Coincidence, fate, luck, or whatever, Hannah and Josh both find themselves in an awkward position. Ashley Williams and Ryan Paevey star in this 2022 Hallmark movie about taking lemons and making the best lemonade imaginable.

Hannah (Williams) is left at the alter. Well, not exactly at the alter. But close enough. She has her dress on and is ready to step down the aisle when her fiancé informs her he does not want to get married. Frantic, she races out of the church, still dressed in her gown. 

Meanwhile, Josh is waiting at the courthouse for his fiancé ready to tie the knot when she walks up to him and tells him she doesn’t want to get married. What a crazy day for weddings.

Hannah, not knowing where to go, sits on a bench, coincidentally the same bench were Josh is sitting contemplating his situation. They discover they were both jilted at the last minute and commiserate about their mutual unfortunate (or later fortunate) situations. And Hannah was so looking forward to her honeymoon in Hawaii.

After calming down a bit, Josh talks her into going on her honeymoon alone. Why not? It’s all paid for. All the reservations have been made. All she has to do is to get on that plane. Hannah finally agrees to go but only if Josh goes on his honeymoon. Long story short, they both end up on the same flight to Oahu. And, they both end up in the same couples resort. 

Hannah, a compulsive scheduler, has her whole honeymoon scheduled with activities and restaurants. Josh is more a fly-by-his-pants sort of guy and goes with the flow. But the two decide since they are singles in a predominately couples (and honeymoon) resort, they would spend their time together. What have they got to lose? 

The movie was filmed on location in Oahu with spectacular scenery and Hawaiian music. If you have to be alone, this is the most beautiful place to be. 

Okay, so you know this is a Hallmark movie and you know Hannah and Josh will eventually fall in love and yes, get married. After all, that’s one of the reasons fans tune into these films. We all want our happily ever after and we want our movies to be feel-good stories. This one does not disappoint. 

With the beauty of Hawaii as a backdrop, the adventures of Hannah and Josh are enjoyable to watch. The characters are delightful they and make a cute couple once they get through their anger and frustration that led them to Hawaii in the first place.

So, when you need a little pick-me-up or a vacation from your everyday life, check out Two Tickets to Paradise streaming on Hallmark Movies Now.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Image credit: Crown Media

Lacey Chabert and Brennan Elliott once again join forces in a new film that will premiere later this fall, their tenth together for the channel. The duo (the Hallmark Princess and Hallmark Hunk) have endeared themselves to fans with their films and TV series.  

One of their movie series, the All of My Heart series of three films, is available to stream on Hallmark Movies Now. This is a great time to binge this adorable story with a fun cast that includes some goats! Yes, three, and later four adorable goats costar with the duo.

The first film, All of My Heart premiered back in 2015. It introduced Jenny (Chabert), a frustrated New York assistant caterer, to Brian (Elliott), a New York Wall Street trader who loves his job and lives for the adrenaline rush, but just got laid off due to a mistake. 

The two meet at an attorney’s office who informs them they have inherited a house together in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. What a break for Jenny who is anxious to get to the house, but Brian wants to sell it and split the profits. 

When they get to the house and Jenny is enchanted but all Brian sees is a dilapidated house. Nevertheless, Jenny talks him into buying him out over time, and turning the place into a B and B. Finally she will have her own kitchen in which to bake her delicacies. 

Unfortunately, Brian has no place to go so he sets up shop in the house and little by little begins to fix things by learning from the local hardware owner/fix-it man Tommy (Daniel Cudmore). While all this is going on Brian still intends on returning to NYC, but when his big chance comes, he is ambivalent. He is getting the hang of the laid back country life, caring for the goats (Gabby and her kids), and enjoying every minute of it. But will his old life call him back for good or will he see, once back in NYC, that being with Jenny, the goats, and the house is where his heart lies?

Two years later in 2017, Hallmark premiered the second film in the series, All of My Heart: Inn Love. The couple have finally managed to turn the run-down house into a beautiful B and B. Things are looking up for them however there still might be a NYC tug nagging at Brian. 

When things start to fall apart at the house and a storm plays havoc on the roof, their money situation is once again something to consider. While they were creating the B and B, Jenny started a pastry business first selling to the local coffee shop then expanding with the help of a distributor. These two have their hands full, and their hearts full as their love grows into an engagement.

in 2018 All of My Heart: The Wedding tied up the series with a nice little bow. With a new threat to the Inn, they might have to sell and start from scratch. Jenny and Brian have endeared themselves to the community, even Vern (Edward Aster), a crotchety old man who never thought they would make it in the country. Well, at least he thought Brian wouldn’t anyway. He calls him a “fish out of water.” But love conquered all and with the whole town pulling for them, the couple begins their life in their little Inn with plenty of friends and long-lost family. 

Binging the three films back to back is important as they play off of each other. The one thing that might annoy viewers is the house itself. In the first house Brian and Jenny couldn’t agree on the color it should be. She wanted yellow and he wanted blue. They compromised with a lovely mint green. However in the next two films the house is different and it is not green. That aspect might throw viewers in the beginning of the second film, but just disregard it. The characters are still the same, even if the house is not.

The All of My Heart series is available to stream (and binge) on Hallmark Movies Now. 

And look for Chabert and Elliott joining together again later this year for a new movie on Hallmark Channel.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

 

One of the new “Passport to Love” original films from Hallmark Channel is A Greek Recipe for Romance, starring Danielle C. Ryan and Rafael Kariotakis. The movie was filmed on location in Greece so all the spectacular scenery is real – no green screen! 

Abby (Ryan) is a can-do gal. She always comes up with a great solution for any problem that arises. When she is fired from her NYC hotel assistant managerial position, she heads to Greece to visit her mother who had moved there years earlier. 

In a fun “meet cute” moment, Abby meets Theo (Kariotakis) whose Vespa is blocking her mother’s car. 

As circumstances unwind, Abby and Theo seem to meet in various situations. When she is approached to help Theo reopen his late-mother’s restaurant, she decides this would look good on her resume so she takes the “temporary” job.

Theo’s life dream has been to open his own restaurant and his studies at the Cordon Bleu in Paris has helped prepare him and propel him toward his goal. Having grown up on the little island, he is now back and ready to open his restaurant. He wants to carry on his mother’s legacy.

Abby and Theo make a great team. His culinary expertise is unsurpassed and trust me, viewers will be calling Hallmark for a recipe book of the delicious looking delicacies he creates. 

There is one problem plaguing Theo when it comes to his restaurant. He owes a lot of back taxes, which he doesn’t have. So Abby, who always solves problems, comes up with a solution. Then they are plagued by another problem. It’s one thing after another and Abby always manages to solve whatever issues come their way. As stated earlier, she is a can-do gal!

Then, by chance, Abby discovers Theo is the son of a billionaire (think: Onassis). His father wants him to stop chasing his restaurant dream and come to work in the family business. But Theo sees the restaurant as part of the family business. After all, it was his mother’s. 

The scenery is magnificent. The movie was filmed on the island of Syros, in Athens, in the ancient city of Thorikos, and in Stamata. The ancient ruins in Greece provide some wonderful backdrops to this story, and just as the title says, there is some “romance” here, but viewers must wait for the ending for that aspect of the story.

A Greek Recipe for Romance premiered on Hallmark Channel and is available to stream on Hallmark Movies Now.  Opaaa! 

note: After watching this film you might be tempted to head to the nearest Greek restaurant.

 

Image courtesy Hallmark Channel

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

 

The new Hallmark original movie Falling Like Snowflakes kicks off the channel’s annual Christmas in July festival. Rebecca Dalton and Marcus Rosner star in this delightful story that will put a chill in your hot summer day.

Even though it is 90 degrees outside, Hallmark comes through with a cool slate of films for July. Each one brings viewers into the holiday season with plenty of interesting stories and definitely romance.

Teagan (Dalton) is a photographer who delights everyone with her images of various snowflakes. According to her there are 35 different kinds of snowflakes. She has been able to photograph 34 varieties with the illusive 12-sided flake always out of reach. 

When a rich art collector says he will buy the entire collection as well as make a sizable donation to the local community center, this makes everyone happy. The caveat is that Teagan must come up with the 35th style or the deal is off. He wants his collection to include all 35 varieties of snowflakes.

Teagan sets off into the mountains with her high school boyfriend Noah (Rosner), a widower who just moved back to town with his daughter and who has taken over Teagan’s father’s snowplow business. What a coincidence. Noah insists if Teagan is going up the mountain during one of the biggest storms in recent memory, he is going to drive her – in a snowplow. 

While the two are off on their quest to photograph the illusive 12-sided flake, they renew their old friendship and rediscover what they liked about each other. 

The images of all the snowflakes are gorgeous. It’s amazing to see the artwork displayed in this film.

Teagan is determined to capture the 35th flake, not only for her own commercial success but also for the community center that means so much to her and the town. She teaches art there and Noah’s daughter is one of her students.

The question is, will Teagan find the 12-sided flake in the middle of a big storm? Actually, there is another question. Will Teagan and Noah renew their relationship?

Come on, this is a fun Hallmark Channel film so viewers know the answers. Just like their other movies, the heart of the story is getting from point A to point B, and Teagan and Noah do not disappoint when it comes to Hallmark couples and their stories.

Falling Like Snowflakes premieres Saturday, June 29, 2024 on Hallmark Channel. And watch the channel for other original films and Christmas stories throughout July. When the temperatures are hot outside, tune into Hallmark Channel for some mid-year holiday fun.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Image Courtesy Hallmark Channel

 

The Idea of You is a 2024 original movie on Prime Video starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine and All that Heaven Allows is a 1955 movie streaming on Prime Video starring Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman. They are almost 70 years apart but both hold the same emotional tug for viewers as a younger man falls for an older woman, and vice versa.

Anne Hathaway is Solène, a divorced mother with a teenage girl who manages an art gallery in Silver Lake, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. Due to a scheduling conflict with her ex-husband, Solène is drafted into taking her daughter Izzy to Coachella for a concert and while there she accidentally meets Hayes Campbell (Galitzine) one of the singers of the popular boy band  August Moon, a favorite of her daughter. Note: This is a true “Meet Cute” moment.

• Jane Wyman is Cary, a widow with two children in college. She’s basically an empty-nester except the kids often  return home to check up on their mother, enjoy their friends and family time. Cary and her gardener, Ron Kirby (Hudson) begin chatting and enjoying spending time together. The age difference doesn’t bother her – yet – because all they are doing is having some good times together.

Solène and Hayes begin seeing each other and have fun times together. But she keeps him at arms length because of the 16-year age difference and in consideration of her daughter who, thankfully, will be going off to summer camp. It’s then when Hayes invites Solène to join him on his European tour. Sure, why not? They enjoy each other’s company so why not let loose and enjoy her life? Her ex had been a real jerk and left her years ago for a younger woman. It is time for Solène to have some fun – and love – in her life.

• When things get serious between Cary and Ron, she wonders what she should do. Her heart is leading her towards him but her subconscious is telling her the small village in which she lives would really turn against them. Society, especially in the 1950s, frowned on May/December romances.

Solène happily joins the tour and for a long while everything is exciting and wonderful, and it’s not about just the fun of the tour. It’s about the relationship with Hayes that is making her happy. For the first time in a long time Solène is genuinely happy and thinking only about her own feelings and feeling true love.

• Ron thinks he and Cary should get married and although it takes a while, she finally agrees. And now it’s time to introduce him to her kids. But things don’t go the way she had hoped. The kids are not happy about this union. The age difference is something they cannot get over. And the fact that their mother is going to sell the family home and move into his mountain cabin (it is big and beautiful) is something they will not stand for. It’s their family home. Why does she have to move?

Hayes moves into Solène’s house and when the news gets out (this is the time of paparazzi) it starts to get the better of  Izzy.  And all the bullying she has to put up with at school doesn’t help. Both of them are faced with constant comments in person and throughout the Internet.

• Cary’s kids also face the same kind of abuse, although without the internet hounding them. They get it face to face and in side eyes and whisperings behind their backs. When Cary realizes what her love life is doing to her kids, she calls off the wedding only to be haunted by physical problems. According to her doctor she does not have anything physically wrong with her but her unhappiness manifests itself as headaches. She is told by her doctor to marry Hudson and forget about what other people say. Her personal happiness should be front and center.

Solène decides she must break off her relationship with Hayes. After all, she does have a young daughter to think about. Reluctantly he agrees but insists they will pick up their love in 5 years once Izzy is off to college.

• Cary realizes she must follow her heart after her kids come home and announce they are moving and getting married. The kids and their attachment to the family home was one reason she called off her marriage and now they are leaving to start their own lives. So once again, she has to take stock of her life. This time she will be a real empty nester, and without the man she loves. It looks like it is finally time to give into her heart and follow it all the way to Ron’s cabin.

After the proposed five years, Solène and Hayes decide to renew their love and continue where they left off.

Both films have somewhat the same underlying story. But in the end, no matter what others say and without any children to consider, both couples are drawn back together again. Age makes no difference when love is involved. 

Both movies are streaming on Prime Video. 

The Idea of You is rated R for some language and sexual content.

All that Heaven Allows is not rated as it is from 1955, however there is smoking and unseen sexual content.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

courtesy images Prime Video