Tag: #hallmarkchristmasmovies

Hallmark Movie Review: Lights, Camera, Christmas!

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/lights-camera-christmas

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Yes Hallmark! It’s corny romcom night! I LOVE this movie!! Here’s a quick recap and my two cents 😉 

Quick Recap

Kerry is thrown into costume designer on the movie My Favorite Santa, which is being shot in her hometown. She runs into Brad Baxter, the leading actor of the movie several times. She doesn’t fawn all over him, which makes him interested in her.

My Two Cents

Wow! What wasn’t there to love about this movie?! Corny comedy, killer casting, and a great plot! I loved every dorky cheesy moment! The first 90 minutes had me constantly giggling and Jeff wondering what was in my water tonight. 🤣

I was in stitches over what a tool Brad was! From the smoldering looks to the conceited phrases. Plus the winking and perfect hair 24/7. It all contributed to the overly corny romcom. And I loved every minute.

I especially loved the Caleb and Jill lovers to haters to lovers side romance. And Jamie replaying what each of them said when the other was standing right there. Priceless! They were so funny to watch.

I think the only thing missing from this movie was a Paul Campbell cameo. Actually, I’m missing the cameos in general this year. I really enjoyed them last year! I’m hopeful Hallmark will bring them back in the future!

Before I finish this, I want to give a shout out to Kimberley Sustad and John Brotherton! They were great together! Kudos you two! And one other quick shoutout to everyone else! The casting was great on this movie!

Romcoms like these are my bread and butter movies. I’d watch them everyday/all day. But I know there will be many who find it too corny and too dorky. If you decide to watch this, please keep in mind that they intended it to be every bit as dorky as it is. Every wink, joke, and goofy moment was intended to be lighthearted comic relief. If that isn’t your thing, don’t watch this movie. If it is, then enjoy the fun!

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Hallmark Movie Review: A Magical Christmas Village

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/a-magical-christmas-village

Rating: ⭐⭐

I’m sad to say I barely made it through this movie. It couldn’t hold my attention for more than a few minutes at a time. Here’s a quick recap and my two cents 😉 

Quick Recap

Summer’s free spirited Mother, Vivian needs a place to stay, so Summer offers to provide a home until she can find one. Vivian brings a Christmas village with her and tells Summer’s daughter that it’s magical if you believe in it. As Summer’s daughter starts moving characters around on the board, her Mom and Ryan start acting out the scenes she’s making.

My Two Cents

Oh man, I really wanted to love this movie. It has so many wonderful pieces. A magical Christmas village, Alison Sweeney, Luke Macfarlane, and a free spirited Mom. But for some reason, these pieces didn’t come together right for me. I couldn’t get into it.

Maybe where it lost me was when Summer explains that she was responsible for ensuring the bills were paid. She lost part of her childhood taking care of her free spirited Mom and always felt like she didn’t have a choice.

Movies like this are usually on HMM. They lack the light hearted romcom feeling I usually love about Hallmark movies.

I also didn’t feel a lot of chemistry between Luke and Alison. They felt like best friends going around doing stuff together. Not potential love interests.

Anyhow, I was glad it had a Hallmark happily ever for everyone. Summer and Ryan even wore the outfits from the Christmas village. Super cute. Unfortunately, I almost fell asleep several times and really couldn’t get into it. I might try this again to see if it’s a me not being in the mood tonight thing. Sometimes that happens.

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HMM Review: Christmas Bedtime Stories

Image via: https://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/christmas-bedtime-stories

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Where did the magic come from?! I didn’t know this movie had a bit of Christmas magic! I thought it was just a Mom reading her daughter bedtime stories. I’m so glad it was much more than that! Here’s a quick recap and my two cents 😉 

Quick Recap

Danielle’s marine husband, Colby, died while deployed. They never found his body. Danielle and her daughter moved on with their lives. Eventually Danielle’s daughter starts asking questions about her father. Danielle tells her stories about her father at bedtime and the stories start coming true. At the same time, Danielle accepts her boyfriend’s proposal and begins to question if there’s a higher reason for these miracles and if Colby could still be alive.

My Two Cents

Why is it always the movies I’m not looking forward to that keep me captivated from the first moment?! This was a bracket movie that I wouldn’t have watched if it wasn’t in my Hallmark Christmas Movie Bracket, because I usually don’t seek out military movies. They usually make me cry.

This one wasn’t any different. I found myself on the edge of tears every ten minutes. It’s so hard watching a movie where the husband dies and leaves behind a wife and child. Especially when the child is young and doesn’t remember her Dad.

But this movie is magic. I loved how Danielle’s stories kept coming real. Running into old friends, finding missing ornaments, freak snow storms, and more. I LOVE movies with this kind of magic! Somehow, it kept it just light enough that I didn’t cry the entire time.

But I wanted to cry every time I saw Danielle hurt poor Pierce’s feelings. I wondered how long he would last before he ended things with her or she finally figured out what she really wanted and stopped hurting him. I was glad when things worked out the way they did.

**SPOILER ALERT**

I almost died the last 5 minutes of the movie. Have your tissues ready! Colby’s reappearance gives the perfect Hallmark movie ending, but dang did it hit me right in the feels. I really really wanted this ending and I’m so happy Hallmark ended it this way! Is it realistic? Absolutely not, but that’s not why I watch Hallmark. I watch it to see the happily ever after that doesn’t always happen in the real world.

**END OF SPOILERS**

Hallmark Movies and Mysteries movies always hits me right in the feels. I swear I wind up ugly crying on 75% of these movies. I’m super glad I watched this movie tonight. Military movies are always hard for me to watch, but this was definitely worth it! Give it a try!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Jolly Good Christmas

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/jolly-good-christmas

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jolly good fun! Or was it? Maybe! I struggled with the beginning, but the end was certainly jolly good fun! Here’s a quick recap and my two cents 😉 

Quick Recap

Anji is an aspiring writer and struggling personal shopper. She accidentally switched packages with a stranger who had intended to buy his girlfriend a gift card for Christmas. After learning of the switch Anji tracks down David to switch back the packages. David realizes a gift card probably isn’t the best Christmas present and offers her double her normal fee for helping him find the perfect gift for his girlfriend.

My Two Cents

I LOVE Reshma Shetty. Once upon a time Jeff and I watched Royal Pains and she was one of the leads on that show. I hadn’t seen her in a long time, so when the Jolly Good Christmas previews started, I was very excited to see this movie!

Despite being excited, I struggled to get into it. I’m not sure if it was me or the movie. Once again I was cranky when the movie started. So, quite possibly it was me. I kept thinking about how similar this movie was to 12 Gifts of Christmas, which admittedly kept me distracted.

Eventually I got into the movie and ended up enjoying it quite a bit. I liked the havoc created when David and Anji continued to run into Charlotte. Like when Anji’s purse became stuck in the Christmas tree and David accidentally shoplifted. I also giggled a little bit when David fell into the water and Anji commented about Americans. 🤣

There were a few good British references, which I appreciated. I like when they use local words for where they’re suppose to be. Anji said Mum instead of Mom and I think she called the trunk of the car the boot at one point. It’s the little things that I enjoy sometimes. 😉

I’m going to keep this review a little shorter, because Christmas Bedtime Stories is on and honestly, it’s already better than this movie. Why is it always the movies I’m not looking forward to that capture my interest?!

Anyhow, Jeff gave up on this movie early on. He called it dull and left. I don’t think it’ll appeal to everyone because of the slow start and David’s friend is a gay married man. I’m giving it a 3.5, but since I don’t do half stars, I’m leaving it at 4. Give it a shot! You might like it!

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Hallmark Movie Review: A Cozy Christmas Inn

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/a-cozy-christmas-inn

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

We had a divided house here tonight! Jeff liked this a lot more than I did. Here’s a quick recap and my two cents 😉 

Quick Recap

Once upon a time (prior to Dr. Brunel), Erika dated Andy in Seattle. Unfortunately, Andy left her and returned home. Erika still works in Seattle. Her boss wants to acquire an Inn in Garland, Alaska and sends Erika there to close the deal.

My Two Cents

In case you don’t know, back in 2014 there was a movie called Christmas Under Wraps. It starred all the same leads, except the female lead was Candace Cameron Bure. It had a similar plot. Dr. Brunel came to Garland, Alaska as the town’s new doctor. She falls in love with Andy and we presume they lived happily ever after.

In this movie we find out they did NOT live happily ever after. 😭 Dr. Brunel left Garland to take a fellowship offer she could not refuse. Leaving Andy girlfriendless.

I loved Christmas Under Wraps. It had magic, cuteness, corny jokes, and of course, the now famous, “that’s Garland for ya” tag line. I think if I had never seen Christmas Under Wraps, I would have enjoyed this movie more.

A Cozy Christmas Inn was cute and funny in it’s own way, but I feel like it lacked some of the magic of the first movie. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly why. Maybe because the elves weren’t as obvious? Rudy was missing? Andy’s plane was missing and a telescope took it’s place? Or maybe it was the overuse of the tag line? I’m not sure.

Honestly, maybe I didn’t enjoy it for a very simple reason…maybe I was mourning Dr. Brunel and Andy’s relationship ending. I think I would have handled it better if she had unexpectedly died, because at the end of the first movie she had changed and she was happy to be the local doctor. Not a big fellowship doctor.

Even if I was mourning Dr. Brunel and Andy, I did enjoy Erika and Andy together. They were a cute couple and the story line was interesting. I liked how they discussed their past relationship and what went wrong. I loved the Inn – it was beautiful! And I loved the ending with Andy and his Dad resolving who will take over the family business.

Even though I wasn’t a huge fan, Jeff definitely preferred this movie. I think it’s because it had less magic – he doesn’t like movies with magic. But it could also be that he likes Jodie Sweetin more and I tend to like Candace more.

Whether you saw the first movie or not, I think this one is still worth seeing. You don’t need to see the first movie to see this and it might be better if you don’t. This is definitely a solid Hallmark countdown to Christmas movie. Give it a try!

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Hallmark Movie Review: A Kismet Christmas

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/a-kismet-christmas

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If Hallmark wanted to make a perfect movie just for me, this is it. And the best part was that it was completely unexpected! I really wasn’t looking forward to this movie. It looked too corny even for me. Anyhow, here’s a quick recap and my two cents 😉 

Quick Recap

There’s an old family legend that if someone receives a kismet cookie and sleeps with it under their pillow, then they will dream of their true love. As a teenager, Sarah did this. When her dream showed Travis was her true love, she went to him to tell him. Unfortunately, Travis was marrying someone else. Sarah ran away to become a writer. Now she’s returned to her hometown, and discovered Travis is the father of the child who won her writing contest.

My Two Cents

Wow! This movie really grew on me! I started watching it in a slightly crabby mood. And the opening scene with Sarah and Travis as teenagers didn’t help. It was all so fake with them playing their younger selves. It killed me. Normally like corny, but I was not in the mood.

Also, I don’t know either of these leads super well. So I was a little leery of this movie from the beginning. BUT how could I not fall in love with a movie that has a second chance romance plot, magic cookies, a scavenger hunt, and so much more!

By the time Travis helped Sarah with her writers block, I was so invested, it made me cry. I love when men show they love someone without telling them they love them. Travis was obviously head over heals.

This is a movie I’ll put on repeatedly throughout the holidays and enjoy every time. If you like the themes in this movie, then I think you’ll like it too. If you aren’t a magic/fate lover, then skip this movie.

Don’t worry if you skip it, we’re in full blown Countdown to Christmas most and there’s at least 2 movie premieres on Hallmark each weekend and I think GAC has one or two too. Pace yourself folks. There are lots of movies this season!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Christmas in Toyland

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

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Yes!! This is the Christmas in July movie I’ve been waiting for! IT factor achieved and exceeded! Here’s a quick recap and my two cents. 😉 

Quick Recap

Big Teddy Toy Company is facing the decision most companies are – should they close their brick and mortar stores and go completely online? Charlie Sawyer is a corporate data analyst who discovers store 24 is the only store not losing money. In a bid to save the brick and mortar stores, Charlie stands up for them and is voluntold to visit store 24 to see what they’re doing differently.

My Two Cents

OMG! 100% YES! They had me at elf dust! Okay, they had me before the elf dust, but the elf dust definitely sealed my love of this movie! In fact, it’ll hit my favorite Christmas movie list and will be a movie I enjoy watching and re-watching any time of year.

I am a complete sucker for a numbers oriented, awkward, data nerd falling in love with a young at heart man child. Someone who can bring out her silly child side and make her laugh. But will be there when the times get hard (I have no proof of this, but I’m sure he would be!).

Vanessa Lengies and Jesse Hutch were fantastic in these roles! I would watch them together any day. I loved Vanessa last year in Heart of the Holidays too! She’s quickly climbing to my top female Hallmark leading list. I’d also like to give a shout out to the young actress who played Grant’s Niece! What a cute girl!

This movie has a broad appeal that many viewers will love. It also has the IT factor in spades. The ending might even bring a happy tear to your eye 😊 Definitely give this movie a try! It has classic Hallmark happy feels.

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Hallmark Movie Review: My Grown-Up Christmas List

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/my-grown-up-christmas-list

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I was a little sad I missed this movie on Saturday night. It’s been so busy around here! My son and I chose to catch up on Ms. Marvel and I had some cleaning to do instead. If you haven’t seen the new Ms. Marvel miniseries yet – I highly recommend it!! 😉 This movie…not so much(ish). I’ll explain more after a quick recap.

Quick Recap

Taylor returns to her hometown for a few days during Christmas each year. This year, she meets a Santa who catches her eye. She learns his name is Luke, but leaves without really meeting him. The following year, she returns and runs into Luke again. This time, she takes the plunge to really meet Luke and open her heart to the possibility of a future with him.

My Two Cents

Oh man, I wasn’t in the mood for a sad movie today. There’s enough sadness in my life right now. I was really hoping for a solid RomCom. This is most definitely not that RomCom. So, I know that is playing into this review.

First and foremost – I have a tremendous amount of respect and appreciation for our armed forces and everything they do for our country. They and their families go through more than I’ll ever fully know putting their lives at risk for us on a daily basis. Unfortunately, military romance movies are not a trope I look forward to. Oddly, I usually enjoy military romance books. I know, I’m weird. 😊

This movie will probably appeal to the majority of Hallmark movie watchers. So, if you like military movies, and you aren’t looking for a RomCom, you will probably love this movie! Give it a try!

If you’re a RomCom lover, this is definitely not your jam. There were very few jokes to lighten the mood of the movie. Overall, it was a sad movie that highlighted the difficulties our military families experience daily. On the plus side, it shows the love and hope that’s possible despite the lifestyle they choose. And the strength of Taylor and Luke’s families to overcome any obstacles.

I think a lot of people will give this movie 5 stars and will love the feels it delivers. So, don’t let my review deter you if you think this is a good fit for you! I love both leads; they were fantastic!

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Hallmark Movie Review: A Dickens of a Holiday

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/a-dickens-of-a-holiday

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Oh man 🙁 I’m really bummed about this movie. I have generally liked past Dickens plot movies. Unfortunately, this didn’t do it for me. Here’s a quick re-cap and my two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

Recently divorced Cassie Pruitt is directing A Christmas Carol in the 100 year anniversary of Dickens Days in Dickens, Ohio. Unfortunately, Scrooge comes down with laryngitis and they need to find someone new. They insist on choosing someone from Dickens. They ask big time actor Jake Dorsey to come home and help.

My Two Cents

I’m having one of those, “is it me or the movie?” evenings. I’ve been watching this movie for 1.5 hours and other than the quick re-cap, I haven’t written down ANYTHING about this movie. Normally by now I have at least half my review completed.

As a side note…there was something that gave me a quick thrill and distracted me for a little bit of the movie. Did you see the beautiful Inn where Cassie and Jake are staying? Did it look familiar? It should! I think it’s been in a few different Hallmark movies, but I remember it from Good Morning Christmas! In the video clip below, you can catch it at about the 14 second mark 🙂 I absolutely love this Inn. It’s so beautiful! I’d like to spend a weekend away there.

Okay, back to the actual movie. So, I really like versions of A Christmas Carol like It’s Christmas, Carole! that actually have a real Scrooge, ghosts, tiny Tim, etc. This take on the movie wasn’t really my cup of tea.

Maybe this would have been better if Jake had been more Scroogey and less jerky? I don’t know, but I liked Jake’s story line and how he kind of forgot himself when he became a big time actor and had to go through this process of improving himself so he could land the part of his dreams. The best improvement he made was him repairing his relationship with his family 🙂

Aside from fixing his family relationship, there wasn’t much else that captured my attention with this one. I mean, this movie was so blah that I’m not even gushing over the horse drawn carriage. Probably because Jake made such a big deal about that book being in the carriage instead of the horse driving it. Come on Jake! You’re in a carriage with the woman you’re starting to love! Don’t get all mushy about a book.

On top of not mentioning the carriage ride, I also didn’t mention the adorable small town appeal of the movie. I love small towns. Towns where everyone knows everyone and people help each other when they’re in need. There should have been more small town feeling in this book. There was some with everyone knowing Cassie had been directing Broadway and a few other little things, but I felt it could have been played up more.

Alrighty, so tell me folks, was it just me? Am I cranky tonight? Should I give this movie another try? As of right now, it’s definitely NOT on my Countdown to Christmas must see list for the season. Leave a comment and try to get me to change my mind! What did you like about this movie?

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Hallmark Movie Review: A Very Merry Bridesmaid

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/a-very-merry-bridesmaid

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is definitely hitting my Countdown to Christmas must watch list!! It might even hit my all time favorite Hallmark Christmas list! It brings together all the feels and romcom humor I look for in my favorite movies. Here’s a quick re-cap and my two cents. 🙂

Quick Re-Cap

Paul has come home to settle down and marry his fiance Julia. His best man, childhood best friend, and sister’s secret crush Drew has also returned for the wedding. The wedding happens to be on Paul’s sister’s 30th birthday. Drew has made a pact make Leah’s birthday special despite it being the same day as Paul’s wedding.

My Two Cents

There was so much good feels in this movie that I’m not even sure where to begin. It gives me all the same feels as The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

I loved the prologue that showed a young Leah with Drew’s Grandma. Leah was about to turn 10 and her brother and Drew had just started playing without her. Drew’s Grandma told her about milestone birthdays and how 30 is an important milestone year.

It made me remember my 30th birthday. It wasn’t a huge affair, but we celebrated with family and my 6 month old son. There were a lot of milestones that year. Sigh…sweet memories…

Anyhow, that sweet introduction helped set the stage for the rest of the movie where it’s the days leading up to Leah’s 30th birthday and Drew’s Grandma has passed, but he is there to help celebrate her milestone birthday.

I loved all the things Drew remembered about Leah. From the beginning, it was obvious that he must have cared about her all these years. He took her on a horse drawn carriage ride because she mentioned once wanting to do it when she was younger. HORSE. DRAWN. CARRIAGE. RIDE. There’s nothing better in the world! I would seriously have a crush on almost any man who took me on one.

Then there was the mistletoe incident. W-O-W! That was HOT! I haven’t seen a Hallmark kiss that gave ME butterflies in a long time! I was a little sad when Leah ran away, but hey, we need to have a little drama, right?

The ending of this movie was so perfect! The only thing missing was Julia’s original wedding dress, but even that was okay. I absolutely loved Leah and Drew’s ending. They are the type of couple that made my heart soar at watching them and while I would love to see a sequel with them, I would much rather thing that they live their own happily ever after without any drama.

Definitely watch this one if you haven’t yet. Like I said, it’s definitely on my Countdown to Christmas must watch list. It’s also probably in my top Hallmark Christmas list. Time will tell 🙂 I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

One last thing as I’m sitting here. My review mainly focuses on Drew and Leah, but I want to give a quick shout-out to Paul and Julia! I loved their bond and their story line too. It was nice to see them portray Julia as such a sweetheart instead of a crazy bridezilla, which they easily could have with all the issues she faced with her wedding!

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

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Hallmark Movie Review: Eight Gifts of Hanukkah

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/eight-gifts-of-hanukkah

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Friends to lovers romances are not my favorite. But I enjoy any movie done well and this one is definitely done well. Here’s a quick re-cap and my two cents. 🙂

Quick Re-Cap

Newly single, Sara is garnering attention from random men in her life. On the first night of Hanukkah she receives an anonymous present. Each night she continues to receive anonymous presents that are absolutely perfect for her.

My Two Cents

My Jewish heart is exploding with this movie. I really wish Hallmark would do 8 nights of Hanukkah movies during Hanukkah. I mean, if they can do 50+ Christmas movies during the Christmas season, 8 Hanukkah movies should be a slam dunk.

Of course there was all the the typical Hanukkah celebration items. Menorahs, dreidels, latkes, brisket, kugel, etc. But I didn’t expect to see the beautiful menorah collection! It wasn’t quite as beautiful as last year’s dreidel collection in Love, Lights, Hanukkah! but it was still amazing! There was also that beautiful hand made dreidel that Daniel gave Sara. That one hit me right in the feels folks!

This whole movie was filled with feels worthy moments. Every gift given to Sara was so personal and had a sweet story. Especially the final gift… **SPOILER ALERT** The ring given to Daniel by Sara’s Bubbi was the most beautiful gift and had me in tears for the final minutes of the movie. Bubbis know all!

Now that I’ve spilled all my love for this movie into this review, I want to share a few things that bothered me…

  1. How did Sara not think of Daniel as leaving all those gifts? I heard her explanation, but who else knows her that well? Didn’t she say she liked puzzles? If so, then this should have been pretty easy to figure out.
  2. It’s hard for women older than 25 to find men. Yet somehow Sara attracts like 4 or 5 men? And they’re not just any men. One super rich man, one famous chef, and several other seemingly amazing men. Well, maybe her ex isn’t super amazing. No one wants a man who doesn’t put you first! Daniel must have been right, her sweat must smell phenomenal to attract all the men!
  3. I never saw a picture in the picture frame gift. Did I miss it in the end? Sometimes I get so into writing that I don’t look up often enough and miss these things. This was another quick ending movie that left me feeling a little incomplete. I really wanted to see a picture in there. I thought maybe Sara would find a picture of her and Daniel and put it in the frame before the end of the movie.

I don’t think I’ll add this to my Countdown to Christmas must watch list, but I definitely enjoyed it. There were lots of cute jokes and sweet moments that drew me in. You should definitely give it a try!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Christmas in Tahoe

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

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It’s a second chance romcom guys! Yes! That’s my jam!! I’m bummed I missed this one on premiere night. I was Hallmarked out by the time it came on. Here’s a quick re-cap and my two cents. Enjoy!

Quick Re-Cap

Booking agent Claire has prepared an all star line-up for her family’s hotel’s Christmas variety show. Unfortunately, the main headliner cancels due to a medical issue, all the other acts drop, and her ex boyfriend reappears for the holidays. This show is a final interview for Claire’s Las Vegas dream job. She needs to find a way to put the show back together in less than a week.

My Two Cents

I fell in love with Laura Osnes last year in One Royal Holiday. She has an innate ability to make me laugh in these cute romcoms. She is the IT factor in her movies!

But she wasn’t alone in this movie! Pat Monahan and George Lopez added to the star power! I mean c’mon, I couldn’t have been the only one yelling at my TV, “Pat Monahan from Train is sitting right next to you!!!” when Claire is trying to think of a new act with Jackson.

Train is one of my all time favorite bands folks 🙂 I’m just going to leave this here…

Some of the backgrounds drove me nuts, because they were obviously super fake. BUT can someone please tell me how I get an extra large snow globe and wishing tree for my yard?! The snow globes looked amazing!! And WISHING TREE. I don’t need to say anything else about it, except do you think it would work? 😉

I wasn’t sure the romantic chemistry worked between Ryan and Claire. They definitely had the friendship relationship down. I loved when Ryan kept sticking his foot in his mouth and Claire kept giving him the business. It just always seemed more like friends than lovers, but this isn’t a stare longingly into your eyes movie. It’s a second chance romcom (ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLOTS), so I think I’m going to give it a little break.

I’m also going to give it a little break on feasibility. I’m not in the entertainment industry, so I don’t know if that many acts can really cancel within a week of a show. It doesn’t seem likely, because how would you sell tickets?! But, it did provide entertainment and necessary drama for the story. So, I think it was needed for the movie.

If you’re a romcom lover, definitely give this movie a shot. I really enjoyed it! Don’t forget to sing this season…

Shake it up
Shake up the happiness
Wake it up
Wake up the happiness
Come on y’all
It’s Christmas time

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

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Hallmark Movie Review: Christmas CEO

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/christmas-ceo

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Total meh movie. Meh? Yup, meh. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t horrible. There were moments of greatness and good quotes, but it was missing the IT factor. Here’s a quick re-cap and my two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

Old flames Chris and Joe started a toy store business when they were younger, but Joe left. Now, Chris wants Joe to sign for a merger between CJ’s Toys and Arlo Toys. However, Joe will only agree to sign the documents if Chris agrees to volunteer for the toy drive Joe holds every year.

My Two Cents

I tried watching this movie the night it released. I don’t remember what else I was doing that night, but I couldn’t keep my attention on the movie. So, I decided to hold off on writing a review. I figured I was having an off night.

Tonight I caught this from the beginning and thought I would try it again. I had the same problems. I couldn’t keep interested in the movie. There were definitely things I enjoyed in this movie…

I’m totally a corny magic loving person. So, I loved “Nick” the Santa Clause who kept appearing when he was needed. Especially when he distracted Chris so she would volunteer to work with Joe more, and when he appeared with tickets to the Christmas dessert shop (sorry – I can’t remember the exact name).

I liked when Chris and Joe reminisced about the good moments in their past relationship. They always had sweet looks on their faces. I also liked when they competed in that reindeer race game. That looked like a lot of fun! I want to try!

Bonus! There was chemistry between Joe and Chris, but I don’t think long term they would work. I feel that if there was a follow-up movie in 5 years, Joe and Chris would be separated for the same reasons they didn’t work the first time.

I think the niece needs a huge shout-out! I loved her song at the end! In general, I enjoyed her throughout the movie.

I think that’s everything I really enjoyed in this movie. It’s a second chance romance movie, which I’m normally all over, but I wasn’t with this. I wasn’t feeling a long term love with these two. I think they were right to break up the first time.

This movie isn’t making my Countdown to Christmas must see list. I would pass on watching it again if I have another option.

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

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Hallmark Movie Review: Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas

Image via: https://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/time-for-them-to-come-home-for-christmas

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’m torn on the rating for this movie. I’d call it a solid 3.5, but since half stars are a pain in the butt and I can’t do them for books, I’ve rounded up for this. Here’s a quick re-cap and my two cents. 🙂

Quick Re-Cap

“Jane” is involved in an accident that causes amnesia. She has one clue to who she might be on a newspaper article for a tree lighting ceremony in Charleston. So, she decides to drive across country to see if she can find the person she was suppose to meet there. Paul, the nurse watching Jane, decides to assist her on the trip while he visits family in Georgia.

My Two Cents

This morning I caught Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas on TV and realized this is kind of a series. Of course, I’ve seen them all before. So, I’m not sure why I didn’t notice this. The names are all super similar and it seems like they’re doing one every year.

As a tribute to Time for You to Come Home for Christmas, they did an Alison Sweeney cameo! There was another Jamie screaming at the TV moment. I’m glad y’all weren’t here to hear that tonight! It’s just me and the puppies, but they don’t even bother looking at me anymore when I scream at the TV. I guess it’s too regular of an occurrence. Haha.

Okay, going back to this movie…I always love Jessy Schram!! She is adorable in everything she does. I love her when she has funny/comedic roles, but this was good too. Even in this serious movie, she managed to bring a smile to my face and make me laugh.

Which was needed when they started talking about Paul’s brother, Ben. That hit too close to home and I understand where Paul was coming from. Everyone grieves in their own way.

Overall, I liked this movie. I don’t think it belongs on my Countdown to Christmas must see list, but it’s a solid romance. It might make you tear up at the end and at a few spots in between. Give it a try! Let me know what you thought! Leave a comment!

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Hallmark Movie Review: Christmas at Castle Hart

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/christmas-at-castle-hart

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh man, I just wasn’t feeling this one until the last 30 mins. I think this is a total case of “it’s me, not you” though. So, I will try it again another day and hope more of the movie resonates with me. Here’s a quick re-cap and my two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

After being fired as a server for a famous event planner Brooke and her sister, Margot, decide to go on a trip to Ireland to try and find their Irish heritage. While there, Brooke is mistaken as the famous event planner and is hired to plan the Christmas party at Castle Hart.

My Two Cents

Maybe I’ve watched too many Hallmark movies this week. Or maybe my mood isn’t what it needed to be for the beginning of this movie, because I wasn’t feeling it until the last 30 minutes.

I love Lacey Chabert and this movie was no exception. She was great! Her connection with Margot and the other actors/actresses was on point and really enjoyable to watch.

And how about the actress who played Margot?! Ali Hardiman. She was spectacular in this role. I really loved when she volunteered Brooke to plan the Christmas party and all the other scenes where she is trying to cover for the lie she helped perpetuate. Margot is the perfect ride or die sister (or friend) everyone deserves in their corner.

The women were definitely amazing in this movie, but I also enjoyed the character of Aiden (played by Stuart Townsend). I think we all want a man who says the things he says. And looks at us the way Aiden looks at Brooke. Swoon.

This movie is full of cute little moments that will have you smiling and giggling. Enjoy it for the romcom it’s meant to be 🙂

Oh! And have tissues handy for the ending! OMG! Such a beautiful ending! I loved how they tied up the loose ends beautifully. It was so sweet.

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

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