The Dating Prohibition

McCoy (The Good Ones Are Taken) brings lots of spice but little sense to this underwhelming contemporary. Ambitious Kendra Porter hopes that her plan to open a speakeasy/supper club in or around Washington, D.C., will finally free her from the shadow of her older brother, a successful restaurateur. Sparks fly when her brother’s lifelong best friend, BJ, offers his expertise in historical preservation to help Kendra find a landmark location that will enhance the ambiance of her new venture. The pair are obviously mutually interested in each other from the jump, leading to a hot and heavy “friends-with-benefits situationship.” When Kendra confesses that she has real feelings, however, BJ insists that, as his best friend’s sister, she is “off limits.” It’s an old trope, and McCoy does little to make it feel fresh or even believable: there’s no indication why Kendra’s brother would object to the relationship and, indeed, it turns out he doesn’t. The result is a flimsy conflict that can’t drive the plot forward with any urgency and serves to make both protagonists look bad, especially BJ, who comes across as undependable. This doesn’t work. (Sept.)