Have you ever ran a business with a family member?

Ella and Marianne Dashwood clash when it comes to their family party planning business. Ella wants to take their business to new heights and start planning some large-scale parties. But, Marianne is more cautious. She wants to leave the business as is – they seem to have all the business that they can handle at the moment.

However, when Ella makes a major mistake at one of their events, Marianne gets angry. Ella wants to get back into her sister’s good graces, so, she’s snags an event with Ferris Wheel Toys. Hopefully, her sister will forgive her when she announces their new, high-profile client.

Edward, the man who’s taken over Ferris Wheel Toys (his dad was formerly in charge) has decided to throw an impromptu Christmas party in order to impress some potential clients.

I thought the relationship between the sisters was very realistic. I could understand why one sister would want to run the business one way and then the other sister would disagree.

I enjoyed watching the romance unfold between Ella and Edward. Edward is somewhat of a Scrooge, just a little bit, and Ella tries to make him see how Christmas can be enjoyable.

This movie is loosely based upon the Jane Austen book Sense and Sensibility. I went to Wikipedia to read the book summary (since I’ve never read that book.) Other than the names of the characters, and the attraction between Ella and Edward, I saw few similarities between the book and the movie.

My favorite scene was when Edward gifts Ella with a Ferris Wheel Bear. Having the bear is nostalgic for her and I loved how Edward paid attention to what Ella would like for Christmas.

I also loved the Christmas scenery. It was a major feat, Edward having the party at his house. The party looked so beautiful and so perfect – that is, until Ella mistakenly thought that Edward was dating his high school sweetheart. You ever notice how often that happens in a Hallmark movie? There’s a simple misunderstanding near the end which can easily be cleared up with a five-minute conversation.

There’s just something about Christmas that touches the heart and makes you smile. I suppose I may feel this way because my family never celebrated Christmas – so I enjoy seeing the Christmas lights, decorations and snow!

So, have you ever ran a business with a family member? If so, were you able to sort through your differences?