Coup de foudre sur la piste du trésor

American professor of archaeology meets a beekeeper on Malta. Who would've guessed archaeologists and beekeepers had so much in common. Except, he doesn't like honey and he's allergic to bees.

There is a treasure map (no, he's not Indiana Jones) and there is a treasure hunt...

I do wonder why Hallmark movies are now putting the first kiss at the one hour point instead of at the end of the movie, but that's probably my personal issue....

This young couple "plays" Indiana Jones and "Indiana Jane". Honeybees are the center of this movie and are parts of all of the clues, so pay attention.

It's Hallmark, so it's the predictable formula; you know they'll be a happy ending.

An American Archeology professor meets a Maltan beekeeper...and they run smack into each other, for a slightly contentious first meeting. This is followed by a second meeting when she discovers he is afraid of bees and he discovers she doesn't revere ancient texts the way he does...but once they discover an ancient fresco, the two work together to solve it's mysteries. The fresco acts as a sort of map that leads them around Malta to some ancient ruins and with gold in the title could it be that they are actually looking for treasure? Lots of interesting facts about honey and bees, which makes them the true star of this Hallmark romance.

I really liked having a more mature female lead and I always enjoy Andrew Walker...I think having him take his shirt off was unnecessary, but I did like that he was mechanically inclined and learned from his father such a practical skill as to be able to fix her vehicle (especially since he was afraid of bees). Overall, this was a cute coming together of two working professionals who had loved and lost in the past. They were well suited for each other and I think romantics will enjoy this film.

" I love finding a piece of history that gives you a window to the past."

Complaint about writing, not acting. The leading lady (character, not performer) was unpleasant, entitled, willfully ignorant, and cavalier about cultural artifacts. She did everything short of tearing apart a 400-year-old census that belonged to the library, just because a guy didn't want a bee sting.

Her little sister was smarter, more thoughtful, and much nicer to be around. The older one treated her little sister like a pest. She treated the foreigner like a pest. She treated her neighbors like pests.

The romance was between the guy and the wrong sister.

Again, my complaint was about the writing, not the acting.

This sadly is a disappointing review with a disappointing rating. Andrew Walker is one of the finest....maybe the finest actor ....on the Hallmark roster. He easily could make a PSA deserve a rating of 7 just on his own acting abilities. Virtually in every movie he has starred in....at some point....he makes you feel something. Especially in a Hallmark movie, somewhere you should feel something...be touched by something.......but not this time....not this movie. Throughout the entire movie, there was more time spent on bee stories with almost nothing spent on the human relationships. In this movie, there was nothing to be felt by the viewers. They never got us to feel...be touched....even care about their story. This movie was more like some primer or a PSA on bees and their place in the ecology....completely devoid of all human emotions. Unfortunately, even Andrew Walker couldn't bring a good rating to this PSA. Hallmark wasted his talents...and the location of Malta.

7.4 stars.

'For Love & Honey' cannot measure up to the usual standards without the addition of a treasure hunt. The story is about a professor of archaeology from Michigan who is teaching courses in Malta. He needs to make a discovery to find something historically relevant and notable or he won't receive tenure as s professor in a Michigan university. He meets a beekeeper on the island and she is a "character" to say the least. They "run" into each other when she almost runs him over with her motorcycle on the narrow streets. As they get acquainted, there is no love between them, although there is definite attraction.

The two of them happen to discover a fresco in an old Roman structure that he soon learns may contain historical significance. The rest of the story is about them attempting to decipher the painting. She is helping him to navigate around the island while she tags along in the journey. Or is he tagging along? It seems he's the one doing the following as she leads. She wears the pants in this symbiotic partnership, but for what? It's really his discovery to be made. They have some fairly childish arguments that I could have done without, to be honest. It's as if he has to act like a kid to get his point across to her. Somehow that makes her character much less sympathetic, so we are alienated from her for half the film.

In the end it's mainly about honey and a little about archaeology. I wish it was more balanced. I really enjoyed the mystery of the painting, although it's a bit strange and feels less organic and more of a concoction of nonsense. The romance is palpable and the chemistry between the leads is alive at times. I didn't really get very acquainted with the lead female at first, she seemed distant to the audience. I'm not sure about her acting style, it's a bit different in some way not completely understood.

The story was exciting for the treasure hunt, but something is missing and I can't put a finger on it. Maybe it's the portrayal of her personality, how she is open and willing one moment, then closed off the next, and his character can only be confused by her difficult mannerisms, which doesn't lend itself to making this a truly entertaining watch. However, I still liked it for the good parts. There are some very nice moments, the kisses were passionate and enjoyable.