Margaret Tate (played by Sandra Bullock) is a successful editor at a publishing company in New York City. However, she is originally from Canada and has been living in the US for several years on a work visa that is about to expire. Margaret's boss informs her that her visa will not be renewed, and she will be deported back to Canada.
Desperate to avoid being deported, Margaret comes up with a plan to save her job and her life in America. She forces her assistant, Andrew Paxton (played by Ryan Reynolds), to marry her, promising him a promotion in return. Despite initial reluctance from Andrew, he agrees to the plan to help save his own dream of starting a publishing house.
Margaret and Andrew travel to Andrew's family home in Alaska for the fake wedding, but things don't go as planned. Margaret clashes with Andrew's eccentric family and struggles with the cold Alaskan weather. Over time, Margaret and Andrew start to develop real feelings for each other, but they must keep up the pretense of their fake marriage.
To add to their complications, Margaret's immigration agent tracks them down in Alaska and starts to investigate their marriage. Margaret and Andrew must work together to convince the agent that their marriage is real, while also facing the reality of their feelings for each other.
In the end, Margaret's visa is renewed, and she and Andrew confess their love for each other. The two decide to continue their lives together, and Margaret helps Andrew start his own publishing house.