The CW is taking on cowboy romance with Montana Mavericks, an adaptation of the long-running Harlequin book series. And though the first of the announced collaboration with Harlequin doesn’t exactly give Hallmark vibes—the gold standard when it comes to romance movies—that isn’t exactly a bad thing. There’s enough space in the genre for a lot more adaptations.
Montana Mavericks follows Heather, who is a writer (big shocker!), going through writer’s block (who would have thought?), and is struggling with grief and belonging after her mother’s death. If you’re familiar with these beats, it’s because you’ve probably read a book or two, or even watched a movie with a similar storyline before. But this city girl moves to Montana and finds that what she was looking for all along is still pretty charming for what it is.
Katherine McNamara plays Heather with enough charisma that she feels like someone you can root for. And though this particular series—and movie—gives a little more space to Heather’s friends, played by Linda Kee and Kaya Coleman, than it does to her love interest Cliff, played by Dennis Andres, the main romance is still compelling enough. Plus, well-done female friendships always add something to a romance, I said what I said.
Of course, the movie remains an adaptation of a Harlequin novel. This is an easy, breezy, 90-minute movie that is easy to watch and hard to hate, but it’s also not the kind that’s likely to stick with you. The plot is a little thin, and the characters are somewhat one-dimensional. That doesn’t make it any less of an important proposition for the CW, or for a genre that, adaptation-wise, has had more or less the same kind of stuff made over and over.
Consider this: I rarely read contemporary romances, and I don’t think I’ve ever purchased a cowboy romance. Probably won’t even after enjoying this movie, either. I know what I like, and this just isn’t my genre. However, that doesn’t make my honest enjoyment of the movie any less real. I knew where it was going, and I was pretty sure of the beats it would take to get there, and I still had fun watching it.
Will you? As always, that depends on what you’re looking for. But if you just like romance, are open to being charmed by a protagonist who is trying something new without falling into ridiculous stereotypes about city girl meets the country, and enjoy stories that feature minimal angst, then this movie might just be for you.
And the good news? This is just the beginning of the CW’s collaboration with Harlequin, so you can expect a few more like this one to come along. If you ask me, more romance is always, always better.
Montana Mavericks aired Sunday, November 16, and is now available to stream on The CW app.
