The new year is almost upon us. The festive season has started, and days are getting shorter and colder. One wants to cuddle up in bed after a long day of work and unwind. What better way to do that than a good wholesome series to distract yourself with and make you feel a little joy and love. So, here are my top recommendations for a good cozy watch:
Virgin River
Virgin River is a beautiful Netflix series which focuses on love, loss, grief, and moving on. The main character of the show – Nurse Melinda Monroe moves to a small, picturesque California town for a fresh start after the death of her husband and there she meets a charming bar owner – Jack Sheridan who instantly catches a spark with her. It’s an incredibly beautiful drama where people have their own fair share of struggles, but the sense of community is strong which helps Melinda move on from all the pain she has experienced. Please be careful that this show deals with sensitive subjects including miscarriage, and postpartum depression, so if you are triggered by those topics, I would suggest giving it a miss otherwise all these issues are dealt in a very positive way, and I highly recommended it.
Sweet Magnolias
Another Netflix series, which is very wholesome is Sweet Magnolias which is the story of 3 best friends who live in a small town called Serenity and deal with their issues and of the communities with love, smartness, and Margaritas. What I love most about this show is that it shows the power of female friendship. It gives us hope that you can deal with any problem as long as you have true friends by your side. It makes us value the power of friendship more. Of course, there is a good amount of romance, fights, misunderstandings involved which keeps you hooked. I, particularly love the fashion and the colors shown in the show as well. It’s a marvelous show!
Hart of Dixie
Hart of Dixie’s subject is very similar to the Virgin River where the main character is a doctor who moves from New York to a small town called Bluebell, Alabama when her career doesn’t go as she has envisioned. That being said Virgin River is a more serious and deeper show, but Hart of Dixie is a little on the lighter side. It has more comedic elements, love triangle, love banters, fun, etc. There are multiple storylines, and each is interesting and unique. It’s a sweet and lovely series with 4 seasons. It is available to watch on itvX, also on Amazon Prime or Apple tv but with extra charge.
Sullivan’s Crossing
This is the most recent show on this list, which was released by CTV in 2023. This series is adapted from the New York Times bestselling novels by Robyn Carr with the same name. It follows the story of Maggie Sullivan who moves to a small town where her dad lives after a big scandal and legal trouble. The major theme of this series apart from romance is the rekindling of relationship between the father and the daughter. It shows some unresolved issues, some mysteries, lots of beautiful scenery and a bonding of community. I enjoyed watching season 1 and look forward to further seasons ahead.
When calls the heart
I will mention my favorite show at the end. This is a Hallmark channel show following the story of a schoolteacher – Ms. Elizabeth Thatcher – across 10 seasons. She moves from her luxurious life in a big city to the simple valley town at the Western frontier called – Hope valley. The series is set in 1910, therefore, the clothes, houses, amenities, etc. are so fascinating. Hope Valley is a coal town where a fatal mining incident changes the entire lives of the people living there so the first few seasons follow the theme of grief, forgiveness, love and moving on. As the seasons progress, the series shows major inventions such as telephones, radios, etc. Amongst all this, Elizabeth’s romantic relationship is the constant theme. It is, without a doubt, a beautiful series full of hope. I feel happy after watching when calls the heart. Highly recommended! A few of the seasons are available on Netflix, Prime video and I guess, all the seasons are available on Peacock or Hallmark channel to stream.
