La Clé d'un Noël réussi

It was a fun movie to watch, and the bells ringing at the end made it even more special. But, NO choir EVER practices in robes. Those are reserved for performances or church services.

This follow up was so much better than last year's Christmas in Evergreen. Jill Wagner was very good in the lead female role, and I love that she looks so natural and doesn't plaster on that awful dark eye makeup and wear the huge false eyelashes that so many other Hallmark ladies do. She lets her natural beauty show through; too bad others don't do the same. Instead, the makeup seems to get thicker and thicker every year. The plot of this follow up was more interesting and the supporting actors that were also in the last movie were better and played a larger part in the movie. The rating I gave was rather high for what this was, but when rating Hallmark movies I only compare with other Hallmark movies as they are in a class of their own. This one didn't make me angry like so many others do, and I didn't cringe once, so I'm happy.

This was a sweet and heart warming Christmas movie. However, I had to stop thinking of it as a companion movie to Christmas in Evergreen because there were to many things that didn't make sense. For example, the store Lisa was trying to help didn't seem to exist in the first movie nor its owner. Also said owner was said to have taken over the Christmas celebration from Henry's mom but in the first movie they said it was the first year Allie wasn't doing it and it was a different character that took over. Despite that, Jill Wagner was excellent and I'm greatful this was a movie where it made genuine sense as to why she was returning to Evergreen after so many years away.

White painted staircases in the finished shop, and then ....... they're not !!!

Story is good, BUT oh my goodness does Jill Wagner go OTT with her acting - everything is SO exaggerated from the wide eyes, to the arms waving and shrieking. Then there was the stuttering conversation when bewildered. I've seen her in better films, but in this she was annoying. Is she any better than Ashley Williams ? Well, take your pick..... Williams shouts her lines (like we're all deaf !) and Wagner overacts like her life depends on it. So, not much between them.

6/10 - simply average and not entirely captivating (save for Holly Robinson Peete)