Tag: #hallmark2022

Hallmark Movie Review: Caribbean Summer

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/caribbean-summer

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

This movie starts out so promising! I wanted to love it, but it couldn’t keep my attention. It’s missing the coveted IT factor. Here’s a quick recap and my full two cents. 😉

Quick Re-Cap

Jade is an overworked news producer who accidentally gives someone the wrong lines during an interview and is forced to take a much needed vacation. While on vacation, she unknowingly rents Ford’s house. Unfortunately for her, Ford didn’t rent out his house and there’s no other vacancies on the island. Being the nice guy he is, Ford lets Jade stay at his house while Jade attempts to have a vacation away from work. Too bad her work doesn’t stay away from her.

My Two Cents

I absolutely loved the first 15 – 30 minutes of this movie!! The opening scene made me laugh pretty hard. Even Jeff gave it a few good chuckles, because men don’t giggle. 😉 Unfortunately after that, we both kind of lost interest.

I could see where the movie was going with Ford being all shady and Jade being a news producer. In the house, I saw the pictures of the goat and instantly knew where that was headed. I wanted a little more drama in that scene though. I mean, it was like, “Oh! You’re not suppose to be here, but I guess you can spend the night.” Because we all let complete strangers from New York stay in our houses?!

It’s possible this is a case of it’s me and not the movie. Somewhat recently I read The Last Eligible Billionaire by Pippa Grant where a woman on vacation rents a house through a website and it turns out the guy who owned the house didn’t put the house up for rental. The woman becomes the guy’s fake girlfriend. So much funnier than this movie! And it has an amazing dog named Marshmallow!

It also didn’t help that I had some free time this morning and watched a few Hallmark movies. One of them was The 27-Hour Day. It stars Autumn Reeser as a workaholic who goes to an electronics free retreat to find some work-life balance. Honestly, it’s a far better workaholic movie. But maybe watching The 27-Hour Day the same day as Caribbean Summer wasn’t a good idea. Sometimes you can watch too much of the same plot lines.

Going back to the movie…there were a few good scenes and lines, but everything after the first 30 minutes was disappointing. Jeff even left to go take care of some laundry. Yes, I’m that lucky sometimes. 😍 Anyhow, I can honestly say that after the first 60 minutes, I tuned out a lot of the movie until the last 10 minutes.

The last 10 minutes didn’t disappoint. I was happy to have everything work out in the end. I would rather watch The 27-Hour Day again over this movie. It’s a shame, because I like Heather Hemmens and would love to see her in something great!

Did you watch this movie? Let me know what you thought! Leave a comment!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Hidden Gems

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/hidden-gems

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Another solid movie for Hallmark this Spring! Yay! I feel like this is another movie you can put on when you feel like it and enjoy. I caught the last 15ish minutes during the premiere, and they made me excited to see it tonight! Here’s a quick recap and my full two cents. 😉

Quick Re-Cap

Addie and her family are in Hawaii for her sister’s wedding. Addie has a ring her Grandma gave her that is suppose to bring luck to her family. When the ladies go out into the ocean, the ring falls off Addie’s finger and is lost in the ocean. She goes back to the hotel to find out if anyone can help her find the lost ring. Hannah tells them about Jack, the diving instructor, who is also a great finder of missing things. Addie and Jack team up to find the missing ring.

My Two Cents

Oh Jack the Jerk…I loathed him in the opening scenes. Sure, Addie probably shouldn’t have jumped on his boat, but what a turd to take her phone and refuse to turn around! Plus, the way he spoke to her…I would have slapped him!

Traditionally, I like meet cutes with more humor and sweetness. But by the time Addie and Jack have lunch at the food truck and have their heart to heart, I was totally smitten with both of them.

I hope Hallmark brings both of them back for future movies. Especially Hunter King. She’s super cute! Hunter is too young for me to develop a crush on, but have I mentioned that I love dolphins almost as much as horses? I loved the sideline for Addie with the marine biology. If this movie had just been about the ring, I think it would have been missing something. With this sideline, it kept the story moving and threw Addie and Jack together an extra time or two. 😉

I also love scavenger hunts!! I wish I had a bridal scavenger hunt on Hawaii for my wedding pre-events. LOL. Maybe I’ll organize a scavenger hunt for one of my kids birthday parties in the near future! Once when I was a kid, one of my friends have a murder mystery birthday party. Maybe Hallmark could do a murder mystery romcom (not with a real murder like Mystery 101 or Aurora Teargarden, but like a game of clue with a fake murder). How fun would that be?!

Random rant alert!! The jeweler in me cringes at the thought of a pearl engagement/everyday ring. Pearls are fairly soft and scratch easily. The ring in this movie is a priceless heirloom that Addie wears full time. It would be scratched and maybe even chipped or broken if it’s been in the family that long and worn daily. BUT I’m not going to lower my point value for that. This is Hallmark and it’s magic like the ring 😊

While I’m on the rant wagon, I also want to rant a little about how the ring ends up being returned. I like people who want to help people out of the niceness of their heart. Not people who want to take advantage of other people’s misfortune. If this had to happen, I wish we could have seen the bad karma catch-up!

I didn’t have too many awwww moments in this movie, but something about it kept me interested. I think it’ll appeal to most people. It has that IT factor with cute fresh faces and beautiful scenery. Give this one a try! Let me know what you think! Leave a comment!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Road Trip Romance

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/road-trip-romance

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My mom is in town and I had the pleasure of watching tonight’s premiere with her! Yay! Sadly, I think she would give this movie 1 star. It wasn’t her cup of tea. However, I enjoyed it. Of the two of us, I’m definitely the cornier pun joke loving dork, which I think is necessary to enjoy this movie. I don’t think it’s going to appeal to all. A good portion of people will find it too corny and dull (Jeff and my family included). Here’s a quick recap and my full two cents. 😉

Quick Re-Cap

Megan is returning home to Wichita for her sister’s wedding. High school enemy Alden is returning home for his father’s retirement party. When the closest airport closes due to a baggage carrier strike, they team up to make it home in time for their events. Along the way, they begin to discover things they didn’t know about each other in high school.

My Two Cents

In truth I would give Road Trip Romance a 3.5, but like always I’m rounding up for the benefit of the movie. Lets hop into what it takes to be a road trip romance, because it seems there are a few rules to follow…

Rule #1 – lose the car you’re driving at least once and pick up an old jalopy that looks like it’s a hairs breath away from deaths door and/or drive the most wild and crazy vehicles possible. Remember that train, tractor, and wasn’t there also some sort of pet truck in Cross Country Christmas? Road Trip Romance doesn’t have vehicles quite as crazy as a tractor, but they aren’t normal by any means.

Rule #2 – you must stay overnight somewhere unexpected. Megan and Alden are forced to stay in Mckenzie during a renassaince fair. **Sigh** I love renassaince fairs! Seriously a dream come true! Unplug electronics and relax for a few days! Yes! Of course, I’m saying this while typing on a very non-renassaince device. 😉

Rule #3 – make it to where you need to be at the last possible moment and figure out why you can’t live without your road trip roadie. I’d say this is a spoiler, but it’s Hallmark. We know it has a happily ever after.

Road Trip Romance followed these three rules wonderfully. I also loved how sweet Megan’s sister was when her sister was late to all the wedding activities. That’s real love!

Look for the small awww moments and laugh at the punterific corny jokes and this movie might worm it’s way into your heart too. If not, then you might wind up snoring through half of it like the people I watched it with. LOL.

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

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Hallmark Movie Review: Warming Up to You

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/warming-up-to-you

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Warming Up to You warmed me up this evening! But we’ll get to that later. Haha. I’ll definitely watch this super sweet romance again in the future. Here’s a quick recap and my full two cents. 😉

Quick Re-Cap

Kate is fired for being too passionate about her job as a personal trainer. She returns to her hometown to be a personal trainer for her friend’s wellness resort and spa. While there, she takes a job training movie star Rick Steele.

My Two Cents

This semi-enemies to lovers romance is super sweet and full of “awww…” moments and a few giggles. Some people might find it a little dull if they’re looking for suspense, drama, or originality. But in general, I think it’ll please most people looking for a Hallmark happily ever after.

I’m going to be up front and say I’m probably a little biased in reviewing this movie. I have a little (big) crush on Christopher Russel. And I love the Christopher Russell + Cindy Busby pairing! I’ve seen them together in Chasing Waterfalls, Love in the Forecast, and A Puppy for Christmas. All cute movies! I hope this pairing continues! They’re super cute together!

Kudos to Hallmark for not making Christopher gain and lose the extra weight for this role. However, the fat suit and baggy clothes weren’t really believable. I could still see Christopher’s strong looking chest, arms, etc. I mean, I might have been staring at them a little more than a normal person, but it’s CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL! He’s up there with Ryan Paevey on my hotness meter. And in one of the last scenes, he’s wearing sweatpants. SWEATPANTS…while running! Is it getting hot in here? Or is it just me? Whew.

Okay, reeling it back in just a little. I loved the supporting cast! The lady (Minnie?) who has a crush on Rick and Sasha crushing on Jared were awesome! I really enjoyed their side lines.

There was so much I enjoyed about this movie, that I will enjoy watching it again in the future. It’ll be like Love on the Sidelines. There are enough laughs and sweet moments to give you the feels and keep you engaged. Give this one a try!

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

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Hallmark Movie Review: Love, Classified

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/love-classified

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Not all romance stories are flawless.” That’s because the flawless romance stories are boring! Lets face it, we all love a little drama before our happily ever after. Luckily, this movie isn’t flawless or boring. Well done Hallmark! Here’s a quick recap and my full two cents. 😉

Quick Re-Cap

In the town of Pennfield, a Classified app has taken the town by storm. People anonymously post any type of classified and other people respond. The classified app helps bring Emilia’s family together when she returns to Pennfield for a book signing. While home, she tries to repair her relationship with her estranged children, Taylor, and Zach.

My Two Cents

First things first. Fan girl freak out…OMG! Cameo alert!! Did you see who was bar tending?! PAUL CAMPBELL!!! I love when Hallmark throws in an amazing cameo! THANK YOU!!

Okay, now back to your regularly scheduled review…

Sometimes movies with multiple loves stories becomes overwhelming with too many moving parts. Hello The Christmas House. However, this time Hallmark straddled that line splendidly.

I loved how Emilia started a second chance romance (always my favorite trope), Taylor started dating her mother’s heart doctor (lesbian romance), and Zach met Margot (traditional romance). Each love connection was fun and unique. I’m also super glad they didn’t pursue the final love connection with Frankie’s friend until the very end of the movie where they just mention the possibility of a love match. Had they brought it in earlier, it would have been too much.

To me, love is love. If you watch my good reads profile, you’ll see I read everything. So, it shouldn’t surprise you that I’ll watch all types of romance too. If lesbian/gay romance is not your cup of tea, then this isn’t the right movie for you. That’s okay, keep moving forward. There are plenty of other movies out there!

Besides the multiple romance stories, I loved the whole cast! They were all engaging and amazing. Melora Hardin and Steve Bacic are probably the most famous cast members, but Taylor caught my eyes and ears. I kept sitting here thinking, “Man, I know that voice and face!” but I couldn’t quite place her with the blonde hair. I double checked her filmography and saw she was Clary (red headed main character) from Shadowhunters!! I knew I knew that voice! I loved that show 🙂

This was a solid movie for me. In truth, I would give it a 4.5, but since I don’t give half stars, I’m bumping it to a 5. I don’t think this movie will have the broad appeal that other romances have due to the varied tropes, but I really enjoyed it. Even Jeff laughed a bunch of times. 😲 Give this one a try if you think it sounds interesting.  

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

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Hallmark Movie Review: Just One Kiss

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/just-one-kiss

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Yes Hallmark! I’ve been waiting for a movie like this! A kismet filled romcom that pulls you in from the beginning and keeps it going! I fell hook, line, and sinker. Even Jeff said, “It’s not that bad.” Score! Here’s a quick re-cap and my two cents. 😉

Quick Re-Cap

Recently divorced Mia isn’t looking for love, but she winds up meeting the tenacious Tony Romano who doesn’t take no for an answer. When their moms meet and agree to push them together, Mia and Tony don’t stand a chance of staying apart.

My Two Cents

I love when two scheming moms make it their mission to bring their children together in love. Add in my favorite supporting character Matty Finochio and I’m sold!

I really liked when Mia and Tony didn’t fall head over heals in love the first time they met. Tony was interested in Mia, but when she wasn’t willing to give more he wisely offered friendship instead. I loved this! It allowed their relationship to grow naturally and gave them time to get to know each other.

Plus, a slowly growing relationship made more sense given the probable ages of the characters. Being middle aged instead of in their 20’s, the main leads are a bit older and have more life experiences.

I loved when Mia tried to apologize for Casey’s appearance after their date, but Tony said, “Dating is tricky, you can’t walk in the middle of someone’s life and expect them not to have one.” So true and insightful!

I want to give a shout out to the supporting cast members! I love Matty! He wasn’t even credited in this movie 😢 He’s amazing! The mom’s were equally endearing and definitely made the movie. Especially the ending. Have a tissue ready for the last 3 minutes.

Honestly, I enjoyed just about everything about this movie. It was funny, sweet, and had the perfect amount of magic. The final scene had me choking up a bit, but it was perfect. Definitely add this to your list. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

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

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Hallmark Movie Review: Feeling Butterflies

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/feeling-butterflies

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

This movie is like a butterfly – beautiful, slow, quiet, sweet, and cute. Unfortunately, it’s also missing that IT factor. That thing that pulls you in and keeps you interested. Sure, you’ll probably enjoy it, but it isn’t a top 50 movie, so manage your expectations. Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents 😉

Quick Re-Cap

Butterfly sanctuary owner, Emily, provides butterflies for events like parties and weddings. She’s offered the opportunity to compete against rival Mandy for a high profile wedding where the bridezilla wants 500+ butterflies released. Emily meets Garrett and his daughter Amanda at her birthday party and they hit it off. Garrett and Amanda offer their services to help Emily with the party.

My Two Cents

I wanted a Romcom tonight and this is NOT a Romcom. 😢 There’s a few well placed butterfly puns, a mud fight, and some fun competitive moments with Mandy, but that’s it for the fun times. After that, there’s the typical “I thought she was your girlfriend,” “I need to work with my enemy,” and “I’m moving to New York” dramas.

I know, I know, this is Hallmark and we expect a certain amount of these things to happen, but the first 1.5 hours were really dry and the drama felt too forced. Like why did it take two adults almost an hour to talk about the elephant in the room (Jill’s relationship with Garrett)? That conversation should have happened immediately. Neither one of them was being open with the other.

On the other hand, I enjoyed the emphasis placed on helping the butterflies. How the pesticides trying to prevent some invasive species are killing others. And without butterflies, some flowers could become extinct. We need our pollinators folks!

I’m sorry if this is a bit of a spoiler, but like I said, this is Hallmark and we all know enemies become friends in the Hallmark universe. So, I liked when Emily befriends Mandy and they team up to do the bridezilla’s wedding together. Teamwork makes the dream work! 😊

Anyhow, this is a great movie if you’re looking for something to put you to sleep or lay back and relax while watching. If you’re in the right mood, a tear or two might escape during the last 5 minutes 😉

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

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Hallmark Movie Review: Welcome to Mama’s

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/welcome-to-mamas

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My first movie back since I over did it before Christmas and lost myself to a few fantasy book series. It feels good sitting here with my Chromebook watching a sweet Hallmark romance. Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents 😊

Quick Re-Cap

After being passed over for a promotion opportunity, Amy quits her job and inherits the restaurant Mama’s and all its problems. Including head Chef Frank. Hopefully Amy can bring back Mama’s magic before she needs to close the restaurant for good.

My Two Cents

Don’t expect this to be a whirlwind romance that will sweep you off your feet. Nor is it a romcom that will have you laughing your night away. This is a slow and steady growing romance that might steal your heart by the end of it. And while you may be tempted to give up, I’d encourage you to keep watching, because if you let it, it could be the feels worthy movie you’ve been waiting for.

Those feels all started with the memory flashbacks. I loved them! They were a very nice way to provide the back story and allowed me to feel closer to Mama and understand how and why the restaurant meant so much to the family she welcomed into her life. The Pasta Primavera flashback unlocked tears that didn’t fully dry until the end of the movie. So, keep some tissues on hand for the second half of the movie. 😏

Due to the slow moving nature of this movie, it would have been a complete loss if the actors and actresses hadn’t been 100% on their game. They created all the wonderful feels that kept this movie alive. Melanie and Daniel were amazing! And Matty Finochio needs a serious call out too. He is a seriously underrated actor who I absolutely love watching!

Quick squirrel moment! I need to emphasize Daniel’s contributions to this movie. His face, eyes, hair, voice, etc…you get the point. His many contributions were greatly appreciated and I definitely have new crush. Hello top 10 Hallmark leading man list! This might have influenced an extra half or full star in the rating. Sorry (not sorry)! He’s so pretty. Back to our regularly scheduled movie review…

At first I worried this movie might wind up being a dud, but in the end I’m glad I stuck it out. I think I needed a little feelsy sweetness to my evening. Give this a try and let me know what you think! Leave a comment!

If you liked this movie, you might want to try The Irresistible Blueberry Farm. They have a similar feel to them, but it’s a little funnier.

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