Hallmark Channel's new *Spring Into Love* movies are coming to the channel this April, along with the 11th season of When Calls the Heart!
Hallmark Channel:
Blind Date Book Club
Premiere Date: April 6, 2024
Starring: Erin Krakow and Robert Buckley
Storyline via Hallmark: A bookstore owner finds love and direction in life after agreeing to review a famous author’s new novel in her blind-date-with-a-book club.
Movie Reviews:
πΌ "Blind Date Book Club" -- this was an enjoyable family-friendly watch. :-) ~Alicia
πΌ Blind Date Book Club was family-friendly as well, thankfully. It was a cute movie. ~laura
πΌ We did watch "Blind Date Book Club" and I have to say my husband and I absolutely loved it! It was cute, fun, sweet and uplifting. It was refreshing to see a movie that was not overly contrived and introduced some elements that weren't predictable. Erin and Robert had nice chemistry. Nothing felt forced. I liked how the secrets were unveiled early as well as them sharing a sweet kiss half-way through the movie. I liked everything about this lovely and endearing movie. :-) I am still smiling..... ~Joan
πΌ Blind Date Book Club - This is an enjoyable family-friendly rom-com. Meg (Erin Krakow) and Graham (Robert Buckley) have a cute romantic spark from the very start. At times, Robert Buckley reminded me of his carefree "Chesapeake Shores" character, especially since they were surrounded by the same beautiful scenery of boats and water in this idyllic coastal community. This is nice, lighthearted watch. ~Net
πΌ Blind Date Book Club May Contain spoilers
I've a bit of catching up to do with Hallmark movies and hopefully they'll all be up to the standard of this one. Erin Krakow is very much hit and miss for me and while I really like Robert Buckley his recent films have had a considerable dose of woke content. They combined well together in this family friendly outing. The chemistry was excellent and subtle , the plot was novel and intriguing and while a bit odd it was believable. In a way it was two different stories highlighting each's conflict but meshing well together. Meg struggling as to whether she could continue to run the book store after her aunt/ partner decides to pull out while Graham a best selling author tries to go incognito with a differently styled novel.
Now if you're a regular Hallmark watcher you have a good idea how things will turn out but we were nicely blindsided. This was easy going, romantic and maturealthough I might have preferred a bit more tension. I still really don't know why Meg decided ti include Graham's book in her club though.
Thoroughly enjoyable. Florence's rating – 8
When Calls the Heart - Season 11
See more images and episode details for When Calls the Heart - *HERE*!
Premiere Date: April 7, 2024
Storyline: In season 11 of “When Calls the Heart,” schoolteacher Elizabeth Thornton embarks on a fresh start – with new romance, new challenges, and new style. She and Mountie Nathan Grant navigate their growing romantic feelings while also leaning on each other for support as they face new parenting obstacles. Newly elected Governor Lucas Bouchard must confront his past in order to embrace his strengths and lead Hope Valley into the future. Retired Mountie Bill Avery and newspaper reporter Rosemary Coulter team up to unravel a mystery putting their entire community at risk. This season explores renewal, redemption, and of course romance as Hope Valley enters the 1920’s.
Legend of the Lost Locket
Previous Title: The Hunt for Love
Premiere Date: April 13, 2024
Starring: Natasha Burnett and Viv Leacock
Storyline: When an antiques expert takes on a quest to find a long-lost locket that promises to bring the wearer true love, she finds herself in conflict with, but also attracted to, the town sheriff.
Movie Reviews:
πΌ I watched the new film on Hallmark Movies Now titled "Legend of the Lost Locket" featuring some cast from WCTH and other familiar faces. It was such a nostalgic watch, very much reminded me of Hallmark the way it was many years ago. Family friendly and the best Hallmark film I have seen in a long time. ~Laura
πΌ We really enjoyed "Legend of the Lost Locket". It was a very nice movie. Great cast. Intriguing storyline although I figured out quickly who was lurking in the shadows. I did enjoy the surprises that were revealed along the way. Natasha and Viv were good together. You can tell they have worked together, for awhile, because they had natural believable chemistry. I also like the B & B owner. It was fun seeing all of the WCTH people! And of course, it was also fun seeing one of our Signed, Sealed and Delivered folks as well as Kevin O'Grady! All in all a very nice movie :-) ~Joan
πΌ Legend of The Lost Locket was good. Family friendly and just enough suspense to keep the story going...plus a little romance too! ~Joyce in Carolina
πΌ Legend of the Lost Locket is family friendly about an antique expert named Amelia searches for a long-lost locket that promises to bring the wearer true love & finds herself in conflict with, but also attract to, the town sheriff named Marcus. Mayor called it Town of True Love. Amelia mentions James Robert Dudley & Queen Elizabeth ~Anonymous
πΌ We watched The Legend of the Lost Locket last night and really enjoyed it! If there was a way to contact Hallmark, I would suggest that it could be the first in a series. Every "cozy mystery" doesn't have to involve a murder, tracking down the story behind antiques could make for an interesting series too! ~Anonymous
πΌ Legend of the Lost Locket – I just fell in love with this cozy little mystery starring Natasha Burnett and Viv Leacock (of When Calls the Heart) and the legend and mystery of the missing locket. The entire cast in this small community includes such fascinating characters and the romance between the leads was sweet and intriguing. I agree with others, this would make a fantastic on-going mystery series! Wholesome and family-friendly! ~Net
πΌ I really enjoyed The Legend of the Missing Locket with Natasha Burnett, Viv Leacock. They are so good together. ~Namegirl
Falling in Love in Niagara
Premiere Date: April 20, 2024
Starring: Jocelyn Hudon and Dan Jeannotte
Storyline: After her fiancΓ© leaves her before their wedding, MADELINE goes to Niagara Falls to honeymoon without him. There, she reconnects with her adventurous side, learns to let go, and finds new love.
Movie Reviews:
πΌ I got to watch Falling in Love With Niagara early, and I LOVED it!! –Maria
πΌ Aw! "Falling in Love in Niagara' was super cute. I liked Jocelyn and Dan together. Amazing chemistry! I also enjoyed the sister and the co-worker. Of course, there were some contrived moments but over-all my husband and I enjoyed the movie. ~Joan
πΌ Falling in Love in Niagara is family friendly about when her fiancΓ© named Jason leaves her right before the wedding, Madeline goes to Niagara Falls to honeymoon without him. She soon finds new love named Mike while reconnecting with her adventurous side ~Anonymous
πΌ Falling in Love in Niagara - I wanted to like this one but couldn't. Acting was very cringy, at least in the first 20 minutes I've seen. And the fact that it immediately reminded me of another 3 similiar Hallmark movies didn't help either. Dan is one of my favorite Hallmark actors and i was looking forward to this movie but sadly, i didn't like it. ~Anonymous
Branching Out
Premiere Date: April 27, 2024
Starring: Sarah Drew & Juan Pablo Di Pace
Storyline: To help build a family tree, single mom Amelia tracks down her daughter's IVF donor. It becomes a journey of trust, love, and discovering the meaning of family.
Movie Review:
πΌ And, to top of a wonderful weekend, my husband and I watched 'Branching Out' which was also an excellent movie. I forget sometimes how wonderful of an actress Sarah is. She brought her A-game for sure and her daughter was precocious. She is going to have a long career. Sarah's best friend brought brutal honesty and had great chemistry with Sarah. Sarah also had amazing chemistry with Juan. I adored his large and loud family. Plus, the scenery was an added bonus. I wish every weekend of movies could be this stellar. ~Joan
Hallmark Mystery:
One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery
Premiere Date: April 5, 2024 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Starring: Alison Sweeney and Victor Webster
Storyline: Hannah Swensen has been asked to teach a baking class at the college in town, but her equipment is tampered with causing an explosion that the fire department rules an accident. Soon, a colleague ends up dead and Hannah begins to put together the puzzle of the mysterious circumstances surrounding the murder. Hannah leans on her friends and family to collect the breadcrumbs of foul play and put them together, and meets a different side of law and order when Lake Eden's prosecuting attorney Chad Norton (Webster) enters her life.
Movie Reviews:
ππ The new Hannah Swensen is family-friendly and enjoyable. Victor Webster did a good job, though it is sad that Mike was gone. Both her sister and Norman were present as well. ~laura
ππ One Bad Apple; Hannah Swenson Mystery Review
This one was alright. It was family friendly and clean. Mystery ok, not the best. I don't know why Victor Webster was on the cover though, he was kinda dull and was more in the background. I would hope to see her with Norman on the cover one day. He's always there for her. Her mother being a PI was corny, but at least it brought the Swenson women together. ~Abigail
ππ My husband and I just finished watching the new Hannah Swensen movie. We thought it was just okay. Her mother was completely over the top. I did not feel Victor or Alison had any chemistry. I like them both separately but honestly not together. It may be just me but I even felt their chemistry wasn't good in the Wedding Veil series either. Also, I thought the mystery was weak. We figured it out really early on. This movie left me feeling cold. I miss Cameron! ~Joan
ππ One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery -
Okay, this movie is the first episode in the series without Detective Mike Kingston. Did I miss Cameron Mathison? Absolutely, YES!!! However, for the first time, I was beginning to see a deeper connection between Hannah (Alison Sweeney) and Norman (Gabe Hogan), who has always been her faithful wingman, copilot, bestie, etc… You get the picture. But now they’ve also introduced a new character- prosecuting attorney Chad Norton (Victor Webster). It seems they are setting us up for another love triangle here. Ugh!!!!
The mystery portion was easy to solve and somewhat lackluster, however, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the interaction between Hannah, her mother, and sisters! Family-friendly for ages 12 and up, since it’s a murder-mystery. ~Net
Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans
Premiere Date: April 26, 2024 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Starring: Nikki DeLoach and Andrew Walker
Storyline: Goldy Berry's Medieval feast at Hyde Castle gets interrupted by a murder. She teams up with Detective Shultz to solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again.
Movie Reviews:
π❤ Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans Review... I could not wait to review it. My time is 12:25 am! I promise to go to bed right after!! Haha ;) I absolutely LOVED this one!!! I don't want to give to much away, because it was really good. I liked how there was no "don't interfere in the investigation" speech. All the cops respected my, appreciated and wanted Goldie's help. And that was a nice change.
The young cop was cute, very young ;) and I loved the scene when Tom takes away Goldie's scone and eats it himself.
I think this was my favorite mystery for this year. The mystery plot was great as well, it was a trickier than normal. And family friendly! This is one to buy. I hope they make more.
(When Tom was reading a poem written on his hand, it reminded me of his character Billy on WCTH in Season 1) ~Abigail
π❤ I just got to watch Curious Caterer Foiled Plans. That movie kept me on the edge of my seat & what a powerful ending. Love Nikki DeLoach & Andrew Walker together. I hope there are many more of these to come. Well done! ~Nancy
π❤ Hi Abigail! Your review of 'The Curious Caterer Mysteries' was spot-on! Oh my gosh it was seriously excellent in every way. My husband and I were on the edge of our seats basking in the awesomeness of what was unfolding on our tv screen. Kudos to everyone involved in putting together such an intriguing and engaging story. And high-fives to the cast who brought the storyline and characters to life. :-) :-) I have to say this was also my favorite mystery of 2024 too. ~Joan
π❤ I finally watched the new Curious Caterer & I agree with the reviews above, it was great! It actually threw me for a loop and I didn’t figure it out until the very end. It was full of little clues & twists & turns, not obvious at all! Crossing our fingers they make more! Loved seeing a cameo from Morning Show Mysteries. ~Paula
π❤ Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans- Trust me to be the odd one out. This has gone down a storm with most people but I somehow didn't enjoy it as much as previous instalments. I think it was the fact that it took place in an enclosed space. and it felt somewhat claustrophobic and too slow moving for my liking.
I never worked out the mystery but I did guess the murderer although that was a complete stab in the dark!
I felt too that Mason was getting far too big for his boots. What I did like was the small subtle ways they moved Goldy and Tom's relationship forward and of course, I loved the ending! Florence's rating 5.5
π❤ Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans – For me, this movie had the vibe of a 'Clue' mystery (the movie and board game), with all the guests of Sir Alastair suspects in his murder while stranded in a medieval castle during a snowstorm with a murderer on the loose. (I almost expected Miss Scarlet or Professor Plum to appear in the library with a candlestick!)
Seriously, though, all of the medieval costumes are elaborate and eye-catching on screen; I really liked both Goldy (Nikki DeLoach) and Tom’s (Andrew Walker) best, along with Goldy’s friend, Marla.
The mystery, itself, was fairly easy to solve, but I enjoyed all of the various unique characters, suspect possibilities, and how they brought back a mystery from the past.
The interaction/chemistry between Goldy and Tom is excellent throughout. Their medieval dance was also captivating, if only it could have been a little longer. I also enjoyed seeing Goldy’s daughter in this movie more, along with Goldy’s ex, Richard, who in spite of investigating a murder, was rather humorous, at times.
The movie has an excellent pace, keeping viewers captivated through every scene. The castle is grand and elegant, with incredible artwork, weaponry displayed, and secret passageways.
Overall, this was an entertaining mystery I enjoyed watching with my family. ~Net
I hope you see a movie above that you'll enjoy in April!
You can also *click here* to see the *Spring Into Love* movies premiering in March.
Blessings to you all this Spring!
Netπ
images via: Hallmark Media
The Hunt for Love sounds unique, plus I’d be curious to see Vic and Natasha in something besides When Calls the Heart.
ReplyDeleteFunny enough, I came across the Stephanie Bennett, Dan Jeannotte movie a few days ago and had a suspicion it might be Hallmark.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to it - Florence
Florence, I remember you mentioning that! Excellent sleuthing!!! :) ~Net
DeleteWell, it's not the movie "A Change in Heart" after all. It is, however, another movie starring Dan Jeannotte, "Falling in Love in Niagra." Maybe, the other movie will show up... eventually.
DeleteI'm looking forward to Blind Date Good Club, When calls the heart (which mean i have ca. one month to finally watch a previous season) and A change in heart ( I like Dan).
ReplyDeleteThese look good.
ReplyDeleteI think Sarah Drew .& Juan Pablo Di Pace’s movie is
ReplyDelete31 Second Chances.
Written by Melynda Bissmeyer
or
My Week in Wyoming
Kimberly Sustud said, “Paul and I are writing a script called ‘My Week in Wyoming,’ which is going to be an amazing tale. It’s almost like a ‘City Slickers.’
ReplyDeleteEagerly awaiting
DeleteI want to watch her movie if it is family friendly.
DeleteFalling in Love in Niagara, not Falling in Love in Niagra
ReplyDeleteIsn’t that Niagara Falls?
Yes, the movie synopsis says they are in Niagara Falls! :)
DeleteI see that Falling in Love in Niagara is now available to watch on Hallmark Movies Now… if any of you all watch it on there, I’d love to know if it’s woke-free!
ReplyDeleteyes it's clean.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anonymous, for sharing this with us.
DeleteThank you Anonymous for that bit of info about the movie being clean! I like both leads. Dan Jeannotte has been in some questionable Hallmark movies. I have not kept them on my DVR.
DeleteNamegirl, Just wanted to mention that Maria also gave a review for this movie below. She would absolutely let us know if there was any content to be aware of in the movie. And since she loved it, I know it is wholesome.
DeleteGlad you are looking forward to "Falling in Love With Niagara"! Me too! :)
Blessings, Net
I got to watch Falling in Love With Niagara early, and I LOVED it!! -Maria
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Maria and Net. :)
Delete"Legend of the Lost Locket" is now airing on Hallmark Movies Now. If anyone has a chance to watch it, that would be great if you could share some details on it! :)
ReplyDeleteUpdate: Laura shared a review for "Legend of the Lost Locket" - *click here to see*!
DeleteOne Bad Apple; Hannah Swenson Mystery Review
ReplyDeleteThis one was alright. It was family friendly and clean. Mystery ok, not the best. I don't know why Victor Webster was on the cover though, he was kinda dull and was more in the background. I would hope to see her with Norman on the cover one day. He's always there for her.
Her mother being a PI was corny, but at least it brought the Swenson women together.
I notice they change the title: from Falling in Love in Niagara to Falling in Love in Niagara Falls
ReplyDeleteI saw Melora Hardin‘s instagram that she’s in Niagara Falls
She labeled Falling in Love with Niagara Falls
I wonder if she’s filming with Jocelyn Hudson
Hmmm? That's interesting. I checked Hallmark Channel's website and the title on there is still "Falling in Love in Niagara." I think sometimes people just use different names on social media, or maybe that was one of the previous titles for the film???
DeleteWe watched The Legend of the Lost Locket last night and really enjoyed it! If there was a way to contact Hallmark, I would suggest that it could be the first in a series. Every "cozy mystery" doesn't have to involve a murder, tracking down the story behind antiques could make for an interesting series too!
ReplyDeleteSome older movie reviews I've been meaning to share...
ReplyDeleteOne Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery -
Okay, this movie is the first episode in the series without Detective Mike Kingston. Did I miss Cameron Mathison? Absolutely, YES!!! However, for the first time, I was beginning to see a deeper connection between Hannah (Alison Sweeney) and Norman (Gabe Hogan), who has always been her faithful wingman, copilot, bestie, etc… You get the picture. But now they’ve also introduced a new character- prosecuting attorney Chad Norton (Victor Webster). It seems they are setting us up for another love triangle here. Ugh!!!!
The mystery portion was easy to solve and somewhat lackluster, however, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the interaction between Hannah, her mother, and sisters! Family-friendly for ages 12 and up, since it’s a murder-mystery. ~Net
Blind Date Book Club -
This is an enjoyable family-friendly rom-com. Meg (Erin Krakow) and Graham (Robert Buckley) have a cute romantic spark from the very start.
At times, Robert Buckley reminded me of his carefree "Chesapeake Shores" character, especially since they were surrounded by the same beautiful scenery of boats and water in this idyllic coastal community.
This is nice, lighthearted watch. ~Net
Legend of the Lost Locket –
I just fell in love with this cozy little mystery starring Natasha Burnett and Viv Leacock (of When Calls the Heart) and the legend and mystery of the missing locket. The entire cast in this small community includes such fascinating characters and the romance between the leads was sweet and intriguing.
I agree with others, this would make a fantastic on-going mystery series! Wholesome and family-friendly! ~Net
Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans –
ReplyDeleteFor me, this movie had the vibe of a 'Clue' mystery (the movie and board game), with all the guests of Sir Alastair suspects in his murder while stranded in a medieval castle during a snowstorm with a murderer on the loose. (I almost expected Miss Scarlet or Professor Plum to appear in the library with a candlestick!)
Seriously, though, all of the medieval costumes are elaborate and eye-catching on screen; I really liked both Goldy (Nikki DeLoach) and Tom’s (Andrew Walker) best, along with Goldy’s friend, Marla.
The mystery, itself, was fairly easy to solve, but I enjoyed all of the various unique characters, suspect possibilities, and how they brought back a mystery from the past.
The interaction/chemistry between Goldy and Tom is excellent throughout. Their medieval dance was also captivating, if only it could have been a little longer. I also enjoyed seeing Goldy’s daughter in this movie more, along with Goldy’s ex, Richard, who in spite of investigating a murder, was rather humorous, at times.
The movie has an excellent pace, keeping viewers captivated through every scene. The castle is grand and elegant, with incredible artwork, weaponry displayed, and secret passageways.
Overall, this was an entertaining mystery I enjoyed watching with my family. ~Net
Blind Date Book Club
ReplyDeleteMay Contain spoilers
I've a bit of catching up to do with Hallmark movies and hopefully they'll all be up to the standard of this one.
Erin Krakow is very much hit and miss for me and while I really like Robert Buckley his recent films have had a considerable dose of woke content.
They combined well together in this family friendly outing.
The chemistry was excellent and subtle , the plot was novel and intriguing and while a bit odd it was believable.
In a way it was two different stories highlighting each's conflict but meshing well together.
Meg struggling as to whether she could continue to run the book store after her aunt/ partner decides to pull out while Graham a best selling author tries to go incognito with a differently styled novel.
Now if you're a regular Hallmark watcher you have a good idea how things will turn out but we were nicely blindsided.
This was easy going, romantic and maturealthough I might have preferred a bit more tension.
I still really don't know why Meg decided ti include Graham's book in her club though.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Florence's rating - 8