla

    Rent

    • Amazon Video
    • Apple TV Store
    • Google Play Movies
    • YouTube
    • Fandango At Home

    Buy

    • Amazon Video
    • Apple TV Store
    • Google Play Movies
    • YouTube
    • Fandango At Home

    Via JustWatch · can change anytime.

    The premise

    To impress a potential love interest, Kyra enters her dog in an agility show. The problem is, she has no dog so she needs to find (and train) one, and quick.

    Themes:Control vs. SpontaneityOvercoming fear of abandonmentAuthenticity in relationshipsThe healing power of pets

    How unusual is it?

    Mostly classic comfort-watch, give or take mistaken identity.

    Who’s in it

    Andrea Brooks headshot

    Our Girl

    Andrea Brooks

    as Kyra

    Marcus Rosner headshot

    Our Guy

    Marcus Rosner

    as Kevin

    You’ve seen this pairing before: Andrea Brooks and Marcus Rosner have made 2 Hallmark movies together.

    Alongside them

    • Lucie Guest headshot
      Lucie GuestHeather
    • Kamantha Naidoo headshot
      Kamantha NaidooDog Trainer
    • Izzie Okane headshot
      Izzie OkaneStephanie
    • Melanie Rees headshot
      Melanie ReesDiane
    Show all 10 castShow fewer
    • Ashley Ross headshot
      Ashley RossLara
    • Sarah Surh headshot
      Sarah SurhVet
    • Benjamin Charles Watson headshot
      Benjamin Charles WatsonMark
    • Nathan Witte headshot
      Nathan WitteTrevor

    Behind the camera

    ShowHide

    Directed by

    • Heather Hawthorn Doyle headshot
      Heather Hawthorn Doyle

    Written by

    • Barbara Kymlicka headshot
      Barbara Kymlicka

    Wait, what?

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

    • The protagonist adopts a living animal specifically as a prop to maintain a lie for a crush
    • The climax involves a grown man crawling through a dog agility tunnel in front of a crowd
    • Gluten-free dietary restrictions are treated as a major romantic compatibility factor
    • The dog nearly dies from swallowing a single chopstick

    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 25 to find more movies that do the same thing.

    Setting2

    🏘️Small Town📍Other

    Time & season2

    🔀Multiple🗓️Contemporary

    Premise2

    🎭Mistaken identity🏆Contest

    Characters6

    📣Lead: Marketing/PR🐾Love interest: Veterinarian🐕Dog⏰Workaholic lead💘Matchmaking relative🐕Pet

    Conflict3

    💼Business vs Love🫀Personal stakes💔Love triangle

    Romance6

    💕Start as complete strangers💕First kiss: late (final third)💓Instant attraction🔥Slow burn💗Love confession🎁Grand gesture

    Tone & quirks3

    🎬Light/Heartwarming👨‍🍳Cooking scenes🎞️Montage

    How it ends1

    💋Ends with a kiss

    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)
    Kyra Fowler is a 'keener' at Merils Supermarket who uses a detailed checklist to control every aspect of her life, a habit born from the trauma of her father abandoning her family. When a new manager named Trevor—who is loyal, dependable, and a dog lover—takes over the store, Kyra decides he is her 'perfect partner' based on her criteria. To compete with her rival Lara, Kyra impulsively lies and claims she owns an agility-trained dog named Sparky. Trevor is impressed and enters her into the 'Superpups' agility show, a corporate-sponsored event. Desperate to make the lie true, Kyra visits a local shelter run by Kevin Walker. Kevin is initially hesitant to let the high-strung Kyra adopt, but he eventually lets her take home Sam, a Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix with separation anxiety. Kyra struggles with Sam's behavior and begs Kevin to help her train him. Kevin agrees, and through their sessions, they develop a deep bond, even creating a line of gluten-free dog treats called 'KK9.' Kyra begins to realize that Trevor, who only eats gluten-free on Thursdays and is actually interested in Lara, isn't her match. The relationship with Kevin hits a snag when Sam is rushed to the vet after swallowing a chopstick; though Sam survives, Lara later reveals to Kevin that Kyra only adopted Sam to 'snare' Trevor. Feeling used, Kevin distances himself. At the Superpups show, Sam refuses to perform until Kevin appears in the stands. Kevin joins Kyra in the ring, and the two of them—along with Sam—complete the course together, with Kevin even crawling through a dog tunnel to encourage Sam. Afterward, Kyra confesses that she has abandoned her checklist in favor of real feelings, and the two reconcile with a kiss.

    Beat by beat

    1. 1

      Opening

      Kyra lies to her new manager Trevor, claiming she has an agility-trained dog to match his interests.

    2. 2

      Inciting Incident

      Kyra adopts Sam from Kevin's shelter and realizes she has no idea how to handle a high-energy dog.

    3. 3

      Midpoint

      Kevin agrees to help Kyra train Sam, and they begin to bond over shared interests and dog treat baking.

    4. 4

      Turning Point

      Sam swallows a chopstick and is rushed to the vet, forcing Kyra and Kevin to confront their emotional connection.

    5. 5

      Climax

      At the Superpups show, Kevin joins Kyra in the arena to help Sam finish the course, proving his support for her.

    6. 6

      Resolution

      Kyra admits she loves Kevin and realizes that life cannot be lived by a checklist.

    25 tropes in one movie

    We counted 25 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 5.8 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 5.845678

    Among the lower-rated Hallmark movies — the median is 6.4.

    Where this one fits

    The corners of the catalog Romance to the Rescue belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

    • 🐶Hallmark Dog & Pet MoviesA four-legged matchmaker.
    • 🧁Hallmark Baking & Cooking MoviesPlenty of time in the kitchen.
    • 🏘️Hallmark Small Town MoviesA classic small-town setting.

    Lines worth quoting

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

    • “Well, other than that, it sounds like you're looking for a dog more than a man.”
      — MarkCommenting on Kyra's checklist for the perfect partner.
    • “I think you got yourself into a corner this time, keener.”
      — LaraMocking Kyra after she lies about having an agility-trained dog.
    • “It's the love of a new owner. That's why it's so important to find the right person to adopt them. Like you.”
      — KevinExplaining to Kyra how shelter dogs heal from abandonment.

    Meet the characters

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

    • Kyra Fowler

      Lead

      Product Buyer at Merils Supermarket

      OrganizedAnxiousDeterminedGoal-oriented
    • Kevin Walker

      Love interest

      Dog Shelter Owner

      Trainer and eventual romantic partner

      SkepticalCompassionateLoyalDog-expert
    • Lara

      Antagonist

      Supermarket Employee

      Work rival

      CompetitiveManipulative
    • Trevor

      Supporting

      Store Manager

      Initial romantic target and boss

      FriendlyAthleticDog-lover
    • Mark

      Supporting

      Supermarket Employee

      Best friend and co-worker

      SarcasticObservantSupportive

    Questions people ask about Romance to the Rescue

    Where can I watch Romance to the Rescue?

    Romance to the Rescue is available via YouTube TV, Hallmark+ Amazon Channel, and Hallmark+ Apple TV Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

    How long is Romance to the Rescue?

    Romance to the Rescue runs about 1 hour and 27 minutes, and was released in 2022.

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    Data and sources

    Curated by the Talking Hallmark team.

    Sources:IMDb·TMDB·JustWatch

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