A Novel Noel (2024 Hallmark Channel)
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Cast: Julie Gonzalo, Brendan Penny
Director: TBA
Writer(s): TBA
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Synopsis (via Hallmark)
A successful New York City book editor (Gonzalo), who is losing touch with her passion after a few setbacks this year learns she was chosen to run a bookstore in the small town of Saint Ives for the month of December. While realizing a childhood dream, but butting heads with the handsome son (Penny) of the bookstore owners, she comes to realize that her love for bringing out the creativity of others is still her true calling, and untapped talent (and love) can be found anywhere… even in the writings of a cranky business-minded man, especially at Christmas.
Let me know what you thought of the movie in the comments below or @lifetimeuncorked
Recap/Wine Thoughts
Harper is an NYC book editor who needs some time off and has bangs! She feels like she has lost her spark and asks her boss to take the holidays off to rest and recharge. Lucky for her, she wins a getaway to live in a small town book store in exchange for volunteering to help around the store for the holidays. Harper is excited to lay low and read for fun.
When she arrives in town, Harper quickly judges the bookstore for selling wine. She thinks the wine cafe is gimmicky and shames the owner, Sawyer. He is like, WTF I’m just trying to keep my inherited business alive, and it is working because there are customers in the store. He shows Harper to her room. Harper unpacks and gets a card from her best friend, Kimberley; they play a top-secret Christmas Bingo yearly.
Sawyer shows Harper the ropes for running the bookstore, and she keeps belittling him and the bookstore. She has lots of book recommendations but doesn’t know how to order books or anything.
Sawyer loves to not just drink wine; he frequents a local English pub run by a gay widow. He hosts the Christmas sing-along at the pub and invites Harper to join him. Sawyer tells Harper that his parents have received an offer to sell the bookstore that they can’t pass up. He feels he wasted time backing up the business for it to be taken away.
Suddenly, Sawyer starts calling Harper “city girl,” and she calls him “country boy.” They become super competitive, which is perfect timing because the town Reindeer Games is happening. They race-wrapped presents with oven mitts and rolled around a snowball. That is the stuff of romance; I guess I need to get on that.
Harper started coming up with ideas for the bookstore, including giving out GIFT CERTIFICATES. She also decorates for Christmas and starts a book-writing club. Which all seems in vain because the store is closing, duh!
Sawyer wants to write a book but doesn’t know that Harper is an in-demand book editor. She calls Kimberly, who encourages Harper to help him with his book and enjoy the process. She comes clean about who she really is, and Sawyer getts pissed and rushes off. After a quick commercial break, he changes his mind.
They start working on drafts and eating dinner together. Harper likes the book, and they are working on rewriting it. Harper calls her boss and says she may have a book to sell after the holidays. Harper and Sawyer work on getting to the emotional depths of his characters by talking about their emotional moments in life. (THIS IS SO BORING!!!! Lots of telling and not showing. If I wanted to watch the behind-the-scenes of writing a book, I’d watch Misery.)
The manuscript gets sent off, leaving Harper and Sawyer to do some Christmas things like tell Santa secrets, work on that Christmas Bingo, and watch White Christmas while sitting on the floor. They exchange Christmas gifts. Sawyer gets Harper a book necklace, and she gives him his manuscript. It is getting published!!!! Then they make out and are interrupted by a surprise visit from her parents?????
WHAT KIMBERLY HAS BEEN DEAD THE WHOLE MOVIE? WHO HAS HARPER BEEN CALLING AND TALKING TO?!?!? OMG, haha, she has been talking to her co-worker, Jasmine, who I thought was Kimberly the whole movie.
Sawyer shows up in NYC and already has ideas for his next novel! (Which hopefully doesn’t mean we are getting a sequel to this movie.) He wants to move to New York and be with Harper. They both wished to be together when they talked to Santa. They kiss under the mistletoe in March, her last Bingo square from dead friend Kimberley.
The movie ends with Harper saying, BINGO!
Side Note/Stray Thoughts
My guy Sawyer loves wine so much that he has a wine laptop cover.
What happened to the bookstore? What was his book about? So many questions.
Overall rating
Pour it up
Put a Cork in It
Christmas Feels
🎄 (1 Christmas Tree)
Enjoyment Level: (0 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: © 2024 Hallmark
