Holiday Romance Season Has Arrived On Lifetime — Here's The Movie List

    Here's everything you need to know about the new crop of Lifetime holiday romances.

    Jenna Guillaume
    by Jenna Guillaume

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    Every year, Lifetime and Hallmark (with a bit of competition from Netflix, Freeform, and UpTV) vie for the holiday romance crown.

    As the genre becomes increasingly popular, and audiences turn to these cheesy movies for an easy escape in droves, the networks are stepping up their productions (in quantity if not always quality). It can be pretty overwhelming to keep track of it all — so here's your complete guide to Lifetime's 2020 new release holiday movies. So much Christmas magic, so little time...

    1. Christmas On Ice

    Christmas on Ice still image: Abigail Klein and and Ryan Cooper ice skating
    Lifetime

    Release date: October 23

    Starring: Abigail Klein, Ryan Cooper

    Plot: We've got love on ice! Evil mayors! Single dads! It's about a woman who once dreamed of being a figure skating champion desperately trying to save the local public skating rink — with the help of a former professional hockey player, naturally.

    2. Christmas Unwrapped

    Amber Stevens and Marco Grazzini, dressed in winter clothes, smile at each other
    Albert Camicioli / Lifetime/Marvista Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection

    Release date: October 24

    Starring: Amber Stevens, Marco Grazzini, Cheryl Ladd

    Plot: Produced by Tiffany Haddish, this Christmas romance features the classic heroine: a journalist who is very bad at her job. Charity (her name, of course) investigates Erik, who runs a charity that helps millions of people, but instead of her unearthing dirt, he maybe convinces her Santa is real.

    3. Forever Christmas

    Image of Chelsea Hobbs and Christopher Russel at a holiday market
    Lifetime

    Release date: October 25

    Starring: Chelsea Hobbs, Christopher Russell

    Plot: If this movie seems familiar, it's because it was actually released in 2018 by Passionflix under the title Mr 365. But Lifetime have snapped it up and are presenting it as new for a wider audience. It's about a reality TV producer who falls for the star of her new holiday-themed show — a man who celebrates Christmas every day of the year. Because it was originally made by Passionflix, it's sexier than your standard holiday romance fare.

    4. A Crafty Christmas Romance

    Two women look at a letter one of them is holding
    Lifetime

    Release date: October 30

    Starring: Nicola Posener, Bradford B. Johnson

    Plot: A craft store owner finds a 70-year-old letter from "Santa" in a donated book. She enlists the help of the man who found and donated the book in order to track down the original owner. Who doesn't love a Christmas mystery?

    5. Candy Cane Christmas

    Beverly Mitchell stands in a store
    Lifetime

    Release date: October 31

    Starring: Beverly Mitchell, Mark Ghanimé

    Plot: A woman faces the most horrifying holiday movie problem of all: her neighborhood doesn't want to decorate their homes for Christmas! She desperately tries to find a new tradition to fill the hole in her heart, and finds a guy who might just do the trick.

    6. The Christmas Aunt

    Keshia Knight Pulliam and Jarod Joseph hold hands while looking at each other and smiling
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: November 1

    Starring: Keshia Knight Pulliam, Jarod Joseph

    Plot: A woman returns to her hometown for two weeks to look after her niece and nephew and reconnects with her childhood best friend. They have some kind of 12 Days of Christmas adventure and you can guess exactly what happens next.

    7. The Christmas Yule Blog

    Sarra Canning and Zak Santiago stand next to each other holding cups of puch
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: November 6

    Starring: Sara Canning, Zak Santiago

    Plot: A travel writer isn't happy about being sent to Mexico to cover a Christmas parade (oh, the trauma!), but she meets a high school teacher there who opens her heart to the ~magic of Christmas~.

    8. A Welcome Home Christmas

    Brandon Quinn and Jana Kramer embrace in front of a Christmas tree
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: November 7

    Starring: Jana Kramer, Brandon Quinn

    Plot: A woman pairs up with a returned vet to plan the charitable Officer's Christmas Ball, and they really hit it off. That's it, that's the plot.

    9. A Very Charming Christmas Town

    Natalie Hall and Jon Prescott stand in a living room facing each other and smiling
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: November 8

    Starring: Natalie Hall, Jon Prescott

    Plot: A travel vlogger visits the "Most Christmassy Town in the USA" and is shown around by the local chocolate shop owner in an enemies-to-lovers romance. Expect LOTS of snow and even more fairy lights.

    10. Christmas on the Vine

    Julianna Guill and Jon Corr stand side by side in a snow-covered vineyard
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: November 13

    Starring: Julianna Guill, Jon Corr, Meredith Baxter

    Plot: A marketing executive goes to her hometown and vows to help the grumpy owner of a struggling winery. The pair soon learn they have more than really loving wine in common.

    11. Christmas on Wheels

    Tiya Sircar and Michael Xavier sit in a convertible car with presents piled up in the back; they're looking at each other and smiling
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: November 14

    Starring: Tiya Sircar, Michael Xavier

    Plot: A big city gal returns to her hometown (I'm sensing a theme here) only to discover her uncle has sold her dead mother's beloved car. She sets out on a mission to get it back with the help of her uncle's attorney. Cue sleigh bells ringing in their hearts.

    12. The Christmas Edition

    Carly Hughes, Rob Mayes and Marie Osmond stand together in a room decorated for Christmas, wearing formal attire
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: November 15

    Starring: Carly Hughes, Rob Mayes, Marie Osmond

    Plot: An up-and-coming journalist for some reason is given the opportunity to edit a newspaper in a small town, and she saves it by running a bunch of articles about Christmas. She also falls in love with the son of the paper's former owner. But what will happen when her old boss tries to take the newspaper from her? I'll give you one (1) guess.

    13. A Taste of Christmas

    Gilles Marini envelpes Anni Krueger from behind as they cook in a room decorated for Chrismtas
    Lifetime

    Release date: November 20

    Starring: Anni Krueger, Gilles Marini, Nia Vardalos

    Plot: It's an absolute MUST that this new Italian restaurant open on Christmas eve. For the Christmas spirit! Or something. Which means the hot chef and the cousin of the owner (?) must come together to make it happen, leading to lots of touch-feely cooking demonstrations. The best kind.

    14. Feliz NaviDAD

    A group of people stand holding hands on a stage covered in Christmas decorations
    Lifetime

    Release date: November 21

    Starring: Mario Lopez, AnnaLynne McCord

    Plot: Can we just take a moment to appreciate the wordplay of NaviDAD in the title? That's art. Directed by Melissa Joan Hart, this is the story of a high school principal/widowed father who moonlights as a delivery driver to avoid Christmas (okay, sure). But one of his customers connects with him on a dating app, and — you guessed it — helps him to find his Christmas spirit AND love again.

    15. Homemade Christmas

    Michelle Argyris and Travis Nelsonstand side by side
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: November 22

    Starring: Michelle Argyris, Travis Nelson

    Plot: Look, I'm just gonna directly quote Lifetime on this one because the plot is both ridiculously simple and overly complicated: "Every year, Megan, an ambitious young woman uses the weeks leading up to Christmas to become the ultimate holiday freelance assistant for hire, helping with any Christmas related tasks for extra income. But when the opportunity arrives to save a Christmas party and dazzle her crush, she must choose between the man of her aspirations and Mr. Right." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    16. Dear Christmas

    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: November 27

    Starring: Melissa Joan Hart, Jason Priestley, Robin Givens, Ed Begley Jr., Faith Prince, Nicky Whelan with cameos by Jamie & Doug Hehner, Hilarie Burton, and Antwon Tanner

    Plot: What a cast! And hasn't Melissa Joan Hart been busy! Here she stars as the host of a popular podcast that explores real holiday romances (why do I want to actually listen to that??). But PLOT TWIST she's never actually been in love herself — until she goes back to her hometown and things start to heat up (pun intended, because that's what these movies are all about) with a firefighter.

    17. Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding

    Kelly Rowland and Thomas Cadrot dance together in wedding clothes
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: November 28

    Starring: Kelly Rowland, Thomas Cadrot

    Plot: This is actually a sequel to last year's Merry Liddle Christmas. The Liddle of the title is a play on Kelly Rowland's character's name, Jacquie Liddle. She fell in love with a guy called Tyler in the first movie, and now the two of them are planning a perfect Christmas wedding — which of course all goes wrong. Until it all goes right.

    18. Once Upon a Main Street

    Ryan McPartlin sits next to Vanessa Lachey with his arm around her; the two gaze into each other's eyes and smile
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: November 29

    Starring: Vanessa Lachey, Ryan McPartlin, Patrick Duffy

    Plot: We have an enemies-to-lovers plot as our lead couple go head-to-head in a holiday decorating competition in an attempt to impress the owner of a property they both want to bid on. Expect hijinks.

    19. The Christmas Listing

    Lexi Giovagnoli and Travis Burns look at each other with a fireplace and two Christmas trees in the background
    Lifetime

    Release date: November 30

    Starring: Lexi Giovagnoli, Travis Burns

    Plot: An enemies-to-lovers story about two people competing to secure a property listing. No, I didn't accidentally copy and paste the plot of Once Upon a Mainstreet here. This movie is different, because it's not about decorating — the lead couple get stuck in a Christmas Inn together. Also, you should know the hero's name is Chad Everest.

    20. Spotlight on Christmas

    Tori Anderson speaks while looking off to the right of the camera
    Lifetime

    Release date: December 4

    Starring: Tori Anderson, Victor Zinck

    Plot: Finally, a celebrity trope! Our leading lady is an actor who gets dumped before Christmas and goes home to lick her wounds. She connects with a local guy and — surprise! — begins to reconsider her glitzy life

    21. Let’s Meet Again on Christmas Eve

    Kyla Pratt, Brooks Darnell sit cuddled together on an outdoor stone structure, reading books and smiling
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: December 5

    Starring: Kyla Pratt, Brooks Darnell

    Plot: College sweethearts who travelled separately and missed their planned reunion meet again years later after they are both hired to work on a wedding on Christmas Eve. Not to oversell it, but it sounds a bit Persuasion, and oh my god is that not the cutest promo image you've ever seen? They're not even wearing red and green, and there's not a Christmas tree or fairy light in sight. A clear sign this is not like other holiday romances.

    22. Christmas Ever After

    Ali Stroker, a wheelchair user, laughs and claps in a snowy setting
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: December 6

    Starring: Ali Stroker, Daniel di Tomasso

    Plot: A romance novelist with a severe case of writer's block meets a B&B owner who looks exactly like her fictional hero and who might just be the key to ~unblocking~ her. Ahem.

    23. The Santa Squad

    Rebecca Dalton and Aaron Ashmore, dressed in coats and beanies, stand in a sunlit forrest and smile at each other
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: December 7

    Starring: Rebecca Dalton, Aaron Ashmore

    Plot: An out-of-work art teacher accepts a job with a rich widower and his two daughters and sets about helping them rediscover the magic of Christmas. Naturally, she discovers some things of her own (mainly love). Basically it's like The Nanny, but Christmas!

    24. Inn Love by Christmas

    Jonna Walsh and Jesse Hutch shake hands while seated in front of a Christmas tree
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: December 11

    Starring: Jonna Walsh, Jesse Hutch

    Plot: A successful career woman goes back to her hometown in the hopes of acquiring a local inn, but her high school rival also wants to buy the place. That's right, it's another real estate competition! Lifetime might be onto something, when the idea of buying property truly is pure fantasy for so many people...

    25. The Christmas Setup

    Ben Lewis and Blake Lee are having a conversation over holiday decorations
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: December 12

    Starring: Ben Lewis, Blake Lee, Fran Drescher, Ellen Wong, Chad Connell

    Plot: Your eyes are not deceiving you. This is, indeed, a rare LGBT holiday romance. A lawyer heads home for the holidays and his mother sets him up with his high school crush. Everything is going great until Hugo, our lawyer, is offered a promotion in London. Will he choose career or love?! (Imagine if he could have both...)

    26. A Sugar & Spice Holiday

    27. Lonestar Christmas

    Stephanie Bennett and Marco Grazzini smile away from the camera with with trees behind them while walking
    Lifetime

    Release date: December 14

    Starring: Stephanie Bennett, Marco Grazzini

    Plot: A single mother visits her estranged father with her daughters, and begins to heal her relationship with him while also falling in love with a local restauranteur. Do not ask me where the conflict of the romance comes from, because there doesn't seem to be any.

    28. Christmas on the Menu

    Kim Shaw and Clayton James stand in a kitchen wearing matching dressing gowns
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: December 18

    Starring: Kim Shaw, Clayton James

    Plot: A 35-year-old chef (for some reason, her age is Important Enough to Mention) and a food critic meet up at the chef's childhood home-turned-new-restaurant and clash over their past (he gave her a bad review). Not the best start to a romance, unless, of course, it's the old enemies-to-lovers trope (it is).

    29. A Christmas Exchange

    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: December 19

    Starring: Laura Vandervoort, Rainbow Sun Francks

    Plot: This is just like The Holiday, except instead of two women swapping homes for the holidays, it's a man and a woman, and the two of them fall in love while living in each other's spaces.

    30. A Christmas Break

    Cindy Sampson and Steve Byers stand next to each other wearing formal clothes
    Courtesy of Lifetime

    Release date: December 20

    Starring: Cindy Sampson, Steve Byers

    Plot: Another celebrity story! This time, an actor returns to his hometown and meets a school teacher who is trying to make the most of her last Christmas at her school before the board shuts it down — unless the two of them can figure out a way to save it. Alas, this is the last of Lifetime's holiday romance offerings of 2020 — but there's plenty more in the back catalogue if you make it through all of these!