I absolutely love Hallmark movies. Everything I say is out of this undying, appreciative, in awe type of love. Yes, I make fun of them, but my husband and I make fun of each other all of the time, and we are annoyingly in love.
Alex (Katrina Bowden), a copy editor at Around the World travel magazine, plays it safe. Except, of course, when her klutzy side takes over, and she sprints off holding a full cup of coffee. Recently, she has been feeling claustrophobic in her cubicle, and would much rather be chillin’ with the elephants in Africa, writing stories about all of her new elephant friends.
One day, Alex’s boss strolls in the bullpen, and in a surprising twist lets everyone know that the magazine is doing well (??!?!?!) and they are expanding.
(Spoiler alert, but this is the most shocking part of the movie. A business doing well in a Hallmark movie. Especially a magazine. No, not an online magazine. But, print!! I like this!)
Around the World magazine is doing so well that they are hiring a new travel writer. To decide who gets this coveted position, they are holding a contest.
*The Contest*
- Pitch a cool article
- Write it
The Winner gets
- a first class ticket to anywhere in the world
- a cover story
- to be the new full-time travel writer!
Alex feels a spark of excitement and accidentally finds herself prematurely pitching an idea to her boss. He is bored.
Enter Alex’s Real Housewives of New York boyfriend (Anthony Konechny). His name? Barton Kane. He even invites her to the Berkshires, a place the housewives have had many vacation episodes. I must rewatch to see if he’s one of the guys Sonja or Ramona make mildly uncomfortable in the background of any given party scene.
At a swanky party with his parents, Barton Prince of the Big Apple, announces that he is getting a promotion. This wouldn’t be an issue if the announcement weren’t sooooo set up to look like a proposal. Alex looks upset, but only about 25% upset, so Barton’s gonna be gone in about 90 minutes.
Ruminating on her boss’ words after her first failed pitch, “but travel writers are courageous, alex, you klutzy, safe, waste of space,” Alex wonders why her boss is so harsh, but also how she became so complacent. When did she stop chasing her dreams and accept daily ho-hums as the high points of her life? When did she get to be so scared of everything, letting fear dictate her every action? When did I become such a bundle of nerves, my head ready to jack-in-the-box in an explosion of confetti if any little thing goes a teeny bit wrong?
Whoops, sorry, looks like a line from my personal journal slipped its way in 🙂
Alex’s co-worker-friend transforms into a motivational poster and says:
“Be a warrior, not a worrier.”
I should get that tattooed on my forehead.
Alex stumbles upon a photo by one of her favorite photographers, Cole Taylor (Thomas Beaudoin). She is in awe of the emotions he captures, especially the feeling of exhilaration, which she hasn’t felt in a long time.
Hey, psssst, Alex…just go to Target if you want some Xhilaration™.
She is knocked over with an idea! She will write about Cole Taylor and do a profile on his photography. The only problem:
- Cole Taylor is a hermit
- What does Cole Taylor look like?
- Who even is Cole Taylor????
Cole Taylor is a reclusive nature and winter sports photographer, who lives in Ridgeline Resort, Colorado. He hasn’t produced any good new artwork in at least 2 years because you “can’t force inspiration.” Instead, he has been doing commercial photography.
Back in New York, Alex brings her idea to her boss. She wants to travel to Ridgeline, Colorado and write a piece about Cole Taylor and his photography. He decides that she is not an investigative journalist, and she can’t just go searching for Cole! Instead, she will write from the perspective of a non-adventurer, and try every extreme winter sport.
Lolololol!
Alex starts her adventure in Ridgeline, Colorado with a busted tire. She must hike a mile to her lodge, lugging her suitcase in a pair of expensive, yet not made for snow, shoes. A handsome stranger mountain man (coughColefreakingTaylorcough!) slows down his Jeep, and offers to help. She declines, because
Kids, it’s never safe to go into a stranger’s Jeep. Even in a Hallmark movie.
Once she gets to Ridgeline Resort, she decides to go snow mountain biking. In a leather jacket. But, hey, I support her clothing choice! Because what do you wear when you want to look tough and extreme? A leather jacket.
Her first sports expedition doesn’t go well, however. She has a panic attack on the chair lift, and everyone is like
- Uggghhh! C’mon, blondie!
- No, there isn’t a seatbelt on this tin can, duh.
- Seriously, stop holding up the lift!!
- How could anyone be scared of a rickety chair that hovers over a mountain! What an idiot!!!!
The only helping hand after she falls on her face? It’s the handsome Jeep mountain man. And, the only good thing about this experience? She realizes that handsome Jeep mountain man = Cole Taylor.
Alex heads to Ridgeline Art Gallery to ask about Cole Taylor. He is amused to see her, but was ready to say “bye” as soon as he said “hi.”
Becoming bolder each second, Alex tells Cole about the article and asks him to be her guide with all things Xtreme Winter Sportz. One thing she knows for sure, is that she cannot ski around a mountain and safely cliff dive on her own.
Cole says
- “Nah, no. No thanks.”
- “I’m so busy.”
- “I honestly just have no interest in this.”
Alex offers to help Cole with the thing he is so busy with–the Winter Walk Meet and Greet. And because this is Hallmark, he agrees. These people are going to be forced to bond and grow together for our viewing pleasure! And they are starting tomorrow at 9 am.
The next morning, Cole gives Alex a make-under. There are no Posh Spices on these here mountains! She must transform into Winter Sporty Spice. And that, she does. The first extreme thing these new friends do? Scale the rock climbing wall at Chuck E. Cheese’s.
Then, on their first real adventure, Alex informs Cole that he would have more success if he had a social media presence. Cole would rather live in a cave with zero wifi access. I, for one, think that Cole Taylor would’ve been freaked at the amount of women drooling and live-tweeting about his looks. He’d get reconstructive surgery and grow a 12 inch beard. Let’s just not tell him.
They also
- keep hiking
- flirt
- make fun of Alex’s boyfriend’s name
- zip line
- scream in glee
- scream in terror
- talk about their dreams
Alex’s dream, since she was a little kid, is to travel all over the world and write about her adventures. Cole’s dream is to bungee jump off of Victoria Falls. He feels stuck, and needs to be reinspired. Looks like he’s getting inspired by Alex’s new found joy.
I should probably mention that Cole started the Taylor Youth Foundation, which lets underprivileged kids experience winter sports for free. Not only is he handsome and talented, ladies, he’s got a ❤ heart ❤ too!
Next thing on the extreme sports to-do list is to go skiing. So, they ski.
Then it’s tubing. So, they tube.
And, then, it’s flirting. But, they’ve already been flirting this whole time 😉
On their way to get ingredients for s’mores, Alex’s boss calls to check in. He does about 14 cartwheels when Alex mentions that Cole Taylor is her guide. He tells her to drop what she’s doing and incorporate Cole into the story. The more the better! You know what? Don’t even mention yourself. Or use sentences. Just write Cole Taylor, Cole Taylor, Cole Taylor, Cole Taylor about 3,000 times.
It’s a good thing that Alex isn’t an investigative journalist, because she gets super suspicious trying to get intel while they’re eating their s’mores.
Cole: “How’s your s’more?”
Alex: “It’s so good, but where’d you growwww upppppp? What’s your sign? What’s your mom’s maiden name? Last 4 of your Social Security Number? Why are you the way that you are? What makes Cole Taylor tick?”
Cole Taylor
- is from Wyoming
- doesn’t like to be in the spotlight
- went to Ridgeline every year with his mom
- went through a breakup awhile ago, and is just now starting to get over it.
Alex calls her friend and boyfriend with her predicament. Should she tell Cole about this new assignment? He’s so private, and she wants to respect that! But, they agree that she should do what’s best for the story. Hmmmmm????
She sends the draft to her co-worker, who says she will no way, no how let anyone else read it.
So, a lot happens:
- They go skiing again, but this time its not the bunny slopes!
- They almost kiss on a ski lift!
- Cole is able to public speak at the Winter Walk Meet and Greet with Alex’s guidance
- They line dance
- And slow dance 😉
Everything is going great! But we’re almost done here so, of course, it’s time to remind us that Alex has a boyfriend. So, guess what!
Barton, Prince of the Big Apple shows up!
OH heyyyyy Barton! We haven’t seen your face without bad cell phone reception in a long time!
When meeting Cole, he casually says, “Oh, Cole Taylor! The guy you’re writing the article about.”
Needless to say, Cole is ticked! And let’s Alex know it. He hates her. The end!
Before Alex and Barton head back to The Land of the Big Apple, Barton proposes they go on a sleigh ride. Then he proposes. Alex politely declines, citing that they are going on two separate paths. Barton just says “maybe you’re right.” Aaaaaaand. That’s. It.
Last 15 minutes, here we go!
- Alex gave Cole a copy of the article, and says she won’t publish it without his permission
- Fort Knox passes Alex’s article over to the boss
- But, it’s okay because he likes the article
- AND Cole secretly emailed permission to write about him and use his photos
- What photos?
-
- Oh, the ones he’s been taking of Alex
-
- With looks of EXHILARATION!
Alex wins the cover story! And the job! And a first class ticket to anywhere in the world! She returns to Cole Taylor to take him with her! They kiss and bungee jump off a cliff making this the most extreme, most The Bachelor one-on-one date, Hallmark ending of all time.
I rate Love on the Slopes The Aggro Crag from Nickelodeon GUTS which is a 4.25/5 on my scale of ⚡️Xtreme Thingz⚡️! The Scale
- Heelys
- Pizza Bagels (but I really do love Pizza Bagels)
- Go-Gurt
- Sock’em Boppers
- Johnny Tsunami
I really enjoyed Love on the Slopes. The dialogue was snappy, and Katrina Bowden and Thomas Beaudoin had a great deal of chemistry. Usually when I watch Hallmark movies, I giggle at silly situations or edits, but I laughed during this movie because it is genuinely funny! And the use of “Ordinary World” by Green Day feat. Miranda Lambert?! ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ It was a nice change up from the peppermint bubblegum 🎶got a kiss on my cheek from my sugar plum, while lookin’ at the snow and a cracklin’ fire, holiday romance under the mistleeeetoeeeeeee🎶 Christmas songs that have often been taking me out of the scenes in #CountdowntoChristmas titles the last couple of months.
Also, I totally wished I had been cast in this movie (and I don’t want to be an actress), because it looked like it was so much fun to shoot. I want to go skiing, and zip lining, and fat tire biking (??), and hiking, but definitely not bungee jumping.
Thank you for reading! Let me know if you enjoyed Love on the Slopes as much as I did!
The Hallremark 
That was a great movie, I have watched it at least 10 times I I cry and laugh ever time. These hallmark movies are great. Keep them coming. They are a bit to watch. Thank all the stars they all do a great job in all the movies. Thank you
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