There's a thin line between love and hate — especially when it comes to romance stories. The enemies-to-lovers trope is a tried and true genre staple, most recently demonstrated in the Brooke Shields–Cary Elwes holiday drama A Castle For Christmas. It follows bestselling American romance author Sophie Brown (Shields) as she travels to Scotland, where she clashes with grumpy Scottish duke Myles (Elwes). The two spar at first, but their hard exteriors begin to soften as they realize their sparks are indicative of an electric romantic chemistry.
But if you finished A Castle For Christmas and are immediately ready to dive into a new change-of-heart romance where the protagonists have a hard time discerning their attraction from anger, here’s a list of films you can stream right now.
If you're craving more sexy banter in a gorgeous, potentially exotic locale (IDK your life, maybe you live in paradise!), this Netflix original is for you. Christina Milian stars as a corporate executive who wins ownership of an inn in the New Zealand countryside (get it? Falling inn love?) and clashes with the hot Kiwi handyman (Sex/Life's Adam Demos) who helps her renovate. Don’t worry, they eventually get along, if you know what I mean.
Another Netflix original heavy on the witty repartee, Set It Up stars hall-of-fame pairing Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell. The two actors, who play New York personal assistants, have a delightful, fizzy energy, right up there with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. But the plot twist? They’re actually trying to set up their workaholic bosses (Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs) in hopes that their work lives will become a bit easier if these two fall in love. In the process — you guessed it — they fall in love, too.
This holiday-themed made-for-TV movie is also perfect for those who love a royal-themed romance. Tasha Miller (Kaitlyn Leeb) is a pediatrician tasked with a new — and difficult — patient when the self-absorbed Prince Alexander (Nick Hounslow) needs a top-secret place to recover after a ski accident at Christmastime. You won’t be surprised to learn that the prince eventually endears himself to the doctor, and romance blossoms.
Forget royalty: What if it's a Christmas enemies-to-lovers story with a HEIST? Detective Mackenzie Bennett (Emily Alatalo) is hunting down diamond thief Carson (Franco Lo Presti), but, while undercover, she begins to suspect that he’s been framed. Is her potential perp actually a criminal mastermind, or is he just an innocent guy who loves Christmas ornaments as much as she does? You’ll never guess where this is going to go…
In this classic (albeit sad) rom-com, Eric (Josh Duhamel) and Holly (Katherine Heigl) are enemies after their one ill-fated date years ago. But, the two are forced to socialize since their best friends are married. When their friends die tragically, Eric and Holly are suddenly given custody of their newborn baby, and their lives are turned completely sideways as they navigate parenthood together for the first time. Slowly but surely — you guessed it! — their aversion turns to intrigue and (spoiler alert!) they fall in love.
