#hallmarkchristmasromance Archives – Page 4 of 5

Movie Review: Swept Up by Christmas

Image via: https://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/swept-up-by-christmas

Rating:

 2/5

Sometimes you sit down to watch a movie and no matter what happens, you just can’t watch it. You try and try, but it doesn’t capture your attention. That “spark” is missing. This was one of those movies.

I can tell you that it’s basically about a woman, Gwen, who works for an auction house. She is hired to auction items from The Hawthorne House she use to visit as a child. Along with the auction, Reed’s company, Clean Force One (super cute name since it’s a veteran owned company!) is hired to clean the house.

Aside from that, the movie fell completely flat for me. It’s an enemies to lovers movie with a cute side romance for the best friend, but I wasn’t feeling the hate or love in the main romance. Nothing stood out and I struggled to even watch it.

Give it a shot and let me know what you think! Maybe you’ll enjoy it more than me and you can point out some of your favorite moments in the movie. Happy movie watching y’all!

Movie Review: A Christmas Carousel

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

Rating:

 4/5

A man with an accent, horses, and trying to make a better community, what more can you ask for in a Hallmark movie?! Seriously! This simple, funny movie is so cute and will unexpectedly hit you in the feels!

Lila (Rachel Boston) and Roy head to Ancadia to restore Grandpa’s carousel. While there, they each find interests more fulfilling than restoring the carousel.

The meet-cute was so adorable! Lila visits the carousel to see what kind of shape it’s in and she bumps into the ladder Whitaker is on. Paint brushes fly and some witty words are exchanged while Lila asks Whitaker (Neal Bledsoe) if he knows the Prince. Of course, Whitaker says he knows him quite well. The whole scene is adorable and funny.

Later Lila is introduced to Whitaker during tea. She’s a little miffed he didn’t tell her who he was, but she quickly gets over it and they become closer while they both work on the carousel.

Whitaker has been raised to believe that in order to be King, you must act in a professional manner and you can’t be a painter. Basically, you have to be a bore. Since that’s not who he is at heart, he’s abstained from entering any serious relationships, because if he found someone he wanted to marry, he would need to ascend the thrown. Lila helps him discover that he can be himself and be a king the people will still admire and love.

I loved how Lila gave Whitaker the courage to be himself. There isn’t a once size fits all mold for King behavior. The teacher in her wanted to help make him be the best person he could be.

Have I said before this movie was cute? It helped that Rachel Boston is one of my Hallmark favs. She has a sweet/honest quality about her that really lent well to this role. I also loved her pairing with Neal Bledsoe. He had great facial expressions and was so sweet and funny! This was exactly the right pairing you wanted to see. No Christmas She Wrote drama here. I would love to see this pair together a few more times!!

This is Hallmark, so we all know how this ends 😀 I won’t spoil the exact ending, but I love the Wishing Horse! Make sure you pay attention to the story of it!

If you can take this movie at face value, you’ll most likely enjoy the abundant cute jokes and sweet romance. If you try to hold this movie to a higher regard, then you’ll be disappointed. Happy movie watching y’all! Let me know what you think!!

Movie Review: Unlocking Christmas

Image via: https://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/unlocking-christmas

Rating:

 2.5/5

Oh man! I really wanted to like this movie! I just couldn’t get into it. I gave it the 3 strikes and you’re out try, which makes me sad, because there are some cute moments in it. They just never built into anything better than a few cute moments.

Kate and Kevin meet because Kevin’s mom makes him go to the doctor about his leg. This scene was actually very cute and I’m pretty sure Kevin’s mom purposefully sent him to see Kate. She’s quite the meddlesome woman 😉

Shortly after meeting, Kate and Kevin are each sent a clue and key. They figure out the clue’s meaning, arrive at the same place at the same time, and wind up on a scavenger hunt of sorts. Through the process they learn more about each other and start falling in love.

I figured out who was behind the keys almost immediately and the clue tasks didn’t really keep me interested. Also, Steve Lund’s long hair was really distracting. I didn’t feel like it fit with his former military life, because it always looked messy and greasy-ish.

If you give it a try, let me know what you think! I hope you enjoy it more than I did. If you’re looking for another scavenger hunt type movie, I think Christmas Scavenger Hunt was a lot better. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Movie Review: A Glenbrooke Christmas

Image via https://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/a-glenbrooke-christmas

Rating:

 3.5/5

Oh Autumn Reeser! You’re one of my Hallmark favs, but this movie didn’t do it for me. I know this is kind of cliche, but it’s not you, it’s…Antonio Cupo (Kyle). Haha! I bet you thought I was going to say “me,” but nope. I wasn’t a fan of Kyle.

Autumn plays Jessica “Emerson” Morgan, a soon-to-be CEO of a large real estate company. Her parents died when she was young and her Grandfather raised her. She decides to go to Glenbrooke where her mom lived when she was younger. She’s even able to rent the house her mom lived in, but she’s using the name Jessica Emerson instead of her famous Morgan last name to try and stay under the radar.

Upon arriving in Glenbrooke, Jessica almost runs over Kyle, Glenbrooke Fire Chief, while he’s carrying a whole stack of ginger bread men. Kyle’s coworker, Ruthie dubs this the Gingerpocalypse 😂 This was possibly the funniest part of the movie! It’s also the part where I started losing interest.

Kyle is such a jerk to Jessica over the cookies breaking that it was an immediate turn off for me. She even offered to pay for the cookies, but he blames her and starts accusing her of texting while driving and not paying attention. Jerk alert!! It doesn’t make sense that he can be a total jerk over something so small and a Fire Chief. I would think that position requires more political common sense and friendliness.

Kyle’s coworker, Ruthie was actually my favorite person in the movie. Besides the gingerpocalypse, she also guides Jessica to a “VIP” section of a tree lot. It’s the VIP section, because Kyle is there. She totally set-up Kyle and Jessica on that one! Jessica’s face when she figured it out was priceless. LOL.

Once in Glenbrooke, Jessica discovers the chimes – a local cherished landmark – are broken and they need $10,000 to save them. Jessica helps create a fundraiser to save them.

I also struggled with this. Jessica is a multi-millionaire. $10,000 is a drop in the hat. Why not just anonymously donate the money and be done? Don’t get me wrong, she really helped a lot of people in the community while organizing the fundraiser and they kind of explain why she doesn’t write a check for it a little later in the movie, but it didn’t sit right with me.

Kyle somewhat redeems himself and shows his nice/caring side during other parts of the movie when him and Jessica decorate a Christmas tree together, go to a party together, and read The Night Before Christmas to some children. But even in the end, Kyle is upset and jerky when he learns the truth about who Jessica really is.

I don’t know if it’s Antonio or Kyle, but I wasn’t digging him. Watch the movie and let me know what you think! While you’re watching, be sure to catch the sweet story about how the bells came to be such an important part of the town. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but it’s really sweet.

If you’re an Autumn Reeser fan too, check out one of her other great movies! I highly recommend A Country Wedding, Christmas Under the Stars, or All Summer Long. These were all much better than this one! Happy movie watching y’all!

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Movie Review: Christmas Comes Twice

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/christmas-comes-twice/

Rating:

 3.5/5

Fate, time travel, enemies to lovers, this movie hits 3 of my favorite themes! On top of that, Tamara and Michael were super cute together! Unfortunately, this movie failed to keep my interest and I had issues with too many parts of it.

The beginning of the movie has Cheryl coming home to Wellsboro and going to the town fair. While there, she makes a wish that she could go back in time for a week to not take a job Dr. Phillips offers her five years ago.

I’ve made similar wishes in my life. I often wonder what could have been from time to time. So, I fully support this concept!

Shortly after the wish, Cheryl sees a carousal and hops on. The carousal takes her for a ride to the past, where she’s presented with the opportunity to change her future.

This is where things went downhill for me. I’ve always liked these movies when the character goes back to the past at night when they’re asleep to change something they feel they did wrong the first time around, but this was a little too corny for me.

When Cheryl got off the carousal she almost immediately starts seeing significant clues she’s not in 2020 anymore Toto, but she REFUSES to believe it. She sees a poster with a 2015 date and talks to someone about a date she has on Friday, but still refuses to believe. She finally passes out when she runs into someone who’s dead.

She’s suppose to be a smart woman with her doctorate! I just didn’t buy that she would resist the truth so strongly.

While passed out, George carries Cheryl to a first aide tent, where she wakes up and tells him what’s happening. George laughs, but becomes her confidant. Cheryl and George wind up spending the week together teaching a kids science club and Cheryl discovers her love of teaching (and George).

Honestly for most of this movie, I struggled staying awake. It was a solid 3 stars through out, but the carousal time travel concept only gets a 2 from me.

Don’t get me wrong, it was good seeing Cheryl and George grow together. They really are a cute couple and the relationship growth was well done. It was just missing that something extra that some movies give.

I also enjoyed all the discussions of fate and living in the present, but I kept hoping for things to go different. Hallmark could have taken the date with Terrance and had it go worse than the original date. It would have been a great opportunity to infuse some extra humor. Instead, it was used to prove how Terrance was more into himself than Cheryl. If we were proving that you can’t really change the future, I feel like the date should have gone worse than the original.

In fact, there were several parts where the movie seemingly contradicted itself. Don’t tell the dead person she’s going to die, but tell Mom and Dad to not leave the cat alone with the Christmas tree. The inconsistencies made me crazy.

I know I told you this movie was mostly a 3, but you’ll see I’m giving it a 3.5. Why? Well, the ending is honestly a 5. If you don’t watch anything else in the movie, just watch the last 15 minutes. You’ll get all the feels and skip all the blah. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Movie Review: Love, Lights, Hanukkah!

Rating:

 4.5/5

There is little to kvetch about here folks! My Jewish heart was filled with this movie! Ben Savage, who I will always remember as Cory Matthews from Boy Meets World, makes a perfect match with Mia Kirshner.

Mia plays Christina, a woman who’s adopted mother recently died, so she decides to take a DNA test and discovers she’s 50% Jewish.

Through the test, she also finds she has a close relative. The relative, Becky, and her exchange messages and she agrees to meet Becky and her brother Scott at their restaurant.

While at the restaurant, Christina meets David Singer, a restaurant critic who rated her lasagna as forgetful and predictable. Christina gives him a hard time for the review, but Becky tells her he’s a good guy.

While at the restaurant Becky invites Christina to dinner to meet their mother, Ruth. At dinner, we all find out Ruth is Christina’s mother.

Ruth was briefly married to an Italian, Giorgio but had the marriage annulled and discovered she was pregnant when she returned home. Unable to care for the infant, she gave her up for adoption.

You’ll have to watch the movie to find out what happens after that, but let’s cover my two cents 😉

I initially struggled with the DNA testing results. Christina finds out she’s 50% Jewish and her first concern is how she’ll celebrate Jewish holidays? I didn’t understand this reaction. I’m not sure what my first thought or concern would be, but focusing on the Jewish holidays was odd to me.

However, I majorly applauded her for wanting to reach out to Becky and discover that relationship. I also loved how open and welcoming Becky and Scott were to Christina. They didn’t know her that well, but they welcomed her into the family immediately.

Even Ruth welcomed Christina before she realized who she was. I think they even invited Christina to join them in celebrating Hanukkah with them prior to them realizing who she was.

Speaking of Hanukkah…Lets talk about the Hanukkah traditions! Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel I made you out of clay…Did you see all the dreidels in the movie!! OMG! They were so beautiful! From the opening scenes, to seeing Ruth’s whole collection, they were mesmerizing. I’ve never thought about having a dreidel collection, but I might need to start one. You can see some of them in the picture below.

Beyond the dreidels, I loved how they explained the miracle of Hanukkah, what each candle’s purpose was, and taught Christina the candle lighting prayer. It was hilarious hearing her trying to say “Baruch,” and David saying she needed to do it with more phlegm. I had to tell my kids the same thing this year! My husband is a lost cause. I think he’ll always say “Baruck.” LOL. It’s okay, he tries!

The kids love lighting the candles and saying the prayer. They also love eating potato latkes! I added some pictures of our latkes and menorahs below.

I got a kick out of Scott’s 8 crazy latkes. His recipes were so creative! I’m not so sure chocolate latkes would have been a good idea, but I would have tried them 😀 Plus Christina learning to cook them with her mom. Awww…so sweet!

All this talk of Hanukkah and I totally forgot to talk about Christina and David! They were adorable. Christina’s animosity over the lasagna review was short lived, but funny, because everyone talked about it. Plus, Christina’s mom was such a nudnik and kept prying and poking at the two of them to get together. It reminded me of every Jewish mom I’ve seen portrayed in movies/tv.

Overall, this was a cute and funny movie. I appreciated the Jewish traditions they kept alive plus the addition of the Christmas party and angel statue at the end to honor Christina’s adoptive mother. That statue was seriously beautfiul!

I hope you watch this so you can hear the 1-2 dozen different ways David says goodbye. Arrivederci, ciao, aloha, sayonara, adiós, au revior! Happy movie watching y’all! Hasta la vista 😂

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Movie Review: Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas

Rating

 4/5

It all starts with a red envelope and a reindeer postmark. Sarah (Lacey Chabert) receives a red envelope in the mail she assumes is from her boss, which grants her a free stay at The Snowfall Inn.

While at the Inn, she discovers it wasn’t a gift from her boss and several other people staying at the Inn received the same envelopes.

What do these people have in common? Is there a bigger purpose to bringing them together? Who is behind the red envelopes? Watch the movie to find out!

Here’s my two cents worth…

This quiet movie about mystery, fate, and love will have you smiling and rooting for all the different stories to have their happily ever afters.

I watched this movie one time when it premiered, but was too tired to write my review right away. By the time I had a chance to sit down and write this, I couldn’t really remember the movie. Sure, I had my notes, but my notes really just record the basics of what happens and some good quotes I might be able to use when I write my review.

I finally caught it on TV and was able to watch it again. It’s really a sweet movie. I usually lean more towards the super funny romcoms like Good Morning Christmas (2020) or the heart catchers like Christmas Town (2019). So, it’s not a surprise this didn’t make a lasting impression.

I’m a die hard Lacey Chabert fan and she was good in this movie. Her co-lead Stephen Huszar was also good. He’s not my type, but he was good. But that kiss at the end? Nope. Not feeling it. 0 passion. Such a let down.

In many ways Ben and Sarah’s romance is overshadowed by Ted and Karen. They were easily the cutest couple in the movie and you found yourself rooting for them the most.

Just look at how cute they are!!

Maybe it was because second chance romances are kind of my thing. They make my heart say “awwww…” EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I feel like sometimes you meet your love too early in life and you aren’t ready for each other. Then, when the stars align, fate brings you back together.

Fate originally brought all the envelopers together. Then the secret red envelope giver brought all the characters together a second time, which is good, because if this was a movie about just Ben and Sarah, it would be boring. We would have all switched to find something better.

Overall, Hallmark did a good job assembling the whole cast and bringing together each story line without it being overwhelming like The Christmas House. If you have a chance, give this movie a try. It won’t blow your socks off, but it’s cute. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Movie Review: A Little Christmas Charm

Rating:

 4/5

I’ve now watched this movie like 5 times. Not because I enjoyed it that much, but because I kept seeing bits and pieces of it and it never thrilled me enough to make time to watch the whole thing at once.

It actually reminded me a lot of The Christmas Ring that played a few weeks ago. I didn’t review that one, because I also watched it in bits and pieces and it didn’t thrill me all that much. If I see it again, I might do a review on it, so I can compare the two for you.

In the mean time, let’s discuss A Little Christmas Charm. There’s not much to this movie. Holly works in a shop during the day, but creates jewelry on the side. She discovers a charm bracelet in a coat that was donated and decides to find the owner, because she knows how important the bracelet must be to the owner who lost it. Greg, a journalist, discovers Holly is trying to do something selfless, and wants to document it for a Holiday Heroes news piece.

I really enjoyed how they investigated each clue and discovered it’s meaning. It was like watching a non-gory CSI or NCIS episode!

I enjoyed the train scene a lot! How cool would it be to dress-up like you’re from the 1930’s and go on a train ride or spend an evening with others dressed the same way. It would be like you’ve gone back to the future.

Then there was the gala where they dressed up. I loved Holly’s red dress, but I don’t recall Greg having one of those drooling moments over her. Where was the chemistry? He should have been complementing her and giving her more looks than what I saw.

In fact, I didn’t really feel chemistry between the two leads throughout the majority of the movie. They had a joint goal and they worked well together, but I didn’t feel passion from them.

Despite the chemistry issue, I really enjoyed the ending where we hear the full explanation of what the charms were and how they came to be. They wrapped up all the loose endings nicely. The kiss at the end? Eh. I wasn’t running to find my husband to reenact that one.

If this movie is on you should give it a shot. It’s entertaining from the investigation perspective, but don’t expect much in the romance department. I hope you enjoy it a little. Happy movie watching y’all!

Movie Review: Christmas She Wrote

Rating:

 4.5/5

When I read the title of this movie, I was really excited, because I thought it was going to be a Murder She Wrote type of Christmas movie. I love mysteries! I knew Hallmark wouldn’t do a murder mystery Christmas movie, but I thought maybe there could be another mystery that needed to be solved. We’ve seen a lost charm bracelet and lost ring, so why not something else? Sadly, this wasn’t meant to be.

Instead, this movie is about Kayleigh, a columnist for a New York paper. She writes a column called Your Best Self, which is a self-help column.

Tripp is brought onto the paper to clean house and cut costs. He cuts Kayleigh’s column without even reading it! Jerk! Kayleigh’s readership revolts and the owner of the paper insists Tripp rehire Kayleigh or he will be out of a job.

When Kayleigh won’t return Tripp’s phone calls, Tripp decides the best way to convince her to come back to the paper is to visit her in Pineberry, where Kayleigh is visiting her sister. Will Tripp be able to convince Kayleigh to return? Or will Dan, Kayleigh’s previous flame, rekindle their romance and send Tripp home jobless?

You’ll have to watch the movie to see how this ends, but I’ll tell you what I thought of it.

First, I loved Kayleigh! She is a strong, funny, sassy, no-nonsense woman. For example, when she sees Tripp in Pineberry, she asks him if there’s a Grinch convention in town 😂

Then, when he says he isn’t leaving Pineberry without her, she tells him to go see a realtor, because he’s going to be here a long time. You go girl! But my favorite line is probably when she cooks dinner and tells everyone her cooking comes with a warning label, eat at your own risk. 😂 Better than the line itself was Tripp and Dan’s reactions to trying her food. OMG! What won’t a man do for love?

Speaking of men looking for love. Let’s talk a little about Dan and Tripp. I’m glad they brought Dan into this movie. Without him, the movie would have fallen flat. I actually liked Dan more than Tripp, but I’m not a huge Dylan Neal fan. Dylan always comes off as a jerk to me. I’m usually more into Mr. Nice Guy, Sir Knight, or Ze Bad Boy, but not Lé Jerk. Unless said Jerk becomes Mr. Nice Guy, but Dylan just never seems to do that for me.

Anyhow, this movie kept my attention while I was desperately looking for missing packages (UPS and USPS will be the death of me this year). How many times can UPS lose the same package?! Squirrel! Back to the movie…it managed to keep my attention even while I was desperately trying to work on other things and I kept finding myself laughing.

So, if you’re looking for a good romcom to pass the night, give this one a try! I think you’ll find something to enjoy about it. Don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know what you think! Happy movie watching y’all!

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Movie Review: Chistmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing

Rating:

 3/5

I swear I remember watching the Christmas in Evergreen movie last year and enjoying it. This one? Not so much. It left me completely underwhelmed and happy for it to be over. Not just because I couldn’t get into it, but also because Lacey Chabert is on next!

I’m generously giving this movie 3 stars, because of the corny/funny parts in it. I think my favorite characters in the whole movie was Jenny and Josie Cooper, the two elderly sisters who were funny and adorable throughout the movie. They finished each other’s sentences and made the whole movie brighter.

The second part of the movie I thoroughly enjoyed was the wrapping paper fight scene. Especially when the glitter was threatened to be used. Glitter is a serious threat y’all! It’s like sand on the beach. It goes in every nook and cranny and truly never comes out. I sometimes find glitter in my house from over a year ago and sand in sandals from 10 years ago.

The last part I really liked was the part that makes Evergreen itself. For example, when Michelle’s Sister and Dad said that Christmas isn’t really their thing and the whole restaurant dropped their flatware with a clang and stared, I giggled like a schoolgirl. And Nick showing up exactly when he’s needed? I love that kind of Christmas magic!

Aside from those few things, there wasn’t much for me to enjoy. Jeb Cooper comes to town from whatever hole he lived in and has a bug up his butt that his Sisters (Jenny and Josie) had given the town use of the hat factory that was just wasting away. Michelle and her fiance are trying to have a wedding on 12/23, but they’re being kept apart by snow. Hannah and Elliot are facing tough times with Elliot wanting to open a new store in Boston. That pretty much sums up the movie.

So overall, this movie falls flat. If it’s on, give it a try, but it’s not making my top movies list and I will put this on the shelf with this year’s Godwink movie, which is sad, because I thought I’d enjoy both of these more than I did. Happy movie watching y’all!

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!