When Love Springs

Another forgettable rom-com, this one filmed in Australia. It was filmed around Brisbane, Australia which is beautiful and that's about the best thing I can say. The script is another cliched mess, not very well written. Rhiannon Fish overacts in everything I've seen her in, she's beautiful but can't act. When producers cast a bad actor in a lead role it brings down the production. Don't know where the director was, probably directing remotely or asleep. Erin Connor and Steve Nation are the best of the rest of the cast. Renee Herbert's acting is natural, O'Halloran and Colley are just ok. Not Hallmark quality.

A 2022 Australian made rom-com "A Perfect Pairing" is much better.

One more take on the "fake boyfriend" scheme. Rhiannon Fish plays Rory who, with her dorky-adorable sister Cleo, joins their parents, in a renewal of their vows at the very B&B where they fell in love. This is, definitely, not one of Rhiannon's better performances. There, she unexpectedly finds her ex and his new love interest, and becomes unglued. Impulsively, she convinces the B&B owner, Noah, played by James William O'Halloran, to pose as her new boyfriend. The rest of the plot develops along predictable lines. At first, Noah appears almost like a hapless klutz. Yet, he soon proves to have appreciable human dimensions and turns out to be a real "prince". Rory's family are very warm and pleasant people with captivating qualities. The problem with the show is Rory's character. Her embarrassment and discomfort are so enormously overplayed that she appears childish, emotionally disturbed, if not semi-hysterical for a good half of the movie. Honestly, I felt uncomfortable, just watching it all. Happily, she tones down in the second half. From there, the movie offers some sweet moments and glimpses of family values and sensible romance, as one would have expected. While this may reassure that a usually endearing actress has not totally lost it, it is not enough to completely salvage the production.

7.9 stars.

Like others have mentioned, this starts off a bit funny. Rory goes to a B&B with her family for her parents anniversary. It's the same place her parents fell in love and first kissed many years ago. Rory is recently single. Her recent ex-boyfriend shows up with his new girlfriend (coincidence?). Rory pretends to be dating the B&B owner Noah in order to avoid embarrassment because she is still sensitive to the breakup, and his new girlfriend is super pretty. The rest of the story is the same as every other Hallmark of its kind. The pretenders start to become more than friends, the ex wants her back, yada yada yada.

There is nothing original in 'When Love Springs', and Rory is a bit too silly at times, kinda shrill, maybe too quirky...

HOWEVER....the positive aspects of this film far outweigh the negatives for me. The ambience is very inviting somehow, Noah's character is very likable, the relationship that matures between them is endearing, and there are several charismatic moments one cannot ignore.

Renee Herbert stole every scene she was in. She was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise sometimes awkward story.

The story line is your typical fake relationship that grows into a real one, with the ever present miscommunication and misunderstanding right before they realize they belong together.

It's not the acting I have an issue with, it's the stale plot lines that keep getting regurgitated on The Hallmark Channel and other channels that are simply cookie cutters of the same thing. It would be nice if someone could come up with something new. Perhaps look at the Pride community more and leave the boring same ole in the past.

The first time I tried to watch "When Love Springs" the first half hour was so bad I quit and rated it 1 star. As others have noted, Act I is truly bad: Rhiannon Fish's hyperactivity, her boss' robotic gruffness, the recent ex-'s arrival with a new (mostly mute) girlfriend, etc.

I gave it another chance recently. That start hasn't improved with age, but the rest was a pleasant improvement ... and worth the wait if only for the introduction of a hidden gem: Renee Herbert. As the lead's sister, she could have been a trope: a sounding board with words of wisdom about what the lead's best life is missing. But she was a true presence on screen (ok, after her goofy elevator intro), and her style was endearing and easy. Just her facial expressions stole several scenes. She is an ethereal beauty. I hope that Hallmark gives Renee more roles soon, and a well-deserved lead. She's a discovery!