Thursday 13- Hallmark Channel Style

I haven't done a Thursday 13 in FOREVER, so I thought I would post one today.

If you follow me on Twitter, it's no secret that I'm a fan of Hallmark Channel movies (shameless plug, follow me here for hot sports opinions and live tweeting of Hallmark movies). I don't know how it happened. One day I wasn't really a fan of the channel and then BOOM, I'm addicted. Sign me up. I'm here for all of them. Gotta watch them all. Lol. I even have the Hallmark Movie Checklist app that keeps tracks of the ones I've watched. I can sense that you are judging me, even through your computer or phone screens, I can tell- yeah, I'm looking at you. :)

ANYWAY, I thought today I would list 13 of my favorite Hallmark Channel TV series/movie series. Yes I like more than 13 but the post is called Thursday THIRTEEN. I'll be honest- I'm a bigger fan of the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Channel (because mysteries are my jam), but I do watch movies on the regular Hallmark Channel as well. I don't discriminate. :) So, in no particular order, I give you my list. 

1. Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Starring Eric Mabius, Kristin Booth, Crystal Lowe, Geoff Gustafson

10 TV episodes (including 2 hour pilot movie)

11 movies, but we are supposed to get a new SSD movie this year!

I'll be honest- I didn't watch it when it first came out (because I didn't have cable at that time), BUT it quickly became one of my favorites once I started watching it. If your remember back in 2018, I had a bad accident (you can read about it here if you would like) and I discovered this series online. I watched the 10 TV episodes and 9 movies (that's all they had at that time) in a span of less than two days. I was hooked. I will say that fans of this show (#POstables) are some of the best people out there. I enjoy chatting with them on Twitter! Hello to any of them who saw my link on Twitter and are checking out my blog today! :)

2. Aurora Teagarden Mysteries

Starring Candace Cameron Bure, Marilu Henner, Peter Benson, Miranda Frigon, Lexa Doig

12 movies (and per a tweet I saw today, another one is being filmed right now)

Growing up in the 80s and 90s, Candace Cameron Bure was a big part of my childhood, so I will watch any movie she's in (no shame). These movies are based on some Charlaine Harris novels. (If you ever watched the series True Blood, those were also based on books by Charlaine Harris.) I enjoy these movies and am always anxious to see what color and style Candace's hair will be (because it changes for every movie). Lol. I know Roe is the main character but I have to say I think my favorite character is Arthur Smith, played by Peter Benson. 

3. Crossword Mysteries
Starring Lacey Chabert and Brennan Elliott
3 movies (but per IMDB they are filming at least three more)

While most people will always think of Lacey Chabert as Gretchen from Mean Girls, I always think of her as Claudia from Party of Five. She has made a name for herself on the Hallmark Channel and this role is one of my favorites for her. She and Brennan Elliott are great paired up together. This series just started last year and has become a favorite amongst Hallmarkies (as we are called on Twitter). I have to say that Brennan Elliott is the best at talking with fans on Twitter. To be fair, all of the Hallmark stars are good at interacting with fans, but Brennan does it the most. And yes he has responded to me a few times. :)

4. Hailey Dean Mysteries
Starring Kellie Martin, Viv Leacock, Giacomo Baessato, Matthew MacCaull
9 movies (not sure if there will be anymore)

I just recently watched this series after the Hallmark Channel had a marathon of all of them one day. I'm showing my age, but I remember way back when Kellie Martin was in the TV show Life Goes On. She's a good actress and I like her character in this series. I hope they make another one but I don't see anything online about a new one coming up.

5. Morning Show Mysteries
Starring Holly Robinson Peete, Rick Fox
5 movies (there is one other listed on IMDB as being in "post production" but I can't find any more info on it. I hope there are more, I really like this one).

Yes, this movie series stars Rick Fox, as in former L.A. Laker Rick Fox. I absolutely love Holly Robinson Peete and I feel that she and Rick work so well together in this series. I actually got a guy friend hooked on this series (although I'm sure Holly Robinson Peete and Rick Fox starring in it had something to do with it). :)

6. Chronicle Mysteries
Starring Alison Sweeney, Benjamin Ayres
4 movies

I never watched Days of Our Lives (what most people know Alison Sweeney from), but Hallmark has made me a fan of hers. A lot of times these movies put so much makeup on the actresses that it's distracting. Alison is naturally beautiful and they don't cake her make-up on. She looks like a "real person" (if that makes sense). This series started last year and I hope they continue it. This is the second series that Alison has done for Hallmark (not counting her one off movies here and there). 

7. Murder, She Baked
Starring Alison Sweeney, Cameron Mathison
5 movies

These are cute movies- I probably don't like them as much as I like the Chronicle Mysteries, but they are still good to watch. And Hallmark is good at showing their movies a lot, so you can probably catch it at some point. Cameron Mathison is in it and he is another Hallmark Channel favorite. 

8. Martha Vineyard Mysteries
Starring Jesse Metcalfe, Sarah Lind
2 movies (so far)

This is a new mystery series that just debuted this month. The next movie in the series will air in February. The first movie had a little more action than most Hallmark movies, which was exciting. I really hope this series continues on a while. I think it has a lot of potential. 

9. When Calls The Heart
Starring Erin Krakow, Jack Wagner, Kevin McGarry, Chris McNally
7 seasons (still ongoing)

This is my mom's favorite show ever. If Hallmark cancels it, she will riot. Yes, Lori Loughlin was on this series until last year. I'm still bitter with her because I loved the Garage Sale Mystery movies and they had to cancel it after her debacle. Thankfully they just wrote her off of this show and kept it going. But anyway, enough of that. I'm excited about the new season. I was excited when Kevin McGarry joined the cast last year. He is one of my top three favorite Hallmark actors. :)

10. Darrow & Darrow
Starring Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Tom Cavanagh, Wendie Malick
4 movies

I LOVE both Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Tom Cavanagh. I was super excited when Hallmark put them in this series together. I hope they continue this one, I don't see any signs on IMDB of a new one in production, but Hallmark movies are filmed in like three weeks, so maybe we will get a new one this year. **fingers crossed**

11. Gourmet Detective Mysteries
Starring Dylan Neal, Brooke Burns
5 movies

I just watched these movies a few weekends ago and really enjoyed them. Dylan Neal is great in this series (so is Brooke Burns). And the last two movies have had Bruce Boxleitner in them-I loved him in Scarecrow and Mrs. King. Yes I was like five when that show was on, but I watched it with my older sister. And I possible own all four seasons (don't judge).

12. Mystery 101 Mysteries
Starring Jill Wagner, Kristoffer Polaha
4 movies

This is another new series that started last year and per an Instagram post from Jill Wagner, they are filming another one. I love this series and hope there are more mysteries to be solved. I really like Kristoffer Polaha and always enjoy his movies. And Jill Wagner has become one of my favorite Hallmark actresses.  

13. Flower Shop Mysteries
Starring Brooke Shields, Brennan Elliott, Beau Bridges
3 movies

There hasn't been a new movie in this series in almost four years, so I think this one is done, but I enjoyed it, so I'm listing it. Like I said before, I like Brennan Elliott and enjoyed his character in this series. It hasn't been on the air in a while, but they will probably show it again at some point- they do show their older movies frequently.

I know it's late, but that's my Thursday 13 for today. :)

All photos used in this post are courtesy of The Hallmark Channel's webpage. I thank them for not suing me for using them. :) Randomness With Rachel does not receive any compensations for the reviews and comments in this post.

Book Reviews 2020: Cozy Mysteries

**All reviews on Randomness With Rachel are done on a five-star rating system. The reviews are solely my opinion and no one else's. Randomness With Rachel does not receive any incentives or compensations for reviews.**

I know, it's been a LONG time since I've posted book reviews on here. I said I was going to try and be better about it in 2020, so here we go. So far this year, I've listened to three cozy mystery audiobooks, so I'm putting them all in one post. I'm a big fan of cozy mysteries so you will see more reviews of them in the future. I won't go back and post book reviews from late 2017-2019, but you can check out ALL my book reviews on Goodreads. (Click here to see my past Goodreads reviews.)

Murder at Blackburn Hall by Sara Rosett

Format: Audiobook (Audible)

I am LOVING this series! I enjoyed the first book (Murder at Archly Manor) and I think I might have enjoyed the second one even more. I love the main character, Olive, and am enjoying seeing her character grow from the first book. She seems more sure of herself in this book and is not afraid to do what she has to in order to find a solution to an issue.

I'm interested to see what will happen with Jasper, I feel a hint of something "more" in their relationship. I hope to have more of his character development in the next book!

The author's writing is so good you can actually imagine that you are in England in the 1920s. The description of the setting and clothing makes you feel like you are there. At the end of the audiobook, the author explains how she came up with the story idea and what kind of research went into it. I can't wait to see what Olive's next adventure will be! Spoiler alert: I just started listening to the audiobook for book 3 today.

The Body in the Attic by Judi Lynn

Format: Audiobook (Chirpbooks)

I'm a big fan of cozy mysteries so when I saw this one, I had to check it out. House-flipping. Murder. Family Drama. Mystery. Oh my.

I thought the mystery storyline was well written- it had me guessing until the end. Although I felt the mystery plot was more of a "sub plot". The rest of it isn't bad, it just felt like I was reading a normal fiction novel with a little mystery sprinkled in. I like the characters though- they are well developed and thought out. This is the first book in a series so I hope to see some of the supporting characters have bigger roles in the next one.

I don't mind romance in mystery novels, but I feel this one was a little bit of an overkill and took away from the mystery too much. Even with all of that, I enjoyed it and will check out the next one in the series. This is an easy read for a lazy Saturday afternoon (or in my case, an easy listen).


Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass

Format: Audiobook (Chirpbooks)

Okay, I'll admit, the plot description sounded a little cheesy: With the help of her rescue cat, Eddie, librarian Minnie Hamilton is driving a bookmobile based in resort town of Chilson, Michigan. But she better keep both hands on the wheel, because it's going to be a bumpy ride. 

BUT, this turned out to be a super cute cozy mystery. I was hooked from the moment I started listening to it. The main characters are charming and likeable. Even the minor characters have an endearing element to them.

This is the first book that I've read by the author and I really like her writing style. The plot was well thought out and there were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing until almost the end. This is another book that is a perfect weekend or vacation read. I listened to a good portion of it while out training for a half-marathon. I look forward to checking out Minnie and Eddie's next adventure!

Book Reviews 2017: I'm Watching You

**All reviews on Randomness With Rachel are done on a five-star rating system. The reviews are solely my opinion and no one else's. Randomness With Rachel does not receive any incentives or compensations for reviews.**

I'm Watching You by Mary Burton

This was the first book I've read by Mary Burton and I will definitely be checking out her other books. I really enjoyed this novel- I felt the mystery and suspense were well written. I actually lost sleep because I got to the point where I couldn't stop reading and I had to see how it ended. 

I kept changing my mind who I thought the killer would be, which to me is the sign of a good mystery novel. Now, there were some unresolved issues in the plot (minor issues, just me being nit-picky) and I hope that the characters appear in another novel so we can see what happens to them. There were also some minor characters that I hope get their own story in another novel.

The author does a great job with character development and keeping the story interesting- I can't wait to read another one of her novels. 

Book summary:

I finished this book on September 13, so it goes towards my 40 by 40 challenge.

Book Reviews 2017: The Unseen

**All reviews on Randomness With Rachel are done on a five star rating system. The reviews are solely my opinion and no one else's. Randomness With Rachel does not receive any incentives or compensations for reviews.**

The Unseen by Heather Graham

This was one of the earlier books in the Krewe of Hunters series and I have to say, I really enjoyed the earlier books more than the recent ones in the series. This book seemed to draw me in more than the newer ones. There seemed to be more plot depth, a few of the recent ones have been all over the place. 

Since I've read the series out of order, I recognized characters- Jackson Crow, Logan Raintree, and Tyler Montague. I'm a Texas history nerd, so I enjoyed that this one took place in San Antonio and that the author threw in some Texas history facts. Nit picky: when the author was describing the Riverwalk in San Antonio, I felt she made it seem like it was a real river and not a man-made tourist area. But that doesn't take away from the story. That's just me being snobby. :)

I liked the characters Logan and Kelsey, I felt they worked well together. If this series continues, I hope the author gets back some of that early book magic!

Book summary:

I finished this book on July 1, so it goes towards my 40 by 40 challenge.

XOXO!

Book Reviews 2017: Catching Up On Book Reviews

**All reviews on Randomness With Rachel are done on a five star rating system. The reviews are solely my opinion and no one else's. Randomness With Rachel does not receive any incentives or compensations for reviews.**

I read earlier this year but never got around to posting my reviews. These were read BEFORE I started my 40 books by 40, so they don't count against my list.

The Cursed by Heather Graham

Once again- Luke Daniels made this book so enjoyable. He makes each character come to life. I will sing his praises in each review I do on a book he has narrated. 

I liked this book more than the most recent ones I've read from the series (I'm reading them out of order). I enjoyed the ghost story and mystery portion a lot. I like Dallas and Hannah together, although for once I would like the romance to actually take time to blossom and people not fall in love in a matter of weeks, but that's just me being nit-picky. And this isn't a spoiler. You can tell from their first meeting they will end up together, it's not that big of a surprise.

I won't ruin it by saying what happened, but I didn't like the epilogue of the book. I would have preferred another ending but it didn't ruin the book for me. As always, I look forward to reading another book by Ms. Graham.

Book summary:

Darkest Journey by Heather Graham

I'm giving this a generous 2.5 stars (and mainly because I love Heather Graham and can't bring myself to give anything she writes anything lower). I'll start with the positive: I liked the main characters of Charlie and Ethan. I like how they at least had a past together, so their romance wasn't as off the wall as some of the relationships in the other books in this series. Usually the romance part of these stories bothers me, but I was actually okay with these two as a couple. 

I'm a history nerd and I usually enjoy the historical tidbits that Heather Graham throws into her stories, but this one didn't do much for me. I couldn't get into it mainly because I think the plot didn't flow as well as it has in her other books. And the scene where everyone was giving a speech about safe sex and STDs reminded me of those horrible movies we had to watch in school. It sounded too "textbook". People don't talk like that. 

I saw in a few other reviews that people noticed grammatical errors and typos. Since I listened to the audio book, I can't comment on that. BUT, Luke Daniels did a fantastic job narrating this one (so if you are interested at all, I highly recommend listening to it). As much as I've enjoyed the Krewe of Hunters series, I'm sad to say that I think it might be time for it to come to an end if this is how they are going to be. The past few that I've read (well, listened to) just haven't been the same as the earlier ones in the series. 

Book summary:

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

I went back and forth wondering if I wanted to give this 3 stars or 4 so I decided on a 3.5. The ending is the one thing making me debate my star rating (no spoilers about it). This is a book that as you are reading it, you can't put it down. That happened to me. I read over half of it on a plane ride from TX to PA. 

I liked the characters, even the horrible, mean ones. The character development was fantastic. I've seen it described as Mean Girls meets Groundhog's Day, and in a way it is. It was an interesting story line. 

As far as YA fiction goes, it's a very good read. I definitely knew people like the characters in the book. I can't honestly say that I personally related to any of them (I wasn't a "mean girl" and I wasn't really picked on by mean girls). I would recommend this one.

Book summary:

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

I really enjoyed this book- so much that I read it in a day. I liked the characters because none of them were "perfect". It seems in so many books the main characters are always overly attractive and have the perfect life. These characters seemed real. Were some annoying? Yes, but annoying people exist in real life. We all have annoying people in our lives (even if we love them dearly, they may be annoying at times). 

I enjoyed the story line- I'm always fascinated with "time travel" type stories. This made me think who I would want to talk to if I had a phone that called the past. This was the first book I've read by this author but I plan to check some others out soon.

Book summary:

XOXO!

Book Reviews 2017: A Study In Charlotte

**All reviews on Randomness With Rachel are done on a five star rating system. The reviews are solely my opinion and no one else's. Randomness With Rachel does not receive any incentives or compensations for reviews.**

A Study In Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

I really loved this book. I'll be honest- I haven't read any of the Sherlock Holmes novels and I've only see the Robert Downey, Jr movie versions, so I'm by no means a Sherlock expert (so I have no clues how Holmes and Watson act toward each other in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books, but I assume they are good friends).

This book is a modern-telling of Sherlock Holmes, with the main characters as descendants of the original Holmes and Watson. The Sherlock novels in this book were written as actual accounts of the adventures of the detective and his friend.

In this story the Holmes and Watson characters are a teenage girl and a teenage boy. They both end up at the same boarding school together and ultimately cross paths on campus. This book is a journey of their friendship as well as murder and mystery (I won't go into a lot of detail because I don't want to spoil anything).

I loved the characters and the plot development- the book is just a well-written YA novel. I read the majority of it in a day because I couldn't put it down. I'm excited to see there is another book in the series, I look forward to see what lies ahead for Charlotte and Jamie. (I just saw on GoodReads that the author plans to make it a trilogy). :)

Book summary:

XOXO!

Book Reviews 2017: More 2017 Book Reviews

**All reviews on Randomness With Rachel are done on a five star rating system. The reviews are solely my opinion and no one else's. Randomness With Rachel does not receive any incentives or compensations for reviews.**

I promised myself I would be better about posting book reviews on my blog. I've read eight books so far this year, I already posted a review of one of them (here). At some point I'll get back to doing a post per book, but not today. :)

Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About Dreams, God, and Talking Vegetables by Phil Vischer

I loved Veggie Tales so I enjoyed hearing the back story how Bob, Larry, and the whole crew were created. I enjoyed the author's humor, which he used throughout the book. I felt the middle part of the book dragged a little too much for me, but the author finished the book strong and with some great advice. 

My favorite part was when Mr. Vischer talked about how college students were responsible for making Veggie Tales popular in the mid-90s. I first heard about Veggie Tales my freshman year of college (1996) so I take that as a shout out. Lol.

Another part I liked was when he said he realized that the stars of the show "Veggie" tales were actually fruit (a tomato and cucumber). I actually came to that realization a few years ago and it made me laugh.

This was written in 2006 so I look forward to Mr. Vischer perhaps writing a follow up to his latest adventures. 

Book summary:

Deadly Fate by Heather Graham

If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you know I read a lot of Heather Graham books. And as always I put this disclaimer: this is NOT the actress Heather Graham. :)

I'm giving this a generous three stars. I love Heather Graham and the Krewe of Hunters series, but this one wasn't as captivating as the others that I've read/listened to. As the saying goes, you can't win them all. I will definitely keep reading the series and other books by Ms. Graham though, but I don't find myself re-reading this novel at any point.

I felt the romance between Thor and Clara was forced (this is not a spoiler, it's very obvious from the beginning they will get together). I know that each book in this series has a little bit of mystery, a ghost or two, and romance, but I would be okay if there wasn't romance in EVERY book. Since it's a series, it would be okay to let a relationship grow between characters instead of rushing them together before the end of the book. I liked the Thor character, but I didn't particularly like Clara. She was a supporting character in another Krewe book, but I didn't feel she was main character worthy, at least not at this point.

I listened to the audio version and once again, Luke Daniels did a fantastic job with it. I find myself specially look for books he has narrated.

I do look forward to the next book in the Krewe of Hunters series (I've read them out of order, but that doesn't take away from the series too much). 

Book summary:

Yolo by Lauren Myracle

I realize this is the 4th book of a the series, but it's the first one I've read. I actually really enjoyed this book. It's a fun and easy read. It can totally be read in one day. This book is written in text message form (so it feels like you are scrolling through a bunch of text messages). 

I'm a big texter, my BFF and I text every day. Even though we are definitely not college aged (like the girls in the novel), I could relate to being hundreds of miles from your best friend and relying on texting to stay in touch.

I laughed so much at the teen drama mainly because I could remember a time when I was going through it. There was one part (not a spoiler) where one of the girls was texting that she was at the ER and she had something sticking out of her foot (she had stepped on something metal). Her friend told her that was gross and then immediately asked for a picture of it. No lie- that is something that my BFF and I would say. Lol. I might have to check out the other books in this series. It's a VERY easy read. 

Book summary:

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

I seem to be on a YA (Young Adult) fiction kick lately. Yes, this book first caught my eye at the libary because the cover was "Tiffany blue" and the title had Audrey in it (I love Audrey Hepburn, what can I say). After I realized it was NOT about Audrey Hepburn, I saw it was written by Sophie Kinsella. She wrote all the Shopaholic books. I adore her. She is a fun author to read. I didn't know she had written a YA book, so I decided to check it out.

After I finished the book, I read some other reviews of it. I saw that some people felt the author was making light of those with anxiety disorders. I didn't feel that at all. I thought it was a well done story. It didn't get down to the nitty gritty of anxiety, but it's also a YA novel. There is humor throughout the book (something Ms. Kinsella is great at), but I don't feel it was making fun of anxiety disorders at all. I personally have dealt with anxiety and not once did I feel it was written in poor taste. 

This story is told from the POV of a young teenage girl. I feel the characters are described in a way that a teenage girl would describe them. Audrey's mother seems overbearing and over the top because to most teenage girls, their mother is overbearing and overreacts to little things. And the dad comes off as a dork, because let's face it, most teenagers feel their fathers are dorks. Linus seems like the perfect boy to Audrey because if you remember when you were a young teenager, you feel like you are in love every five minutes. This is a perfect read for a vacation or lazy Saturday afternoon. If you are a fan of good YA and/or Sophie Kinsella, I would recommend this one.

Book summary:

XOXO!