7.3 stars.

I haven't seen this lead actress in any Hallmark movies, but since this film is on UP TV, perhaps it breaks from the usual expectations? The music creates a relaxing, ASMR-like atmosphere in many scenes, seemingly by design. Overall, 'A Vineyard Romance' is laid-back and pleasant, though not particularly thrilling, which is typical for family friendly romances. However, I appreciated the director's intention to provide a soothing and enjoyable viewing experience.

The story follows a familiar trope: both a man and a woman left their hometown of Everlasting, Oregon to pursue their dreams. They agreed to meet one year later at a vineyard on their anniversary, with the possibility of prioritizing their relationship over their dreams if they both showed up.

Jump forward 15 years, she returns to Everlasting to interview a famous bride-to-be at the vineyard, only to discover it's her ex-boyfriend who is getting married to the blogger. Our lead female realizes she's still been missing him after all these years, so old feelings are reignited.

The predictable plot unravels: she arrived at the vineyard that fateful day, 15 years ago, but he didn't-he mistakenly came two days later due to a mix-up in anniversary dates. They've both needlessly yearned for each other since. Throughout most of the film, the reason for his absence at their rendezvous remains a mystery. Eventually, he confesses that he did go to the vineyard, and that's when the crux of the issue is revealed, they missed meeting up together, because of their differing beliefs about the anniversary date-he believed it marked their first date, while she thought it commemorated their first kiss.

In a twist that's typical of light romance films, once they realize they are still meant to be, that they missed the rendezvous because of an honest mistake-instead of altering their plans to be together, they continue with his wedding and her article about his fiancée.

The fiancée, a famous blogger, is assertive yet somewhat sympathetic, making her character complex but overshadowed by the lead female whom the audience prefers. The blogger pressures him into taking a job in New York City he hadn't agreed to, prompting him to abruptly end the engagement just before the wedding, a decision hard to believe given the impending nuptials.

The story unfolds against the backdrop of wedding preparations, where reality and the script diverge, highlighting why emotional investment in such films may not translate to real-life scenarios. In real life, there would likely be confrontations and suspicions, but here, a familiar happy ending wraps things up neatly.

Almost gave up on yet another 'must find love by mid-30s' movie, but aside from all the trendy social media stuff, there are some really cross-generational situations that can profoundly affect all of us. With so much packed in, whatever you're going through, there's likely to be something in this to help you. Whilst in lots of ways this movie could quickly feel dated, these classic scenarios make it re-watchable, because even though we've seen it all before, we experience them at different points in our own lives. This rom-not-so-much-com shows there is life after setback and loss, so give it a shot.