Fish Sticks, Fairytales and Happily Ever After in Hallmark’s Love By The Book

As children, sisters Emma and Jane Graham (Leah Renee from Satisfaction and Cherilyn Wilson) learned to love fairy tales thanks to their devoted mother. But as adults, Emma is still looking for her “prince charming” while Jane becomes engaged to her long-time boyfriend Greg Thompson (Cuyle Carvin).

Jane is a dedicated yet pragmatic nurse while Emma is the owner of a small, eccentric bookstore called Barouche Books, named for the four-wheeled horse-drawn carriages used in the 19th Century, such as the classic Jane Austen novel Emma for whom she is named.

When Emma gets to the bookstore she is greeted by Marilyn (veteran actress Stefanie Powers from Hart to Hart) and Phil (veteran actor Michael Ensign from Boston Legal and Titanic), the older, happily married couple who works for her; and Frank Donovan (John Schneider of The Dukes of Hazzard and Smallville fame), who is the main investor in her bookstore.

With Frank is his son Eric (Kristopher Turner from Saving Hope), who is to shadow Emma for a few weeks to learn about the family investment business. Immediately, Emma and Eric do not hit it off: he is pushing for ways to change her business – creating a website where Emma can write a regular blog, updating the set-up of the store, specifically computerized inventory, and having customers actually buy items rather than “hanging out” in the store.

Around that same time, a real-life prince charming – rich and handsome Landon Kress (Ryan Bittle from All My Children) – comes into the bookstore, quickly capturing Emma’s heart. As Emma and Landon start dating, Eric is still at Barouche Books, working to improve the store; and this tension overflows into Emma’s dates. However, Landon doesn’t seem interested in hearing about her work drama; he simply wants them to get to know each other.

Eventually, Emma learns a truth about Eric that not only upsets her but also makes her concerned for the future of her business; and she begins to realize that while Landon seems like a prince charming, he isn’t her prince charming.

Also throughout the movie, Jane becomes increasingly worried about Greg’s interest in their quickly impending wedding. Every time they need to be together to make the necessary arrangements, he rushes off to yet another job. She is convince that he isn’t as invested in their upcoming marriage as she is, but that could not be further from the truth. I will not reveal the reason for Greg’s actions, but it is so worth seeing the outcome.

What happens between Eric and Emma in the end is classic Hallmark and storybook style; and makes this yet another endearing movie to add to the network’s growing collection of films.

Love By the Book will debut on the Hallmark Channel on Saturday, January 24 at 9/8c.