When Avery discovers her fiancé is no longer interested in getting married, she breaks their engagement. Now what is she going to do about her fantastical Christmas wedding? The breakup is such a huge disappointment. It’s hard for her to deal with her pain.
Before the breakup, she’d signed up for dancing lessons for her and her future spouse. Since the wedding is cancelled, she doesn’t feel it’s necessary to pursue lessons.
But Roman, the dance instructor, has a better idea. Why doesn’t Avery take the lessons anyway? Avery has always wanted to learn to dance, and this is a perfect opportunity.
What I loved most about this movie is that Avery took a negative experience and turned it into something positive. She didn’t wallow in self pity. She learned to do something that she’s always dreamed about doing – and, of course – she falls for her hunky instructor.
Such a sweet movie.
So, have you ever dealt with a broken engagement? What did you do to get over your pain?
If you’d like for me to blog about a particular movie, then please let me know. I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to fulfill your request, but, I’ll try!
This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing LLC. Read our Amazon bestselling Christmas romance titles today! Tell your friends by sharing this link!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel FORWARD into time?
What can I say? This was an absolutely adorable Hallmark Christmas movie! It’s 1903 and shortly after Charles Whitley (played by Ryan Paevey) has a disagreement with his fiancée, his maid serves him an evening drink. He wakes more than 100 years later.
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His house is now a museum. Actors have been hired to play the historical roles of Charles’s staff – it’s a 1903 Christmastime re-enactment. Visitors think he’s an actor, playing the role of Charles Whitley. He’s having a hard time convincing folks of his identity. He is able to convince the tour guide/actress Megan – who happens to be a descendant of Charles’s housekeeper.
Megan tells of her fascination and studies of Charles Whitley. She tells him that Charles went missing in 1903 – the exact day that Charles had his last evening drink. His disappearance is linked to an old clock. He feels the need to go back in time – back to the night he disappeared.
Since his disappearance things have happened, things that he hopes to fix, and the only way to do that would be to travel back to 1903.
I loved seeing Ryan Paevey in those historical clothes. He is too cute – very easy on the eyes.
Turns out that Charles ends up staying in 2020, deciding not to travel back in time. Of course he falls for Megan and they’ll live happily ever after.
I felt there were a few loose ends that needed to be tied up. Since Charles is staying in 2020, how will he live? He has no social security number. He has no identity. Would he have to get falsified documents since, technically, he should be dead?Would he need to obtain falsified documents in order to make a living in 2020?
A Timeless Christmas is based upon a book. I encourage you to purchase it. After you read it, let me know how the book compares to the movie.
Speaking of books, this movie reminded me of the Washington Irving story Rip Van Winkle. Do you remember reading it as a kid? Rip Van Winkle goes to sleep and wakes up 20 years later to a drastically changed world.
So, have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel over 100 years FORWARD into time? What do you think the world be like? Leave a comment!
This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing LLC. Read our Amazon bestselling Christmas romance titles today! Tell your friends by sharing this link!
Have you ever read, or seen, a story about Santa’s daughter?
This was a cute, fun movie. Santa’s daughter, named Annie, takes a trip to sunny California. This is the first time she’s ever traveled away from the North Pole. She stays at the Candy Cane Inn and meets two men – one of the men is worthy, the other is a conniving actor who has ulterior motives.
I really liked how Annie bonded with the Lucy, the Candy Cane Inn owner, and Lucy’s young daughter, Mia. Annie bonds well with children and is a whiz at working with toys. She has fun helping children with a Christmas production. She also assists a struggling toy store owner.
Annie’s sweet naïve nature was touching. When she discovers the scrupulous motives of her male admirer, well, she is hurt and stunned. But, this is a Hallmark Movie and she realizes just to whom her love belongs!
I enjoyed watching this film.
So do you know of other films that focus on Santa Claus’s daughter?
***This is a movie discussion not a review. This blog post is written from the mind-set that blog readers have seen the movie – so it contains spoilers.
Can you imagine, searching for your father, for the very first time, as an adult?
The Father Christmas film series includes the following three movies:
Finding Father Christmas
Engaging Father Christmas
Marrying Father Christmas
Miranda’s mom was an actress. Her mom died when Miranda was only a child. Since her mother died during Christmas, Miranda, now an adult, hates Christmas. Her life changes when she’s contacted by an old friend of her mom’s – an elderly gentleman who works in theater. He’s found an old suitcase belonging to Miranda’s mom, and has gifted it to Miranda.
The suitcase contains clues – clues that might lead to Miranda’s dad. Her mom has never told her the identity of her father, so Miranda, who has no family, is anxious to find him.
You’ll love these movies set in a small Vermont town. As Miranda searches for her father, she discovers other family members – as well as love. Ian works at the inn where Miranda is staying and he helps her with her search.
These were charming Christmas mystery movies, and they showed just how tenuous family dynamics can be. These movies also showed that – before getting married – one needs to know the baggage/problems that your future mate may have. Miranda’s life is somewhat complicated since she has no family. Ian came from a different background – so he needs to understand why it’s so important for Miranda to cling to the new family members which suddenly appear in her life.
Not only does she find family related to her father, but, an elderly gentleman, claiming to be her deceased mom’s brother, also enters the picture. Ian is skeptical and Miranda struggles to accept her long-lost uncle. She doesn’t know if he’s really her mom’s brother, or, if he’s a media person, after her for a story. Her biological father was a famous actor, so, initially she’s unclear about her “uncle’s” motives.
These are charming Christmas movies. It’s best to watch all three of them, in order, to get the full scope of the story.
These movies were based upon the novels by Robin Jones Gunn:
Have you ever been stranded, and there was nothing you could do about it?
Wedding planner Jessica travels to a small Alaskan town to get rare, highly specialized bridal flowers for her high-maintenance client. When she arrives, she finds herself in a town that has an extremely low population, limited cell phone service, and archaic airplane service.
Due to a series of mishaps, she’s stranded, and it doesn’t appear as if she’s going to make it back home in time for the wedding. Her client is frantically awaiting these special Jingle Bell flowers and Jessica is anxious to deliver them. She has to. Her job depends on it.
Charming Matt grows the Jingle Bell flowers in his greenhouse. Matt shows Jessica around town, and even encourages her to enter the Jingle Bell Pageant.
Time is ticking and Jessica really needs to make it back with the flowers, and her colleague swoops in, trying to steal Jessica’s client away since Jessica is stranded in Alaska.
Can Matt and Jessica make their relationship work, especially since they live far away from each other? Of course they do! This is a Hallmark movie after all!
It was refreshing to see an inter-racial couple. Hallmark has really been working hard on their diversity, which is a good thing.
I’ve never seen the actor playing Matt (Ronnie Rowe Jr.) on a Hallmark movie before. Although Matt and Jessica looked cute together, I didn’t really see a strong attraction between them.
So, have you ever been stranded? If so, where, and for how long, were you stranded?
It’s Christmas, and due to a mishap, Margot, a famous pianist, is now able to spend the holidays with her family – at the Christmas Chateau. Coincidentally, during her stay, she runs into Jackson, who assists the chateau with their annual Christmas concert. This is a Hallmark Movie, so, you know that Jackson will need Margot’s musical talent to contribute to the concert’s repertoire.
Jackson is also a musician. He has his PHD in music and he’s awaiting news about a fellowship for which he’s applied. Jackson and Margot broke up years ago so that they could pursue their dreams.
There’s also a side romance between two violinists. This movie was full of music and wonderful Christmas scenery.
As mentioned in other blog posts, Luke Macfarlane is one of my favorite Hallmark actors. He’s so cute! He’s got such a nice, engaging smile, too. When he grins, he almost looks like he’s hiding a secret or something.
I thought this was a sweet movie to kick off the Christmas season.
So, have you ever taken a second chance on love? If so, were you glad that you did?
Speaking of second chances, if you like second-chance romance then try Loving Luke! It’s only 99 cents and is available as an e-book and as a paperback! Loving Luke is a sweet, second-chance romance that will lift your holiday spirits! If you’ve already read it, consider leaving a sweet review on Amazon and gifting a copy to a friend for Christmas!
Writers’ block. I could so relate to that. In Christmas Next Door famous writer Eric Redford (played by Jesse Metcalfe, and, as usual, he’s as cute as ever!) is struggling with his next book proposal. He’s an author of bachelor-style books and amidst his writing struggle, he receives an unexpected phone call from his mom. She’s “sick”. She can’t take care of his niece and nephew during Christmas so Eric has to step in and take the youngsters over the holidays.
Eric’s life is so carefree. He’s dating a pretty lady and he’s free to hang out with his buddies. However, Eric needs to get to know himself better and you get the sense that his mom is trying to help him. I think she knows her son is unsettled and she realizes he needs some changes in his life – so she orchestrates the visit with his niece and nephew.
Eric is struggling to take care of the two youngsters, so, he solicits help from April, his attractive violin-playing neighbor. April is used to teaching music to kids and she’s getting ready for a big audition. She gets along with Eric’s niece and nephew and slowly shows Eric that Christmas is not so bad.
However, April is leery of Eric. She’s employed as a violinist at a fancy restaurant and runs into her handsome playboy neighbor. She’s offended by his comments, but, deep down, she knows she’s attracted to him. But, Eric has a girlfriend and he supposedly loves his bachelor lifestyle. He’s obviously not a good match for her….or is he?
I enjoyed hearing April play the violin. I did some research online and discovered that the actress who plays April does not really play the violin. The violin-playing was staged, but, it was still, oh-so lovely.
I thought it was cute when Eric kept finding Christmas decorations in his yard! He mistakenly suspects April is the culprit – secretly leaving decorations in his yard at night. It was sweet when his niece and nephew trick him into purchasing a huge Christmas tree. Eric is a Scrooge when it comes to Christmas, but, his niece and nephew, as well as April, show him that the holiday can be oh-so enjoyable! That turkey he made near the end looked delicious!
What I liked most about this movie is that Eric finds out that bachelorhood is not all it’s cracked up to be. He finally finds the “cure” for his writers’ block – he writes a different kind of story, a story that’s the total opposite of what he’s written in the past.
As stated earlier, I could relate to Eric’s writers’ block. I’ve suffered from that occasionally in the past and it is NOT fun! I could also relate to Eric meeting with his agent. I’ve worked with a literary agent in the past and the process can sometimes involve a meeting of three minds: author – agent – publisher; working together to create a wonderful project that the readership should enjoy!
So, have you ever suffered from writers’ block – or something similar – in the past? What did you do about it?
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Christmas with Tucker is a Hallmark Movies and Mysteries selection. It was made back in 2013 and I felt the movie was grittier, more serious, than most Hallmark movies. George is struggling with the recent death of his dad. He’s currently separated from his mom, while he lives on a farm with his grandparents. His mom is dealing with her own grief, and he’s to be reunited with his mother at Christmas.
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George is drawn to a lonely neighborhood dog, whom he secretly names Tucker. Tucker is left all alone and when Tucker’s owner is hospitalized, George and his grandparents look after the dog. George finds that he can’t part with Tucker and he makes an ALMOST deadly deal with Tucker’s owner – a deal that would transfer ownership of Tucker to George.
I liked a lot of things about this movie. Namely, George is such a nice and mature 13-year-old boy. Although he makes mistakes, he still struggles to do what is right. I say that he’s mature because he took on a somewhat adult role a few times in the movie. He plows the snowy roads, driving a huge snow plow, while looking out for the health and well-being of his neighbors. He helps his grandparents run the dairy farm and he also finds out first-hand just how serious, and perhaps deadly, alcoholism could be.
One of the reasons why I felt this movie was so serious was because of the alcoholism. I don’t recall seeing alcoholism addressed in Hallmark movies. If you know of any other Hallmark movies that deal with the subject of alcoholism, then please let me know about them.
Another strange aspect of this movie is that it was not a romance. It was more of a coming of age story about a grieving 13-year-old boy who finds solace in the company of a friendly dog. There’s a hint of romance – an extremely small hint- between George and his female school friend. He rides with his friend each day on the the bus, and you see a brief update on their lives when they reach adulthood.
If you’ve seen this movie, I’d love to hear your opinion about it. I’d also like to know of any other Hallmark Movies that are similar to Christmas with Tucker.
So, do you know of anyone who had to deal with the death of a parent at a young age?
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?
