Rating: 🎄
Premiere Date: December 21, 2024
Description: Mia (Jessica Lowndes), a buttoned-up webpage editor for the Seattle Tourism Board, ends up alone for the holidays… until a stray dog wanders into her life. Enter Max, a dog shelter owner with a conveniently available heart of gold. Mia agrees to care for his ailing pup in exchange for him playing tour guide around Seattle. Cue sightseeing, awkward bonding, and the attempt at romance that never quite fetches.
Chemistry: Nope. If sparks were supposed to fly, someone forgot the lighter fluid. The leads looked more like polite co-workers forced into a Secret Santa exchange than two people falling in love.
Plot: I’ll admit I’m already a tough sell on pet-centered romances, but even giving it the benefit of the doubt… this one was a stretch. Man meets woman via dog should be a slam dunk, but here it felt more like a forced walk in the rain without an umbrella.
Design: Adequate. Seattle got its postcard moments, but nothing stood out. Honestly, the dogs had more charisma than the scenery.
Overall: Hallmark hyped this one as the big finale of their season because it featured their Finding Mr. Christmas contest winner. Unfortunately, the movie itself felt less like a grand finale and more like the afterthought cookie platter at the end of the party. A letdown, plain and simple.
Holiday Movie Wrap 