Category Archives: Saturday Matinee

Love Hard

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as Love Hard, then you MUST READ The Bakery Romance Series by Cecelia Dowdy. The Bakery Romance Series is an Amazon bestselling series. Visit ceceliadowdy.com/books. The link is at the end of this blog post.

Have you ever participated in online dating? If so, what happened? Did any of your dates turn into a long-term relationship?

I saw this movie on Netflix and LOVED it! Natalie has had a lot of disastrous dates. She talks about these awful dates on her dating column. She meets Josh on a dating app. Natalie and Josh bond via long phone conversations. The story takes an interesting turn when she decides to surprise Josh by making the long-distance trip to visit him for Christmas. When she arrives at his home, she realizes that people don’t always portray themselves in a truthful manner.

What I most loved about this movie is that it shows how Josh needed to boost his self-confidence. He is working at a job that he hates just so that he can please his dad. Josh also lives in the shadow of his favored older brother. Josh knows what he’d like to do for a living – but he just needs to find the courage to pursue his dreams. He shows Natalie his true self – what I mean is Josh shows Natalie aspects of himself that he’s not had the courage to share with his own family.

This movie really resonated with me because I dated online decades ago. I recall speaking to one man who said that he no longer participated in online dating. He said that women were not truthful in their ads and he was wasting his time.

When I met one of the men from the dating app in person for the first time – he stated that he was surprised. He said that I was the first person who truthfully portrayed how I looked. He claimed that although the ads had photos, the pics only displayed the person’s face. He said that women would lie about their weight – as well as other aspects about themselves.

Love Hard makes the point that looks aren’t everything. Just because a man is good-looking, doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s actually a good man. Josh proved his kindness. He was nice to Natalie and helped her out. It takes Natalie awhile warm up to Josh. She returns Josh’s kindness as both of them learn their lesson about love, romance and relationships.

So, have you ever participated in online dating? If so, what happened? Did any of your dates turn into a long-term relationship?

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as Love Hard, then you MUST READ The Bakery Romance Series by Cecelia Dowdy. The Bakery Romance Series is an Amazon bestselling series. Visit ceceliadowdy.com/books. The link is at the end of this blog post.

THE BAKERY ROMANCE SERIES

Saturday Matinee – Apple Mortgage Cake

Apple Mortgage Cake

Have you ever been in danger of losing your home because you couldn’t pay the rent/mortgage?

Angela Morgan is in danger of losing her home. She can’t afford to pay her mortgage and she’s unsure of what she can do. In spite of her financial troubles, as well as the difficulties involved with being a struggling single mom to 3 teen-aged boys, she’s still willing to help people. She volunteers at a local outreach center by helping young women to learn job interviewing skills.

Angela’s apple cake is a big hit at her son’s school. The cake is a family recipe and she remembers her mom showing her how to bake her special cake. She decides to sell her cake at $40 each to raise the funds to pay her mortgage. There’s also a side of romance when she runs into Melvin, a guy she used to date over ten years ago.

Angela was full of pride. At times, it was difficult for her to accept help from others. She persevered and she was not one to give up easily. She’s used to doing things alone since her ex-husband doesn’t help her very much. I recall during one scene, when Melvin tells of his feelings for her, she turns him away. Her son reprimands her for not giving Melvin a chance.

Overall, the acting in this movie was good. The movie itself was good, too. I just wish the scenery was more engaging. I suppose I’m used to seeing pretty scenery in women’s/romance movies. I thought the scenery was too dark and dim, especially the scenes in the house. The snow was dirty, too, not pretty and engaging. But, those aspects have nothing to do with the quality of the film or the message and acting. That’s just my personal taste in movie sets, is all.

So, Have you ever been in danger of losing your home because you couldn’t pay the rent/mortgage? If so, were you able to save your house? What did you do to come up with the funds?

Saturday Matinee – Return To Me – A Romance Movie

Return To Me

Have you ever lost a spouse? Did you feel as if your spouse were somehow with you after they’d died?

Bob is a happily married man. He’s married to a woman who is passionate about animals. What night, everything in his life takes a turn for the worse.

Grace is a woman in need of a heart. It doesn’t appear as if she’s going to live for very long. When she receives an unexpected gift, a live-saving gift, her life gets better.

Bob is finding it hard to adjust to life after his wife is gone. He’s hesitant about dating and when he meets Grace, he finds himself drawn to her in an unusual way.

I really enjoyed the romance in this movie. I also enjoyed the characters. Grace is an orphan and she’ has a passel of overbearing male relatives who care about her. She loves receiving the gift of life – she can now enjoy things she used to do, like painting and working in her family’s Italian restaurant.

Bob’s life had gotten depressing and sad. He eats takeout each night and he doesn’t clean up his messy home. He misses his wife and meeting Grace is like a breath of fresh air.

If you like nice, sweet romance movies then give this one a try. There are also subtle hints of the supernatural in this film, which made the movie even more appealing.

So, have you ever lost a spouse? If so, did you feel as if your spouse were with you after they’d died, in a weird supernatural way?

Saturday Matinee – The Wedding Plan

The Wedding Plan – A Movie Review

Have you ever heard of a bride who plans a wedding WITHOUT a groom?

Well, that’s the premise for this wonderful foreign film. It’s been a long time since I’ve watched a foreign film and I was so glad I chose to watch this one on Amazon Prime!

When Michal’s fiancé breaks off their engagement right before the wedding, she’s determined to move forward with her wedding plans. A Jew, she has deep faith that the Lord will provide a groom for her. She’s deeply religious, sometimes funny and she has an unusual occupation. She owns a mobile petting zoo. It’s kind of cool to see a woman petting snakes and furry rabbits, owning her own business. Michal was so determined to find a husband for her wedding.

I highly doubt I’d have had the guts to go through with a wedding, thinking God would provide a husband for me, if my fiancé were to cancel our engagement. That takes a lot of faith and courage. This story was a labyrinth of Michal meeting men as she seeks for a groom.

Overall, a highly unique, highly recommended movie.

So, have you ever heard of a bride who plans a wedding WITHOUT a groom?

Saturday Matinee – Hallmark Christmas Movies

Did you watch any good Christmas movies this year? If so, please leave a comment with your recommendations!

I watched a plethora of Christmas movies this year. Most of them were from the Hallmark Channel. Here are the movies I watched on the Hallmark Channel – beware, some of the details are kinda sketchy since it’s been weeks since I watched some of these:

Marry Me at Christmas – this was a sweet, cheesy movie about a wedding planner (Madeline) who falls for the bride’s brother (Johnny Blake – a famous star). There’s tension between them initially since Johnny thinks that folks like him simply because he’s a star. There are some tense moments and misunderstandings between the couple. Since their worlds are so different, they clash, but, they can’t resist their deep attraction!

Christmas Festival of Ice – this was another sweet movie about a soon-to-be lawyer (Emma) who discovers that her town’s ice-sculpting contest has been cancelled. She campaigns to keep the contest alive and sparks fly when she finds her new ice-sculpting partner (Nick). Emma doesn’t know if she really wants to be a lawyer – after all, ice sculpting is in her blood and it’s fun! It’s also nice to work with Nick, too!

Miss Christmas – Miss Christmas is known for finding the perfect tree for her Chicago festival. When a young boy sends her a letter, telling her about the perfect tree, she’s determined to get this tree for her big event. However, the boy’s dad refuses to give up the tree. The tree means a lot to him and he wants to keep it on his land. Of course they find they’re attracted to one another as they battle over the tree.

The Sweetest Christmas – Kylie is stunned when her boyfriend acts as if he’s going to propose to her, but, offers her a promotion instead. Her world brightens when she discovers that she’s finaled in a gingerbread house competition. She needs a commercial oven to practice and her old boyfriend (Nick) offers the use of his pizzeria oven. This was one of my favorite Hallmark Christmas movies this year. I think I enjoyed it because of the gingerbread competition (I’m a sucker for anything involving sweets!) I also loved that she grows closer to her old boyfriend while she uses his oven. Also, I love pizza, too, so, that just gave me something more to enjoy about this sweet film!

With Love, Christmas – Melanie is assigned her Scrooge-like co-worker (Donovan) for Secret Santa. As they work together on a project, Donovan wonders about the Secret Santa who keeps texting him. He doesn’t realize it’s Melanie – and mistakenly thinks it’s someone else! Melanie doesn’t want Donovan to assume that someone else is his Secret Santa. Why can’t he realize that she’s the one who’s been texting him?

The Mistletoe Inn – This was another favorite of mine this year since it involves two writers. When Kim’s boyfriend breaks up with her because she’s not serious about writing, she’s stunned. She attends a writers retreat and runs into her recent ex-boyfriend as well as Zeke, her retreat writing partner. Zeke has some surprises up his sleeve and now her ex-boyfriend wants to get chummy with her again. I really liked how things turned out with this threesome. This was an enjoyable Christmas movie.

Christmas in Evergreen – a delightful movie about a widower, his daughter, the town’s vet and a magical snow globe. Such a charming story.

Christmas at Holly Lodge – a nice, typical story about a woman who’s fighting to keep her business from going under.

Christmas Next Door – a typical story about a Scrooge-like bachelor who is forced to become a family man and face his dislike for Christmas. His pretty next-door neighbor adds a nice touch to this sweet story.

Christmas Getaway – a nice, typical story about a mix-up (both of the main characters are forced to share a cabin due to a booking mistake). Emory has never had a traditional Christmas and her new cabin mate and his adorable daughter help her to celebrate Christmas the old-fashioned way.

I rented the following two movies:

The Spirit of Christmas – this movie was unusual because it involves a ghost. An old house has not been sold because the realtors have been scared off by a ghost (Daniel). Kate is determined to sell this old house – after all, there’s no such thing as ghosts, right? But, Kate meets Daniel…and she’s stunned. Is it okay to be attracted to a sexy, handsome ghost?

A Cinderella Christmas – I really loved this movie! Orphaned Angie works hard running her uncle’s catering business. Her cousin Candace takes credit for all her hard work. Angie dresses in disguise to attend a formal masquerade ball. When Nick encounters Angie, he’s intrigued. Afterwards, he’s determined to find the sexy girl who was in disguise, but, he’s confused. Was the mysterious woman Angie, or was it her cousin Candace? Out of all the Christmas movies I viewed this year, this one was my favorite! I highly recommend you watch this movie!

So, have you watched any wonderful Christmas movies this year? Please tell me about them!

If you like Hallmark Christmas movies, then you should try Loving Luke – a sweet, decadent, emotional romantic tale – only 99c!

Me Before You

Saturday Matinee

Me Before You

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you became a paraplegic?

This movie is about Will, a cantankerous and bitter young man who has recently become a paraplegic. Louisa is hired to be Will’s assistant. Will objects to Louisa’s presence in his home. But, Louisa is tough, and she refuses to take Will’s objections seriously. She sticks it out because she needs the job.

I loved seeing how both of these characters grew and matured. Will and Louisa come to an understanding and  and their lives drastically change.

Louisa is determined to make this work and she’s not a quitter. She also questions her relationship with her boyfriend. Is he the right man for her?

I think Will is surprised when he actually opens up and starts to trust Louisa.

I hated the ending. Seriously. But, I guess it’s difficult to judge how someone deals with a situation when one has not been in that situation him/herself.

So, have you ever wondered what life would be like if you became a paraplegic? I can’t even begin to imagine that….

New In Town

New in town.jpg

Saturday Matinee

New In Town 

Have you ever relocated to a new town and felt like an alien among your new neighbors?

When Lucy’s job sends her from Miami to a cold Minnesota town to restructure a manufacturing plant, she’s stunned when she meets the town’s inhabitants. She’s from a warm city and these are gossipy, nosy, country folk. She doesn’t care for the union representative for the plant employees (Ted).

The town doesn’t know if they can trust Lucy, after all, their livelihoods are in her hands. The plant provides lots of jobs and they don’t want Lucy to cut any of their jobs.

I really loved seeing this small town. It was so realistic and sweet. I especially loved how Blanche took Lucy under her wing and became her friend (as well as her secretary). I loved seeing the townsfolk socialize and look out for one another. I also loved seeing the budding feelings between Lucy and Ted. Such a sweet story.

I really loved seeing how Blanche’s secret tapioca pudding became central to the plot. I love tapioca! I wanted to taste her secret recipe!

So, have you ever relocated to a new town and felt like an alien among your new neighbors?

 

The Choice

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Saturday Matinee

The Choice

Have you ever fallen in love, even though your love interest seems to be the wrong choice for a mate?

The Choice is a love story that is based on a Nicolas Sparks novel (no, I’ve never read the book). When Gabby meets Travis, her new neighbor, she’s irritated because he appears to be a jerk, playing his music too loud. When Gabby’s medical doctor boyfriend goes out of town, this story takes an interesting turn.

The attraction between Gabby (a medical student) and Travis (a vet) is a classic example of opposites attract. When I first started watching this movie, I was bored. But, the movie got better as the attraction between Travis and Gabby deepens and then there was someone who objected to their relationship.

I loved seeing the scenes on the water. Seeing folks hanging out with friends, having a good time, made for some pleasurable viewing.

Travis falls HARD for Gabby. He even takes her for a boat ride to show her his secret island. Gabby struggles to accept Travis’s love. Is it right for them to continue dating, in spite of her circumstances?

I loved seeing the animals in this movie. It’s so cute to see how animals can play a part in bringing two people together.

Overall, a good movie. I was NOT expecting that traumatic event near the end. I don’t want to say what happens because it’ll spoil the film for you.

So, have you ever fallen in love, even though your love interest seems to be the wrong choice for a mate?