Nothing wrong with the actors, and the plot, as we all know doesn't leave many surprises, but the ending really fell flat, like the writers run out of ideas. Not the best.
37 Reviews
Not as good as usual
Sergiodave10 May 2021
Shopping for love
TheLittleSongbird7 April 2022
2020 saw four Love Ever After films from Hallmark, 'A Valentine's Match', 'Matching Hearts', 'The Secret Ingredient' and this. Of the four, the best to me was 'The Secret Ingredient' and the worst 'A Valentine's Match'. 'Love in Store' did intrigue me, as the premise did sound interesting and it was great to see a different setting to usual which did make it sound fresh. Although 2020 was a very variable year for Hallmark, some of the films from that year were quite good and more.
'Love in Store' had potential to be one of those quite good and more films, and with the way it started out it looked as if it was going to be. It is just such a shame that the second half isn't anywhere near as good. Of the four Love Ever After films from 2020, 'Love in Store' is the second weakest, although it is a better film than 'A Valentine's Match' (the only less than average one of the four). It's not an awful film, but it's not great and it turns out uneven.
There are definitely good things here. Alexandra Breckinridge and Robert Buckley are very likeable leads, they look great on camera and although their characters do lack depth they were charming to watch and clearly knew what kind of film they were in. Personally really liked their chemistry, they did seem at ease and it was genuine despite having issues with how the relationship was developed in the writing. Most of the supporting cast did a nice job.
It looks good visually, the scenery is suitably photogenic. The first half was very light-hearted and heart-warming, with a lively enough pace and some playfulness, and despite the characters not being explored enough there's nothing about them that makes them dull or annoying. The music is pleasant enough.
Having said that, 'Love in Store' is a long way from perfect. The second half comes over as bland and also feels too rushed, it also becomes very cheesy and where the writers clearly ran out of any original ideas. Particularly unrealistically rushed is the ending, with a very out of the blue big decision that rang very false. More could have been done with the relationship, which despite the chemistry is not developed enough and becomes too hasty.
Also found too much of the dialogue on the forced side and there was too much of an emphasis on bickering. Despite liking the premise a lot, the execution of it could have been more consistent and more could have been done with it. It also could have been fresher, despite a different setting too many of the plot tropes later on are too standard Hallmark. Jackee Harry's performance is truly laboured too to the point of annoyance.
Summing up, uneven but watchable. 5/10.
'Love in Store' had potential to be one of those quite good and more films, and with the way it started out it looked as if it was going to be. It is just such a shame that the second half isn't anywhere near as good. Of the four Love Ever After films from 2020, 'Love in Store' is the second weakest, although it is a better film than 'A Valentine's Match' (the only less than average one of the four). It's not an awful film, but it's not great and it turns out uneven.
There are definitely good things here. Alexandra Breckinridge and Robert Buckley are very likeable leads, they look great on camera and although their characters do lack depth they were charming to watch and clearly knew what kind of film they were in. Personally really liked their chemistry, they did seem at ease and it was genuine despite having issues with how the relationship was developed in the writing. Most of the supporting cast did a nice job.
It looks good visually, the scenery is suitably photogenic. The first half was very light-hearted and heart-warming, with a lively enough pace and some playfulness, and despite the characters not being explored enough there's nothing about them that makes them dull or annoying. The music is pleasant enough.
Having said that, 'Love in Store' is a long way from perfect. The second half comes over as bland and also feels too rushed, it also becomes very cheesy and where the writers clearly ran out of any original ideas. Particularly unrealistically rushed is the ending, with a very out of the blue big decision that rang very false. More could have been done with the relationship, which despite the chemistry is not developed enough and becomes too hasty.
Also found too much of the dialogue on the forced side and there was too much of an emphasis on bickering. Despite liking the premise a lot, the execution of it could have been more consistent and more could have been done with it. It also could have been fresher, despite a different setting too many of the plot tropes later on are too standard Hallmark. Jackee Harry's performance is truly laboured too to the point of annoyance.
Summing up, uneven but watchable. 5/10.
Near perfect
folsominc223 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This movie was a very delightful movie with a couple that we're both charming and their own ways. It was great seeing how they were molded together with their common interest in home shopping business and gave viewers A New perspective on that field of industry.
On the side of the female the romance seemed more like a little bit of a rebound an actual real soulmate love story.
How are the real crunch of the movie at the climax of the ending fell flat. Like many hallmarks the story ended too soon and with very little common sense.
Really too bad because it was a good build up.
nice
Kirpianuscus27 June 2021
The real problem is Jackee Harry, not the most convincing Sharon. The good thing -Robert Buckley. The status of David Crabtree as brother and uncle is the best part , for me. And, sure, the vacuum as metaphor for life style and its basic fears , like central piece of Monthly Pick. And , in some measure, the naivety of story. Not a very convincing chemistry between main actors but a decent film, in Hallmark style. And more important, inspired way to give to shopping channal theme some charm. So, no surprises , not real dramas, spoons of predictibility and the desired end.
following the formula
SnoopyStyle25 April 2020
Terrie Carpenter (Alexandra Breckenridge) and David Crabtree (Robert Buckley) are rival presenters on the Shopping from Home Channel. When the channel founder Sharon St. Clair announces her retirement, both are set to battle to be her replacement.
The leads are photogenic and charismatic. The premise is good. The characters have relatively good love-hate relationships. The plot lacks great drama and that seems to be the standard Hallmark formula. So this one works as a Hallmark movie but it's not more than that.
The leads are photogenic and charismatic. The premise is good. The characters have relatively good love-hate relationships. The plot lacks great drama and that seems to be the standard Hallmark formula. So this one works as a Hallmark movie but it's not more than that.
Attractive and likeable cast so so story
phd_travel8 June 2020
The two leads Alexandra Breckenridge and Robert Buckley are likeable and attractive. They play colleagues on a TV show. After she is dumped she starts bonding with him. There is some rather boring stuff about hosting a show together. The story isn't interesting.
She deserves more roles on TV.
She deserves more roles on TV.
Good Movie
tredoe16 November 2020
Not a bad start, but this movie quickly loses the plot.
savethewatchmaker13 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The premise of this movie was interesting, and the movie itself started out pretty strong! The second half, however, is such a rapid downturn that the impression it leaves behind is remarkably bad. A few things:
1) This plot almost immediately reminded me of one of my favorite Hallmark movies, Love on the Air, in which, much like this movie, two semi-celebrities (in this case, radio show hosts) are forced to work together because of their brilliant banter after one of them is broken up with live on the air. Love on the Air was fun and complex, while Love in Store misses the mark on several occasions.
2) I got the strong impression that whoever wrote this movie has never actually watched a home shopping network segment. The salespeople behind the camera have to be energetic, fast-talking, and enthusiastic. The hosts in the movie are rather drab, and fill their programs with fluff words rather than genuine attempts to market the products ("what are you going to do with your one wild and precious life" is an adage that is much too heavy for someone trying to sell a fishing rod). This complete separation from the QVC and HSN we all know is such a break from reality that it makes the entire movie difficult to immerse yourself in.
3) The two leads bark and banter at each other for a good chunk of the movie, then spend one tandem bike ride and one home-cooked dinner together and are suddenly extraordinarily friendly with each other, if not more. From this point forward, the movie drags itself downward by seriously belaboring the problem between them (should they host together or not, a stance they proceed to torturously flip-flop on) and dwelling on a ridiculous metaphor about vacuuming. The male lead is suddenly so committment-phobic that he can't make up his mind about his job or his love interest, and to make matters even more unnecessarily convoluted, the boyfriend who the female lead broke up with at the start of the film is abruptly back in the picture to dramatically propose on TV. The movie is then forced to wrap up tremendously quickly, where (once again, on live TV), the main characters kiss in front of all their colleagues and decide to be together. The entire second half of the movie needed serious reevaluating as well as help with time-management.
On the bright side, I actually found Alexandra Breckenridge and Robert Buckley to have good chemistry (although it would've been much better had they given their relationship more time to organically flourish).
1) This plot almost immediately reminded me of one of my favorite Hallmark movies, Love on the Air, in which, much like this movie, two semi-celebrities (in this case, radio show hosts) are forced to work together because of their brilliant banter after one of them is broken up with live on the air. Love on the Air was fun and complex, while Love in Store misses the mark on several occasions.
2) I got the strong impression that whoever wrote this movie has never actually watched a home shopping network segment. The salespeople behind the camera have to be energetic, fast-talking, and enthusiastic. The hosts in the movie are rather drab, and fill their programs with fluff words rather than genuine attempts to market the products ("what are you going to do with your one wild and precious life" is an adage that is much too heavy for someone trying to sell a fishing rod). This complete separation from the QVC and HSN we all know is such a break from reality that it makes the entire movie difficult to immerse yourself in.
3) The two leads bark and banter at each other for a good chunk of the movie, then spend one tandem bike ride and one home-cooked dinner together and are suddenly extraordinarily friendly with each other, if not more. From this point forward, the movie drags itself downward by seriously belaboring the problem between them (should they host together or not, a stance they proceed to torturously flip-flop on) and dwelling on a ridiculous metaphor about vacuuming. The male lead is suddenly so committment-phobic that he can't make up his mind about his job or his love interest, and to make matters even more unnecessarily convoluted, the boyfriend who the female lead broke up with at the start of the film is abruptly back in the picture to dramatically propose on TV. The movie is then forced to wrap up tremendously quickly, where (once again, on live TV), the main characters kiss in front of all their colleagues and decide to be together. The entire second half of the movie needed serious reevaluating as well as help with time-management.
On the bright side, I actually found Alexandra Breckenridge and Robert Buckley to have good chemistry (although it would've been much better had they given their relationship more time to organically flourish).
Good movie
dianamarinelli29 December 2020
Running out of ideas
MickyG33313 March 2023
7.1 stars.
Indeed this movie is proof that Hallmark plum ran out of ideas. How far did the writers possibly have to reach into their repertoires to come up with something so outlandish as "Love in Store"? What did I just watch? I can only imagine the writer saying to the director: Hey Paul, I've run out of ideas, how about we make one about QVC and throw in a romance that spills onto the screen while they are trying to sell a vacuum cleaner? Sound like a brilliant idea for a story? Well Joie, since it's all you got left, I suppose we'll run with it...
Go figure, the leads do a wonderful job with the material they've been handed. I really think they could read a phone book and we'd stick around simply for curiosity sake, because they are so dang likable. I have no idea how Hallmark was able to pull off a stunt like this film, but somehow the actors brought the chemistry and charm. I'm dumbfounded.
Indeed this movie is proof that Hallmark plum ran out of ideas. How far did the writers possibly have to reach into their repertoires to come up with something so outlandish as "Love in Store"? What did I just watch? I can only imagine the writer saying to the director: Hey Paul, I've run out of ideas, how about we make one about QVC and throw in a romance that spills onto the screen while they are trying to sell a vacuum cleaner? Sound like a brilliant idea for a story? Well Joie, since it's all you got left, I suppose we'll run with it...
Go figure, the leads do a wonderful job with the material they've been handed. I really think they could read a phone book and we'd stick around simply for curiosity sake, because they are so dang likable. I have no idea how Hallmark was able to pull off a stunt like this film, but somehow the actors brought the chemistry and charm. I'm dumbfounded.
Wow!
johanohammar2 June 2021
I was blown away by the setting of this movie! The lead characters are hosts on a shopping channel and they seem to think that their job is some sort of therapeutic work where they make people happy by selling them things they don't need. And not only that, they seem to achieve some sort of stardom for doing it. Where I come from the shopping channels are seen as some kind of bad joke that does not last long.
This movie is worth seeing to get an insight of a sick part of the world.
This movie is worth seeing to get an insight of a sick part of the world.
I usually make fun of these movies.....
ThisPlaceForRent1 March 2020
..which I find pretty entertaining to do so while I was waiting on my son in the ER I figured it would be a great way to pass the time. It started like most Hallmark movies in being pretty predictable but then it changed.
I started getting really pulled into the story. The 2 leads had great chemistry together and it became a believable and quite enjoyable story. This is a non typical Hallmark romance movie that I thoroughly enjoyed!
I started getting really pulled into the story. The 2 leads had great chemistry together and it became a believable and quite enjoyable story. This is a non typical Hallmark romance movie that I thoroughly enjoyed!
Great actors, very weird topic...
kategobe16 July 2023
Somehow, Alexandra Breckenbridge and her fellow cast members managed to turn a weird movie into something watchable. However, it's a waste of talent.
The whole concept of a character that has always idolized a tv sales person, then became a host on such a program, and has superfans that adore her is just wild. We're talking about those sketchy, too-good-to-be-true shopping ad channels.
The "on-air chemistry" that is portrayed as off-air love simply has a very weird undertone when the two people are pretending to be trying to sell something in their classic advertisement voices.
Additionally, this idea of people idolizing shopping ad hosts and buying whatever they try to sell you is just not something that belongs on a family tv channel anyways. They could've spent the cast's talent on any other Hallmark movie and this is what they wasted it on...
In short, this movie is best summarized in three letters; "WHY?"
The whole concept of a character that has always idolized a tv sales person, then became a host on such a program, and has superfans that adore her is just wild. We're talking about those sketchy, too-good-to-be-true shopping ad channels.
The "on-air chemistry" that is portrayed as off-air love simply has a very weird undertone when the two people are pretending to be trying to sell something in their classic advertisement voices.
Additionally, this idea of people idolizing shopping ad hosts and buying whatever they try to sell you is just not something that belongs on a family tv channel anyways. They could've spent the cast's talent on any other Hallmark movie and this is what they wasted it on...
In short, this movie is best summarized in three letters; "WHY?"
Shallow
Jackbv1234 June 2020
For starters, the story is practically all overused plot points (I'm really tired of the one where the leads have to compete for a promotion), ... until you get to the end. I think for many, the ending will generate strong feelings - I think it is a love it or hate it ending. I hated it. In fact I had to hit the FF button a couple times there. But I can also see how it was kind of clever and many people, maybe even most, will love it.
What I really didn't like about this movie was how shallow the two leads are. I don't remember the one other movie I saw Alexandra Breckenridge, but apparently from my review, I loved her. Not this time. She comes off as the perfect TV shopping host - a combination of perky and shallow. Several times her smile looked fake. I couldn't trust her and even when she got more vulnerable, I couldn't shake my initial take on her. The whole point of Robert Buckley's character was the appearance of macho and shallow. So I had the same problem with him. Even when we were supposed to see the real David, I couldn't shake the first impressions. And I couldn't see any chemistry. A lot of on screen couples establish chemistry with the early banter and these two tried, but it came off as mean to me. Later when they were supposed to be connecting, my mind was going - why?
Towards the end there's some well done philosophizing about being scared, and having to be perfect.
Note on ballot box stuffing. Whenever I suspect it, I look at the rating distribution. This one convinced me that any ballot stuffing was inconsequential to the results.
What I really didn't like about this movie was how shallow the two leads are. I don't remember the one other movie I saw Alexandra Breckenridge, but apparently from my review, I loved her. Not this time. She comes off as the perfect TV shopping host - a combination of perky and shallow. Several times her smile looked fake. I couldn't trust her and even when she got more vulnerable, I couldn't shake my initial take on her. The whole point of Robert Buckley's character was the appearance of macho and shallow. So I had the same problem with him. Even when we were supposed to see the real David, I couldn't shake the first impressions. And I couldn't see any chemistry. A lot of on screen couples establish chemistry with the early banter and these two tried, but it came off as mean to me. Later when they were supposed to be connecting, my mind was going - why?
Towards the end there's some well done philosophizing about being scared, and having to be perfect.
Note on ballot box stuffing. Whenever I suspect it, I look at the rating distribution. This one convinced me that any ballot stuffing was inconsequential to the results.
One of the best Hallmark movies yet!
caesar777724 February 2020
Bizarre Premise
Leemelod24 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
It's the usual cheesy Hallmark romance, but it was so bizarre that it centered around a home shopping network premise. That premise was almost its own character in the movie. It was too much of a focus. Plus the ending was typical, but cringeworthy because it was incredibly unprofessional to profess all of that while on air. The vacuum metaphor was not working either. Definitely not a new fave.
Great expections !
linda-plant221 March 2020
Which didn't manifest. The two leads were both excellent and should have worked, but they just didn't gel. And though it was an interesting take on shopping channels (QVC ?) perhaps it was too twee in its production, I mean here in the UK there wouldn't be that many crew on the studio floor - there is a Gallery, and as for the closing shot, really ? on air ? nah not believable.
Sharon - played by Jackee Harry, clearly has an impressive CV, and I wondered if she suffered with a disability with her laboured way of speaking, but perhaps not.
Sharon - played by Jackee Harry, clearly has an impressive CV, and I wondered if she suffered with a disability with her laboured way of speaking, but perhaps not.
Too much bickering!
EPMD5715 June 2020
Most people tuning into these movies want to see some semblance of a love story. In the first half hour of this movie, all you see are two people bickering and being mean to each other. It got so annoying that I stopped watching.
I suppose some people can fall in love that way, but it isn't particularly pleasant to watch.
I suppose some people can fall in love that way, but it isn't particularly pleasant to watch.
Best of Halmark
manfredpeter-0962815 February 2021
Makes me smile. Those that didn't like it need to lighten up. The dialogue was clever and believable. Reminds me of another favorite, think it's called Surprised by Love. Just fun and up lifting. Good even for non Hallmark
Love in Store
studioAT15 February 2022
Hallmark seem to think that two lead characters sparring off of each other non stop is endearing and funny. Over time though it's really not, and cannot mask the fact that this story is thin, and the format done better elsewhere.
A real slog to get through, which when these films are supposed to be about escapism, rather defeats the point.
A real slog to get through, which when these films are supposed to be about escapism, rather defeats the point.
That was disappointing.
MIssM1926 March 2020
I really like Alexandra Breckenridge. I really like Robert Buckley as well. So, this should be fine, I thought. Well, I thought wrong, this was disappointing. The plot was quite original, I don't know if there was anything similar before, so kudos for that.
I'm tired of Hallmark making the woman desperate for marriage. Stop. It makes me angry. Not every woman wants to get married or is in a rush to do it. Terrie has an amazing career in front of her but, sure let's bring the subjet up to make her look like she is. Carlo Marks plays the boyfriend who doesn't want to get married, at least he was not a dushbag like the rest of them. Again, kudos for that.
Both Alexandra and Robert were great. Separately. But I didn't see any chemistry. It was probably the worst part of this. I kept getting distracted by anything while watching this movie. I wasn't into it, I feel like something was missing (other than chemistry). I also appreciated that this wasn't Valentine's Day themed.
I had big expectations but unfortunately I was let down.
I'm tired of Hallmark making the woman desperate for marriage. Stop. It makes me angry. Not every woman wants to get married or is in a rush to do it. Terrie has an amazing career in front of her but, sure let's bring the subjet up to make her look like she is. Carlo Marks plays the boyfriend who doesn't want to get married, at least he was not a dushbag like the rest of them. Again, kudos for that.
Both Alexandra and Robert were great. Separately. But I didn't see any chemistry. It was probably the worst part of this. I kept getting distracted by anything while watching this movie. I wasn't into it, I feel like something was missing (other than chemistry). I also appreciated that this wasn't Valentine's Day themed.
I had big expectations but unfortunately I was let down.
Awful.
Becky14526 May 2020
I guess I'm one of the few who really did not like this. The acting was good but I'm more put off than drawn into story lines where the romantic interests are feuding with each other and seem to hate each other but then mysteriously fall in love. Gag. That is a classic soap opera storyline. I've never seen that happen in real life. It's not fun watching people bickering because it just leaves me feeling irritated. I no longer am rooting for them to fall in love. I just don't want to see them together anymore! I think the best parts of the movie for me were the escape room and the bike ride scenes. They were happy, pleasant scenes. That's about it. Also, I never felt any chemistry between them. Even by the end, it seems like they were just friends Also, I never felt any chemistry between them. Even by the end, it seemed like they were just friends. Overall, it was just a terrible storyline. Bonus being there were no silly festivals or fake flowers everywhere. Bonus being there were no silly festivals or fake flowers/greenery everywhere. I would not watch again.
Sorry :(
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