This was a sweet book full of all things festive. The only down side seemed to be that it was based more around American culture than British but it was equally jolly and totally got me watching Christmas movies, whilst thinking what home made gifts to make.

Rachel McMillan is someone I follow on multiple different social media sites and for the past two years now I have loved seeing all her Christmas movie recommendations and how excited she gets around the holiday season. Because of that when I saw she was coming out with this movie guide I was very interested in reading it. 

This movie guide is packed full of very specific move recommendations for everybody and any situation. It's also filled full of ideas for new and old traditions to start doing or continue doing. While some of the ideas wouldn't work this year for obvious reasons because of covid, but several sections had items to do alone or could be done for a distance. Even the girls/family nights could be done through zoom/facetime with how we've all gotten so good and used to doing them at this point (maybe that's just me).
One of my favorite ideas and one that I will for sure be making happen is the Christmas light game where you go around and rate people's Christmas lights and give them a score based on different things. 

Overall I enjoyed this one and loved all the movie suggestions and even found some that I didn't even know existed.

As a movie fanatic and lover of all things holidays, I was so excited to dive into this movie guide. Rachel McMillan does an amazing job at capturing the holiday spirit through reading lists for every type of person. Not only are the countless movie recommendations, she weaves it all together with iconic Christmas song playlists, beloved recipes, and ideas to spice up and establish new holiday traditions. Highly recommended book which makes you feel warm and wholesome inside. Perfect gift for Christmas!

I don't even know where to start with how much I enjoyed reading this beautiful and comprehensive holiday movie guide by Rachel McMillan. 

As a HUGE Hallmark movie fan, I found this to be a delightful read filled with fun holiday party ideas and facts, a never-ending guide to the best of the best Hallmark movies, specifically chosen for her reader's interests. And on top of that the illustrations are just adorable and cozy!

I loved the way each chapter focused on a particular holiday lover. "The Booklover's Christmas Guide" and the "Shopping Lover's Christmas guide. Each focused on favorites for the holidays and ways to start new traditions that can be enjoyed for years to come.

Needless to say I now have a whole bunch of new holiday movies and recipes to try. A Very Merry Holiday movie guide is perfect for that Christmas lover in your life as a gift or a treat. It's truly a love letter to the holidays and the wonder of a magical story that (spoiler alert) always ends happily ever after!

Most people who know me, know I'm a teeny bit obsessed with made-for-TV Christmas films. Yes, on the most part they are terrible (in a great way, obvs) because they have tiny budgets, wooden acting and they basically all tell the same story, but there's just something comforting about them. 

As far as I'm concerned, as soon as Halloween is out of the way it's time to get festive. But you can't bring out the big guns (Home Alone, Elf, Gremlins - you know, decent Christmas films ) too early, certainly not before December. So these films are perfect to. fill the void. To get yourself in the festive swing of things without peaking too early.. 

A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide is the ultimate guide to these light-hearted, snow-covered cliched movies, with movie lists focusing on different tropes, activity ideas, recipes and much more. 

It was a cute, quick read, brimming with ideas to make the perfect Christmas, and highlighting some of the best made-for-TV films that I'd already seen, and some that I didn't recognise but will now seek out. It won't fail to get you in the spirit.

Author #Rachel Mc Millan has a guide 'A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide. This is of course perfect timing. And with all of us reading and watching more TV it will come in handy. My review is on Instagram at Maddie_approves_book_reviews. Please come visit me.
Thank you,
#Netgalley, #Rachel Mc Millan and # Harvest House

A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide by Rachel McMillan is designed to help you find the perfect made for tv (or streaming) Christmas film!  It's separated into themes, so if you want a film with baking in, it will give you a number of suggestions.  It also gives you some ideas for new traditions with each theme.  There are also activities, such as Christmas film bingo, hot drinks to make, and facts that you probably didn't know!

It's a lovely book if you want some inspiration of what to watch next!  There is also a list of other Christmas and holiday films at the back!

 A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide  was published on 6th October 2020, and is available to buy from  Amazon .

You can follow Rachel McMillan on her  website,   Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to  Harvest House .

Yet again, I am reminded to never judge a book by its cover (or even its title). With the increasing number of Christmas movie fans each year, I was not surprised to find a “movie guide” that had been developed.  When I opened the pages of this book, however, I was pleasantly surprised! Not only does the author share ideas of movies to watch according to people's likes or personalities, but she also provides ideas on gift-giving and other ways to embrace the spirit of the season. This works for planning get-togethers of all types as well as reaching out to others who may not be able to join in.

All I can say is I LOVE this book! It is great not only for myself but also as a gift for some other Christmas movie fans (okay, addicts!) that I know. Many thanks to the author for providing this great idea for sprucing up the season!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book provided by the publisher and Net Galley but the thoughts expressed are my own.

This book will certainly put you in the holiday spirit! There are many activities, recipes, and craft ideas to keep you busy all winter long, and then some. I enjoyed the read and plan to implement some of these suggestions for future holiday parties I want to put together. My favorite game idea was the Christmas movie Bingo. It sounds like a lot of fun to play!

My only gripe about this book is that there was not more information on the movies themselves. I would have appreciated cast lists, film trivia, a checklist of some kind to mark off what movies I have seen or plan to see. In that way, it lacked something, but still, overall, it was a strong effort on the writer's part. Plus, the book was filled with pretty illustrations, something I always, personally, like to see.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Christmas tree ornaments!

A fun festive book filled with lots of ideas for celebrating Christmas 🎄 
Get sections to dip in and out of, with pretty illustrations throughout.

This guide gives a lot of recommendation for a Christmas watchlist, sorted by topics such as Christmas shopping or Christmas music (I was actually missing the topic of "Christmas Bride"!). 
The lists do not include the popular (Hollywood) Christmas-movies like "Love, Actually" or "Family Stone" or "The Holiday" - which everyone knows anyway, but puts forward the many many TV-movies, whose numbers increase yearly. I found several movies that I would like to see, now I only need time to actually watch them! (And find a streaming service that provides them.)

Rachel McMillan also provides lots of ideas on how to get into the right festive mood and which new Christmas tradition you could try out. In my family we had a couple of Christmas traditions as well, such as which dish was served on Christmas Eve. Now that my parents and also grand-parents are all gone, I don't really have fixed traditions anymore. But I really would like to install some with my own little family, something that my kids will always connect to a wonderful family Christmas time.

This is a fun book for anyone who likes the romance movies on the Hallmark Channel, but unfortunately I don't. They're basically all the same plot with the same gorgeous lead woman and the same hunky lead guy, and despite all obstacles they fall in love. I would not have read it had I known that. I thought it was a guide to ALL holiday movies with some activities to go with each theme (classic Christmas, romantic Christmas, etc.) Some classic films are mentioned, but very briefly. Also, it really isn't a guide to the movies at all, like describing the plot, listing the actors, and giving a rating to the film. A three-line synopsis is all each movie gets.

If you are a Hallmark Channel fan, you may enjoy the setup. There are fifteen themes, like "the shoppers Christmas," "the family Christmas," "the destination Christmas," suggested movies for each theme, and suggested activities (baking cookies during baking themed movies, exploring a city at Christmastime with the Christmas in the City films, etc.). Each chapter also has some Christmas trivia, such as when Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer joined Santa's team, or the importance of "Silent Night," or how Santa Claus was portrayed in older times, and there are some recipes.

This a great gift book for the holidays for anyone who loves Hallmark Christmas movies.  This has tips and activities for the holidays.  They are divided into sections such as "book lovers" and "music lovers", with plenty of fun things to do with alone or with a group.  There are also plenty of holiday movie recommendations.  While some of these tips might not apply this year, there were a lot of fun things included such as having a royal tea Christmas party, sending cards overseas, or having a hot cocoa bar.  This book will definitely getting you planning for Christmas and is sure to get you in the holiday mood.

After reading this I'm ready to set up my Christmas playlist, bake, read more Christmas books and watch Christmas films. I love everything about Christmas, especially Christmas films so this was just perfect. A focus on spending time together enjoying Christmas traditions. Be prepared to feel Christmasy.

The book is divided into various themes, with Christmas traditions and a checklist of relevant Christmas films, such as book lovers, royal, and bakers. I won't lie, I love all of the Christmas themes. There's something for everyone depending on what you love about Christmas. 

I've added so many more festive books and films to my list. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Harvest House Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really cute idea, and I appreciated the structure and design of this book. 

Unfortunately the way this book is promoted is misleading, and is likely to land it with the wrong audience. 

This is advertised In the summary and on the cover as a guide to made for tv holiday movies. But what it really turns out to be is a guide to made for tv holiday movies of the Romance genre. 

I love holiday movies. I do not love romances. There are a lot of the former that are not also of the latter genre, things which meet the description given of what the book is about but not its actual content. This is disappointing, both because it leaves a reader like me feeling misled and also because conceptually and structurally the book was quite well designed and thus I feel like I missed out on something terrific. 

For the record I see no harm in writing a holiday movie guide that Includes only romances, as long as it is clearly presented as such so it doesn’t leave the many, many readers like myself—who love holiday movies but don’t care for romances—feeling like someone tried to put one over on them.

If you are a lover of made-for-TV Christmas movies like me, this is the perfect book for you! McMillan did a great job splitting these movies into different categories - those about family, those about fashion, those about travel, those about food, etc. and creating not a recommended viewing list for each category, but also accompanying activities, trivia, and snack or drink recipes. This book introduced me to some new movies to add to my list for this holiday season, as well as some great ideas about how to celebrate. The book had a very personal feel, as if a friend was providing her own experiences and recommendations. Definitely an enjoyable read for the holidays!

This book was very cute and I love the quirky crafts and yummy sounding recipes to help you have a "themed" movie watching experience. Every Christmas Eve my two sons and their partners gather at my home for dinner and a movie. I can't wait to try out these little helpful hints to make the evening all the more special and merrier.

I am a little disappointed that these movies are generally available only in the USA as it would have been fun to do on Christmas Eve as is my tradition...BUT it doesn't mean I can't use some of the ideas with any old Christmas movie I have on DVD or can find on TV at the time. There is a lot packed into these 113 pages and it sound like a lot fun.

P.S.
My Christmas Movie Name is: Angel St. Nicholas
I am most looking forward to doing: The Old-Fashioned Christmas

I absolutely loved this book! I am a huge fan of Christmas. A huge fan of Christmas movies. And since I came across Hallmark's productions, I am also a member of "Countdown to Christmas" yearly club! :-) I've had tons of Christmas movies on my IMDB list, but this book made me discover even more of them. Also, it is full of warmth, coziness and puts you in the right "I-Want-Christmas-Now-!" mood!
Highly recommended to all of you Christmas freaks out there!

A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide is sweet book that captures the warmth of Christmas in its pages. While it is anchored by Christmas movie recommendations (mostly romance movies), it is more accurately a book that helps you fall further in love with all aspects of the Christmas season and its festivities – from Christmas card hacks to dressing like a Christmas heroine. Its lighthearted sometimes cheeky content is matched with sweet illustrations and designs (although the people-oriented illustrations seemed to detract a tiny bit from the overall charm). Especially in the current climate of days spent indoors that need a little extra fun and cheer, this is the perfect early stocking stuffer or hostess gift. The only things that could add to it are the inclusion of the years that each of the movies was released and perhaps a different title to let readers know all that is tucked in its pages. 

#AVeryMerryHolidayMovieGuide #NetGalley

Author Rachel McMillan’s love of the Christmas holiday season, as well as her organizational skills, shine through in her new book A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide.  I would say that this book is more of a planning guide for holiday activities centered around made-for-tv movies organized by theme.  (Don’t expect to find your favorite holiday movie if it was not made-for-tv.)

What seems to be missing, at least for me, is the channel or service that produced the movie.  Knowing whether a movie is a Hallmark or Netflix Original would certainly be helpful in trying to find the movie.  I also found myself looking for an appendix with a listing of all of the movies without having to sort through the various themes.

This book would make a cute pre-holiday gift for Hallmark Channel aficionados and those who love the warm and fuzzy predictability of made-for-tv holiday movies.  It is divided into sections that allow the reader to focus on and plan activities around their favorite holiday themes or traditions.  I can see groups of friends deciding on a theme and creating viewing parties - socially distanced, of course, in the age of COVID-19.  This book, like made-for-tv movies, is a fun and feel good escape!