It's a Royal Weekend! Featuring the bride herself ~ Meghan Markle!

Pic from The Washington Post

It's a royal weekend and Hallmark is celebrating with movies featuring the royal theme and one of my faves, Meghan Markle's A Dater's Handbook. Review spoiler alert (to be posted soon): I LOVE this movie. It's one of my faves that reminds me of the cute rom-coms from way back when. Meghan is simply charming and she had great comedic timing. It makes me a bit sad that we'll be losing her in the tv rom world, but I'm sure she's looking forward to her new life! :-)

A Dater's Handbook is on DVD and was just released in ebook (which I snatched up right away)! The book features a recipe for Lemon Elderflower Mini Bundt Cakes just like, you guessed it, the royal wedding cake! I know a few people who are hosting royal watch parties and this is perfect for such an occasion. Check out the recipe online and then grab yourself a copy of Dater's Handbook.

And if you're looking for somewhere to watch the royal wedding online, Washington Post has links and locations for your online and tv viewing.

Happy royal viewing to you all!

A Dash of Love

Tagline: When an aspiring chef lands an assistant job at her idol’s restaurant, she's convinced her big break is just around the corner. After a rocky start, she befriends the handsome executive chef and they begin bonding in the kitchen. But her joy is short-lived when she discovers her idol’s stealing her recipes and fires them both to protect her secret. Together, they set out to create their own pop-up restaurant and discover the most important ingredient is love. Available on DVD and in eBook form.

This was a cute entry for V-Day with a lot of recognizable faces from the Hallmark roster. Jen Lilley’s Nikki Turner is the wide-eyed sweet optimist with a big dream of being a chef but has a roadblock of being self-taught and without a culinary degree. All she needs is one shot to show her cooking talents with her own business. Frasier’s Peri Gilpin was a surprise as the somewhat cold and calculating restaurant owner to whom Nikki admires. There was a nice comeuppance at the end and an easygoing romance with things tied up in mere minutes toward the end. There's also an interesting conflict with Brendan Penny’s Paul character clashing with his father that I wished was explored more. As it is, it's a quick obstacle to break our couple up for a few scenes.

Not a total fave of mine, though it is a nice way to spend the evening with a glass of red wine and some chocolates. I’m really curious about Nikki’s recipes and whether the unconventional items work together (I may have to experiment one day). Glad to see Kandyse McClure finally in a Hallmark movie though I would love to see her as a leading lady one day. Make it happen, Hallmark!

Check out the novelization of the movie!

Notable Tunes

Opening song: Brand New Day by Miranda Frigon (Yup, the actress from the Aurora Teagarden movies and Cookie Cutter Christmas)

The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra


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