Alison Sweeney ‘Emotional’ About Working With Her Daughter on Hallmark Movie (Exclusive)

Working with family is always a challenge, but for Alison Sweeney and her daughter Megan, it was a bonding experience.

Alison executive produced and stars in the upcoming Hallmark Channel movie Romance at Hope Ranch, premiering Feb. 28 — and Megan is making her acting debut as Alison’s character’s daughter.

“At first, I wasn’t sure about casting her, but I’m so glad that I did!” Alison, 49, tells PEOPLE.

“I’ve always been inspired by my mom’s dedication to her acting career, and I wanted to make her proud since she offered me a role in her movie,” says Megan, 17. “At first, I was incredibly nervous because I’d never acted in front of the camera before and wanted to be perfect for her.”

According to the network’s official logline, the story follows Hope Morgan (Alison). “With her daughter starting college, Hope sets out to begin a new chapter of her life — fulfilling her childhood dream of running a ranch in the picturesque town of Ruidoso, New Mexico and reviving the beloved Giddy Up Gala, a tradition she’s determined to bring back. But her fresh start at Hope Ranch quickly turns into a whirlwind of challenges. As Hope navigates ranch life, sparks fly with old flame Jack Bennet (Gabriel Hogan), who’s moved to Ruidoso in a bold attempt to win her back.

“Meanwhile, Hope finds unexpected support in her charming neighbor Tom Grayson, her best friend Lori, and the quirky townsfolk who rally around her. As she helps her daughter overcome a fear of failure at college, Hope faces her own issues accepting help. As the gala approaches, she discovers that community, love, and second chances might just be the key to building the life she’s always dreamed of.”

“Once we got on set, because I was playing her daughter and, like my character, am going off to college soon, the scenes felt more natural than I anticipated,” Megan says.

The Days of Our Lives icon agrees: “I was surprised by how sincere and sweet the first scene was between Megan and me, when my character, Hope, drops her daughter off at college. I had initially approached it purely from an actor’s perspective, but once we were filming together, the reality of the moment really hit me because of how soon I’ll be dealing with that with Megan in our real lives.”

She adds, “It made me far more emotional than I expected.”

As for Megan’s performance, Alison says she “was really proud” of her for “coming to set prepared and overcoming her nerves” — and that she ultimately did “a great job.”

Alison also shares a son, Ben, 20, with her husband, Dave Sanov.

But Romance on Hope Ranch isn’t the only movie Alison has cooking at Hallmark (pun intended). The eighth installment of her Hannah Swensen Mystery series will premiere on March 7.

The logline for Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery reads: “When Lake Eden’s beloved baker Hannah Swensen agrees to cater desserts for the grand masquerade at the newly renovated hotel, she expects an evening of glamour — ot a chilling murder. Trapped by a storm with a ballroom full of suspects, Hannah must sift through secrets, scandals, and sparkling masks to unmask a killer before the night ends. Meanwhile, her mother Delores (Barbara Niven) turns the costume contest into a personal triumph while navigating a budding romance with Sheriff Ealing, and Hannah’s own relationship with Chad (Victor Webster) adds unexpected sparks. But as the night deepens and clues twist in unexpected directions, Hannah will need every ounce of intuition—and maybe a little help from family—to uncover the truth before the masquerade’s final dance.”

“Every movie I make is special to me, with Romance at Hope Ranch holding a particularly meaningful place because I brought much of my own family story to these characters as I developed and produced it,” Alison said in a statement. “Plus, after my producing partner (Craig Baumgarten) suggested casting my daughter Megan, it became even more meaningful as I shared the screen with her for her TV acting debut.”

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Romance at Hope Ranch premieres Saturday, Feb. 28, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel, and Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery debuts Saturday, March 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel. Both movies will be available to stream on Hallmark+ the day after their premieres.