I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The first must-see film of the year.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

I watch a lot of Hallmark movies and enjoy them, but it's always a great pleasure when one rises above the fold and turns out to be much better than expected. That's the case with this one.The lead actors are appealing, the romantic chemistry is good, and the premise of the little girl writing to Santa, who writes back and then falls for the mom--that's all good. But what makes it so much better than average is the humor in the script. I *loved* the various side characters like the hero's best friend, who is always making sarcastic quips about marriage and kids (but really loves his own family). The heroine's sister's husband and his buddy, Randy, are obsessed with a potato shooting contest. Randy is such a crazy guy, he practically deserves a series of his own. Brilliant! Then there's the heroine's Hemingway-themed cafe, called The Bun Also Rises, with menu items like To Ham and Ham Not and The Old Man and the Tea. The ending with the magical Christmas barn and sleigh was tongue-in-cheek about all the Hallmark Christmas smaltz, yet in a fond way. It worked.There are a few Hallmarks that stand out due to really good scripts -- I love Seven Year Hitch (2012) and Naughty Or Nice (2012). This movie goes to the top of the heap for me. In fact, I even looked up the writers and am seeking out more of their movies. I've never done that.Watch it!

The plot where the kid asks Santa to make her widow mom happy turns into a kind of You've Got Mail without the internet. They use that archaic almost extinct form of communication called the US Post Office. And then the Santa ghost writer decides to meet the mom. Another slightly unusual element is that the protagonists' friends are actually against the fantasy relationship, at least at first.Marguerite Moreau and Mike Faiola connect. I like this movie because you can actually see the two protagonists developing a relationship. They exchange a bunch of letters and when they meet they talk at an emotional level. Isadora Swann, as Lilly, is way too mature, but also quite cute and precocious.Don't forget the potato gun, or is it cannon, and the stupid poetry and Randy and Mike Sullivan which all add a comedic element.***SPOILER*** The part where one protagonist leaves, but comes back, is done in an unusual way. The ending is even a little silly and unusual and well done.

BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 200 HOLIDAY FILMS. I HAVE NO AGENDA.First of all the woman in the cover photo does not look like (Marguerite Moreau) the woman who stars in this film!In this Hallmark film A widow's daughter writes to Santa Claus, asking for her mother to find love again. When a struggling writer receives the letter, he finds new inspiration and the beginnings of a romance.The film starts off great. It had lots of promise but slowly goes off the rails. That is too bad. The cast was very capable of delivering great and believable performances. The first hour the film is great then it becomes "okay" during the 2nd hour. The actors save this film from failing. That is why I am giving this film a 7.

It's already a Christmas season, the televisions are packed with those themed films. So basically you can't escape from watching at least couple of them in a year. Now mine begins with this, especially Hallmark's films are special in this trademark. This is another romance themed Christmas film that is set in a little town where a young girl writes a letter to Santa wishing her mother to find love and happiness again. It will be received by a struggling writer, who replies in the name of Santa and so on, they become pen pals. But when he decides to meet them in person, the reality is different than what he thought of them. Between his two identities, revealing what he actually is what becomes challenging. The remaining film is to disclose how the story ends.Almost all the Christmas films are kind of similar, especially in romance theme. But the conclusions are dead easy to predict, because they always have a happy ending. This story was not bad, particularly in the first half. I lost interest only in the final act, they should have avoided the drag, otherwise this is a decent film. But still it is, particularly for the family audience this would be a much effective film, and to watch during the holiday season. The casting was good, nice production as well. Being a television film, it's not so bad. Since this is the first film I watched in this season, I did find it good and looking forward for other titles. -Love always, me!6/10