Photo: Crown Media

Danielle Panabaker is returning to the Hallmark Channel for a new holiday movie! You may have caught her in 2014’s “Recipe for Love”, and now she’s set to star in “Christmas Joy”, based off the novel by Nancy Naigle, alongside Matt Long — and Hallmark has already released a detailed synopsis:

In “Christmas Joy,” Joy Holbrook (Panabaker) is a keenly intelligent market researcher with an eye on her company’s top account and garnering a sweet promotion just in time for the holidays. Just as Joy is capturing the attention of the account’s CEO, she receives a call from her Aunt Ruby’s best friend back home in Crystal Falls, NC. Ruby has broken her ankle and needs surgery. Though the timing couldn’t be worse, Joy immediately comes to her Aunt’s bedside only to be reunited with former crush, now hospital administrator, Ben Andrews (Long), son of Ruby’s best friend Shirley. Joy also must navigate Ruby’s stubborn determination to be in control of everything, including the town’s legendary annual Cookie Crawl, a walking home tour where owners display holiday decorations and treat each other to Christmas cookies all while vying to win the prized Golden Wreath Award.

To keep Ruby focused on healing, Joy volunteers to take her aunt’s place as chair of the Cookie Crawl much to the amusement of Ben who knows Joy has no idea of the Herculean task before her. Though Joy initially refuses Ben’s attempts to “co-captain,” she begins to soften and let him in, all the while remembering that there truly is no place like home for the holidays.

The movie will have it’s premiere during Hallmark’s beloved “Countdown to Christmas” holiday-programming, which will run from late October until January 1, 2019.

Stay merry!