A Cowboy Christmas Romance

I absolutely ADORE Jana Kramer and try to catch everything she is in. I will say, even if I didn't know who she was..this would STILL be a new favorite Christmas movie. The storyline of the film was a good story. It also wasn't cheesy like most Hallmark/Lifetime movies. It made the characters actually seem like real people!! Thank goodness we finally got kissing scenes besides one peck at the end. Their chemistry was great, you could tell they actually tired to make the characters have a relationship & not just acting. An all around wonderful movie! I hope they come up with a sequel some how!!

Some who are critical are so because it IS a rom com. The rating should be made among not just rom coms - and there are better - but among Christmas rom coms and there are VERY few that can match this one. The plot is actually fresh, albeit as I read the previews I thought this was going just another person returning to their home town at Christmas to broker a deal. It turns out that was the start and the storyline took a nice turn. Roles are well written and well played. The storyline has NO cookie baking, Christmas tree shopping, snowball fights. This is fresh for a Christmas rom com. In fact with the realistic romantic scene it is fresh among all rom coms this year and in all past years. Wake up Hallmark; grow up.

What's this? A Lifetime Christmas movie where most of the usual plot devices and festive activities are completely ignored? A Lifetime Christmas movie where there is swearing? A Lifetime Christmas movie where the two characters - literally in this case - have a roll in the hay? What's more, there isn't even

If you want the usual gingerbread house building and tree-lighting schmaltz (I say that in the nicest way possible, because I love big helpings of festive schmaltz!) watch something else.

If you want something - shock, horror - different, settle in and watch 'A Cowboy Christmas Romance', a refreshing, if sometimes bleak, story about legacies and mending family for Christmas.

Jana Kramer and Adam Senn are great in the lead roles and there is plenty of good acting across the board. I loved the Arizona desert setting and the more realistic conflict that the Crenshaw family go through. There is, of course, the usual happy ending, but like much else in this film, it's more believable than the usual.

Lifetime's best Christmas movie in some time.

I loved this movie. Watched it twice in two days which I never do. I appreciate having a more nuanced story. Sure it's still a Christmas romance but it has great characters and sub-plots - and some creativity! And none of the over-the-top tacky Christmas stuff. Plus there is actual romance ... and I loved that you see it in the beginning not the last two minutes. I enjoyed the characters and acting. And the steamy scenes that are missing from all the other movies. It feels more realistic!

How's this review too short? I'm not a TV critic. I don't want to write a dissertation. I loved the movie 10/10. I'd watch more like it!

I am a faithful holiday romance watcher. This is better than average and among the best I have seen so far in the 2023 season. I saved the recording and would watch again.

Good: Chemistry between the two leads was good. I love Jana Kramer and she was well cast here. Spice level was mild enough for basic cable TV but better than the distinct lack of spice on the other more "wholesome" networks. Story was good, and most of the characters were believable.

Bad: The eldest brother seemed to be trying way too hard throughout the entire movie to be a villain without actually ultimately being a villain. That seemed unnecessary to me. The worst and most unbelievable character was Abby though. She was played by a girl clearly in her teens, but was written as though she was much younger. The dad has to sing her to sleep, she believes in Santa, talks very childish, etc. So, that was strange to me. They needed to write her as a teen or cast a younger girl, maybe 7 or 8 years old. That bothered be throughout the entire movie.

Neutral Comment: Apart from being set at Christmas time, this is not a Christmas movie. This could take place at any time of year and not change the story at all. Absolutely nothing was related to Christmas. That didn't bother me at all, not just felt worth mentioning.

Overall, very watchable and even enjoyable movie.