Ever seen a dancing class recital? The group is dancing away but there is always the kid who is simply doing steps. Sometimes you can see her mentally counting the step-ball-changes before the turn. It looks like dancing but it's missing what makes dancing, dancing.
For me, watching this movie, Ashley Williams is that kid and it ruins the movie for me. Overacting to the hilt, that jack-o-lantern smile, everything too big, too much, overdone. Natural is not in her acting tool box, she acts like a pre-teen in her school play. It's distracting and pulls me right out of the movie. It's a problem b/c she plays the lead and is on camera a LOT, so if watching an actor substitute big-eyed ear-to-ear smiles (sometimes at inappropriate moments) for actually getting into a role annoys you, you might want to plug in It's a Wonderful Life and enjoy the great acting that turns a Christmas movie into a Christmas classic.
The other actors are ok in their roles, and the plot is typical Christmas romance with the usual angels in the snow, tree decorating, bearded old guy dispensing holiday wisdom, etc. etc. The movie is predictable, of course, but that's what Hallmark movies do: guarantee the happy ending.
I love Christmas movies, and for me this one is fair to middling. If you enjoy Hallmark Christmas movies, you'll like this one as it follows their holiday pattern. Teddy Sears (Ryan) and Holly Robinson Peete (Michelle) were bright spots in this movie