Tag: #hallmarkmovies

Hallmark Movie Review: Two Tickets to Paradise

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/two-tickets-to-paradise

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

FULL DISCLAIMER: I have a thing for Ryan Paevey. This entire review is probably slanted because of this. Please keep that in mind as I give a quick recap and my full two cents. 😉

Quick Re-Cap

Josh and Hannah are both dumped on their wedding day. They run into each other outside the church and encourage each other to go on their honeymoons. They wind up honeymooning in the same location and continue to run into each other until they decide to spend their vacation together.

My Two Cents

I loved everything about this movie! Hawaii, turtles, dolphins, an adorably funny meet cute, frequently shirtless RYAN freaking PAEVEY, ASHLEY WILLIAMS, and so much more. Even a bit of magic 😉

Of course, I’m not talking about actual magic. I’m talking about the magic of fate. I loved the data driven and statistically sensible actuary becoming speechless and spontaneous around Josh. By the end, even Hannah couldn’t deny there’s sometimes a higher power helping two people come together.

Beyond the magic of fate, I really liked how this movie explored what it means to love someone and be in love with someone. Also, how it’s okay to have conflicting emotions. Someone told Hannah, “You have the right to be really mad and really sad, sometimes at the same time.” – I really loved this advice. It’s so true. Sometimes we feel so many emotions at once and they’re all okay.

There’s no right or wrong with emotions, but there is an actress who is spectacular at displaying her emotions! I love Ashley’s over the top facial expressions and reactions paired with Ryan’s solidness. I was worried these two wouldn’t be a good match, but I was very pleasantly surprised! They were so cute together!

I’ve waited this whole review to have this freak out…Ryan Paevey with his shirt off on a beach!! 100,000% yes! I would see that EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. If there was no other reason to like this movie, that would be it!

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

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Hallmark Movie Review: Caribbean Summer

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

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

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

Quick Re-Cap

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

My Two Cents

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Hallmark Movie Review: Hidden Gems

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

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

Quick Re-Cap

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

My Two Cents

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Hallmark Movie Review: Road Trip Romance

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

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

Quick Re-Cap

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

My Two Cents

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Hallmark Movie Review: Warming Up to You

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

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

Quick Re-Cap

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

My Two Cents

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Hallmark Movie Review: Love, Classified

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

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

Quick Re-Cap

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

My Two Cents

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

Okay, now back to your regularly scheduled review…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Hallmark Movie Review: Feeling Butterflies

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

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

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

Quick Re-Cap

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

My Two Cents

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Hallmark Movie Review: Welcome to Mama’s

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

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

Quick Re-Cap

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

My Two Cents

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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!

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

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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: 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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Hallmark Movie Review: An Unexpected Christmas

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/an-unexpected-christmas

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Funny and feels worthy! Can you ask for more in a Hallmark movie? This is definitely a movie to watch this year! Here’s a quick re-cap and my two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

Emily was planning on taking a Hawaiian vacation, but instead is sent to the hometown of her ex-boyfriend, Jamie, for a work project that a coworker wasn’t able to complete. By happenstance Jamie and Emily arrive in town at the same time and Jamie’s sister thinks she’s there to spend the holiday’s with them. Emily is unable to use her coworker’s hotel reservation, so she spends the week with Jamie’s family while pretending she’s still his girlfriend.

My Two Cents

First things first…was I the only person searching faces in the crowds for an Andrew Walker cameo?! Since Tyler cameo’d in Walker’s My Christmas Family Tree, it seemed only fitting that we would see Andrew in this one. And then I saw him!! Andrew runs into Jamie in the bar at about 1 hour into the movie for those who want to catch the scene 🙂

Since Paul Campbell was in Kimberley Sustad’s movie, I think I’m going to go back and re-watch The Santa Stakeout again and see if Kimberley is an undiscovered Easter egg somewhere in there 🙂 Did anyone notice her? If so, where??

Okay, moving on from the Hallmark Easter egg cameos. This movie has lots of humor and heart. I was laughing for most of the movie and swooning for the rest. These are my favorite movies. The romcom’s with lots of heart.

The heart came through especially strong in many of the family scenes. Like the explanation of the ornaments on the tree, the story of the sleigh falling off the roof, or when Jamie’s Mom tells Emily that she always has a home with them. Extra heart-worthy was when Jamie and Emily are outside by the fountain and he shares the tradition of the family members writing their initials on the stones and putting them in the fountain. 😍

But the swooniest (yup, I like making up new words at night) moment was when Jamie asked his Dad, “How’d you know she’s the one?” His Dad’s answer was so simple and perfect, “Whenever we’re apart, I feel like there’s a piece of me missing.” Then at the end of the movie when Emily leaves – c’mon, you knew that would happen! – everyone says they feel like a piece of them is missing. Seriously y’all, soooo sweet. 😍😍

Like I said, this movie isn’t all feels. It’s also fantastic amounts of funny 🙂 The scenes with the waiter were some of my favorites. Keep an eye out for him in the last two minutes of the movie. That little nugget was totally worth it! LOL.

Honestly though there are too many cute/funny moments to list. Tyler and Bethany did a fantastic job with their characters. And they weren’t the only ones! Alison Wandzura was great as Jamie’s sister Becca!

I’m sure we’ve all threatened to tell our parents about a secret our sibling was trying to keep, right? So, I loved when Becca threatened to tell the secret to their parents if Jamie wouldn’t agree to be in the show and Emily had to work concessions. It’s dog eat dog in show business folks 😉

This movie is definitely on my Countdown to Christmas must watch list. It’ll probably make my all time favorites list too. I have a feeling I could watch it anytime and enjoy it just the same. Give it a try folks! I hope you like it as much as I did!!

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

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