Adriana Trigiani’s Very Valentine – Review

Adriana Trigiani’s Very Valentine – Lifetime – 2 hours and 5 minutes

Since 1903, Valentine’s family handmade wedding shoes.  Valentine continues this tradition with her grandmother, Teodora in their shop named Angelini.  At her sister’s wedding, Valentine dances with her brother, Alfred.  He tries to convince her to let the business go because it’s not making any money.  Heated, she walks away.   On her way back to the business, where she lives with Teadora, Valentine asks Teadora why she wants to sell.  Teadora explains she is keeping her options open and feels she is holding Valentine back from life.  She wants Valentine to find love and get married.  Unlucky in love, Valentine focuses on business and her rooftop garden.  On a scorching night, she takes off her dress and sprays water on herself while watering the tomatoes.  She turns and sees a man watching her.  The next day, Roman comes to the shop and introduces himself to Valentine and Teadora.  Blushed with embarrassment, Valentine is instructed by Teodora to show him the shop.  Roman tells Valentine he loved her body and gives her his business card.  He owns and cooks at Ca’D’Oro.  The most well known Italian restaurant in Little Italy.   Valentine has no intentions of calling him because she thinks all Italian men cheat.  But her sisters force her to make the call anyway.  On the first date, the sparks fly and the two create a hot and heavy romance.  However, the fear of losing the shop looms over her head.  And when Valentine sees Roman with his ex, she fears she will lose him too.

While putting on a bride’s shoes, the shoes and Valentine catch Beth’s eye.  Beth is the most feared woman in fashion.  She gives Valentine a challenge.  Create a shoe for Beth’s wedding dress design and Valentine will get a spot in Beth’s 5th Avenue window.  Being in that window could make Valentine’s career.  Teodora promises; if she makes it to the window, she won’t sell the shop.  Otherwise, Alfred will sell the building for $10 million.  When Valentine gets the sketch for Beth’s dress, she is underwhelmed and confused.  The dress seems unfinished and she can’t come up with the shoe design for it.  Teodora has an idea.  Italy has been a place that sparked inspiration for her.  Even though she normally travels alone, she invites Valentine.  Valentine hopes at the chance and tells Roman.  Roman can’t go immediately but promises to join her.  This will accomplish more than inspiration, it will cultivate true desire, passion, and love.

Based on Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani, it will have you choosing Team Gianluca or Team Roman (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).  Both men fall in love with Valentine and see a beauty in her she doesn’t see in herself.  As Valentine creates this one of a kind shoe, she still questions how amazing she is to others.  Being described as the “funny one” has left room for doubt.  She doesn’t feel smart enough to run a business.  She doesn’t feel confident enough to design a shoe.  And she doesn’t feel beautiful enough to be loved.  By choosing between the two men, she is really choosing who she thinks she is and who she wants to be.  Being a screenplay, this movie offers one of the better plots on Lifetime.  While predictable, both couples have great chemistry on screen.  In the end, you will want to be Teodora.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

Piece of cake, nothing’s more fun than being single at a wedding – Valentine

I am worried I am holding you back – Teodora

Oh, last night was a scorcher – Roman

Why don’t I know you – Beth

I was thinking of shoes – Gianluca

Find, shop for, and watch Lifetime movies on Amazon TV (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer)

Top of this Post

Wedding at Graceland – Review

Wedding at Graceland – Hallmark – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Laurel is excelling at her job and enjoying her life with Clay and her daughter Emma.  After a family outing, Clay tells Laurel he has to go to Graceland to sign some papers.  Then, he gives Emma a look.  All three go to Graceland and Clay proposes.  With a huge grin, Laurel says yes.  They decide the Graceland Wedding Chapel is the only place they could ever get married.  The event planner gives them a date that is a year from August.  Both feel that is too long.  But the chapel had a cancelation.  They have the option to get married in June … 3 weeks away.  They decide to take the plunge and plan to get married in three weeks.  They call Clay’s parents and his parents are planning to tell the world before they disconnect the call.  However, Laurel knows Clay’s mom Trish thinks of her as the girl who broke her son’s heart.  They call Laurel’s father Major and he acts as if they told him the weather.  Clay knows Major wants him to have a backup plan for his entertainment career.  As Laurel discuss the invitations with her best friend Sally, she gets her father and step-mother’s fight information.  They are arriving tomorrow.  Along with Clay’s family.  Clay’s family is deeply rooted in their Southern traditions.  Including horseshoes, bourbon, and a pound party.  Major and Isabel want a more traditional wedding with flowers, a small guest list, and a white cake.  With two mom’s planning the wedding and the couple trying to please everyone, Clay and Laurel’s heads are spinning.  Soon, they are arguing about their parents and the wedding.  Can this couple pull it together in time for the wedding?

This Christmas at Graceland sequel is funnier and sweeter than the first.  The script handled so many different relationships with care, equal timing, and wonderful solutions.  It covered son-in-law/father-in-law, daughter-in-law/mother-in-law, daughter/stepmother, parents-of-the-bride/parents-of-the-groom, mother/daughter, groom/future stepchild, and of course bride-to-be/groom-to-be.  Each complication in their relationship was explained and resolved in a realistic manner.  Of course, with the help of a loving boss and rock-and-roll royalty.  Get your wine and country broil so you can enjoy this movie for the whole family.  Especially, if you are getting married.

I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars

Well, I am practically speechless.  And those of you who know me, you know how rare that is – Laurel

Well, I’ll eat next week – Clay

Clay, get to the point – Emma

Well, I hope you work well under pressure, too – Sally

Be careful, it’s fragile. And I’m not talking about the cupcake, honey – Trish

Here, I have a backup – Major

The most important thing is to remember the most important thing: each other – Priscilla

Find, shop for, and watch Hallmark movies on Amazon (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer)

Top of this Post

Recipe for Danger – Review

Recipe for Danger – LMN – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Vanessa is a social media butterfly who owns and is head chef at a new restaurant.   Her husband Mark is supportive of her business while working at his high powered job.  In addition, they adopted a beautiful girl they named Lacey years ago.  They openly discuss Lacy’s adoption with her.  Lovingly, they tell her it makes her special because they chose each other.  With Lacey starting 2nd grade, Mark preparing a proposal, and the restaurant getting ready for its first critic, Vanessa’s head is spinning.  She is happy to have Ricardo – her sous chef and Lacey’s godfather – by her side.  After cleaning up the kitchen, Vanessa comes outside and finds Ricardo badly beaten and fighting for his life.  Sadly, he is pronounced dead at the hospital.  Time goes by and Vanessa still hasn’t found a sous chef.  Although she must find one soon, the resumes less than stellar.  Heidi – a waitress and friend – tells her to use social media to find an applicant.  As much as Vanessa know about social media, she never thought of using it to find Ricardo’s replacement.  By the end of the day, Vanessa has 197 applicants.  While she loves using social media, Chelsea (her friend) and Mark tell Vanessa to be careful about what she ‘post’ on these websites.  Anyone can look in.  She ignores them because it has brought attention to her and her restaurant.  However, they are right to worry.  A recent friend request is a murderer on a mission to find Vanessa and get back what Vanessa took from her.

How many people have to tell you someone is crazy before you believe them?  In Vanessa’s case, four!!!  She refuses to see Taryn is a bit unhinged and it drives you crazy.  As a Lifetimer, it’s easy for you to guess Taryn motives after the first kill, you are just counting down until the nosy best friend or interfering husband is killed.  On another note, this movie describes the pros and cons of posting on social media.  Vanessa uses it to connect to her customer and find employees.  Lacey’s teacher used it to learn about the parents.  But Taryn used it to cyberstalk Vanessa, her family, and her business.  With every post, Taryn got physically and emotionally closer to her goal.  So, take the warning: Post with caution.

I give it 3 out of 5 stars

I guess that weeds out all the psychos – Vanessa

You know, I think she might be a little too good to cook for you – Mark

These are tearaway.  So, I’m going to ditch them as soon as this interview is over – Taryn

I love you – Lacey

Find, shop for, and watch Hallmark movies on Amazon (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer)
Click here for more information

Top of this Post