A Summer Romance

My wife and I enjoy the occasional Hallmark movie, they are sweet stories with no foul language, no killings, and the closest they come to sex is touching hands while on two blankets out in the wilderness.

Erin Krakow has become Miss Hallmark, here she is Samantha Walker, friends call her Sam, and after her dad died she became the owner and operator of a beautiful 2500 acre ranch in Montana (actually filmed in British Columbia). But the ranch is struggling and her mortgage is in arrears.

A development company knows this and have their sights on the land to develop a resort and golf courses. So young and handsome, Harvard educated son of the owner flies his own plane from New York, lands to find out the runway will be reworked so he has to spend a few days in the area. The only hotel is full for a yearly festival so he is invited to stay in the guest house on the ranch. He tries right away to buy the ranch from Sam, she says she has other possibilities in mind.

All that happens early in the movie, most of the run time is the two getting to know each other. Even though it begins abrasively we know they will warm up to each other and mutually find a way to save the ranch.

My wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library, we enjoyed it as a nice, well-made typical Hallmark movie.

Erin Krakow of When Calls the Heart plays a female rancher who has a struggling ranch. Her love interest is played by Hallmark regular Ryan Paevey as a city guy sent to buy the ranch. This plot is vaguely familiar. What makes this better than average is the stars are charming and look good together. Their dialog doesn't feel forced or artificial. It's cute at times especially when she dresses him like a Ken Doll cowboy.

Okay for a watch.

No big surprises on the storyline. Hallmark loves to rehash previous stories & revamp them for different settings. This one was in beautiful Montana & the scenery was spectacular. The difference here was the great progress of Ryan Pavey's character from a city slicker businessman to one who embraces the outdoor ranch life. He gave a great performance & the chemistry between him & Erin Krakow was very believable. Like others have mentioned, a sequel must be commissioned real soon !

We all have seen this plot before, it's nothing new. We all love Erin (can the name her Queen of Hallmark or something?) and Ryan always delivers with his characters. In fact, I believe he was the best part of the movie, watching him unfold this new side of Richard, learning that new lifestyle, and embracing it was fascinating, I just wish it was me doing all those things.

The scenery was beautiful. The chemistry was great. While I wouldn't watch it again, I would definitely watch a sequel: Sam and Richard developing this new idea of hers at the ranch.

This Hallmark romance has a much-used plot: city slicker comes to the country where he meets a woman and encounters a way of life that transforms him. Still, I enjoyed this film, mostly because of its cast. Ryan Paevey plays the part of the New York suit, Richard Belmont, who sidles up to cowgirl Sam Walker, played by Erin Krakow.

When they first meet, Sam is suspicious of Richard's intentions. She is also dealing with existential financial decisions for her Bighorn ranch. Richard eventually warms to the cowboy way of life.

The manner in which director David Winning portrays the Bighorn lifestyle makes me want to live there myself. And that is, in large part, what makes this film so enjoyable.