#hallmarkchristmasmovies Archives – Page 5 of 5

Movie Review: USS Christmas

Rating:

 2/5

Oh my goodness!! I tried to watch this movie 3 times. I’ll admit, the first 2 times, I half-assed attempted, but on the third try I fully committed – like I said “I do” – to watching it! I put the movie on, put my feet up, covered myself with my warm furry blanket, propped my Chromebook on my lap, and hunkered down to watch the movie.

And it kept my attention for…wait for it…2 MINUTES! 2 FREAKING MINUTES!! UGH! Have you ever tried catching a flea? My dogs had a couple of fleas this summer and those buggers are fast! You think you have your eye on it, and then it’s gone. That’s like this movie.

I thought I was watching it, but I must have been staring into space, because I’m sitting here wondering what is going on?! I saw the opening scene where Maddie spills her drink on the other woman, I saw her ask for permission to take leave to go on the ship for the holidays, and then BAM! I’m watching Maddie find an article about a wedding and the movie is wrapping up.

Maybe I got abducted for an hour and a half? I mean, that’s the only reasonable explanation, right? Haha! Kidding! A shiny object must have caught my attention…SQUIRREL!

Anyhow, I think this movie and I weren’t a match made in Hallmark matrimony. I’m giving it 2 stars, because the beginning and end were okay. It was everything in between that just couldn’t hold my interest. So, I can’t recommend watching this movie, but if military movies are your thing, then give it a chance. I hope it’s better for you than it was for me!

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Movie Review: If I Only Had Christmas

Rating:

 5/5

This is such a cute movie! I loved everything from the first meeting to the family filled ending. Candace Cameron Bure and Warren Christie are the perfect match in this fun romcom!

Quick recap:

Darcy is a Publicist who makes a bid to do the PR for Austin Inc (AI), but doesn’t get the account. So instead, she volunteers to create a PR campaign for Emerald Education Trust (Emerald), which is owned by AI.

Darcy meets with Glen Goodman to discuss the PR campaign and Glen decides to watch over her as she works her magic on Emerald to create a PR campaign that works for everyone.

This movie is definitely 5 star worthy. I absolutely love Darcy! I mean, who doesn’t?! Even the most cold hearted Dr. Tinsley eventually gives in to Darcy’s charms.

I don’t think anyone stands a chance against the force of nature that is Darcy. She is a total “YES!” girl. She doesn’t stop when someone says “No.” She finds new ways to accomplish her goal, but not at the cost of hurting someone’s feelings. She builds confidence and trust in everyone she meets. She’s a good person deep down and it shows!

Even when Darcy meets Glen and doesn’t know it’s him, she nicely calls him a jerk by calling him Curmudgeony and a “No” guy, but she does it in such a way that Glen doesn’t take offense. Instead, Glen agrees with her and asks her to dinner. It’s so cute! Apparently I need to insult my husband more to get a few dates out of him. Haha! But Glen’s right…how often do you hear unsolicited honest feedback about yourself? Not often enough!

I could gush about this movie all night, but I won’t. I want you to be able to enjoy many of the wonderful jokes and life lessons yourself.

I would be lying if I said there was anything surprising about this movie. I called the ending within the first 10 minutes, but that’s okay. Candace and Warren are absolutely adorable together! They carry the movie through the predictable plot.

Give this movie a try and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Happy movie watching y’all!!

Favorite movie quote: I didn’t know what I was missing until you dropped into my life – Glen

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Movie Review: Christmas Waltz

Rating:

 5/5

I have a HUGE crush on Lacey Chabert. I feel I need to admit things like this before I give you my reviews, because this absolutely impacts them. Regardless of my crush, this was a very good and super sweet Hallmark movie!

Movie Overview:

Lacey plays Avery, a woman who breaks up with her fiance, David, shortly before the wedding when he takes a job in a different city and suggests they “stick a pin” in their wedding. Avery knew she deserved someone better who wouldn’t put their relationship on hold like that.

While planning the wedding, Avery had scheduled dance lessons for the wedding, but didn’t have the opportunity to start them prior to calling off the wedding. Avery called to cancel the lessons, but was unable to get anything other than a busy signal, so she visited the studio and met Roman (Will Kemp). Roman eventually convinces Avery to keep the lessons. Through the lessons, Avery and Roman grow closer together, but you’ll have to watch the movie to know exactly how.

We’ve talked about my crush on Lacey, so now we need to address my new crush on Will! I think it’s mostly the accent, blue eyes, and earnestness he exudes, but I can’t stop wishing Roman would be around to calm me down when I start crying. The looks he gives Lacey throughout the movie… **Swoon** And what does Avery do every time they start getting closer? She runs! Literally. Runs. Away.

No worries though, because Roman has the patience of a saint. He gives her space when she needs space and pushes her when she needs pushing. He’s the perfect compliment to her.

Okay, I’m done swooning over Will for right now. This movie had some really cute scenes. One of my favorites was the dancing down the street scene that – for some reason – reminds me of Mary Poppins. It was so much fun!

Avery and Roman had fun throughout the movie. Even when Avery threw a snowball and Roman fell and got a concussion. Avery lies and says she’s his wife, so she can visit him in the ER. Then she checks in on him early the next morning and attempts to make breakfast. Unfortunately, she burns it horribly, but Roman was too sweet to tell her how horrible it was.

Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone ate your burnt food and told you how wonderful it was?? I’m thinking of my family…NOPE…they tell it like it is. Don’t worry though, Roman calls a spade a spade later he tells her, “Teaching you to dance is more painful than a concussion.” LOL!

I could go on and on about all the wonderful parts of this movie, but I think you should watch it for yourself and enjoy the Matryoshka story, Nicky’s supporting role (he was absolutely adorable!), Roman’s Mom teaching Avery to cook, and the overall sweetness and comedy that makes up this movie. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Movie Review: Five Star Christmas

 5/5

I love these cute comedy centered sweet movies. Sure they’re a little – okay, a lot – predictable, but they’re so cute too!

In this movie, Lucy and her siblings return to her childhood home to find it’s been converted to The Ralston Inn. Lucy’s Dad hasn’t had any guests and needs to in order to keep the Inn.

The family discovers that a famous B & B blogger, Bea Turner, is in the area when Beth Thomson appears without a reservation. They suspect Beth is Bea and don’t want her to think there aren’t any guests, so some family members become staff, while others become guests. Basically, craziness ensues as people pretend to be who they’re not.

To add to the craziness, shortly after Beth arrives, so does Jake Finley. Jake is doing a geological study in the area and needs somewhere to stay for a few nights. Jake and Lucy hit it off immediately.

While the family tries to maintain their new identities and impress who they believe to be Bea, they have a great time with their guests.

Here’s break down of the characters for those trying to keep track of who’s who:

Hopefully the family tree helps. I had to take notes!

That’s probably one of the down sides to this movie. You barely learn people’s names when they’re changing names and who they are. No worries though, because this also contributes to a lot of the comedy!

After Beth arrives, someone needs to take her bags to her room, so Will runs like the building is on fire, grabs the bags and runs back into the house without being seen because Lucy distracts her. It’s a cute little scene that had me chuckle, because at the time, he was suppose to be “Clayton” the guest.

In fact, all the supporting cast was great in this movie! I loved Walter’s earnestness and his reaction when he won the ugly sweater contest. I also loved how everyone reacted to Francesca’s food and how they always watched Beth take the first bite to see her reaction. I would totally respond the same way to green soup though. What was in that?! Now I suddenly have a craving for Schnitzel from the Pinewood Cottage Inn. Haha! Don’t get it? Watch the movie!

Beyond the awesome supporting cast, the leads for Lucy and Jake were equally fantastic. I loved them trying to out quote sassafras facts and even though Jake won, he still gave it to Lucy. Smart man!! He realized she was too proud and stubborn to take it, so he paid for it and left it at the register. Awww…

Jake knew how to handle Lucy from the beginning. They were really like two puzzle pieces fitting together, which was one reason why the ending didn’t seem to fit for me. It felt like the whole ending was very rushed. I would have liked if they slowed it down just a little. Maybe cut out some of the beginning to be able to focus more on the end.

You should watch this and let me know what you think. Did they rush the ending? Did you enjoy it? Let me know!! Happy movie watching y’all!

See what I did there? I rushed the ending. Consider the rest of this a BONUS! Haha!

I’m giving this 5 stars because so much of this movie was overwhelmingly good. I had a small issue with the way Lucy and Jake come together in the end, because it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Mostly because I felt it was rushed.

Also, the super fake snowman killed my Midwestern heart. I can deal with digital and/or fake snow, but that fake snowman was pretty terrible. Snow doesn’t rock back and forth when you’re stacking the balls.

It feels wrong for taking stars for those minor issues. So, I can’t do it. Enjoy this movie for what it is. A cute Hallmark Romcom – meant to make you laugh and say awww at the appropriate moments, and it does that!

Sorry folks, this was a long one! I’m going to leave you with a few quotes I enjoyed. I wanted to work them into this post, but it didn’t work out. This way you still get to enjoy them! Happy movie watching!

- “You’re like Scrooge and the Grinch rolled into one” – Francesca to Lucy
- [discussing the purpose of a gift] “Very nice, but totally unnecessary” – Lucy
  - “Isn’t that the definition of a gift?” – Jake
- “What I want most in this life is a great adventure and I can’t think of a greater adventure than having a baby with you” – Will to Suzanne

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Movie Review: Christmas by Starlight

 5/5

Oh the feels! This cute remake of Two Weeks Notice had me smiling from beginning to end. There were so many funny quips and quotes! Let’s review the movie and then I’ll dive into details!

Annie, a family lawyer, goes to Holt Enterprises to force them to let her parents keep their Cafe’s lease. While there, she runs into Will Holt, who’s busy trying to escape his Dad’s expectation for him to hire a lawyer. Will and Annie eventually come to an agreement for her to work for him for 1 week and he will have the lease extended. Let the fun begin!

I watched this movie with my family over Thanksgiving and my Dad instantly noticed the Two Weeks Notice similarities. I definitely agree, there are many! The big difference…this has been Hallmark Christmastized (it’s a new word – USE IT!).

I’ve loved Paul since he was in Surprised by Love in 2015. He’s since teamed up with Kimberley Sustand several times. They are a great romcom team!

Kimberley plays Annie, who’s character is one I always go for – she was strong, independent, and intelligent, but also kind, caring, and funny. I loved all her little digs at Will. Plus, some of her lines like “buy the skates, land the twirl,” which is her take on “if you build it, they will come.” Or there was the “it didn’t feel like they were going for the razzle or the dazzle.” I truly enjoyed her character!

Then there’s Paul’s character Will. I was a little unsure about Will. He gave the initial impression of a goof off, but then he was serious when he was trying to land his deal with Gene and when he quoted Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Despite this goofy/serious confusion, he still made me laugh often. So, I’ll chalk it up to him wanting to be the goofy guy, but accepting his role within Holt Enterprises and succumbing to his role’s demands.

Besides Annie and Will, I really enjoyed the supporting characters.

- Lyle had me cracking up with his lines like, “[I’m] younger, smarter, better looking [than Will].” Plus the running joke that he doesn’t have a job title.
- Annie’s Mom and Dad were the kind of parents everyone wants (and some of us are lucky to have). They always support Annie and help her any way they can.
- Gene and Pat Parker with the terriers were great too! I loved Gene asking Annie for a granola bar when they were in the middle of the uptight French restaurant.

Overall, this movie was great! The ending made me tear up a little even though I knew it was coming it was still so sweet. So, I’m giving this movie 5 stars for all the laughs and fun. Watch it and let me know what you think! Happy movie watching y’all!

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Movie Review: Heart of the Holidays

Movie Review:

 4/5

This is a solid movie. Okay, review over. Haha! Kidding!

Movie re-cap:
Sam is starting a job at a new company and when she shows up, she finds out her boyfriend, Will, took over the new company and terminated many employees, but kept her.

Sam decided she doesn’t want to work for him. Instead, she heads home for the holidays to regroup.

At home, Sam reconnects with her past boyfriend Noah. Sam and Noah start a project to help people in need.

This movie had so much that I love! Second chance romance, small town location, great supporting cast, and helping other people were a few of my favorite things.

Beyond that, these two leads were adorable together, and that final kiss…W-O-W! I’m giving it an extra half star just for that kiss.

I wish I could have given this movie a full 5 stars, but there was a lot of sadness in it. I felt sad for Sam and Noah’s past. Also, the premise of the town losing so many businesses due to a recession hurt my heart for all those people without jobs. I prefer when Hallmark stays light and uplifting. There were too many underlying sad themes here.

Also, the last scene with Sam and Noah running was giving me flashbacks to 50 Shades of Grey, but they had better music. At least this running culminated in that kiss. Best part of the whole movie!

If this movie is on, give it a try. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it though. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Movie Review: Good Morning Christmas!

 5/5

There was so much about this movie that made me say “awww…” From the hotel room decorations to the tv show’s name, “Bright and Merry,” (another Hallmark Christmas movie) I couldn’t get enough!

A quick movie re-cap before I fawn over this movie more:
Melissa Merry and Brian Bright are co-hosts on a TV show. Brian wants to quit and the network finally gave him the okay after several attempts. For their final week taping, Melissa and Brian go onsite in Mistletoe. While in Mistletoe, they participate in local holiday events and realize there’s more to their relationship than just being co-hosts.

This is a great movie. It’s probably going to hold a place in my heart next to some of my other favorite Hallmark Christmas movies. I loved soooo much about this movie!

I could spend hours talking about the decorations alone. The decorations in the hotel, around the town, etc. I wish my bedroom looked like Melissa and Brian’s rooms!

Beyond the decorations, I enjoyed that Hallmark did this as a friends to lovers romance. I don’t think they were quite friends, but there were definitely a lot of feelings between them from the beginning.

The producer must have seen the tension building and the feelings that were under it, because she orchestrated Brian and Melissa finally coming together. She signed them up for all the events and was overseeing their budding relationship to the end. Smart woman!

Did I mention there was a horse drawn carriage? I’m sure I’ve said this before, but I can’t say it enough…I LOVE HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE RIDES! This carriage ride was instrumental in the ending that hit me hard in the feels. Seeing these two stubborn people come together was a delight.

Give this movie a try. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!! Happy movie watching y’all!

PS: I feel like I need to mention this…I’m not taking off a star for it, because I feel like it’s petty, but I prefer when they do filming in actual cities/towns and it looked like most of this movie was done on a set. I would have liked to see them spend more money on the set or do more on scene filming.

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Movie Review: A Godwink Christmas

 3.5/5

I’m really frustrated with this movie. I wanted to love it, but I just couldn’t. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it. I have a feeling that if I don’t write this review right now, I’ll forget most of this movie by morning.

So, let’s start with a quick synopsis. Pat is a divorced Dad who returns to his hometown of Boise from Hawaii. Margie is the woman he left behind about twenty years ago.

That was quick, right? Haha, it’s late and I want to tell you all my thoughts before I go to sleep.

I’ve mentioned before that I LOVE second chance romance movies. Pat and Margie are exactly the type of couple that makes my romantic heart say “aaawwww…” They broke up when they graduated, because Pat got a job in Hawaii and Margie wanted to go to college and stay local. Now they’re both in the same city at the same time.

Next, I LOVE fate movie themes. I consider godwinks a form of fate. The thought is that God keeps giving you a nudge in the right direction. Pat and Margie keep accidentally meeting where ever they go. Also, Pat keeps finding Margie’s jewelry like he’s a jewelry magnet/metal detector. Pat and Margie just can’t help being together.

Finally, I loved all the actors and actresses in this movie, but I really loved the two leads. Sam Page, who plays Pat is handsome and delicious. They could keep showing him in his pajamas (or shirtless) all day please! Let’s not forget Brook D’Orsay. She’s beautiful and played Margie with such sincerity. She was fantastic.

With all these wonderful things, I’m sure you’re wondering why I didn’t LOVE this movie? This is going to sound nitpicky, but the godwink sound really annoyed me. I don’t remember watching the other godwink movies, so I don’t know if this is a thing or if it’s new to this movie? Either way, it wasn’t for me.

More than the godwink sound, there wasn’t really a climax per se. Yes there was a part where it sounds like things aren’t going to work out, but you can tell from the very very beginning of the movie how much Pat and Margie like each other. They literally could have stopped the movie when they reconnected for the first time. The looks they gave each other made it clear where that relationship was headed. And that first hug?! Did you all see that?? In real life they would have ran for a hotel room.

Overall, this is a decent movie. It stresses the importance of finding the person you can’t live without and not settling for someone, which definitely connects with my romantic heart. If you watch it, I hope you enjoy it. Happy movie watching y’all!

Movie Review: The Christmas House

 4/5

Wow! This movie had so much going on! There’s a few minorish spoilers listed, so read at your own risk. I try not to give away too much, but for this review, I need to give you some details to explain myself.

I feel like Hallmark tried to do too much in one movie.

- Mom and Dad selling childhood home
- Mom and Dad potentially separating
- Mom retiring
- Mike possibly losing his job
- Mike’s love interest in Andi
- Brandon and Jake trying to adopt
- Brandon and Jake are opening a bakery

Is it real life? Yes. Do I get why they did it? Yes. But do I want real life in a Hallmark Christmas movie? Not really.

Don’t get me wrong. They did this really well. All of it, except for maybe Marvelous Jim, was real. You know, because he was magical. Haha! – We will blame this lame attempt at humor on the late hour I wrote this.

There was so much to enjoy about this movie.

- The brothers little contests. Racing to the rental car. Racing to get the most boxes into the moving truck. They perfectly captured sibling contests.
- Mike’s promotional video for Andi’s business with Noah. It was sweet that Mike embraced Noah so openly.
- Mom with the whistle going over the plans for the Christmas House – this made my type A heart pitter-patter.
- The Dynamic Duo of Majestic Mike and Awesome Andi. It was sweet watching the flashbacks with the magic scenes.
- The Dad jokes!
  - What do you call a spruce tree that knows kung fu? Spruce Lee!
  - Here today, gone tamale
- The final Christmas House. It was so amazing! It’s like every child’s Christmas dream come to life. I wish every town had a house that did this. Maybe even a travelling Christmas House, so each family could put their own spin on it.
- That ending! Oh man, the ending is like waking up on Christmas morning and having all your wishes come true. It’s Hallmark Gold.

This movie took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I was feeling really glum around the middle of the movie when it felt like everything was going down hill for everyone, but this is Hallmark! I should know by now, it’ll all work out.

I’m giving this 4 out of 5 stars because I really felt like Hallmark tried too hard to put too much into one movie and they tried to hide too much, e.g. selling the house, parents separating, the adoption, etc. This is still a great movie and I think it’s well worth watching. Give it a try! Happy movie watching y’all

Movie Review: The Angel Tree

 5/5

Oh Angel Tree, Oh Angel Tree, let me sing about how much I love you…

You should all be happy you can’t actually hear me singing! Haha!

Instead of singing and making up some really bad rhymes – honestly worse than Matthew’s dad/uncle jokes – I need to start by saying that Matthew continuously scaring Rebecca was by far my favorite part of the entire movie. I cracked up every time.

Since I don’t think you want me singing anymore or scaring you, let’s recap the movie a bit.

Jill Wagner plays Rebecca, a girl who’s wish to forever stay in Pine River was NOT granted in the same year, Matthew, played by Lucas Bryant, had a gala (super big) wish granted to save his family’s diner. Rebecca wound up moving. Her and Matthew grew apart. Rebecca grew up, became a writer, married, had a daughter, and lost her husband. She wrote an article about the amazing Angel Tree, and asked to write a follow-up article to expose who the wish granting Angel is in Pine River.

In coming back to town, Rebecca reconnects with Matthew and sparks start to ignite. Rebecca realizes that her first article about the Angel tree created more people making wishes and she decides she needs to help Angel grant the wishes.

Recap over, so lets get back to what I loved!

This movie hits you in all the feels. It has helping homeless pets, military families, taking care of elderly, and so much more. But more than all that, it hits deeper with the sentiment that kids have “a magical world, but as adults, we need to make a little magic of our own.”

In the end, we see the magic of Rebecca unknowingly becoming an Angel and helping fulfill a gala wish. Further, we see that Angel’s are all around us. It’s not just one person, nor a group of people. It’s the magic across the world of people doing good and helping others. Angels are everywhere.

I won’t ruin the ending for y’all, but I was in tears. It was so sweet and sentimental. I love movies with Christmas magic and this movie had it in spades. I hope you give this movie a try. Happy movie watching y’all!!

Movie Review: A Nashville Christmas Carol

 4.5/5

I fell in love with Jessy Schram a few years ago in Harvest Moon. Watching her in A Nashville Christmas Carol further cemented her on my favorites list.

I absolutely love how expressive Jessy is by nature. Hallmark loves to put her in roles where she shows these talents. Remember when she fell in the mud in Harvest Moon? There was a similarly expressive moment when Jessy’s character, Vivienne, meets her dead boss, Marilyn. Her shock was palpable! She’s such a joy to watch.

Now that I’ve covered my girl crush on Jessy, let’s go over the movie a little.

Vivienne is a slightly different version of Scrooge who – like most people – needs to learn how wonderful she is. She isn’t a mean person to begin with; she just needed to see what (and who) was right in front of her, but Vivienne is so focused on her career that she was missing the true joy in life…living.

Marilyn is Vivienne’s guide through the past and present. She explained to Vivienne that she requested this intervention because “When it comes time to roll the credits on your life, it’s the names that matter, not the shows.” This is so true in life. Time is fleeting, concentrate on the people in your life and make memories with those you love.

Speaking of those you love…Gavin, played by Wes Brown, was a childhood friend of Vivienne’s. We get to see lots of flashbacks of how Vivienne and Gavin grew together and apart over the years.

In the end, Vivienne learns that it’s the people in her life that matters. She rights the mistakes she’s made and we get a wonderful Country Christmas concert with the perfect ending.

I loved most of this movie. There were some slow parts in the middle, but overall this was very well done. I especially liked the music that was woven throughout the movie and the way it tied to each moment. After all, “every song has a memory,” and I couldn’t agree more.

Thank you Hallmark for finally delivering a kiss under a mistletoe!! I’ve been waiting all Christmas for this scene. This almost makes up for all those other movies missed mistletoe chances.

If you like the Christmas Carol plot, then give this movie a go. It was enjoyable! Happy movie watching y’all!

Movie Review: Deliver by Christmas

 2/5

I’m so sorry everyone, I really really tried to get into this movie. I even tried watching it twice, but it’s a no go for me.

Josh and Molly meet on a Christmas tree lot when they’re looking for trees. Their first meeting is where they reach for the same tree, but instead grab each other’s hands.

This is where the story started to go downhill for me. The acting in this particular scene wasn’t that great and it looked like they were purposefully grabbing for each other’s hands. I mean you don’t reach your whole arm into a tree to test the needles. They should have had her trying to pick up the tree or something. It was weird and awkward like several other scenes later on. However, I did enjoy the jokes about splitting the tree only to find out the tree was already sold.

As the movie continues, Josh needs cookies and he arranges to have Molly bake them, but doesn’t know it’s Molly who is the baker. The cookie arrangement was done by website and phone. Don’t you think they would have recognized each other’s voices?

Overall the plot is cute, but there was just something lacking in this movie for me. It just couldn’t keep my interest.

The video at the end of the movie with Charlie reduced me to tears with it’s sweetness. A special shout out to military families and all they do to keep everyone else safe!! Thank you!!

I can’t recommend this movie. There are much better Hallmark movies. See some of my other reviews on here. Happy movie watching y’all!

Movie Review: Meet Me at Christmas

Movie Rating:

 5/5

You need to know a few things about me.

First, one of my favorite romance plots is the second chance romance. Movies where the whole plot revolves around a romance that started when they were young, but was lost for one reason or another and now has a chance to blossom.

Second, I have always liked Catherine Bell AND Mark Deklin. Together, they are pure Christmas magic. I bet Cassie Nightingale had something to do with this match, but what took Hallmark so long to put these two together?!

Third, I have a strong belief in fate and “Love finds you when it’s suppose to,” which is a large theme in this movie. Joan and Beau were meant to come back together at this time, in this place and in this way.

Okay…Now that we’ve gone over things that make me say awwwww, hopefully you’ll understand a little better when I say, I. LOVED. THIS. MOVIE!! It hit me right in the feels time and time again.

The feels start right away with flashbacks to Joan’s past. I enjoyed seeing young Joan’s history with her husband to be and the man who first took her heart. This was done very well and helped set the stage for Joan and Beau’s reaction to figuring out who each other were, which had ME tearing up.

Be still my heart! This is Hallmark – it’ll all work out. Even at the climax when everything comes crashing down, and two people are acting like stubborn arses, hold onto that hope, because in the end, we get the love we want all along.

If all this sounds like your type of movie, please watch this! It’s such a sweet story of fate, new love, old love, lost love, and found love. I think it’ll hit you in the feels too. Happy watching y’all!

Movie Review: Christmas in Vienna

Movie Rating

 3.5/5

Instead of Christmas in Vienna, this movie could be called Christmas on Rinse & Repeat. The whole movie can be summed up as: Jess and Mark meet in the square, someone asks someone if they speak English, Jess steps out of her comfort zone, Mark shoots her down, Mark asks Jess’ opinion, Jess gives her opinion, Mark gets mad, Mark apologizes…RINSE & REPEAT.

Ahhh!! Christmas in Vienna…I don’t know what to think of you. You’re such a mixed bag, because there is so much I did enjoy, but Jess continuing to put herself out there and open her heart while Mark continued to shut her down got to me after the third or fourth time. She gave him so many opportunities. Granted, he did finally come around, but should it have really taken that many times? I’m just not sure.

Let’s take a minute to talk about the mistletoe scene. A kiss on the hand?! Come on Hallmark! That was a serious missed opportunity. I would have loved at least a kiss on the cheek. It’s mistletoe after all!

Now that you know what really bothered me about the movie, let’s get to some of the good stuff. Despite my frustrations, there was still lots to enjoy with this movie.

I loved Jess’s character! She’s adorable and quirky and, like me, can’t pronounce any German. Sprechen sie English? Yup, that’s about as much as I can say too Jess! I even butcher that.

More than the main story line of Mark and Jess, the story of Vincent and Tory is adorable too. I loved watching their chemistry. And how can you not like someone who references Gremlins in regard to taking care of children?! I’ve done that so many times in my life.

- Don’t feed them after midnight
- Don’t get them wet
- Don’t expose them to light

Speaking of the children. How cute were they?! Jess helped each child grow a little throughout the movie. The youngest learns how to play violin, the son learns to “hang his hat,” and the oldest performs her song at the end.

As you can see, Jess really made this movie shine through her amazing heart. Her speech to Summer was pure gold. I wish I could write down the whole thing and put it here, but it’s really something you need to watch. Plus, the presents she gave at the end of the movie. Each one was so perfect. It proves that cost doesn’t matter with a present – thoughtfulness does.

Without Jess, this movie wouldn’t have even made the 3.5 stars. Mark’s character was just blah. He didn’t make my heart say awww – except for the stocking scene – and I didn’t hold my breath hoping to see him come into the room so I could watch the chemistry. It could have been a movie about Jess and the kids and it might have been better than the romance movie it was suppose to be.

Should you watch it? I’ll leave that in your hands. Maybe you’ll enjoy it more than me. Good luck! Happy movie watching y’all!

Movie Review: Christmas with the Darlings

This movie has so much to love! Hot chocolate (huge Hallmark theme this year), tree decorating, building snowmen, a carriage ride, and so much more. Let’s dissect the movie a little – I’ll start with our leading characters…

Our leading lady, Jessica “Jess”, is played by Katrina Law. I loved her in Snow Bride! If you haven’t seen it, you should. It’s one of my favorites. She was fantastic! In this movie, she plays a list making, closed from love, yet very lovable woman.

Our leading man, Max, is played by Carlo Marks. He was in Moonlight in Vermont with Lacey Chabert. It’s another good movie! He’s quickly becoming one of my favorite leads and in some ways, reminds me of Andrew Walker. In this movie, he first comes off as a free spirited, partying, very non list making man.

Don’t they sound like the perfect polar opposite pair?? Yup! They sure are!

I’m sure you’re asking…how do two polar opposites come together?

Max and his brother Charles become guardians of their orphaned nieces and nephew and Charles wants to send them to boarding school, but Jess steps in and volunteers to watch them before they need to go to boarding school. Of course, Max offers to help! Combine this with Max wanting to do more at the family company and Jess wanting to change jobs and you have a wonderful mix of character growth to add to the movie.

As you can imagine, putting two polar opposites in a house together during Christmas yields interesting results from the very beginning when Jessica asks the kids to make lists and Max says to do things as they feel like doing them.

As the movie continues, we see Max and Jess grow as characters – Jess becomes less structured and Max becomes a little more. We also see Max and Jess come together as co-guardians and love interests.

This is Hallmark, so you know there’s a happily ever after, which I won’t ruin for you, but it ends in the best way possible for everyone!

Now that we’ve covered the basics on the movie, let’s get down and dirty in the feels department.

There were some wonderful quotes in this movie!

- “Home feels like family” – one of Max’s Nieces
- “Christmas has a way of bringing up a lot of memories” – Jess
- “You should never settle” – Charles
- “Wow! You just went down the analogy rabbit hole” – Jess

These quotes help show the character of the movie. It was fun, generally funny, and very sweet. There are some serious/slightly sad parts when talking about death, but they weren’t sad enough to bring me to tears.

With all this good, I didn’t feel an overwhelming amount of passion between Max and Jess. It seemed like they were more best friends than love interests. This left me torn, because I know that love isn’t always like my romance books where people are pulling off their clothes and jumping into the first empty closet, but I also feel like there should be MORE than what these two had.

Even though there was this lack of passion, there was still so much to love. I mean, this movie has a CARRIAGE RIDE! In other words, there was a HORSE in this movie. That almost guarantees movie success in my book.

All my Goodreads books get rated, which makes me feel like this needs stars too. So, are you ready?? Please keep in mind that I’m giving this a Hallmark rating, which CANNOT be confused with a romance novel rating. Okay Jamie, enough rambling, let’s get to it!

 4.5/5

I’m taking off a half star for some of the slow spots in the movie that had me reaching for my phone instead of being actively engaged. The end of the movie had a super passionate kiss, so I’m letting them keep a star for that.

This is a super solid, cute, and funny Hallmark romance that will hit you in the feels and if you’re bored one night, I would put on your Hallmark movie watching sweatshirt, grab your cozy blanket, cup of hot chocolate, and settle in for a good movie.