Hallmark regulars Julie Gonzalo and Brendan Penny come together to star in the new Hallmark Mystery rom-com A Novel Noel. Another one of Hallmark’s Countdown To Christmas 2024 releases, this title includes network staples like a friendly small town, opposites attracting, and Christmas festivities galore. But is there any unique X-factor that makes this movie stand out, or is it just another cookie-cutter seasonal slog?
The Gist: Harper Stevens (Julie Gonzalo) is a gifted, hard-working editor at Stillman Publishing in New York City, whose difficult past year has caused her to burn out. She asks her boss for a month-long leave of absence in December so she can regain her spark before returning in January. Shortly thereafter, Harper gets word she was chosen for the Christmas position at an independent family-owned shop called The Book Cabinet in St. Ives, Maine. In exchange for helping out around the bookstore, she gets to live in the apartment upstairs.
Two days later, she arrives in the small town, ready to assist, enjoy Christmas activities, and relax, only to have a somewhat strained first interaction with The Book Cabinet’s manager, Sawyer Lambert (Brendan Penny). For the past several years he has run the shop for his parents, implementing things like the holiday work program and a wine café to help the place gain business and popularity. Even so, his parents are looking to sell the store, leaving Sawyer at an impasse where he can either cling to the safety of home or leave St. Ives to pursue his shelved dream of becoming a writer.
Harper decides not to tell anyone at St. Ives that she works in publishing and instead introduces herself as a simple book lover. She has a lot of ideas on how to improve the bookstore, while Sawyer is reluctant to give her suggestions a try. The two frequently butt heads and don’t always see eye to eye, and yet there’s still this “something” growing between them as they continue to get to know one another. Further fanning the flames of this potential romance is Josie (Kaitlyn Bernard), a college student back home for her holiday break, who grew up like a little sister to only child Sawyer.
In addition to Josie, Harper meets other locals like Sawyer’s best friends Rhys (Christiaan Westerveld) and Wes (Kheon Clarke). Rhys owns a pub and is very British, which you know for sure because he says things like “I’m chuffed to hear it.” Harper gets to know these colorful characters and more, all while participating in local holiday festivities and embarking on seasonal missions of her own to fill out a Christmas bingo card made by her childhood best friend Kimberly. In the midst of everything, will Harper be able to regain her passion for work and feel sparks fly romantically?
What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: A Novel Noel is kind of the “selling a cute, independently owned bookstore” aspect of You’ve Got Mail plus the “Christmastime with a person working at a successful New York City publisher” part of Elf.
Performance Worth Watching: Julie Gonzalo gives a committed and emotionally open performance as Harper. She’s got an easy charm as Harper that makes you root for her.
Memorable Dialogue: “Never underestimate the athletic prowess of a child.” “And don’t fall for their fake tears.” Rhys and Wes aren’t here to play when it comes to the Reindeer Games.
Also, I’d like to give an honorable mention to: “Alright mates, hold on to your knickers for this one. My intent for the New Year is to open my ‘art.” We get it, Rhys, YOU’RE BRITISH!
A Holiday Tradition: St. Ives has a tradition of Reindeer Games, a series of extreme “challenges” intended to push people to their limits… by throwing rings around reindeer antlers and wrapping a present while wearing oven mitts, just to name a few of these extreme tasks.
Does the Title Make Any Sense?: A Novel Noel revolves around a writer and a book editor around Christmastime, so the title is definitely on theme.
Our Take: As charming and cute as I find any independent bookstore, including The Book Cabinet, that same charm doesn’t seem to extend to the rest of A Novel Noel. While Julie Gonzalo does her best to carry the film, Harper’s romance with Sawyer doesn’t make for the most riveting or romantic viewing.
I’m sorry, but she gives him so much more than he ever gives her. I mean, for Christmas, she got his manuscript PUBLISHED, while all he got her was… an impersonal necklace from the same market he goes to every year. Look, I know that many of us enjoy a good enemies or rivals-to-lovers story (myself included!) but having characters argue and disagree doesn’t automatically equate to romantic tension. In fact, many of those exchanges just made Sawyer come off as a bit of a snob or immature compared to Harper. You’re too good for him, girl! And when he continually teasingly calls you “city girl,” it isn’t as cute as he thinks it is!
A Novel Noel also has a bit of an issue with showing versus telling, doing so much more of the latter that it can be hard to fully buy into some of what the movie is selling. For example, we’re told that Sawyer is this gifted writer, but never hear any of his actual work. We just get a brief shot of him clickity-clacking away on a laptop with a focused look on his face and have to assume he’s penning the next great American novel. I’m sure you did, Sawyer, I’m sure you did.
Our Call: SKIP IT. Hallmark movies are meant to be fun and a bit cheesy, but A Novel Noel is a bit too bland and by the book to be much of either.