Christmas in Review: Best New Christmas Movies of 2021

Christmas in Review: Best New Christmas Movies of 2021

It’s the best time of the year: Christmas movie time, that is! I was in the full-blown Christmas spirit early this year thanks to the Christmas movies starting before Halloween. By now you all know there is no shame in my Christmas movie-watching game.

Hallmark and Lifetime did not disappoint this year keeping up with their impressive new movie lineup for the holidays. Between the two networks, they had a combined total of 77 new Christmas movies this year (the most out of any year so far). I also watched 24 new Christmas movies across other networks.

My favorites have always been Hallmark but they had quite the competition this year between Lifetime, UPtv, and the brand new network: GAC Family. While Hallmark still had many high-rated ones for me they also had quite a few not impressive ones as well. Surprisingly, even though it was their first year of movies, GAC Family came out on top for me overall.

For those not as lucky as me to be able to catch all the new Christmas movies, I have come up with my top favorites for your reading pleasure. Trust me, you don’t want to miss these wonderful holiday stories full of love, laughter, (some tears), and all the fun holiday festivities.

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Top 10 New Hallmark Christmas Movies

Without further ado, here are what I like to call “The Best of the Best” or better known as “Hallmark’s Top 10” listed from 10th best to 1st best. In my opinion, when it comes to Hallmark there are no ‘worst’, they’re all the best.

10. Coyote Creek Christmas

“Coyote Creek Christmas” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Janel Parrish & Ryan Paevey. It follows event planner Paige (Parrish) who returns home to her parent’s Inn for Christmas. After discovering her parents have scaled back the Christmas celebrations at the Inn, Paige decides to plan them herself. She begins to bond with Inn guest Dylan (Paevey) and his son Noah, not knowing that her parents plan to sell the Inn to Dylan’s company.

This movie was so cute! I loved these two actors and their banter back and forth. I liked how the big conflict happened in the middle of the so they could work through it and it wasn’t just tied up quickly in a pretty bow. I really liked how the end result was a compromise for both the characters and their businesses/jobs. The story was well written and well-executed.

9. The Christmas Contest

“The Christmas Contest” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Candace Cameron Bure, John Brotherton, & Barbara Niven. It’s about exes Lara (Bure) and Ben (Brotherton) who compete in a Christmas contest to win money for their favorite charities. As they battle on TV, they grow close again and must choose what is more important winning or love.

The queen of Christmas, Candace Cameron Bure strikes again! This movie was so fun. I loved the comedy and shenanigans that went along with the contest and that it was two exes going at it trying to win against each other. I also really enjoyed the mini Fuller House cast reunion with the two leads. It was such a beautiful reminder of what truly matters in life and at Christmas time.

8. My Christmas Family Tree

“My Christmas Family Tree” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Aimee Teegarden & Andrew W. Walker. It follows social worker, Vanessa (Teegarden) as she gets online DNA test results that match her with the father she never knew. As Christmas nears, she meets her father in person and he invites her to spend Christmas with his wife and kids. The only other person invited to the family Christmas is their close family friend and lawyer, Kris (walker) who gives Vanessa a lift to their house. While spending time with the family, Vanessa grows closer to them all including Kris, and gets surprising news that there might have been a mixup with her DNA results which threatens her newfound happiness.

I really liked this one! An original and real storyline of a girl who meets her biological dad for the first time after getting a DNA match and goes to spend Christmas with his family. I loved this fresh more modern take on Christmas. The story was fun and lighthearted. I loved the chemistry between the leads. Who doesn’t love a good family is who you make it story? This was such a good movie!

7. The Christmas Promise

“The Christmas Promise” is a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries original movie starring Torrey DeVitto & Dylan Bruce. It’s about Nicole (DeVitto) who is still healing coming up on the one-year anniversary since her fiance passed away unexpectedly. While making many life choices to follow her dreams again, Nicole takes her grandfather’s story of how he coped with his wife’s passing by writing her letters to heart. She begins texting her fiance’s old phone number and much to her surprise gets a response. She begins a kindred friendship with the person on the other end who has also experienced loss. At the same time, Nicole hires contractor Joe (Bruce) to fix up the house her fiance bought for them so she can sell it. She begins to fall for the contractor and the mysterious texter at the same time which complicates real life.

I liked this movie even more than I thought I would. The sadness of losing a loved one was realistic but I really enjoyed watching the journey and development of Nicole as she worked through her feelings and learned how to rediscover joy. I loved the chemistry of the main characters and how their relationship developed. I loved the spontaneous kiss by the guy, followed up by one from the girl. So, so cute! And I really loved the “You’ve Got Mail” feel of her communicating with a stranger via text by texting her fiancé’s old number. It was such a cute added element!

6. A Dickens of a Holiday!

“A Dickens of a Holiday” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Brooke D’Orsay & Kristoffer Polaha. It follows Cassie (D’Orsay) who has moved back to her hometown of Dickens, after a divorce and failed Broadway director dreams. Hoping to rediscover her purpose she agrees to direct the town’s “A Christmas Carol” play for its 100th-anniversary celebration. When her lead actor falls ill, the mayor convinces Cassie to ask the town’s celebrity success, action star, Jake (Polaha). Despite their history from high school, Jake agrees to play the role of Scrooge. The practice soon turns into feelings, but they both have high stakes in this play being a success.

I was excited because I like these two actors but I was honestly a little unsure if it would be that good because A Christmas Carol has been done so much. But boy did this one deliver! It was such a good movie! The A Christmas Carol aspect was minimal and done so well. I love the actor coming home to help his hometown storyline and that he always had a crush on the girl but she never knew. I also really enjoyed that the lead’s backstory from high school was minimal and they never dated. The lead’s chemistry was so good and I absolutely loved their whole story!

5. Christmas at Castle Hart

“Christmas at Castle Hart” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Lacey Chabert & Stuart Townsend. It’s about sisters Brooke (Chabert) and Margot who after getting fired from their server jobs for a high-end event planner travel to Ireland for the holidays hoping to connect to the family roots of their adopted father. In Ireland, they meet Aidan (Townsend) who asks them to help plan a Christmas party for Castle Hart, thinking they are event planners. Before they can correct it, Brooke is assumed to be Paige (her former boss) and the girls end up in lie after lie trying to keep the charade up to help the town.

Lacey Chabert is called The Christmas Queen for a reason! I always love her movies but this one was extra special. I loved that it was set in Ireland, the fun dynamic between the sisters, the crazy mishaps they get into, and that they’re trying to hunt down their dad’s side of the family. So many fun things happening all at once! The lying got a bit much but it added to the comedy and how one thing leads to another and another. This was a favorite for me for sure.

4. Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas

“Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas” is a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries original movie starring Jessy Schram & Brendan Penny. It follows a woman (Schram) who is brought into the hospital in Maine unconscious after falling into the river. Once she awakes it is clear that she suffers from amnesia – so she goes by Jane. After a week with no one coming to look for her and no clues other than a postcard with a note from someone asking her to come for Christmas, Jane decides to go to Charleston to figure out who she is. One of her attending nurses, Paul (Penny) offers to drive with her, hoping to help keep her safe and also go visit his family in Georgia for the holidays. So they set out on their Christmas road trip together. Along the way as Jane slowly begins to get her memory back, her and Paul being to fall for each other which is complicated by memories he has of a mysterious man.

This is the 4th Come Home for Christmas movie produced by Blake Shelton and possibly my favorite of all four. I love a good redemption and forgiveness story which this is. And having it set with the backdrop of Christmas is pure magic. I loved the mystery of amnesia and trying to remember who the girl is. The leads were wonderful together. I absolutely loved it!

3. A Very Merry Bridesmaid

“A Very Merry Bridesmaid” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Emily Osment & Casey Deidrick. It follows Leah (Osment) who has always believed her 30th birthday (which is also on Christmas Eve) is a special milestone. This year her brother has decided to get married on Christmas Eve. Always putting her family first, Leah puts her birthday on the backburner to do everything she can to make her brother’s wedding the most special event. Also in town before the wedding, is Drew (Deidrick), Leah’s brother’s best friend who is the Best Man. Leah’s childhood crush on Drew begins to reappear as they work together for the wedding but maybe more on Drew’s plans to make Leah’s birthday the best one ever.

The Christmas wedding theme was so fun! The girl being the groom’s sister was another fun take. The story of two besties who had crushes on each other but went their separate ways…and now reconnecting was so fun. I loved watching the leads bond and spark a romantic relationship. I also enjoyed how the wedding venue change obstacle came up sooner than later and was resolved without being a huge issue. Overall this was one of my faves. It was so sweet and magical!

2. An Unexpected Christmas

“An Unexpected Christmas” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Bethany Joy Lenz & Tyler Hynes. It’s about Jamie (Hynes) who hasn’t told his family that he and his girlfriend Emily (Lenz) have broken up. After a mix-up at the airport, his family has brought them both to stay at their house for Christmas. Jamie convinces Emily to pretend they are still a couple in order not to ruin Christmas for his family (who all love Emily). She agrees but only because he has agreed to help her with a work issue. Soon they discover that they might not just be pretending after all.

I absolutely loved this one! Bethany Joy Lenz is one of my faves and I really loved the leads together – they looked great together and had great chemistry! Paul Campbell (another Hallmark actor) wrote the script and I thought it was so cute! I really enjoy a good pretending-to-be-a-couple story and I loved the banter and comedy between the characters with this story. It was so cute!

1. The Santa Stakeout

“The Santa Stakeout” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Tamera Mowry-Housley & Paul Campbell. It follows rookie PD Detective Tanya (Mowry-Housley) and veteran Detective Ryan (Campbell) who must work and live together in a rental house to stake out a neighbor who plays Santa for holiday parties. Soon their quiet surveillance is ruined when they get mistaken for a newlywed couple by the neighborhood and begin taking part in neighborhood activities in an effort to learn more about their suspect. As they work together they begin to understand each other more which leads to give and take on bother ends. Their new feelings begin to lead to complications in the case.

This was one of the Christmas movies I was most looking forward to this year and it did not disappoint! I love Tamera Mowry-Housley and the police stakeout aspect was so unique. There were so many cute comedic moments and I loved the banter between the actors. I also loved the mystery aspect of it as well. Overall there was so much comedy which I loved and it was at the top of my list for any of the new movies this year. It was so much fun!

Close Seconds – Hallmark

Hallmark had a total of 42 new holiday movies this year between Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. With so many new Hallmark movies to choose from it’s so hard to pick just 10. So here are my Close Seconds (in no particular order).

Christmas in My Heart

“Christmas in My Heart” is a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries original movie starring Heather Hemmens & Luke Macfarlane. It’s about concert violinist Beth (Hemmens) who travels home to West Virginia after her mother’s passing for Christmas. She begins tutoring young violinist Katie who is the daughter of famous country singer Sean (Macfarlane) who left the industry after his wife passed away. The more time she spends tutoring Katie, the more time she begins spending with Sean as well and they begin to help each other heal.

This was such a good heartfelt and moving story. I liked how the characters bonded over a loss and brought out the best in each other. I liked how the breakdown between the love interests happened during the middle and not at the end. I loved how it wasn’t anything negative the girl did that caused the trouble. She really understood their privacy and delicate moments. I liked how they had two different music genres but still embraced the other persons.

Crashing Thru the Snow

“Crashing Thru the Snow” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Amy Acker & Warren Christie. It’s about Maggie (Acker) who has remained best friends with her ex-husband which has benefited their co-parenting with their two kids. Seeing Maggie struggle with her ex taking the kids to visit his new girlfriend Kate’s family in Aspen for Christmas, Kate invites Maggie to join them in Aspen which she accepts. While there Maggie teams up with Kate’s brother Sam (Christie) to help win her kids back from their fascination with Kate by giving them the best holiday ever in exchange for Maggie helping him with a pitch. As they work together they begin to develop feelings which only complicates everything more.

This was Hallmark’s Christmas in July premiere. Despite coming out in the summertime it stayed in my favorites list of all the new ones from 2021. It was also the first time (that I remember) a blended family being the focus. It felt so real. It was comical and heartfelt. I loved the modern blended family and everyone spending Christmas together aspect. It was super cute!

Gingerbread Miracle

“Gingerbread Miracle” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Merritt Patterson & Jon-Michael Ecker. It follows Maya (Patterson) an attorney who has been using a local Mexican bakery’s basement for her office. When the bakery’s owner helps Maya with her help to sell, she agrees. The owner’s son and Maya’s old high school crush, Alex (Ecker) return to town to help as well even though she doesn’t want his help.

I love Merritt Patterson and was excited to see this one. The story was so cute and I really enjoyed how they added the Mexican bakery and gingerbread wish magic. I liked following the journey of the two leads’ love story and their history. It was so real and relatable. Sometimes timing is just off and to see them choose each other finally was so sweet.

Nantucket Noel

“Nantucket Noel” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Sarah Power & Trevor Donovan. It follows Nantucket toy store owner Christina (Power) who learns of a developer who wants to tear down the wharf which is home to her toy store and decides to fight back. Things get complicated when she learns Andy (Donovan) a man she is getting close to is the developer’s son.

I really enjoyed this one. I liked the girl from Good Witch being a lead and loved seeing Trevor Donovan as a dad character. It was cool to see the dynamic between father/son and then son/daughter. I liked that the building conflict was mainly the father’s and the son was kind of caught in the middle as opposed to the son being the instigator. The romance between the leads was beautifully done. I didn’t like how scrooge-like/cold the dad was when it came to business but overall I really enjoyed the movie. I loved how the girl accepted and came to terms with finding another shopping spot it was very real and she still got everything she wanted with love.

Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday

“Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Mark Deklin, & Ashley Williams. It’s about sisters Jennifer (Williams-Paisley) and Meg (Williams) who are super close despite living a couple of hours apart. Both needing a change, they decide to switch places for the holidays – Meg will go to the city to help run Jennifer’s restaurant while Jennifer goes home to see family and help with their late uncle’s theater closing. Jennifer decides to give the theater, The Madison, one last Christmas movie event like when she was a kid. She teams up with Eric (Deklin) to help repair the Theater and get it ready for the event and begins to fall in love with everything her hometown has to offer.

This was the first of two Sister Swap movies starring real-life sisters and I was so excited for these movies! I really liked how they blended them together and weaved the stories throughout both movies. This one following Kimberly Williams-Paisley was my favorite! I loved trying to give the town one last theater Christmas and how she and her son fell in love with it. I loved how the love interest always had a crush on her from high school and now he’s getting to live that dream out and how their two kids got along so well. I really liked how she didn’t give up her other restaurant and city life but how she went into business with her sister. It was so cute and well done!

The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls

“The Christmas Houe: Deck Those Halls” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Robert Buckley, Ana Ayora, Jonathan Bennett, Treat Williams, & Sharon Lawrence. It follows Hollywood actor Mike (Buckley) who comes home for Christmas and agrees to take part in a Christmas decorating reality television show competition called “Deck Those Halls”. After arriving home he learns his competitor had to drop out so his agent asks Mike’s brother Brandon (Bennett) to be the competitor to which he agrees. Things quickly escalate to who will be named “the king of Christmas”.

This was a sequel to Hallmark’s first movie with a gay lead “The Christmas House” from last year. I enjoyed the first movie last year and I personally think I liked this one even better! It was funny that all of the relationships are already established and the competition between the brothers was so funny. I also enjoyed the different take having the character talk directly into the camera like on a real reality show. The banter and relationship between the two brothers was perfectly done and I loved their special heartfelt talk. It was such a good movie!

A Christmas Together with You

“A Christmas Together with You” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Laura Vandervoot & Niall Matter. It’s about diner owner Megan (Vandervoot) who has a special relationship with an older customer Frank. When Frank shows her a photo he found with his first love Claire, Megan suggests they try to track her down. Frank agrees to take a road trip with her to help distract Megan from what was supposed to be her Christmas wedding. While trying to track down Claire, they stay at a small town Inn run by Steve (Matter) and Megan begins to fall in love with this small town.

I love a good find-your-first-love-from-years before the story and this one did not disappoint. I loved the mystery of trying to track down Frank’s first love from high school and both of their backgrounds from the past 50 years. This love story took center stage, rightly so. The secondary love story of the girl helping her older friend find his love and falling for the Inn owner along the way was just as fun to watch. I loved this movie.

Christmas in Tahoe

“Christmas in Tahoe” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Laura Osnes & Kyle Selig. It follows talent broker Claire (Osnes) who is on the brink of landing her dream job in Las Vegas if she can give her family’s Inn the best variety Christmas show in Tahoe. Soon she is scrambling to find acts as one after another begin to drop out. She enlists the help of her ex-boyfriend and rock star Ryan (Selig) who is in town for the holidays.

This one was so fun! The variety show and different acts were cool and loved that the girl had to work with her ex to accomplish it–but not because of him playing in the show but because he wanted to help her. Their shenanigans getting the people to agree to help were too cute and fun! I thought it was really cute!

One December Night

“One December Night” is a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries original movie starring Eloise Mumford, Brett Dalton, Peter Gallagher & Bruce Campbell. It’s about talent manager assistant Quinn (Mumford) who gets asked by her boss to help make sure the rock star duo reunion of the century happens…because the one half of the duo that is causing problems is her own estranged father Mike Sullivan (Gallagher). She agrees for the sake of her career and travels home to make it happen. While there she joins forces with the other half of the duo, Steve Branford (Campbell)’s son, Brett (Dalton). Together they work to get both of their fathers to get along for the sake of the reunion.

I loved the story of a band that broke up and has to come back together. It had great conflict and comedy due to the storyline. There were serious topics like alcoholism and Alzheimers which added a more somber element but overall it was a good story of redemption and forgiveness. I really enjoyed it. It was relatable and real. I teared up multiple times which is a testament to how it can touch hearts. It was such a good one!

‘Tis the Season to be Merry

“’Tis the Season to be Merry” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Rachel Leigh Cook & Travis Van Winkle. It’s about relationship advice blogger and soon-to-be author Merry (Cook) who has created a fictional boyfriend character that checks all of her dating lists off for her new book. When the news gets out of a fictional boyfriend, Merry’s editor says she needs to write another book that is 100% real instead. Merry’s editor and best friend Darlene convinces her to get away to spend Christmas with her in her hometown. While trying to figure out their book trouble Merry begins to find herself with two potential Mr. Right’s – one is Darlene’s ex who she still has feelings for and the other is Darlene’s brother Adam (Van Winkle) who seems all wrong for Merry.

I felt the storyline of a true love expert who lies about being happily in love is a bit overdone but I loved how Merry worked to resolve this and create a new book. I really liked how Merry and her editor were BFFs and she fell for her besties brother. It was so fun watching the romance unfold from bickering to love. It was such a cute story!

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Top 10 New Lifetime Christmas Movies

Normally I include Lifetime in with all the other networks but this year there were so many new ones that I really enjoyed so I thought I should give it its own category. Here are my top 10 rated Lifetime movies from this past season.

10. Toying with the Holidays

“Toying with the Holidays” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Cindy Busby & Chad Michael Murray. It follows single mom Danielle (Busby) who returns home for the holidays eager to introduce her son to her favorite Christmas traditions including the town’s North Pole Express train. Bummed when she learns the train is not running anymore, she makes it her mission to find the train and restore it with the help of the town’s train enthusiast, Kevin (Murray).

I love these two leads and it was so fun watching them together! Danielle having a son added a fun dynamic and the way Kevin bonded with him was cute. The train theme was different and fun. I loved how determined Danielle was and how Kevin only had eyes for her despite his ex trying to sneak back in. I really liked how the ex owned up to her meddling and made nice in the end and how she even had a new love interest too. It was such a sweet story.

9. Candy Cane Candidate

“Candy Cane Candidate” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Jacky Lai & Jake Epstein. It is about Julia (Lai) who returns home to nurse the wounds from her city council landslide loss in Boston. While there she discovers her high school rival, Parker (Epstein) is running unopposed for town Mayor. Julia decides to run against him to give the town options.

The story of having a Mayor election at Christmas was so cute and different. I loved that the two candidates were high school rivals who had unresolved crushes on each other. It was so fun and cute to watch how everything unfolded. I thought it unfolded perfectly with who won and they both got what they wanted. I also really liked that the campaigns were friendly and did not try to destroy each other.

8. Hot Chocolate Holiday

“Hot Chocolate Holiday” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Aubrey Reynolds & Jonny Swenson. It follows coffee shop owner Colette (Reynolds) who is famous for her secret hot chocolate recipe. When Marcus (Swenson) opens up a dessert shop beside her and begins drawing in her customers, Colette is shocked to discover his hot chocolate takes just like hers. She is determined to learn how he stole her recipe.

This one was so cute! I loved the title and it totally lived up to the cuteness hype. It was so fun to have a story wrapped around my fave Christmas drink. The fact that they both had the same hot chocolate recipe was so funny and it was fun to watch the mystery unfold of how they each got it. It took an unexpected turn when a fire destroyed the pastry shop but that gave it a unique and different take. The romance was so cute. I loved how the leads worked together and grew together in love. I really liked how Colette gave Marcus the benefit of the doubt and how the major conflict was not romantic related (but store related). Overall loved it!

7. Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune

“Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Reba McEntire, John Schneider, Candice King & Justin David. It is about Belle (King) who is afraid she is going to lose her job, agrees to get her famous singing duo and estranged parents Georgia (McEntire) and Joe (Schneider) back together for a reunion Christmas show for the troops.

I love me some Reba McEntire and her pairing with John Schneider was brilliant. This movie was so good! I loved the country and music aspects of it. I loved how the daughter brought them back together and how neither had actually filed the divorce papers. It was so fun to watch the parent’s love story begin again and also watch the daughter’s own love story blossom. It was such a cute story.

6. Maps & Mistletoe

“Maps & Mistletoe” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Humberly Gonzalez & Ronnie Rowe. It follows Emilia, a cartographer of school maps whose boss gives her a last-minute Christmas assignment to create a North Pole novelty map. A stickler for details, Emilia begins working with world traveler Drew (Rowe) to create the perfect map.

I really loved this one! It was so fun to see a unique career with the girl designing maps. The meet-cute was hilarious and how the leads ended up working together was so fun to watch. Their relationship develops so beautifully and naturally and felt real. I had never seen either of these leads in anything before but I loved them in this movie! I loved how they both made changes and were willing to give up things for love. They were the perfect match.

5. A Fiance for Christmas

“A Fiance for Christmas” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Amanda Payton, Adam Gregory & Marie Osmond. It is about single doctor Sawyer (Payton) who creates a wedding registry to burn off some loneliness steam. When her registry is discovered and her friends assume she got secretly engaged, Saywer goes along with the story too embarrassed to correct it…even enlisting the help of Landon (Gregory) to play the role of fake fiance.

I didn’t have many expectations about this going into it but I loved it! I enjoy a good pretending-to-be-a-couple story and this one was adorable. It was hilarious how the friends and family all willingly accepted the fact that Sawyer would be secretly engaged. I really enjoyed how Landon got thrown into the lie and willingly went along with it. It was so fun to watch their relationship develop. It was such a fun and cute story!

4. Mistletoe in Montana

“Mistletoe in Montana” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Melissa Joan Hart & Duane Henry. It is about single ranch owner Merry (Hart) who is happy to welcome single father Mark (Henry) and his two kids to the ranch for the holidays. Little does she know that life will never be the same and love is in the air for Christmas.

Melissa Joan Hart always has hit Christmas movies but I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this one just based on the previews for it…but I absolutely loved it! I loved that Merry stayed true to her heart and was all about the ranch life. The relationship between the leads was so fun to watch develop and felt relatable to the confusion and mixed signals of the beginnings of a new relationship. I really enjoyed the side stories with the two kids, and the nanny falling for the ranch cook. I loved how the kids and nanny had the sit down to talk sense into the guy at the end. It was such a sweet and fun story.

3. The Holiday Fix Up

“The Holiday Fix Up” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Jana Kramer & Ryan McPartlin. It is about interior designer Sam (Kramer) who returns home to help renovate an Inn that is close to her heart. While there she gets paired with contractor Coop (McPartlin) for the renovation. As exes, they have a complicated history that begins to get relived as they work together.

I was so excited about this movie! It was hyped up by Jana Kramer so I had high expectations and it lived up to it! I loved it. It is such a cute story and the home renovation was a fun storyline. I loved the history between the two leads and their on-screen chemistry. It is such a good movie!

2. A Christmas Dance Reunion

“A Christmas Dance Reunion” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Monique Coleman & Corbin Bleu. It follows successful lawyer Lucy (Coleman) who last minute decides to go to an Inn for Christmas to relive her childhood Christmas memories. While there she reunites with her old childhood dance partner Barrett (Bleu) to help put on the Christmas dance that was her favorite as a kid.

This hit all my nostalgic feelings! A mini High School Musical reunion had me so excited for this movie and it exceeded my expectations! The story was so fun and cute and the chemistry between the leads was perfect and magical! The dancing was fun and I really liked watching Lucy change course on what she wants in life – it was so relatable. And I loved how Barrett did what he always wanted career-wise but still would give it all up for the girl. It was such a cute story!

1. Christmas Movie Magic

“Christmas Movie Magic” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Holly Deveaux & Drew Seeley. It follows entertainment writer Ali (Deveaux), a skeptic of love and movie magic who gets assigned to write a story about a classic Christmas love story movie. She travels to the town where the movie was shot and begins working with the town’s theater owner Brad (Seeley) to uncover the story behind the movie. Along the way, they uncover a behind-the-scenes love story mystery and set out to solve it.

I had high hopes for this one and it totally delivered! I love the whole movie magic, entertainment aspect. I also loved how it was about an old-time musical romance movie (those are some of my faves). I liked the dynamic of the girl being the cynic and the guy being the hopeless romantic. The mystery aspect was so beautifully done and I loved how there were multiple love stories without the dramatic edge. The whole thing was wonderful and it’s a new favorite mine for sure!

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Top 10 New Christmas Movies – Other Networks

You can’t forget UPtv, Amazon, or the brand new family-friendly network GAC Family. Overall, I wasn’t as impressed with UPtv’s new movies this year as I have been in the past but I was a huge fan of the GAC Family movies. Here are my Top 10 Christmas movie favorites from non-Hallmark/Lifetime networks, listed from least favorite to favorite.

10. Joy for Christmas (GAC Family)

“Joy for Christmas” is a GAC Family original movie starring: Cindy Busby & Sam Page. It is about publicist Holly (Busby) who enlists the help of famous baseball player Jack (Page) to help save her family business Christmas charity event.

I loved the two leads together they played off each other well, the banter was fun, and they had good chemistry. I enjoyed the charity aspect and baseball backstory. It was so fun seeing the leads bond and work together to help each other. Their love story was fun to watch unfold and how they kiss and make up at the end was a beautifully done grand gesture. I really enjoyed it.

9. Much Ado About Christmas (GAC Family)

“Much Ado About Christmas” is a GAC Family original movie starring: Susie Abromeit & Torrance Coombs. It follows Haley (Abromeit) who is beloved in her community for her charity work and is also the daughter of the wealthy Leanna Llyod. When Haley hits it off with Claud (Coombs) and he doesn’t know who she is and she finds out he is trying to get work with her mom, she decides to leave out the fact that Leanna is her mother. They soon begin dating but the charade begins to be the elephant in the room for Haley.

It was so cute! I loved how sweet it was and the love story as the main couple clicks instantly and their relationship develops. I loved the differences/contrast between the main couple and the secondary couple. I liked that Niles never came between the couple and jealousy wasn’t in question. It was beautifully done and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was a great choice for GAC’s first-ever Christmas movie!

8. Christmas Time is Here (GAC Family)

“Christmas Time is Here” is a GAC Family original movie starring: Rukiya Bernard & Dewshane Williams. It follows local realtor, Nia (Bernard) who is helping Julian (Williams) find the perfect property for his company to expand. Julian wants to purchase Nia’s family’s Inn but she is determined not to let that happen.

This movie was so cute! I really enjoyed these two leads in the One Winter trilogy series on Hallmark and have seen Rukiya as a supporting character in so many romcoms. I loved seeing these two as leads and their chemistry together is so beautiful! The aspect of the watch was so cute and the movie was so fun. I really enjoyed it all!

7. Christmas on 5th Avenue (UP TV)

“Christmas on 5th Avenue” aired on UP TV and stars: Kathryn Davis & Olivier Renaud. It is about hopeless romantic Eva (Davis) who gets hired to decorate a 5th Avenue penthouse for Christmas as a surprise present for her client’s son. Much to her surprise when she arrives to stay in the penthouse, the owner and famous writer Lucas (Renaud) is home too. Not wanting his mother to know he is still in town, he lets Eva stay and do what she was hired to. The more time they spend together, Eva begins to bring Lucas out of his Christmas funk and feelings begin to rise.

I didn’t think much of this movie prior to watching it but I absolutely loved it! The storyline was fun and comedic. The relationship between the leads was sweet and exciting to watch unfold. They brought out the best in each other and fell hard and fast. Sometimes you just know and fall in love fast and this story captured that aspect so perfectly.

6. A Christmas Miracle for Daisy (GAC Family)

“A Christmas Miracle for Daisy” is a GAC Family original movie starring: Jill Wagner & Nick Bateman. It follows interior designer Whitney (Wagner) who gets the opportunity of a lifetime to do a full redesign of a local landmark home by Christmas Eve. Whitney is surprised to learn that her new client is her ex Connor (Bateman) who has just moved to town with his daughter Daisy. They agree to put aside the past to work together and give Daisy the home of her dreams for Christmas.

I was so excited for another of my faves Jill Wagner and this one did not disappoint. It was such a sweet story and loved sweet Daisy. I liked how Connor adopted his cousin’s orphaned daughter and raised her as his own. I liked how the leads had a complicated history but looked past it and realized they had both grown and changed. Watching them reconnect was magical and their chemistry was great. I really enjoyed this one!

5. Christmas in the Rockies (UP TV)

“Christmas in the Rockies” aired on UP TV and stars: Kimberly-Sue Murray & Stephen Huszar. It is about Katie (Murray) who puts her city plans on hold to stay in the Rockies when her father is hurt in a timber accident. To save the family business she decides to compete in the local lumberjack competition. But when Harrison (Huszar) the paramedic who saved her dad’s life also joins the competition sparks fly.

I was so excited about this movie and loved it! It was a fun outdoors mountain theme. I loved the timber challenge and how things developed naturally between the leads. How things outside of your control help direct your life was so relatable and I loved the sweet romance and how it developed. I really loved this one!

4. Mistletoe Mixup (Amazon Prime)

“Mistletoe Mixup” streamed on Amazon Prime and stars: Danielle C. Ryan, Joey Lawrence & Matthew Lawrence. It is about a single workaholic Holly (Ryan) who accidentally makes two wishes to find Mr. Right for Christmas. Just in time for the holidays, she happens to meet two handsome potential suitors Tom (Joey Lawrence) and Austin (Matthew Lawrence). When she discovers both suitors are actually brothers, a sibling competition begins to unravel.

I was so excited for this one! All three Lawrence brothers starred in it and one directed it. It started off a little slow but quickly picked up! So many funny comedic moments between the brothers competing for the love of Holly. It was such a cute storyline. It was pretty predictable but I really enjoyed watching it all unfold.

3. Royally Wrapped for Christmas (GAC Family)

“Royally Wrapped for Christmas” is a GAC Family original movie starring: Jen Liley & Brendan Fehr. It follows Lindsay (Lilley) the New York director of an international charity organization. When Lindsay is called to the Kingdom of Veronia by the royal family with two other directors, they must all work together to help throw the best holiday party of the charity’s headquarters. Prince Aidan (Fehr) works closely on the party plans with the group and quickly begins to fall for Lindsay.

I was so excited for this one but was also a bit nervous because there are so many royal Christmas movies…but this one was truly special! I loved the charity aspect and how the lead’s relationship developed so naturally. It was so fun and romantic. I really liked how they got around not marrying a royal due to the past. It was so much fun and I will be watching it again!

2. The Great Christmas Switch (GAC Family)

“The Great Christmas Switch” is a GAC Family original movie starring: Sarah Lind, Dillon Casey & Jon McLaren. It is about identical twins Sophia (Lind,) a single girl in California, and Kaelynn (Lind), a single mother of two in Ohio who decide to switch places for Christmas. What they thought would be a break from real life quickly turns hectic when Kaelynn’s kids and estranged husband Patrick (Casey) come home to spend Christmas with their mom and Sophia (pretending to be Kaelynn) begins to fall for Jonathan (McLaren) who thinks she is Kaelynn.

I love a good twin story and switch but I was a bit worried this might be too overdone…but I absolutely loved it! So many cute and comedic moments. I loved watching the lessons the twins learned and watching them both discover what matters most. Even though it was really lighthearted there were still heartfelt moments. It was so fun to watch the story unfold!

1. A Lot Like Christmas (GAC Family)

“A Lot Like Christmas” is a GAC Family original movie starring: Maggie Lawson & Christopher Russell. It follows Jessica (Lawson) who runs the family Christmas tree farm with her brother and mother. When a big box retailer Harvest Garden Supply enters town and begins running campaigns and sales to get business, it quickly becomes personal to Jessica as the business is hurting her families farm. Jessica gets some helpful marketing advice from town newcomer Clay (Russell) and an unlikely relationship begins between the two…until Jessica learns that Clay works for Harvest Garden Supply. Soon they become rivals trying to outdo each other and get the most sales.

I was so excited to see two of my favorite rom-com leads paired together and they did not disappoint. Their chemistry was great and they played brilliantly with each other. I loved their characters and how their feelings were instant and won over the competition businesses. I also liked that the “big lie” came to a head halfway through and didn’t last the whole movie so they could still develop a relationship knowing the truth about who they both were. It was so cute and a new favorite of mine for sure!

Honorable Mention – Other Networks

Again, it’s so hard to pick just 10 favorites from Lifetime, GAC Family, and UPtv. So here are some of my other favorite non-Hallmark network Christmas movies that I felt deserved an Honorable Mention. They are listed from my highest rating to lowest.

Jingle Bell Princess (GAC Family)

“Jingle Bell Princess” is a GAC Family original movie starring: Merritt Patterson & Trevor Donovan. It is about Princess Amelia (Patterson) who unexpectedly gets stranded in a small town and becomes the unlikely house guest of Sam’s (Donovan) family. Waiting out a storm Amelia takes advantage of being “normal” and begins to c=bond with Sam and his whole family.

I feel like royal movies are done so much it’s hard to be impressed but this one was fun and funny. The fact that the princess got left behind by mistake was funny and I really enjoyed the hospitality of the family taking her in during the winter storm. Amelia bonding with the family was beautiful and watching her experience normal things for once was cute. The romance was really enjoyable to watch too. I loved these two leads together!

Holiday in Santa Fe (Lifetime)

“Holiday in Santa Fe” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Mario Lopez & Emeraude Toubia. It is about Tony (Lopez) who wants the best for his sister and their family business asks greeting card exec Belinda (Toubia) to town to try and acquire the family business that creates ornaments inspired by Mexican Christmas traditions. Sparks fly between not only them but also within the whole family over this new proposed arrangement.

Another classic Mario Lopez Christmas movie and it did not disappoint! I really enjoyed the strong family bond between Tony and how it was a family business. I liked that he was pushing for the business to go forward but still rooting for his sister and trying to help her be better. I really enjoyed learning more about Mexican culture and loved how the romance developed. The love between the leads was so sweet and fun to witness.

A Christmas Village Romance (Lifetime)

“A Christmas Village Romance” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Jeni Ross & Jake Epstein. It follows romance novelist Diana (Ross) who travels to Maple Creek – the town from her novel – to help revive it by sponsoring the Christmas gala. As she works to promote the gala, she is challenged every step of the way by local historian and blacksmith, Carter (Epstein).

I loved the storyline of having the romance author have a crush on her book model who isn’t right for her. I liked that she went home to spend Christmas with her bestie and to get book inspiration and ended up finding love. It was such a fun story seeing the romance unfold with all the bickering. I really loved the happy ever after.

You Make it Feel Like Christmas (Lifetime)

“You Make it Feel Like Christmas” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Mary Antonini & Michael Xavier. It follows Emma (Antonini) who chooses to spend Christmas throwing an artist showcase at work instead of going home to spend it with her military father Tom. When Emma’s ex, Aaron (Xavier) returns home from active duty military for the holidays and learns that Emma won’t come home to see her father for Christmas he makes it his mission to bring her home for the holidays. Aaron travels to Emma’s home to convince her to see her dad and begins to quickly fall back in love with her instead.

To be honest I didn’t have high hopes for this movie initially but boy was I wrong! I absolutely loved it! I loved the military aspect, the secrets, the unanswered questions about what happened to the leads in the past that made them heartbroken, the fun and playful banter between the leads, and the overall story of trying to get the girl home for Christmas only to have everyone bring Christmas to her instead. I absolutely loved it!

Secretly Santa (Lifetime)

“Secretly Santa” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Alicia Dea Josipovic & Travis Nelson. It is about Miranda (Josipovic) and Paul (Nelson) who despise each other and must work together to combine their separate gift-giving apps into one app for the holidays. As they learn to compromise and understand each other, their relationship begins to grow into something more.

I thought this idea was so cute and unique. I loved the gift-giving app idea and how the lead’s apps merged together for one app. It added good conflict and was fun to watch the relationship grow. I especially loved the twist of having the leads meet dressed as Santa’s (in disguise) at the beginning and then they communicated later like a “You’ve Got Mail” feel. It was so fun and cute! I loved the banter between the leads and how their relationship grew.

Snowed in for Christmas (UP TV)

“Snowed In for Christmas” aired on UP TV and stars: Kayla Wallace & Jeremy Guilbaut. It is about Au Pair Kaley (Wallace) who due to a winter storm is stranded with the kids she watches and their workaholic uncle Ethan (Guilbaut) for Christmas. Determined to make the most of the holidays despite the situation Kaley tries to give the kids the best Christmas ever and convince their uncle to get involved.

I really enjoyed this one! I love a good snowed-in movie when the characters don’t like each other. These characters started off as complete opposites but grew together which I love. I also liked the aspect of the uncle who is distant from the family and an au pair who is closer than he is. It was an interesting dynamic and so fun to watch play out! I loved how they both chased their dreams and went after what they wanted in the end and how it all brought them together. It was so cute!

Christmas is You (GAC Family)

“Christmas is You” is a GAC Family original movie starring: Becca Tobin & Matthew MacCaull. It follows Emma (Tobin) who is given an ultimatum by her talent manager boss to return home for the holidays and convince her first love – and the big popstar – Tyler (MacCaull) to sign with their management company. While reconnecting with Tyler, Emma also decides to try and save the town’s Christmas Caroling Celebration.

I loved the music aspect of this and how the friends came back together. I liked that the girl’s goal of signing her ex to her management team was known to her family so it wasn’t a big giant secret. I really loved the secondary love story between the brother and boss it was so cute! The conflict was pretty predictable and a bit of an overreaction but overall it was so fun and I loved it. I also loved seeing Matthew MacCaull as a lead for once.

Writing Around the Christmas Tree (Lifetime)

“Writing Around the Christmas Tree” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Krystal Joy Brown & Curtis Hamilton. It is about successful novelist Mikaela (Brown) who decides to revive her late mother’s Christmas writing retreat. Hoping the retreat will also help end her writer’s block, she begins to bond with one of the attendees, a nonfiction writer Levi (Hamilton).

As a writer, I loved this story of a writer hosting a holiday writing retreat. I loved how all the writers at the retreat wrote different genres (musical/drama script/nonfiction/cookbook). I really enjoyed watching the leads clash and then warm up and bond. I really loved how the guy’s suggestion about her book helped her write her ending and she took his suggestion. It was such a cute movie!

Kirk Franklin’s A Gospel Christmas (Lifetime)

“Kirk Franklin’s A Gospel Christmas” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Demetria McKinney & Chaz Lamar Shepherd. It is about an assistant pastor, Olivia (McKinney) who works to become the lead pastor of a church by Christmas. As she struggles with her personal doubts and the doubts of church members she finds an unlikely source of encouragement singer Ashton (Shepherd).

I really wasn’t sure about this one ahead of time but I ended up loving it! I’ve always enjoyed Kirk Franklin and thought his take on a gospel-filled Christmas was beautifully done. I liked how modern it was with the pastor being a girl. It was relatable and fun to watch! And I also really liked all the song and Gospel choir parts!

Angel Falls Christmas (GAC Family)

“Angel Falls Christmas” is a GAC Family original movie starring: Jessica Lowndes & Chad Michael Murray. It follows workaholic doctor, Ally (Lowndes) who gets dumped instead of engaged right before Christmas needs an intervention. Enter Gabe (Murray), an angel who is tasked with making Ally slow down, enjoy Christmas and find love again.

I was so excited about this movie! Two of my favorite rom-com stars and one of my fave couple pairings…and I have mixed feelings about it. I did really like it. It was well done and I loved the twist of how the story was different and not what you would expect. I liked how the girl ended up back together with her boyfriend but on the other hand, I didn’t like how there wasn’t any real romance between the angel and girl (mainly because I love the chemistry between the actors). It was a beautiful story and well done. I loved watching it. It just wasn’t exactly what I was expecting so was a little disappointed about that.

One Snowy Christmas (UP TV)

“One Snowy Christmas” aired on UP TV and stars: Elysia Rotaru & Damon Runyan. It is about lawyer Kelly (Rotaru) who returns home for the holidays and makes a wish to meet the man of her dreams. The next day, she meets a contractor Forest (Runyan) who helps fix up her family’s Inn. It all seems too good to be true and kelly is determined to get to the bottom of where Forest came from.

This one reminded me of “Snowmance” which I just watched but I thought it was cuter. It was more realistic. The lead actress I’ve seen as a supporting character in multiple rom coms and like her so it was so fun seeing her as a lead for the first time. The story was cute and I really enjoyed the snowman and Christmas magic elements. One downside was Kelly was unlikeable at times with her grinchy attitude but overall I enjoyed it.

One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is Christmas movies. I absolutely love all the new Christmas movies that come out and I love rewatching my favorites from previous years. I live for my Christmas movie marathons every year! Did you have a favorite new Christmas movie from this past season? Let me know in the comments below.

Sincerely, Stephanie logo