You're Invited -- A Royal Wedding, A Trip to Italy, New Mystery in Blue Ridge, & More

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Happy first weekend of August, friends!🌻

If you haven't heard the news, Christmas in July isn't quite over for Great American Family and Great American Faith & Living, who are extending the Christmas movie fun for one more weekend!

But if you’re ready for a little change of scenery, there are also some fun non-holiday rom-coms premiering this weekend on both Great American Family and the Hallmark Channel. And I have to say, both movies sound like the perfect little summer escape!

On the Hallmark Channel, Toast to Italy takes us all the way to the lovely setting of Italy, where Jenny travels to find something special for her sister’s wedding and crosses paths with Arrigo.

Over on Great American Family, A Prince in Paradise: A Royal Wedding brings us back to a familiar royal romance with the third movie in this delightful trilogy. Prince Alexander is ready to marry Olivia, but an old law threatens to stand in the way of their happily-ever-after.

And then Sunday night brings us another thrilling mystery on INSP with Blue Ridge: The Series! This week’s all-new episode takes us into the woods when a kidnapping puts our favorite characters right in the middle of another dangerous case.

So, whether you’re still soaking up the Christmas movies, ready for a trip to Italy, in the mood for a little Royal romance, or looking for some suspense, there’s plenty to watch this weekend!

See all of the details below...


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Saturday, August 1, 2026:

Will Kemp 

Mini-Movie Marathon

image: Hallmark Channel

Hallmark Channel - Saturday night:
(times in Eastern Standard Time)

Love, Romance, & Chocolate ... 6pm
Toast to Italy ... 8pm *NEW
Royal Matchmaker ... 10pm


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Saturday, August 1, 2026:

Toast to Italy

image: Hallmark Channel

Storyline: Jenny travels to Italy for a special bottle of wine for her sister's wedding. She meets Arrigo, also looking for the famous "Love Wine" and together their search leads to a love of their own.

Toast to Italy

Premieres Saturday, August 1, 2026

at 8pm/7c on the Hallmark Channel

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Saturday, August 1, 2026:

A Prince in Paradise:

A Royal Wedding

image: Great American Media

Storyline: Prince Alexander (Mitchell Bourke) is ready to marry Olivia (Rhiannon Fish), a commoner. But when a bitter lord invokes ancient laws to block the union, Olivia, a romance writer, stumbles upon a hidden diary tucked within an old volume of history, revealing a long-lost truth that may be the key to saving her happily ever after royalty.

A Prince in Paradise: A Royal Wedding

Premieres Saturday, August 1, 2026

at 8pm/7c on Great American Family

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Saturday, August 1st - Sunday, August 2, 2026:

Christmas Movie Classics

continue on Great American Family

and Great American Faith & Living

image: Great American Media

See the weekend schedule:

Saturday, August 1, 2026:

Let it Snow ... Great American Family ... 12am
Coupled up for Christmas ... Great American Faith & Living ... 12am
Aisle Be Home for Christmas ... Great American Family ... 2am
12 Games of Christmas ... Great American Faith & Living ... 2am
I'm Glad it's Christmas ... Great American Family ... 4am
Christmas Keepsake ... Great American Faith & Living ... 4am
Christmas at the Inn ... Great American Family ... 6am
A Little Women's Christmas ... Great American Faith & Living ... 6am
Christmas by Candlelight ... Great American Family ... 8am
A Vintage Christmas ... Great American Faith & Living ... 8am
A Little Women's Christmas ... Great American Family ... 10am
My Favorite Christmas Tree ... Great American Faith & Living ... 10am
The Trouble with Mistletoe ... Great American Family ... 12pm
Mrs. Miracle ... Great American Faith & Living ... 12pm
Another Sweet Christmas ... Great American Family ... 2pm
Destined at Christmas ... Great American Faith & Living ... 2pm
Journey to Christmas ... Great American Family ... 4pm
A Royal Christmas Holiday ... Great American Faith & Living ... 4pm
Chasing Christmas ... Great American Family ... 6pm
Journey to Christmas ... Great American Faith & Living ... 6pm
A Christmas Castle Proposal ... Great American Faith & Living ... 8pm
Christmas Under the Northern Lights ... Great American Family ... 10pm
A Royal Christmas on Ice ... Great American Faith & Living ... 10pm

Sunday, August 2, 2026:

Twas the Text Before Christmas ... Great American Family ... 12am
Crown Prince of Christmas ... Great American Faith & Living ... 12am
A Belgian Chocolate Christmas ... Great American Family ... 2am
Call Me Mrs. Miracle ... Great American Faith & Living ... 2am
Designing Christmas with You ... Great American Family ... 4am
A Cozy Christmas Quilt ... Great American Faith & Living ... 4am
The Great Christmas Switch ... Great American Family ... 6am
Let it Snow ... Great American Faith & Living ... 6am
A Dash of Christmas ... Great American Family ... 8am
Aisle Be Home for Christmas ... Great American Faith & Living ... 8am
A Vintage Christmas ... Great American Family ... 10am
Pencil Me in for Christmas ... Great American Faith & Living ... 10am
My Christmas Hero ... Great American Family ... 12pm
A Royal Christmas Ballet ... Great American Faith & Living ... 12pm
A Christmas Blessing ... Great American Family ... 2pm
Christmas by Candlelight ... Great American Faith & Living ... 2pm
Jingle Bell Princess ... Great American Family ... 4pm
A Wisconsin Christmas Pie ... Great American Faith & Living ... 4pm
A Lot Like Christmas ... Great American Family ... 6pm
Designing Christmas With You ... Great American Faith & Living ... 6pm
A Kindhearted Christmas ... Great American Family ... 8pm
Christmas Keepsake ... Great American Faith & Living ... 8pm
A Cinderella Christmas Ball ... Great American Family ... 10pm
Christmas at Mistletoe Manor ... Great American Faith & Living ... 10pm

Monday, August 3, 2026:

A Christmas Prayer ... Great American Family ... 12am
A Royal Icing Christmas ... Great American Faith & Living ... 12am
A Hot Cocoa Christmas ... Great American Family ... 2am
Peppermint and Postcards ... Great American Faith & Living ... 2am
Christmas Sweethearts ... Great American Family ... 4am
A Royal Christmas Tail ... Great American Faith & Living ... 4am


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Sunday, August 2, 2026:

Blue Ridge: The Series

Johnathon Schaech and Teagan Burns
image credit: Gary Wheeler

Episode 3: “Out of the Woods”

A father-daughter camping trip turns treacherous when Sheriff Justin Wise and Maddie accidentally discover the hideout of several dangerous drug dealers.

Blue Ridge: The Series

Season 2, Episode 3

Premieres Sunday, August 2, 2026

at 10pm/9c. on INSP

*Please note: This series contains violence - not for young viewers.



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I hope you all have a great weekend, whether you're watching one of the new premieres or a Christmas classic!

As always, I'd love to hear which movies you'll be watching and which one you're most excited to see. And if you'd like to share a movie review, we'd love to hear from you.

I was planning to watch A Prince in Paradise: A Royal Wedding early, but it just didn't work out with my schedule this week. So I'm hoping that, since we are having a rainy weekend, I'll get the chance to stay in and watch. I heard from a friend who did watch it early on PureFlix, and she loved it! So, hopefully, we'll all enjoy it, too!

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Net

SHINING HIS LIGHT

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

~Colossians 3:12-15

Hallmark Channel's August 2026 Movie Premieres

Hallmark Channel announces its August movie lineup! Look for 5 new romantic comedies starring Torrey DeVitto, Will Kemp, Kimberley Sustad, Jesse Metcalfe, Ashley Williams, Niall Matter, Aimee Teegarden, Chris McNally, Rhiannon Fish, and Daniel Lissing!

Lots of familiar faces in this August premiere schedule. What do you think of these pairings?

Check out more details below...

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Toast to Italy

Premiere Date: August 1, 2026

Starring: Torrey DeVitto and Will Kemp

Storyline: Jenny travels to Italy for a special bottle of wine for her sister's wedding. She meets Arrigo, also looking for the famous "Love Wine" and together their search leads to a love of their own.

Movie Review:

🍇 Toast to Italy is a splendid movie! –Maria

🍇 A Toast to Italy – What a fun movie! There was just something so charming about this story, from the beautiful Italian setting to the delightful chemistry between Torrey DeVitto and Will Kemp as Jenny and Arrigo.

The two meet while they are both on a mission to track down a very special wine in Italy. Jenny takes a last-minute flight to Italy in hopes of finding her family’s treasured “love wine” to serve at her sister’s wedding. She worries that without it, the wedding could be cursed. This possible curse is mentioned several times throughout the movie, so I wanted to give you a little heads-up about that. However, I never took it too seriously and I got the impression that the characters didn’t truly believe in it. Not really. For Jenny, it seemed much more about the emotional connection and family history attached to it.

Arrigo, meanwhile, is searching for the wine for a very different reason- it’s connected to an important story he is working on. I really enjoyed watching Jenny and Arrigo follow the clues, travel around Italy, and meet various people along the way, including some who turn out to be related to Jenny’s family. That was really sweet.

However, I did have two issues with the story… I found it somewhat far-fetched that Jenny, who is a doctor, would take off so sporadically to travel to a foreign country without a really important reason, without even checking first with her replacement. It’s also unrealistic that a woman would risk flying to a foreign country days before her sister’s wedding and potentially miss the ceremony and other special moment’s days before.

And Will Kemp truly made this movie delightful! There’s just something about that twinkle in his eye that makes him so naturally charming. He brings such an easygoing warmth to Arrigo, and I found myself smiling whenever he was on screen. What a charmer!

One thing I did want to mention is that there are some scenes where the characters speak Italian, with the English translation appearing on the screen. So, be prepared to read a little quickly at times to keep up with the conversation and the story.

Overall, A Toast to Italy is a feel-good movie with romance, adventure, and, of course, a satisfying Hallmark happy ending! ~Net

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Absolutely Devoted to You

Premiere Date: August 8, 2026

Starring: Kimberley Sustad and Jesse Metcalfe

Storyline: An ambitious TV producer devises a brilliant plan to reunite a 90's boy band for an annual summer beach bash, but her idea is derailed when she falls for the band's reluctant lead singer.

Movie Reviews:

💕 Absolutely Devoted to You is a fun and family friendly movie. It's a little slow at first, but hang on. It's gets better....and the song and dance routine in the end was AMAZING! The movie is worth watching just to see that!! Kimberly and Jesse had great chemistry and I was a little concerned about that pairing. They both did a great job! ~Joyce in Carolina

💕 Absolutely Devoted to You - really fun movie! The wait to see if Jesse would do the show felt like forever, but the end was well worth it. Kimberley was great too! ~Allie B

💕 “Absolutely Devoted to You” was cute, but let’s be honest… it’s no “A Country Wedding!” That one is still hard to beat! 💕 ~Sarah L

💕 We finally got around to watching "Absolutely Devoted to You" and I have to say it was worth the wait! I laughed out loud, at Merrie. She was so funny! Watching her fan girl over Derrick was hysterical. I can relate, because I too, have been in her shoes. I think every single girl had a crush on someone in the music industry at one time in their life for certain. 🙂 Kimberley was her 'fabulous self' as always. She makes it look so easy and often find myself forgetting she is even acting. She is such a natural. And, it was so good to see Jesse back on my TV screen. He is a great actor and he had wonderful chemistry with Kimberley as well as the teenagers he mentored. His onscreen time with young Jordan was especially poignant. It was nice seeing Graham again in a movie. 🙂 We have watched him grow up, on Hallmark. He was very good in his role. Anyway, the final production scene was a lot of fun. I highly recommend this sweet movie. ~Joan

💕 Absolutely Devoted to You is just one of those movies that is light, easygoing, and a whole lot of fun. It’s the kind of movie you can sit back and enjoy… and before you know it, you’re smiling!!!

I really enjoyed the connection between Jesse Metcalfe and Kimberley Sustad as Derrick and Kaitlin. I thought they worked really well together, and I especially liked the deal they make.

Kaitlin promises to sell out the tickets for the community center’s variety show, where Derrick volunteers. If she pulls it off, Derrick agrees to reunite with his old boy band, Absolutely Yeah, for a reunion performance on the TV show Kaitlin produces. Of course, the big question is whether Derrick really plans to keep his promise!

One of my favorite parts was the group of young boys at the community center. They’re putting together their own boy-band-style performance for the variety show, and they’re so much fun to watch. They really care about Derrick and even get involved in a little matchmaking along the way. Their friendship with him is genuine and sweet.

Overall, this is just a cute, feel-good movie that’s easy to enjoy. I liked the romance, the humor, the music, and of course, the whole boy-band reunion storyline. It definitely hits the right notes without taking itself too seriously. The song at the end is very sweet, a joy to watch! So… did I enjoy this movie? Absolutely Yeah! ~Net

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Aussie at Heart

Premiere Date: August 15, 2026

Starring: Rhiannon Fish and Daniel Lissing

Storyline: Samara, a former lawyer now event planner, reunites with Nate, her ex‑coworker and rival, to plan a couple's anniversary in Queensland and begin to confront their past and fall for each other.

Movie Review:

💕 Aussie at Heart – This movie is sweet, mostly predictable, but still an enjoyable love story. Rhiannon Fish looked so cute in her French braids, perfect for a day on a boat. She and Daniel Lissing had really great chemistry together, too. I loved the celebration of her friend’s parents’ anniversary. Watching them relive their memories and talk about choosing each other was truly beautiful. Overall, it’s a pleasant, uplifting, family-friendly watch. ~Net

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I hope you all find a movie you'll look forward to seeing!

I posted the movie I'm most excited about in the comments below. Can't wait to hear your picks, too!

Happy Watching!

Net

This Weekend in TV Movies: 💐 Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue... 💐

The Hallmark Channel continues this weekend with *something new*... their second June Weddings movie premiere!

If you'd like to watch *something old*... there are many older classics- including Christmas movies, rom-coms, and mysteries, airing Friday through Sunday.

The *something borrowed*... would be the characters from the original "Aurora Teagarden" series.

And *something blue*... would be the beautiful water seen in "Love's Greek to Me."

See all of the movie details below...


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Saturday, June 10, 2023:

On Saturday the Hallmark Channel has a full day of destination rom-com's leading up to the premiere of...

Love's Greek to Me

Storyline: When Ilana travels to Santorini with her Greek boyfriend Mike for his sister Alex’s wedding, she’s thrilled to be asked to be her American Maid of Honor. Mike surprises Ilana by proposing, leaving Ilana caught in the whirlwind created by his well-meaning and overly enthusiastic mother, Athena.

Love's Greek to Me

Premieres Saturday, June 10, 2023

at 8pm/7c. on the Hallmark Channel

💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐


Programming Notes...




Friday, June 9, 2023: 

Christmas Movie Classics:
(Schedule - Eastern Standard Time)

Call Me Mrs. Miracle - Great American Family - 8pm

Christmas in Tahoe - Hallmark Channel - 8pm





Friday, June 9, 2023:

 
Following a mini "Aurora Teagarden" marathon on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, starring Candace Cameron Bure, from 5-9pm EST., is the premiere of "Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New," with Skyler Samuels as young Aurora Teagarden at 9pm EST.

"Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New" Storyline: Young Aurora Teagarden returns home to Lawrenceton after college to pursue her post-grad degree and finds herself embroiled in a mystery involving her friend Sally's fiancé.

Since they are doing this new "Aurora Teagarden" movie without Candace Cameron Bure and recasting other key characters, as well, including younger versions of Sally and Arthur, this movie is a pass personally for me. Please share if you plan to watch the new "Aurora Teagarden" in comments below.






Saturday, June 10, 2023:

For those of you who have expressed interest in the "Blue Ridge" TV series that is coming to the Cowboy Way Channel in either late 2023 or early 2024, I wanted you to know INSP will have an encore showing of the original "Blue Ridge" film this weekend - Saturday morning at 12am EST. - midnight!

Plus, the Cowboy Way Channel is airing "Blue Ridge" three times this weekend, Friday at 8pm and Saturday at 4am and 12pm EST.

"Blue Ridge" Storyline: Ex-Green Beret, Justin Wise, leaves his dangerous life to be nearer his ex-wife and young daughter to become the sheriff of a sleepy, small town cut out of the Blue Ridge Mountains. But his quiet life is soon disrupted when he finds himself fighting to keep this mountain community from exploding into violence. (Please note: This film is rated TV-PG-13.)




Saturday, June 10, 2023 and Sunday, June 11, 2023:

An "Aurora Teagarden" Marathon, starring Candace Cameron Bure, continues Saturday and Sunday on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries! 

See the marathon Saturday, 11am - 11pm and Sunday, 11am - 7pm, followed by an encore airing of "Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New" at 7pm and "The Dancing Detective: A Deadly Tango" at 9pm EST.





Friday, June 9, 2023 - Sunday, June 11, 2023:

Recommended Classic Rom-Com's:

The Winter Palace - Great American Family - Friday at 6pm

Hearts Down Under - Hallmark Channel - Saturday at 10am

Pearl in Paradise - Hallmark Channel - Saturday at 2pm

How to Fall in Love - Hallmark Drama - Saturday at 5pm

Love, Romance & Chocolate - Hallmark Channel - Saturday at 6pm

Elevator Girl - UPtv - Sunday at 1pm

The Wedding Veil Journey - Hallmark Channel - Sunday at 8pm

Just Jake - UPtv - Sunday at 9pm

Weekend thoughts...

I hope you all have a pleasant weekend ahead. For those of you who have been affected by the smoke coming down from the wildfires in Canada, I sure hope it lifts, and blue skies will return soon for you. Our skies have been somewhat hazy here in the Midwest, but nothing like the orange sky images I've seen on TV and social media from New York and other surrounding states. That is so eerie looking.

I'm also hoping and praying we will receive some much-needed rain this weekend. We've been in a drought for some time now, and the crops here on our family farm certainly need moisture; everything is so dry and dusty. Are any of you experiencing this, as well? Some family members are experiencing dry, scratchy eyes, and we're not sure if that's due to the lack of rain or haze. Our sweet white kitty was playing in the yard, and due to the dry, dusty conditions, he came back mostly gray! Poor thing. I tried to clean him up, but as you know, water and kitty cats don't mix!

Not sure I'll get the chance to watch the new June Weddings movie over the weekend due to plans, but my DVR is already set. Do you plan to watch it or something else?

Please Note: I haven't screened the new movies. If you'd like to share a review after they air, please do so in comments below...

Have a blessed weekend, everyone!

Net

☀️ SHINING HIS LIGHT ☀️

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life."

~Psalm 143:8

💐Hallmark Media Announces JUNE 2023 Movie Schedule with NEW June Weddings & Mysteries 🔎 SEE DETAILS:

Movie details via Hallmark Media Press Release:

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

AS HALLMARK CHANNEL RINGS IN 

JUNE WEDDINGS

HALLMARK MOVIES & MYSTERIES

HAS EXCITING, NEW CASES

IN STORE FOR JUNE

Hallmark Channel viewers are cordially invited to the network’s June Weddings programming event, celebrating love and matrimony with four all-new original movie premieres featuring international locations and cultures. Meanwhile, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries brings fans two exciting new mysteries with a prequel to the popular, long-running “Aurora Teagarden Mysteries” as well as a brand-new mystery, “The Dancing Detective,” set against the beauty of Malta.



PREMIERING IN JUNE ON HALLMARK CHANNEL:

‘WEDDING SEASON’
Saturday, June 3 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Stephanie Bennett, Casey Deidrick

Trish (Bennett) is a journalist who is on back-to-back bridesmaid duty for her three best friends. When her date is unable to join, she pairs up with photographer Ryan (Deidrick), the brother of her best friend.

Movie Reviews:

💐 Wedding Season - I enjoyed tonight's movie. Slow burn romance. Based on Samantha Chase's book. She had another book-to-film: The Christmas Cottage. ~ dstoutholcomb

💐 In the movie Wedding Season near the beginning of the movie you can see two females slow dancing together. ~Anonymous

💐 Wedding Season. Kinda cute but not a keeper for me. Family friendly except you'll need to fast forward through the one brief instance early in the movie where you see two women dancing together in the background of a shot. The two of them looked really awkward, almost like the Hallmark diversity director found two strangers milling around the set and told them to hurry up and get in the shot so Hallmark would get their "lgbtqxyz" social credits for the movie -- instead of an intimate slow dance like others on the dance floor, the women were almost standing at arm's length and looked like they hardly knew each other -- ridiculous Hallmark!! ~~Jane

💐 Have watched the Wedding movie with Stephanie Bennett--fell asleep. Liked the movie based in Greece. The others will be a no watch for me. There doesn't seem to be any chemistry between Becca Tobin and her costar. Hallmark seems to be reaching. ~Anonymous



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‘LOVE’S GREEK TO ME’
Saturday, June 10 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Torrey DeVitto, Giannis Tsmitselis, Marina Sirtis

When Ilana (DeVitto) travels to Santorini with her Greek boyfriend Mike (Tsimitselis) for his sister Alex’s (Katerina Konstas) wedding, she’s thrilled to be asked to be her American Maid of Honor. Mike surprises Ilana by proposing, leaving Ilana gets caught in the whirlwind created by his well-meaning and overly enthusiastic mother Athena (Sirtis).

Movie Reviews:

💐 Loves Greek to Me was hard to watch. If not for my wife, I probably would have stopped. Very negative feeling through out. Maybe it is their traditions but I can’t stand it when others want to control somebody else’s wedding. Especially when they make plans and commitments without even talking about it. ~Anonymous

💐 Have watched the Wedding movie with Stephanie Bennett--fell asleep. Liked the movie based in Greece. The others will be a no watch for me. There doesn't seem to be any chemistry between Becca Tobin and her costar. Hallmark seems to be reaching. ~Anonymous

💐 Love’s Greek to Me is family friendly about is an archaeology professor who’s prepping for a 10-day trip to the Greek island of Santorini with her boyfriend named Mike, his real name is Mikale. She travels to the island is Santorini in Greek with her Greek boyfriend Mike for Mike’s little Sister named Alexandra is getting married to her fiancé named Chris, his real name is Christos. Mike proposes to his girlfriend named Ilana when she gets caught up in the whirlwind of his overzealous Mom named Athena. Ilana mentions My Big Fat Greek Wedding & Mamma Mia! She can’t help it — she’s excited! Upon arriving in Greece, Mike’s Sister; Alex asks Ilana to essentially fill in for her maid of honor — and that means spending even more time with Mike’s Mom named Athena. Ilana has evil eye 🪬 🧿 necklace & Mike has evil eye 🪬 🧿 ring. Athena cooks some yummy baklavas.There’s 2 weddings of Alex & Chris and Ilana & Mike in Greece 🇬🇷 Island of Santorini. ~Anonymous



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‘THE WEDDING CONTRACT’
Saturday, June 17 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Becca Tobin, Jake Epstein

Rebecca (Tobin), a teacher, and Adam (Epstein), an ad executive are excited to plan their Jewish wedding, but their wedding and future are put into jeopardy when Adam lands a new ad campaign, and their mothers meet for the first time.


Movie Reviews:

💐 The Wedding Contract is family friendly about Rebecca is a teacher & Adam is an Ad Executive are excited to plan their Jewish Wedding. However, their nuptials & future are put in jeopardy when Adam lands a new ad campaign & their Mothers meet. Rebecca & Adam have chuppah for their Jewish Wedding. She & Adam have a lot of common. They’re finally married. Adam broke the glass to step on the chuppah during their wedding ceremony. Kevin is gesturing Adam by saying I’m watching you. Adam picks Rebecca up at school when she’s teaching Kevin at school. ~Anonymous

💐 The Wedding Contract was a great movie. :-) The two leads had real chemistry and it did not have a contrived misunderstanding which was refreshing. I enjoyed getting to know some of the Jewish traditions. I highly recommend this sweet movie. :-) ~Joan

💐 I watched the Wedding Contract-It is Family Friendly! Very sweet movie, and I didn't know much about the Jewish traditions, so it was pretty neat to see that in a movie. I loved Becca Tobin-She always does such a good job in these movies, and I thought her chemistry with Jake Epstein was really present throughout the whole movie. ~Sarah

💐 The Wedding Contract – This June Weddings movie, starring Becca Tobin as Rebecca and Jake Epstein as Adam, is family-friendly and delightful! I thoroughly enjoyed Rebecca and Adam’s sweet love story and Becca’s role as a teacher. It was especially sweet to watch Rebecca help one young boy to read; those scenes truly touched my heart. Plus, the boy was absolutely adorable in a later scene when he warned Adam to be nice to his teacher. I thought the Jewish religious observations were shown respectively throughout the movie; however, since I’m not Jewish I cannot tell you if they were accurate. It was nice to see Becca and Adam honorably follow the religious customs and traditions of their family for their wedding. I wasn’t certain about the disagreeing mothers, at first, but in the end – they, too, captured my heart. Overall, “The Wedding Contract” was a pleasant, delightful, lighthearted watch. ~Net




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‘MAKE ME A MATCH’
Saturday, June 24 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Rushi Kota, Eva Bourne

Vivi (Bourne), an optimistic woman with a substandard romantic history, works at a data-driven matchmaking app. Once she discovers that the success rate for matches at her company is low, she hires Raina (Rekha Sharma, “Battlestar Galactica”), an Indian matchmaker, to provide advice on how to improve their numbers. As they embark on this matchmaking journey, Vivi meets Raina’s spontaneous son, Bhumesh (Kota), and questions whether finding love is something one must take control of or let naturally come to them.


Movie Reviews:

💐 I know many Hearties and Sleuthers are happy to see the return of actress Eva Bourne (from When Calls the Heart and Garage Sale Mysteries). However, I do want to caution the basis of this story is focused on fortune-telling. Eva's character, Vivi, enlists the help of an Indian Matchmaker, Raina, who gives her a palm reading. Unfortunately, while I'd love to see Eva again, due to this storyline, this movie is a skip for me. (the Bible on fortune telling) ~Net

💐 I’m pretty sure Make Me A Match was not family-friendly. I never watch premieres until I know if they’re clean. In this case, the tv didn’t get channeled quick enough after watching It Was Always You. Within the first five minutes there was an uncomfortable innuendo about a guy cheating on his girlfriend with his boss. I did not stick around to see how it turned out, but pretty sure it was not good. - The boss was implied a male. ~Anonymous


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PREMIERING IN JUNE ON HALLMARK MOVIES & MYSTERIES

‘THE DANCING DETECTIVE: A DEADLY TANGO’
Filmed entirely on location in Malta
Friday, June 2 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Lacey Chabert, Will Kemp

Sparks fly when a no-nonsense detective (Chabert) must reluctantly team up with a charismatic British dance star (Kemp) in order to solve a murder, literally one step at a time, at a stunning luxury resort in Malta!

Movie Reviews:

🔎 The Dancing Detective: A Deadly Tango Review...

I thought this film was so cute and charming. It wasn't your average mystery series movie, definitely a rom com. Lacey and Will are perfect together! Their chemistry was spot on! I loved the dancing in water scene and hope to see more! Family-friendly as well.

It would have been nice if they didn't show them in the bed together, I know he was sleeping on the sofa, but still. And I loved the blue/navy dress with orange and yellow fruit she was wearing while dancing in the water. ~Abigail

🔎 The Dancing Detective: A Deadly Tango. Totally agree with Abigail, this was a really cute movie and had me laughing at times. And the dancing in the water scene was unique; it could've gone way too sensual but they kept it light and fun. Looking forward to more movies with Will and Lacey. Family friendly, except there was one teeny tiny blip of an objectionable comment where someone implied that the dead guy (who was married) might like/appreciate handsome young males - it was vague and just a quick blip, easily missed. ~~Jane

🔎 (In response to Laura's question, "Does anyone know if the dancing detective was family friendly?") Yes, it is family friendly and adorable. We had some storms here in Oklahoma so I get to look at 3 recordings to see if there are any of them that don't have pixels in them. I'm also going to look at it again to count how many movie & TV detective names Lacey called Will throughout the movie. ~Namegirl

🔎 (Also, in response to Laura's question, "Does anyone know if the dancing detective was family friendly?") Hi Laura, yes it was family-friendly! But definitely had more of a romantic feel. It was a cute film and Lacey and Will were terrific together!! ~Abigail

🔎 Hi! Sorry for the delay in posting. I was away enjoying a much needed vacation! :-) It looks like I am in the minority, but I honestly did not enjoy the new mystery with Lacey and Will. It bored me to tears throughout most of the movie. I figured out, who did it, rather quickly. The scenery was lovely and Lacey and Will had decent chemistry but I felt like Lacey was miscast. She did not seem to enjoy her role. I can't quite put my finger on it. Anyway, I thought Lacey and Will were MUCH better in 'The Christmas Waltz' which is one of my all time favorite holiday movies. ~Joan

🔎 Dancing Detective: The Deadly Tango is family friendly about Constance Bailey who goes undercover as a contestant in a ballroom dance competition to investigate the murder of a high-profile CEO. She enlists the help of Sebastian Moore to help her pass herself off as a real contestant. Moore is described as a “charismatic and free-spirited performer.” The descriptions are reminiscent of the characters the two played in “Christmas Waltz,” except without the murder mystery twist. ~Anonymous




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‘AURORA TEAGARDEN MYSTERIES: SOMETHING NEW’
Friday, June 9 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Skyler Samuels, Evan Roderick, Marilu Henner

Aurora Teagarden (Samuels) is back home in Lawrenceton post-college near her mother, Aida (Henner). Working as a teacher’s assistant in a crime fiction class, Aurora is struggling to settle on a thesis for her post-graduate degree. To support her schooling and life, Aurora also waitresses at the local diner at night, where she shares her love of researching true crime with her friend Sally and police officer Arthur (Roderick). When Sally’s fiancé doesn’t show up at their wedding rehearsal, Maid of Honor Aurora gets Arthur to help her search for him. When they discover a body, everyone assumes it is Sally’s tardy groom, but when it turns out to be someone else, Sally’s fiancé becomes the main suspect.

Movie Reviews:

🔎 Laura here. I know the new Aurora Teagarden isn't too popular but I had an attack of boredom last night and decided to watch it. It definitely had the feeling of the original series perhaps the same directing style. Although the casting is different keep in mind that for a prequel it would need to be anyway. This series focuses on Aurora solving her first crime when she was in college doing her master's degree. I think the cast they picked for Aurora, Sally, and Arthur were pretty good. They seem pretty close to how the original characters would have acted. As far as I know it was totally family friendly and compared to the other new mysteries that have aired recently, at least in my opinion, it held my attention and was interesting. I really think the man they chose for Arthur's character was true to his character. My only thought was that Aurora's character didn't seem bubbly enough and seemed slightly stiff. She didn't really match up to the Aurora we know but that's obviously because Candace Cameron gave that energy to the character. Sally too doesn't look too much like the Sally we know, but as I pointed out it is a prequel. Overall, however, I thought it was interesting and if they continue to be family friendly I will watch them. ~Laura

🔎 Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New is an origin movie prequel. It’s family friendly. Aurora Teagarden is a waitress who works at the restaurant. Aurora’s friends; Arthur Smith is a police officer who works with Detective Cook Lawrenceton Police Station, & what’s Sally’s job must be. Aurora solves at the case in her bedroom with Arthur’s help. Aurora has 2 mystery books. Aurora. Arthur, & Sally are sitting at the table where Aurora works at the restaurant . ~Anonymous

🔎 Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something Borrowed - Ok, I gave it a try. I appreciated how the actors tried to sound like the former cast, Sally's character did the best with her voice and Arthur was kind like his old self. But Arthur has dark hair, not blond and he's not short. Sally's roll looked Hispanic and wrong hairstyle. The mystery itself was ok, I guess. I didn't have the same warmth as before. It was interesting seeing Sally's aunt Gladys before she died at Bubba's Wedding. I would rate this a 4.5. It was also family-friendly. ~Abigail




My Quick Take:

It's nice to see familiar actresses Torrey DeVitto, Becca Tobin, Stephanie Bennett, and Eva Bourne starring in the 4 all-new June Wedding movies. I think of the four, ‘THE WEDDING CONTRACT’ sounds the most intriguing to me, thus far, but we'll see.

As for mysteries, I'll be skipping the new Aurora Teagarden. It's not possible to make those successful, in my mind, without Candace Cameron Bure. No one can take her place.

I will, of course, be most delighted to check out the all-new ‘THE DANCING DETECTIVE: A DEADLY TANGO’ starring Lacey Chabert and Will Kemp, who have been magical on screen together in Love, Romance, and Chocolate and Christmas Waltz. I can only imagine they will be wonderful in this new mystery, as well.

Be sure to note, the new mysteries now premiere on Friday night.

Please share your thoughts in the comments below...

Happy movie-watching,

Net