Really enjoyed my third trip to Mistletoe, Maine in Falling in Love on Sweetwater Lane. I also loved the first two books in the series No Ordinary Christmas and Summer on Blackberry Beach. Each book can be read as a stand alone though the some of the characters are in all three.

My favorite part of Belle Calhoune's books are the characters because it's easy to relate to them and like them. Belle does a great job at describing the characters and scenes which makes them so easy to imagine.

I was given an ARC of this book but all opinion are my own.

Falling in Love on Sweetwater Lane is the third book in the Mistletoe series but can be read as a standalone.

Veterinarian Harlow Jones, decides to move to Mistletoe Maine to take a one-year position at the PAWS vet clinic. She doesn’t like small towns but being able to pay off her student loans is quite appealing. Nick is a single dad who lost is wife and is focused on raising his son. He's falling for Harlow but know she wants to leave after her year is up. Can he convince her to stay?

This author sure knows how to write small town romance with likeable characters. The pace is easy and there is a sense of "community" that is evident throughout the entire series. Nick and Harlow's relationship started off a bit rocky but I enjoyed watching them getting to know each other and creating their own family unit.

Overall a run, clean romance that can be enjoyed by all.

Harlow has a history with small towns, she's just not a fan. But when she's offered a one-year commitment in the local veterinarian clinic to pay off her school loans, she decides to suck it up and go. Nick is a widower with a small son he's raising on his own. He works and takes care of his son, that's basically his life. Nick and Harlow meet when she has an accident when she arrives in town. Sure, Nick is attractive, and she notices but she has no time for love, she's here to get her loans paid off and leave. They keep running into each other and there's definitely an attraction but first they need to get their troubles from the past cleared up. I received an ARC from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

“Life was full of serendipitous moments. If Nick had learned anything at all in his life, it was the importance of chance and fate.”

“And if you ever start to doubt you’re worthy of a happy ending, I’m here to straighten you out.”

This was the sweetest romance. I had all the feels while reading this fun, heartwarming, small town story. It’s the third book in the series, but can be read as a stand-alone.

I loved the small town setting of this romance. I mean, Mistletoe, Maine- how can you get any cuter?! I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Maine.

I loved romance between Harlow and Nick. It was fun to see how they both overcame their pasts and grew together. There is just something special about the single dad troupe. It melts my heart.

I definitely recommend this sweet, clean romance if you enjoy small town settings, hallmark movies, and animals.

Harlow is a veterinarian relocating to Mistletoe Maine for a year to work at a vet clinic when she is promised that they will pay off her doing loan debt. She's had a bad experience with a small town and has not been able to get over it so she is less than broke to be there but will do what she can. Nick is a widower and a single father now looking to open his card again when he meets Harlow. It's clear that she isn't going to stay for long but they'll figure things out on the way.

If you're a seasonal reader where you like a book that takes place during a certain time then you're in luck because this book takes place in the autumn and it's already got me in the mood for some fall activies. Anyways I thought this book was really good I really enjoyed getting to know the characters. When it came to Harlow and her issues with small towns it was a bit much. Even with all the explanation and knowing why I just kind of thought it was a bit ridiculous and how far she was willing to go when it came to it. I really like Nick's character he was pretty much a they stand up guy and a great father. I really enjoyed seeing the relationship form between the two even though it was unsure of how the future would become since Harlow is only going to be there for a little while. Then there's the whole small town issue of gossiping which really unnerved Harlow I was very curious on how that would play out and how it would be resulted in the end. Overall this was a pretty good read I really enjoyed it.

As much as I really wanted to enjoy this one, I found it was a real struggle for me to get into this story. As such, at the point of this review, I've not yet actually finished reading it. The writing was good, and the story was usually something that I think I would enjoy, so I definitely think this is more of a mood thing for me personally than anything with the book itself. I do hope to come back to it later on and give it another try and hopefully find I'll connect better with the story then!

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars
Ever since Nick Keegan appeared on the pages of No Ordinary Christmas, the first book in Belle Calhoune’s Mistletoe, Maine series I hoped he would get a story. And when I found out that he would, I patiently waited.

Nick is a widower and single father to his nine-year-old son Miles. Almost four years ago, his high school sweetheart turned wife was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. Since then, Nick has dedicated his life to being the best father he could be, while continuing to work for Maine’s Search and Rescue. Over the years, Nick has managed to sidestep the single ladies of Mistletoe and others who tell him that he needs to start dating again.

Since she was a pre-teen, Harlow Jones has dispised small towns. She grew up in one that she loved but was forced to move away from when gossip and scandal tore her once-loving family apart. Now an animal vet, Harlow finds herself moving from Seattle, Washington to the small town of Mistletoe, Maine for a one-year assignment, which will result in the state of Maine paying off all her student loan debts. The move will not only put her on the same coast as Malcolm, her twin brother but also closer to her mother who lives in a nursing facility. The added benefit is that she will have at least one friend in Mistletoe. Harlow and Stella Keegan (Summer on Blackberry Beach), Nick’s sister-in-law, went to college together.

Nick and Harlow meet when he rescues her after an accident. Their attraction is immediate, however, no last names or contact information is exchanged. It isn’t until they meet up again that they realize their connection. The two start to go on casual dates, but Harlow is clear that she isn’t looking for anything serious and that when her year is up Mistletoe will be in her rearview mirror. Harlow is entirely unprepared for Nick and the amazing man that he is.

I. Loved. Nick. Seriously, he’s one of the good ones and can do no wrong in my book. Miles already had my heart. And that heart ached for him when he showed his vulnerability. I found Harlow to be a good character, who carried way too much baggage. But finally was willing to own up to her past and triggers. I can definitely see them all making a wonderful family.

I really wish that Belle could write a couple more books in this series, where she skipped ahead about 15/20 years. I would love to read stories about Miles and Stella’s younger sister Tess.

~ Favorite Quotes ~

“Go after what you want. Life is too short to sit on the sidelines.”

“Life was too short not to cherish the good times.”

“This too shall pass.”

“Grief can rise up out of nowhere and take us by surprise.”

“Just because a person wanted to be over something, it didn’t mean they were.”

“The thrush has a way of rising to the surface.”

“Sometimes life hands us situations that we think might break us. But they don’t.”

“It’s okay to go where your feelings lead you.”

“It’s never too late to switch up your dreams.”

“Love is a wonderful thing. It’s precious and rare.”

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this cozy, heartwarming book a lot!

This was such a cute and cozy little read kind of a slow-burn but still enjoyable. Belle Calhoune is such an excellent writer without a doubt. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into the book just because I’m not big on the small town clean romance type books. I like a little drama & spice in my life but this was adorably romantic.

It follows two MC’s Nick Keegan a single small town dad who lost his wife a few years back and Harlow Jones a veterinarian from the city who took a job in Mistletoe, Maine temporarily to clear some debt. After a freak accident occurs causing Harlow’s car to slide off the road she meets Nick who happens to be apart of the towns Search & Rescue team. Sparks eventually arise between the two but a few personal things get in the way of their growing relationship.

I was really rooting for Nick and Harlow’s relationship. She kinda gave him a hard time in the beginning but I can’t really blame Harlow considering she had personal issues to deal with of her own. A lot of it was fear, anxiety, and doubt but Nick had his problems too. Both also dealt with some form of loss and were still learning to cope.

All of the characters were lovable even the side characters. I love how the author included Nick’s son Miles and his reaction to his father dating another woman after losing his mom. The characters and the situations they were dealing with or were put into seemed so realistic and easy to relate too. I enjoyed seeing how someone’s life unfolds after losing a spouse and how it affects everyone.

This was the third book in the Mistletoe, Maine series will definitely have to check out the other two books. Overall, I really enjoyed this swoony love story. Definitely recommend if you’re into small town romances it’s worth the read. Special thanks to @readforeverpub for my gifted copy!!!

Review: This novel is part of one of my favorite contemporary romance series, so I had high hopes for this newest book! And I was not disappointed! This was a wonderful addition to the series, and I loved getting to see Nick find love again. Harlow was a great MC, as well! Overall, I highly recommend this series, and this book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Falling in Love on Sweetwater Lane by Belle Calhoune is a book that would make a great Hallmark Movie. The book is a happily ever after with two characters that you are going to root for! Nick is a great dad and a caring rescue worker. Harlow is the new vet in town that has a chip on her shoulder about small towns.

The two seem to keep running into each other with common friends and family. You have to hope that they can find their way to each other. Harlow has got to be willing to change her mind about small towns.

The story is nice. I didn’t buy the setting in Maine as appropriate for the story, but the author certainly had the small town vibes down. Falling in Love on Sweetwater Lane by Belle Calhoune was a good read.

I am a huge fan of Belle Calhoune, her small town of Mistletoe, Maine and the people who call it home. Nick Keegan and his son Miles have been patiently waiting for a story and I'm happy to say that their book, Falling in Love on Sweetwater Lane, is amazing!

Nick, a man committed to living in Mistletoe is paired with a woman, Harlow, who hates small towns, and is only there to eliminate her student loan debt. This big city woman had a terrible experience in her small town as a child and she has no desire to relive the horror of that time. She is not a person who develops friendships or romantic relationships and intends to follow those rules while in Mistletoe. Of course, Mistletoe and all that it encompasses, may have something to say about that.

Nick and Harlow each face a number of struggles both large and small throughout this novel. The emotional journey that they each go through tests their strength and at times their connection. Will their struggles be too much to handle? Will Harlow be able to stay in Mistletoe throughout her commitment due to family issues? Due to her struggle with small town gossip? And How does Nick handle the things that Harlow is struggling with? And things and feelings regarding his late wife? So many questions and the answers so complicated.

I enjoy how realistic Calhoune keeps her stories. Her characters are well developed with layers of complex emotions and relatable back stories. They experience emotions and reactions that are realistic. She infuses their journeys with plenty of humor but doesn't hold back from honest, heart-wrenching emotion.

This is the third book in Calhoune's Mistletoe Maine series, however, Falling in Love on Sweetwater Lane can be enjoyed as a standalone, That being said I wholely recommend all three books in the series.

When Harlow goes to a small town on the Maine coast for a year as a vet, she has a lot of doubts. The positive in the situation is that her student loans will be paid off by the state of Maine if she stays there for a year.

She meets widower Nick when her car crashes on icy roads upon arrival. They cross paths a couple of times and then she's formally introduced at a party held by her college roommate.

The sparks fly but since she has an end date in sight and loathes small towns due to the gossiping that she witnessed first hand as a child, she fights her feelings. When an ugly rumor is exposed Nick rushes to her defense and realized he's fallen in love. But can she put aside her fear of living in a small town and embrace the future she never knew she wanted?

A great story in a wonderful series that could be read as a standalone book. Although I received a free ARC eBook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've fallen hard for Belle Calhoune's small town of Mistletoe, Maine and the people who call it home. Nick Keegan (and his young son, Miles) have been begging for a story and I'm happy to say that their book, Falling in Love on Sweetwater Lane, is all I had hoped for.

Leave it to Calhoune to pair single dad, Nick, a man with both feet firmly planted in Mistletoe with a woman who loathes small towns, is only there to eliminate her student loan debt, and is determined to not stay one day longer than she is contractually obligated. This big city woman had enough of small towns as a child and has no desire to relive the horror of that time. She may be game for some fun but relationships and friendships are not for her. Of course, Mistletoe, with her pups and people, may have something to say about that.

I enjoy how real Calhoune keeps her stories. Her characters are well developed with layers of complex emotions and relatable back stories creating obstacles to love. She infuses their journeys with plenty of humor and charm but doesn't hold back from honest, heart-wrenching emotion. Harlow's struggles with her mother's illness and Nick's anger over an unexpected curveball related to his late wife's death are good examples. I appreciate that she doesn't give them easy solutions to their issues but confronts them head on. Once her couples work through the emotional turmoil of what life has dealt them, and choose to be happy together, I'm confident in the staying power of their love and life together.

This is the third book in Calhoune's Mistletoe Maine series and from what I've read, this concludes the series (though I'm holding out hope for a story for Harlow's twin brother, Malcom). Falling in Love on Sweetwater Lane can be enjoyed as a standalone, although main couples and secondary characters from the first two books are prominent in this third book as well. For that reason, you may want to start with book one, No Ordinary Christmas (Lucy and Dante), followed by book two, Summer on Blackberry Beach (Luke and Stella). All three books have my enthusiastic recommendation.

4.5 Stars
ARC received for fair and unbiased review

The book follows Harlow Jones, a veterinarian from Seattle, whose past is tarnished by her experience, growing up in a small town, where she meets a ruggedly handsome, completely down to earth and wholesome single father in a tense unexpected rescue her first day in town. Harlow is closed off romantically, but she can’t seem to help herself being pulled in by nicks charm and his ease. The same can be sad for Nick, who is immediately drawn to Harlow‘s beauty and her charming personality.

Well, Nick has come to terms with the loss of his first love and wife and mother of his son. He is open to the idea of being romantically involved with Harlow, and taking the next step with her without any hesitation or questions.

As the two slowly begin to get to know each other, and Harlow is adjusting to the small town of mistletoe against her better judgment readers get to see an authentic relationship and bond form between these two lovable characters. This is my first book by Belle Calhoun, and although this is a standalone in a series, I’m really eager to see the romantic stories and beginnings of the other couple pairings of Nick’s brother and his best friend. As I was reading, falling in love on Sweetwater Lane, I could picture the story unfolding in a movie, setting kind of like a Hallmark movie very clearly.

And let my bias show that as a fur-baby mom, I really was invested in Harlow‘s character and in her life as a veterinarian. I loved the elements of the dogs mentioned in the book and Harlow‘s work as a veterinarian in this story. It was clear mistletoe really needed her input and her guidance, when it came to the animal community in the town and I loved how everyone was immediately welcoming of her. And as a distinguished black, female veterinarian??! Chef-kiss.

It made me as the reader feel invited, and it allowed me to fall in love with this quaint, close knit town just like she was as the story progressed. I found that Harlow‘s character went through a sort of mort metamorphosis when she moved to the town as she grappled with her past and trauma with old towns when it came to her family and how she tried to navigate this new life she was building for herself this new love interest, as well as the issues with her mother (spoiler free here).

An element of the book that I really liked which might be related to the author on a personal level was the nods to movie classics and black and white films. Does that count as another bias? I’m not sure 🤔. But I thoroughly enjoyed reading Falling in Love on Sweetwater Lane.

If cozy romances in small towns with dogs is your kind of story, you will really like this book too 😊.

Life is hard sometimes and the past hurts can affect the future. Nick and Harlow are both trying to move forward. The development of the characters was great. Especially Harlow. She had some things that she struggled with and Nick helped her to see the future was worth stepping out for. A good read with just a little bit of heat.

This is a charming, sweet romance and I highly recommend reading it! The characters are wonderful and there is such a great closeness between them. I thought it was the perfect example of how love between two people grows. It had the cozy feeling of a Hallmark movie.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is a Romance, and this is the third book in the Mistletoe, Maine series. I did not hate this book, but I did not love this read. I liked this book, and I found the romance to be sweet. This is just one of the books I am not going to remember, and I could live without reading. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Forever) or author (Belle Calhoune) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Harlow Jones is a veterinarian and has come to Mistletoe Maine for one reason and one reason only. To pay off her student debts as quickly as she can so she can return to her life in Seattle. Things are going according to plan until Harlow finds herself immersed in small town living and the lives of its residents, especially Nick Keegan and his adorable son. Harlow keeps reminding herself to stick with her goal, but it becomes harder each day to focus on the real reason she is in town. Nick is determined to show Harlow she can have it all, but will he succeed before it’s too late?

Belle Calhoune brings us another delightful contemporary romance in the Mistletoe Maine series with Harlow and Nicks story. The book is about new beginnings, loss and second chances. I loved the characters right from the beginning of the story and could not resist cheering for Harlow and Nick to end up together. Who doesn’t like a happily ever after! Forever Publishing so graciously gifted me a copy of the book, which I read and reviewed voluntarily, so thank you Forever. Friends, come stop by Mistletoe Maine and meet some new wonderful friends.

This was my first Belle Calhoune romance and it will not be my last. I love a cozy small-town romance that has strong family and friendship vibes. This one definitely had all the right stuff. Plus it has dogs!! You can never go wrong with dogs! The slow-burn, clean romance between single dad Nick and new-to-town Harlow was sweet and satisfying. As with every good romance, the conflict was relatable and made me root for a happy ending for these lovable characters. This is the third book in the Mistletoe, Maine series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. All of my sweet, clean romance loving friends need to grab a copy of this one!