Given the decade in between publishing "Groundswell" and signing off on its screen adaptation, author Katie Lee Biegel never expected to see her novel made into a film. As she told Hollywood Life, it was a "welcome surprise." Immediately, she knew she wanted veteran Hallmark star Lacey Charbert to play Emma. "I am a huge fan of Lacey's movies, and she has been my dream choice to play Emma, from Day 1," writer Katie Lee Biegel — now married to producer Ryan Biegel — told Deadline. Chabert, who gained widespread notoriety after her role in 2004's "Mean Girls," has been a Hallmark go-to since 2010 (via QC Approved). "I think this is like her 32nd Hallmark movie," said Biegel per Hollywood Life. "She's just so good and so believable, and I think she's a great actress."

Ektor Rivera, known for his stand-out roles on stage, plays surf instructor and love interest Ben. "Ektor really embodies Ben,"  Biegel told Hollywood Life, also commenting on the chemistry between the two leads. Though the storyline "is quite different in the movie version than the book version," author Katie Lee Biegel liked the changes. "I felt like my characters have taken on a new light and a new dimension," she explained.