I wanted to see this movie on the recommendation of Racquel Henry, the owner of Writer’s Atelier, a group I belong to. But I couldn’t find it streaming anywhere, so I ended up buying it. Good decision!
As you’d expect of a Hallmark Christmas romance, it’s light and fun and full of romantic miscues but also has its share of orphans, loneliness and an adorable dog looking for his furrever home. Here’s the story-Jessica, newly single again, takes Christmas cards intended for the guy who just broke up with her and sends them to five people with notes telling them how they have influenced her life for the better:
Her widowed aunt who raised her and her brother
Her BFF, who co-owns Strings and Notes, their music shop
Her fifth-grade music teacher, who sends her son to Jessica with an amazing holiday gift
Her brother, a military mechanic soon to ship out to Germany
And the lead singer in a boy band from her teenage years.
What I really liked about this movie was that, even though it follows each of the recipients to see the affect these notes have on them and Jessica, each story is kept simple enough that every one is satisfying without muddying the others. Sometimes multiple story lines get so convoluted that I end up feeling like the writer lost control and couldn’t pick just one or two main points. Don’t try to put all the things you want to express in one project unless it, and you, can make sense!!
I don’t want to give too much away so I’ll just say that Torrey DeVitto and Chad Michael Murray (The Gilmore Girls) are very charming and full of Christmas charisma. The rest of the cast, which includes Lolita Davidovich and Grant Show as Jessica’s aunt and her new friend, are stellar. And I want to do a disclaimer right here: I’ve been working on a story about a guy who plays Santa for almost 9 months, so I didn’t get that idea from this movie. Just sayin’!!
I’ve already watched it two or three times since May 22, so that right there is the best review I can give it!
Mini Bonus Thing I Like:
Just watched a Netflix original, Love and Gelato, about a young girl whose mother’s last wish was for her to go to Rome. Lina knows her mother spent time in Italy around the same age as she is now but her life there is shrouded in mystery. A little bit love triangle and a lot coming of age, this is a fun little romp with a really appealing lead in Susanna Skaggs and a couple of really cute Italian guys 😊 Throw in eclairs, pasta and breathtaking views and what’s not to love!
This dress is so awesome, the way it changes color as she moves! I think it’s now my favorite movie dress, knocking the Lily James Cinderella ball gown to second place.
Current Reads and Watches
What I’m reading now (paper): Glitterati by Oliver K. Langmead
What I’m reading now (Kindle): This Time for Me by Alexandra Billings
What I’m binge watching: Tiny House Nation on Netflix
I'm Writing As Fast As I Can 