Tag: #hallmarkromance

Hallmark Movie Review: The Santa Stakeout

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/the-santa-stakeout

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This movie is super cute! It’s definitely a must watch on my Hallmark Countdown to Christmas movie list! It’s cute, funny, and full of holiday cheer. Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents 🙂

Quick Re-Cap

A string of burglaries captures the attention of the Denver police. Frenemies Tanya and Ryan are assigned as partners to figure out who the burglar is. They rent a house next door to their suspect and become fake newlyweds to fit into their new neighborhood, but their fake marriage soon turns real as they get to know each other better.

My Two Cents

There were so many cute and funny moments in this movie! I loved Detective Scrooge versus Detective Jolly. They had great chemistry and it was so much fun watching them grow closer.

I also need to take a moment to recognize the geniusness of the hot cocoa tasting board!! OMG! Why do my local restaurants not have this?? Living in Wisconsin, we tend to only have beer tasting boards. Maybe someone will make a hot cocoa board popular soon! I’d like to see this overtake hot cocoa bombs 🙂

Sadly, we need to talk about something other than the hot cocoa here. So, let’s move on to the actual burglary case. I loved watching the detectives find the clues and work the case. Of course their first guess was wrong and I’m sure we all took a collective sigh of relief at discovering the truth.

I really can’t say enough good things about how wonderful Tamera and Paul were acting together. Especially at the end of the movie where they expose the real criminal and cement their relationship. I loved these two so much, I wish they’d pick them up for a holiday Hallmark Movies & Mysteries series.

I really needed all the joy and fun this movie brings to the start of the holiday season. This is how the countdown to Christmas season deserves to start! Add this movie to your holiday watching season and you won’t be disappointed. Happy movie watching y’all!

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

Please like and follow me 🙂

Hallmark Movie Review: Christmas in my Heart

Image via: https://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/christmas-in-my-heart

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Sorry y’all, I wasn’t feeling this movie. If you’ve read other reviews, you’ll know I love Luke MacFarlane!! I liked Heather Hemmens and the other cast members in this movie too. So, I was pretty upset when the movie fell flat. Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

Katie, the daughter of former country music star, Sean, wants violin lessons. She convinces Beth to give her lessons unbeknownst to her Dad. Beth is a musician on break from New York and is only planning on being in town until after the holidays. Beth and Sean become close 😉

My Two Cents

I had high hopes for this movie! Unfortunately, it fell flat. If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know that I LOVE romcoms and/or movies that make you say awwwww. This whole movie had a sad feel to it. I was depressed watching it.

I felt so sorry for Katie, who lost her Mom. Then her Dad completely shut down and wouldn’t allow anyone close to them. The moment Beth starts to get close, of course he pushes her away.

This is Hallmark, so of course I was expecting that and there is a super sweet and cute ending. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for me. I wanted more joy, fun, and love for the first movie of the season. I didn’t feel enough of any of those emotions throughout the movie.

If you have other movie options, I would definitely skip this movie. It’s sad, depressing, and missing serious amounts of Hallmark Christmas cheer. Keep reading my blog for more Christmas movie reviews this season!

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

Please like and follow me 🙂

Hallmark Movie Review: Love Strikes Twice

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/love-strikes-twice

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Save the Clock Tower!! I couldn’t shake the Back to the Future vibe of this movie. Instead of saving a clock tower, this movie centers around saving a library. Well, it’s about a lot more than a library, but that’s the surface theme of the movie. Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents 🙂

Quick Re-Cap

Maggie and Josh have been married for 15 years, but their marriage isn’t living up to Josh’s expectations and he questions if they should stay together. After hearing about Josh’s concerns, Maggie winds up near a fountain where she makes a wish, bumps her head, and wakes up 15 years in the past. She realizes she has a second chance to make different decisions. Will she take this opportunity to change her life?

My Two Cents

I have a thing for stories with magic; shifters, wizards, and Gods/Goddesses are often high on my magical wish list. While not quite as cool as that sort of magic, this is still fun magic! It’s the time travel/do over/romance type. There’s something incredibly alluring about exploring alternate realities (Hello Dr. Strange!) and it’s the main reason I enjoyed this movie.

I really liked how Maggie embraces returning to the past. Sure, she has a quick freak out moment and tries to (unsuccessfully) return to the future, but then she fully embraces this opportunity. She uses her knowledge of the future to prevent and fix things gone wrong.

One of the nicest things Maggie does is help her brother, Ash. Funny story, I’m reading a book and the lead male is Ash. But you’ll read about that in a future book review…back to the movie. I really loved how Maggie talks about her Dad boasting about Ash’s confidence in order to help him develop his confidence. She also brings him in on her back from the future paradox.

Besides helping Ash, Maggie also helps her Dad and by proxy, her mother. This made me so happy! I swear I almost cried at the end of the movie between Dad and Ash.

Maybe I’m extra sentimental tonight, because this movie hit me right in the feels multiple times.

Maggie and her mom had a conversation about “the one.” Maggie’s Mom said that when people are hung up on “the one,” and things get rough, which they always do, people are more likely to bail. Further, love is a choice we make on a continual basis. I really liked her point of view. I agree that love is a choice we make.

There was so much of this movie that resonated with me. I worried throughout the movie how they would create a Hallmark ending, but they did it! Everyone got the happily ever after they deserved and I swooned. I highly recommend watching this one if it sounds like something you would like.

If these types of movies are up your alley, you should also try and watch The Birthday Wish or A Timeless Christmas

Have you seen it? What did you think? What are your favorite time travel movies? Leave a comment!

Please like and follow me 🙂

Hallmark Movie Review: Taking the Reins

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/taking-the-reins

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’ve been looking forward to this movie since the first preview because…HORSES!!! But horses weren’t the only thing capturing my heart here. Below is a quick re-cap and my full two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

Sam, a journalist, wants to write her first cover story. Her boss tells her that the best way to make that happen is to find a story that’s personal to her. Sam decided the best way to do that is to return home and cover a jumping competition at her parents house. What she doesn’t know is that her parents hired her ex-husband as a trainer for the competition. What could possibly happen in the two weeks before the competition? 🙂

My Two Cents

Hallmark hit me right in the feels with this movie. From the opening scene where Sam is on a date completely distracted by the horse jumping competition to the final competition, I loved every horsey minute.

But the non-horsey parts of the movie? I’m not so sure. After the first 20 minutes, I was tired of Sam and Luke fighting. Luckily, that’s mostly where the fighting ended…over a couch named Winston.

Hold it a second! People name couches? I mean, I’ve heard of people naming cars and Tom Hanks named a volleyball Wilson. BUT A COUCH?! That made me squint and question the writers just a bit. But then we saw Sam and Luke start to move on and leave the major arguments behind.

Returning to the saddle after any amount of time is like coming home. After sitting on Rascal for two seconds, Sam took a deep breath and felt the connection between her and the horse in every part of her soul. Then her soul soared as she took off, which gave her the courage to open her heart further with a shared kiss.

I could make this whole blog post about horses and the unrealistic parts related to the horse parts, but really this is a romance movie. Not just any romance movie – this is Hallmark, so we know a few things are probably going to happen.

  1. The father who was planning on riding in the jumping competition will find himself unable to compete and Sam will need to take his place.
  2. Sam’s parents will be having difficulty with the farm and consider selling it or losing it.
  3. And Sam and Luke will have some falling out before finally coming together for good.

Predictable, but enjoyable accurately describes my final feelings for this movie. I can’t fully separate my love of watching the horses and riding from the movie itself though, so I’m a little biased.

It’s not one of the best Hallmark movies, but it has horses and heart. If these sound like things you enjoy in a movie, then give this one a shot. Happy movie watching y’all!

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

Please like and follow me 🙂

Hallmark Movie Review: Raise a Glass to Love

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/raise-a-glass-to-love

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Oh man guys. Another meh movie. Nothing in this movie gave me butterflies or made me say “awww…” Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

Jenna fails her Master Sommelier exam and returns home for her parent’s party and to study for re-taking the exam. While at home, Jenna learns her parents have hired Marcelo to help make the wine. Ever since her grandma died, the winery hasn’t been doing as well. Jenna and Marcelo become friends, but will they become more?

My Two Cents

I loved Laura Osnes in One Royal Holiday!! I liked her in this movie too, but Juan Pablo Di Pace wasn’t my cup of tea. Which would have been okay, if the plot or chemistry would have floated the movie. Unfortunately, it didn’t and there weren’t any butterflies flying in my belly when these two looked at each other.

This movie really tried to be something special. There were even horses! How can I not LOVE a movie with horses? I don’t know folks, but it’s missing the infamous IT factor. 😞

There were several cute and funny moments I enjoyed. I liked the candle making and apple bobbing. I liked that Marcelo is from Olivia, which just happens to be Jenna’s Grandma’s middle name. That kind of kismet makes me smile every time.

It was the little things that made this movie more entertaining, but it wasn’t enough. I found myself watching the previews for next week’s movie (it’s a horse movie) and wondering why I can’t watch that today. This isn’t a good sign.

Anyhow, if you like wine movies. I highly recommend Paris, Wine & Romance instead. I don’t think I wrote a review for it, but I really liked this one. It has another of my favorite leads. Happy watching y’all!

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

Please like and follow me 🙂

Hallmark Movie Review: Roadhouse Romance

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/roadhouse-romance

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I feel like I was watching previews for this movie forever and the song Callie was singing really stayed in my head for hours after the commercial played! So, I had high hopes for the movie. But music alone cannot carry a movie and sadly, much of the movie didn’t do it for me.

Quick Re-Cap

Callie returns to her hometown after being deployed for two years. She quickly realizes a lot has changed during her deployment. While being overwhelmed from it all, she backs up her truck and Luke happens to run into it. It will take a few days to fix the car, so Luke and his agent, Dan, take a room at Tucker’s Roadhouse while they wait. This allows Callie and Luke time to get to know each other.

My Two Cents

I’m sorry y’all, but this movie didn’t do it for me. It wasn’t anything huge, it was a lot of little things…

  • Terrible lip syncing
  • Timeline issues…Callie left her high school boyfriend, was gone two years, then came back. Wouldn’t that make her 20/21? She’s definitely not 20. Luke is suppose to be a director. He would have to be more than 20. It feels like we’re missing something here.
  • The Hollywood girlfriend for Luke and ex high school boyfriend wanting Callie back aren’t needed for this story. They could have played up Luke being a Hollywood jerk instead and the restaurant needing help and left these two sidelines alone.
  • A DPT (physical therapist) works in a restaurant as a civilian? Why not continue the DPT work? – I heard this answered towards the end of the movie, but it bothered me until then.
  • The car’s purpose
  • The fake scenery during the car rides

Don’t get me wrong, there was several things I enjoyed.

  • The chemistry between Callie and Luke felt real and sweet.
  • I love small town romances, so that was a definite win.
  • Callie’singing.
  • George Jones was a musician, so it’s a fitting dog name in this town
  • The dog chase scene was super cute
  • Dan’s love of food. I’m not sure why I loved him indulging in food so much, but I really did.
  • The recipe location – this scene made me cry!
  • Dan’s romance with Callie’s Aunt

Overall, this is an okay movie. It was really hard for me to get into and I felt like it moved slow, but it was okay. There were parts of it that were really good, but an equal number of parts that were boring. I can’t really recommend it, but I wouldn’t tell you not to watch it either. It hangs in that weird place between. Maybe you won’t mind all the little things that annoyed me. Happy watching y’all!!

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

Please like and follow me 🙂

Hallmark Movie Review: Journey of My Heart

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/journey-of-my-heart/

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was able to watch a Hallmark movie and review it!! Yay!! I’m so glad to have my life somewhat back to normal. Having this new puppy in our house has been a bigger adventure than having two puppies last summer. But I’m sure you would rather to hear about the Hallmark movie instead of my own personal puppy drama 🙂

Journey of my heart captured my heart! From the adorable fresh faces of the two leads to the soul feeling vision question, I loved everything about this movie. I’ll do a quick re-cap, then cover my full two cents.

Quick Re-Cap

Abby is tasked with tracking down Alice Hughes for a news article about bald eagle populations. Alice and Abby make an agreement to work together to create an article that compares the counts from 50 years ago to today. Then Abby sets out to find Eagle’s Crest and Hidden Canyon for her portion of the article. Alice sets Abby up with Eric to help her find Eagle’s Crest/Hidden Canyon.

My Two Cents

I instantly liked Abby! She’s nice, down to earth, totally type A, and funny/geeky/cool. I loved when she was filling her backpack with food, then fell over from the weight. And when she yelled, “Hello world!” to the sky at Eagle’s Crest. 🤣 Computer geeks will find this extra funny/cute. But Abby’s willingness to try new things and ability to persevere really stole my heart.

Along with Abby, her dreams about eagles that led her down the path to the Eagle census also connected with my heart. I have always felt that paying attention to our dreams can help lead us down the path we were meant to follow. Abby did this and found her own vision quest to open her heart and soul, commune with the creator, and find her path. This was very deep for Hallmark, but I loved it.

I had Abby and the eagles. What else could make this movie better? It’s been a while since I’ve seen a Hallmark movie where I could feel actual chemistry between the leads. This movie changed that! The chemistry between Abby and Eric was palpable the whole movie. When they go fishing together, I seriously wanted Eric to just lean in and taste Abby’s neck. I didn’t know fishing could be so hot!

Please hang tight while I go take a cold bath…

Okay! Back! I grabbed the Fannie Mae s’mores mix on my way 🙂

Now that I’ve splashed some cold water on my face, I need to throw some cold water on this movie too. I know there are only so many plots out there, but Chasing Waterfalls wasn’t that long ago and Journey to My Heart shares the same climax 🙁 Even Jeff noticed it from the beginning. Oh Hallmark…you’re in a bad way when Jeff notices your patterns. LOL.

Despite the shared climax, I’m still giving this 5 stars. I loved everything else about this movie and it spoke to my heart. I hope you give this one a try. Happy movie watching y’all!

Please like and follow me 🙂

Hallmark Movie Review: The Baker’s Son

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/the-bakers-son

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

They opened with bread! Fresh. Baked. Bread. I could practically smell it through the tv. Bread is my kryptonite. We have a local restaurant that serves fresh baked bread. I’m drooling thinking about it, but this movie isn’t just about the bread 😉 Let’s quickly re-cap the movie and then I’ll tell you my two cents about the movie…not the bread 🙂

Quick Re-Cap

Matt is a baker’s son who sets his sights on Nicole, who is in town practicing for a ballet performance. Unfortunately, Nicole doesn’t immediately return Matt’s affections. So, Matt turns to his best friend, Annie, to help him win over Nicole. Annie gives Matt the confidence to be the best version of himself and he begins baking the best bread of his life. Is it because he is falling for Nicole or Annie?

My Two Cents

This best friends to lovers small town Hallmark romance movie is super cute! Let’s dive into what I liked and what I felt held this movie back from having top ratings.

If you read my blog, you’ll know that I enjoy sci-fi books/movies that have a bit of magic or mysterious events. This movie has just a tiny bit of magic that satisfies this side of me. I loved that when Matt starts believing in himself, his bread is suddenly so delicious that it puts their tiny town back on the map.

In addition to the magic, there’s a side romance with a super cute dog that made me smile throughout the movie. I love when Hallmark includes these side romances. It’s like a two for the price of one special. 🙂

I enjoyed the main romance, but I struggled a little with Matt and Annie. It was obvious that Annie liked Matt from the beginning, but Matt took longer to come around. I think this is my general issue with friends to lovers romances. I like the soul mate; can’t eat, can’t sleep, can’t live without the other person immediately romances. I don’t feel like this story gives that type of romance.

However, I appreciated the conversation between Nicole and Matt after the ballet. It was honest and real. They can’t be together if neither wants to give up their lives or careers.

Overall, I liked this movie. It’s a solid movie that I’ll be happy to put on multiple times, but it’s not a high scoring must see movie. So, if it’s on and you want a sweet movie, then watch it! But don’t go out of your way to watch it. Happy movie watching y’all!

Please like and follow me 🙂

Hallmark Movie Review: Baby, it’s Cold Inside

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/baby-its-cold-inside

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Oh Hallmark! You cunning puppeteer! It’s been a while since I’ve seen two women go after the same man on a Hallmark movie. The previews didn’t give away this plot twist. Here’s a quick movie re-cap and my two cents 🙂

Movie Re-cap

Hannah is an accident prone travel agent who is sent to an ice hotel to see if it should be recommended for winter getaways. While in the hotel, Hannah meets Ben (the owner/creator) of the ice hotel. Throw in a jealous employee, a secret hotel reviewer, and the promise of a job promotion to lure Hannah away and we have a complete Hallmark movie.

My Two Cents

So…I’m half and half on this movie. There are a lot of cute parts (mostly due to Hannah’s clumsiness), but there were a few head-scratching moments too.

The very opening scene in the movie kinda irked me. Hannah is scheduled to go on a cruise with her best friend, Phoebe, and family. Her boss tells her to cancel so she can go on the trip to the ice hotel instead. Her boss also insinuates that if she doesn’t go, then she may not be eligible for the upcoming promotion.

I wouldn’t want to work for a company that treated me like that. If I’ve worked hard enough to be considered for the promotion, then this one trip shouldn’t make a difference when I have a planned trip with my family. Why was Hannah so willing to give up her trip with her family? Stick up for yourself Hannah!

It worked out for her in the end, but it bothered me that she allowed herself to be pressured into dropping her family and friend to go onto the trip her boss requested.

Moving past this, I enjoyed some parts about this movie. There was so much art and nature! The ice hotel itself was gorgeous! The rooms were decorated with beautiful designs and sculptures. There was a walking path with lights, northern lights, and they incorporated glass blowing. GLASS BLOWING! I love glass blowing!

Despite everything I enjoyed about this movie, it was just okay. I like strong female leads and more humor. I felt Hannah’s lack of self-confidence was a turn-off and the movie wasn’t quite funny enough to be a serious romcom. Give it a try if you’re bored, but I wouldn’t seek this one out. Happy movie watching y’all!

Hallmark Movie Review: Hearts Down Under

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/hearts-down-under

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I’ve watched this movie 3 times. All 3 times I get side tracked and find something better to do. And by better I mean, laundry, dishes, pet my friend Rem, etc. Anyhow, I’ve finally managed to watch the whole movie, but I’m left underwhelmed. Here’s a quick re-cap and my full two cents 🙂 Enjoy!

Movie Re-cap

Caroline’s Aunt dies and leaves her a restaurant in Australia. She travels to Australia and meets Cook (Simon Cook). Caroline has her own restaurant in New York, so she wants to fix up the Australia restaurant and sell it, but she ends up enjoying spending time with Cook. After the restaurant is fixed up, she needs to make the decision to sell or not to sell 🙂

My Two Cents

I feel like there have been a lot of chef movies in the past few months. There’s been Mix Up in the Mediterranean and Right in Front of Me recently. If I stretch, then As Luck Would Have It kind of counts, because he made liquor and there were cooking lessons. Maybe more? I’m not sure, but I think I’m a little tired of chefs.

One thing I’m not tired of though? Hot accents! I can listen to Tim Ross (Cook) talk all day. It didn’t hurt that he also had a rare half naked moment with no shirt! Woot Woot!

Spatch, Caroline’s Aunt’s dog, should definitely receive an award for his role. He was super adorable! Honestly, he stole most of the movie. I really liked Caroline’s insta-bond with him. I often wonder if dogs can smell family members. Like do we all have a similar scent? It makes me think of Vampires vs. Werewolves 😉

Sorry, back on track…

I don’t know y’all. There really wasn’t much else worth mentioning. I enjoyed all the beach shots and wish I could walk along the beach or go fishing.

Overall

This movie was cute and funny at parts – I’m totally going to steal the, “I have to go wash my cat” after looking at my imaginary watch line sometime – but overall it was lacking that IT factor. There were too many parts where I found myself bored.

I think you should watch it and let me know what you think? Am I having a crabby/off day? Should I try it again in a few weeks and see if I like it more? Leave a comment and let me know! Happy movie watching y’all!

Please like and follow me 🙂

Hallmark Movie Review: Right in Front of Me

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/right-in-front-of-me

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’m a die hard Pretty Little Liars fan, which by proxy makes me a Janel Parrish fan 🙂 I was dying to see Janel in a RomCom role and I’m super happy she didn’t disappoint. She’s adorable!

Now that you know about my girl crush on Janel, we need to talk about her movie costar. Who is Marco Grazzini and why haven’t I noticed him before? He was super cute in this movie. His role was perfect and I hope Hallmark pairs these two again!

Movie Re-cap

Carly (Janel) is a Bridal Stylist – not to be confused with a wedding planner. Say what? I didn’t know a thing like this existed. A bridal stylist ensures everyone wearing a dress or tux is wearing something they love and look great in, but she doesn’t get involved in the wedding details or designing the wedding itself.

Nick (Marco) is the chef at the hotel Carly is spending the weekend relaxing at with her friend.

Unbeknownst to Carly, there is a wedding happening at said hotel and the women she went to college with are all there for the wedding. Carly winds up helping the bride with some stylist tips and is invited to the wedding and wedding activities.

Carly finds out her college crush, Matt, is also in town for the wedding. While Carly explores what could have been she also finds out what could be with Nick.

My Two Cents

For the second week in a row, Hallmark hits the spot with a movie that you can turn on and watch any time. There’s nothing new or different about this movie. It’s a classic Hallmark RomCom, but these two have good chemistry and the movie is cute.

There were a lot of parts I enjoyed, but my favorite was probably when Carly convinced Nick and Matt to do the chicken wing challenge. While the two men were practically in tears from the heat of the wings, Carly gloatingly consumed hers to beat the challenge. This was so great!

Oh and Nick remembering to include the tiny fork with Carly’s dessert? Be still my heart! Men like this are keepers! They will always want to make you happy and they will remember these little things that make you happy. When you find a man like this, you hold on tight 🙂

This isn’t going to be one of those movies that you love so much you tell every person you know, but it will be one of those movies you are happy to watch and re-watch when ever you can. I hope you give this a try and enjoy it! Happy movie watching y’all.

Please like and follow me 🙂

Hallmark Movie Review: As Luck Would Have It

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/as-luck-would-have-it

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Instead of men vs. women, this is Kilabbey vs. Lindsey and every minute is fun and enjoyable!

Lindsey works for a company that is trying to buy a castle property that the town Kilabbey, Ireland owns. They send her to Ireland to try and convince the town to sell. Lindsey happens to be there during the Matchmaking Festival and when the town council declines her offer, she decides to stay and participate in the Festival.

Lindsey runs into Brennan almost immediately upon arriving in Kilabbey. He also happens to be on the town council and becomes Lindsey’s nemesis who tries to ruin everything she tries to accomplish. But we all know there’s a thin line between love and hate. 😉

Here’s my two cents…

This enemies to lovers romance hits all the right spots for me. There’s just enough love/hate tension to keep me engaged and entertained. I loved when Brennan dumped way too much salt into Lindsey’s bread. Then there was Lindsey’s sassy attitude while playing hurling.

Even though the town council started out lightly hazing Lindsey, they wound up seeing the good in her. The most important member of the council, Brennan, wasn’t immune to Lindsey’s charms. Brennan didn’t realize it at first, but he kept seeking her out, because he obviously had feelings for her from the beginning. He was adorable.

Beyond Brennan and Lindsey’s romance were the amazing sites. The backgrounds were beautiful! And that castle?! OMG! I love castles like that! They have such history and beauty. One day maybe I’ll be able to see one in person. In the mean time, I love watching them from the comfort of my couch.

Overall, there aren’t any surprises in this movie. It’s a familiar plot with cute little jokes and good chemistry. And of course, we have a happily ever after. This will be one of the movies you can start watching at any point and enjoy. If it’s on, I definitely suggest giving it a try.

Please like and follow me 🙂

Hallmark Movie Review: Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

Image Via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/dont-go-breaking-my-heart/

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Trés harsh breaking up with your girlfriend in the opening scene of the movie! Then walk outside to retrieve your car and unknowingly walk into the break-up boot camp mogul Miranda.

Ben’s situation doesn’t get any better when he sticks his foot in his mouth while trying to convince Miranda to go eat a piece of pizza instead of attending the boot camp 🙂

Ben shortly realizes who Miranda is, but stays in the boot camp anyway. What a trooper! Later, he’s asked by his boss to write an article for the magazine about the boot camp.

My Two Cents

I’ve tried for two days to find a fun/interesting way to write this post. I haven’t succeeded. I’ve even watched the movie twice. So, what’s the deal?

There’s a lot of good in this movie…

The Cast

If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, you’ll know how much I. LOVE. RYAN. Or as one of my friends says, I’m a total Paevey Freak. He can do no wrong. His acting is always on point. I love the salt and pepper thing he has going on with his hair. And his voice has enough gravel that I swoon just listening to him.

Besides Ryan, Italia Ricci is one of the leading ladies I enjoy. She’s super cute! Sadly, she doesn’t make me swoon quite as much as Ryan though 😉

The other supporting actors and actresses were all good too. I really enjoyed the boot camper who was on her second boot camp session. She would be a super fun girl to hang out with! Overall, the casting was really well done!

The Boot Camp

I loved the boot camp idea. Miranda created the boot camp to help heal her own broken heart. She empowers people to take control back of their own lives and begin their healing journey.

Along this journey, they meet other boot campers and do fun activities together. I wanted to join this group just to do the activities alone. Escape room, boxing, ropes course, etc. Yes please!

The Funny

There are a lot of cute and funny moments. I literally laughed out loud during the kick boxing session. I feel like that was an unscripted event and I totally loved it!

Miranda introducing the escape room to everyone was so dramatic! I jumped at first, but then I started giggling at her antics. Plus, while locked in the escape room, Ben and Miranda had the “vanilla ice cream” discussion. Ever since 50 Shades of Grey, I always get a kick out of these conversations 🙂

Boot Camp Miranda

I said earlier that I like Italia and I like a lot about the character Miranda, but I’m drawn to romcoms that are lighthearted and fun. I’m not even sure what to classify this movie as. I don’t think there are enough jokes to make this an actual romcom, but it’s not solidly in any other categories either.

Miranda feels sad and serious throughout most of the movie. And it’s not just Miranda. There are a lot of sad moments from other boot campers over coming their own broken hearts.

I think that’s what kept me from really enjoying it. I felt like the whole movie had this sad undercurrent. Miranda supposedly created this program around the process she took for healing her broken heart, but her heart was broken until it found Ben. Sure, she was living and thriving in her career, but she wasn’t whole. The only truly happy person in this whole movie was the 2nd time boot camper.

Overall

I wanted to like this movie a lot more than I actually did. The underlying sadness was too much for me. If you can overcome the sad aspects of this movie and enjoy the jokes and sweet romance, then this will be a good fit for you. If you’re looking for something funnier or sweeter, then look for something more like Chasing Waterfalls, It was Always You, or Taking a Shot at Love. Happy movie watching y’all!

Please like and follow me 🙂

Hallmark Movie Review: Chasing Waterfalls

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/chasing-waterfalls

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hallmark had me at “Don’t go chasing waterfalls, please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re use to…” One of my favorite 90’s songs! And yes, I did sing it EVERY SINGLE TIME the commercial came on. Jeff kept looking at me a little strangely, but that isn’t really different than normal. I give him lots of reasons to look at me strangely. 😉

Back to the movie Jamie.

Lets do a quick re-cap, then I’ll share my two cents on this corny cute movie.

Amy Atwater (hehe I giggled at the last name…Atwater…waterfalls – corny cuteness #1) is a photographer who primarily photographs people, but an opportunity comes up at work to take photographs of mystical waterfalls. Amy seizes the opportunity.

While trying to find her first waterfall, Amy befriends Mark North (who happens to have a great sense of direction – more corny cuteness) and his daughter Kyra. Amy asks them for directions while trying to figure out how return back to the lodge, but she winds up back at the waterfall.

Amy’s sense of direction isn’t the best. So, she asks Mark for his help locating the mystical/unicorn waterfalls. Mark eventually concedes, and him and Kyria take Amy around to the different waterfalls for her the magazine article.

OMG! Have I told you before that I love corny romcoms?? Corny jokes, corny names, and overall corny cuteness (is that a thing? Eh, it is now). I love it all!

I’m not alone in my corny attraction. As it turns out, Jeff likes corny romcoms too. Yup, he sat here laughing along with me. And yup, I took his man card. 🙂 Oh wait, did I just date myself? Are man cards still a thing? You’ll have to let me know.

Anyhow, this movie is super cute! Amy is such a sweet woman. Definitely directionally challenged, but kind hearted and funny too. In the very beginning of the movie, Amy takes a photo of an old man and his dog. Later she gives him the print of the picture at no charge. Awww…super sweet of her. Later in the movie, she helps Kyra with a boy she likes. It’s just in her to be nice.

I found myself wanting her to end up with a guy like Mark, who is also super sweet and corny. I loved his “Dad jokes,” and his daughter’s reaction to them. He was the perfect compliment to her.

Overall, this movie wasn’t unique or unpredictable, but it was all sorts of corny cute and adorable. Even Jeff gave it 👍 👍.

BONUS…halfway through the movie I found myself thinking, I’ve seen these two together before. A short google trip later and I found it! Love In the Forecast. Also a super cute movie! They can keep pairing these two together all day.

I hope you give this movie (and Love in the Forecast) a try if corny romcoms are your thing. They definitely are mine. Happy movie watching y’all!

Please like and follow me 🙂

Movie Review: Fit for a Prince

Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/fit-for-a-prince

Rating: ⭐

If you follow this blog and you’ve read my other Hallmark movie reviews, then you’ll know I don’t normally tear apart Hallmark movies. I accept them for what they are…often repeatable plot lines that have feel good endings. But this movie? It missed just about every mark.

If you’re thinking to yourself, Jamie just doesn’t like Royal movies. Not true! I love Royal movies. I always wanted to grow up, meet a secret Prince and be whisked away to a life of luxury. Just ask my parents.

If I like royal movies, then why did this movie fail to make a passing grade? Lets start with the obvious…

The lead character’s name is Cindy. Cindy – a nickname for Cinderella. Cindy is the head seamstress, who is hired to design gowns for a royal ball. There are even two girls referred to as evil step sisters (Brooke and Julia) who try to sabotage everything Cindy does.

This is setting up to be a cute Cinderella parody. So why not continue the theme? Why not add an evil step mother, fairy god mother, dropped glass slipper, horse drawn carriage, or play with character’s names like they did with If I Only Had Christmas?

While I mostly missed it the first time, If I only Had Christmas was a parody of The Wizard of Oz. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Wizard of Oz, so I noticed a few of the nuances, but the second time I watched it, I noticed a whole lot more. And they were really well done! This movie? *SMH* HALLMARK you need to commit like you did with If I Only Had Christmas or give Cindy a new name.

That’s enough time droning on about Cinderella and The Wizard of Oz.

There were also several scenes that I’m sure were suppose to be funny, but they fell flat. There’s one where Cindy is trying to get into a building and the security man keeps asking her the same questions repeatedly. I’m sure it was suppose to be funny, but it was just ridiculous. He asked the same exact question repeatedly and she was talking perfectly clearly.

Maybe it would have been better if we had heard and saw what the security guy heard/saw? I’m not sure, but I guess he must have heard her eventually, because the next thing we see is Cindy walking down the hallway to meet with Gloria.

And that ending! UGH!! **Spoiler Alert** Partnership? PARTNERSHIP?! Cindy accepts a partnership when she could have her own brand/company?! Why??? I was really lost on that one. Plus, what’s going to happen when she’s whisked away to be with Prince Ronan?

Then there were the nit picky items like fake British accents, bra straps and bras showing way too often, and multiple awkward moments added to my already failing opinion.

Overall, I can’t recommend this movie. If Hallmark had fully committed to a Cinderella parody, it could have been great, but they didn’t. So, here we sit disappointed in what could have been. Hopefully next week’s movie will be better.

In the mean time, here are a few of my favorite Hallmark Royal movies that I hope you can find somewhere to watch: A Royal Christmas, Crown for Christmas, One Royal Holiday, etc. Happy movie watching y’all!!

Please like and follow me 🙂