Starring Erin Cahill and Jesse Kove
***SPOILER ALERT***
Taylor (Cahill) is a popular TV chef known for quick, easy, and delicious recipes. She hopes to introduce more adventurous recipes on the show, but her network wants to keep everything status quo. And they’re offering her a fantastic new deal that her agent, Jessica (Tymberlee Hill), is encouraging her to take. But Taylor has doubts and decides to return to her hometown of Dunedin to clear her head. There, she bumps into childhood friend and old flame Jacob (Kove), the owner of Harbor Farms. She soon learns that her parents are selling their restaurant, which Jacob is helping them renovate before the sale. Taylor doesn’t want them to let it go, and she persuades her dad to enter a local cook-off with her, hoping to revive his passion for the restaurant. Meanwhile, she puzzles over whether to accept the network’s deal.
PROS
If you like your Hallmark movies relaxed and undemanding, you’ll probably enjoy this one.
Erin Cahill. The actress had a natural, down-to-earth presence in this movie, just as she does in all her films. Cahill was very likeable, and she brought warmth and vitality to A Taste of Love and outshone the male lead and the rest of the cast. I’d go so far as to say that she carried this film.
Such nice people. This movie seemed particularly stuffed with contented, easygoing characters. First there were sweet childhood friends Taylor and Jacob. As an adult, amiable Jacob enjoyed spending his spare time helping Taylor’s parents, Patty (Susan Gallagher) and Glenn (Martin Kove), lovely people who adored each other and their daughter. And Taylor had a supportive friend and agent in Jessica. Couple Jordan (Sasha Andreev) and Tom (Jeremy King) were also nice. The one character who broke the mold was Linda (Ashley Dulaney), Taylor’s snarky rival in the cook-off, but her role was minor.
A few touches of humor. Though not laugh-out-loud hilarious, this movie did have some cute moments. I had to chuckle at Taylor’s “foodie” date who insisted on pouring ketchup all over his beef Wellington and seemed unaware that he was insulting her by saying that being a TV star was more of career than being a chef. And in an attempt to save the day (which didn’t need saving), Jacob took a fire extinguisher to a flaming baked Alaska, splattering Glenn with meringue. Also amusing were the somewhat bizarre dishes Taylor and Glenn made for the cook-off: fried chicken on waffles with blueberry syrup, followed by blueberry-glazed donuts with a thick layer of ice cream inside. Artery-clogging stuff, but I’d be curious to give them a try.
Welcome to paradise. A Taste of Love was filmed in Dunedin, Florida, and it had a perpetually airy and sunlit feel. It featured a gorgeous scene in which Taylor and Jesse strolled along a sandy beach. You could almost feel the sunlight and the breeze. Later, the leads kissed on the beach against a brilliant orange sunset. There were also charming restaurants, a farm, and a bustling food and wine festival for viewers to enjoy.
CONS
A blah feeling. This movie seemed to require little of the actors, which probably contributed to the mostly ho-hum performances. And with so many nice, laid-back characters, dramatic tension was in short supply. The movie could have used some conflict beyond Taylor’s quandary over whether to continue hosting the cooking show or do something more fulfilling. The one time there was any drama between Taylor and Jacob was when she got upset with him for not telling her that her parents intended to sell the restaurant. (And I agreed with him—it wasn’t his place to deliver that news.)
Poor chemistry. Taylor and Jacob’s relationship was scarcely developed. It took me a while to even twig to the fact that these two had been anything more than childhood friends. Their previous romance was curiously de-emphasized throughout the movie, only coming to light during the birthday party, when they revealed how ticked off they were at each other for the way things had ended between them—Taylor pursuing her dreams in the big city, and Jacob being content to stay in Dunedin. The romance was only mentioned again when Taylor said she’d thrown herself into her career after being heartbroken. Beyond the lack of backstory, Jacob wasn’t an emotionally expressive character, which made for minimal sparks between him and Taylor. And Jesse Kove’s performance wasn’t subtle enough to convey that Jacob’s passion for Taylor was simmering beneath the surface.
My grade for A Taste of Love: C. This was among the most average of Hallmark movies.
Caroline Kaiser is a professional book editor who specializes in fiction and memoirs, and she’s been guiding writers toward publication since 2007. Caroline is also the author of two ghostly mystery novels, Virginia’s Ghost and The Spirits of South Drive. Before she embarked on an editing and writing career, she spent many years working in a Toronto auction house as an antiques appraiser. Apart from curling up on the couch and drinking tea as she watches Hallmark movies, Caroline enjoys baking and exploring London, Ontario, the picturesque city she now calls home. Her website is www.carolinekaisereditor.com.
