Tag: #hallmark2021

Hallmark Movie Review: Journey of My Heart

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/journey-of-my-heart/

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was able to watch a Hallmark movie and review it!! Yay!! I’m so glad to have my life somewhat back to normal. Having this new puppy in our house has been a bigger adventure than having two puppies last summer. But I’m sure you would rather to hear about the Hallmark movie instead of my own personal puppy drama 🙂

Journey of my heart captured my heart! From the adorable fresh faces of the two leads to the soul feeling vision question, I loved everything about this movie. I’ll do a quick re-cap, then cover my full two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

Abby is tasked with tracking down Alice Hughes for a news article about bald eagle populations. Alice and Abby make an agreement to work together to create an article that compares the counts from 50 years ago to today. Then Abby sets out to find Eagle’s Crest and Hidden Canyon for her portion of the article. Alice sets Abby up with Eric to help her find Eagle’s Crest/Hidden Canyon.

My Two Cents

I instantly liked Abby! She’s nice, down to earth, totally type A, and funny/geeky/cool. I loved when she was filling her backpack with food, then fell over from the weight. And when she yelled, “Hello world!” to the sky at Eagle’s Crest. 🤣 Computer geeks will find this extra funny/cute. But Abby’s willingness to try new things and ability to persevere really stole my heart.

Along with Abby, her dreams about eagles that led her down the path to the Eagle census also connected with my heart. I have always felt that paying attention to our dreams can help lead us down the path we were meant to follow. Abby did this and found her own vision quest to open her heart and soul, commune with the creator, and find her path. This was very deep for Hallmark, but I loved it.

I had Abby and the eagles. What else could make this movie better? It’s been a while since I’ve seen a Hallmark movie where I could feel actual chemistry between the leads. This movie changed that! The chemistry between Abby and Eric was palpable the whole movie. When they go fishing together, I seriously wanted Eric to just lean in and taste Abby’s neck. I didn’t know fishing could be so hot!

Please hang tight while I go take a cold bath…

Okay! Back! I grabbed the Fannie Mae s’mores mix on my way 🙂

Now that I’ve splashed some cold water on my face, I need to throw some cold water on this movie too. I know there are only so many plots out there, but Chasing Waterfalls wasn’t that long ago and Journey to My Heart shares the same climax 🙁 Even Jeff noticed it from the beginning. Oh Hallmark…you’re in a bad way when Jeff notices your patterns. LOL.

Despite the shared climax, I’m still giving this 5 stars. I loved everything else about this movie and it spoke to my heart. I hope you give this one a try. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Hallmark Movie Review: The Baker’s Son

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/the-bakers-son

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

They opened with bread! Fresh. Baked. Bread. I could practically smell it through the tv. Bread is my kryptonite. We have a local restaurant that serves fresh baked bread. I’m drooling thinking about it, but this movie isn’t just about the bread 😉 Let’s quickly re-cap the movie and then I’ll tell you my two cents about the movie…not the bread 🙂

Quick Re-Cap

Matt is a baker’s son who sets his sights on Nicole, who is in town practicing for a ballet performance. Unfortunately, Nicole doesn’t immediately return Matt’s affections. So, Matt turns to his best friend, Annie, to help him win over Nicole. Annie gives Matt the confidence to be the best version of himself and he begins baking the best bread of his life. Is it because he is falling for Nicole or Annie?

My Two Cents

This best friends to lovers small town Hallmark romance movie is super cute! Let’s dive into what I liked and what I felt held this movie back from having top ratings.

If you read my blog, you’ll know that I enjoy sci-fi books/movies that have a bit of magic or mysterious events. This movie has just a tiny bit of magic that satisfies this side of me. I loved that when Matt starts believing in himself, his bread is suddenly so delicious that it puts their tiny town back on the map.

In addition to the magic, there’s a side romance with a super cute dog that made me smile throughout the movie. I love when Hallmark includes these side romances. It’s like a two for the price of one special. 🙂

I enjoyed the main romance, but I struggled a little with Matt and Annie. It was obvious that Annie liked Matt from the beginning, but Matt took longer to come around. I think this is my general issue with friends to lovers romances. I like the soul mate; can’t eat, can’t sleep, can’t live without the other person immediately romances. I don’t feel like this story gives that type of romance.

However, I appreciated the conversation between Nicole and Matt after the ballet. It was honest and real. They can’t be together if neither wants to give up their lives or careers.

Overall, I liked this movie. It’s a solid movie that I’ll be happy to put on multiple times, but it’s not a high scoring must see movie. So, if it’s on and you want a sweet movie, then watch it! But don’t go out of your way to watch it. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Sweet Carolina

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/sweet-carolina

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I forgot there was a movie Saturday night!! It wasn’t just any movie either…it was a Lacey Chabert movie! How on Earth did I forget?? I don’t even know. Zach and I went rollerblading Friday night. So, last night Jeff and I were chilling and I finished a book and before I knew it, it was 10:30. I was done with my book, but I completely missed the movie.

I made sure I caught it tonight on replay and I’m beyond glad I did! This was a shockingly good movie! I wasn’t expecting it because the previews showed the death of parents, which usually means I won’t enjoy the movie, because it’ll be too sad. However, this is also a romcom!

Here’s a quick movie re-cap and my full two cents 🙂

Movie Re-cap

Josie’s sister and husband are in a car accident and are killed. They leave behind their two children. In their will, they appointed Josie as the guardian. Josie has to move from New York City back to her hometown to take care of her teenage niece and nephew. While there, she reconnects with her high school sweetheart, Cooper.

My Two Cents

Generally, I dislike movies where parents die and kids are involved. They’re usually too sad and I cry half the movie. Now, it could have been the time of the month, but I didn’t cry at all during this movie. I almost did during the bracelet scene, because that was so sweet, but really the movie was so funny and cute that there were very few sad moments.

Beyond the parents dying theme, this movie was a surprise romcom AND second chance high school sweet heart movie. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, then you’ll know those are two of my FAVORITE themes! They strongly overpowered the death of the parents and I could almost forget the sad parts.

Combine my favorite themes with Lacey Chabert (one of my girl crushes) and Tyler Hynes (who has been growing on me over the past few movies) and you have HALLMARK GOLD. These two were so funny and cute together. My heart practically burst when they kissed at the end of the movie! Now her first kiss can be her last. Awwww…

I also need to give a shout out to the kids. I loved how the movie explored their emotions, reactions to their parents dying, and their Aunt becoming their mom. Plus Cooper becoming more involved in their lives. I really loved the food fight scene with everyone. It was so fun! I wanted to be in that food fight!

Jeff was watching Idol while I was trying to watch this movie on my phone. He kept giving me funny looks while I was literally laughing out loud. He probably thought I was losing it. Nothing new there 🙂 But there were so many funny lines and cute moments. There’s a good chance you’ll like this if you give it a try. Happy movie watching y’all!

Hallmark Movie Review: Baby, it’s Cold Inside

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/baby-its-cold-inside

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Oh Hallmark! You cunning puppeteer! It’s been a while since I’ve seen two women go after the same man on a Hallmark movie. The previews didn’t give away this plot twist. Here’s a quick movie re-cap and my two cents 🙂

Movie Re-cap

Hannah is an accident prone travel agent who is sent to an ice hotel to see if it should be recommended for winter getaways. While in the hotel, Hannah meets Ben (the owner/creator) of the ice hotel. Throw in a jealous employee, a secret hotel reviewer, and the promise of a job promotion to lure Hannah away and we have a complete Hallmark movie.

My Two Cents

So…I’m half and half on this movie. There are a lot of cute parts (mostly due to Hannah’s clumsiness), but there were a few head-scratching moments too.

The very opening scene in the movie kinda irked me. Hannah is scheduled to go on a cruise with her best friend, Phoebe, and family. Her boss tells her to cancel so she can go on the trip to the ice hotel instead. Her boss also insinuates that if she doesn’t go, then she may not be eligible for the upcoming promotion.

I wouldn’t want to work for a company that treated me like that. If I’ve worked hard enough to be considered for the promotion, then this one trip shouldn’t make a difference when I have a planned trip with my family. Why was Hannah so willing to give up her trip with her family? Stick up for yourself Hannah!

It worked out for her in the end, but it bothered me that she allowed herself to be pressured into dropping her family and friend to go onto the trip her boss requested.

Moving past this, I enjoyed some parts about this movie. There was so much art and nature! The ice hotel itself was gorgeous! The rooms were decorated with beautiful designs and sculptures. There was a walking path with lights, northern lights, and they incorporated glass blowing. GLASS BLOWING! I love glass blowing!

Despite everything I enjoyed about this movie, it was just okay. I like strong female leads and more humor. I felt Hannah’s lack of self-confidence was a turn-off and the movie wasn’t quite funny enough to be a serious romcom. Give it a try if you’re bored, but I wouldn’t seek this one out. Happy movie watching y’all!

Hallmark Movie Review: Hearts Down Under

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/hearts-down-under

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I’ve watched this movie 3 times. All 3 times I get side tracked and find something better to do. And by better I mean, laundry, dishes, pet my friend Rem, etc. Anyhow, I’ve finally managed to watch the whole movie, but I’m left underwhelmed. Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents 🙂 Enjoy!

Movie Re-cap

Caroline’s Aunt dies and leaves her a restaurant in Australia. She travels to Australia and meets Cook (Simon Cook). Caroline has her own restaurant in New York, so she wants to fix up the Australia restaurant and sell it, but she ends up enjoying spending time with Cook. After the restaurant is fixed up, she needs to make the decision to sell or not to sell 🙂

My Two Cents

I feel like there have been a lot of chef movies in the past few months. There’s been Mix Up in the Mediterranean and Right in Front of Me recently. If I stretch, then As Luck Would Have It kind of counts, because he made liquor and there were cooking lessons. Maybe more? I’m not sure, but I think I’m a little tired of chefs.

One thing I’m not tired of though? Hot accents! I can listen to Tim Ross (Cook) talk all day. It didn’t hurt that he also had a rare half naked moment with no shirt! Woot Woot!

Spatch, Caroline’s Aunt’s dog, should definitely receive an award for his role. He was super adorable! Honestly, he stole most of the movie. I really liked Caroline’s insta-bond with him. I often wonder if dogs can smell family members. Like do we all have a similar scent? It makes me think of Vampires vs. Werewolves 😉

Sorry, back on track…

I don’t know y’all. There really wasn’t much else worth mentioning. I enjoyed all the beach shots and wish I could walk along the beach or go fishing.

Overall

This movie was cute and funny at parts – I’m totally going to steal the, “I have to go wash my cat” after looking at my imaginary watch line sometime – but overall it was lacking that IT factor. There were too many parts where I found myself bored.

I think you should watch it and let me know what you think? Am I having a crabby/off day? Should I try it again in a few weeks and see if I like it more? Leave a comment and let me know! Happy movie watching y’all!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Right in Front of Me

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/right-in-front-of-me

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’m a die hard Pretty Little Liars fan, which by proxy makes me a Janel Parrish fan 🙂 I was dying to see Janel in a RomCom role and I’m super happy she didn’t disappoint. She’s adorable!

Now that you know about my girl crush on Janel, we need to talk about her movie costar. Who is Marco Grazzini and why haven’t I noticed him before? He was super cute in this movie. His role was perfect and I hope Hallmark pairs these two again!

Movie Re-cap

Carly (Janel) is a Bridal Stylist – not to be confused with a wedding planner. Say what? I didn’t know a thing like this existed. A bridal stylist ensures everyone wearing a dress or tux is wearing something they love and look great in, but she doesn’t get involved in the wedding details or designing the wedding itself.

Nick (Marco) is the chef at the hotel Carly is spending the weekend relaxing at with her friend.

Unbeknownst to Carly, there is a wedding happening at said hotel and the women she went to college with are all there for the wedding. Carly winds up helping the bride with some stylist tips and is invited to the wedding and wedding activities.

Carly finds out her college crush, Matt, is also in town for the wedding. While Carly explores what could have been she also finds out what could be with Nick.

My Two Cents

For the second week in a row, Hallmark hits the spot with a movie that you can turn on and watch any time. There’s nothing new or different about this movie. It’s a classic Hallmark RomCom, but these two have good chemistry and the movie is cute.

There were a lot of parts I enjoyed, but my favorite was probably when Carly convinced Nick and Matt to do the chicken wing challenge. While the two men were practically in tears from the heat of the wings, Carly gloatingly consumed hers to beat the challenge. This was so great!

Oh and Nick remembering to include the tiny fork with Carly’s dessert? Be still my heart! Men like this are keepers! They will always want to make you happy and they will remember these little things that make you happy. When you find a man like this, you hold on tight 🙂

This isn’t going to be one of those movies that you love so much you tell every person you know, but it will be one of those movies you are happy to watch and re-watch when ever you can. I hope you give this a try and enjoy it! Happy movie watching y’all.

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Hallmark Movie Review: As Luck Would Have It

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/as-luck-would-have-it

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Instead of men vs. women, this is Kilabbey vs. Lindsey and every minute is fun and enjoyable!

Lindsey works for a company that is trying to buy a castle property that the town Kilabbey, Ireland owns. They send her to Ireland to try and convince the town to sell. Lindsey happens to be there during the Matchmaking Festival and when the town council declines her offer, she decides to stay and participate in the Festival.

Lindsey runs into Brennan almost immediately upon arriving in Kilabbey. He also happens to be on the town council and becomes Lindsey’s nemesis who tries to ruin everything she tries to accomplish. But we all know there’s a thin line between love and hate. 😉

Here’s my two cents…

This enemies to lovers romance hits all the right spots for me. There’s just enough love/hate tension to keep me engaged and entertained. I loved when Brennan dumped way too much salt into Lindsey’s bread. Then there was Lindsey’s sassy attitude while playing hurling.

Even though the town council started out lightly hazing Lindsey, they wound up seeing the good in her. The most important member of the council, Brennan, wasn’t immune to Lindsey’s charms. Brennan didn’t realize it at first, but he kept seeking her out, because he obviously had feelings for her from the beginning. He was adorable.

Beyond Brennan and Lindsey’s romance were the amazing sites. The backgrounds were beautiful! And that castle?! OMG! I love castles like that! They have such history and beauty. One day maybe I’ll be able to see one in person. In the mean time, I love watching them from the comfort of my couch.

Overall, there aren’t any surprises in this movie. It’s a familiar plot with cute little jokes and good chemistry. And of course, we have a happily ever after. This will be one of the movies you can start watching at any point and enjoy. If it’s on, I definitely suggest giving it a try.

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Hallmark Movie Review: One Perfect Wedding

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/one-perfect-wedding

Rating: ⭐⭐

Jack turner is bald and totally rocking it! That (plus the peak of his abs) are the best parts of the movie. I’m sure there will be a lot of people who like this movie a lot, unfortunately, I’m not one of them.

I’m not sure what it is about this series, but I haven’t been able to get into any of them. On Friday, Hallmark played One Winter Weekend and One Winter Proposal and I tried, but couldn’t watch either.

Now I’m sitting here trying to watch One Perfect Wedding and I can’t concentrate on it. Ben is too secretive and Cara is too suspicious of everything he does. I don’t feel like a relationship would work with these two long term. They don’t seem like they’re in sync with each other.

There were a few things I liked. I really enjoyed the Bride vs Groom game. I love games like that! Plus, I really liked the Max and Clara sideline story. It was super sweet and cute. These few things saved this movie from a 1 star review.

What did you all think of this movie? Did you like it?

Feel free to give this movie a try. Personally, I would skip it. Look back through some of my past reviews to find some 5 star movie reviews. Chasing Waterfalls, It was Always You, or Taking a Shot at Love were three more recent ones I really enjoyed.

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Hallmark Movie Review: Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

Image Via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/dont-go-breaking-my-heart/

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Trés harsh breaking up with your girlfriend in the opening scene of the movie! Then walk outside to retrieve your car and unknowingly walk into the break-up boot camp mogul Miranda.

Ben’s situation doesn’t get any better when he sticks his foot in his mouth while trying to convince Miranda to go eat a piece of pizza instead of attending the boot camp 🙂

Ben shortly realizes who Miranda is, but stays in the boot camp anyway. What a trooper! Later, he’s asked by his boss to write an article for the magazine about the boot camp.

My Two Cents

I’ve tried for two days to find a fun/interesting way to write this post. I haven’t succeeded. I’ve even watched the movie twice. So, what’s the deal?

There’s a lot of good in this movie…

The Cast

If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, you’ll know how much I. LOVE. RYAN. Or as one of my friends says, I’m a total Paevey Freak. He can do no wrong. His acting is always on point. I love the salt and pepper thing he has going on with his hair. And his voice has enough gravel that I swoon just listening to him.

Besides Ryan, Italia Ricci is one of the leading ladies I enjoy. She’s super cute! Sadly, she doesn’t make me swoon quite as much as Ryan though 😉

The other supporting actors and actresses were all good too. I really enjoyed the boot camper who was on her second boot camp session. She would be a super fun girl to hang out with! Overall, the casting was really well done!

The Boot Camp

I loved the boot camp idea. Miranda created the boot camp to help heal her own broken heart. She empowers people to take control back of their own lives and begin their healing journey.

Along this journey, they meet other boot campers and do fun activities together. I wanted to join this group just to do the activities alone. Escape room, boxing, ropes course, etc. Yes please!

The Funny

There are a lot of cute and funny moments. I literally laughed out loud during the kick boxing session. I feel like that was an unscripted event and I totally loved it!

Miranda introducing the escape room to everyone was so dramatic! I jumped at first, but then I started giggling at her antics. Plus, while locked in the escape room, Ben and Miranda had the “vanilla ice cream” discussion. Ever since 50 Shades of Grey, I always get a kick out of these conversations 🙂

Boot Camp Miranda

I said earlier that I like Italia and I like a lot about the character Miranda, but I’m drawn to romcoms that are lighthearted and fun. I’m not even sure what to classify this movie as. I don’t think there are enough jokes to make this an actual romcom, but it’s not solidly in any other categories either.

Miranda feels sad and serious throughout most of the movie. And it’s not just Miranda. There are a lot of sad moments from other boot campers over coming their own broken hearts.

I think that’s what kept me from really enjoying it. I felt like the whole movie had this sad undercurrent. Miranda supposedly created this program around the process she took for healing her broken heart, but her heart was broken until it found Ben. Sure, she was living and thriving in her career, but she wasn’t whole. The only truly happy person in this whole movie was the 2nd time boot camper.

Overall

I wanted to like this movie a lot more than I actually did. The underlying sadness was too much for me. If you can overcome the sad aspects of this movie and enjoy the jokes and sweet romance, then this will be a good fit for you. If you’re looking for something funnier or sweeter, then look for something more like Chasing Waterfalls, It was Always You, or Taking a Shot at Love. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Chasing Waterfalls

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/chasing-waterfalls

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hallmark had me at “Don’t go chasing waterfalls, please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re use to…” One of my favorite 90’s songs! And yes, I did sing it EVERY SINGLE TIME the commercial came on. Jeff kept looking at me a little strangely, but that isn’t really different than normal. I give him lots of reasons to look at me strangely. 😉

Back to the movie Jamie.

Lets do a quick re-cap, then I’ll share my two cents on this corny cute movie.

Amy Atwater (hehe I giggled at the last name…Atwater…waterfalls – corny cuteness #1) is a photographer who primarily photographs people, but an opportunity comes up at work to take photographs of mystical waterfalls. Amy seizes the opportunity.

While trying to find her first waterfall, Amy befriends Mark North (who happens to have a great sense of direction – more corny cuteness) and his daughter Kyra. Amy asks them for directions while trying to figure out how return back to the lodge, but she winds up back at the waterfall.

Amy’s sense of direction isn’t the best. So, she asks Mark for his help locating the mystical/unicorn waterfalls. Mark eventually concedes, and him and Kyria take Amy around to the different waterfalls for her the magazine article.

OMG! Have I told you before that I love corny romcoms?? Corny jokes, corny names, and overall corny cuteness (is that a thing? Eh, it is now). I love it all!

I’m not alone in my corny attraction. As it turns out, Jeff likes corny romcoms too. Yup, he sat here laughing along with me. And yup, I took his man card. 🙂 Oh wait, did I just date myself? Are man cards still a thing? You’ll have to let me know.

Anyhow, this movie is super cute! Amy is such a sweet woman. Definitely directionally challenged, but kind hearted and funny too. In the very beginning of the movie, Amy takes a photo of an old man and his dog. Later she gives him the print of the picture at no charge. Awww…super sweet of her. Later in the movie, she helps Kyra with a boy she likes. It’s just in her to be nice.

I found myself wanting her to end up with a guy like Mark, who is also super sweet and corny. I loved his “Dad jokes,” and his daughter’s reaction to them. He was the perfect compliment to her.

Overall, this movie wasn’t unique or unpredictable, but it was all sorts of corny cute and adorable. Even Jeff gave it 👍 👍.

BONUS…halfway through the movie I found myself thinking, I’ve seen these two together before. A short google trip later and I found it! Love In the Forecast. Also a super cute movie! They can keep pairing these two together all day.

I hope you give this movie (and Love in the Forecast) a try if corny romcoms are your thing. They definitely are mine. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Movie Review: Fit for a Prince

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/fit-for-a-prince

Rating: ⭐

If you follow this blog and you’ve read my other Hallmark movie reviews, then you’ll know I don’t normally tear apart Hallmark movies. I accept them for what they are…often repeatable plot lines that have feel good endings. But this movie? It missed just about every mark.

If you’re thinking to yourself, Jamie just doesn’t like Royal movies. Not true! I love Royal movies. I always wanted to grow up, meet a secret Prince and be whisked away to a life of luxury. Just ask my parents.

If I like royal movies, then why did this movie fail to make a passing grade? Lets start with the obvious…

The lead character’s name is Cindy. Cindy – a nickname for Cinderella. Cindy is the head seamstress, who is hired to design gowns for a royal ball. There are even two girls referred to as evil step sisters (Brooke and Julia) who try to sabotage everything Cindy does.

This is setting up to be a cute Cinderella parody. So why not continue the theme? Why not add an evil step mother, fairy god mother, dropped glass slipper, horse drawn carriage, or play with character’s names like they did with If I Only Had Christmas?

While I mostly missed it the first time, If I only Had Christmas was a parody of The Wizard of Oz. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Wizard of Oz, so I noticed a few of the nuances, but the second time I watched it, I noticed a whole lot more. And they were really well done! This movie? *SMH* HALLMARK you need to commit like you did with If I Only Had Christmas or give Cindy a new name.

That’s enough time droning on about Cinderella and The Wizard of Oz.

There were also several scenes that I’m sure were suppose to be funny, but they fell flat. There’s one where Cindy is trying to get into a building and the security man keeps asking her the same questions repeatedly. I’m sure it was suppose to be funny, but it was just ridiculous. He asked the same exact question repeatedly and she was talking perfectly clearly.

Maybe it would have been better if we had heard and saw what the security guy heard/saw? I’m not sure, but I guess he must have heard her eventually, because the next thing we see is Cindy walking down the hallway to meet with Gloria.

And that ending! UGH!! **Spoiler Alert** Partnership? PARTNERSHIP?! Cindy accepts a partnership when she could have her own brand/company?! Why??? I was really lost on that one. Plus, what’s going to happen when she’s whisked away to be with Prince Ronan?

Then there were the nit picky items like fake British accents, bra straps and bras showing way too often, and multiple awkward moments added to my already failing opinion.

Overall, I can’t recommend this movie. If Hallmark had fully committed to a Cinderella parody, it could have been great, but they didn’t. So, here we sit disappointed in what could have been. Hopefully next week’s movie will be better.

In the mean time, here are a few of my favorite Hallmark Royal movies that I hope you can find somewhere to watch: A Royal Christmas, Crown for Christmas, One Royal Holiday, etc. Happy movie watching y’all!!

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Movie Review: It Was Always You

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/it-was-always-you

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lizzy, I love you! You’re cute, quirky, organized, awkward, and most importantly…you love lists!

My family has often joked that I’ve had a list since the day I was born. They weren’t wrong. The most recent list looked something like:

✅ Graduate college
✅ Find a job
✅ Marry an awesome man
✅ Buy a house
✅ Have Dogs
✅ Have Kids

List making fills my soul with happiness. And yup, I’m doing good with my current list, but that’s not why we’re here…we’re here to talk about this movie!

Lizzy’s list making makes it seem like George would be a good fit. George is Mr. Safety man. He’s risk averse, which makes everything he does predictable and reliable and easy to plan, but also incredibly boring and dull.

I LOVED his reaction to having Oysters! Oh George, so predictable. Of course you wouldn’t eat oysters. Of course you would wonder how many people die from eating raw Oysters per year.

FYI – Google says about 100 people per year die in the US from eating raw oysters.

List makers and organizers DO NOT need Georges in their life. They need people who will help them let go, laugh, dance, be spontaneous, and forget their lists – but only sometimes because sometimes lists are necessary. List makers need someone like David!

David who pretended to pass out due to a peanut allergy. Who tells you you’re a neopolitan sundae. Or takes blame for something he didn’t do to protect Lizzy. Or keeps a rabbit foot as a reminder of the girl he secretly loves. List makers need Davids in their life.

It’s no surprise then that David and Lizzy wind up needing to plan her and George’s wedding and in doing so, Lizzy realizes what she’s missing in her relationship.

There were so many cute jokes and scenes in this movie! Oh, and the music! Hallmark has really upped their music prowess this year. You are So Beautiful is one of my favorite songs. Jeff and I sing it to our dog Ella all the time.

Overall, this movie is really good and sweet. The ending had a little “Arg! Why’d you do that?!” moment, but I’m going to forgive it. I get why they did what they did. Even though it wasn’t how I wanted to see it play out, it still had a Hallmark happily ever after. Give this movie a try y’all! Happy movie watching!!

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Movie Review: Mix Up in the Mediterranean

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/mix-up-in-the-mediterranean

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Twin switch movies have held a place in my heart since It Takes Two and The Parent Trap were family night movies in my family den in the 90’s . Some of my favorite quotes come from these movies! I fell in love with Diane’s description of love, “…that can’t–eat, can’t–sleep, reach-for-the-stars, over- the-fence, World Series kind of stuff.” Maybe that’s where my love of romance movies started…?

As an adult, I was begging for Hallmark to do a twin switch movie. In 2017, I was lucky to catch Switched for Christmas with Candace Cameron Bure and I LOVED IT! So, I had high hopes for this movie too.

Let’s do a quick overview, then I’ll give you my two cents.

Julian is a French trained NYC chef, who is scheduled to compete in a culinary competition. He invites his twin chef brother Josh to the competition. While getting ready for the competition, Julian goes to Josh’s luggage and tries to pick it up, but accidentally throws his previously injured back out.

Josh decides to go sign in for Julian in hopes that will give Julian’s back some extra time to recover. However, upon signing in, Meg Wescott puts a bracelet on his wrist that will cause disqualification if it’s removed. Now Josh is trapped pretending to be Julian for the length of the competition.

Will Josh and Julian be able to pull off the twin switch? What will happen with Meg and Josh? Watch to find out! In the mean time, here’s my two cents 🙂

I struggled with this movie from the beginning. I think I’ve mentioned before that I have an issue with jerks and Julian the jerk meets Meg in a restaurant and treats her like something he scraped off his shoe until he finds out who she is. How rude! But I suppose, we need brothers who are slightly opposites in order to make the movie more interesting.

It’s these opposite personalities that out Julian and Josh to their friend, Chester. By the way, I loved Chester! He was probably my favorite character in the whole movie. I especially loved when Chester helps Meg and Josh procure some black diamond truffles. He makes it sound like a super secretive black market drug deal.

Random fact…did you know they use pigs to locate truffles?! I saw it on a TV show once. It was awesome.

My second favorite character was Julian’s husband, Henri. He was supportive and sweet and everything anyone would want in a significant other. Yay for Henri! But if my two favorite characters were side line characters, what does that say about this movie? Hmmm…

Anyhow, after getting caught by Chester and some standard twin switch issues, came the big turning point where Julian realizes he hasn’t been the supportive brother he thought he is. Julian runs into Etienne – or “Frenchie” as I nicknamed him – who points out how Julian keeps pushing Josh to be like him instead of supporting him on his journey. This was Frenchie’s best moment. Other than that, he was a jerk too.

The inevitable happens and Meg finds out Josh is Julian and Julian is Josh. She storms off without letting Josh explain. Ugh! Impulsive woman! What does Josh do? Obviously he stands stock still and yells, “Meg! Wait! Wait!” Really Josh? You’re just going to stand by while your girl runs off hurt and confused? Weak, man. Just weak.

But this is Hallmark and we get our happily ever after for everyone, which was a nice way to end the movie, but it wasn’t good enough for me to raise the star count.

This is a solid romance movie, but it isn’t anything special. I’d rather watch Switched for Christmas again than this, but if it’s on and you’re bored, maybe you’ll want to watch it. One thing is for sure, it’s not making my favorites list. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Movie Review: Playing Cupid

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/playing-cupid

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tré harsh to break-up with your boyfriend while celebrating your one year anniversary, but that’s what Kerri does! She realized her relationship with Adam wasn’t what it once was and she cut ties.

After doing so, she poured her heart out to David. Little did she know, David is the father of a student (Clara), the head of the PTO, and owner of the restaurant Kerri was in when she broke up with Adam. Feeling like she can’t get rid of David, what else does she do? She winds up trading services with him so he assists with a student project and she assists with a PTO project.

Two single adults spending a lot of time together while David’s daughter is playing Cupid…what do you think will happen? Watch and see!

Here’s my two cents on it. Warning there are a few minor spoilers.

I love strong women and Kerri definitely has a strong center. Sure, she’s a little unsure about herself due to circumstances in her life recently, but deep down, she has an inner strength.

I also really enjoyed a lot of the raw emotions in this movie. Kerri questions her previous choices and David questions his parenting. There’s a lot of realistic feelings we witness. Especially when they both start questioning if they’re ready for a new relationship.

Beyond all the mushy gooshy stuff was the CANDYGRAMS!! We had these as a kid. I remember getting them in middle school. It was great when your crush sent you one. It was equally great seeing the role they played in this movie. 😊 

I can almost hear you asking. All this good stuff, why did I only give it 4 stars? It’s always the little things.

  • Kerri wakes up in bed with a full face of obvious make-up.
  • They cut to a commercial on a scene with Eva showing up and return to a completely new scene.
  • Clara’s date for the dance. I don’t care if this was explained later, I still wasn’t happy that happened.
  • The awkward scene at David’s house with Kerri announcing the finalists for the ABC award. I mean why is Eva staying at the same house? They’re divorced!
  • and many more…

Don’t let my little things stop you from watching this great movie! It’s still worth watching and enjoying. Especially the beautiful ending. I loved all the lights!! Happy watching y’all!

Movie Review: Beverly Hills Wedding

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/beverly-hills-wedding

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lost loves/second chances. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before…I have a thing for lost loves and second chances. I didn’t know this was going to be one of these movies! What a happy surprise!

Childhood sweethearts galore! Jordan + Sofia and Cory + Molly were all childhood sweethearts, but Cory and Molly grew apart as they grew older. Over the years, Jordan and Sofia grew closer and become engaged in the beginning of the movie. Molly, a photographer and Sofia’s sister, offers to be their wedding planner.

Molly knows Sofia and Jordan are on a budget, so she enters them into a free wedding contest in Beverly Hills, and she wins! This earns a free planning trip to Beverly Hills for the foursome. The catch? The wedding is pre-scheduled to be on Valentine’s day, which is only 6 weeks away. Will the shortened engagement pull Jordan and Sofia apart? Or will being in close quarters bring Cory and Molly together? Watch and see!

Here’s my two cents. Fair warning, there will probably be a few spoilers.

First, lets talk about the leads.

Brandan Penny isn’t one of the leads that typically makes me drool or fantasize about being stranded on a deserted island with (sorry Brandan!), but dang – I could get lost in those blue eyes! Do they do extra touch-ups on his eyes during his movies or are they that beautiful? I could lose myself in them for days.

Equally as impressive as Brandan’s eyes was Brooke’s hair. I wish I had her stylist! In the era of COVID hair, Brooke is my idol! Plus, her outfits were adorable. She always looks so classy!

I think we’ve established that both leads are beautiful in their own right, but together, they’re fantastic. This was a great Hallmark pairing. They had beauty, chemistry, and bantered very well. Plus, you found yourself wanting them to be together. I think I actually moaned at one point when they almost kissed, but at the last minute, Molly pulled away shouting, “Seating charts!” Ugh! Molly!

Don’t worry though folks, because this is Hallmark. And in being Hallmark, of course there are happy endings for everyone. BUT…I did need a few tissues. Maybe I’m just hormonal or maybe the ending was that good. You can be the judge. Either way, I definitely had tears during the speeches at the end of the movie. They were so sweet and perfect.

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