Favorite Romcoms on Hoopla
How I watch romcoms for free using my library card.
Hoopla is a great alternative if you’re tired of paying for all the streaming services. Most public libraries have a partnership with Hoopla, and you can sign up for an account if you have a library card.
I use Hoopla for movies, audiobooks, and kid-friendly shows for my son. I promise this is not an ad! I’m just excited to share with y’all, because from my experience, a lot of people don’t know about this free service.
If your local library doesn't offer Hoopla access, you can check nearby county libraries. Some charge a small fee if you aren’t a resident. There’s even a helpful map that shows you which counties have Hoopla.
When you sign up on Hoopla, you can download the app on your Roku or whatever you use to stream videos. I have the app on my phone as well for audiobooks.
Favorite Romcoms on Hoopla
Just My Type
Brett Dalton plays opposite Bethany Joy Lenz in this romcom about a reclusive mystery author who has given up on writing. Lenz is one my favorite Hallmark actresses. She starred in my favorite holiday movies of 2023, A Biltmore Christmas. Dalton has a degree in theater from Yale and is best known for playing Grant Ward in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
This movie had a lot of conflict in the first act between the two leads, and it drew me in. It’s hard to write a G-rated movie with any conflict at all, but Just My Type pulled it off.
Lenz lights up the screen as Vanessa, a journalist living in Portland who secretly wants to be a successful novelist. She’s a fan of Martin (Dalton) and his series of mystery novels. He’s wary of all journalists and blows her off several times before she snags an exclusive interview with him (after a very cute and memorable scene where Lenz pretends to know how to fish).
Vanessa spends her days following him around the charming lake town, doing everything from attending city council meetings to repairing a gate (it’s cuter on screen). Vanessa’s friend Amber played a larger role than most girlfriend sidekicks in Hallmark movies, and this film even passed the Bechdel test (hooray!).
Moriah’s Lighthouse
This movie doesn’t star Paul Campbell (y’all know he’s one of my favorites!), but he did write the script. Moriah’s Lighthouse is based on a book series and was filmed on the northern coast of France.
Rachelle Lefevre plays Moriah—you may recognize her from the Twilight series. She’s a woodworker who dreams of restoring the Ploumanac'h Lighthouse. Luke Macfarlane represents the big American developer who comes to the small French village with a plan to revitalize the lighthouse. He’s not popular with the locals at first and makes several blunders before he starts to win Moriah over. This movie sags a little toward the end, but the charming French village scenery makes up for any boring parts.
Making Waves
Set in the Outer Banks, Making Waves follows the story of Amelia (Holland Roden), a music industry professional who travels back home.
By the end of the first act, she runs into her old boyfriend (Corey Cott), the lead singer of the band she is hoping to sign. A music festival is central to the plot—a fresh and modern setting compared to the usual Hallmark backdrops.
Making Waves, compared to other Hallmark romcoms, feels tailor-made for a younger audience. Especially with mentions of indie music labels and sneaking into over-21 clubs as teenagers.
I wasn’t quite buying the southern setting for this movie—with western Canada being a stand-in for the Outer Banks. I live in South Carolina, and the beaches are flat with the occasional palmetto tree—not lined with pine trees and mountain peaks—as much as that sounds appealing right now in August. Hallmark has filmed in this region before, so I’m not sure why they didn’t film in Wilmington, NC, where there’s a local film scene (One Tree Hill and Dawson’s Creek were both filmed there).
The Wedding Contract
Starring Becca Tobin and Jake Epstein as two Chicago professionals who fall head over heels for one another. After six months of dating, they get engaged and start planning their temple wedding. When they meet with the rabbi, Rebecca and Adam realize they have different priorities. She’s family-oriented and dreams about their future kids, who she refers to as Harry and the twins. Adam is a marketing professional who is climbing the corporate ladder and can’t stop answering work calls at the worst possible moments. One thing they do have in common is their love of romance movies. Throughout the movie they gush over their favorites: When Harry Met Sally, Jerry Maguire, Casablanca, and Notting Hill.
Karen Berger wrote the script—she’s written several Hallmark holiday movies including Eight Gifts of Hanukkah, Holiday Date, A December Bride, and Love, Lights, Hanukkah!
The promos for this movie heavily featured the two mothers-in-law butting heads, or meddling, if you will. Adam’s mother is played by Hallmark veteran Laura Soltis (Romance in Style and Lights, Camera, Christmas!). In this movie she renovates Scottish castles and Tuscan villas for a living—the perfect romcom job. Rebecca’s mom Sadie (Colleen Wheeler) values traditions and is vocal that she wants grandkids ASAP. The two women disagree on everything from cake flavors to wedding flowers. At the midpoint of the movie Rebecca proclaims: “this is why there are no mothers-in-law in romance novels.”
The Wedding Contract celebrates Jewish wedding customs—the chuppah (Adam deadpans “we’re gonna need a bigger chuppah”), the seven blessings, and the breaking of the glass. There is an actual wedding contract–ketubah– a tradition in Jewish law dating back 2,000 years. The contract requires witnesses, is read out loud at the ceremony, and is displayed in the bride and groom’s home.
Love Strikes Twice
Maggie and Josh are on the brink of divorce when she wakes up in her childhood bedroom—15 years earlier. She gets the do-over she was wishing for and is determined to get it right this time. Maggie thinks all of her problems will be solved if she can save the town’s library and stay with her college boyfriend Rick. Turns out she has a lot to learn from the past! Katie Findlay gives a dynamic performance that makes her stand out in this Hallmark movie. I tend to enjoy Hallmark movies that don’t star the typical actresses we often see on the network (see also: Just One Kiss). This movie also gets bonus points for the 2005 nostalgia. Even if you are a Hallmark cynic, I suggest checking out this movie. Trust me when I say this is one of the most charming movies I’ve seen in the last few years.
The Makeover
If My Fair Lady is your thing, then you will love this Hallmark Hall of Fame romantic comedy. Plus, Julia Stiles was in a Hallmark movie!
Hannah Higgins (Stiles) loses an election for a congressional seat because people think she’s stuck up and an elitist. After her concession speech, she meets beer vendor Elliot Doolittle, who has a Boston accent and an unkempt beard. He wants to interview for a sales position at the beer company he works for and asks Hannah to help him out. Her opponent is only in office for a few months when he dies in a freak weather accident (ironic because he’s a weatherman and lightning strikes the American flag he’s holding). She doesn’t want to lose again, so she needs a puppet. Enter: beer vendor guy (David Walton).
After his transformative makeover at the salon and tailor, Elliot looks like a nice guy version of Josh Duhamel—if he volunteered at an animal shelter on the weekends. Even though he has no experience in politics, he’s got that “guy I’d have a beer with” energy and turns out to be great on the campaign trail with Hannah’s guidance. It’s not that far-fetched when you think about it.
This one’s a little dated, as is all romcoms with the makeover trope, but it was still a fun watch on a Saturday afternoon.