Tag Archives: HM Movies and Mysteries Reviews

Five More Minutes

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as Five More Minutes, then you MUST READ The Candy Beach Series by Cecelia Dowdy at ceceliadowdy.com/books. The Candy Beach Series are heartwarming romance stories which are centered around candy-themed plots. The book link is also at the end of this blog post.

Have you ever wished for five more minutes with a deceased friend or relative?

Clara and her mom (Bonnie) are running the family’s confectionary shop alone. The reason they are running the business by themselves is because Clara’s grandfather has recently died. This is Bonnie’s and Clara’s first Christmas without him.

Things get interesting when Clara puts up a Help Wanted sign. Her advertisement is answered by a peculiar and quirky young man named Jay. Jay is a perfect fit for their candy shop. He knows how to run the business and proves to be a great asset to Clara and Bonnie.

Clara wishes she had five more minutes with her grandfather. Her wish is granted when she finds her grandfather’s old journal. When Clara reconnects with her old boyfriend (Logan), they read the journal together and discover that her grandfather had a great first love. He was never able to marry his first sweetheart. Together, they are able to find her grandfather’s first girlfriend – discovering the shocking reason why she was never able to respond to her grandfather’s numerous love letters.

Logan feels bad about the way he’s hurt Clara in the past. He apologizes and their feelings blossom as they read through her grandfather’s journal.

We discover the identity of mysterious Jay at the end. Her grandfather has been with them throughout the entire Christmas season.

I liked this movie but thought it odd that they didn’t know that Jay was really her deceased grandfather as a young man. What I mean to say is, didn’t they know what her grandfather looked like when he was younger? I’d imagine that they would have at least thought that Jay was a long-lost relative or something, considering he looks just like their grandfather.

I’ve noticed in books and movies that they have a dead person to appear as an angel, a helper, to a friend, family member, or some other person in need. Actually, angels are beings that are created by God. They are not dead people who reappear later. I believe to see those who are dead kind of bleeds into the realm of ghosts, not angels.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I believe people go to Heaven. I just don’t think that those who die, and then go to Heaven, should be referred to as angels. Angelic beings are not the same as deceased humans who go to heaven.

Angels can appear in human form and they bring messages from God. They can also assist us humans. They can stay with us for periods of time and they can even eat food. Just kind of interesting how movies and books portray angels as lost/deceased loved ones so often.

Five More Minutes is a wonderful movie that your entire family can enjoy for Christmas.

So, have you ever wished for five more minutes with a deceased friend or relative?

CANDY BEACH SERIES BOOK LINK

My Family Christmas Tree

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My Christmas Family Tree

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing LLC. If you like movies such as My Family Christmas Tree then you MUST READ Caramel Kisses by Cecelia Dowdy. Caramel Kisses is a novel about Michael Gray, an elderly man who wants to find the biological daughter of his deceased wife. When his wife was on her deathbed, she admitted to having a child, and giving that child up for adoption, before she met Michael. She wants Michael to find her daughter and make sure she’s okay. You may purchase Caramel Kisses, a best-selling novel, from Amazon. Go to https://ceceliadowdy.com/caramel-kisses/ or simply click on the link at the end of this blog post.

Do you know anybody who has searched for a biological parent?

My Christmas Family Tree is about a woman named Vanessa. Her mom is dead and she’s never known the identity of her biological father. Vanessa lives alone. She celebrates the holidays by herself, along with her dog. It’s nice to see that she does have a good friend, Dee Dee, since she has no family of her own.

Using a DNA service, she’s matched with Richard. Richard is her biological father.

It’s awkward for Richard to tell his family about Vanessa. His kids are puzzled as to how he can have a biological daughter whom they’ve never met.

Since this is a Hallmark Movie you know they MUST have a romance. While visiting her biological father and his family Vanessa bonds with Kris. Kris is a close friend of Richard’s family.

Vanessa does not initially get along with Richard’s children. They are skeptical about her presence in their home.

Questions arise from the DNA service – they wonder if they’ve given Vanessa the correct information. Is she really a match, or, did they make a mistake?

Vanessa feels torn about telling her new family about the phone call from the DNA service. She’s grown to love them – plus she’s fallen in love with Kris – how can she tell them that she might not be a part of their family? She has to find the courage to tell them that the DNA family matching service may have made a mistake.

I really liked this movie because I’ve often wondered what it would be like not to know the identity of one, or both, of your parents. If I’d grown up not knowing who my dad was, I’d feel as if a huge part of myself would be missing. I’d wonder about my dad’s identity and since I’m naturally a curious person, I probably would have done the same as Vanessa. I would have tried to find my dad and reached out to him.

So, do you know anybody who has searched for a biological parent?

CARAMEL KISSES BOOK LINK

CARAMEL KISSES AMAZON LINK

Boyfriends of Christmas Past

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Boyfriends of Christmas Past Podcast

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing LLC. Come and check out our Christmas romance titles. If you like wholesome, old-fashioned love stories then you will enjoy our books!

Have you ever wondered about your past boyfriends? Ever wonder what would have happened if the two of you had stayed together?

Lauren has been friends with Nate for a long time. She’s always had a hard time with love. She’s been in a number of romantic relationships. Her relationships always end when her significant other expresses his true feelings for her. Whenever one of her past boyfriends say “I love you” Lauren ends the relationship.

In a plot reminiscent of A Christmas Carol, Lauren is taken on a journey to her past relationships. Throughout these breakups, Nate has been there for her. He’s her go-to friend for support. But, Nate is hiding a huge secret. He’s in love with Lauren, but, he’s never found the courage to tell her his feelings. I think he sees that Lauren is scared, too scared to commit to love, and Nate doesn’t want to spoil their friendship by telling her the truth.

Lauren has feelings for Nate and when she is faced with a huge decision, she doesn’t like the feeling of seeing Nate with another woman.

Lauren’s fear stems from her childhood. A long time ago, her mom abandoned her and her dad at Christmas, as a result, Lauren is fearful of romantic commitments. Just stop and think about that for a minute. Can you imagine being abandoned by your mom as a youngster, and never seeing her again? It’s one thing when your mom dies, but, when your mom willingly abandons you? Can you imagine how that’d make you feel? It’s possible that Lauren didn’t feel worthy of love, which is why she pulled away from her past relationships.

Nate has been patient with Lauren for years, but, he reaches a breaking point. He’s tired of being Lauren’s “safe” supportive friend. He wants something more, and Lauren bravely finds the courage to accept Nate’s love.

This movie shows how hard it is to let go of past pains and learn to embrace the future. This movie was a good, heartwarming Christmas story.

So, have you ever wondered about past relationships? Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you’d stayed with one of your former boyfriends? Leave a comment!

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing LLC. If you like good wholesome movies like Boyfriends of Christmas Past then try our Christmas romance novels. Tell your friends by sharing this blog post! Merry Christmas!

CHRISTMAS BOOK LINK

The Good Witch Movies 1-7

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What’s your favorite Good Witch Movie?

I really enjoyed The Good Witch Movies. There were little quirks and idiosyncrasies that bothered me, I must admit.

I love watching Cassie in the kitchen, baking up some wonderful stuff for her friends. I can relate to Cassie’s character since I love making cookies as well as other treats for friends and family.

I enjoyed seeing the first GW movie because it gave some background to Cassie’s character. She rescues and befriends the police chief’s children (Brandon and Lori). The three of them bond and I liked how Cassie helps the children to heal both physically and emotionally.

Just as I was annoyed with Martha in The Good Witch Series, I was also annoyed with her in these movies. Martha, who is the mayor’s wife, is a busybody who objects to Cassie’s presence in their small town. Martha believes that Cassie practices black magic. I found it interesting that Martha and her husband have 2 misbehaved young adult boys. I don’t recall Martha’s children being included in The Good Witch series?

The town continues to object to Cassie’s presence, and as she continues to date Jake (the police chief), a stranger (Nick) appears stating that Grey House, the home which Cassie owns, is legally his. I found this story thread a bit over the top. Lori is able to find out the truth about Nick from a research project she’s doing for school. She’s able to prove that his claim to ownership is totally false. I found this implausible. An entire town believes this stranger – and Cassie is about to lose her house – but a child finds out the truth about everything from a school project? Bizarre! Seems like Nick should be brushing up on his investigative skills! Or, maybe the town lawyer could’ve cracked this case?

A lot happens during these movies. Cassie and Jake marry and Brandon and Lori grow up and go to college. What I found fascinating was that Cassie becomes mayor and Martha Tinsdale is a councilwoman. Later, Martha becomes mayor. In The Good Witch Series Cassie’s cousin Abigail becomes mayor for a little while. Strange how the mayor-ship is passed on to these three women.

I liked seeing Brandon and Lori bond with Cassie. Brandon is bothered by a bully, and Cassie helps him to conquer the situation in a touching and unusual way. Since they don’t have a mom, Cassie fits in perfectly with their family. When Brandon announces his engagement, Cassie helps to plan his wedding.

Cassie also gives birth to her daughter Grace. I wished that the same actress who plays Grace on the series, could have been used in the movie. The actress who portrays Grace as a young child doesn’t resemble the teenaged Grace.

I felt that Martha’s mayoral power was a bit over the top. I thought it was downright ridiculous when she made the entire police department wear uniforms with bow ties. Who does that? I felt that it was implausible. I’d imagine the mayor would have more important things to worry about than bow-tied policemen.

In spite of the implausible plot threads, I thought the movies were good, clean stories that families can watch together.

Have you seen The Good Witch movies? Which one is your favorite?

A Little Christmas Charm

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Have you ever owned a charm bracelet?

Holly, a jewelry designer, and Greg a reporter are on a race against time, trying to find the owner of a charm bracelet.

I thought this movie was whimsical and kind of cute. After Holly finds a mysterious, expensive charm bracelet in the pocket of a donated coat, she’s determined to find the owner. She figures the bracelet was left in the donated coat pocket by mistake.

Greg is a reporter and he’s struggling with his career. He made a big mistake on a news story some time ago, and he’s never forgiven himself. Now, he needs a great, breaking story to salvage his career.

He literally bumps into Holly and the twosome join forces as they search for clues – hoping to find the owner of the bracelet by December 23rd – just in time for Greg’s deadline. He wants to feature the charm bracelet story in the next edition of the newspaper.

I thought the clues were so contrived. I mean, if this were a real mystery, I find it hard to believe that Greg and Holly would’ve been able to solve it using the clues that were in the movie. Some of the clues made sense and some of them didn’t.

So, have you ever owned a charm bracelet? Was the bracelet sentimental?

A Gift of Miracles

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Have you ever felt as if a dead relative were speaking to you from their grave?

When Darcy, a PHD candidate, writes an important paper, her mentor advises that her paper is too clinical. It needs more heart, depth, and emotion. As a result Darcy is assigned to an advisor, Nathan. Nathan must help Darcy with her writing. How can Darcy put more warmth and emotion into her paper?

A raging storm causes a tree to crash through Darcy’s window. When Darcy helps her dad to clean up after the storm, she finds some of her mom’s belongings. Her findings take her on a journey, a journey that appears to be orchestrated by her mom, from up above.

A plethora of things happening brings Darcy into contact with people who are connected with her mom. These connections are not necessarily obvious. After random encounters with strangers – she’ll later discover how these strangers – these events – are linked to her mother. Nathan is behind her, encouraging her. Darcy is more science-minded and skeptical. She wants things to make sense. But Nathan draws her in, helps her to defy logic and just let events happen without finding a rhyme or reason to it.

This was a super mystery. I loved how it ended! The romance between Nathan and Darcy wasn’t as strong as current Hallmark movies, but, it was still enjoyable!

So, have you ever felt that a dead relative was speaking to you from their grave?

A Timeless Christmas

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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.

Wait a second…do you like sweet emotional romance novels? Try one of my bestselling books! You will love them! Now, back to the movie….

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.

Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Illustrated 200th Anniversary Edition

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!

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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!

Father Christmas

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***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:

Finding Father Christmas & Engaging Father Christmas

Kissing Father Christmas

I highly encourage you to read these books and let me know how they compare to the movies.

So, have you ever searched for a lost relative? If so, were you able to find that person?

Mystery Woman

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Have you ever watched the Mystery Woman movies?

The Mystery Woman series features actress Kellie Martin.

Although the Mystery Woman series is old, I recently discovered these gems while searching through the UP Channel movie selections on Amazon Prime. You can also view Mystery Woman movies on Hallmark Movies Now.

Hold on a second. Do you like wholesome mystery stories that remind you of Hallmark Movies and Mysteries? If so, you must try my novel, Shades of Chocolate. It’s a sweet romance mystery that you’ll enjoy! Tell your friends by sharing this link. Now, back to Mystery woman!

I did some sleuthing and discovered that there were several Mystery Woman movies. I was not able to find all of them for viewing. Below is a complete list – the bolded ones are the ones which I was able to watch.

Mystery Woman: Pilot

Mystery Woman: Mystery Weekend

Mystery Woman: Snapshot

Mystery Woman: Sing Me a Murder

Mystery Woman: Vision of a Murder

Mystery Woman: Game Time

Mystery Woman: At First Sight

Mystery Woman: Wild West Mystery

Mystery Woman: Oh Baby

Mystery Woman: Redemption

Mystery Woman: In the Shadows

If you have any suggestions as to how I might access the un-bolded titles, I’d be very appreciative! I can’t seem to find them available.

I really enjoyed these movies because of the strong female lead character. Samantha is brave and she stops at nothing to find the answers to her questions. For example, when her friend is murdered, she doesn’t back down from questioning family members, and other people, even when her life is in danger.

Sam is smart and she also owns a bookstore! A mystery bookstore is the perfect backdrop for these movies. Sam has a helper, Philby, who assists in the bookstore. Philby uses his secret knowledge to unlock the clues that are needed to solve Sam’s mysteries.

Sam is also a photographer. Her picture taking skills help her to solve some of her mysteries. She spends a lot of time developing pictures in her dark room, which is inside her bookstore.

Each of these mysteries are cozy – meaning that there is a murder as the catalyst for each story.

I sensed that Sam would’ve been a strong character as a real detective. When I say real detective, I’m referring to someone who is actually paid to solve mysteries. The way Sam is portrayed in these movies – kind of reminds me of the old Nancy Drew stories I read as a kid. Nancy was also smart, but, like Sam, she didn’t get paid for her detective skills.

I felt that the police commissioner should have been fired. He was totally inept at his job, and he was irritating.

I really liked Sam’s friend, Cassie, who is the police commissioner’s assistant. Like Sam, Cassie is intelligent, and she assists Sam with solving mysteries.

So, have you ever watched Hallmark’s Mystery Woman movies? If so, which ones did you watch? Do you have any favorites?

If you like mysteries, then you should check out my novels, Caramel Kisses and Shades of Chocolate. Both of these books contain strong mystery elements that you are guaranteed to enjoy. Happy reading!

Cedar Cove – The Series – 3

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This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you enjoy The Cedar Cove Series then you MUST READ The Candy Beach Series. The Candy Beach Series are wonderful wholesome, emotional stories with a lot of drama and sweetness. Each novel is set on a beach – there’s also a candy theme. These stories will make you laugh, cry, and feel wonderful. The Candy Beach Series is available on Amazon.com. You may also find these engaging stories on ceceliadowdy.com/books, or, simply go to the link at the end of this blog post. Now, lets chat about Cedar Cove.

Justine, Luke and Seth – did you like them?

Justine is Olivia’s daughter. She’s close to her mom, and a bit estranged from her dad. Her family has been deeply hurt by the death of her twin brother, Jordan. Because of her twin’s death, her mom and dad got a divorce. Justine still thinks about her twin brother. When she’s got something on her mind, she’ll watch old videos of she and Jordan, reminiscing.

I liked Justine. There were a few things that she did…well…things to which I didn’t agree. However, she’s young and when one is young, so that explains a lot about her decisions.

Justine dated Seth. They were pretty serious. In the books, I recall Justine dated Seth after dating Warren – just like the series. However in the Cedar Cove books, Justine and Seth actually got married. They bought a restaurant and they actually open the restaurant and run it before it’s burned down. In the series, Justine and Seth never marry and the restaurant burns down before they can even open for business.

Justine couldn’t be honest with Seth about her feelings. I really felt bad for Seth. He’s willing to give up his dream – returning to his fisherman job with a large salary – just to open the restaurant with Justine. He even proposes to Justine and she doesn’t accept his ring. When Seth leaves for his long-term fishing job – I felt it would’ve been best for them to break up.

Once Seth is gone, Justine starts spending time with Luke. She develops feelings for Luke and when Seth unexpectedly returns and finds them on a date, he’s extremely upset.

I didn’t blame him. Seth still thought they were a couple, even though she didn’t accept his engagement ring. Seth even gives Justine a heartfelt speech – giving her an ultimatum. He reminds her of the sacrifices he’s made for their relationship:

He sold is fishing boat so that he could stay in Cedar Cove to be with Justine.
He bought a restaurant so that they could make a living together.
He asked her to be his wife.

It’s obvious that Seth is just tired since Justine won’t make a clean break with him. He holds a torch for her, and that torch is not reciprocated by Justine. He tells her that she needs to do something for a change since he’s made all of the sacrifices. He demands that she move to Alaska with him, if she wants them to stay together.

Justine ends up choosing Luke over Seth.

I thought Luke was a good man with a lot of problems. His PTSD makes it hard for him to deal with anger. His life is a bit of a mess and Justine wants to fix him. Justine needs to understand that she can’t just fix anybody.

I think if Justine knew herself better, then a lot of the drama between this threesome could’ve been avoided. But, as already stated, she’s young, so that could somewhat explain her actions.

I don’t believe Luke was a character in the Cedar Cove books? If he was in the books, then I’ve forgotten all about him! I read the books so long ago that the details are somewhat sketchy.

So, what’s your opinion about Justine, Seth and Luke? Did you like them? Did you agree with their decisions?

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you enjoy The Cedar Cove Series then you MUST READ The Candy Beach Series. The Candy Beach Series are wonderful wholesome, emotional stories with a lot of drama and sweetness. Each novel set on a beach – there’s also a candy theme. These stories will make you laugh, cry, and feel wonderful. The Candy Beach Series is available on Amazon.com. You may also find these engaging stories on ceceliadowdy.com/books, or, simply go to the link at the end of this blog post.

SUBSCRIBE TO CECELIA DOWDY’S HALLMARK MOVIE BLOG

THE CANDY BEACH SERIES LINK