Puppy Love 2023

Max Stevenson, Grant Gustin, is an introvert who struggles with social anxiety. Working from home has him fearing the loss of his IT job, so his therapist suggests a dog to push him out of his shell. He adopts a quiet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and names her Chloe, hoping the companionship will nudge him toward more human interaction.

Nicole Matthews, Lucy Hale, is a creative professional who wears her commitment-phobia like a shield. When she visits her mom and meets her sister’s new fiancé Alistair, she encounters a blunt, judgmental version of family dinner—her mother, Diane Matthews, has already written Nicole off as never settling down. Over the course of the meal, she speaks her mind about Nicole’s choices and life, even talking to Alistair as if Nicole isn’t there. That night, Nicole’s world feels both crowded and distant, and she returns to a life that feels all too predictable.

In a quiet moment of chance, Max heads to bed early while Nicole embraces the nightlife, letting the weekend’s energy pull her into the club scene. On a dare or perhaps a bit of kindness, she ends up adopting a stray dog outside her building—an act of warmth that leads to an unexpected name: she calls him Channing Tatum. Both dogs, Chloe and Channing, become a shared thread between two very different people who still crave connection.

The dating world brings them together through Bumble, drawn by their dogs’ photos. They meet in the park, and Max struggles with awkward lines while Nicole’s bold, extroverted energy creates an immediate tension. A disastrous first date unfolds as Max’s OCD and Nicole’s outgoing personality clash, culminating in a spicy mistake—she serves him a ghost-pepper dish meant to be a truth-serum, which backfires on him. Then the moment of truth arrives as the dogs vanish and the two realize their dogs are involved in an intimate moment, a discovery that leaves them furious and vowing never to speak again.

Yet life has a way of rearranging plans. When Max and Nicole learn that Channing has somehow fathered Chloe’s litter, the pair are suddenly bound by a shared task: co-parent the dogs. They start meeting again in the park, and it’s clear their dogs’ chemistry mirrors what could be building between them. They devise a plan for dog play dates, avoiding each other’s homes while still fostering a connection. When Nicole’s landlord threatens eviction because of the dogs, Max offers Chloe a temporary stay, turning a moment of necessity into one of closeness. Nicole even moves in some second-hand items for a house she’s staging, which unfortunately nudges Max’s OCD back into the foreground.

A calming walk becomes a turning point for Max. He opens up about how a COVID quarantine—triggered by his fiancée’s infidelity—made his OCD flare again, and Nicole responds with genuine empathy. The moment softens their distance, and a spontaneous kiss follows. Nicole doesn’t immediately reciprocate, so they agree to stay neutral—yet the bridge between them remains intact. As they spend more time together, Max gradually returns to work duties, and the two of them discover new ways to bond—through doggie Lamaze classes and shared routines that ease both their fears and their longing.

Nicole invites Max to join her for drinks, but he declines. She ends up going out with a girlfriend instead, while Hunter, one of her clients whose house she successfully staged, shows up and they celebrate with a party atmosphere. Back at Max’s place, Hunter accompanies Nicole and Chloe for a visit, setting off a tense scene when Hunter keeps touching Max’s things. Max confronts him, and the confrontation escalates—Hunter leaves, and Chloe escapes through a doorway Hunter hadn’t properly closed. Max ejects both intruders and restores order, tightening the space that the dogs now share.

A few days later, Nicole returns with a genuine apology, and the pair find themselves in a renewed space of cooperation and affection. They embark on a road trip to the University of Washington for Nicole’s art-school interview, but their plans are derailed when Chloe goes into labor. Unbeknownst to Nicole, Max had already submitted her portfolio—so when the puppies arrive and they spend the night together, she is stunned to discover she’s been accepted into the program.

With that milestone looming, Max invites Nicole and Chloe to officially stay, embracing a fuller, noisier life together as a unit. As the puppies grow, Max suggests a celebratory party to introduce them to their friends, marking a new chapter where he’s clearly come out of his shell. The apartment—once a sanctuary for his quiet world—now thrums with life, a bustling, joyful pack that reflects the couple’s evolving bond. In the end, Max’s once-hidden quiet confidence and Nicole’s bold energy converge into a shared home where love, laughter, and the wag of a tail define their everyday existence.