'Tis the Season to Be Irish

Rose Walsh is a successful house flipper in the United States, but she is emotionally unrooted and constantly chasing the next property. When she sees Rosalie's Cottage in Dunclare, Ireland, she is reminded of the backpacking trip her mother once took there and decides on impulse to buy it. On the phone and then in person, she meets Sean O'Laughlin, the local real estate agent and preservationist, who warns her that the cottage is a money pit and that the fine print requires her to make it her primary residence. When Rose arrives in Dunclare, she discovers that the cottage is barely livable: the photos were misleading, the heat does not work, the chimney is cracked, and the house is packed with restoration restrictions because of its historic designation. Sean, who also serves as mayor and fire marshal, is openly opposed to house flipping and becomes her constant obstacle. Rose is forced to stay at the town inn, where she meets warm locals, including Mary O'Laughlin, Sean's mother, and the mysterious Caitlin, who turns out to be pop star Caity Evans hiding in plain sight. As Rose stays in town, she keeps running into Sean and the two of them begin to spar and flirt in equal measure. He introduces her to Dunclare's customs: the wandering lamb Lamb Chop, Wren Day, the Christmas market, the mistletoe harvest, the Christmas swim, and the idea of fairy trees that grant wishes. Their banter gradually becomes more intimate as they talk about family, home, and loneliness. Rose admits that her mother once loved Ireland, while Sean reveals that he has stayed in Dunclare to care for his mother and preserve the town's legacy. Rose's work on the cottage moves forward, but so does her confusion about what she really wants. She begins planning to sell again, even considering Scotland next, while Sean keeps reminding her that she is always looking elsewhere instead of settling down. Their growing bond is complicated by a new buyer offer for the cottage and by Sean's fear of being hurt again. At the same time, Sandy, another visitor staying in Dunclare, struggles with spreading her late husband's ashes, and the community helps her face grief and closure. On Christmas Eve, Rose and Sean finally confront the truth: Rose is terrified of losing the sense of home she lost when her mother died, and Sean is afraid to invest in someone who will not stay. They part on painful terms, and Rose prepares to leave. On Christmas morning, after a moment at her mother's fairy tree, Rose understands what her wish has been all along. She finds Sean and tells him that home is not Scotland or Dunclare alone, but him; she decides not to sell the cottage and instead to restore it. Sean chooses her back, and the film ends with their future opening up in the midst of Christmas traditions, family, and the promise of a shared home.