Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/a-cozy-christmas-inn
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
We had a divided house here tonight! Jeff liked this a lot more than I did. Here’s a quick recap and my two cents 😉
Quick Recap
Once upon a time (prior to Dr. Brunel), Erika dated Andy in Seattle. Unfortunately, Andy left her and returned home. Erika still works in Seattle. Her boss wants to acquire an Inn in Garland, Alaska and sends Erika there to close the deal.
My Two Cents
In case you don’t know, back in 2014 there was a movie called Christmas Under Wraps. It starred all the same leads, except the female lead was Candace Cameron Bure. It had a similar plot. Dr. Brunel came to Garland, Alaska as the town’s new doctor. She falls in love with Andy and we presume they lived happily ever after.
In this movie we find out they did NOT live happily ever after. 😭 Dr. Brunel left Garland to take a fellowship offer she could not refuse. Leaving Andy girlfriendless.
I loved Christmas Under Wraps. It had magic, cuteness, corny jokes, and of course, the now famous, “that’s Garland for ya” tag line. I think if I had never seen Christmas Under Wraps, I would have enjoyed this movie more.
A Cozy Christmas Inn was cute and funny in it’s own way, but I feel like it lacked some of the magic of the first movie. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly why. Maybe because the elves weren’t as obvious? Rudy was missing? Andy’s plane was missing and a telescope took it’s place? Or maybe it was the overuse of the tag line? I’m not sure.
Honestly, maybe I didn’t enjoy it for a very simple reason…maybe I was mourning Dr. Brunel and Andy’s relationship ending. I think I would have handled it better if she had unexpectedly died, because at the end of the first movie she had changed and she was happy to be the local doctor. Not a big fellowship doctor.
Even if I was mourning Dr. Brunel and Andy, I did enjoy Erika and Andy together. They were a cute couple and the story line was interesting. I liked how they discussed their past relationship and what went wrong. I loved the Inn – it was beautiful! And I loved the ending with Andy and his Dad resolving who will take over the family business.
Even though I wasn’t a huge fan, Jeff definitely preferred this movie. I think it’s because it had less magic – he doesn’t like movies with magic. But it could also be that he likes Jodie Sweetin more and I tend to like Candace more.
Whether you saw the first movie or not, I think this one is still worth seeing. You don’t need to see the first movie to see this and it might be better if you don’t. This is definitely a solid Hallmark countdown to Christmas movie. Give it a try!
Did you watch this movie? Let me know what you thought! Leave a comment!
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I’m with you. I miss Candace. I thought Andy acted a whole lot stranger , he seemed so smart in 1st ¹not so much in this. But THAT’S GARLAND FOR YA lol
Exactly
Thought it was really bad and boring… no chemistry between the actors. Worst Hallmark I have ever seen…
AGREED. Love those actors but just didn’t work. Contrived and no chemistry.
I’m just starting the movie and what happened to Dr. Lauren?! So obviously they didn’t work out. I like the thought of them living happily ever after in Garland. I think they could use the same actors just pick a different town!
They said she left town to take an exciting fellowship opportunity. Maybe the same actors in a different town could work, but they’d need a new plot too 🙂
I didn’t like it much. I love Christmas under wraps. I was disappointed that Lauren left Garland.
Didn’t like. No chemistry.
And, of course, we don’t like that Lauren and Andy didn’t live happily ever after, right?
Exactly! Lauren and Andy should have lived happily ever after!
This ruined my whole weekend.
Every relationship on Hallmark Christmas works….forever. Period.
If I wanted people breaking up and wrecking relationships, I’ll just live my life.
Shame on you Hallmark. This is not want we want.
Totally agree. Well said
I really would love to know what were the boots Andy gave Erica they are so cute
Christmas time in Alaska? Wouldn’t be dark outside all of the time?
I actually liked this one more than Christmas Under Wraps. To me the fact Andy and Doc didn’t live happily ever after gives this film more believability. Not all relationships work out even on Hallmark.
I’m not a Jodie Sweetin fan. I just can’t watch her. And I liked “Christmas Under Wraps” a lot. Glad I didn’t tune-in.
I can’t believe Hallmark allowed Stephanie Tanner to date big Sis DJ Tanners man. How salty…lol
Reference to Candice and Jodi playing sisters on Full House. Under Wraps is much better, but I still watched this movie.
Haha! I had the same thoughts! It’s so hard seeing either of them and not thinking of Full House even though they’ve done so many other wonderful movies and shows.
Any reason to produce this story was a horrific mistake. The chemistry between the leads just simply isn’t there — also the inn that they use is one from my favorite movies “Check Inn to Christmas”. They should have made a completely different Hallmark holiday movie with the 2 leads. Our family rating : 4 thumbs down
Christmas Under Wraps was just not a movie to make a sequel out of. Dr. Brunel was a changed person at the end of this movie and decided that, number one… she loved being a small town doctor and, number two…she loved Andy. So…she did an about face and blew town? Pretty unbelievable. Now they drag an old girlfriend in from Andy’s past and stick her in her place? You can see why they broke up, they have zero chemistry. Plus, Andy seems to have gone through some type of personality change…he just isn’t engaging in this movie. Sorry, Hallmark, you should’ve used your cast in a different movie set in a different place. I gave it a chance, but lost interest quickly. Boring.
I agree hallmark has lost lots of its viewers because of this screwed up sequel. Jodi is just not an actor. She leaves a lot to be desired. I agree with all the other reviews they should left well enough alone. This is not the type of movie for a sequel. It is sicking to see what Andy and Dr Brunel went through to get what they finally got what they wanted and then have it took away on some crazy sequel.
Give me a break! This movie is one movie that NEVER should have a sequel especially written the way it was. Andy and Stephenie had a hard time from the beginning to get use to each other’s idea of what was going to happen to the lodge. When Andy finally showed Stephenie what a real Christmas was about and she came around and loved Christmas and Andy. Her life had been changed to a world she had never knew! Then her dad saw the light he changed the way he felt. The ending was great especially when Andy and Stephanie had a whole life ahead of them. Now she leaves, I think this movie was totally degraded because of the sequel especially when the girl took her place can’t act to start with. You messed up bad!!!!!