‘A Maple Valley Christmas’ Review
I’m a sucker for Christmas, Hallmark, and movies. Which makes me a total sucker for a Hallmark Christmas movie. Especially when they have Andrew Walker in them since he is one of my favorite actors! I’m also a big fan of Hallmark movies that involve family businesses and farms. This one is all about the family farm and someone coming along and disrupting their day-to-day life. This was a Hallmark movie worth watching more than once and I definitely recommend you check it out! So keep reading for my review of A Maple Valley Christmas!
Obstacles Abound
Farming is certainly not a business for the faint of heart. No matter what it is you’re farming. Even if it’s something as popular as maple syrup! While the business is doing well now, Erica’s mother did have to sell off half the farm years ago when it wasn’t doing so hot. Selling half the farm also gave her the opportunity to retire and pass the farm on to her daughters. So Erica’s first and main goal is to raise enough money to buy back that half of the farm so it can all be in the family once again. Sounds like a good plan, right? Of course, things never go that easily. And land developer Aaron isn’t Erica’s only obstacle to getting all of the land back. Because her sister Heidi lets Erica know that she doesn’t want the other half of the land back.
Image via Hallmark
Hallmark isn’t the only network that considers land developers to be the bad guys. And it really does make sense. Especially in Montana, where many movies and shows feel nothing but negative about land developers. Yellowstone ringing a bell for anyone? And it makes sense. Montana is still very largely a ranching and farming state. It’s a beautiful place that I fully believe companies would love to turn into tourist land for profit. So it really isn’t a shock or a surprise that many movies and television shows depict things that way. It’s probably pretty close to being accurate. They just spin it into a story that’s a little more upbeat and romantic. Which certainly isn’t something I’m going to complain about.
Not So Typical
Aaron and Erica had an adorable meet-cute and the chemistry between them was palpable immediately. I loved that Erica did not hold back and kissed Aaron only hours after meeting him. Damn girl! But I pretty much figured that was going to take a turn when Erica found out who Aaron was and why he was at the Holden Family Ranch in the first place. Though I didn’t expect her to find out who Aaron was so quickly. Usually, it takes much longer before that truth comes out. So that was an interesting twist. Then Aaron sided with Erica and said that he would tell his father that the land wasn’t right so that Erica could bid on it without worrying about battling anyone else for it. Even though his father didn’t listen. Aaron still gets major points for trying.
I was loving the pacing of this. Aaron and Erica had it out about what their issues were pretty quickly into things. It left things between them open and honest. And that’s not usually how it goes. At least not within the first half of the movie. It made for a really well-done and emotional story. Instead of issues between Aaron and Erica being the focus of the movie, the focus was on Aaron and Erica teaming up and trying to find a way to get the land to Erica and her family. I mean, Aaron pretty much immediately decided he liked Erica and was inspired by her love of her farm and family, and was willing to go against his dad. To be fair, his dad was kind of a butthole and clearly wasn’t exactly father of the year.
Stunning in Every Way
The scenery in this movie was absolutely breathtaking. Maybe it’s just because I love Montana, ranches, and wintertime, but everything was just so beautiful to look at from start to finish. The acting was absolutely stellar, not that it’s surprising, but it was just too well done for me not to comment. And I liked that the story played out a little differently than I expected it to going in. Of course, the romance was written beautifully and had me swooning multiple times throughout the movie. Overall, this was a fun romantic Christmas movie to enjoy and one that I’m certainly going to be watching again. The pacing was really great for the most part, though it did surprisingly slow down a little at the end when everything was falling into place. But it didn’t take anything away from how amazing the movie is!
Image via Hallmark
Have you had a chance to watch A Maple Valley Christmas yet? What did you think? Are you excited to have Hallmark back in their Christmas movie season? What other Christmas storylines would you like to see on Hallmark this year? Are you glad that there are so many new movies premiering every weekend? What returning actors and actresses are you excited to see back on the screen in new movies this year? Find and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @capeandcastle to discuss all things Hallmark and A Maple Valley Christmas! You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @Sarah_Jeanne17. And be sure to check out our site for more content on all things Disney and beyond!
