Have you ever dreaded Christmas?

Well, Marie dreads it a lot! Four years ago, she mistakenly thought her boyfriend was going to propose to her.

Instead, he breaks up with her.

Now, whenever Christmas is near, she is NOT EXCITED about the holiday. All she seems to do is remember that fateful day.

But Marie’s world changes when her parents start sending her mystical Christmas ornaments. Every time she receives an ornament, it turns out that that particular ornament is somehow meaningful in her life. For example, she meets her next door neighbor, Nate. She’s attracted to the male nurse and when she receives an ice skating ornament, Nate takes her ice skating (Nate is not aware of her ornament). Also, after she receives a pancake ornament, Nate takes her out for Christmas pancakes. The pattern continues throughout the story and at one time, she mis-reads the meaning of a lighthouse ornament.

Marie likes her job. She wants to move up in the publishing industry and be in charge of her employer’s fiction line. However, her Christmas dread gets worse when her ex is assigned to work with her on a piece of fiction. She’s upset to discover that he’s writing a story about their former love life.

I could really relate to Marie’s life working in the publishing industry. Although I’ve never been an editor for a large publishing house, I’ve written for them. So I could relate from the other side of the table. I used to attend romance writers’ conferences each year just to pitch my books to editors. It was a blast and meeting those editors, plus lots of hard work and dedication, led to my first contracts with large publishing companies!

I thought that Nate was a great, sweet, understanding guy. He’s great with kids at the hospital where he works. In spite of Marie’s negative feelings about Christmas, she manages to spread Christmas cheer at the hospital where Nate works. She’s also great with the kids.

I liked this movie but felt that Marie’s stance against Christmas was a bit harsh. Her boyfriend broke up with her during the holiday season four years ago – four years ago – four years ago! Yes, I’m repeating myself because I felt she should’ve been over her ex and moved on. Four years is long enough to heal from a breakup (unless there are huge extenuating circumstances and I didn’t see any of those in the movie). If I’d written the script, I’d have had her breakup to happen last Christmas, one year ago. That way, her pain would’ve been more raw and fresh and her apprehensions and fears toward Nate would’ve been more plausible.

I loved how the ornaments were like a road map to great things happening in Marie’s life. I wish I could’ve known if the magic from these ornaments was coincidental or if the Lord himself had sprinkled some magic onto those Christmas decorations.

I really enjoyed this Hallmark movie and I think you will, too.

So, have you ever dreaded Christmas? If so, what did you do to cheer yourself up?

Christmas Everlasting Podcast

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing! Check out our titles!

Have you ever had, or known of, a family secret?

I just finished watching this movie and all I can say is STUPENDOUS! I so LOVED this movie! The theme of the movie was a bit darker (more serious) than most Hallmark Movies. This movie is more like the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Channel shows. I’d imagine in the future, when they re-show Christmas Everlasting, it’ll be featured on the HMM&M Channel.

Wait a second. Do you like to read sweet, chaste romance novels? I’m Cecelia Dowdy – romance author. Check out my books. Now back to Christmas Everlasting.

Kudos to the Hallmark Channel for FINALLY having an African-American couple as the lead characters! I’ve been watching HM movies for a good long while and had always wondered why people of color are usually shown as secondary characters – someone’s best friend/sidekick, but, have never been given the spotlight as the lead hero/heroine. Well, this is the first time I’ve ever seen a movie with AA hero and heroine and I was quite pleased with the performance. I really enjoyed all of the actors and actresses and I’m familiar with many of them from shows back in the eighties and nineties (like Fresh Prince of Bel Air and All My Children – a soap opera). And Patty Labelle, she’s been a household name like…forever!

When Lucy returns to her hometown, it’s because her sister Alice has passed. She discovers that Alice had a strong network of friends. Alice has always helped people and she strongly believed in animal rights. She volunteered at the pet shelter and before she had a bad accident, she’d been studying to become a veterinarian.

Lucy is stunned when she discovers that Peter, her old flame, was Alice’s lawyer. Peter informs her that in order to inherit Alice’s home, her family home, she must stay in town for four weeks, through Christmas. Afterwards, she can decide if she wants to keep or sell the home. Lucy doesn’t want to leave her busy life in New York – plus, she’s forced to be in close proximity to Peter – since that fateful night when Alice had her serious accident, she’s avoided Peter and they’ve never talked about the fact that they were together when Alice had her accident.

It was nice seeing this town together during the Christmas season. I enjoyed seeing Lucy search for Maeve – and I was shocked to discover that Maeve was actually Alice’s daughter!

I also loved the animals. I was so glad that Mr. Freckles finally warmed up to Lucy and that she was able to form deep friendships with her sister’s quilting bee friends.

I also loved seeing Peter and Lucy reunite! I also enjoyed knowing that they would go into business together!

Peter had a good heart and it was refreshing to see someone so happy at their job. His job seemed to be low-key, and low stress! I mean, come on, he was out ice fishing and ice skating regularly – during the workday! How grand!

I also loved the cookies (you know I love cookies and often feature sweets, desserts, and baking in the romance novels that I write).

I’m also pleased to see that HM will be releasing a couple of more movies featuring people of color! It’s about time!

Christmas Everlasting is based upon the novel entitled The Second Sister by Marie Bostwick. If you read the book, please let me know how you liked it and how it compares to the movie.

So, have you ever had, or known of, a family secret? Was the secret kept hidden, or was it ever revealed?

This blog post was sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing. If you like good, clean stories like Christmas Everlasting then download Loving Luke by Cecelia Dowdy.