My Secret Valentine (2018 TV Movie) User Reviews

Great thanks to Lacey and Andrew. As usual.

[MIssM19 · 8/10 · 5 February 2018]

Lacey keeps claiming her title, every year, as the "Queen" of Hallmark. And Andrew W. Walker is definitely one of the favorites (mine included) so I'm really glad they finally got to co-star in this one together.

I went into this movie withouth knowing much: Chloe comes back home after her father asked her to because he has some news about the winery that has been in the family for decades. Seth has one purpose: to buy this winery for the huge company he works for. So, they start spending time together as Seth starts enjoying the country life... and they even interact more than they actually think.

The board in the cabin was such a nice and original feature, and I really enjoyed it. The story was good, but very few Hallmark actors would have made it as special as these two made it. The chemistry was a plasant one to watch. (Seriously, does he have chemistry with all his co-stars?)

No exes involved, extra points for that. I even laughed out loud more than once thanks to Lacey and specially thanks to Andrew. The character's (and Andrew's) sense of humor was a very satisfaying part of the movie. Probably my favorite part.

I have very few problems with it: 1° the ending could have been way much better than that. . 2° I don't get why she kept blaming Seth when it wasn't his fault at all? 3° They never run into each other at the cabin (i'm gonna let this go) 4° The last sentence was too corny even for me.

But other than those, which you are in your right to disagree with, it was pretty good.

Better than average dialog and writing elevates a familiar forumla

[phd_travel · 8/10 · 5 February 2018]

The formula is slightly familiar but the dialog is above average with some spontaneous sounding banter and humor. A restaurant manager returns to her family winery when her father considers selling the business. The man who is sent to seal the deal is the romantic interest. Lacey Chabert is better here than in previous movies. She sometimes speaks too fast but here she seems to have varied her speech patterns a bit. Andrew Walker is the deal maker who ends up of course falling in love with her.

This one is better than the other winery based romances with Rachel Leigh Cook.

Fair remake of a classic

[kmccabe- · 6/10 · 10 February 2018]

If you're paying attention, it won't take you very long to spot that this movie is a TV remake of Shop Around The Corner by way of You've Got Mail. What they've essentially done is taken the story beats of the earlier versions of the story and inserted them into their boilerplate Hallmark template. In fact, you might wonder if the "big city outsider sets out to close smaller business but instead finds love" formula, used by do many Hallmark movies, was itself lifted from You've Got Mail.

Still, I enjoyed it. Lacey Chabert is as squeakily adorable as ever. Worth a watch.

safely Hallmark

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 4 July 2022]

Chloe Grange (Lacey Chabert) manages an upscale Portland restaurant. She comes home to Oregon wine country for a visit during Valentine's Day Wine Festival. Her father announces his retirement and plans to sell to a box wine company. Company representative Seth Anderson (Andrew Walker) knows nothing about high end wines. The family cabin has been rented out and unbeknownst to either side, Seth is the renter.

It's Hallmark, Valentine, and wine. They seem to be connected somehow. It's fine. Chabert and Walker are Hallmark veterans at this point. They can do this in their sleep. This is safely in the standardized TV romance mold.

Cute Story & Good Chemistry!

[kz917-1 · 7/10 · 18 February 2019]

Lacey Chabert & Andrew Walker woo and spar over the possible selling of a family winery.

Cute!

My Secret Valentine

[studioAT · 7/10 · 18 October 2020]

The ever lovely Lacey Chabert pops up in this Hallmark film that definitely doffs its cap to 'You've Got Mail' in many ways.

Warm-hearted and funny, this is excellent stuff, with Chabert very adapt in this sort of role.

Well worth a watch.

very cute charmer

[jml1988 · 7/10 · 11 February 2020]

Great valentine's movie. The ending was expected but fitting. Lacey Chabert is perfect in everything she does!

Great Movie

[JWConkin · 8/10 · 5 February 2018]

This movie is a wonderful romance movie such touches the heart. Both actors did a great job.

Not so bad

[majoq · 6/10 · 23 October 2018]

Not so bad, I mean this is a Hallmark movie, so you already know how it ends. But this one reminded me sooo much of You´ve Got Mail. Perhaps because of this I started to pay attention to everything. And the more I saw, the more I missed YGM. As much as I like both actors, they are not Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. In spite of this, I liked it.

Disappointing story with rushed ending

[jenrn-09722 · 4/10 · 14 June 2021]

This was cute, but plot was unbelievable and the ending was forced. Typical Hallmark fare. Chlioe, the daughter, lives in big city, comes home, mad that dad is tired and wants to sell winery and retire. She pouts and whines, because she doesn't want things to change. Not a thought to her father and the fact he is working alone and is lonely. Then her father prepares to sell the winery without even a "what do you think?" to his daughter. If they are so close - wouldn't they talk to each other? Enter Seth, the guy who represents the company that wants to buy. He's a corporate frat boy, doing what he's told, attempting to sway dear-old-dad to sell. But he's a nice guy, so selling may not be so bad... He rents a house on the property, and she has no idea it's him? They write notes back and forth and can't figure it out? She just waltzes into the house whenever and he's never there? Where does he go that they don't run into each other while writing these lengthy notes on the board? Just very hard to believe neither has a clue... She doesn't warm up to Seth until the very end, and he makes no attempt to win her over - until she chases him down - as he's leaving town. Then suddenly we get a declaration of love and how she makes him want to be a better person - but if that is the case, why was he leaving town without so much as a good bye?!? She had to see the papers on the desk to realize it was him?! Yet they are in love?? Just didn't feel it, and thought the ending was a bit over the top and rushed - his declaration of affection for her - considering they had very little positive interaction through the movie until the last 15 minutes. I guess I just expected a better story for Hallmark's most popular leading actors...

One valentine that shouldn't stay secret

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 25 August 2022]

Although it didn't sound particularly original story-wise, 'My Secret Valentine' was still seen because of the two leads. Lacey Chabert and Andrew Walker very seldom disappoint, their filmographies are hit and miss and so are their characters, but they are often among the best things of the misses. Do consider them two of Hallmark's best regulars and ones that near-consistently deliver, and have also seen them together before (and liked them).

2018 started off very promisingly for Hallmark and was quite good up to the disappointing 'Love Once and Always'. While liking pretty much all that year's Countdown to Valentine's Day films (the others being 'Very, Very Valentine' and 'Cooking with Love', 'My Secret Valentine' gets my vote as the best one, one of the best 2018 Hallmark films up to this point and one of the best Hallmark films to be set in a winery setting (a familiar setting for Hallmark and done well a good deal).

There is very little to dislike about 'My Secret Valentine' actually. Other than being quite formulaic and the events not being too hard to figure out, the only major fault for me was the rather rushed and too convenient ending, with a rather contrived lead up.

'My Secret Valentine' scores everywhere else. Chabert and Walker are both great and equally so. So many nuanced emotions and sparkling feel for comedy, and they wholly succeed in making their characters likeable despite seeing those types of characters before many times. Their characters, and the characters generally as an overall whole, are not meaty but they enagge and don't bore or irritate or make frustrating decisions. Being neither too perfect or have too many overblown character flaws, have seen plenty of those recently so that was a relief. Their chemistry is very genuine and truly endearing. The supporting cast are all solid.

Furthermore, visually 'My Secret Valentine' is slick and attractive. Hallmark often did deliver on the scenery, the locations were seldom authentic to the real thing but they still looked great and lovingly shot, and this film is no exception. The music didn't feel overdone or repetitive. The script doesn't feel stilted or cheesy and there is a very good natured feel good vibe to the playful, charming interactions. The story is very cute without being too cute and is very heart warming and light on its feet. The winery setting is not underused and is used affectionately.

Overall, not one to keep secret and well worth catching. 8/10.

Enjoyable Entertainment

[queenofcrops · 7/10 · 9 October 2020]

Really enjoyed the chemistry between the lead characters. One criticism, though. Rosé is not a white wine.

Stolen ideas

[Jackbv123 · 5/10 · 4 February 2018]

I'm sure it can't be plagiarism, or whatever the cinematic equivalent is, but the last line at least is stolen in spirit if not verbatim. You can watch to the end to see what that is. And the whole plot line was so close in structure to another famous movie.

So many things were forced. The whole exchanging notes thing had holes in it. Why would someone paying rent do repairs for someone he'd never met her. Maybe a couple minor ones the first day since he was bored. And neither of them could figure out who the other might be. Why did the both assume what the other's gender was? Chloe's seeking advice about "a jerk" should have set off bells for Seth. On the other side, surely Chloe had to consider the thought spoken by either her or Leanne that it might be Seth. Chloe went to the cabin at different times of day and yet somehow never ran in to him?

Dad, are you really going to talk selling the winery without telling your daughter first? And then do it without asking her opinion? You never considered how she might fit? Do you not know each other at all? Do you not talk? Apparently not, but that doesn't sound too smart.

Seth really did act like Chloe expected. So how would she ever trust him? She warned herself against a charmer. Is she really going to give in to him? And how could he deny it, especially to himself? Clearly it really was his job to do exactly what she didn't want to happen. And was Dad so naïve after she warned him?

Was there chemistry between Chabert and Walker? To me, there could have been, but it wasn't there yet. Unfortunately that is the problem with this type of movie - true love happens so fast. I'm a fan of Chabert and Hallmark. She does have a charming and romantic side. If you watched the premiere on Hallmark, there was a very nice interview of Chabert telling a story about her husband proposing. That story and how she tells it, so fits her Hallmark image, and this character. So I enjoyed watching her in this movie. But Walker was too much of a frat boy corporate raider. He didn't shed that until too late. The scenes where he did nice things, like the repairs, were almost like it was a different person.

This is a pretty typical Hallmark Valentine movie. Many people won't have a hard time laying aside reality and will enjoy this. For me, there were too many holes, especially Seth's character.

Love is What's Important

[Anthony_Rauscher · 10/10 · 26 October 2018]

Like a warm, inviting, familial, comfortable "Christmassy" Valentine's day, with a touch of a new spring crispness, and freshness, in the air.

"Akward" charm - poking fun, jabs etc.. begins after Seth and Chloe first meet in romantic happenstance, and like each other, and then meet again, under slightly different circumstances!

They both have important things going on in their lives, but what they grow to realize, is how important they are to each other, as much as the things they each value.

Their actions are full of sincerity, genuineness, and meaningfulness, and ultimately purpose - in the things that they are doing in their lives, and for each other - and it's the characters valuing of things, that keeps bringing them closer, and closer together.

There's not many characters, but all of them are cute, and carry the pace of the plot very nicely.

If you've never seen Lacey Chabert in Party of Five, you wouldn't need to. This is a perfectly glowing moment for her, and her character guides the whole movie along just amazingly, with her succinct powerfulness, fully defended yet unabashed vulnerabilities, and a good dose of natural sweetheartedness, fun, and cute!

This movie moves at a sweet, charming, natural pace that just WANTS to happen, and you just want this movie to happen, and it does! And that's what makes it so good :)

Thinly Disguised

[bobsmall-28820 · 28 April 2020]

The movie is entertaining, but the only difference between this and You've Got Mail is that Lacey never catches a cold.

Logistically Inaccurate

[OrangeCA84 · 5/10 · 11 June 2019]

I wanted so badly to like this movie but living in Oregon the logistical inaccuracies made it very difficult. Multiple times in the movie they keep referring to the Willamette valley and Portland as separate from one another yet Portland is part of the Willamette valley. I know these movies aren't going to be perfect, they are low budget tv movies but they shouldn't insult the viewer either. Another big issue was the close proximity of the ocean. The Willamette valley and the Oregon Coast are separated by the Coast Mountain Range and many miles. Being filmed entirely in Ontario Canada minus the stock outdoor aerial Portland shots at the beginning they ruined the opportunity to showcase Oregon's wine country which is some of the best scenery in the state.

Cute film

[dianamarinelli · 8/10 · 6 December 2020]

Lacey chambers charms in this film as the lead and the other actor does well too. Good film just your standard hallmark film worth a watch

Lacey Plays a Jerk This Time

[athompsonblue · 1/10 · 6 February 2024]

I was fine with the scene amidst the wine barrels, where she made it clear to him that she was no pushover. After that, though, she just comes off as a prejudiced jerk, determined to hate him for no reason. He goes the extra mile to get to know the business and befriend the people. His company makes a generous offer. And he never uses dishonesty or underhanded tactics to steal the vineyard. The real problem is the father and daughter's failure to communicate. It's unfair of her to blame Seth for it. And she never apologizes for misjudging him.

I also didn't like that they resorted to dishonesty to get that restaurant owner to buy two cases.

Hallmark's version of You've Got Mail

[clarkrobertson-36881 · 8/10 · 10 May 2021]

About half way through, I realizes that this was a version of You've Got Mail, only with a chalk board instead of email. Very cute.

Enjoyable And Humorous Romance

[atlasmb · 8/10 · 12 June 2023]

This Hallmark romance is quite enjoyable. The story is about Chloe (Lacey Chabert), manager of a restaurant, who goes back home to visit her father just before the annual Valentine's Day Festival. He is deciding whether or not to sell the family vineyard. Also in attendance is Seth (Andrew W. Walker), a buyer who represents a company that wants to acquire the business.

Chloe immediately dislikes Seth because of his intentions. She is strongly opposed to selling the family business.

She is also intrigued by a person who is renting the family cottage. She has never met him, but they leave messages for each other on a chalkboard in the cottage. He is very helpful in making small repairs to the old property, and she appreciates it.

What makes this story so enjoyable is Lacey Chabert's portrayal, and the chemistry between her and Andrew Walker. Their repartee is well-written, giving the film a humorous foundation.

The spoiler is that this is a variation on "The Shop Around the Corner", "You've Got Mail", and the other films that are adaptations of the original Hungarian story.

Lacey Chabert and Andrew Walker at their best, with a fun twist on the "pen pal" trope.

[MichaelByTheSea · 9/10 · 7 February 2023]

After watching this for a third time, I was surprised to learn that, as of early 2023, this was the first and only movie that starred Hallmark superstars Lacey Chabert and Andrew Walker together in the same movie. I loved them and the movie.

The anonymous "pen pal" storyline is one of my favorites. There's a great old black and white classic film about anonymous pen pals who know each other in real life (without realizing it) called The Shop Around The Corner starring Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan. That inspired the more recent rom-com classic, You've Got Mail with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan ("I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly."). Compare that line with the one from My Secret Valentine ("I was secretly hoping it was you all along").

Hallmark successfully used a similar anonymous "pen pal" storyline in 2019 (the year after this movie was released) in Bottled With Love with Bethany Joy Lenz and Andrew Walker (one of my favorite Hallmark movies) and again in Love Always, Santa, and again in The Christmas Promise and again last year in Hanukkah on Rye. I actually don't have a problem with Hallmark reworking this kind of storyline, as long as it's well done. I really enjoy a romance based on the exchange of thoughtful letters (or emails or texts) and chalkboard messages struck me as a fun, clever variation of the trope. Kudos to the writer, Carrie Freedle.

Lacey Chabert was very spunky, feisty, fun and engaging as Chloe Grange. I can't think of her being in a better Hallmark movie and she's been in a lot. I loved scenes like the one where she's talking to herself when she goes into the cabin by herself.

Andrew Walker was solid as usual as Seth Anderson. I can't remember a bad performance by him and he's been in some classic Hallmark movies. I think Peter MacNeill as papa Truman Grange and Tara Yelland as local bestie Leanne Morrison deserve praise for their performances too (although Leanne's character only existed to talk to Chloe about Chloe).

Someone else noted the absence of "the other guy" or "the other girl". I usually prefer that unless the competition's screen time is kept to a bare minimum and they don't show up unexpectedly (I hate that trope).

Finally, I'm an avid Hallmark movie fan. I'm also a lawyer. And when someone waves around a contract or legal document (or a newspaper) I like to hit pause and take a closer look. I'd say most of the time it's gobbledygook nonsense but, occasionally, someone actually tries to create a plausible legal document. And, at a glance, the Big Contract at issue in this movie looked real.

But I took a closer look. The contract states at the top that it is an "Oregon Ownership Commission Contract" for a "Sale of Property and Copyright". That may sound OK, and I'm a California lawyer, but there is no such thing as the "Oregon Ownership Commission". And that reference is in conflict with the top right section of the contract which states that the form was created by the "Oklahoma Real Estate Contract Form Committee". There actually is such a committee- in Oklahoma. But this movie was set in Oregon and no one buying real estate in Oregon would use an Oklahoma contract.

Also, the line where the contract is supposed to describe the real estate is left blank. And the "legal description" section below that did not include a legal description of the property but, instead, included some handwritten contract terms. But it was marginally better than most fake Hallmark contracts.

To be clear, none of this affects my review or rating of the movie; I just find this aspect of movie making interesting.

Thumbs Up!

Thumbs up

[VetteRanger · 8/10 · 7 February 2023]

The movie has two familiar tropes, but put enough spin on them they struck us as fresh.

First, we have the big city company wanting to buy the small-town family business ... done over again, isn't it?

Second, as other viewers have noted, this script riffs HARD off of the movie "You've Got Mail", but with a chalkboard instead of email.

When hot-shot deal maker Seth Anderson comes into town to buy her father's winery, Chloe Grange is dead against the idea, fearing that the big company will ruin the family atmosphere and quality. Of course, that set up a typical antithetical romance. But unknown to her, while in town he's renting a family cabin she visits to do repairs on ... except he actually winds up doing the repairs at night, and they leave notes for each other on a chalkboard.

Let's forget how unlikely it is that she wouldn't know who is staying in the cabin. LOL The characters both have charm and a good chemistry. We thoroughly enjoyed the watch.

Good quality love story

[MickyG333 · 8/10 · 27 February 2023]

7.7 stars.

"My Secret Valentine" has all the right stuff for the right romantic story. Two successful people end up realizing that they find more meaning in each other than they ever found in being at the top of their game and their respective careers. There is some mystery for them as they are writing secret notes to each other, falling in love through the letters all the while she somewhat dislikes him face to face, both of them of course not realizing... There is some irony, and some parts of the reveal are unrealistic, but I'll let those go for sake of the bigger picture, which is this: "My Secret Valentine" is a very well done romance film. It is better than most Hallmark if I'm being honest. I really liked all the performances. Chabert and Walker actually have some of the best chemistry I've ever seen in a couple.

I overlooked my hesitation with Chabert in order to be fair to this movie. She is a great actress, sometimes I find her semi-attractive, but generally she just rubs me backwards. On the other hand, Walker never fails to entertain as the male lead, so I will come back to this one again in a couple or few years.

Sweet love story set in wine country that begins anonymously via a chalkboard.

[cgvsluis · 8/10 · 21 October 2023]

Two strangers, both experiencing difficulties at work, begin communicating via a chalkboard in the kitchen of a rental cabin which was Chloe Grange's deceased mother's getaway. Faced with a job offer at work, Chloe has gone home to rest and contemplate which is how she discovers that her father is considering retiring and selling their family winery. That's where slick salesman, Seth Anderson comes in. He has come to the vineyard ready to pitch Chloe's father his box wine company's idea about growth and expansion. These two Chloe and Seth immediately seem at cross purposes as Chloe doesn't want her family's winery to go to a sports drink and box wine company, especially if they don't understand what they are all about. She challenges Scott to get to know their winery.

Meanwhile unbeknownst to Chloe, she and Scott are already communicating and cooperating with each other via the chalkboard in her mom's old cabin...which was in need of some repairs that Scott tackled and referred to himself as "the handyman" on the chalkboard. Will these two see eye to eye off the chalkboard?

This was far sweeter than I expected. It had great dialogue and interactions between Chloe and Scott. I loved the two actors... Lacey Chabert who played Chloe Grange and Andrew W. Walker who played Seth Anderson. These two shared great timing and phenomenal chemistry. They had the best smiles!

I highly recommend this hallmark romance to my romantics out there.