My absolute favourite sections of each chapter in this book Festive Facts (always a sucker for anything history-related, these wonderful tidbits proved very interesting reading for me!) & Start a New Tradition, Rachel's entertaining sense of humour and personality shines through. Her perspectives and insights on Christmas, the different aspects involved in it, it's meaning to different people, and the important role TV Christmas films can have is also all pulled together really well.

While each chapter has at least one thing about it I love, it's The Best of the Rest (particularly The How To Find the Perfect Holiday Guy at Christmas list... gold!), The Homebody's Christmas, The Romantic's Christmas, The Old-Fashioned Christmas, The Music Lover's Christmas, and, of course, The Book Lover's Christmas which were particular highlights for me.

An overall enjoyable and thought-provoking book I read in one sitting, I would definitely recommend this book to all the Christmas lovers out there... the illustrations are also adorable!

This was a really fun book that I enjoyed working my way through. It was really nice to sit down and read a couple of chapters a day as its quite short and broken up nicely into sections. Unsurprisingly as the title suggests it is filled with Christmas movie recommendations. Its divided into subsections of common genres and themes that Christmas movies may fall into or feature for example: The Royal Christmas, The Old-Fashioned Christmas and The Destination Christmas. I am sure we can all think of some movies that fit into those themes and this book is packed with lots more to explore.

Each chapter then introduces us to the theme, gives some recommendations, be it recipes, tips on shopping for the big day or making a play list etc as well as a suggestion for a new tradition and a festive fact. There are then of course lots of film suggestions to fit the chapters theme. Its really beautifully laid out with some lovely illustrations. My favourite chapter was shockingly The Book Lovers Christmas which is not only filled with the film recommendations but also has a list of lots of books that have been adapted to movie or film. I am always looking for new Christmas movie recommendations and I definitely found some here. I also managed to add a few new books to my TBR shelf too!

I would definitely recommend picking this book up for a little festive treat to help get you in the Christmas mood. However, be aware it will make your to be watched list very long!

I thought I'd seen quite a lot of the Christmas movies that are out there, but wow. This has opened my eyes.

This is a fascinating look at all the different styles of Christmas movie (and I know what I'll be doing all this Christmas!) along with themed activities and recipes, and a brief history of Christmas movies. There's at least a hundred movies here, divided into different categories like the Baker's Christmas, the City Lover's Christmas and the Best of the Rest. The illustrations are cute and charming and match the tone perfectly.

The only complaint/suggestion I have; since the movies are coming from various different streaming and live services, it would be nice to have a little note to say 'Netflix' or 'DVD' or 'Airs on (network)' for each title. That would make it much easier to track down the titles that interest the reader. But it's a small thing, and of course a list like that would go out of date quite quickly.

I really enjoyed this. I'll be coming back to it before Christmas to plan my movie nights (and possibly at other times as well!) A fantastic read that I highly recommend.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I suspect this Christmas will look a lot different than last Christmas season. However, this book may help with ideas for making the holiday season a pleasant one, even if you're at home. With ideas and lists, sources for films and ways to make it personal for your family, this book may inspire your own creative thinking and make movie watching during the season a pleasant and festive one.

This was a fun book about enjoying my favorite holiday, Christmas. I love watching made for tv Christmas movies, baking, decorating, Christmas shopping, Christmas music, I love it all. Clearly the author enjoys Christmas like I do. She even mentioned my favorite tv Christmas movies as her favorite too, her favorite is A Very Merry Mix Up. I love that one and it’s tied with Holiday in Handcuffs for my all time favorite Hallmark movies.

I needed this book right now. I was sitting there reading it while another political debate was on the tv. Can I just say what a palate refresher this is?
Read it and enjoy the relaxation it brings :)

I also loved the historical facts about the origins of Christmas traditions. Did you know where the current image of Santa Claus comes from? Or about the holiday that gives women a girls’ night to relax after the holidays?

There’s also Christmas bingo and recipes.

I read this book as an ebook but it would be even better as a physical book. I think it would be a great book to have on the table during the Christmas season. It would make a great gift too.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. I’m also tempted to buy the physical book as a present this Christmas. Thanks for sharing it with me :)

If you enjoy Hallmark Christmas movies, you’ll like this book full of Christmas ideas and movie suggestions. Each section is a different theme, like The Baker’s Christmas, The Royal Christmas, and The Music Lover’s Christmas. Within each theme, there are fun festive facts, ideas for holiday activities and new traditions, recipes, and of course, a list of movies that incorporate the given theme.
The movie lists comprise of mostly those found on a particular greeting-card company’s channel. If you’re not a fan of those sometimes cheesy but delightfully warm and cozy holiday movies, this may not be the book for you. It’s more like a coffee table book or browsing for ideas type book. I would like to try some of the recipes and suggestions for new traditions. There’s a scoring card for viewing Christmas lights that would be nice to do as a family while driving around looking at lights in various neighborhoods.
It would be fun to pick a theme each weekend to celebrate all December long. I appreciate that some of the traditions and activities include ways to give to those in need and think of others in the community. I think the book would be a great gift for a friend who loves Christmas movies and fun holiday traditions.

3.5 Stars

While a little light on actual information about various made for TV holiday movies, A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide was a very cute and fun read. I enjoyed the author’s personal tidbits that she wove in with holiday facts and traditions and even picked up a few new ideas for the upcoming season. The themed chapters will be a nice way for people to quickly find some inspiration, however, if you are remotely a fan of these movies, you will already know most of the recommendations given. This would be a great book to give someone who’s not an avid Holiday Movie Watcher. Also, on a personal level, I was not a fan of some of the language used in the book. I felt that it was a bit judgy towards others that don’t exactly celebrate the holidays (and these movies) in the same way.

Like Rachel, I'm a huge Christmas movie fan and in the days before they became popular and each network was releasing 30+ each year, I made a point to watch them all. Now that's almost become an impossibility, because I also enjoy watching my favourites from years' past. I think if you're looking for a movie with a particular theme, this is a good guide to find what you're looking for. But I was hoping for a little more than categorization by theme and possibly more of a role played by the author herself (reviews, favourites of each of the genres, etc.), and with all of the titles being so similar, I would have liked a little more information on each movie to remember which it was (cast members, etc.)

When I saw Rachel McMillan was writing a holiday movie guide I knew I had to read it. Christmas movies are DEFINITELY a guilty pleasure of mine (thanks, Mom, for the Hallmark addiction), and all things Christmas have really become my favorite part of the year. I may not be able to have snow in southern Texas, but give me my holiday movies where all is right with the world and there will be peace, love, and joy in the end.

"A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide" outlines the best holiday movie picks for every kind of mood you might have throughout the season. It also gives great tips and tricks to connect with others through holiday movies, be it a holiday movie watching binge or a little care package with a movie thrown in. McMillan covers all her bases and even outlines the best movie snacks.

This book has a very big coffee table vibe. With all the lists and fun facts, it's likely more of something you might flip through, more than something you read. BUT if you're a Hallmark Christmas movie junkie, or you know one, this book would be an excellent gift or stocking stuffer.

I gave this book 4 stars because it's a perfect Christmas item to have around. Thanks to NetGalley and Harvest House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was so enjoyable and fulfilled all my Christmassy dreams! As a Hallmark and Netflix Christmas movie lover, this is a perfect read for all movie junkies like me. I loved all the new tradition suggestions and the chapter themes were all super cute. This would be perfect as a coffee table book to set out during the holiday season and would make a really cute holiday gift.

I absolutely loved this book! As a massive fan of Hallmark Christmas movies and anything festive on Netflix, this book was the perfect accompaniment to these movies. I loved all the festive ideas that McMillan provided and I think this book is such a winner with COVID and lockdown still looming, this book should give you great ideas on how to perk up your cosy nights in. Will be purchasing to give to friends!

Entertaining Themed Companion....
Enjoyable and entertaining themed holiday guide with fifteen celebratory events, illustrations and suggested viewing lists. A companion book for holiday movies and traditions and a great coffee table book to dip into at leisure

The festive cover and the colorful eye-catching layout would make this book a great coffee table piece during the holiday season. I thought it was well designed and very pleasant to look at. However, the font was not ideal to read on the NetGalley phone app, so I would recommend the paper version to fully enjoy the format.

Now, about the actual content. If you’re a lover of all things Christmassy, chances are you’re pretty much already doing everything (or almost all of it) that’s mentioned in the book. It’s filled with movie suggestions, fun facts, recipes and ideas to make your home cozy and ready for the most magical holiday of the year. You might still be able to get a few fresh ideas, but it felt more targeted at those willing to get in the Christmas spirit, but lacking imagination to create a wonderful mood. If you’re a natural homemaker, you might not get much out of it. If you don’t know where to start to recreate a fairytale Christmas (almost) like in the Hallmark movies, this guide is for you.

Calling all Christmas movie junkies…this is your new official go-to movie guide! It offers so much more than movies though. The movies are the launch pad for so much more. There are various categories of movies, such as the baking, shopping, royal, music, etc… and then each category offers movie suggestions, recipes, fun recommendations and tips. I love that each chapter offers a Start A New Tradition section because there are so many fun potential things to look forward to! I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own and freely given.

A very cute guide to Christmas movies. I love how each chapter has a different theme then gives ideas for that theme and also suggests particular movies that include it as well. My favorite was The Book Lover's Christmas. I also like that it's not just about movies. There are many cute Christmas ideas introduced like a hot cocoa bar. Yum!

A beautful short Christmas coffee table book. Would make a fun gift for anyone who enjoys those silly (but addictive) Lifetime CHristmas movies.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

Thank you for the chance to review this book. All thoughts given are my own.

I didn’t expect there to be so much jammed into this book! Wow. So the basic premise is that the author is giving all kinds of information about Xmas movies. Yet, there is even a little bit more included to contextualize it all. I was slightly impressed and also kinda overwhelmed. To be honest, you’d get your money’s worth from this book, so I have to say, it executed its promise.

Can’t get to work no matter what o do on any of my formats it says error on documents , unfortunately can’t review due to this

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. With the Christmas season coming up it gave some great ideas of how to celebrate the holidays. There was alot of good hallmark movies mentioned in this book that you may want to watch. When shopping for gifts online and you don't meet the minimum criteria for free shipping, call a friend or family member to see if they need anything. Another good suggestion was that if you are buying a gift for a co worker look at the pictures on the desk to get some ideas. This book has a lot of good ideas for celebrating the holidays with family and friends.

This was a fun read that good me in the seasonal mood, the Christmas decor and food mood. The holiday movie lists, as and because of the movies described, were deliciously corny. But the type of Christmas one is encouraged to celebrate didn't sit all the way right with me.