To Barcelona, with Love

Hallmark movies run the qualitative spectrum from bombs to masterpieces. One thing they do particularly well is adapting the premises of old literary classics to modern times. (My personal favorites of those are the ones adapted from the works of Jane Austen.)

I agree that the two lead females, Alison Sweeney and Ashley Williams, were a little too long in the tooth for their characters, but I'm not sure any two other actors would've done a better job with the chemistry between themselves and with the other characters. Both are in their 40s; Sweeney's character Erica is supposed to be an American who moved to Barcelona ten years earlier after breaking up with her boyfriend, so is at least in her early 30s and nothing says she can't be a bit older than that. Not a deal-breaker for me. Williams's character Anna is supposed to have just published her second romance novel, which readers and critics say indicate (correctly) that she has neither been to Barcelona nor ever been in love. Not a deal-breaker for me either; speaking of Jane Austen, she was one of the greatest romance novelists of all time and, granted that she lived over two centuries ago under the mores thereof, by all indications she died a 40something virgin; she was a great success remembered to this day while Anna's budding writing career is sinking fast. So age of the characters does not make for implausibility.

The promos for this movie didn't give any hint that there was going to be any kind of adaptation of an old classic. I thought this was going a be a run of the mill Hallmark Rom-Com for the first several minutes of the film. I was pleasantly surprised when the plot twist revealed that adaptation, which I recognized immediately, and was doubly surprised by the fact, since this was a movie set in Spain with two American characters and the remainder of the characters being Spanish, that the old classic was a French literary work about French characters, totally unexpected.

I don't want to have to post a Spoiler Alert, so as an unpublished novelist myself (I've been procrastinating on self-publication of one novel for literally decades) and having read a number books originally written in a foreign language, I've always wondered how accurate the English translations I've been reading were to the original work. Let's just say that the answer to that figures heavily in the plot and leads to the adaptation of the old classic. I can hardly wait for the second half of the story next weekend. Enjoy!

About 4 or 5 years ago there was an enjoyable movie "Book of Love" with the same premise as this one. The difference is... that first movie was original and fun. This remake/ripoff of that movie was just plain painful. We like the two leading actresses and they have made many enjoyable movies with Hallmark, but not this one. We were, in fact, able to watch the first fifteen minutes or so, and scan to the last fifteen minutes of the movie and by scanning over the middle, we missed absolutely nothing. What a shame. Also, there was very little of Barcelona in the movie and most of it just looked like it was done on a studio sound lot. Too bad. This could and should have been fun and not painful.

6.7 stars.

This appears on the surface to be about an American woman named Erica (Sweeney) who is a translator of English novels into Spanish. She takes liberties in her work, which she isn't necessarily supposed to do; but since she is anonymous and bound by an NDA, it's permissible.

She has been living in Barcelona for about ten years and is obviously infatuated with a Spanish man named Nico. He owns a bookstore in the city. One particular novel she has translated was written by a woman named Anna (Williams). Nico and the rest of the city love the novel, not realizing that they actually love Erica's translation, not the original.

Anna has come to Barcelona to help publicize her novel at Nico's bookstore, and the rest of the story is about how both women are falling for Nico. There is also some drama surrounding the novel and how Erica's Spanish version captures the essence of the story much better than the original English version.

There is more to the story, about how both women learn from each other, because Anna lacks direction and Erica needs courage. And there is the romance (or lack thereof). Who will get the guy?

I'd like to say this is a poignant and romantic adventure, but it doesn't quite arrive at its intended destination. A lot is missing, and I feel it's a bit too silly and lacks soul. Honestly, I'm not sure what is absent, but something just isn't right. It's probably a lack of chemistry all around and I wasn't touched. I don't plan on seeing this again.

To Barcelona, With Love is easily one of the best Hallmark movies of the year - and I say that as someone who watches a lot of them. The true standout here is the dynamic pairing of Ashley Williams and Alison Sweeney, two top-tier actresses who share the screen beautifully. Their chemistry is warm and effortless.

I've seen some comments calling out their age or their quirks - and honestly, that's missing the point entirely. These are accomplished women playing layered, funny, and yes, occasionally awkward characters in a way that feels authentic and earned. It's rare (and deeply appreciated) to see a Hallmark movie that allows its characters to be both vulnerable and vibrant without leaning on tired tropes.

The writing is another high point. It's smart, timely, and genuinely funny - balancing the scenic escapism of Barcelona with relatable emotional beats about friendship, purpose, and unexpected love. I found myself laughing out loud in moments and fully invested in the characters' journeys.

If you're tired of formulaic love stories and want something with a little more heart and humor, To Barcelona, With Love delivers. Looking forward to the second part!

I have very mixed feelings about this movie.

Let's start with the good: I adore Alison Sweeney. Ride or die fan since her soap opera days. Her character, Erica, was grounded, relatable, and honestly the only reason I stuck it out to the end. She brought her usual warmth and charm, and I genuinely enjoyed her performance. That said, I did side-eye her for going along with Anna's wild ideas. I expected better decision-making from a woman who clearly has a functioning frontal lobe.

Now onto Anna. Whew. Where do I even begin? Watching her was like biting into what you think is a chocolate chip cookie and realizing it's raisins. Her energy was dialed up to eleven the entire time, and not in a fun, quirky way. Her behavior toward Erica was toe-curling levels of cringe. I'm all for bold female characters, but not when they bulldoze with an endless parade of eye-roll-inducing antics.

As for Ashley Williams-look, I know she has her fans, but I'm not one of them. She's fine, I guess, but every role feels like a copy-paste from the last one. Same facial expressions, same overly peppy delivery, like she's auditioning for a permanent slot on a yogurt commercial.

The chemistry between Erica and Nico had potential. Had. But every time it started to get interesting, the whole Anna hurricane would swoop in and wreck it. It felt unbalanced and forced-like trying to enjoy a quiet dinner while someone keeps clapping loudly in your face.

Now let's talk about the ageism because-oh honey-I have thoughts. I've seen other reviews saying these women were "too old" to be gallivanting around Europe and having adventures. I beg your pardon? Since when did joy and spontaneity come with an expiration date? I'm 45, and let me tell you-I'm not some decrepit cryptkeeper lurching toward early bird specials and orthopedic shoes. Women don't just shrivel into irrelevance past 40, and the suggestion that they should is straight-up offensive. Midlife is not a personality flaw.

So, final verdict: this movie wasn't for me. The storyline felt flat, the romantic chemistry fizzled more than it sizzled, and the whole dynamic was off balance. I won't be rewatching it, but I will be rewatching Alison Sweeney in literally anything else-preferably without being overshadowed by an exhausting sidekick and a script that forgot how to be fun and meaningful.