Le livre de Noël

Better than average holiday romance. Sure, chances that a venture capitalist would leave a six-figure job to cuddle with a somewhat grumpy blacksmith in Vermont are slim, but it's a holiday romance....and it was charming.

On the other hand, I am appalled by the number of reviewers who feel the need to complain about a very minor character who happens to be gay, has a same-sex spouse and a child. Oh good grief! "Judge not lest ye be judged." All of you who complained about this ARE being judged, and it's not at all flattering. If you think it makes you more "Christian" to pretend that gay people don't exist, you need to read your Bible again.

Many of us are thrilled that these production companies are finally being more inclusive and diverse, portraying people of color, LGBTQ characters and persons with disabilities...although usually in minor roles. It's a positive step.

I grew up with lifetime movies and to say this movie exceeded my expectations is an understatement. Wonderful acting, cute story. Worth the watch!

I was happily surprised with this Hallmark movie. It turned out very well, and the acting was superb. This one is worth seeing!

Ably directed with flair and warmth by the famous for Anne of Green Gables Megan Follows, this Hallmarkesque entry is why I slog through dozens of hallmark dreck every Christmas: to get to ones like this. Even without the added gift of the award winning and still luminous Jane Alexander, this one would shine. Alexandra Breckenridge as Claire was lovely and gave a charming performance. She was so very likable. The only weak spot was the actor they cast as her love interest. He brought nothing special to the role whatsoever. Plus, to me, he was not attractive. The romance was not believable. Why would a probably 6 figure venture capitalist give up her life to run a bookstore unless the guy that came with the deal was truly special? Plus, his character was very whiney and unreasonable. I would have given this heartwarming tale a 9 or a 10 if the casting had been a bit better there. Icing on the cake was the church aspect with the (I'm guessing) Episcopal priest married to his same sex partner. Great to have a gay marriage so directly addressed.

New York City venture capitalist Claire (Alexandra Breckenridge) has a bad day at the market. She decides to take a break at a place from her late mother's past. She's staying at Fortenbury Bookstore in a small town in Vermont. The guests get to manage the bookstore for short periods. She finds the town struggling after a recent flood and the Christmas celebrations cancelled. Mrs. Tumulty (Jane Alexander) runs the store and her handyman nephew Andrew (Jamie Spilchuk) is the owner. Andrew has lost the Christmas spirit like the rest of the town.

I didn't know anybody still does blacksmithing and other than antique car repairs. I guess some artists do it but they don't make reindeer bells which could be done by the millions in China. He needs to make something more artsy and special. I remember a news story about a bookstore in Scotland renting out the place for people to manage. I'm guessing the writer read the same news story or maybe it's become a more popular thing. On a separate note, it's nice to see Megan Follows dip her toe into directing and she does a good job.

I've always liked Alexandra Breckenridge. She's undeniably chipper and cute. She infuses the Christmas spirit into this movie. Jane Alexander and Jamie Spilchuck are both good in their roles. There are great emotional touches that really hit hard on the heartstrings. I love her story about her mother which gives special freshness to this old formula. Alicia is a classic although the role does need a better actress. Some of the side characters need better acting. The trick is Andrew and Claire. Andrew is a Scrooge but he also holds out as a good redemptive character. This is much better than most Lifetime movies. It still follows the standard formula but it does it with sincerity.