Holly & Ivy

Slightly different and very close to my heart as a story. Beautifully told and all the actors are wonderful. Left me in tears (of happiness). Well worth a watch - a delight.

Ultimately, there is one measure for rating Christmas movies that outweighs the others. Will I watch it again? Oh, yes.

If you watched the previews, you know what could have been the surprise a little before half way, but even so, it wouldn't have been totally unexpected. Nina's cancer is back and she has no other family for her kids. Melody grew up in foster care and she will let those kids go there only over her dead body. But she has a challenge. No permanent job, and a house that needs an overhaul because she bought it to fix it. And she has little time to get it up to code for CPS inspection.

The premise is unusual, but is perfect for the Christmas season. It's super sappy, but also super irresistible. For starters, there's two adorable little girls, an equally cute puppy and a sad sad story that needs hope.

The movie is about family and community and dreams and reality. And books.

It's interesting because Jeremy Jordan must like to act opposite super-heroines. In another TV world, last I looked, he was Supergirl's best friend. Melody makes Kara Danvers look selfish. Jordan and Janel Parrish have wonderful chemistry. Marisol Nichols is very reserved as Nina, but that's her part. The actors playing the two girls do a great job. Neither of them falls into the trap of child actors in a Christmas movie of overplaying her part. And they bring an energy to the movie which Parrish amplifies.

Are there flaws in the movie. I'm sure there are. I already said it was predictable, although I wasn't sure about one major thing until almost the end. This movie isn't strictly a romance movie because the bigger story is Melody, Nina and the kids, but that's a plus.

PS: 2020 isn't over yet, and I'm sitting here watching at least the last half of it for the 4TH time and tears are still flowing. I think that says that I love this movie.

One reviewer stated there was a goof with the dog not aging after a year had passed. Totally wrong..the bit in the court showed a flash back of them having a photo taken the Christmas before so the dog would have still been a puppy. The next bit carries on the year later when the dog is shown as brown. Wish people who state there are goofs watched the film properly.

This is a lovely heart warming and at times tearful, but one of the best Hallmark films. I've watched it twice now.

I like it ! Was the fair conclusion after the final scene. First, for nice exploration of sensitive themes, from the single mother affected by cancer to the foster care volunteers and the orphans looking for a home, from the stranger in town and the eccentric investment to the love for books and the remind of children literature classics , from the not happy financial situation of public libraries to the hard work for a dream becoming true and the fall to have the desired job.

The romance is nice and few scenes just forced, but the small dog, the girls and the good atmosphere are good points of a film who has the courage - and some succes- be different by the so familiar Hallmark Christmas films.

7/10 - one of the better Hallmark Christmas movies this year has good actors and a heart-wrenching, original storyline