Mr. & Mrs. Christmas Review: A PROPER Grown-Up Romance?

☕️ First Slip

Taylor Lewis is a single dad and Christmas display expert who moves to a new town with his two children just weeks before the holidays. When he teams up with Sophie Shaw, an accountant hoping to prove herself to the board, to revive the town’s Christmas market, workplace romance starts to look like a very festive possibility. But between career ambitions, family changes and a teenage daughter struggling to embrace new traditions, making Christmas magical turns out to be way harder than decorating a tree.

🤩 What Went Down Smooth

First of all, a single dad who isn’t a widower? I’m in! And a man who works in Christmas event production? I love that. It’s a refreshing change from the usual Hallmark professions, even if I’m not entirely sure how Taylor makes a living when one municipal event seems to consume his entire working life.

Seeing Miles Marthaller in a different role gave me a little double take! After getting so used to seeing him as Andrew’s son in Hallmark’s Three Wise Men movies, it was a little strange at first, but gosh, that kid is adorable.

The romance is another pleasant surprise for me. Sophie and Taylor have believable chemistry, not WOW but ok. And their relationship develops at a normal pace. No instant declarations of eternal love here: just two adults in their forties, with children and actual responsibilities, slowly getting to know each other.

I also appreciated the story of Taylor trying to rekindle his daughter’s Christmas spirit while she struggles with change, being a teenager, nostalgia and finding her place in a new environment. It’s painfully relatable. And Lily, Sophie’s daughter, deserves a shout-out for her fabulous hairstyles every time she appears on screen.

🫤 What Left a Bitter Aftertaste

Taylor’s good intentions don’t excuse some of his decisions. He repeatedly acts on his own, leaving Sophie to deal with the consequences. She’s impressively patient, but I would have run out of patience long before she did. Calling her “Soph” also feels a little too familiar, a little too soon.

The Christmas market scenes made me genuinely uncomfortable. Taylor is lucky to get another chance after that mess. And the film gets surprisingly heavy: I felt bad for Taylor, sad for Sophie and painfully embarrassed for the daughter during the concert. Clearly, the emotions work but at times, this feels closer to a drama than a cozy Christmas rom-com.

Finally, I’m not convinced that one Christmas parade can magically solve every budget problem and family conflict. At least Sophie gets her promotion!

🔄 Worth a Refill?

Maybe. Mr. & Mrs. Christmas offers a believable slow-burn romance between two grown-ups, a refreshing single-dad storyline and an honest look at how family traditions change as children grow up and parents split. The chemistry isn’t explosive, but it feels normal.

The tone gets heavier than expected, and Taylor’s questionable decisions can be frustrating. Still, I appreciated a Christmas movie that lets its characters make mistakes and doesn’t rush (too much) its romance.