6.6 stars.

It's the classic story of a city woman returning to her hometown for a work project and meeting a man she's never encountered before. What sets this movie apart from others in its genre is that she isn't reconnecting with an old flame or a missed opportunity from her past. The man in question owns and manages an apple orchard with his sister, and he's passionate about perfecting his apple cider recipe for sale. When the female lead needs to use his vineyard for a work event, she faces initial resistance from him, leading to some melancholy moments. Despite their initial standoff, there's a mutual attraction brewing. As they navigate their growing feelings, the romance progresses quickly, then stalls, and eventually picks up again, but the timing never quite aligns. The chronology of their romance feels somewhat rushed and lacks organic development, although the conclusion ties things together well. But, overall this film is just a bit too sluggish to be satisfactorily entertaining, so this semi-bad apple only gets a 6.6 from this feller.