Seattle-based Kendall Turner is an author writing about the science of love, she not believing that love is a matter of chance, but rather something that can be achieved only by following scientific principles. She is in stark contrast to the anonymous writer going by the pseudonym Doctor Love Struck, whose column appears exclusively in Pacific Sounder magazine, that author who espouses the notion of romance and the "grand gesture" leading to love. In reality, Nathan Hart, a staff writer at Pacific Sounder, temporarily took over the column solely in showing his editor, Jim Perkins, that he is a team player in wanting the Features Editor position when it opens up. However, he does believe what he writes. Because of Nathan's position as Doctor Love Struck, Jim assigns him to write a profile of Kendall as a feature article. While he will not and cannot divulge that he is Doctor Love Struck to Kendall, Nathan goes into the assignment questioning her approach to love. Conversely, Kendall, who is having trouble coming up with a concept for her next book, decides, after meeting Nathan, for that book to test her scientific theories with herself as the the subject and him as the potential mate in there being an attraction, but in knowing that the two of them aren't obvious on paper. The question then becomes whether these secrets, when they ultimately come to light, will affect not only what happens with each professionally, but with their relationship, especially if they do fall for each other before knowing the secrets.

Darlington Industries is a successful family business; the Darlingtons an old-money family in Connecticut. After 2 1/2 years in the position, in the New Year Jessica Lew is moving up from efficient, trusted Executive Assistant to company CEO Charles Darlington to working int he company's legal division, as she has just passed the bar exam and earned her law degree. As Charles is scheduled to head off to Europe for a business trip, he asks Jess to do one last task before her much-deserved Christmas break: pick up Charles' orphaned nieces and nephew--Emma, Abby, and J. Henry--from the airport; they're coming "home" after spending four years in Australia. Their father was Charles' engineer brother Jarrett. Legal arrangements have been made for Charles and the third brother, Max, to assume custody of the three children. Max is considered the wild, irresponsible one who, despite officially being the company President, has no dealings with the company as he carries on with his carefree life doing what he pleases. With Charles away, Max not even aware of this new situation, and their aging longtime housekeeper Mrs. Brooks unable to care for three children on her own, Charles has arranged for the children to spend Christmas at the boarding school they will attend in the new year. Individually, Jess--not wanting the children to be alone on Christmas, understanding such a situation too well--and Max upon learning of the children now being under his and Charles' care; decide to forgo their Christmas plans to spend Christmas at Darlington Manor with the children. During this time, Jess not only discovers how sweet the children are, but also that Max, whom she hasn't dealt with much, is a better, more-substantial person than he seems--Charles doesn't give him enough credit or actually see the real Max. Jess and Max start to fall for each other and envision a different path for themselves and the children--if only Charles, who is actually in charge of the children, can reshape his view of his younger brother.

In Boise, Idaho, Pat Godfrey and Margie Southworth were young sweethearts, which was particularly special to Margie because Pat's family was more like a real family than her own emotionally-distant one was. Margie's first job working for retailer Connor and Co. at their Oak Street store also felt like family, especially under her manager Willa. But when Pat moved to Hawaii immediately following high school for his dream of working in the outdoor-adventure business, Margie decided to stay in Boise. He asked her to go with him, but she thought he would only be there until he discovered his true life and career. Now 20 years later, right before Christmas, Margie is still working at Connor and Co., still in Boise but in their regional office as the VP of Marketing and Promotions; Willa is still her boss. Margie met her current boyfriend of six months, Scott, in the company; he worked in the field office 90 minutes away, so they've been doing the long-distance relationship thing. When Scott is brought into the regional office for training under Margie, they will get an opportunity to deepen their relationship in the probability that he is training for a job in the Boise office. Meanwhile, Pat, now divorced and the primary parent to adolescent sons PJ and John, has just sold his outdoor-adventure company in Hawaii for a job in Boise to be closer to his ex-wife Casey in San Francisco for the boys' sake, and to be closer to his now-widowed mother Lois, with whom they'll be living until they find something more permanent. Pat's job falls through so he scrambles to find another. He had planned to contact Margie in the New Year just as old friends, but fate seems to usurp Pat and they accidentally run into each other...again and again and again. While Lois believes their encounters are "Godwinks" at work telling them that they are meant to be together, which is the case if they listen to their hearts, their brains might be telling them something else. Pat feels his first priority is to find that job regardless of what that actually means in practical terms, and Margie feels the need to explore what a more-dedicated relationship with Scott entails, while both begin to believe that Scott being brought in for training at the Boise office means work changes for both of them, and not necessarily in a good way for Margie.

Single mom Maggie O'Donnell (Ashley Williams) is facing Christmas alone, until stranger Lucas Cavelli (Niall Matter) crashes into her life and becomes an unexpected house guest. Together, they overcome Christmas, while finding comfort in their growing bond.