A single-life helper offers her services to those who need a significant other for events such as weddings, reunions, or nagging parents.  After years of running her business, she has finally earned the money needed to pay off her debt.  Her hope is to retire and make a fresh start in a new place.    But one special client has been married to her for the last 5 years, and he isn’t ready to let her go.  To complicate matters, an old acquaintance shows up, and he also needs her help for one last job before she closes up shop.  As matters of the heart come into play, the lines between business and personal become very hard to distinguish.

Go Kyung Pyo as Jung Ji Ho

For the past 5 years, Jung Ji Ho has been “married” to Sang Eun.  As his wife, she works 3 days a week, coming over and eating dinner with him in his apartment.  As someone who doesn’t relate well to other people, this is the perfect situation for him. But when Sang Eun announces that she will be retiring and ending their contract, he is devastated at the thought of losing her.  Now he will try to convince her to turn their professional relationship into something more personal.  But a new client shows up to offer him some competition and showing his feelings has never been Ji Ho’s strong suit.   

Jung Ji Ho is a successful judge who keeps to himself.  His ex-wife left him to find her own success and riches, but also because he always felt so emotionally distant.  At the thought of losing Sang Eun, he decides to really put some effort into learning to be more social, not just with her, but with all the people in his life. I love Go Kyung Pyo, and I felt like he brought this sweetly awkward character to life in a way lesser actors would never have been able to.  His character’s growth was rewarding to watch and I really loved him in this role. 

Kang Hyung Suk as Woo Gwang Nam

Woo Gwang Nam was one of Sang Eun’s first clients.  Now he is her best friend, roommate, and confidante.  After losing his job as a martial arts teacher, he becomes a body guard for Hae Jin.  Both his fake marriage to Sang Eun and his losing his job were because he is gay.  Now he is determined to be open and honest about who he is and not act as if his sexual orientation is something to be ashamed of.  

 ♥ Ji Ho

Ji Ho’s character was the most interesting in this drama, by far.  I loved to watch the way his character developed from someone who couldn’t even carry on a conversation with his co-workers to one who attended team dinners and hosted dinner parties.  At the same time, they kept his growth realistic.  He still has a tendency to be a bit awkward in social situations and often misses social cues.  But he has come a long way from where he began, and with Sang Eun at his side, we can expect that he will continue to improve and learn.  

 ♥ Interesting Job

Sang Eun took the most painful experience of her life and turned it into a creative and rewarding job.  The company that she created is unique and interesting.  I enjoyed the brief glimpses into the way she used the business to help her clients in remarkable ways, and I could have used even more scenes like that.  I think we could have seen more depth and character growth from Sang Eun if we had seen more of her interactions with her clients.  

Lead Chemistry

I think I am not alone in assuming that with two talented leads like this drama had, and Park Min Young’s reputation for making great romantic dramas, that the chemistry in this show would have been amazing.  Unfortunately, the result was much less inspiring.  Maybe it can be blamed on the fact that so many of their scenes took places sitting across from each other at the dinner table.  There were moments where a spark glimmered but much of it felt flat and very matter of fact.  

 Gwang Nam

While I loved Gwang Nam’s character, his growth and ending were a bit disappointing for me.  With such great charm and potential, I would like to see his character find love for himself and break free from his demanding family’s clutches.  Instead, he is encouraged to become a celebrity so that his family won’t have to feel ashamed of him anymore.  Gwang Nam deserves to be loved and accepted for who he is, and becoming famous seems like a step in the wrong direction for this gentle soul.   

Luckily, “Love in Contract” sets aside it’s melodrama alter-ego for a nice happily ever after.  Sang Eun shows up at the board meeting for Kangjin Group and exposes Hae Jin’s brother for the creep he is.  After the obligatory pre-ending break-up, Sang Eun proposes to Ji Ho with a big romantic gesture, and Ji Ho responds in kind with his own intimate proposal.  After a few days of hectic planning and endless errands, the couple find out neither one of them is interested in the big wedding they have been working on.  They decide to have a small gathering of their friends and loved ones and leave it at that.  Hae Jin goes back to acting with the blessing of his mother.  And there may be romance on the horizon for him and Ji Eun.  And Gwang Nam decides to become a singer with Jung Hwan as his manager.  The final scene shows Ji Ho and Sang Eun waking up after their wedding party.  They eat ramen at the dinner table, side by side this time instead of distantly facing each other.  Sang Eun realizes that it’s Sunday, which is her favorite day, and declares this one to be perfect.  And hopefully this is the first of many for the happily married couple.