A Hallmark Christmas movie always has a formula that viewers expect to make that romantic magic. We all know the elements: city gal, country hometown, a bakery, an old flame — it works so well as a film genre. Yet Alison Sweeney is here to shake up the tropes a little bit this year with her movie, This Time Each Year, her 30th film with the network.

She and Niall Matter play a separated couple who are doing their best to raise their son after year of deceit in the marriage surrounding his sobriety. He wants to reconcile, but can she trust him again? The unexpected tale shows how a holiday movie can be what Sweeney describes as “beautiful” and “messy” at the same time. Before anyone Hallmark fan feels like this will be a sad holiday film, the Days of Our Lives star promises that there’s still sweetness to the Christmas story.

Sweeney loves that This Time Each Year adds another layer to the storytelling by showing some of the struggles in a family—it’s relatable and real.

“I think the wonderful thing about the arc of this movie is that every character grew, every character learned something,” Sweeney explains. “The parents learned something and had some healing to do with their kids — my character with her mom and Niall’s character with his dad in the movie. There was a lot of growing [and acknowledgment about] lying to yourself, lying to each other, learning to value the truth, learning to stand up and tell the truth.”

Sweeney knows that’s where the real magic comes into play. “What a huge step that is for [Niall’s character] in this movie and for her to believe him, to trust him again. That was a huge moment for them,” she says. “I hope that we handled it delicately and honestly, and hopefully, still gave the audience a wonderful Christmas.“

For any Hallmark doubters, Sweeney has a message for you, too. She points out, “You know, we are not trying to break the rules about Christmas, but we wanted to enhance it, bring a little depth to it, make it a little deeper.” This Time Each Year doesn’t stray from Hallmark Mystery’s Miracles of Christmas format, it just gives viewers a little more to think about.