You’re Mainlining Hallmark Movies, Part 6
Deep Dives
Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
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A Christmas Carol
14 min read
The article discusses 'A Holiday Hat Trick' as a Christmas Carol retelling and references the classic structure of visiting Christmases past, present, and future. Understanding Dickens' original 1843 novella, its cultural impact, and the hundreds of adaptations provides rich context for appreciating modern reinterpretations.
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Payola
14 min read
The article mentions Spotify's 'payola-like practices' when discussing Mood Machine. Understanding the history of payola—the illegal practice of paying for radio airplay without disclosure—illuminates why Pelly's critique of Spotify's playlist manipulation is so significant and connects to decades of music industry controversy.
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Hallmark Channel
14 min read
The newsletter centers on 'Made-for-Cable Holiday RomComs' and repeatedly references Hallmark movies as a cultural phenomenon. The Wikipedia article covers the channel's history, its pivot to becoming synonymous with formulaic holiday romance films, and its significant cultural impact—context that enriches understanding of the genre being discussed.
Hi friends,
Welcome to the end-of-year rush. I hope you are staying sane and still finding time to read.
Google released its list of most-searched for books of 2025 last week. Many of the top spots went to books with new screen adaptations (Colleen Hoover’s Regretting You, The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein) and a few romances (Rebecca Yarros’ Onyx Storm and Lights Out by Navessa Allen). Check out the full list here.
And, now, what to read if …
You’re Bingeing Made-for-Cable Holiday RomComs
A Holiday Hat Trick by CS Jane
I have not watched that many Hallmark/Lifetime movies yet this year, but the month is young. I did enjoy “Christmas in the Clouds” — A Christmas Carol retelling set on a Christmas Eve overnight flight to Australia. (You can read my pal Lily Herman’s review here). If you’re looking for a different take on the Christmas Carol or want more holiday romance goodness, check out CS Jane’s A Holiday Hat Trick.
Sports reporter Belle Winters has spent years waiting for her big break, and it’s finally here. She’s assigned to cover hockey star Carter Blade’s return to his hometown team just before Christmas and has decided it will be her moment — as well as Carter’s. Her plan goes awry, though, when a hockey puck hits her in the head, and Carter reappears this time as her “Christmas Coach”. He’s there to take her to her Christmases past, present and future (sound familiar?), and the journey forces her to consider the cost of her ambition.
At the risk of giving too much away — but really, it is a romance — I like how the ending inverts the traditional Hallmark finale. The book is ultimately about her finding balance versus choosing between a career and love.
You Still Think Finals Week is Murder
Very Dangerous Things by Lauren Munoz
High school and college students nationwide are buckling down for finals and the end of semester right now (good luck and godspeed, if that’s you), but the students in Very Dangerous Things have a different kind of test: solving a classmate’s murder.
For decades, J. Everett High has staged an elaborate murder mystery for its criminology students, and Dulce Castillo is determined to win this year. Right on schedule, the teen playing the victim, Xavier Torres, is found lying
...This excerpt is provided for preview purposes. Full article content is available on the original publication.