Review This Reviews!

Showing posts with label Great American Pure Flix. Show all posts

Friday, December 13, 2024

A Hot Cocoa Christmas Movie Review

A Hot Cocoa Christmas is a delightful holiday movie about a woman from a wealthy home who hides her true identity in hopes that a man will want to date her for herself. It becomes even more fun when she has to sneak around to keep him from finding out that the new marketing account his company hopes to land, is with her mother.

We frequently see movies about rich men who want to find a wife that will love them and not their money. They keep their wealth a secret when dating. I liked the twist of it being the female who withholds her true identity this time.

It does seem that one lie leads to another though in order to keep the secret. Plus, the question of when to reveal the secret definitely becomes a problem in a blossoming relationship.

_____

Once again, a movie undergoes a name change. A Hot Cocoa Christmas was released in 2021 and originally named Much Ado About Christmas. In my case, I am certain I selected this movie to watch because "hot cocoa" was in the name. Therefore, I think it was a great name change.

A Hot Cocoa Christmas Movie Synopsis

A Hot Cocoa Christmas

When Haley Logan Lloyd (Susie Abromeit) steps in to help serve hot cocoa at a Christmas party, she has a rare opportunity to meet two men who have no idea who she is. That is an awesome advantage for her because both men are more honest about who they are when interacting with a nobody barista making and serving them hot cocoa.

With one, Claud Miller (Torrance Coombs), she experiences instant attraction. The other shows his less attractive side which keeps her from falling for his "gentlemanly facade" after he finds out her real identity.

Unbeknownst to Haley, both men are at the Christmas party to curry favor with Leona Lloyd, owner of Lloyd Industry, and Haley's mother. They both work for advertising agencies that are vying for her new fragrance line account.

Before Claud leaves the party, he spots Haley and asks her for her number. She writes her name and phone number on a napkin for him, but she leaves her last name off. She just wants a "real" relationship based on attraction and love, not prestige.

Just to add a little more fun to the movie, Haley's best friend, Beatrice, previous dated Claud's co-worker, Ben. When Haley and Ben play matchmakers by inviting them to join them for Christmas karaoke, Beatrice and Ben find they are still attracted to each other. For those of us who are hopeless romantics, having a second happy couple in the movie, is like adding whipped topping on hot cocoa. Just makes it all the better!

Haley and Claud make a really cute couple. Your heart breaks a little when Claud finds out who she really is and feels betrayed.

Check Out More Great American Family Christmas Movie Review

The Great American Family Channel (GAC) has become my favorite streaming service. GAC offers family-friendly programming with movies that pure entertainment without disturbing scenes or foul language.

Here are some of the GAC Christmas movies that I have previously reviewed. I hope you enjoy watching them as much as I did!

A Royal Date for Christmas
Lives are changed forever when a European duke's luggage is lost & he goes to a local store to buy a suit. He realizes he needs more than just clothes.

A Paris Christmas Waltz (2023) Movie Review
A really sweet & uplifting movie about 2 people whose sacrifices for others result in significant changes to their lives that lead them to each other

A Brush With Christmas
When the demands of her restaurant increase for the holidays, Jillian must choose between her commitment to her family & her art due to limited time.

Twas the Text Before Christmas (2023) - Great American Family Movie
A grandmother sends a text to wrong number & ends up making friends with a woman who replies. A Christmas invite is a chance for fun, family & romance.

A Dash of Christmas
Great American Family channel delivers "A Dash of Christmas" in time for the season. A delightful romantic movie with lots of cooking, baking, & fun.

Check Out More Movie Reviews at
ReviewThisMovies.com

A Hot Cocoa Christmas - Movie Review by:

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Friday, December 6, 2024

A Royal Date for Christmas - Movie Review

I was pleasantly surprised by this Christmas movie. I liked both of the actors and movie characters.

To start with, Damon Runyan looks like royalty. He is totally believable playing the part of a European duke. It was fun to watch his character develop throughout the movie. At first, we only see his serious side, but as the movie progresses, we find he actually has a rather playful side that he hides from public view.

Danica McKellar is perfect playing the part of a shop owner who knows her customers and provides more personalized service. She is very kind, lively and spontaneous. She can easily pick out clothing that suits the needs and preferences of her regular clientele, but doesn't hesitate to embrace the challenge of a new, all business, customer with classic style preferences.

Bella Sparks (Danica McKellar) is exactly what Stefan Brown (Damon Runyan) needs in his life. These two make such a cute couple!

A Royal Date for Christmas Synopsis

A Royal Date for ChristmasCheck PriceAfter a delayed flight in London, Stefan William Francis Brown, the Duke of Tangford, arrives in America without his luggage. On the way to his family's estate, he visits Bella Sparks couture shop to purchase a suit with all of the accessories and a "sleep garment". He is in a hurry, so he gives Bella his tailor's contact information and requests delivery to Snowy Crest on the outskirts of town. Of course, Bella has no idea who he is. She simply knows he is a bit abrupt.

Because of his dispassionate attitude, Bella decides to spice up his life with a "fun" sleep garment. When the duke sees it, even he has to chuckle.

Stefan returns to Bella Sparks Couture Boutique the following day because his luggage still has not arrived and he needs additional clothing for the week. He ends up making a very unusual request. Due to his busy schedule, he would like for Bella to act as his personal stylist for his week of luncheons, dinners and meetings. He also asks her to step in as his "plus one" when needed, "strictly professional, of course". Coming from anyone else, that "proposition" would sound inappropriate, but his delivery makes it all sound so acceptable, and Bella's business could use the extra funds for a desired expansion.

As they get to know each other, Bella discovers that he is really very nice, simply concerned about protecting his family's reputation publicly and she is happy to help him succeed.

Check Out More Great American Family Christmas Movie Review

The Great American Family Channel (GAC) offers family-friendly programming with movies that pure entertainment without foul language or disturbing scenes. Because I love their movies so much, my husband gave me a subsription to Pure Flix, which is owned my Great American Media, last year for Christmas. It was the perfect gift for me!

Here are some of the GAC Christmas movies that I have previously watched and reviewed. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

A Paris Christmas Waltz (2023) Movie Review
A really sweet & uplifting movie about 2 people whose sacrifices for others result in significant changes to their lives that lead them to each other

A Brush With Christmas
When the demands of her restaurant increase for the holidays, Jillian must choose between her commitment to her family & her art due to limited time.

A Dash of Christmas
Great American Family channel delivers "A Dash of Christmas" in time for the season. A delightful romantic movie with lots of cooking, baking, & fun.

Check Out More Movie Reviews at
ReviewThisMovies.com

A Royal Date for Christmas - Movie Review by:

FOLLOW US ON:

Friday, November 22, 2024

A Paris Christmas Waltz (2023) Movie Review

Reminiscent of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, Jen Lilley and Matthew Morrison are a beautiful couple that make ballroom dancing look fun, easy and very romantic.

I assure you, I don't take comparing Lilley and Morrison to Rogers and Astaire, lightly. For as long as I can remember, I've thought Ginger Rogers was the epitome of grace, beauty and talent. To say she was captivating would be an understatement. Plus, she was an extremely talented actress in a variety of movie genres, including comedy. She is, by far, my all time favorite actress.

Fred Astaire's name is synonymous with dancing. He was, quite literally, born to dance and he made precision dance look effortless. Astaire's talent wasn't limited to dance and choreography. He was a singer, composer, and played several instruments. His talents, as well as awards and recognition, seem limitless.

As you can see, I greatly admire Rogers and Astaire's talents. They were consummate entertainers.

As for Lilley and Morrison, they have decades to share their talents with us. However, I do believe they have already captured the ability to appear to shut out the rest of the world when they are dancing with each other, just like Rogers and Astaire.

A Paris Christmas Waltz - Great American Family Movie

A Paris Christmas Waltz

The movie opens with Emma Harris and her best friend, Cece, attending a Christmas Gala performance. Emma is mesmerized by the beauty of the dance and the powerful performance by Leo Monroe and his dance partner. When she expresses how she would like to dance like that, her friend immediately knows what she will give her for Christmas, ballroom dance lessons.

When the performance is over, Leo returns to his dressing room to discover an emergency call from a hospital in Paris. When he is informed that his dance teacher and mentor, Henry Fontaine, needs him, he immediately makes plans to fly to Paris. He is still in Paris helping with Henry's dance school a year later when Henry shares that he feels well enough to choreograph a new dance for Leo so he can compete in the Paris Yuletide Pro-Am. Since Leo has severed ties with his previous dance partner, he will need a new partner and decides to audition potential dance partners when he is in New York. That is where he meets Emma.

Emma's heart is touched when a co-worker is informed that his job is being cut. Since she is single with no dependents, and he has children, she offers to take the job cut herself to save his job.

After Emma sacrifices her own employment, she has plenty of time on her hands. Fortunately, she has wisely saved money so it is not imperative that she take a new job immediately. Therefore, when she is given the opportunity to dance with a renowned professional dancer in a Pro-Am competition in Paris, she is ready and excited to embrace this new adventure.

"A Paris Christmas Waltz" is a really sweet and uplifting movie about two people who sacrifice for others at Christmastime. The changes to their own lives as a result of those sacrifices are significant, yet those changes lead them to each other and much more than a Christmas waltz.

Check Out More Great American Family Christmas Movie Review

The Great American Family Channel (GAC), which began in Sept. 2021, offers us family-friendly programming with movies that are clean. Pure entertainment without foul language or disturbing scenes. It is my favorite channel to watch! Here are more Christmas movies that I have previously watched and reviewed. I look forward to seeing what comes next!

A Brush With Christmas
When the demands of her restaurant increase for the holidays, Jillian must choose between her commitment to her family & her art due to limited time.

A Dash of Christmas
Great American Family channel delivers "A Dash of Christmas" in time for the season. A delightful romantic movie with lots of cooking, baking, & fun.

Check Out More Movie Reviews at
ReviewThisMovies.com

A Paris Christmas Waltz Movie Review by:

FOLLOW US ON:

Friday, February 9, 2024

Love's Sweet Recipe (2021) Movie Review

I can certainly understand how anyone who enjoys cooking would think of everything in terms of being a "recipe".

We hear phrases like "recipe for happiness" or "recipe for life", therefore it makes sense for a happily married chef to write a book on his "recipe for love".

The husband/father in this movie is deceased, but he has left behind his book, "The Rule Book of Love" filled with idioms, quotes and memories. His wife and daughter cherish this book and the love expressed within it's pages. It becomes the inspiration for the changes in the restaurant, as well as Courtney's life.

I was not familiar with the actors in "Love's Sweet Recipe", so when I spotted this movie in the lineup on the Great American Pure Flix channel, I was pretty excited to "meet" two new people. Turns out, I liked both Megan Hutchings and Damon Runyan.

This is a really cute story with delightful characters. I highly recommend it for those romantics at heart who believe in a recipe for love.

"Love's Sweet Recipe" Movie Synopsis

Love's Sweet Recipe

Courtney Preston (Megan Hutchings) is a chef that is temporarily helping her mother run her father's restaurant. Her plan is to return to her own career in New York as soon as she can get the restaurant back on solid ground financially. Of course, her mother would love for Courtney to permanently move back home and take over the restaurant. But, that is not the life Courtney has planned for herself.

The other main character, Jake Turner (Damon Runyan), was a pro baseball player. However, after he is injured and can no longer pitch, he decides to pursue his love for baking and go to culinary school. When he graduates, he returns to his hometown and the girl he once admired from afar. When he proposes a business arrangement to work in her restaurant and do the baking, Courtney only briefly hesitates to take him up on his offer. After all, she really does need the help and Jake needs a place to bake.

Of course with a title like "Love's Sweet Recipe", you pretty much know what to expect, but it is still a sweet recipe for an enjoyable movie.