No surprises, no twists, no real conflicts, strange conversations... 100 % predictable. Of course every Christmas movie have the same cliché but I was expecting... something.Also the story messed up my brain a little. Beth has the little house medal in New York and called her mom to say thank you for it... then LATER there is a scene, when her mom actually gives her the medal. What was that?

I actually had very low expectations about this movie. The title didn't make me excited, a neither did the plot or the few images I saw. I thought the same thing the first 15 minutes of the movie, but as it continued I found myself enjoying it. Both leads do a pretty good work, and so does the supporting cast. It's not the best Hallmark has made, and the end is very predictable, but it's a lovely movie to enjoy in a boring afternoon.Fact: The actors who play Barry and Dean perform as brothers in Hallmark's "Chesapeake Shores", and I think this was shot before or during the production of the show so it was nice seeing them, even though they are not goofing around.

Sarah Lancaster stars as an actress trying to make it in New York on the stage but after 10 years of not succeeding she decides to take a break from her struggling actress profession to spend Christmas in her hometown during the Christmas season. When she arrives home she just seems to continually be disappointed by bad news until.....yes you guessed it, the magic of the Christmas season!The actual word "Christmas" was stated at least a hundred or more times during this so-called Romance/Christmas themed film but even for a made for TV movie with all the cheerful music and all the Christmas decorations and Christmas themed fireplaces trying to warm the inside of our heart, simply put, this film only gave me heartburn. This to me was a total waste of my time and I am a big sucker for Christmas themed films. I suggest you avoid it especially if you are trying to find a movie to get you in to either a romantic mood and/or the Christmas spirit. Too mushy would be providing too nice a compliment about this stinker.

Spoiler... Why do Hallmark movies in general feature a woman who either gives up her dreams or changes who she is to please a man?In this case she drops her life long dream because the 2nd man in her life isn't willing to make sacrifices or move to support her dream, so she has to drop what she's always wanted to stay in a podunk town so a firefighter, who could easily get a job in NY, doesn't have to give up a single thing. Are these movies written by people who are jealous of those who made it out of their redneck small town? They make it seem like anyone who leaves is missing something and can't have love and happiness outside those small nosy, dead-end streets. I grew up in a tiny town and there is nothing, not a single thing, as idyllic as they try to make it appear. Especially not worth giving up your dreams for. What a condensing, annoying movie.