The RomCom Roundtable

Sorpresa! We have a bonus episode for you in our miniseries, The RomCom Roundtable Goes to Italy!

We’re reviewing Hallmark’s Villa Amore, starring Kevin McGarry and Eloise Mumford. 

Set in Capena near Rome, Villa Amore tells the story of Liara who travels to Italy after a breakup and she purchases a 1 Euro villa in Italy. When she arrives at her new home, she meets Leo, an American ex-pat, who helps her renovate the home. 

Villa Amore is available on Hallmark+.     

The film premiered in June 2025 as part of the Hallmark summer series: A Passport to Love. 

We recorded this episode shortly after the film's premiere this summer.

(We also reviewed one of the other films from this year's Passport to Love series: A Machu Picchu Proposal, and we interviewed one of the stars of the film, Alec Santos!) 

In this episode, we talk about how the film presents the logistics and reality of the 1 Euro / low cost housing investment programs compared to La Dolce Villa. Check out the previous episode to hear our review of La Dolce Villa. 

Please note that we reference in the episode that the lead characters experience panic attacks. We liked how this film depicts how the characters were vulnerable, the techniques they use to take care of their mental health, and how the male protagonist shared his experience in going to therapy. This discussion occurs between minutes 11-13 in the episode.  

Don’t forget to follow the pod for future episodes and check out our socials on Instagram @theromcomroundtable. We’re growing our social media and in the future will have Patreon! Enjoy the episode! Comment below if you’ve been to Italy, if you watched either Villa Amore or La Dolce Villa, and what you thought about today’s episode. 

Thank you to Shop Broken Spine in Tinker & Trade and Arobone Adventures for sponsoring this episode! 

We have launched a Buy Me a Coffee! If you’d like to contribute, we appreciate your support, which allows us to bring you the best content here on the pod! Thank you!!  

You have a seat at the table! Send us questions for a future mailbag episode; your favorite books, movies, and music, which could be on a future episode; and your feedback!

This podcast features music created using Groovepad. Available on Google Play,⁠ ⁠Groovepad - Google Play⁠⁠ & iOS⁠ ⁠Groovepad - iOS⁠⁠. 

Episode cover art is designed on Canva. 

© 2025 The RomCom Roundtable. All rights reserved.

Ciao a tutti! Our next review of the miniseries #TheRomComRoundtableGoestoItaly is here! Today we’ll be reviewing Netflix’s La Dolce Villa, starring Scott Foley, Violante Placido, and Maia Reficco. 

Set in Tuscany, La Dolce Villa tells the story of culinary consultant Eric (Scott Foley) who travels to Italy to stop his daughter (Maia Reficco) from buying and restoring a historic villa.

La Dolce Villa is available on Netflix.      

La Dolce Villa premiered in February 2025 and is directed by Mark Waters, whose credits include Mean Girls, 500 Days of Summer, and Freaky Friday. 

The film was co-written by Elizabeth Hackett, who wrote Falling Inn Love, and Hilary Galanoy, who wrote Love, Guaranteed. Both Hackett and Galanoy co-wrote Perfect Pairing. All of these films are also available on Netflix.

In this episode, we talk about the 1 Euro / low cost housing investment programs that have recently become popular and the reality of participating in these programs. We refer to an interesting article from Italy Magazine. 

I Live in Small-Town Italy. Here’s My Unfiltered Take on Netflix’s “La Dolce Villa.”  

We give a shout out to Stanley Tucci in our cold open and talk about Italo disco music.  

A note about this episode and a behind the scenes of the miniseries, this is an episode we re-recorded following some technical difficulties we had experienced with the original recording (which we mentioned in an earlier update episode of the pod). This episode contains part of both recordings. We also rewatched the film again prior to re-recording the episode which provided some additional insights into our review.  

Please note as well that there is a DV reference from the article above about one of the side characters’ relationship in the film. We were concerned with the depiction of the unhealthy nature of that relationship, which we briefly mention in the episode. This discussion takes place between 56:20-57:30. 

Don’t forget to follow the pod for future episodes and check out our socials on Instagram @theromcomroundtable. We’re growing our social media and in the future will have Patreon! Enjoy the episode! Comment below if you’ve been to Italy, if you watched Two Scoops of Italy, and what you thought about today’s episode. 

Thank you to Shop Broken Spine in Tinker & Trade and Arobone Adventures for sponsoring this episode! 

We have launched a Buy Me a Coffee. If you’d like to contribute, we appreciate your support, which allows us to bring you the best content here on the pod! Thank you!!  

You have a seat at the table! Send us questions for a future mailbag episode; your favorite books, movies, and music, which could be on a future episode; and your feedback!

This podcast features music created using Groovepad. Available on Google Play,⁠ ⁠Groovepad - Google Play⁠⁠ & iOS⁠ ⁠Groovepad - iOS⁠⁠. 

Episode cover art is designed on Canva. 

Thank you to Justin (@reliable_sounds on Fiverr) for support in editing this episode.

© 2025 The RomCom Roundtable. All rights reserved.

Ciao a tutti! It's our first film review for our miniseries, The RomCom Roundtable Goes to Italy!

Today, we’ll be reviewing Two Scoops of Italy, starring Hunter King and Michele Rosiello. 

Set in Ostia Antica near Rome, Two Scoops of Italy tells the story of Danielle, a chef from Santa Monica working on a new menu to save her restaurant. She travels to Ostia Antica and meets Giancarlo who is trying to create a new, innovative flavor of gelato for his shop. Together, they discover a renewed creativity for food.   

Two Scoops of Italy is available on Hallmark+. 

We talk about some of our travels in and around Rome and give a shout out to Rick Steves as well as our thoughts on the film. 

To learn more about Ostia Antica, check out this great guide from Rick Steves: Ancient Rome & Ostia Antica.   

The opera referenced in the film is L'elisir d'amore by Gaetano Donizetti, featuring the aria “Una furtiva lacrima.” Check out a performance of the aria from world renowned tenor Luciano Pavarotti. 

Luciano Pavarotti : Una furtiva lacrima  

A note about this episode and a behind the scenes of the miniseries, we recorded our episode in a slightly different order than we’ll be airing the episodes. In this episode, we make a few references about our next episode in the series. 

Enjoy the episode! Comment below if you’ve been to Italy, if you watched Two Scoops of Italy, and what you thought about today’s episode. 

Don’t forget to follow the pod for future episodes and check out our socials on Insta and Threads: @theromcomroundtable.

Thank you to Shop Broken Spine in Tinker & Trade and Arobone Adventures for sponsoring this episode! 

We have also launched a Buy Me a Coffee! If you’d like to contribute, we appreciate your support, which allows us to bring you the best content here on the pod! Thank you!!  

You have a seat at the table! Send us questions for a future mailbag episode; your favorite books, movies, and music, which could be on a future episode; and your feedback!

Ciao a tutti! We begin our Italy Miniseries! Benvenuti! In this series, we’ll be featuring reviews of RomComs set in Italy! 

But first, we set the scene. The Antipasti Episode is the appetizer. 

We’ll not only reveal the movies that we’ll be reviewing in the series, but also we’ll be talking about our travels to Italy from our People to People trip. Our itinerary included Venice, Jesolo, Pisa, Siena, Florence, Rome, Vatican City, Naples, Pompei, the Amalfi Coast, and Positano. 

This trip is how we both met and became great friends! The vibe in this episode is nostalgic. 

It’s also our 10th episode! We think that the timing of this episode is a great way to get to learn more about your hosts! 

In this series, we’ll be reviewing films from Netflix, Hallmark, and several theatrical releases set across Italy and across time. We wrap up the series with a classic - a true classic.  

Enjoy the episode!! Comment below if you’ve been to Italy or have a favorite RomCom set in Italy! 

Don’t forget to follow the pod for future episodes and check out our socials on Insta and Threads: @theromcomroundtable. We’re growing our social media and in the future will have Patreon! 

Thank you to Shop Broken Spine in Tinker & Trade and Arobone Adventures for sponsoring this episode! 

We have also launched a Buy Me a Coffee! If you’d like to contribute, we appreciate your support, which allows us to bring you the best content here on the pod! Thank you!!  

You have a seat at the table! Send us questions for a future mailbag episode; your favorite books, movies, and music, which could be on a future episode; and your feedback!

This podcast features music created using Groovepad. Available on Google Play,⁠ ⁠Groovepad - Google Play⁠⁠ & iOS⁠ ⁠Groovepad - iOS⁠⁠. 

Episode cover art is designed on Canva. 

© 2025 The RomCom Roundtable. All rights reserved.

Welcome to the RomCom Roundtable! In this episode, we have our first book review: Falling In Love at the Movies by Esther Zuckerman. It’s a history of the RomCom, themes, archetypes, actors and actresses, the writers, and directors of the genre. But even more than that, the book considers how RomComs reflect the times we live in and express our values, hopes, and dreams. 

In this episode we get to add more movies to our list that have contributed to why we love the RomCom genre and how impactful these films can be. 

Check out Esther Zuckerman’s book at your local independent bookstore or local library!

Zuckerman writes for several publications, includingThe New York Times, GQ, The Hollywood Reporter, Vanity Fair, and The Los Angeles Times.

Her other books include Beyond the Best Dressed and A Field Guide to Internet Boyfriends.

"People Start Breathing In Rhythm" - Adam Driver On The Experience Of Live Theater - Here’s the interview we reference in the episode with Adam Driver and Stephen Colbert during the Late Show with Stephen Colbert talking about the arts and theatre, and how it can help us with processing and articulating emotions. 

We also talk about the Hayes Code and its impact during the early days of film. 

Don’t forget to follow the pod for future episodes and check out our socials on Insta and Threads: @theromcomroundtable. We’re growing our social media and in the future will have Patreon! 

We have launched a Buy Me a Coffee! If you’d like to contribute, we appreciate your support, which allows us to bring you the best content here on the pod! Thank you!!  

You have a seat at the table! Send us questions for a future mailbag episode; your favorite books, movies, and music, which could be on a future episode; and your feedback!

This podcast features music created using Groovepad. Available on Google Play,⁠ ⁠Groovepad - Google Play⁠⁠ & iOS⁠ ⁠Groovepad - iOS⁠⁠. 

Episode cover art is designed on Canva. 

© 2025 The RomCom Roundtable. All rights reserved. 

Welcome to the RomCom Roundtable! Listeners, we hope you enjoyed our recent Hallmark Highlights episode about A Machu Picchu Proposal and My Norwegian Holiday. 

We are really fortunate to have a special interview with one of the stars of A Machu Picchu Proposal to chat about the film, Hallmark, and RomComs. In this episode we welcome to The RomCom Roundtable, Alec Santos! 

We chat with Alec about RomComs, filming Hallmark movies, and Alec’s journey in acting as well as being a teacher! Shout out to all the teachers as well - thank you for all you do! 

Alec has been on the stage, TV, and film. His credits include the Unwrapping Christmas series, Virgin River, Firefly Lane, Campfire Christmas, Snowpiercer, and Sight Unseen (just to name a few!). 

Both the Unwrapping Christmas Series and A Machu Picchu Proposal are both available on Hallmark+ and Sight Unseen is available on The CW on Roku. Virgin River is available on Netflix.

Enjoy the episode!

Don’t forget to follow the pod for future episodes and check out our socials on Instagram and Threads: @theromcomroundtable.

You have a seat at the table! Send us questions for a future mailbag episode; your favorite books, movies, and music, which could be on a future episode; and your feedback!

Thank you to Shop Broken Spine in Tinker & Trade and DINK Events for sponsoring this episode! 

This podcast features music created using Groovepad. Available on Google Play,⁠ ⁠Groovepad - Google Play⁠⁠ & iOS⁠ ⁠Groovepad - iOS⁠⁠. 

Episode cover art is designed on Canva.

Welcome to the RomCom Roundtable! We’re back from a brief hiatus with a double feature for a Hallmark Highlights episode! Over the summer Hallmark has two series: A Passport to Love and Christmas in July! And in today's episode we feature both!

We review A Machu Picchu Proposal and My Norwegian Holiday, both starring Rhiannon Fish.

Also starring Alec Santos as Carlos, A Machu Picchu Proposal, Katie is helping plan her brother’s proposal in Peru at Machu Picchu. She meets Carlos, and together they travel through Peru to find the perfect ingredient for Carlos’ restaurant and the perfect proposal in Peru. 

Co-starring David Elsendoorn as Henrik, My Norwegian Holiday, centers on JJ who is coping with the loss of her grandmother and is trying to finish her dissertation. She meets Henrik who sees a troll on her desk that is from his home country of Norway. As he is traveling home for a family wedding, he invites her to Norway to uncover its origins. 

Both films are available on Hallmark Plus.  

In this episode, we talk about the films, having Peru and Norway on our travel list, cuisines of both countries, and why the alpacas always win :) 

Caitie even tries to figure out the astrology chart of one of the characters!  

We also debate potential similarities between Henrik and one of our favorite characters from television - Roy Kent of Ted Lasso.  

My Norwegian Holiday features the Northern Lights, and Caitie shares her experience at the Northern Lights in Iceland. 

Enjoy the episode & let us know what you think in the comments! Let us know if you watched the films and what you thought in the comments. Have you traveled to Peru and Norway? 

Don’t forget to follow the pod for future episodes and check out our socials on Instagram and Threads: @theromcomroundtable.

We’re growing our social media and in the future will have Patreon! 

You have a seat at the table! Send us questions for a future mailbag episode; your favorite books, movies, and music, which could be on a future episode; and your feedback!

Thank you to Shop Broken Spine in Tinker & Trade and DINK Events for sponsoring this episode! 

This podcast features music created using Groovepad. Available on Google Play,⁠ ⁠Groovepad - Google Play⁠⁠ & iOS⁠ ⁠Groovepad - iOS⁠⁠. 

Episode cover art is designed on Canva.

While we’re getting our next episode ready, we wanted to share a special announcement! The RomCom Roundtable is returning to Christmas Con!! 

That’s right! We’re breaking out the Christmas jumpers and are heading back to Christmas Con this year! 

Held in Edison, New Jersey, it’s an annual celebration of Hallmark holiday movies and the opportunity to meet your favorite RomCom and Hallmark stars!

Christmas Con is really special for us - it’s where the idea for the pod all started!

Check out the link below to learn more about Christmas Con, to purchase tickets and follow That's4Entertainment (@thats4ent) on Insta for more details about appearances and the panel schedule.   

That's 4 Entertainment | ChristmasCon 2025

Stop by to say hi as well! 

Our next episode is coming soon! 

Don’t forget to follow the pod for future episodes and check out our socials on Insta and Threads: @theromcomroundtable. We’re growing our social media and in the future will have Patreon! 

You have a seat at the table! Send us questions for a future mailbag episode; your favorite books, movies, and music, which could be on a future episode; and your feedback!

This podcast features music created using Groovepad. Available on Google Play,⁠ ⁠Groovepad - Google Play⁠⁠ & iOS⁠ ⁠Groovepad - iOS⁠⁠. 

Episode cover art is designed on Canva. 

#notsponsored

Welcome to The RomCom Roundtable! We wanted to share an update on our next few episodes. While recording, we had experienced some technical difficulties, causing a slight delay in getting our latest episodes posted. We're in progress with our next few episodes and getting them ready for you! We appreciate your patience!

Continue to follow us on social media @TheRomComRoundtable on Insta as we'll be posting more content on upcoming episodes and future content for the pod. Stay tuned! Let us know what your think of the episodes & movies we've reviewed so far!

Welcome to the RomCom Roundtable! We’re back with a mainstream classic from the 80s! AFI also considers this movie among the top 100 love stories (AFI’s 100 YEARS…100 PASSIONS).

In this episode, we discuss The Princess Bride (1987). Originally a book and a bedtime story, The Princess Bride was written by William Goldman, directed by Rob Reiner, and has a stellar cast, including Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Andre the Giant, Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, Fred Savage, and Peter Cook.

We discuss how this movie is celebrated for the performances and memorable quotes. What are your favorite lines from the Princess Bride? 

The Princess Bride is available on Disney+. Check out your local library or bookstore to read The Princess Bride by William Goldman.  

The Princess Bride, William Goldman’s novel, is as great as the beloved movie he made from it.  

​​17 Kinda Wild Facts About Making "The Princess Bride" That Shed A Whole New Light On The Movie 

Enjoy the episode & let us know what you think in the comments! Let us know if you watched the film and what you thought in the comments. 

Don’t forget to follow the pod for future episodes and check out our socials on Insta and Threads: @theromcomroundtable. We’re growing our social media and in the future will have Patreon! 

You have a seat at the table! Send us questions for a future mailbag episode; your favorite books, movies, and music, which could be on a future episode; and your feedback!

This podcast features music created using Groovepad. Available on Google Play,⁠ ⁠Groovepad - Google Play⁠⁠ & iOS⁠ ⁠Groovepad - iOS⁠⁠. 

Episode cover art is designed on Canva.