All’s Fair in Love & Mahjong
All’s Fair in Love and Mahjong turned out to be one of the most talked-about Hallmark movies of the spring for more reasons than one. Fiona Gubelmann stars as Ronnie, a school nurse and devoted mom white-knuckling her way through an empty nest, a house she might lose, and a job that’s slipping away, who finds an unexpected new path through teaching the game she loves. Paul Campbell plays Ben, a contractor who shows up to fix her house and ends up doing a little more than that. Rounding out the ensemble is a friend group so good (Melissa Peterman, Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, and Tamera Mowry-Housley) that Megan immediately booked a mahjong lesson and Wendy compared the whole thing to Sex and the City.
All’s Fair in Love and Mahjong originally aired on Saturday, May 9, 2026, on Hallmark Channel (and is now available to stream on Hallmark+). Learn more about how to get Hallmark+ for free with a library card.
Listen to Girls Gone Hallmark’s Review of All’s Fair in Love & Mahjong
About All’s Fair in Love & Mahjong
- Jessica Harmon directed. This marks her 24th directing credit and she recently directed I’ll Be Seeing You starring Tyler Hynes.
- Nina Weinman and Betsy Morris share writing credit.
- Nina Weinman is a long time Hallmark writer with faves like We Met in December, Haunted Wedding, and Pumpkin Pie Wars.
- Betsy Morris is also one of our favorites, she recently wrote Two for Tee, as well as Villa Amore and Guiding Emily.
- Fiona Gubelmann stars as Ronni Rice. We last saw her in A Royal Montana Christmas.
- Paul Campbell stars as Ben. Paul was last in Christmas at the Catnip Cafe.
- Friend of the show, Crystal Lowe appears as Shelly.
- Melissa Peterman appears as Melissa. Melissa is currently co-starring opposite Reba in Happy’s Place on NBC.
- Tamera Mowry-Housely appears as Carly. Tamera will star in the upcoming Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Key to the Castle later this month.
All’s Fair in Love and Mahjong Highlights
Here’s some of what had us talking in All’s Fair in Love and Mahjong:
- The Female Friendship Dynamic Is the Heart of This Movie
Ronnie’s friend group, Shelley, Carly, and Melissa, felt genuinely lived-in. They talk about divorce, dating, money trouble, and parenting young adults in a way that doesn’t always land on Hallmark, but absolutely does here. Both Megan and Wendy found it relatable and aspirational in equal measure.
- Melissa Peterman Is Operating on a Different Level
Whether she was working from the script or fully riffing, her comedic timing is beyond. We need this woman in a lead role or a Hallmark series immediately. She’s making Happy’s Place money on NBC right now, but please someone make it happen. - Paul Campbell as Ben Is Exactly Who You’d Want to Meet in Midlife
Comfortable, attentive, thoughtful, and funny without being a comedian every second. He gives her space after she has a not-great moment and doesn’t punish her for it. And yes we loved the framed measurement chart he presents her with at the end!
- The Writing Knew Its Audience
“If you wanna take off your location services, you can pay the bill.” “These kids wanna be so independent until it’s time for the hard labor.” Nina Weinman and Betsy Morris clearly get what it’s like to parent young adults, and they wove in a therapy mention, a default parent/default child through-line, and real emotional nuance without making it feel heavy. - The Mahjong Is Really Just a Vehicle
The movie isn’t really about mahjong. It’s about community, midlife reinvention, and women showing up for each other. The game just happens to be the thing that brings everyone to the table. - The Real Ronni Rice Had a Cameo
She was part of the book club that didn’t actually read, and she had a line! Wendy spotted her after recognizing her from the website — she’d been looking into mahjong teachers for her stepmom. Find more about Ronni on Instagram! - The Hallmark x Miss Mahjong Set Is Featured in the Movie
The “Miss Heirloom” set that Ben gives Ronnie is the actual Hallmark collaboration set, available for pre-order at around $350. It doesn’t ship until December, which suggests Hallmark is watching to see how orders go before full production. For context: mahjong sets range wildly in price, but it seems that’s not an unusual price for a nice set. - The Ex-Husband Was a Real Piece of Work
Their daughter is literally pulling out of the driveway for college and he picks that moment to say “we need to talk about the house.” Then gives her a month to secure financing. Sir, the house wouldn’t even sell in a month. Megan and Wendy had thoughts. - On the Controversy
Megan and Wendy both acknowledge they’re white women and can’t fully speak to the Asian American experience of this film. What they can say: the movie does acknowledge mahjong’s Chinese cultural heritage and makes clear this is American mahjong. The real Ronni Rice inspired the story, and Crystal Lowe (who has her own personal connection to the game) is friends with her. That said, Hallmark’s decision to essentially not promote the movie at all felt like the wrong call, and the ongoing lack of diverse casting remains genuinely frustrating.
Our Ratings
Megan: 4 stars. Watched it from under a brand new cozy blanket with the AC on. Straight off the dopamine menu.
Wendy: 4.25 stars. Liked it a lot. Would watch it again. Wishes the smooch-o-meter had moved a little more.
The Controversy Surrounding All’s Fair in Love & Mahjong, Explained
You may have already seen some conversation online about this one, and we want to weigh in. All’s Fair in Love and Mahjong has sparked real criticism since its announcement that we think is worth talking about.
Mahjong is a game with at least 200 years of history, with deep roots in Chinese culture. So when Hallmark announced a movie built around the game, with a promotional poster featuring white romance leads and only one Asian cast member, a lot of people felt that sting.
The timing adds another layer: the film premieres during AAPI Heritage Month.
Hallmark’s response has been that the film “honors the heritage of Mahjong by recognizing the game’s Chinese origin and its unique ability to connect cultures, generations, and communities.”
We love this take from K.L. Connie Wang that there is some nuance here worth noting. Mainly that the film is centered specifically on American mahjong and was inspired by the producer’s wife, who is a mahjong teacher, so it’s not directly claiming to tell a Chinese story.
But for many viewers, that context doesn’t fully answer the question of why more Asian voices weren’t centered both in front of and behind the camera.
We’re going to watch it (that’s what we do!) but we didn’t want to post about it without acknowledging what people are feeling. Representation in feel-good movies matters, and this is a conversation worth having even within a genre we love. We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
The Cast of All’s Fair in Love & Mahjong Is Genuinely Stacked
This movie is bringing together some of our absolute favorite Hallmark faces, and we are not exaggerating when we say this ensemble is a dream.
Photo: Melissa Peterman, Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, Fiona Gubelmann, Tamera Mowry-Housley Credit: ©2026 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Courtney Julien
Fiona Gubelmann (The Good Doctor, A Royal Montana Christmas) leads the film as Ronni, a school nurse and devoted mom navigating a major life transition. (Worth noting, Fiona was also behind the hottest kiss of the 2025 Countdown to Christmas season, as rated by Girls Gone Hallmark.)
Paul Campbell (Three Wisest Men, Falling Together) plays Ben, a charming contractor who ends up being more than just a friendly face.
Rounding out the friend group are:
Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe (Signed, Sealed, Delivered, The Wish Swap)
Melissa Peterman (Happy’s Place, Haul Out the Halloween, and GGH fave Finding Mr. Christmas)
Tamera Mowry-Housley (Haunted Harmony Mysteries, Sister, Sister).
What Is All’s Fair in Love & Mahjong About?
Ronni is living a full life as a school nurse and mom, hosting a longtime mahjong game with her best friends Shelley, Carly, and Melissa. But when her daughter leaves for college, everything shifts at once. Her hours get cut. Her ex is pushing to sell the home she loves. And suddenly she’s staring down an empty nest wondering what comes next.
Then, at a school fundraiser, she discovers she has a real gift for teaching mahjong. It becomes her unexpected path back to herself, pulling communities together around the table and sparking a connection with Ben, a contractor whose family could use a little of that same warmth. As Ronni finds her footing again, she has to learn to bet on herself, and maybe on love too.
Our First Impression of All’s Fair in Love & Mahjong
As women firmly in midlife with rapidly emptying nests, we are so here for this storytelling. Add on some of our favorite actors and you can consider our calendars marked.
Mahjong is Having a Moment
Mahjong is everywhere and Hallmark jumped on the trend! They partnered with Miss Mahjong to create a co-branded Mahjong Tiles, Mat & Tile Storage Gift Set inspired by Hallmark’s archival designs, including their classic pansy card pattern.
The set, called the Miss Heirloom, is actually featured in the movie, and it will be available for purchase in early May on Hallmark.com and MissMahjong.com. Whether you’re a mahjong veteran or someone who has been curious about learning, this feels like a genuinely lovely way to bring people around the table.
By the way, we’ve checked out the currently available sets from Miss Mahjong and they’re stunning! We can’t wait to see the official Hallmark set.
We’re Your New Hallmark Besties
Hey there! We’re Girls Gone Hallmark! Megan’s a longtime Hallmark movie fan, while Wendy – well, she used to be a Hallmark hater. Now, we’ve teamed up to share our (often very different!) takes on these films. Get ready for some lively, fun-filled conversations!
Check out the library of Hallmark movies we’ve reviewed!
