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Hallmark's "A Summer Romance:" Dude Ranches, Cowboy Code, & a Movie QUIZ

Starring:  Erin Krakow and Ryan Paevey

Released:  2019

Summary:  A woman dedicated to taking care of her family's ranch and legacy finds herself falling in love after a developer shows up to try and buy the property from her.

Image:  Crown Media

How Does Sam Walker Control Herself?


Even though A Summer Romance is filmed in various locations in Canada, including Vancouver, the movie setting is Bighorn, Montana, which really is a county in Montana with a population of roughly 12,865.  

In other words, it's not every day that a local is likely to bump into someone as gorgeous as Richard Belmont (Paevey).  

Even though Richard is in town to convince Sam to sell him her ranch, he ends up falling in love with the land and her.  He tries to make a move on Sam several times, which we know will go nowhere since the proverbial kiss must wait until the final scene, but Sam's self-control is impressive.  She resists him until the very end.

Could you have held out that long if Paevey gave you the hairy eyeball?  Me neither.  


Don't Pretend You Didn't Think This Too 


Sam and Richard go on a day-long horseback ride, and on another day, they set up camp when it's too late to travel back to the house.

What did they eat?  Where did they pee?  How did this not kill the mood?

After laying on the ground all night by a smoky fire, Sam gets up with hair perfectly in place and impeccable make-up.  I'm sure neither of them had B.O. from not bathing or bad breath from not brushing.

The rest of us would be a hot, stinky mess, but I like the unrealistic Hallmark version better.

Image:  Crown Media

Do You Know What a Dude Ranch Is?


Sam can't make the full payments on her ranch, and the bank is losing patience. 

This should come as no surprise because what does the ranch produce?  There are no ranch hands and no mention of product generation--just 2500 acres to roam on and call home.

We aren't supposed to think this deeply about a Hallmark movie.

Sam dreams of turning a better profit to save her ranch from becoming a resort by converting it to a dude ranch.  You've heard the term, but do you know what a dude ranch really is?

No, it's not a place to collect gorgeous men like Ryan Paevey.

Dude used to have a different meaning that it does today.  It referred to an urbanite, so a dude ranch is more of a "guest" ranch open for tourism where visitors can experience camping, horseback riding, and other outdoor activities.  It's a vacation-y way to play cowboy.

Speaking of cowboy, how sexy does Paevey look in tight jeans, cowboy boots, a big Western belt buckle, and a cowboy hat?   Paevey actually does his own horseback riding in the movie as well as milking the cow!


See If You Can Complete the Cowboy Code 


Zane Grey wrote about the Code of the West in his 1934 novel, but no written code exists.  The code is really a conglomeration of socially agreed upon cowboy behavior that function like informal laws.  

See if you can complete the four tenets of the cowboy code.  Answers are at the end of the post!

  • Live each day with _______________.
  • Take pride in your ________________.
  • Talk less, say _______________.
  • Always finish what you____________.
Image:  Crown Media

What's Wrong with Rescuing a Damsel in Distress?


Women's libbers ruin everything.  There's nothing wrong with a man (i.e. "hero") rescuing a damsel in distress.  It's quite honorable and very masculine for men to take the lead and come to the rescue of a woman who needs help.  

Hallmark focuses more on female empowerment than the traditional fairy tale.

Even though Richard's company, without his consent, bought Sam's loan from the bank and plans to foreclose so they can proceed with converting her ranch into a resort, Richard says he can pay off her loan in 72 hours to nullify the deal.  

Sam doesn't want to be rescued and declines.  What the HECK!  Richard says he's not trying to rescue her.  He wants to invest in her idea for a dude ranch.  That approach changes Sam's mind.

Get over yourselves, feminists!  Women can be smart with creative ideas AND let men be men who are chivalrous. 


The Kiss Was a Letdown 


Despite Richard's repeated attempts to kiss Sam, she avoids it until the very end.  By this point, you'd think she'd be ready to attack him.  I expected a spectacular kiss after all that tense build-up, but the kiss ends up being a few quick staccato touches of the lips.  

Should one of us step in and show her how it should be done?  Who wants to volunteer?

A Summer Romance Is Available on DVD!


This is one of my favorite movies with Ryan Paevey!  If you want to add it to your DVD collection to save space on your DVR for other Hallmark movies, you can find it on Amazon.

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Cowboy Code Answers:

  • courage
  • work
  • more
  • start

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