REVIEW: Falling in Love on Sweetwater Lane by Belle Calhoune

Falling in Love on Sweetwater Lane by Belle Calhoune finds veterinarian Harlow Jones going to the small town of Mistletoe, Maine, where she’ll work at the PAWS vet clinic for a year, in exchange for the state of Maine paying off her student loan debt. On her way into town her car skids and she ends up being rescued by Nick Keegan, the local search and rescue team leader.

There’s an instant attraction between the pair, but both are hesitant to start anything. Nick is a widow and a single dad, not having been interested in dating anyone until Harlow came along. Harlow has a deep hatred for small towns and has no plans to stay once her year is up. She soon finds her dislike of small towns being put to the test as she starts to fall for Nick and his son, Miles. But when someone in town stirs up trouble for Harlow, and it’s a reminder of what her family went through during her childhood, will she be able to stand her ground and stick up for herself, or will she put Nick and the town in her rearview mirror?

I found the book to be predictable, but that didn’t bother me. One thing that did bother me was that it felt like situations were brought up and then just kind of dropped for a bit and then quickly concluded towards the end, almost as if it was forgotten about, then the author suddenly remembered they were mentioned and decided to do a quick wrap up. For example, there’s mention of Nick having to break it to Miles that their dog has a tumor, but readers are never privy to this discussion. Then readers don’t really hear anything about it towards the end where it’s briefly brought up again and quicky concluded. It also felt like the medical situation with her mother was thrown in to create some drama between Harlow and her brother, and even that’s glossed over. It just felt like a lot of things pertaining to these, and to other situations, took place off the pages, which left me feeling a little disappointed that readers were just told how things turned out instead of actually getting to see everything unfold.

That being said, I liked Harlow for the most part, except for the fact she seems to judge everyone who lives in small towns. While it’s somewhat understandable due to what happened to her family during her childhood, she comes across as a bit narrowminded by assuming that everyone in all small towns were the same, especially when some people had gone out of their way to make her feel welcomed.

Nick and his son have a great relationship and I enjoyed their interactions. They were my favorite characters in the book. Miles does come across as older than his age in spots, which felt a little off, but for the most part they were well-written and well-rounded characters.

This is the third book in the Mistletoe, Maine series, but it can be read as a standalone. I’ve only read book one in the series, No Ordinary Christmas, but didn’t feel like I had been missing anything by not having read the second book. Readers who are new to the series can jump into it with this book with no problems.

Falling in Love on Sweetwater Lane is a small-town romance about getting a second chance at love and healing. The characters are enjoyable, the storyline is well-written although predictable at times. I liked the book but I didn’t love it, and that would be due to the issues I had listed above. It was still a sweet romance that readers will enjoy.

Book Info:

Publication: February 21, 2023 | Forever | Mistletoe, Maine #3

Coming to Mistletoe, Maine is a means to an end for veterinarian Harlow Jones. In exchange for working at PAWS vet clinic for a one‑year period, the state of Maine has promised to pay off her substantial student loan debt. Although Harlow hates small towns due to bad childhood memories, she knows accepting this offer will change her life. When local search and rescue team leader Nick Keegan saves Harlow after her car slides off the road, sparks fly between her and the single dad.

Nick has reached a point in his life where he’s ready to find love again after his wife’s tragic death. And there’s something about the beautiful veterinarian that tugs at his heart. Problem is, Harlow isn’t looking to lay her heart on the line. She has no intention of staying in Mistletoe and plans to head back to Seattle after her term is up. But can Nick—and his irrepressible son—convince her to let love have the final say?