“Why are you holding a rainbow unicorn?”

Where I Watched: Vudu’s 99 cent holiday sale

Genre: Single Parents Find Love Through Mixups Holiday Romance

New Holiday Spirit or Ghost of Christmas Past?: We’ve seen enemies to love stories before, though this is original. Ish.

Synopsis: Abby is a journalist who craves order and adores her son. Ryan is a layer who’s balancing trying to make partner and his young daughter. When they meet-angry at a toy store and inadvertently swap gifts, can they save their respective Christmases? Duh!

Unwrap or regift?: This Lifetime original is packed with tropes that we’ve seen before. Enemies to romance, family meddling, both sides seeing how the other side works, the fourth quarter hiccup, and, of course, the happy ending.

But while Twist is rehashed stuff, the earnestness of leads Vanessa Lachey and lends heart and even a touch of soul to this paint by numbers story. There’s a nice, easy onscreen chemistry between the two, along with the sweet way Lachey and Christian are Convery (as Abby’s son Elliot) interact even when things aren’t going great.

The houses are gorgeous, the city is beautiful, and holiday magic is in the air. Kudos to Brian Sawyer and Gregg Rossen for the believable dialogue, and a feeling of realness to these single parents’ lives.

This one will get a repeat viewing from me this year, and perhaps a slot in the holiday rotation. Twist is easy to watch, has believable characters, and while things get tied up with a bow at the end? The plot feels believable, even when it’s contrived within an inch of its life. Who doesn’t love a simple, sweet, happy ending this time of year? I sure do.

Score: 3.5 out of 5 Hos.