Holly Jolly Romances

Inventing the Christmas Prince Plot Summary A woman is about to quit her job as a rocket engineer when her daughter becomes convinced that her Scrooge-like boss is the Christmas Prince, which is a story that she invented years ago. Starring:  Tamera Mowry-Housley and Ronnie Rowe Jr. Image:  Hallmark Media Extreme Cuteness Alert Isabel Birch plays Grace, the adorable daughter of single mom, Shelby (Mowry-Housley).  Shelby recounts the annual story of the Christmas Prince who did such a wonderful job, that Santa gave him a special promotion.  Every Christmas, the Christmas Prince picks one girl or one boy to be queen or king, and that lucky person receives 12 wishes.  The Prince rides a white horse named Snowball and is distinguished by a birth mark on his hand where Rudolph kissed him when he was a baby. Grace has the wide-eyed wonder only a child possesses at Christmas, and she believes in the Christmas Prince as much as most kids believe in Santa.  When Grace sees the birthmark on E

Three Wise Men and a Baby Plot Summary Three brothers get the surprise of their lives when they are forced to work together and care for a baby over the holiday. Starring:  Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, and Andrew Walker Image:  Hallmark Media What's to Love About Three Wise Men and a Baby ? THE ACTORS It's no wonder fans are raving about Three Wise Men and a Baby and have made it the most watched cable movie of the year.   Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, and Andrew Walker together make the perfect tag team for a comedic holiday delight. The movie was written by Campbell and his faithful Hallmark cohort, Kimberley Sustad (who has a cameo), proving the two have chemistry both onscreen and behind the scenes. Casting Hallmark's top male talent into the same movie was a stroke of genius.  All three delivered outstanding performances, with each complementing the other better than cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg! The movie is highly entertaining and fresh. IT'S LESS PREDICTABLE Whe

A Magical Christmas Village Plot Summary A Christmas village brings the magic of Christmas to the lives of a woman and her family, healing old wounds and bringing new love to her and her family. Starring:  Alison Sweeney, Luke MacFarlane, and Marlo Thomas Image:  Hallmark Media The Wrong Kind of Christmas Magic Hallmarkies love Christmas magic, and it's something the majority of holiday romcoms lacked in 2021.   Many fans petitioned for more movies to include enchanting elements like Santa, the North Pole, elves who find love and lose their pointy ears, and wish-granting snow globes.  Others requested more inspirational stories, like Godwink movies, that focus on how faith brings about the miraculous at Christmas. What has Hallmark been delivering in 2022?  Nothing but mysticism and New Age mumbo jumbo, both arising from the Dark Side.  It's no surprise, really.  The new Hallmark leadership installed in 2020 has been systematically obliterating religious overtones and replacin

Ghosts of Christmas Always Plot Summary A Ghost of Christmas Present must help one soul rediscover his Christmas spirit, but this year has something unusual in store. Starring:  Kim Matula, Ian Harding, Reginald VelJohnson, and Lori Tan Chinn  Image:  Hallmark Media Try Amazon Fresh How Many Spins Can You Make on  A Christmas Carol ? Just when you think you've seen every possible twist on Dickens' timeless classic, you're surprised by another creative rendition.   Hallmark has tweaked the holiday classic many times through the years: A Carol Christmas (2003) It's Christmas, Carol (2012) A Nashville Christmas Carol (2020) A Dickens of a Holiday (2021) How does Ghosts of Christmas Always measure up? Here's What's Great About Ghosts of Christmas Always Hallmark has been testing new talent over the past year, and many of them have been flops.  Fans know their favorite leading actors will eventually grow too old for the type of parts they play, but they expect

A Cozy Christmas Inn Plot Summary   A real estate executive travels to Alaska to acquire an inn for her boss, only to discover it's owned by her ex.  Soon, she is falling in love with the town and quite possibly him.   Starring:  Jodie Sweetin and David O'Donnell   Image:  Hallmark Media A Cozy Christmas Inn Dashes Fan Expectations When Hallmark fans fall in love with a movie, they want to see the story continue.  A perfect example is the All of My Heart trilogy which follows the budding relationship between Jenny (Lacey Chabert) and Brian (Brennan Elliott).  The Wedding Veil trilogy and the Evergreen  installments are also beloved sagas that include many of the original characters, even though each movie focuses on a different set of romantic couples. Christmas Under Wraps  is one of Candace Cameron Bure's best romcoms, and it's definitely a fan favorite.  Hallmarkies have been wishing on snow globes since 2014 that Hallmark would release a sequel.  CCB migrated to

We Need a Little Christmas Plot Summary A single mother juggling a grieving child and facing her first Christmas without her husband develops an unexpected friendship with the neighbor. Starring:  Erica Durance, Patrick Sabongui, Lynn Whitfield, and Azriel Dalman Image:  Hallmark Media Main Characters Are the Least Interesting Add Julie (Durance) to the long list of Hallmark characters whose spouses have died too soon, leaving her to shoulder all the responsibilities of parenthood and the family business.  Yawn. Peter (Sabongui) owns a popular eatery--The Old Place--that has been in his family for 75 years.  When Julie wanders into his restaurant after a hard day and he learns she's an architect, he hires her to modernize his business while leaving enough of its history intact for ambiance and charm.  As the two work together, feelings supposedly develop, but none of it can be felt by the audience.  Durance's performance is icy, her mannerisms are similar to Eloise Mumford'

Christmas Bedtime Stories Plot Summary A single mother is left to raise her daughter after her husband goes MIA and is presumed dead, and she begins telling her daughter bedtime stories about her father. Starring:  Erin Cahill, Charlie Weber, and Steve Lund Image:  Hallmark Media Moving on After Loss Christmas Bedtime Stories is a tear-jerker.   Colby Aames was the love of Danielle's life.  The two met on the military base when Danielle hopped on stage to tell corny jokes while Colby fixed the electrical issue preventing the tree from lighting during the annual ceremony.  The two hit it off and were married the following Christmas.  Besides a wedding, the couple created more memories during the Christmas season, like adding a dog to the family and later, having a baby. Colby's plane went down three years prior while on a mission, and his body was the only one not recovered.  All intelligence indicated he was swept out to sea with no hope of survival.  Colby and Danielle's