Is it a good sign when a Lifetime movie steals the plot of a 2006 theatrically released movie? Because this movie is totally The Holiday on a budget.

Molly (Laura Vandervoort) wants a whirlwind British romance. Patrick (Rainbow Sun Francks) wants to get away from his hectic life in London so he can start writing his book. The two swap their houses for the holiday season. As they continue to communicate via text messages, Molly and Patrick find themselves falling in love.

I liked this movie for the most part. Both Vandervoort and Francks are good actors. My problem mostly lies with Molly’s character. She spends the entire movie fawning over this one romance novel that was turned into a movie. Though some flashbacks, we learn that she has been reading/watching this for over 20 years! Maybe it’s time to move on. Though, of course, this is why she has totally romanticized London and relationships with British men. I mean, one of the items on her to-do list is “a date with an English gentleman.” Seriously?

Adding onto Molly’s immature view of relationships, her grandmother had told her this romantic story of how her parents met. Unfortunately, her parents had passed away so there was no way for her to verify what her grandmother said. When she’s in London, she meets an old friend of her father’s who reveals that her grandmother straight up lied to her. Molly reacts to this….by losing her mind. She locks herself in Patrick’s flat where she cries her eyes out. I don’t understand why she is so invested in the story. It didn’t seem to make her feel closer to them or anything. The story was just romantic.

Even with Molly’s shortcomings, The Christmas Exchange is a pretty good movie. As long as you can overlook her emotional immaturity, you should enjoy this. At least there aren’t any princes involved!