Becca (Vanessa Lachey) has a pretty good life: she’s a very busy and successful lawyer with a great apartment and a super loyal and handsome best friend/boyfriend combo named Henry. Is Henry her dog? Yes he is, technically speaking. But he’s really the only companion she needs, even if Grandma isn’t quite on board with the notion. Anyway, Gram’s in no position to rock the boat since this is the first time Becca, literally her only relation left in the world, returns home for Christmas in four years.

Unfortunately, Henry goes missing on Christmas Eve, which forces Becca to do the one thing she most abhors in the world: call up ex-boyfriend Max (Christopher Russell), a vet, and ask for help. It’s an awkward reunion, and about to get very confusing since god knows Max is a much better dog name than Henry.

Henry (the dog) is a very good boy, despite his recent escape, but he’s also a bit of a schemer. Apparently this little adventure of his is an effort to play matchmaker; Henry leaves a trail through all of Becca and Max’s most romantic couple spots from when they were together. Which is how we come to learn Becca and Max’s history, through flashbacks – their beginning and their end. But if Henry’s doing his job right, there may just be a new beginning.

It probably goes without saying that the dog steals the show. Big time. I found myself itching to fast-forward through all the human parts. Now, I’ll acknowledge that Henry is a bit emotionally manipulative, but I also felt that his humans didn’t stay on task as much as they should have, sprinkling their so-called frantic search with things like romantic carriage rides.

Anyway, then Henry gets run over by a car and Becca goes back to the city, alone and heartbroken. Just kidding, obviously. This is a romantic Christmas movie and it can be counted upon not to deviate from the formula.