Ever Ever After — fangirl, interrupted

We have a lot of ‘modern girls’ this time around — from a reality TV host, to a matchmaker to home shopping host and the most traditional — a chef BUT she competes in a reality show! Look at Hallmark stepping out of their usual sets of roles for women. Yes, 50% of them went home to their hometown but STILL! I’m liking this mixing it up. There’s always going to be a formula — it is the HCU after all, but I like the permutations this time around!

A Valentines Match

Fired from her job as a reality TV host, Natalie returns home for Valentine's Day, only to find herself running the town festival's auction with her ex-fiance thanks to two scheming mothers. Starring Bethany Joy Lenz and Luke Macfarlane.

It’s official. I’m a Bethany Joy Lenz stan. She has climbed the ranks of my favorite Hallmark movie stars and I hope she continues and gives the Laceys and Autumns and Rachel Leighs a run for their money because she is winning. She can play anything and I’ll love her and as the reality show star who wasn’t authentic enough, I was in love with her look and wardrobe and just really was rooting for this go-getter.

So when she comes home and her mother (hello, Mrs. Leary!) is all agog to help get her back together with her ex-fiancee who now owns the local hardware, I was onboard with the plan! The meet cute that their mothers forced at the hardware store was pretty damn cute. Forcing them to plan the V-Day auction together? I’ll take it!

I wish they had made the ‘current boyfriend’ (her tv producer) a lot more likable (come on, Hallmark, you made it too easy to not root for him!) so that there would be some real stakes, but the airport chase scene in the end was the cherry on top. Give me more Bethany Joy Lenz, please.

Valentine Meter: 💖💖💖💖💖

Matching Hearts

As Valentine's Day nears, a matchmaker is tasked by her mentor to find a match for an entrepreneur who believes staying single is the key to success. Stars Taylor Cole and Ryan Paevey.

The shoe had to drop at some point. Don’t get me wrong this wasn’t a bad movie at all, it just wasn’t as awesome as the string of surprisingly great movies that Hallmark has been serving me back to back so I was coming off from a high.

Nevertheless, there were some high points — I always like a match making plotline because you know one of the founders or people who work for the company will always fall for one of the clients! Oh what a twist! It’s too bad because Ryan Paevy does have that stare that brings the feels, but i just wasn’t feeling it as much with Taylor Cole.

All the side stories they matched though were interesting and I WOULD be very interested in seeing a mega HCU crossover — like a matchmaker mystery of sort where every week, there’s a new couple they match and that’s the focus of the story! But that’s just me. Maybe it already exists in Movies & Mysteries and I just haven’t been trying it out.

Also the split second Asian gay representation in the party in the end. I guess Hallmark is trying to make up for their Zola fiasco from last year. Long way to go, hallmark but I’m glad you’re kind of trying.

Valentine Meter: 💖💖💖

The Secret Ingredient

Small-town baker, Kelly, gets a big surprise when she is invited to compete on a Valentine's Day baking show in New York City - and an even bigger surprise when she runs into her ex-fiance. Stars Erin Cahill, Brendan Penny and Maneet Chauhan.

I love Brendan Penny and I’m slowly falling for Erin Cahill so I was pretty pumped to see them paired in a Valentines movie. And sure, it wasn’t a Bottled With Love, let’s be real, not a lot of movies can live up, but it was pretty darn cute.

I’ll give it to the production design of this show. For a ‘high concept’ movie, the set of the entire cooking show was pretty impressive. It didn’t look cheesy, it looked a legit set. Now if only they gave the rest of the movie that much attention.

It’s a bit of a shame because Erin and Brandon are high quality stars and they got me weak in the knees, but it could have been much cuter still. I appreciated the reveal of the contestants near the end (though obviously, we all knew that already). So really, I’m just nitpicking for what might have been but it was pretty darn cute anyway.

Valentine Meter: 💖💖💖💖

Love In Store

Two rival home shopping hosts are forced together while competing for a promotion. Along the way they find their on-air chemistry kindles an off-air spark. Stars Alexandra Breckenridge, Robert Buckley and Jackée Harry.

Rounding out the month, we get a home tv shopping romance. Honestly, the setting was so novel to me that I enjoyed it way more than I should. The stars had some chemistry even if on their own they tend to have that I’m-a-hostage-send-help look in their eyes at some points (and who can blame them!)

But it was pretty and pretty people together is always a guaranteed good time so I’m not complaining. Lots of metaphors that were both cringeworthy and let me aww so a lot of conflicting feelings going on, but honestly, a pretty damn enjoyable treat. Bring on these alternative jobs!

Valentine Meter: 💖💖💖💖