Ali Stroker

Jackbv123

The story has some familiar themes. A writer, Izzy, needs to clear her head so she can fix the ending to her latest novel so she returns to her favorite B&B for Christmas. The former owner's son, Matt, is taking over and he's fixing things in the inn that Izzy has grown fond of. Initially there's some friction as a result, although it is fairly tame as early story friction goes. The story includes some of the traditional activities like cookie decorating and other holiday festivities and contests.

There is a little mystery with big implications but the reveal of it is well before the climax. The conflict is the usual misunderstanding over something seen from afar. The ending is predictable.

Many reviewers have commented over various holiday networks improvements in diversity of cast. Well this is the first Christmas rom/com I've seen where that diversity includes a female lead in a wheelchair, at least one where the wheelchair is not at all an issue in the story. We don't even get Izzy's backstory. Bravo to Lifetime. And double Bravo to Ali Stroker. Izzy is a very likeable. She is attractive in a not waif-thin sort of way. She sings. She bowls. She's quirky. She's confident. Her acting is upbeat and good. She has chemistry with Daniel di Tomasso although his acting is not quite as good. Same goes for most of the cast with the exception of Matt's sister and daughter, who each do a decent job. The girl with a crush on Matt is distracting because the actor always looks unsure of herself.

BTW: I was taken aback by the way Stroker handles her wheelchair. She whizzes and spins so effortlessly that it doesn't look real, but it is.

Without Stroker, this movie is probably 5 or 6 stars.

score 9/10

Jackbv123 8 December 2020

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw6347187/