A fancy dinner out? It's not worth it. Flowers and chocolates? Let them rot on store shelves. And those mushy love notes? Don't even waste your ink.

Just forget it all, because romance is dead. At least, that's what Redbox says.

The movie rental company ranked Victoria the nation's fourth least romantic city, based on the number of swoon-worthy flicks rented in 2011.

Victoria joins three other Texas cities on that list, including Laredo, which fills the No. 1 spot for the second year running. Adding insult to injury, the Lone Star State held a whopping zero spots on Redbox's list of most romantic cities.

The lackluster ranking came as a surprise to Torin Bales, who owns Torin Bales Fine Jewelry at 6007 N. Zac Lentz Parkway. In his line of business, he said, he sees the more loving aspects of people's day-to-day lives.

"Today I've heard three or four stories from people who are going to propose and the romantic ways they're doing it," he said Monday. "I think this is a very romantic city."

Laurie Custer, who owns Body Boutique Day Spa at 3902 John Stockbauer Drive, Suite D, agreed with Bales. She said people venture in all the time to buy spa packages for the ones they love.

The romance doesn't end with customers, either.

Love-themed movies are Custer's favorite, she said, and especially those with happy endings. She watched "The Notebook" the other day and, on Saturday, celebrated her first anniversary with her husband with a trip to see "The Vow."

"There's still romance out there," she said with a chuckle.

Not everyone disagrees with Redbox's summation.

Victoria West High School student Diana Lara said she wouldn't describe Victoria as a romantic place, partly because the restaurants and attractions available mean there aren't many places for couples to go.

On Friday, the high schooler, who said she prefers scary or action-packed movies, rented "Restless" from a Navarro Street Redbox kiosk.

Stephanie Urbano visited that same kiosk Friday with her son for a quick trip to pick up "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." Although she said Victoria's spot on the list didn't surprise her, she said the city's romantic value depended on who you asked.

A single person might venture out to Houston or Austin to find that spark of love, she said, while a married couple can find things to do in their hometown.

Victoria's a family-oriented city, she added, explaining that affects people's movie preferences. Her family's picks include action and kids' movies more than anything else.

"I know husbands and wives try to take time for themselves, but when you have little ones, it's really hard sometimes," she said.