Reviews

I really like most of these Garage Sale Mysteries because they're well-written and for the most part, believable (or at least, one can suspend disbelief long enough to enjoy the plot.) But this one stuck out for pushing the envelope a little too far: the last killing is the old "hair dryer dropped into the bathtub" ploy (yes, it's possible, but still a long stretch); the first murder is discovered after the body is stuffed into a suit of armor and hung back on the display rack (why? How much time and effort and risk of discovery would a killer have at his/her disposal to do such?) And finally, the idea that someone is set up to take the rap for the murders is so obvious, but Jenn and the detective don't seem to account for that possibility. I'm sorry, but not as well-done as others in this series..,

This was released in 2016 and it just has the feel of something so different from the formulaic and expected Hallmark movies of 2023-24 that I am left wondering why it's so rare. What I'm talking about is the writing first (carefully crafted with "le bon mot" just in the right place almost all the time); then, the acting (mature, experienced lead and supporting actors who have just the right touch in portraying their characters); and, that rare sense of "holding back" or pacing the action and the plot such that the drama and the romance have time to percolate and mature (instead of jumping on the stereotypically expected plot lines).

For me, it was easy to fall in love with Leah even in her inadequacies and hesitancy to live her own life - and when she came to herself as the movie progressed, I was as infatuated as her suitor. The joy of having him put the brakes on their relationship until she stood on her own two feet and broke off her rushed (and unwanted) marriage plans without that "safety net" of someone in the wings waiting for her - for me, that was the true proof of independence and adult decision making. Love this movie and plan to watch it regularly!

Unfortunately, previous negative reviews were absolutely spot-on for what was wrong with this movie, and I failed to heed the urgent warnings of doom. It IS probably the worst Ginger Rogers movie she ever made, so if you're watching for her, good luck on seeing anything of her dancing or coy come-hithering. And the script (if one can name a bunch of loosely connected catch phrases and a dead end plot a "script") is just non-existent. Red Skelton is really embarrassing, and the chance to see a young Lucille Ball is not sufficient to keep one's interest beyond her scenes. Finally, about halfway through, just as I was giving up on the movie and about to turn it off, Fairbanks and Rogers did a 180° turn from ugly, cantankerous, obnoxious fools into sweet lovers, so I stuck around to see the expected ending. It was not enough, but I did give it a 3 for the last half of the movie (would have been a "1" without the turnaround.)

I know some people are going to downgrade this film because it features more variety of diversity, ethnicity, and gay/lesbian romance than they might be comfortable with... but Hallmark has made a commitment to produce more realistic films that portray people as they are and not just as some hope or dream they might be. This movie was well-written and conceived in such a way to show all kinds of people falling in love because of a Valentine's Day encounter with a special Cupid chocolate in a private chocolatier's store - and there were so many couples who got interviewed for their stories due to the skeptical reporter's assignment to flesh out this "urban myth" (instead of his usual job of exposing fakes who take people's money.) The concept and the delightful stories from these couples led to a beautiful romance in the final scene. Of course, it's fantasy and storytelling and magic - and a joy to watch if you have an open mind and a desire to be entertained.

I was faked out by a few semi-positive reviews about this movie and started watching. Nice people in impossible situations and stupid premises make me crazy - and this movie is nothing if not impossible and stupid. How can one imagine the leading characters in a romantic situation? They are incompatibly opposites in an annoying way - not to mention that the man is the mom's boss and she is blackmailing him with her daughter's fantasy life and wish fulfillment. What an emasculated male character who should have walked out of this movie as soon as the plot was unveiled to him... I wish I had tonight's wasted time back - if you haven't made the same mistake, save yourself.

I saved this movie to watch each year the first time I watched it, and it grows on me and I love it more each time I watch it! The big complication (it's a Hallmark tradition to have one 3/4 of the way through) really bothered me the first two times I watched - the beautiful heroine rejects her suitor because he went behind her back to "grease the skids" helping her obtain a bank loan. She interprets his help as a sign that he doesn't really believe in her or that she could accomplish the loan on her own terms. Tonight's viewing prompted a new realization: that she was insecure about her feelings for him (or her trust that he might really care for her) such that she jumped at the chance to destroy their relationship on the thinnest of doubts about his intentions. I get it now! Wonderful keeper and to be enjoyed again and again...

Thought I had stumbled onto Great American Family channel with the stupidity of this movie - bad acting, terrible plot line (unprofessional and unethical behaviors all over), and unrealistic treatment of the color blindness correction (after the glasses were practically forced onto the reluctant patient/love interest.) The passion was manufactured, hardly enough to merit caring about these characters as real people. Silly time-waster that ought to be skipped, unless you like throwing up a little in the back of your mouth every 15 minutes or so... Everything in this film should be seen with some sort of corrective lenses which could possibly bring a little more color to a bland joyless experience...

This was a Hallmark movie? I was overwhelmed by the writing, acting, scenery, and beautiful storyline in this show, and I'm so grateful for the production here as part of the 2022 Christmas season offerings from Hallmark. The retelling of a love story by a grandmother to her dancer wannabee granddaughter was a special touch of reality for a misty-eyed memory of a lifetime of love and dance. And the Rockette story - maybe they should have paid for the feel good public relations on the whole Radio City dream. It really did feel like a loving family, supporting each other in making great entertainment as a backdrop to the plot. I want to see this movie every year at Christmas and that's not something that can be said very often!

I'm sorry but this isn't believable nor stomachable - I'm writing the review as I (sort of) finish watching it... Major problem: the leads are antagonistic (he's trying to sell his dad's drive-in and she's trying to rescue the property for the town) - and get this - the permitting board tells these two former lovers they have to reinvigorate the drive-in in the middle of the winter (at Christmas) and somehow they're supposed to cooperate and even share expenses and work together. Why should the developer help her make the drive-in a going concern? He's got everything to lose and all he had to do was play dirty and show how she doesn't know what she's doing...

I'm sorry, but I have no reason to see these two together either - no idea why they should renew their high school romance that went so wrong after he mistook someone else kissing another guy as his "true" love... Don't waste your time trying to make sense of this...

I only watched this one because of the corgi... almost always skip the royalty Hallmarks because of so many (consistent) letdowns....

This time the prince is a piece of work who really didn't convince me that his commoner dog trainer could have fallen for him, much less he for her... the ending is a bit of a mess because the princess's evil boyfriend who wants to be the power behind her throne if he can manipulate the monarchy transfer - well, he tries to expose our heroine with a notebook that supposedly shows she only came to the castle to get the prince to support her charity. That sounds terrible but the bad guy shows his true spirit of ugliness and gets ignored and thrown out by the sister princess (who ends up being queen on her own.) Why our prince and his dog trainer make up after the big fall out doesn't really make enough sense for me to root for their happily-ever-after, especially after the smashed-up kiss that supposedly shows how he really feels... Sorry - not to be a downer but this isn't what most of us are looking for in a holiday Hallmark movie...

When I saw the initial fan rating of 6.6, I didn't expect this movie to move me as powerfully as it did. Yes, I had to wipe my eyes a couple of times as the wrenching family dramas and pains grew poignant, but it wasn't excessive and I never felt that Hallmark was just manipulating the situation to make me cry. What impressed me the most was how congruent and consistent the acting and writing was throughout the movie. Usually, I can spot a couple of fake moments or times when a character doesn't seem to really believe what they're doing or saying, and there were none of those incidents in this one. My biggest fear about 3/4 of the way through came when the female lead decides to try to help her neighbor's grandson come home from 2000 miles away when there was no way he could make it to the Christmas Eve dinner. Sometimes we get over-the-top military "pull" that someone figures out to accomplish this miracle, but this time, a little-too-easy solution of a cargo transport has room to load the military doctor to get to a domestic flight that sort of arrives just in the nick of time for our expected happy ending. The movie was a 10 until we played that final card but it was done well-enough that I loved the overall effect and wish to watch it again and again. Thanks Hallmark!

I was all set to really settle in without my phone to distract me until this committed, independent, scientific woman started coming up with pie-in-the-sky promises and requests of this small-town Xmas oasis. Things like: please turn off your lights (just for an hour?) so I can look for meteors (just 1 hour?); if you do this for me, I can almost (78%) promise you a great show that will allow you to bring in more people to your Xmas extravaganza (sans lights for an hour); and, of course, she blows off a budding relationship because she's so pissed off at not getting to put her name on her almost "discovered" meteor shower.

She's just not all that prized a catch after she shows her real focus (work, not relationship) and I'm reaching for my phone because I don't really care much for/about her anymore...

This is the best Christmas/Hanukkah film I've seen yet - I look forward to including it in my holiday viewing traditions because of the beautiful writing, support work from all the non-leads (lots of children too), and obvious connection/rapport between the love interests. Their love story progresses slowly and steadily, with neither of them over the top in ugliness, suspicion, or rancor (the usual plot devices in many of these films), and the eventual dénouement is appropriate, well-timed, and celebratory as they both succeed in their work world(s). I loved the blending of the different-faithed families and the warmth expressed between them as they participated in the rituals.

It was a joy to watch a beautiful actress portray a strong character who responded to the her male coworker's encouragement and reflection of her potential - the two of them pirouetted around teasing and supporting and genuinely working together even though they were competing for the same VP position. It felt like magic to watch the whole show.

I suppose this plot wouldn't appeal to anyone who is not facing the challenge of aging for themselves or for a loved one. However, that's where Hallmark focused this movie, and with one major exception, they treated it quite well.

The exception is the lovely "fix every problem in everyone's lives" heroine, who goes overboard on trying to control her grandfather when his falls and health problems indicate he needs a higher level of care than even his solid support system can provide. Amy takes it upon her self to force Grandpa into assisted living, going so far as to oil the skids for his move with a DJ job playing his favorite jazz albums at the center.

Of course, he is independent and rebels, at least until he rethinks all the solutions that have been suggested for him and then deciding (on his own, this time) to give up his livelihood and home in favor of more safety & fewer hassles.

I often write reviews about movies I don't like. This review is for a Hallmark movie that really touched me positively from the beginning to the sweet end. Of course, the lead actors need chemistry and rapport to make a good romance, and these two are such good friends and partners even before they realize the relationship in full depth. Supporting actors (including the kids) were solid, and there were none of the extra plot kinks that make for awkward breakups or interruptions of the action. I highly recommend this one and honestly cannot think of anything major to gripe about. What fun!

With a lot of reviewers, I expected more out of this movie. My first negative was the weakness of much of the supporting cast, seemingly fresh talent that either were miscast (the manager) or overplayed (band wrangler/sound guy). Some seemed to have joined the show straight from a high school stage. And, of course, the leads, though married, don't quite match up as the couple we're (over)expecting. The ending made up for a lot of discomfort in the hour before that, so I gave it a 7 when 5-6 was my general feeling until that end.

What started out as a fun joyride has now turned into a descent into hell with this last season and a half... this episode continues to pile on absurdities on top of crap to the point that one really needs chemical assistance to even stand the story lines (I'm sober, unfortunately.) I just wish things had made more sense instead of constant cringeworthy crazy.

When I first saw this movie (years ago), each of the contract "partners" came through for the other in a special way to insure the other's success. Specifically missing in this version was Nick's outing of the ex-husband in a satisfying ending to Dan/Drew's takeover of the company. The Hallmark Now version seems to run for 87 minutes but this version is only 84 minutes. Why the cut?

I can't believe I sat through this whole piece of garbage, fully aware that it was going to be bad news and deprivation on top of failed plot lines and impossible time lines. But I did. Where to start? The couple falls in love but hasn't had a real date (yet); then they commit to a long distance relationship where he is in some weird multi-year military assignment that only allows him to come home for one week each year... oh, and he misses his window the 2nd year so he is gone 2 years and she just waits and enjoys her FaceTime relationship until he proposes, comes home early to get married and SKIPS out on the wedding to make the return trip to his base to rescue his buddy? Makes no sense that she waits after that... this is really unnecessary and makes no sense. But wait! She goes to Eastern Europe to a secret wilderness training location to show her support and Do Something. I just wish I had done something about halfway through the movie, like turning it off. This movie, like the 20° below zero outdoor wedding that ends this debacle, will leave you cold.

I'm a newbie to G&F but have binged all the episodes over the last month or so and this one really made me think it's not worth it anymore. Too many impossibles and ugly situations that have little redeeming value in my opinion. Frankie is more than impossible to live with much less to be in business with, and I cannot believe Grace has put up with her this long, considering how flipped out the two of them are together (at this point in the series.) I'm beginning to see why so many people gave up on the seasons about this point in the show...

Hallmark went to a lot of trouble and spent tons of money to make this "romance", but as beautiful as the scenery and the actors are, there just isn't enough credibility here to make a love story. Sure, the leads work together and seem compatible and want to get together, but the fake separation/reunion at the end of the show cancels out any good wishes I might have had for their success. I think this was one show that might have worked if the usual plot twists and dilemmas keeping our heroes apart had just been dropped, allowing their warm relationship to simply flower and shine in a normal way. And they almost did...

It was really hard to watch this as the pace was really slow - maybe it was purposeful due to the Caribbean locale? But my mind wandered and I really couldn't get into the show... Interesting concept and story but not well-executed...

Not perfectly done, but Hallmark has made a new entry into inclusion on the same-gender romance genre, and it's really about time. There will be some who don't want two women kissing each other (passionately as well as sweetly) in their Hallmark movies, but I and many others applaud a tasteful, clever love story of the type portrayed here. Again, there are flaws, like a mother who disappears for five years from her grieving children after her husband (their father) dies, but all is forgiven and wrapped up in the best Hallmark tradition at the end (as expected).

This is a warm, more-complex view of romance than we usually see in these movies! From start to finish, it just feels like these family connections and food-centered delights could be real (not faked or just screenwritten fiction.) I would watch this again happily (one of the measures for me of movie worthiness.)

I was SO fascinated with this movie until the last 5-6 minutes, when all the great writing, characters, acting, and warm feelings went up in smoke when a forced, out-of-character "happy ending" came out of nowhere to take me down. Mom is a headstrong, independent divorced woman until she falls apart in the end and foists herself into her daughter's anniversary celebration (which was meant to salvage HER failing marriage.) So we're set up for the daddy to join this fiasco and make things even more absurd with a wedding proposal that Mom actually accepts, right after a heavy conversation where she has just rejected his bid to continue their courtship. It makes no sense and feels insulting (not just to her, but also to this audience.) I would love to have been in the conversation between writers and actors where they fought over how stupid this ending was (& how it negated all the good stuff before.)