If you like romance, puppies, and a little mystery, this is the perfect Valentine’s movie for you. Starring some of my favorites, Bethany Joy Lenz and Luke Macfarlane, A Valentine's Match follows Natalie (Lenz) as she returns home after being fired from her job as a TV host, where she runs into her ex, Zach (Macfarlane). With the help of two scheming mothers, both Natalie and Zach may just realize their romance is far from over — especially as they work together to make sure the town's Valentine's festival goes off without a hitch.
This film debuted last year during Hallmark's Valentine movie line-ups. While it's not my favorite, it's definitely one to check out. The character of Natalie takes some time getting used to, especially whenever she's around Zach, as her hostile nature goes on just a tad too long for my taste. Nevertheless, it does go away, and when it does, watching both her and Zach interact is nothing short of a sweet romance up to Hallmark's standards.
While it may take some time to warm up to the character of Natalie, no one has to worry about that with Zach. His genuine affection for Natalie and what they used to have will make anyone swoon. I believe a lot of this has to do with Macfarlane himself, who has become somewhat of a Hallmark regular and I love it. I'm going to go on record and say that if he's ever in a Hallmark movie, I'm watching it. Period. I don't care if the movie looks stupid or something I just wouldn't enjoy, I'm in. Macfarlane makes their movies ten times more enjoyable just because of his charisma evidenced on-screen. Both he and Lenz really made this movie special. Watching them fall "back" in love makes the whole corny-ness of the movie worth it. Fun Fact: The Pat Benatar song, "We Belong," that Natalie and Zach dance to in the film was actually covered by Lenz herself back when she was playing Hayley on One Tree Hill!
The only thing that annoyed me in the film was the mothers. Maybe I'm taking it too seriously but they treat Natalie and Zach like they are children, signing them up for events without their consent and constantly putting them in awkward situations. Let me just say, if either of them were my mother, this movie wouldn't end in a very Hallmark way because after yelling at my mother to stay out of it, not only would I not talk to my ex-fiance (who dumped me, but of course, there's more to the story) ever again, I most certainly not agree to partner up with him for a town festival. There. I've said my peace.
I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who’s in the mood for a love story, especially as Valentine’s Day is around the corner. While the whole story is somewhat corny and all-around predictable, Lenz and Macfarlane really nail it in their roles and I really enjoyed watching them. Luckily for us, the romance doesn't end here —February has just begun and Hallmark's got a whole list of brand new movies debuting, starting this weekend! Until next time...
***I do not own this photo.
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