Tag: #hallmark2021

Hallmark Movie Review: One December Night

Image via: https://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/one-december-night

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I’m not sure if it’s me or the movie, but I’m not feeling it with this one tonight. Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents on this movie.

Quick Re-Cap

Steve Bedford and Mike Sullivan are a separated and retired country music group who come together to put on a show together. Their children, Quinn and Jason, reunite to help put together the show. But will they be able to bring together these two feuding men?

My Two Cents – The Cast

This movie is star packed! Did you see Frenchie?!? I just about died with excitement. I screamed at my TV, “WAS THAT FRENCHIE??” Of course, Jeff said, “Nooooo….stop drinking the wine you crazy woman.” He was wrong though, Didi Conn is totally in the movie and I loved every second with her!

Peter Gallagher, who I remember most from While You Were Sleeping, and Bruce Campbell from Burn Notice bring extra star power to this movie. I was always more of a Jack girl than Peter, but it was still nice to see Peter again. Bruce will always be Sam Axe to me. Sorry, not sorry!

On the girl side is Eloise Mumford. She’s been in a few Hallmark movies, but I remember her most from 50 Shades of Grey. Hello Kate Kavanagh! She’s cute and sweet like most Hallmark leading ladies.

I also want to give a considerable shout out the to the girl who plays Addison Reid. She has such a pretty voice!

My Two Cents – The Movie

Three words…CANDY CANE FIGHT! This was possibly the funniest and best part of the movie. Sad. After this, Jeff left and said, “Nope, this isn’t as good as My Christmas Family Tree. I’m outta here.” And I sat there wishing I had done the same. Instead, I drank more wine in hopes of making it better 🙂

Despite the additional wine, I couldn’t get into this movie. I’m sure there will be plenty of people who enjoy it, but it didn’t resonate with me. I loved all the actors and actresses and there were a few funny spots I enjoyed, and I enjoyed all the music, but overall it was missing that IT factor.

I can definitely sympathize with trying to handle two adults who are fighting like children. So, I don’t envy what Quinn and Jason are dealing with between Mike and Steve. C’mon guys! You’re senior citizens and fighting like 6 year old brothers.

I saw some earlier signs in the movie that something was going on with Steve, but I was really hoping this wouldn’t turn into another sad movie of the season. I’m really not having it with the sad movies this Christmas season. Haven’t we had enough sad in the world lately?

I know the movie isn’t over yet, but I’m done. I’m tired and honestly, I don’t really care how it ends. It won’t change this review. I’m sure I’ll love the sweet ending. Hallmark is usually great at bringing everything together in the last few minutes of the movie (I’m choosing to ignore My Christmas Family Tree in this sentence). I hope you enjoyed it more than me. Happy movie watching y’all!

Have you seen it? What did you think? Leave a comment!

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Hallmark Movie Review: My Christmas Family Tree

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/my-christmas-family-tree

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What the what Hallmark!?! I’m not sure what to make of this movie. I was all set to make it a 4 or 5 rating until the last 10 minutes. Now I’m debating downgrading it to a 3. Ugh! Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents to explain my frustrations.

Quick Re-Cap

Vanessa’s mother died when she was 9 and she was fostered until she turned 18. Not having any family, she does a genetic test and discovers a paternal match. She meets her father who invites her to join the family over the holidays. Vanessa joins them and starts to feel like a member of the family until she receives a call saying the genetic testing company had a mix-up. Can she keep the family she’s begun to love?

My Two Cents

First things first. ANDREW WALKER! I haven’t always been an Andrew Walker fan. However, over the past few years he’s been steadily growing on me. I would compare him to aged wine, but I’m a Wisconsin girl, so he’s more like an aged cheddar…sharper and tastier over time. 😂

I also need to give a shout out to Aimee Teegarden. She was wonderful! She does sweet and cute really well in this movie. I also enjoyed her in A New Year’s Resolution earlier this year.

As much as I enjoyed Andrew and Aimee, I had a hard time with the reality of this movie. I understand not all Hallmark movies are real or believable, but this one had a major flaw that I really struggled with. Vanessa and/or Richard should have recognized an issue earlier.

Richard said Vanessa’s mom should have been Trish, but Vanessa’s mom’s name is Patty. Richard met Vanessa’s mom in Providence, but Vanessa never knew her mom to be in Providence.

I suppose when you have DNA telling you that you’re related, sometimes you’re blinded to the possibility it couldn’t be real. But it still felt like Vanessa and Richard should have second guessed things a lot earlier.

Okay, moving past that big flaw. I still really enjoyed the movie!

I loved the first phone call with Richard and Vanessa! It was so awkward and sweet. I would imagine most first phone calls would go this way. I also liked how the half siblings felt about Vanessa and we saw those relationships grow naturally.

I wrote all of this before the last 10 minutes of the movie. Then the last 10 minutes happened and I had no idea what to think. Way to throw a curve ball Hallmark!! I’m still not sure what to think. I’m going to try not to think about it too much and just say at least it has a Hallmark happily ever after.

This movie won’t hit my personal Countdown to Christmas must watch list. Mostly because of the ending. It didn’t feel complete. Who’s daughter is Vanessa? Does it really matter since she loves Kris and the family no matter what? I don’t know, but it bothered me too much to put this in the must watch category. Even Jeff was sitting here asking WTF??

Have you seen it? What did you think? What was that ending? What do you think was the actual truth? Leave a comment!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Open By Christmas

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/open-by-christmas

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh happy tears! I will always have a special place in my heart for movies like this! Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents on this sweet Hallmark Christmas romance.

Quick Re-Cap

Nicky returns home to celebrate Christmas with her family and finds an anonymous note from someone in high school. She begins a journey to figure out who the mystery writer was.

My Two Cents

Yes Hallmark! You did it! This movie has the feeling of other Hallmark classics I love to watch over and over. Movies like Switched for Christmas, A Christmas Detour (yes, I’m aware that’s two Candace Cameron Bure movies), A Very Merry Mix-up, or Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

These movies are often underrated and some people write them off as not good enough, but honestly, they are some of my favorites. You can turn them on at any point and enjoy watching them. They are generally happy movies with a little bit of romcom humor. Most importantly they make me warm and fuzzy.

Grab a cup of hot chocolate, your favorite movie watching blanket and snuggle in for this wonderfully feel good movie. Enjoy the little jokes here and there and take it at face value. This movie is definitely a countdown to Christmas must see!

Have you seen it? What did you think? Leave a comment!

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Hallmark Movie Review: A Mrs. Miracle Christmas

Image via: https://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/debbie-macombers-a-mrs-miracle-christmas

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’m a huge fan of the prior two Mrs. Miracle movies with Doris Roberts (Call Me Mrs. Miracle and Mrs. Miracle). I love Caroline Rhea, but I was a little worried about her being Mrs. Miracle. It turns out I didn’t need to be worried – she was a natural! Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents 😉

Quick Re-Cap

Laurel and Will had trouble conceiving a baby, so they became foster parents. Unfortunately, right before the adoption finalized, the mother decided against the adoption. It’s been a year, but they still haven’t recovered.

This year, Nana took a fall and hurt her wrist. She’s been a little down this year and Laurel wants to find someone to stay with her while she’s busy with holiday festivities. Mrs. Miracle appears to help the family in ways they never knew were possible.

My Two Cents

I love this type of magic!! I feel like it appeals to anyone with hope. It might not really be magic, because it could just all be a series of coincidences, but if you believe magic and angels are possible, then it could be more than coincidences.

I loved the story of Mrs. Miracle having a daughter named Mercy, then a Mercy appears in the jewelry store and she was the receptionist for the temp agency. And lets not forget about the choir at the end of the movie.

The feels were real tonight everyone!! I must be extra emotional, because I liked when Laurel’s Dad met her for lunch and apologized for not being there for her. The closure in their relationship felt real and wonderful. Then the darn angel made me cry, but it was only the first tears for me.

The ending was full of happy tears! There’s nothing everyone loves more than a happy ending and this was the happiest ending possible for everyone.

This movie has all the hope, magic, and love of the previous movies. It definitely is making my must watch list this Countdown to Christmas season. I hope you watch it too. Happy movie watching y’all!

Have you seen it? What did you think? Leave a comment!

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Hallmark Movie Review: The Christmas Promise

Image via: https://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/the-christmas-promise

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh the tears! 😭 Oh the laughter! 😂 This movie has it all. Here’s a quick re-cap, then my full two cents…

Quick Re-Cap

Nicole “Nic” loses her soon to be husband. A year after the accident that took Henry’s life, it’s Christmas season again and Nicole is still adjusting to life without him. She’s trying to finish a house they were fixing up to live in. She talks to her grandfather about how he handled losing her grandmother. He said he wrote her letters for the first year after she died. So, Nicole starts texting Henry’s old phone number, but someone else now owns his old number.

My Two Cents

About two weeks ago we said goodbye to our 13.5 year old dog. It was sudden, but it was undeniably her time. It’s always hard to say goodbye to them, but at least we had the chance to say goodbye. Nic didn’t have that chance, which makes it so much harder when you lose someone. I cried for her loss.

In fact, this is the second movie (the first was Christmas in my Heart) this Christmas season to bring up death. Since I didn’t see any previews of this movie ahead of time, it caught me unaware and I was hit with a lot of emotions in the first few minutes of the movie when I realized what was happening.

After accepting the movie for what it was, I was pleased to meet Joe. He cracked me up! Oh my gosh! That first peppermint bark cupcake bite. He stuck his nose in the frosting. His nose!! Ewww, yet funny. 😂 Then there was the tarot reading with Lord Fluff N’ Stuff. More 😂😂😂

Nic’s friends were so nice. I’m glad they didn’t let her completely hide herself away the whole holiday season. I loved the girls night in. The skin mask fight looked like so much fun!

I liked how Nic’s texting with Joe helped her with her grief, but the texting wasn’t the only thing that helped Nic. Joe’s goofiness worked its way into her heart and helped heal the wounds from Henry’s loss.

With all the fun things I’ve mentioned, it shouldn’t surprise you that the tone in this movie wasn’t overwhelmingly sad like Christmas in My Heart, which made me like it much more. I recommend watching this movie if you get the chance. I don’t think it belongs on my must watch list, but it’s very good. Happy movie watching y’all!

Have you seen it? What did you think? Leave a comment!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Coyote Creek Christmas

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/coyote-creek-christmas

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’m a total Paevey lover! He is so handsome and plays this role expertly. Who wouldn’t have fallen for those blue eyes and that little bit of gray he’s showing on his temples. 😉 I’m also a huge Janel Parrish fan!! I’ve liked her ever since Pretty Little Liars. Now Ryan + Janel in the same movie. Yes please! Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

Paige is spending Christmas at her family’s Coyote Creek Inn. She’s planning the annual Christmas party, because her family doesn’t feel like doing it this year. She’s unaware that her family is considering selling the Inn until she’s been planning for a while and see how happy her parents are traveling instead of running the Inn. Dylan’s company is interested in purchasing the Inn, but he’s been asked to keep it secret from Paige.

My Two Cents

There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this movie! I already mentioned that these are two of my favorite leads, but I didn’t mention the outstanding supporting cast! I loved Quinn and Mia crushing, George and Julie being mischievous fun-loving characters, and Noah was so adorable! I haven’t seen such a good supporting cast in a long time!

Besides the cast was the Coyote Creek-isms. Charlotte the Marmot is sooo cute!! I love that a place called Coyote Creek has a marmot as a mascot. C’mon who doesn’t like a game of hide and seek with a wooden statue? I know I want to find Charlotte and give her a piece of Christmas clothing! Plus, the story about how a marmot became the town mascot was so sweet.

I think I’ve mentioned a time or two that I enjoy a good small town romance. This kind of had that feel, because we met a few townspeople. There were also a lot of small town traditions, like leaving little gifts for people.

While I enjoyed most of this movie, there was a major part of this plot I didn’t understand. The Inn wasn’t sold yet and Paige’s parents didn’t NEED to sell, so why didn’t they offer to stop the sale? If Paige really wanted it, then they should have been able to work out a deal with her and stop the sale.

The sale of the Inn was really the biggest issue I had with this movie. If I look past that, then I really enjoyed this movie. I’m not sure if I’d put it on my must see list, but if it’s on again, I’ll definitely watch it. Especially to see Charlotte the Marmot again. 🙂 I hope you watch this and enjoy it. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Christmas in Harmony

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/christmas-in-harmony

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh wow y’all! Talk about the surprise movie of the season! Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

Harmony was expecting a promotion at work, when her boss tells her she’s being downsized. She’s being paid through the end of the year, so she decides to return home to visit her mom. While home, she’s paired with her ex-boyfriend Kyle to direct this year’s holiday chorus. Now, the church program needs to raise $10,000 or they will lose their building.

My Two Cents

When you’re part of a Hallmark Movie Showdown Bracket group, you’re assigned to watch a specific list of movies and sometimes you’re super excited for a movie (hello The Santa Stakeout) and sometimes you say to yourself, “ugh, I don’t want to watch THAT movie!” This movie was definitely on the I wouldn’t ordinarily watch it list, but I’m glad I did!

There’s nothing new in this movie. We have a young woman who thought she was getting a promotion, but instead was axed and a church that’s about to lose it’s building. We’ve seen this a lot over the years. So, if you’re looking for new and different, definitely go somewhere else.

What this movie lacks in originality, it makes up for in heart. I’m a total sucker for a second chance romance. Seriously guys. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I always fall for the second chance romance movies. Plus! Add in a some fantastic music and a great cast and I’m sold!

I absolutely loved Harmony! I loved her standing up to the boss when he was firing her. I loved her having a sleepover with her mom and sister. And I loved her believing in herself by the end of the movie.

The song at the end…just WOW! I was seriously almost brought to tears. Harmony was amazing! I will admit, I was a little unsure how the movie would end – I mean which happy ending it would have. I was very happy with the ending they chose.

If you’re unsure about this movie, I suggest giving it a try. It was a seriously good surprise! Definitely on my Countdown to Christmas must watch list. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Boyfriends of Christmas Past

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/boyfriends-of-christmas-past

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It’s refreshing to see some new faces this Countdown to Christmas season! These two were great from beginning to end. Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

Lauren has closed herself off from relationships, so her ex-boyfriends of the past have come to haunt her into changing her standoffish ways. Hopefully these ex-boyfriends can show Lauren what she’s missing before it’s too late.

My Two Cents

I had so many ups and downs with this movie. One minute I was laughing and really into the movie, and the next I was looking at my phone and wondering when this would be over. Is it my mood tonight or the movie at fault for me losing interest? I’m not sure. Let’s walk through some of my thoughts…

Lauren’s first boyfriend sleighed me! Cowabunga dude! He was such a skater boy. He forgets why he’s there, but texted it to himself on the 1990’s phone. LOL. Do you know how long it must have taken him to text all that? It was on a phone without a keyboard!

Anyhow, after he leaves, Lauren wakes up and looks him up online. He’s now a real adult with a family. I loved how she looks him up online. I think we’ve all looked up our exes from time to time 😉

The next two boyfriends were pretty much the same story. They want more, but Lauren runs away. She runs directly to Nate each time. Yet even after the third guy, she still doesn’t see what’s happening? Okay, I’m calling BS on this. How blind is she?

Let’s take a moment to feel bad for Nate. Poor Nate! Every time he tries to tell Lauren how he feels, she friend zones him, uses him for an idea for her pitch, or runs away before he has a chance to say something. Chicken!!

This needs to be mentioned…

Ugh, the digital snow is killing me this season. I think I’ve seen it in every movie so far. I wish they would go back to real fake snow. This stuff is annoying. It doesn’t look anything like real snow and never lands on anything. Bring back real (or real fake) snow Hallmark!

Okay, back to the movie!

Overall, I think I enjoyed the movie. LOL. The ending was cute. I really liked when all four exes show up in the final few seconds of the movie. Sure, I could nitpick the movie to death. And those of you who read my blog regularly will know that friends to lovers is not a theme I typically enjoy, which could have been the majority of my issue with this movie. Give this movie a try! I’m sure you’ll at least like it a little 🙂

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Hallmark Movie Review: You, Me & The Christmas Trees

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/you-me-the-christmas-trees

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Two words…dad jokes! I have a thing for corny dad jokes and there were plenty in this movie to keep me giggling. Combine the dad jokes with a small town romance and I’m definitely interested. Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

Jack is the owner of a tree farm that’s having a mysterious issue with Christmas trees dying within a few days of being cut. He calls in the help of Olivia, the horticulturist. Together, Jack helps Olivia learn how wonderful Christmas can be and Olivia helps open Jack’s mind to possibilities outside Christmas Trees.

My Two Cents

The first time I tried watching this movie was about 20-30 minutes after it had started, but I couldn’t get into it. So, I figured it was a Hallmark dud. I turned off the TV, gave up, and decided I would try it again later. I’m glad I did. While it won’t hit my favorite movie list, it’s still a good movie.

I enjoyed watching Olivia and Jack grow close. I really felt like I was watching them and their relationship evolve. I really liked their banter and chemistry. I wouldn’t mind seeing these two paired up again!

Beyond Olivia and Jack, I liked the plot. I have a thing for small town romances and this definitely checked the boxes for all things small town. The different activities, gingerbread cookie houses, white elephant gift giving and so much more! I loved how Jack’s family embraces Olivia like a daughter.

It also hit home from the small business owner perspective. Jack cared about his customers as much as they seemed to care about him. He offered money back for the dying trees while worrying about his customers coming back after having a bad year. Customers easily move onto new businesses, so I liked that they included a few scenes to impress this upon people.

Overall, this is a movie you might enjoy. It doesn’t hit my must watch movie list, but if it’s on, it’s good to watch. It’s that sweet – sometimes corny – hit you in the feels, type of movie. Isn’t that why we watch Hallmark? I know it’s why I watch Hallmark 🙂

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Hallmark Movie Review: The Santa Stakeout

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/the-santa-stakeout

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This movie is super cute! It’s definitely a must watch on my Hallmark Countdown to Christmas movie list! It’s cute, funny, and full of holiday cheer. Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents 🙂

Quick Re-Cap

A string of burglaries captures the attention of the Denver police. Frenemies Tanya and Ryan are assigned as partners to figure out who the burglar is. They rent a house next door to their suspect and become fake newlyweds to fit into their new neighborhood, but their fake marriage soon turns real as they get to know each other better.

My Two Cents

There were so many cute and funny moments in this movie! I loved Detective Scrooge versus Detective Jolly. They had great chemistry and it was so much fun watching them grow closer.

I also need to take a moment to recognize the geniusness of the hot cocoa tasting board!! OMG! Why do my local restaurants not have this?? Living in Wisconsin, we tend to only have beer tasting boards. Maybe someone will make a hot cocoa board popular soon! I’d like to see this overtake hot cocoa bombs 🙂

Sadly, we need to talk about something other than the hot cocoa here. So, let’s move on to the actual burglary case. I loved watching the detectives find the clues and work the case. Of course their first guess was wrong and I’m sure we all took a collective sigh of relief at discovering the truth.

I really can’t say enough good things about how wonderful Tamera and Paul were acting together. Especially at the end of the movie where they expose the real criminal and cement their relationship. I loved these two so much, I wish they’d pick them up for a holiday Hallmark Movies & Mysteries series.

I really needed all the joy and fun this movie brings to the start of the holiday season. This is how the countdown to Christmas season deserves to start! Add this movie to your holiday watching season and you won’t be disappointed. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Christmas in my Heart

Image via: https://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/christmas-in-my-heart

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Sorry y’all, I wasn’t feeling this movie. If you’ve read other reviews, you’ll know I love Luke MacFarlane!! I liked Heather Hemmens and the other cast members in this movie too. So, I was pretty upset when the movie fell flat. Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

Katie, the daughter of former country music star, Sean, wants violin lessons. She convinces Beth to give her lessons unbeknownst to her Dad. Beth is a musician on break from New York and is only planning on being in town until after the holidays. Beth and Sean become close 😉

My Two Cents

I had high hopes for this movie! Unfortunately, it fell flat. If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know that I LOVE romcoms and/or movies that make you say awwwww. This whole movie had a sad feel to it. I was depressed watching it.

I felt so sorry for Katie, who lost her Mom. Then her Dad completely shut down and wouldn’t allow anyone close to them. The moment Beth starts to get close, of course he pushes her away.

This is Hallmark, so of course I was expecting that and there is a super sweet and cute ending. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for me. I wanted more joy, fun, and love for the first movie of the season. I didn’t feel enough of any of those emotions throughout the movie.

If you have other movie options, I would definitely skip this movie. It’s sad, depressing, and missing serious amounts of Hallmark Christmas cheer. Keep reading my blog for more Christmas movie reviews this season!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Love Strikes Twice

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/love-strikes-twice

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Save the Clock Tower!! I couldn’t shake the Back to the Future vibe of this movie. Instead of saving a clock tower, this movie centers around saving a library. Well, it’s about a lot more than a library, but that’s the surface theme of the movie. Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents 🙂

Quick Re-Cap

Maggie and Josh have been married for 15 years, but their marriage isn’t living up to Josh’s expectations and he questions if they should stay together. After hearing about Josh’s concerns, Maggie winds up near a fountain where she makes a wish, bumps her head, and wakes up 15 years in the past. She realizes she has a second chance to make different decisions. Will she take this opportunity to change her life?

My Two Cents

I have a thing for stories with magic; shifters, wizards, and Gods/Goddesses are often high on my magical wish list. While not quite as cool as that sort of magic, this is still fun magic! It’s the time travel/do over/romance type. There’s something incredibly alluring about exploring alternate realities (Hello Dr. Strange!) and it’s the main reason I enjoyed this movie.

I really liked how Maggie embraces returning to the past. Sure, she has a quick freak out moment and tries to (unsuccessfully) return to the future, but then she fully embraces this opportunity. She uses her knowledge of the future to prevent and fix things gone wrong.

One of the nicest things Maggie does is help her brother, Ash. Funny story, I’m reading a book and the lead male is Ash. But you’ll read about that in a future book review…back to the movie. I really loved how Maggie talks about her Dad boasting about Ash’s confidence in order to help him develop his confidence. She also brings him in on her back from the future paradox.

Besides helping Ash, Maggie also helps her Dad and by proxy, her mother. This made me so happy! I swear I almost cried at the end of the movie between Dad and Ash.

Maybe I’m extra sentimental tonight, because this movie hit me right in the feels multiple times.

Maggie and her mom had a conversation about “the one.” Maggie’s Mom said that when people are hung up on “the one,” and things get rough, which they always do, people are more likely to bail. Further, love is a choice we make on a continual basis. I really liked her point of view. I agree that love is a choice we make.

There was so much of this movie that resonated with me. I worried throughout the movie how they would create a Hallmark ending, but they did it! Everyone got the happily ever after they deserved and I swooned. I highly recommend watching this one if it sounds like something you would like.

If these types of movies are up your alley, you should also try and watch The Birthday Wish or A Timeless Christmas

Have you seen it? What did you think? What are your favorite time travel movies? Leave a comment!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Taking the Reins

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/taking-the-reins

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’ve been looking forward to this movie since the first preview because…HORSES!!! But horses weren’t the only thing capturing my heart here. Below is a quick re-cap and my full two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

Sam, a journalist, wants to write her first cover story. Her boss tells her that the best way to make that happen is to find a story that’s personal to her. Sam decided the best way to do that is to return home and cover a jumping competition at her parents house. What she doesn’t know is that her parents hired her ex-husband as a trainer for the competition. What could possibly happen in the two weeks before the competition? 🙂

My Two Cents

Hallmark hit me right in the feels with this movie. From the opening scene where Sam is on a date completely distracted by the horse jumping competition to the final competition, I loved every horsey minute.

But the non-horsey parts of the movie? I’m not so sure. After the first 20 minutes, I was tired of Sam and Luke fighting. Luckily, that’s mostly where the fighting ended…over a couch named Winston.

Hold it a second! People name couches? I mean, I’ve heard of people naming cars and Tom Hanks named a volleyball Wilson. BUT A COUCH?! That made me squint and question the writers just a bit. But then we saw Sam and Luke start to move on and leave the major arguments behind.

Returning to the saddle after any amount of time is like coming home. After sitting on Rascal for two seconds, Sam took a deep breath and felt the connection between her and the horse in every part of her soul. Then her soul soared as she took off, which gave her the courage to open her heart further with a shared kiss.

I could make this whole blog post about horses and the unrealistic parts related to the horse parts, but really this is a romance movie. Not just any romance movie – this is Hallmark, so we know a few things are probably going to happen.

  1. The father who was planning on riding in the jumping competition will find himself unable to compete and Sam will need to take his place.
  2. Sam’s parents will be having difficulty with the farm and consider selling it or losing it.
  3. And Sam and Luke will have some falling out before finally coming together for good.

Predictable, but enjoyable accurately describes my final feelings for this movie. I can’t fully separate my love of watching the horses and riding from the movie itself though, so I’m a little biased.

It’s not one of the best Hallmark movies, but it has horses and heart. If these sound like things you enjoy in a movie, then give this one a shot. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Raise a Glass to Love

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/raise-a-glass-to-love

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Oh man guys. Another meh movie. Nothing in this movie gave me butterflies or made me say “awww…” Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

Jenna fails her Master Sommelier exam and returns home for her parent’s party and to study for re-taking the exam. While at home, Jenna learns her parents have hired Marcelo to help make the wine. Ever since her grandma died, the winery hasn’t been doing as well. Jenna and Marcelo become friends, but will they become more?

My Two Cents

I loved Laura Osnes in One Royal Holiday!! I liked her in this movie too, but Juan Pablo Di Pace wasn’t my cup of tea. Which would have been okay, if the plot or chemistry would have floated the movie. Unfortunately, it didn’t and there weren’t any butterflies flying in my belly when these two looked at each other.

This movie really tried to be something special. There were even horses! How can I not LOVE a movie with horses? I don’t know folks, but it’s missing the infamous IT factor. 😞

There were several cute and funny moments I enjoyed. I liked the candle making and apple bobbing. I liked that Marcelo is from Olivia, which just happens to be Jenna’s Grandma’s middle name. That kind of kismet makes me smile every time.

It was the little things that made this movie more entertaining, but it wasn’t enough. I found myself watching the previews for next week’s movie (it’s a horse movie) and wondering why I can’t watch that today. This isn’t a good sign.

Anyhow, if you like wine movies. I highly recommend Paris, Wine & Romance instead. I don’t think I wrote a review for it, but I really liked this one. It has another of my favorite leads. Happy watching y’all!

Have you seen it? What did you think? Leave a comment!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Roadhouse Romance

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/roadhouse-romance

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I feel like I was watching previews for this movie forever and the song Callie was singing really stayed in my head for hours after the commercial played! So, I had high hopes for the movie. But music alone cannot carry a movie and sadly, much of the movie didn’t do it for me.

Quick Re-Cap

Callie returns to her hometown after being deployed for two years. She quickly realizes a lot has changed during her deployment. While being overwhelmed from it all, she backs up her truck and Luke happens to run into it. It will take a few days to fix the car, so Luke and his agent, Dan, take a room at Tucker’s Roadhouse while they wait. This allows Callie and Luke time to get to know each other.

My Two Cents

I’m sorry y’all, but this movie didn’t do it for me. It wasn’t anything huge, it was a lot of little things…

  • Terrible lip syncing
  • Timeline issues…Callie left her high school boyfriend, was gone two years, then came back. Wouldn’t that make her 20/21? She’s definitely not 20. Luke is suppose to be a director. He would have to be more than 20. It feels like we’re missing something here.
  • The Hollywood girlfriend for Luke and ex high school boyfriend wanting Callie back aren’t needed for this story. They could have played up Luke being a Hollywood jerk instead and the restaurant needing help and left these two sidelines alone.
  • A DPT (physical therapist) works in a restaurant as a civilian? Why not continue the DPT work? – I heard this answered towards the end of the movie, but it bothered me until then.
  • The car’s purpose
  • The fake scenery during the car rides

Don’t get me wrong, there was several things I enjoyed.

  • The chemistry between Callie and Luke felt real and sweet.
  • I love small town romances, so that was a definite win.
  • Callie’singing.
  • George Jones was a musician, so it’s a fitting dog name in this town
  • The dog chase scene was super cute
  • Dan’s love of food. I’m not sure why I loved him indulging in food so much, but I really did.
  • The recipe location – this scene made me cry!
  • Dan’s romance with Callie’s Aunt

Overall, this is an okay movie. It was really hard for me to get into and I felt like it moved slow, but it was okay. There were parts of it that were really good, but an equal number of parts that were boring. I can’t really recommend it, but I wouldn’t tell you not to watch it either. It hangs in that weird place between. Maybe you won’t mind all the little things that annoyed me. Happy watching y’all!!

Have you seen it? What did you think? Leave a comment!

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