“Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater” – A Hallmark Holiday Romance Reviewed

What a Lengthy Title!

I was thrilled for this film’s premiere. Ashley Williams is among my FAVORITE Hallmark heroines. Her cheerful and quirky nature is endearing. Her comedic timing is brilliant, and she has an inexplicable charm that simply uplifts my spirit.

This peculiar phrase, “Avoid Kissing a Guy in a Yuletide Jumper,” was unfamiliar to me. If it is an actual sentiment, it seems nonsensical. Firstly, Christmas jumpers are fantastic: the tackier, the better. Secondly, the fact that Ashley’s character subscribes to this idea is likely the initial reason this movie didn’t resonate with me. She’s usually a burst of holiday JOY, always upbeat… and that’s the Ashley I want to see. Although she adored Christmas, her sadness over not being with her daughter was excessively melancholy. (This aspect might hit too close to home for me, having experienced split holidays between my parents.)

I had high hopes for this one, but something felt slightly off. Are you telling me that among ALL the “UNAPPEALING” Christmas jumpers available, her light bulb dress was the worst she could find?

Here’s my breakdown:
5 categories, 5 hearts in each

CHEMISTRY _{(between the leads)} ❤️❤️❤️ Maggie & Lucas…I’m awarding 3 hearts SOLELY for the sleigh ride and the concluding scene where Maggie professes “I love this jumper.” Those two moments felt like entirely different characters from the rest of the movie. With more scenes like those, they would have been adorable.
STORYLINE _{(overall plot of the movie)} ❤️❤️❤️❤️ The initial scene where a man is taken out by a Christmas tree was fantastic. Also, the subplot involving military families was heartwarming and added a different emotional layer. Kudos to Hallmark for highlighting diverse family structures this year, including divorced parents amicably sharing custody.
SUPPORTING CAST ❤️❤️❤️ Little Reed was the cutest! However, the rest of the supporting cast largely faded into the backdrop, except for the stern Colonel who softened just enough to make Maggie beam by the end.
FEELS❤️❤️❤️ I expected much more from this duo! Ashley & Niall had the potential for gold. Maybe it was just my perception, but something was lacking. The surprise video at the party evoked more emotion from me than anything else in the film.
HALLMARK SURPRISE _{(anything that really deviated from the typical Hallmark movie)} ❤️❤️❤️ The most striking surprise was Maggie’s sudden anger during the “misunderstanding.” It felt overly harsh. And also, I do NOT like seeing Ashley Williams sad or angry. It’s too heart-wrenching.

16/25 ❤️ I adore Ashley Williams, but I’d choose to re-watch any of her other films before revisiting this one.