MOVIE REVIEW: Twelve Dates ‘Til Christmas by Directed by Emer Conroy, Megan K. Fox

January 5, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Twelve Dates ‘Til Christmas by Directed by Emer Conroy, Megan K. Fox
Writers: Jenni Bayliss, Erin Rodman, Davah Avena, Zac Hug, Lynn Sternberger
Starring: Mae Whitman, Julian Morris, Toby Sandeman
Distributed by: Hallmark Studios
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars (8 Stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Dicentra

Kate, a textile pattern designer, cares for her separated father Mac in Blexford, England. Laura introduces her to The 12 Dates of Christmas, a matchmaking program that rekindles her life and leads her to new adventures.

Twelve Dates ‘Til Christmas, the new Hallmark mini series starring Mae Whitman, Julian Morris, and Toby Sandeman, was a chaotic yet fun movie for rom-com fans approaching the Christmas holidays. An entirely different format than Hallmark’s more stereotypical films, I enjoyed the novelty of the format as well as the relationships that are carried through multiple episodes.

Kate’s (Mae Whitman) a textile designer who hasn’t gone on a date in a while and spends her time taking care of her father. Wanting her friend to be less lonely and find some magic in the season, Laura (Lucy Eaton) signs Kate up for the “Twelve Dates of Christmas”. Lots of shenanigans ensue, from Christmas rage rooms, escape rooms, and even coordinating crazy hats. The organizer of the event, Drew (Eimear Morissey), was quite fun and did an excellent job in her role as “Christmas cupid”.

While some of the date partners were not particularly memorable (as one might expect from a show that is set to feature 12 dates), I appreciated how they helped move Kate towards her happily ever after. Said happily ever after is definitely predictable, but it makes it no less heartwarming. Don’t want to say too much about Richard (Tobey Sandeman) and Callum’s (Julian Morris) characters, as that very much spoils how things end up. While Kate’s relationships are the focus, it was also nice to see so many other characters in the mini series get their happily ever after too. The storyline between Kate’s dad Mac (Nathaniel Parker) and Evelyn (Jane Seymour) was quite funny, and to see Delilah (Mary McDonnell) running around and meddling towards the end of things was both entertaining and cringe-inducing (I felt for Mac during the book club scene). Make sure you catch the Independence Day actor reunion though!

Overall, this was a great mini-series and I’m so glad I took the time to watch it. Highly recommend this series to those who enjoy rom-coms with guaranteed happily ever afters and large ensemble casts of actors. As a note for book lovers, this is based on the novel of the same name by Jenny Bayliss.

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Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert

December 10, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Erotic Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Dicentra

Icarus may not have flown particularly close to the sun, but he has fallen…right into the rough hands of Olympus’s own Poseidon. Being held captive by the gentle giant wouldn’t be so bad if Olympus wasn’t on the eve of destruction…or if Poseidon stopped looking at him with those irresistibly stormy eyes.

Poseidon doesn’t have time to babysit his increasingly bratty prisoner, but he has no choice: Olympus is officially at war, and someone has to keep their best bargaining chip out of harm’s way. The thing is, the longer Poseidon is with Icarus, the more he starts to care for his sworn enemy…and the more he realizes that Icarus isn’t the villain he’s been made out to be. There’s a warmth to him, a vulnerability, that Poseidon finds difficult to ignore or deny.

Now with Circe and the Aeaens at the gate and Olympus a hair’s breadth away from falling, Poseidon will have to make a difficult choice: about himself, about his allegiances, and about the man who woke his heart from its long slumber only to threaten to break it for good…

Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert is the first M/M romance of her Dark Olympus series, and it has both a scorchingly hot romance and lots of action to set up the ending of the series.

Poseidon is one of the three legacy titles of Olympus but he has a very different energy than Hades or Zeus. First of all, this Poseidon was never meant to be Poseidon. He inherited the title when his cousins passed (along with all the responsibilities that come along with it). While he can be assertive and dominant when the situation calls for it, he really doesn’t want to be. Enter Icarus. As the child of Minos, Icarus has spent a lot of time learning to survive in cut-throat environments. With the threat of Circe’s invasion looming (and Icarus being a political prisoner of the Thirteen), they end up leaning on each other for support. And it leads to a lot of spicy scenes (which Katee Robert is known for), but also a surprising amount of emotional depth. Poseidon is a massive dude, but it was palpable to see how much relief he got from surrendering control to Icarus, even if only for the night. And for Icarus, Poseidon helped him see his worth beyond that of a tool for his father and that relationships (both romantic and otherwise) don’t have to be so transactional.

We’re creeping towards the final confrontation, and I am so ready for it. Both Zeus and Hera show their true stripes in this book, and it makes me that much more eager for their story to be told in the next book (even in the original myth their relationship was messy and there’s no doubt in my mind the author will turn that up to 11). I will say being at book 8 of a 10 book series can make things feel a bit draggy at times (especially when Hermes’ book has me even more excited/borderline bouncing out of my seat), but for those who are interested in romance and reimagined Greek mythology I think it’s worth the time investment.

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Movie Review: 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost

August 18, 2025 By Leave a Comment


3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost
Directed by: Kevin Fair
Writers: Gregg Rosen, Brian Sawyer, Joie Botkin
Starring: Julie Gonzalo, Chris McNally, Madaleine Arthur
Distributed by: Hallmark Studios
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal
Rating: 4 Stars (8 on IMDB)
Reviewed by Dicentra

The house that Anna, a new real estate agent, has listed has a spirit from the 1920s that won’t go. Even worse, the ghost is afraid she won’t be able to “pass over” unless she reconciles Anna with her ex.

“I’ve taught you the steps, sister. Now it’s up to you to dance them.”

While I’m already a lifelong fan of Hallmark movies, it’s always a treat when the writers come up with a storyline that I haven’t seen before. The romance is surprisingly not the main plot in 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost, which follows Anna Vasquez (Gonzalo), a newly minted realtor fresh off a painful breakup with her ex-fiance Elliot (McNally, who is actually Gonzalo’s partner in real life). When she is handed her first property to sell by her father, she runs into Ruby Barker (Arthur), a now ghost and former 1920s socialite who’s been haunting her family’s property since she died.

While the two women clash initially (see crazy occurrences during a house showing), after a tentative truce they realize they have more in common then not. Both are suffering from a case of lost first love, or the one that got away. As a wealthy socialite in the 1920s, Ruby had previously fallen in love with Charlie but was unable to be with him due to the difference in their station. Anna fell in love with Elliot in college, started a business with him, and struggled to find her passion after they broke up. The sisterhood that Ruby and Anna find in each other was very compelling, and I really loved the dynamic of having 3 lead characters in the movie. I commend McNally for what must have been some difficult scenes of ignoring Arthur’s ‘ghostly’ presence, especially as she strutted around in typical flapper wear (and even dropped a love note in his presence, in the name of playing cupid).

Overall, this was an excellent movie. Hallmark writers at their finest. I recommend it to those who love guaranteed happily ever after romance stories with a bit of historical flair.

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Movie Review: Kraven the Hunter

August 4, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Kraven the Hunter
screenplay by Writers: Richard Wenk, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway
Director: J.C. Chandor
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger
Publisher: Sony Pictures Releasing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 3 Stars (6 stars on IMDB)
Review by Dicentra

Kraven’s complex relationship with his ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff, starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared.

As a fan of the nineties Spiderman cartoons, I’ve always enjoyed Kraven the Hunter’s character. Knowing that he was getting his own live action movie (along with the remote possibility of a Sinister Six movie), I was very excited. However, the movie didn’t quite fully live up to the expectations I had going in.

While Kraven the Hunter appears on occasion as an adversary of Spider Man, I don’t ever recall the cartoons going into depth on how Sergei Kravinoff (Taylor-Johnson) became Kraven the Hunter. I really enjoyed getting to learn about his origins, how he got his powers and how he became the supervillain that we know. Prior to this movie, I didn’t realize that Kraven is actually related to another occasional member of Spiderman’s ‘rogue gallery’ but that does play a part in the story. Additionally, it was a little weird with Aaron Taylor-Johnson having previously played Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron, especially with some of their similarities in overall appearance, but I was able to suspend disbelief enough to make it work and enjoy the movie. The performance of Aaron Taylor-Johnson was my favorite of the movie, followed closely by that of Alessandro Nivola.

I’m not sure if it was due to writing or some other aspect of the movie, but I feel like some of the other cast members had a lot of wasted potential in this movie. There could have been so much more done with Russel Crowe and Ariana DeBose’s characters, but it just didn’t happen. Calypso (DeBose) in particular is a very dynamic character from the comics, but they might have been limited by the constraints of a movie script length.

While I was overall entertained by the film, I fully understand why Sony and Marvel didn’t want to proceed more in this direction (and that of other solo movies like Morbius). I hope future live action movies can do a better job with bringing the source material to life, and honoring characters from so many viewer’s childhoods.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Royal-ish

June 9, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Royal-ish
Writers: Teri Wilson
Director: Roger M. Bobb
Starring: Nichole Sakura, William Moseley
Publisher: Hallmark
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars (8/10 stars on IMDB)
Review by Dicentra

Lacey is an amusement park princess who befriends 8-year-old Rose, a real-life princess, and is recruited by her handsome father to travel to their kingdom and be the new governess.

Hallmark movies are where happily ever after lovers go for a guaranteed happy ending (usually in the last five minutes), and that’s no different in one of their newest releases, Royal-ish. Theme park princess Lacey (Sakura) spends her days delivering magical tea parties to children in her role as Princess Sweet Pea. When she befriends 8-year-old Princess Rose (and her father and heir to the throne Prince Henry (Moseley) it sets off a romance that screams meet cute and swoon.

While the movie is very much stereotypical Hallmark in plot, it tackles some deeper issues. Lacey found work as a princess while she was working towards a graduate degree, and finds joy in bringing joy to others. She’s worried about aging out of her job (which hadn’t previously registered for me as an issue for theme park workers). The young princess Rose is struggling with the weight of responsibility after the death of her mother and a traumatic incident. And the romantic love interest (Prince Henry) struggles to balance his role as a father and the crown prince of a small kingdom. They did make some slight changes to the stereotypical ‘royal’ plot line for these movies that left me amused. And while the lines were undeniably cheesy, it remained entertaining and engaging.

Overall, this was another entertaining storyline. I didn’t realize this was supposed to be another ‘trilogy’ movie, as they didn’t connect it outright to the other movies (The Royal We and The Reluctant Royal) like they did in their other trilogies (The Wedding Veil Trilogy). I highly recommend this movie to those who like low pressure, guaranteed happily ever after stories. I don’t recommend this movie to those looking for innovative, high-stakes storylines that are harder to predict.

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Sketching Love by Mikala Ash

April 10, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Sketching Love by Mikala Ash
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Erotic Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Dicentra

Her reputation in tatters following a lapse of judgement with the handsome Lord Randolph Cressy, Amelia Keystone returns to London destitute and alone. Events rapidly unfold on the platform of Victoria Station and Amelia is plunged into a deadly adventure.

Charles Graves, charming Agent of the Queen, is quick to engage Amelia’s skills as a sketch artist to help solve a murder and save the empire. Meanwhile she is stalked by an indefatigable assassin.

Lord Cressy insists on making amends for his role in her disgrace, and the three brave souls face an unseen killer. Will true love blossom, or will bloody murder destroy Amelia’s chance for happiness?

Sketching Love by Mikala Ash, the first book in the Empire of Hearts series, was an interesting cross between the mystery and steampunk genres with a lot of promise. The story itself kept me invested, though it was hard to connect to the actual characters. In terms of vibe, I’d liken it to Millie Bobby Brown’s Enola Holmes on Netflix, Robert Downey Junior’s Sherlock Holmes, or TNT’s The Alienist tv show.

I really liked the story and the setting. It was obvious the author had done a fair amount of research, as I was amused by things like what a “whore’s bath” is. There are also things like marriages of convenience and mistresses popping up in the book, which wouldn’t be out of character for that time period. The steampunk mystery element of the book is at the forefront of the novel, though there is undoubtedly some romance at play as well.

The characters were hard for me to connect to. I wanted very much for Amelia to find a ‘happily ever after’ ending but I never found myself invested in her personal struggles. Additionally, while I’ve never shied away from the more explicit and intimate scenes, some of the words (like redolent among other non-PG 13 terms) were a little too niche of vocabulary terms. It took me away from those pivotal moments to have to figure out what the author meant. With regards to the other characters besides Amelia, I couldn’t tell you much about them as there wasn’t a lot to make them stand out in my memory.

Overall, this was an okay read. Though there were some hiccups, I think the overall story held up and it was worth finishing. If you’re familiar with the author’s other works, it is similar to the Elizabeth Hunter-Payne series. It’s worth noting that this is very much an adult series that I wouldn’t recommend for younger readers.

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Movie Review: The Christmas Quest Directed by: Dustin Rikert

March 17, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Christmas Quest
Directed by: Dustin Rikert
Writers: Andrew Gernhard, Marcy Holland, Dustin Rikert
Starring: Lacey Chabert, Kristoffer Polaha, and Derek Ridell
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars (8 on IMDB)
Reviewed by Dicentra

An archaeologist, her ex-husband who is a Norse language expert, search for legendary treasure in Iceland during Christmas. Others join the hunt, leading to a thrilling race to secure the treasure before the wrong people obtain it.

Lacey Chabert is one of the unquestioned queens of holiday movies, and her newest Hallmark release, The Christmas Quest, was a charming holiday tale that meshed the best of cozy movies and the Indiana Jones style mystery dynamic. The movie, which also stars Kristoffer Polaha and Derek Ridell, takes the characters on a trip to Iceland to find a hidden treasure before Christmas day.

This is the first time I’ve heard of the legend of the Yule Lads, and it’s such a fun tale. Each of the lads comes down from the mountain on their specific day to enact mischief and collect what they love most (i.e. candles, milk, etc.). They also drop off a potato to children who misbehave (I’m not sure if that’s better or worse than coal, haha) The Yule Lads story such a playful tale compared to some of the other holiday stories around the world, and I loved how the history bridged the gap between Lacey Chabert’s character and her mother (both archaeologists).

I also loved the setting of the story. A lot of Hallmark movies in the past have featured New England settings, but this has Chabert and Polaha traveling to an Icelandic locale. They make their way through the mountains, traverse caves, and even set off booby traps a la Temple of Doom. The Indiana Jones references were not lost on the writers, as the map detailing their travels mirrored the one from the movies and they subtly nodded at some of the most famous scenes.

Overall, The Christmas Quest was an entertaining and exciting movie. I’m excited to see the new creative direction Hallmark seems to be going in, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of their new movies as they release. Check out this movie if you like adventure and romance complete with mystery and folktales.

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The Demon’s Queen by Katee Robert

November 13, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Demon’s Queen by Katee Robert
Publisher: Trinkets and Tales LLC (Self-Published)
Genre: Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Dicentra

Eve’s life might not be perfect, but it’s hers. She has money, freedom, and a client list that she’s handpicked over the years. If sometimes she gets a little too attached to those clients? Well, that’s her problem. After a stressful day, she’s looking forward to dinner and a long night with Azazel…until he asks her to sign a contract under the guise of roleplay—and then kidnaps her to another realm.

Azazel has been in love with Eve for years, but he knows his place. The window to offer her a contract has long since closed, so he takes her in the only way he can—as her client. Until one of his enemies realizes exactly how much Eve means to him…forcing him to lie to her to protect her.

Unfortunately for Azazel, Eve isn’t thankful for the protection. She may be stuck in the demon realm with her new captor, but she’s going to make him choke on every moment they spend together.

Too bad her heart is more in the mix than she’d ever admit…

“In my heart of hearts, I simply want someone to choose me, to love me above all others. I’m too old for fairy tales – I have been since I was a child – but some fantasies persist even when you know better.”

Informed consent is a big thing in the world of Katee Robert’s A Deal with a Demon series, and bargainer demon leader Azazel commits one of the biggest no-no’s ever in tricking Eve (an escort who he’s been seeing for months) into a lifelong contract. Determined to make him pay for it, a lot of frustration and angst ensues as each side tries their best to understand the other.

I’ve been waiting for this book ever since the first official one (The Dragon’s Bride) came out, and I have to say it did not disappoint. I’m really impressed with how the author has managed to write essentially 6 books that are happening almost simultaneously. Eve is the final ‘human’ that was put up to auction, but her deal was unique in that it wasn’t for seven years, and she didn’t really get anything out of it like the others. After seeing Azazel so calm and collected in previous installments, it was interesting to see him frazzled and bent out of shape in an effort to keep his territory together and keep Eve safe.

Azazel and Eve have an interesting dynamic. They go from casual lovers, to hating each other, and back to lovers again. Eve (understandably) makes Azazel grovel for forgiveness and it was quite fun to watch. It was also quite satisfying as a fan of the series to get more in depth as to Azazel’s motivation for holding the auctions in the first place.

Overall, a great read and a great ‘end’ to the series (since all of Ms. Robert’s books are interconnected in some way). If you enjoy short paranormal romance books with a monster flair, a guaranteed happily ever after ending, and a bit of drama, this would be a great choice. I highly recommend reading the series in order (starting with The Demon’s Bargain, which is set in the same world), as that will provide the best reading experience in my opinion.

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Movie Review: The Wild Robot

October 21, 2024 By 1 Comment

The Wild Robot by Writers Chris Sanders, Peter Brown
Director: Chris Sanders
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, and Kit Connor
Publisher: Dreamworks Animation/Universal Pictures
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.)
Rating: “Best Movie” – 5 stars (10 stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Dicentra

After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island’s animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.

Based on Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot, Chris Sanders’ movie version of the story (produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures) pulled my heartstrings in a way very few movies ever have, animated or not. I can’t even remember the last time I teared up in a theater prior to this movie. Lupita Nyong’o voices the titular robot, Roz, who must adapt to her new environment and complete her programming to ‘help with tasks’ after finding herself shipwrecked on an island.

The emotional connection in this movie is stunning. Roz is, understandably, viewed as an outsider by the other animals on the island. The main theme in this movie is the idea of family (and what that can look like), but it also touches on the ideas of belonging and community. Roz’s motley crew of fox Fink (Pedro Pascal) and orphan gosling Brightbill (Kit Connor) are an unlikely family, but I enjoyed seeing the growth that all three of them went through over the course of the movie. Sometimes there are tragic events in the past that can shape one’s trajectory, but they can also lead to beautiful results. I loved seeing all of the animals on the island, both predator and prey, coming together in a common goal towards the end of the movie. I also thought there were some super fun elements to balance out the deep emotional moments, like how Roz gradually learned the ‘language’ of the animals after her first attempts to communicate did not go as planned (in a very comical manner).

The storytelling was another highlight of the movie. The voices of many of the characters were familiar to me while watching, but I didn’t realize how star studded the cast was until I looked it up after leaving the theater. In addition to Nyong’o, Pascal, and Connor, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy and Mark Hamill are some of the other big names that grace the screen. The animation style was excellent, there’s a lot of humor (both subtle and outright), and it never shied away from tackling the tough topics (while making it accessible to both children and adults).

Overall, an excellent movie and an excellent narrative. I’ve already bought the first book in the series that inspired the movie as a result of watching it, so I’m excited to read it. I would recommend this movie to children and adults of all ages, as I think there’s something that you can take away from it no matter your age.

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Movie Review: Deadpool and Wolverine

September 9, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Deadpool and Wolverine by Writers Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, and Shawn Levy
Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Emma Corrin
Publisher: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Comedy
Rating: 4 stars (8 stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Dicentra

Deadpool is offered a place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by the Time Variance Authority, but instead recruits a variant of Wolverine to save his universe from extinction.

It’s been a long time for hardcore Marvel fans waiting for the team up between Deadpool and Wolverine, but this movie made it so worth it. Honoring the death of the Wolverine in the Logan movie (2017) while also simultaneously introducing both characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s obvious that everyone involved poured their heart and soul into this movie.

With the Marvel movies following Avengers: Endgame (2019), it’s been a bit hit or miss for me on whether or not I enjoyed them and whether or not I felt they added something to the bigger Marvel cinematic universe. This movie gave a lot of love to the kids (now adults) who have grown up with these characters, the movies and the comics; I don’t want to spoil the surprise but there are a lot of fun expected cameos along the way. Shoutout to Ladypool, Kidpool, and Babypool (if you know, you know).

In terms of the actual cinematic experience, I don’t think I’ve cackled that much in a theater in a long time. I was practically bouncing in my seat at times and singing along to the soundtrack for more than half the time (side note: whoever curated that soundtrack did an excellent job). It’s still not a movie I would ever recommend for kids with the sometimes gratuitous amounts of swearing, very bloody fight scenes, and poorly veiled innuendos. However, it leaves me excited for the future of the Marvel Cinematic universe and how much levity Deadpool and Wolverine will add going forward.

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