🌟 Your Cozy Weekend Summer Movie Guide: From the Heart to the Island & Mystery Buzz

Happy Mid-August Weekend, Friends!

Enjoy a cozy weekend of fresh stories and familiar faces!

Great American Family is premiering to their channel for the first time the heartfelt film, "A Thread to Your Heart," and I’ve shared my review below so you’ll know exactly why this love story is worth falling for.

Over on the Hallmark Channel, adventure awaits with a dash of mystery in "Mystery Island: Play for Keeps," the latest chapter in their tropical whodunit series.

Whether you’re in the mood for romance or a little intrigue, there’s something special waiting for everyone this weekend.

One more thing...

Are you dreaming of a little Christmas in August? Friday night’s line-up delivers several wonderful Christmas movie options, plus two fan-favorite actors whose on-screen chemistry has made them a beloved duo. And, at the end of this post, there’s a special note about a certain mystery series fans can’t stop talking about!!!

Keep scrolling for more details...


**********************


Friday, August 15, 2025:

Christmas Movie Classics

Friday night's line-up includes two favorite stars: Jill Wagner and Kristoffer Polaha. Plus, I've included a special note at the end of this post on their mystery series, Mystery 101.

Friday, August 15, 2025:

Next Stop, Christmas ... Hallmark Channel ... 6pm
Destined 2: Christmas Once More ... Great American Family ... 6pm
A Biltmore Christmas ... Hallmark Channel ... 8pm
My Christmas Hero ... Great American Family ... 8pm
A Christmas Miracle for Daisy ... Great American Family ... 10pm
Destined 2: Christmas Once More ... Great American Family ... 12am
My Christmas Hero Great American Family ... 2am
A Christmas Miracle for Daisy ... Great American Family ... 4am


Want more Christmas... check out the Christmas TV Schedule.


**********************


Saturday, August 16, 2025:

A Thread to Your Heart

Storyline: The owner of a quaint New Zealand yarn shop, Sophie Dale, gets her world flipped upside down after learning her top supplier of yarn, King Farms, is stopping production. Much to her surprise, the charming yet stuck-in-his-ways Samuel King has traveled all the way from New York to audit the business model of the farm. Desperate to keep her shop going, Sophie convinces Samuel to give her two weeks to learn the ropes of yarn spinning and raise enough money to buy the mill herself. With Samuel’s help, Sophie comes up with a fundraising plan to host a “knit-off” and auction at the local makers market. However, when the two weeks come to an end Sophie finds herself at the crossroads of business and romance. Could she have misinterpreted Samuels growing romantic interest in her as just business all along?

Movie Review:

🎬 The setting of this story is in New Zealand - and the countryside there is absolutely beautiful. Breathtaking! The owner of the local yarn shop, Sophie, is quite likeable; she's an American who inherited the shop from her late Grandmother. Sophie brings many people of the town together to knit and enjoy time sharing, along with her best friend, Rose, who is a lot of fun. Everything seems tranquil for Sophie, until she knits a sweater for her boyfriend, Chris. Everyone in the knitting group teases that "it's the curse of the knitted sweater" and they predict in a joking way that she and Chris will surely break up. They actually do, but Sophie has more important things to worry about - she must save the local mill where she gets her yarn and convince the owner's handsome son, Samuel King, who is visiting from New York, to sell it to her before he leaves. The lambs in the movie are all sooo adorable - you'll instantly fall in love with them. At times, the movie can be a bit predictable and cheesy, but it's still a sweet family friendly story, and I personally enjoyed watching it. Even the knitted sweater gets redemption in the end. If you know someone who likes knitting, then this is most definitely THE MOVIE for them. ~Net

A Thread to Your Heart

Premieres Saturday, August 16, 2025

at 9pm/8c. on Great American Family

*************************


Sunday, August 17, 2025:

Mystery Island: Play for Keeps

Storyline: Mystery Island hosts a corporate retreat with a guest being Emilia's ex-fiancé. Old feelings become complicated, tensions run high, and allegations arise when a guest is found dead.

Mystery Island: Play for Keeps

Premieres Sunday, August 17, 2025

at 9pm/8c. on the Hallmark Channel

*************************

And now for the mystery news...

Throughout this week, the Hallmark Mystery channel has been airing mini-marathons of the Mystery 101 series, starring Jill Wagner and Kristoffer Polaha, which isn't that unusual. However, on social media, it has become standard for Hallmark to only show pictures of Kristoffer when promoting the series, and never any promos with Jill. Well, that changed yesterday, and fans definitely noticed.


Before we get to that, let's take a step back - for a minute.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hallmark Mystery (@hallmarkmystery)

As the series ran throughout the week, fans took to social media once again with messages like:

⬤ Bring this back!! We need closure! 👏 - sammyjones57

⬤ I miss these movies so much😭 can‘t understand why they canceled them… - julssss95

⬤ Y’all left us on a real cliffhanger. I fear I’ll never get over it - omarlieee

⬤ Looooove this series. Bring it baaaaaaaaack. 😭 - bendieshome


You get the picture. Comments like this continued on and on for several days... all under pictures of Kristoffer Polaha. In one picture (seen above) he is running after a suspect and looking quite dashing and in the other pic, he is simply carrying a file of papers under his arm while investigating one of the cases.

So, what happened yesterday, you might ask??? Well, Hallmark Mystery posted to their socials an actual video promo of one of the previous Mystery 101 movies, and yes, the video showed Jill Wagner!!!! And, as I said, fans, including myself, noticed right away. One fan wrote, "You actually showed Jill? Wow!"

And not only did fans notice, but Kristoffer Polaha noticed, too!!!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hallmark Mystery (@hallmarkmystery)

Here's what Kristoffer wrote under the post:

⬤ polahaha: Looks like Amy is back in the case with Travis…

How funny would it be if after all this time we finally got some closure?


Here are some of the random responses:

⬤ please!!!!! You two are my favorites! ❤️❤️ - joynoelle

⬤ You're killing me, Smalls! But yes, please!! - bendieshome

⬤ DON'T TOY WITH ME, KRISTOFFER! (All caps means shouting, yes, but it is a hopeful shout!) - kelli_b_83

⬤ I hope you’re coming out with more episodes! The series was abruptly ended on a huge cliffhanger!! It was extremely disappointing! It would be appreciated if you provided closure to Amy and Travis’ storyline. - kelly_stel1

⬤ Could this be a clue @polahaha AKA Detective Travis!!! 🔎🔎 - itsawonderfulmovieblog

⬤ @hallmarkchannel, you are killing us! 😭 You’re running the mystery marathon back-to-back, but there was never an ending to the storyline. We were all waiting, and then the show wasn’t renewed. So after I watch this again, I’ll still be left wondering what happened… The least you can do is give us an ending. We promise we won’t bother you about this again. - hallmarkluv

⬤ More of these please - heartiesteamnathan

⬤ PLEASE...give us back our favorite mystery series, and our favorite crime solving duo!! Ratings would skyrocket and faith in hallmark would definitely be restored SO much!!! - tonyahoward258

And there are many, many more comments just like this!!! 

So, what's your take? Have you given up hope on "Mystery 101" or does this give any of you sleuthers a sliver of hope that this series could return one day, especially now with Michelle Vicary back as head of programming at Hallmark? Please share in comments below.


*************************


Have a great weekend, everyone!

Enjoy these warm Summer days. Sometimes you've got to just stop and smell the roses!

Blessings to you all,

Net

*************************

SHINING HIS LIGHT:

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

PSALM 19:1

This weekend's scripture inspiration:

Our local meteorologist said we would have a meteor shower this week, so I stared up at the stars for a little while. Unfortunately, I never caught the shower of stars (perhaps, too much outdoor lighting around), but I did marvel at the Creator of our universe and how beautiful each star in the sky is, the work of His mighty hands. I stood in awe and amazement at how great our God truly is!!! 🌟🌟🌟

And since this weekend's movie on GAF is about sheep, I just had to include these sriptures, too...

"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?

And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.

In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish."

MATTHEW 18:12-14

Isn’t it amazing to know how deeply God treasures each person, and how far He will go to bring them back to Him? He would leave the 99 to come and rescue you or me!

May your weekend fill you with that same awe-struck wonder I had while staring at the stars... Enjoy the little moments! God bless!!!🌟

Great American Family's August 2025 Movie Lineup

Great American Family has revealed the complete lineup of movies scheduled to air on Saturdays at 8pm/7c. throughout August.

While these films are new to GAF, all but one have previously aired on BYUtv, and all four have been available for streaming.

I’ve had the opportunity to watch the first three and can say they’re warm, lighthearted, and truly enjoyable. The standout for me was A Thread to Your Heart (formerly A Love Yarn). It's such a charming, heartfelt story.

See below for more details about this film and the others coming to GAF this August...

One of a Kind Love

Starring: Jocelyn Hudon and Jake Manley
(real-life married couple)

Premiere Date: Saturday, August 9 at 8/7c

Storyline: Kyra’s dreams of being a jeweler have been put on the backburner, as her demanding job at the Sawyer Country Club is her priority. When a vacant shop becomes available in town, Kyra sees an opportunity to put a plan into action, until she learns that there’s another renter interested in the space. Enter Aiden Sawyer, prodigal son, big-city business magnate and Kyra’s childhood nemesis, returning home to the country club his parents own. As they patch up their past, Kyra and Aiden learn that there may be something more between them than just playful flirting. But when Kyra enters a renowned jewelry contest to raise enough money to outbid the mystery renter, Aiden finds himself in a race against time to make everything right.

Movie Reviews:

🎬 One of a Kind Love is a simple, sweet, family-friendly movie. The film stars Jocelyn Hudon, who is recognizable to Hallmark fans from When Hope Calls, From Friend to Fiancé, and Baby, It’s Cold Inside. Jocelyn portrays the very likable girl-next-door sort of character, Kyra, who dreams of being a jewelry designer and owning her own shop in town. In the meantime, she works at the local country club and sells her jewelry designs in her father’s antique shop. Just as she’s about to make plans to acquire the space for her own store, the son of the country club owners, Aidan, who is a wealthy business man used to traveling around the world and making deals by the minute, returns home and makes his own bid on the property and begins to steal Kyra’s heart, as well. Can they work it out before it’s too late? I think you’ll enjoy this happy ending. ~Net

🎬 I watched several of the new movies you told us about on BYUtv, Net. One of a Kind Love, Seasoned with Love, and You May Kiss the Bridesmaid all completely charmed me! Somehow, for me, they were more real and natural and engrossing. Glad to know I'm not just broken and unable to enjoy our wonderful, pleasant, cheesy movies anymore! ;-) ~Alicia

🎬 One of a kind Love is really sweet. -Maria



**************************

A Thread to Your Heart

Also Known As: A Love Yarn

Starring: Anna Hutchinson and Simon Arblaster

Premiere Date: Saturday, August 16 at 8/7c

Storyline: The owner of a quaint New Zealand yarn shop, Sophie Dale, gets her world flipped upside down after learning her top supplier of yarn, King Farms, is stopping production. Much to her surprise, the charming yet stuck-in-his-ways Samuel King has traveled all the way from New York to audit the business model of the farm. Desperate to keep her shop going, Sophie convinces Samuel to give her two weeks to learn the ropes of yarn spinning and raise enough money to buy the mill herself. With Samuel’s help, Sophie comes up with a fundraising plan to host a “knit-off” and auction at the local makers market. However, when the two weeks come to an end Sophie finds herself at the crossroads of business and romance. Could she have misinterpreted Samuels growing romantic interest in her as just business all along?

Movie Reviews:

🎬 The setting of this story is in New Zealand - and the countryside there is absolutely beautiful. Breathtaking! The owner of the local yarn shop, Sophie, is quite likeable; she's an American who inherited the shop from her late Grandmother. Sophie brings many people of the town together to knit and enjoy time sharing, along with her best friend, Rose, who is a lot of fun. Everything seems tranquil for Sophie, until she knits a sweater for her boyfriend, Chris. Everyone in the knitting group teases that "it's the curse of the knitted sweater" and they predict in a joking way that she and Chris will surely break up. They actually do, but Sophie has more important things to worry about - she must save the local mill where she gets her yarn and convince the owner's handsome son, Samuel King, who is visiting from New York, to sell it to her before he leaves. The lambs in the movie are all sooo adorable - you'll instantly fall in love with them. At times, the movie can be a bit predictable and cheesy, but it's still a sweet family friendly story, and I personally enjoyed watching it. Even the knitted sweater gets redemption in the end. If you know someone who likes knitting, then this is most definitely THE MOVIE for them. ~Net

🎬 A Thread to your Heart is the absolute sweetest movie! How did I miss this before? Would love to see more of these actors on Great American Family. -Christie

🎬 We really enjoyed A Thread to Your Heart. One of the better movies we’ve seen in awhile. It was nice to see some different actors for once who were actually good. -Robert

🎬 I watched A Thread to Your Heart last night, and it was really cute! The setting is beautiful, the lambs are adorable, and the leads had great chemistry. I also loved the side characters. They had a lot of personality, especially the best friend/shop assistant. Is it realistic to make a living running a knitting store? Doubtful. But it isn't the craziest profession I've ever seen in a rom-com! Overall, a really sweet movie. ~melnewlife

🎬 Be sure and complete a review on the GAF website. I sent in my review and told GAF that I think A Thread to Your Heart is the best acquired movie I have watched on GAF! I was definitely not expecting to enjoy it so much! I would love to see the two leads star together in a Christmas movie for GAF. They were great together! If anyone hasn't watched it yet, check the GAF schedule for upcoming dates or watch it on Pure Flix. I really think everyone on this site will enjoy watching it! -Gena

🎬 I watched Thread to Your Heart, and wow, you were all so right! It’s such a gem. The setting was breathtaking, the couple had amazing chemistry, and it was just ridiculously cute from start to finish. And the lambs?! Don’t even get me started. I had no idea New Zealand was that stunning. ~Allie B


**************************

As Gouda as it Gets

Starring: Kim Shaw and Clayton James

Premiere Date: Saturday, August 23rd, at 8pm/7c.

Storyline: Brie Belanger is the maître fromager and owner of Brie’s Cheese, a cute artisan cheese shop located in picturesque Vermont. Looking to boost her business presence and sales, the town’s annual Cheese Festival arrives just in time with a $50,000 first-place prize. Up against her biggest competitor, Brie’s vintage smoked gouda is considered a frontrunner-so much so that Jacob Wolfe, a former chef and influential cheese blogger, approaches about profiling her delectable creation, leading their friendship to take a turn for romance. Complications arise when Matt Lambert, the handsome and charismatic new CEO of Lambert Farms (and Brie’s largest competitor) starts to show his interest in acquiring her shop. Racing against the clock and a disastrous power failure, Brie and Jacob must recreate a prize-worthy entry if she has any hope of keeping her shop and potentially winning more than she initially hoped for.

Movie Reviews:

🎬 I'm glad that I recorded it. Happily, what was missing was the bickering as in Christmas on the Menu. That was nice to see and with no back story to overcome. ~Namegirl

🎬 I also watched "As Gouda as it gets" and just loved this one as well! The leads were great, and their Chemistry was very good as well! It is family friendly, and it was just a joy to watch! ~Sarah



**************************





TV Series: Crossroad Springs

Starring: Jonathan Stoddard, Emily Alatalo, Shaun Johnston, Kate Drummond, Brittany Underwood, Jesse Hutch, Jon McLaren, Erin Agostino, and Franco Lo Presti

Premiere Date: Saturday, August 30th, at 8pm/7c.

Storyline: “Crossroad Springs” follows the Hamilton family, adult siblings James (Stoddard) and Janet (Alatalo), their aging family members, dad, Willis (Johnston), and Aunt Amy (Drummond), who are eking out a living on Hamilton Ranch with financial hardships and staffing shortages. James, a pastor in Chicago, and Janet, an ER doctor in a neighboring town, feel called to return home to help the family. Once there, the siblings encounter the son of the owner of the neighboring farm, Daniel Newman (Hutch), who are all wary of each other due to a generational feud between the families. As he settles into his new day-to-day life on the farm, James begins to realize there are no places to worship on the thousands of acres of farms. There, in the environment of come-as-you-are vibes, barns, rodeo arenas, even outdoors under clear night skies, James starts a cowboy church right there in the place where faith, family, and ranch life go hand in hand.

Reviews:

🎬 “Crossroad Springs” is such a heartwarming look at life on a family ranch. You really feel the love, hard work, and sense of community. It was comforting to watch the characters face challenges and lean on each other. Episode one does a wonderful job of introducing us to the Hamilton family, those in their community, and their neighbor/rival, Daniel Newman. (By the way, Jesse Hutch plays the character very well!) I loved all of the little touches of faith, and I’m looking forward to the next episode! -Net

🎬 I have watched the first episode last night of "Crossroad Springs" and just really enjoyed the introduction to these characters! I loved all the actors and it already seems like they have great chemistry together, can't wait to see what happens with this Show! ~Sarah

🎬 Crossroad springs is beautiful! –Maria

🎬 Crossroads Springs has an enjoyable storyline that may prove to be a wonderful series. Jesse Hutch is great. -Gabe’s Mom

🎬 Watched the first episode of Crossroad Springs. Was a little hard to follow at first but it gets better as the story evolves. Can't wait to see what Daniel Newman (Jesse Hutch) is up to. Don't like him playing the bad guy, but you're right Net...he does an excellent job in the role! This is going to be a great series and the best part, we don't have to worry about the content! ~ Joyce in Carolina

🎬 We liked Crossroad Springs. Great show, so far. Christie

🎬 I also really enjoyed Crossroad Springs, as I expected to. Love seeing those actors and the peace of watching GAF and knowing oit is going to be clean and wholesome. The acting was really good too. ~LR



**************************

The Wedding Arrangement

Starring: Kristina Cole Geddes and Cody Griffis

Premiere Date: Saturday, August 30th, at 9pm/8c.

Storyline: When botanist Violet needs help with a wedding floral arrangement, nature photographer Jack comes to save the day as they bond over a mythical plant.

Movie Review:

💐The Wedding Arrangement - (streamed on PureFlix) - The lead characters, Violet and Jack, are down-to-earth and likeable. Their chemistry was sweet, but low-key. They’ve known each other since they were children. Violet now runs her grandmother’s flower shop, while Jack helps his grandfather sell flowers at the local market.

Much of the story centers on Violet’s biggest clients, an influencer couple who come across as more obnoxious than funny, as they plan their wedding. Their scenes felt very cheesy and over-the-top. It was truly satisfying when Violet later dubs them “couple-zilla.”

The floral arrangements throughout the film are lovely, though oddly, the wedding flowers near the end of the movie, the most important ones, fall flat. And yes, there is a bit of an issue with the flowers, but everyone still acts as if they are stunning. Even the bride and groom, who were previously obsessed with everything being perfect, thought they were fabulous.

There's also a subplot involving a rare mythical flower known as the Youtan. Violet and Jack mention that this magical flower is only referenced in Buddhist scriptures. To be honest, it's not something I've ever heard of or had any interest in. Jack encourages Violet to leave her shop and travel overseas to find this rare flower.

Overall, “The Wedding Arrangement” is a family-friendly film, and Kristina Cole, who played Violet, is a lovely actress, though her wardrobe choice in the final scene, a very low-cut dress, felt rather distracting. The ending itself left me underwhelmed, making this a one-time watch for me. ~Net

💐The Wedding Arrangement is family friendly about sparks fly between a botanist named Violet Markey & a nature photographer named Jack Walker as they work together to prepare flower arrangements for wedding. Violet offers Norman Walker a job at her shop to make room for Stem by Norman. Jack & Violet visit Dr. Rose de Cruz is a former botanist in Springfield ~Anonymous


**************************


If you've not seen these movies yet, I hope you'll enjoy them when they air on Great American Family this August.

Happy movie-watching,

Net