Christmas Love Story
A writer goes back to his hometown for Christmas almost every year and enjoys the company of family, close friends and a woman who essentially is his Christmas girlfriend. I like how in this HolRom they’re not swooning over each other, and you can see how they relationship builds-dissolves-rebuilds over time as they’re life changes and their dreams mature.
- Originally watched: 2019
- Tropes: Belated Love Epiphany • Friends to Lovers
- Does it hold up: Yes. 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄
Christmas Contract
What I still like: There is a misunderstanding, and the relationship is halted, but it is resolved in a logical and cute way. Everyone acted authentically no over-the-top cheesiness.
- Originally watched: 2019
- Tropes: Fake Relationship • Best Friend’s Sibling • Shared Goal • Return to Hometown
- Does it hold up: Yes. 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄
Naughty or Nice
Re-watching this I caught so many story holes and nonsensicals, but it still was enjoyable as a cute, and cheesy holiday romance starring Haylie Duff.
- Originally watched: 2017
- Tropes: Enemies-to-Lovers • Opposites Attract • Career vs. Love
- Does it hold up: Yes. 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄
Re-watching this I caught story errors, actors visibly forgetting their lines and editing issues. This was my first all-Black cast HolRom, and I have since watched so many baaaaaad all-Black cast HolRom (Thanks to Maverick Entertainment). This holds up, though. Its still a good story and the production looked good once they got to her hometown.
- Originally watched: 2017
- Tropes: Fake Relationship • Career vs. Love • First Love • Modified Friends-to-Lovers
- Does it hold up: Yes. 🎄 🎄 🎄 (🎄)
Same Time Next Christmas
I really enjoyed this when I first watched it in 2019. I wanted to watch it 2020, but couldn’t find it through any of my subscription services. Then, I found myself with access to Hulu in 2021! Yay! After all that, this was not as exciting the second time around. I didn’t have any particular reason. Just wasn’t as wowed. I’ll keep in the faves list for now, and maybe next year I’ll knock it off the list.
- Originally watched: 2019
- Tropes: Friends-to-Lovers • Modified Belated Love Epiphany/Second Chance at Love • Vacation Romance • Love Triangle
- Does it hold up: Yes. 🎄 🎄 🎄 (🎄)
Holly Star
Still a winner. Is an interesting not-your-typical-HolRom story with the perfect amount of silliness. There’s a similar storyline in Susan Elizabeth Phillip’s romance novel, Heroes Are My Weakness, where a failing puppeteer returns to her hometown and has to solve a mystery.
- Originally watched: 2019
- Tropes: Mystery to Be Solved • Friends-to-Lovers • Return to Hometown
- Does it hold up: Yes. 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄
The Spirit of Christmas
This remains my favorite HolRom of all, and one of my favorite overall movies. It just has the perfect combination of themes I like: Crime, a little bit of the speculative, cheesy romance, story set in a different time period. One thing different that I noted as I watched it this go ‘round, is that the movie was filmed in real, fresh snow. Often these Hallmark or other movies are 2-day productions that happen on sets in the middle of summer with fake snow and actors sweating in their ugly Christmas sweaters. The authentic production makes me really appreciate The Spirit of Christmas even more.
- Originally watched: 2017
- Tropes: Modified Classic Retold (A Christmas Carol) • Woman In Peril • Widower • Shared Goal • Career vs. Love
- Does it hold up: Yes. 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄
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