'As Gouda as it Gets' (2020) – Anne De Lean.

I'm someone who quite frequently judges a book's merits by its cover, and I'm also a sucker for the unapologetically sentimental, super-smiley Hallmark brand. In truth, it was wholly inevitable that I would be drawn to a product appetisingly garlanded with such a deliciously pun-tastic title! While 'As Gouda as it Gets' isn't the goat of cheese ball comedy dramas, I'm quite sure that the fragrant, Fromage-clotted courting of these Philly Steak-stuffing lovebirds is bound to spread a little joy in an increasingly lactose intolerant world! On a more subjective note, when Brie reluctantly visited the formal Cheese Festival meet and greet, I thought her pleasing abundance of curly tresses were quite lovely!

Light, easily digestible romantic fare, 'As Gouda as it Gets' explores the love/work travails of sweetly obsessive artisan cheesemaker Brie (Kim Shaw) and blandly handsome Fondue maestro, Jack (Clayton James). While the dramatic ingredients are often curdled, the playfully romantic interludes of our inevitably amorous, cheese-feasting gourmands proved whey more satisfying than I expected. I usually Camembert such overtly gloopy sentimentality, but when a product is primarily an earnest love letter to the world's greatest foodstuff, I'll cut it some major slack, Jack! Lovers of Hallmark's glutinously cheesy fare should make a note in their dairy to catch 'As Gouda as it Gets'.