I did not know what to expect from this new Lifetime original Christmas movie, as I was not that familiar with the leads on screen. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I enjoyed it. The story itself had some problems (as one of the other reviewers on here has pointed out). The story's premise is based on fantasy (on a fairytale of some kind) as opposed to the real world. The idea that, out of the blue, they would end things right there and then in front of the Christmas tree (at the beginning of the film), is a bit over the top. If they were in love, why did they not just (at least) try to work it out, or even spend more than a few minutes talking about it before walking away from each other for 7 years? The writers should have, at the very least, cut to a scene at an airport (after that opening scene) where they could have had their final goodbyes. At least, that would have made more sense. The weakness of the story aside, the dialogue and lines were decent, especially between the two leads, though there were some sappy exchanges. What made this movie stand out for me was the acting. Overall, it was excellent, I thought. Kyla Pratt's performance as Corinne was strong, though it took me about 15 minutes or so to connect with her. Brooks Darnell (playing Rob) was great. I thought he had a sort of warm and charming vibe to his performance, with a strong presence on screen. It worked well. The chemistry between the two was convincing, the strongest element of the movie, I felt. The supporting cast was also very strong in this one. Nancy Sorel (as Nancy), Paul Essiembre (as Sam), and Sarah Luby (as Tracy, the daughter) all had very good performances. The scenery, props, and sets were charming and festive. I want a piece of that eggnog cake, please. All in all, this a nice new edition to Lifetime's 2020 Christmas movie lineup. Worth a watch this season.
