Mistletoe Match (2023 Lifetime)
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Cast: Elena Juatco, Ryan Bruce
Director: Graeme Campbell
Writer: Jessica L. Randall
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DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlySynopsis (via Lifetime)
With the holiday season in full swing, Olivia Hayes (Elena Juatco) goes undercover to provide her readers with an in-depth and cynical look at the hugely successful annual Secret Santa for Singles event. There, she meets single dad and handsome widower Thomas (Ryan Bruce) who is just as skeptical about the program as she is. Sparks soon fly, but with a once in a lifetime promotion on the line, will she risk losing it all for the romance she never saw coming?
Recap/Wine Thoughts
New York reporters Olivia, Tanya, and Marcus compete for stories. Olivia wants to do hard-hitting news but is assigned a Blind Dating Christmas Match-Making event. If she nails the story, she will be considered for a job in Berlin.
Thomas is a widowed dad/art teacher struggling to get out there. His friend, Alfie, signs him out for The Mistletoe Match event. Thomas is not excited, even though the service has a 90% success rate.
At the first Mistletoe Matching event, Olivia mistakes Thomas for the hotel concierge. They are matched in the event, and both tell one another they voluntarily signed up. (Olivia doesn’t want to blow her cover and has to pretend to be a dater.)
The next event is speed dating; the two don’t like anyone else. Out of desperation, they decide to be partners for pretend! They will coast through the next few weeks. Olivia thinks she is a genius!
(Her friend Tanya worries that this single dad will fall for Olivia.)
Sexy Snowman building happens, and so do Olivia and Thomas. Olivia is bossy and screams at him, but they win the snowman-building contest.
Thomas is caught by his daughter readying Olivia’s byline. She tells him that it is perfectly normal to stalk your crush online. Oliva also online stalks Thomas and wants to help him apply for an art grant. It is very nice of her, and she certainly isn’t doing it because she likes him. (But she totally does.)
Mia, the matchmaker and Alfie’s girlfriend has been putting work over her marriage. It is a red flag, and Olivia does some snooping. She gets the contact list for the couples. Thomas almost catches her, but they go snowshoeing instead. When Thomas gets notified that he has moved to the next round for the art grant, Olivia screams with Joy. He tells her to check herself because they are just pretending to like one another.
Olivia gets notes from her editor and asks her to dig deeper into Thomas. Olivia starts to get to know his daughter and even teaches a writing workshop to her class. Olivia might want to be a teacher because it makes her happy.
Thomas opens up to Olivia and admits that he signed up for Mistletoe Match himself; he is ready to find love. Later, he lets it slip that he and Olivia are pretending to be a match. Olivia and Thomas continue to work together to set up a wedding proposal for Mia and Alfie. It goes great!
Thomas doesn’t get the grant because the town’s mayor has resigned. He is super disappointed. Thomas rushes to Olivia’s office with an idea. He overhears her boss talking about some poor schmuck who Olivia is using for a story. He rushes off as Olivia rushes into work. Her boss sits her down and asks what is happening, and Olivia realizes her true feelings for Thomas. Her boss moves the story to the front page because love sells at Christmas.
Before the Christmas Eve Match Gala, Thomas tells Olivia off and feels like she took advantage of him and his daughter’s feelings. Olivia thinks of a way to make things up to Thomas by running a full-page ad to save the arts and writing a nice story.
At the Gala Mia and Alfie get engaged. (I thought this already happened? We are just filling time now, who cares about them.) Olivia’s co-worker also finds love. Ummm, we are doing this in reverse, can we see Olivia and Thomas make up now? There is only a few mins left.
Olivia and Thomas talk under the mistletoe and kiss. The End!
Side Note/Stray Thoughts
I’m always surprised what words sound Canadian. Ballet was a new one for me.
Overall rating
Pour it up
Put a Cork in It
Christmas Feels
🎄🎄🎄 (3 Christmas Trees)
Enjoyment Level: 🍷🍷 (2 glasses of wine.)
What did you think of the movie? Let me know in the comments or on social media @LifetimeUncorked
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*Photo Credit: © 2023 lifetime
