Veterinary Partner

Thresherton Community #1

by Nancy Wheelton

Callie Anderson's in over her head, but she'll be damned if she'll give up. A young widow with a ten-year-old daughter, Callie's determined to keep her farm at any cost, even if that means going up against the Krugers from next door who are determined to snatch her land. Callie needs to learn how to take care of her cattle and undo all the problems the Krugers have caused before it's too late, and there's no one more qualified to help than veterinarian Dr. Lauren Cornish. If only Lauren understood that Callie's still the one in charge.
Recently divorced and rejected by her teenage children, Lauren's emotionally lost and has no patience for a woman who isn't ready to be a farmer. She's determined to keep her heart safe this time, no matter how intriguing Callie might be. When a string of perilous accidents threatens their safety and livelihood, neither can resist their heart's desire. Danger is looming, but falling in love may be the scariest thing of all.

Cover Artist: Tammy Seidick
Genres: Contemporary / Romance
Tags: Second Chance at Love, Friends & Community, Children / Families, Veterinarians, Small Town Romances, Workplace Romance

Genres: LGBT, Romance, Lesbian Romance

314 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2020

About the author

Nancy Wheelton graduated over twenty years ago from the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ontario. She spent the first few years after graduation working in a mixed animal practice in a small town in the province of Saskatchewan. Then she settled in the Great Lakes region of Ontario, where she is a practicing veterinarian.
When Nancy’s not kayaking, photographing wildlife, or working on her beach house, she enjoys the crashing waves and sunsets while writing.

Reviews

[Lex Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars. I thought this was a good story but it wasn’t really to my personal tastes. This is a debut and while I thought it had some debut bumps, I did see potential in Wheelton. I think with a different storyline it would have clicked better for me. There were parts I really enjoyed and some that drove me a bit nuts. I have a feeling that other readers may like this more than I did.

I’m an animal lover so I was excited to have a vet main character and also a main that owned a farm. I liked the large animal vet scenes and thought they were well done. The romance in this is very slow burn. Which I normally love, but these characters didn’t have the chemistry spark I was hoping for. There were too many times I was questioning myself if I thought that they should be together.

I think my biggest issue was the characters personalities. They were acting too passive (which I hate) to the point where one main even admitted she was a coward. The other one was too prideful to ask anyone for help so she didn’t go to the police when her best friend was a Mountie and the main character actually worked for RCMP part time. It just made no sense. And when the Mounties finally got involved, they ended up being basically useless. This whole mess made me frustrated and not in a fun angsty way.

The good part was once the book was about half way, the story really improved. For me in the beginning the writing at times didn’t feel very smooth. The flow felt a little stop and start but as the book went on the writing seemed to click and it got much better in the second half. Not only did the writing improve, there were some good exciting scenes that made the book more entertaining. Unfortunately, the actual ending was a little anticlimactic for all that the characters went through, but up until that part the second half was pretty well done.

I’m not a fan of when women don’t try to help themselves. I like strong women not passive ones. It was hard having both characters keep making stupid decisions and I think that is why this didn’t feel like my kind of book. But when the characters actually showed some growth and backbone, towards the end, I found myself enjoying the story much more. So while this story wasn’t really to my tastes, it might be much more enjoyable for you. For me it was an average debut read but I do see potential in the author and I would read her again.

P.S. What is up with the cover?!? I actually like how it looks but it has nothing to do with the story. They are in Canada in below freezing weather in the winter. Wearing that little amount of clothes on the cover would kill one of the characters from the cold. Again it is a pretty cover but I’m guessing it is a mistake.?.

An ARC was given to me for a honest review.

[C · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Wheelton and I think it is her debut. When I read the description of the book I was pretty excited to read it. However, the book failed to hold my attention and I found myself skimming to finish it instead of savoring the journey.
First of all, the main characters were not very likable and never got to the point where you actually like them. I didn't think they grew at all throughout the book. The children were more exciting to read about.
Second, the evil next door ranchers were a good addition but they came off as the villain in like the Disney movie The Robinson. I kept picturing them with long mustaches and a weird looking face. I could not take them seriously. They were just too over the top
I can deal with most of that but what got me was how all of the place the book felt. At one time the characters were arguing and not talking to each other then in the next page they were dating? When did that happen? And this happens at least twice in the book. Also, there a key events that were never flushed out. For example the scene with Mitch in Callie's kitchen. That was big moment, like I think the best scene in the book, and after it happened...nothing. I mean absolutely nothing. It was never mentioned again.
I felt this book had so much potential to be more but got lost in trying to do too much and therefore didnt really do anything. The silver lining is that i think this is a debut which means the author has room to grow and I look forward to seeing that in her next book

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

This is a really well-written debut novel. As one would guess by the title, a lot of pages focus around life as a vet. There are numerous detailed descriptions on birthing calves, including reaching in and pulling them out.

Although the title is fitting, the cover has me baffled; the entire story is set in winter. There's no sunshine or summer dresses just snowstorms and snowsuits.

The heroines are likable, but it took me a long time to warm to Lauren. Her backstory did not enarmour me to her, in fact it turned me off, despite having her situation explained.

The story follows the typical lesfic formula and the drama-lama makes an appearance around the 80% mark. I get it, it happens, readers love it, but in this instance, the heroine's reaction to an incredibly nice gesture brought this book down for me.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy slow-burn romances and love reading about calving and farm life.

Copy provided by the publisher, Bold Strokes Books, via NetGalley.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I held off on reading this one because I didn’t want to read something that contained sad animal stories, fortunately most of the storyline involving animals has a happy ending.

Callie has been taking taking care of her late father in law’s cattle farm, with no experience having any live stock it is a struggle. She struggles with the workings of the farm, the finances and a stalking, creepy neighbour. After losing her wife five years ago Callie started a make a life of her own while raising their daughter. For the first time she is make the important decisions and she might just be ready to open her heart to someone as well. Lauren left her wife and her kids in the city, she was never cut out for big city life. Her children froze her out and she is looking for a quiet life in solitude in a small rural town. When she repeated get called to Callie’s farm she starts to get annoyed with the farmer and her calling her out on giving her a lecture. But she can’t deny that that Callie has something special. Both women have insecurities about themselves and about stepping into a new relation, and the package they both come in. The constant harassment of Callie’s neighbours takes on threatening tone and becomes rather dangerous. Callie is afraid to admit to somethings until the neighbours son pulls a “prank”. The shit hits the fan and there is some major angst and drama there, I really liked. The character slowly warm up to each other and the bond between them gross stronger with mutual understanding, acceptance and love for family and animals. The supporting characters are great, Becky, Callie’s daughter has a heartbreaking scene with her mom, it’s really well done and not being handled as one time thing that is handled with a kiss and a hug and all is good.

I liked how the story between the two main unfolded, I also liked that you just seemingly in the middle of something in this book. It really sets the tone. All the vet/ cattle stories are pretty good as well. The one thing I would say I didn’t like is I lost the sense of time a bit in the book, I have no idea how much time passed during the course of the story. But the one conclusion I did come up with that it wasn’t a lot, which means to me the ending/ closing chapters felt a bit rushed.. This book made me picture being in Saskatchewan in winter freezing my ass off but having tons of good times and enjoying life. So overal it was good, I could have done with 3 more chapters, maybe have Lauren’s family show up in those, but you can’t have it all I suppose.

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review*

[Bee Sherrard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Veterinary Lauren Cornish was just getting used to living and working in the small town of Thresherton in Saskatchewan. At the Prairie Veterinary Services she worked with a variety of animals but the main focus for the vet’s at PVS is working with the many farmers and ranchers keeping their livestock healthy. Lauren had recently moved from Toronto, leaving not only her ex wife but also leaving behind the children she helped raise from an early age. Since she’s moved so far away neither her son or daughter want anything to do with her. So all she can do is keep trying to reconnect with them. But Thresherton was perfect for Lauren, she enjoyed the quiet life. But lately it’s been anything but quiet. Seems like she spends a lot of her time at Poplarcreek farm.
Poplarcreek was owned by Callie Anderson, a young woman who had arrived there shortly after her wife Liz lost her life working as an Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Callie thought it would be good for their ten yrs old daughter Becky to experience life on the ranch where Liz grew up. She wasn’t planning on taking over the farm but when her father in law died she found herself trying to run the ranch without knowing all she needed to, especially when it came to her young heifer’s. It also doesn’t help to have Callie’s neighbor’s the Krugers, who were willing to try anything including stealing cattle, in their quest to take over Poplarcreek.
Now here they are, Lauren who never wanted to have another committed relationship and Callie who is just starting to begin living again. This is the first time I’ve read a book by Ms Wheelton and I have a feeling that it won’t be the last. A very nice read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

[Kexx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't quite get this- to me got caught between les-rom and thriller and missed them both. A bit WTF plot line- Callie just didn't seem real, from needy / pathetic to strong / survived.

[Hsinju Chen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Widowed Callie Anderson was new to managing her farm. On top of balancing bills, managing barn works, and raising her tween daughter Becky, Callie suffered from the endless threats and harassments from the Krugers. When the newly relocated Dr. Lauren Cornish came for veterinary duties, little did either of them know that their lives were tied whether they were ready or not.

Do not let the cover fool you. Veterinary Partner is as much a romance as it is a thriller. With all the infuriating and disgusting hassling from the Krugers, it was not a light reading. I felt so helpless against all those horrible things Heinz and Kyle Kruger were getting away with and feared for the safety of Callie, Becky, and Lauren during the entire time. It was tense, and considering the annoyance stirred up in me, Wheelton did a great job of making painting Krugers revolting.

Before I go into the relationship between Callie and Lauren, I adored the fact that there were many children in this small-town story. And many strong single mothers, too. Callie was a widowed single mother with Becky, and Lauren had Sam and William who rejected her after her divorce. Lauren's friend and coworker Val was also a single mother raising Gwen, Becky's best friend. Amidst Callie and Lauren's budding romance and the horrendous Krugers, I think Becky had stolen the show. She was very sensitive and observant, at times commenting on and accepting things that the grownups were too preoccupied to notice. She broke my heart with her words and then warmed it. Also, wasn't it fun that her full name was Becky Anderson, just like the news anchor?

Callie and Lauren both had serious insecurities that made their relationship development frustrating to read sometimes. Callie wanted full control of her life and Lauren was terrified of disappointing people she loved. There were a lot of one-step-forward-two-steps-back, but them caring for each other despite all the falling out that happened in between was genuine and evident. I am glad they had each other during this unsafe time.

Sometimes, secondary characters left the radar for too long I wonder if everyone had forgotten about them. And important routines and personal details surfaced somewhat randomly, making me wonder if Wheelton planned them beforehand or developed them while writing. Despite the slight confusion over possible spontaneity, Veterinary Partner was a decent work.

I think the story ended a little bit prematurely and another chapter or two might provide a more wholesome ending. Since Lauren had not reached enough closure with her past and many other things were still up in the air, it did not feel like a real closing or an HEA. I secretly hope Wheelton is planning for a sequel to address the inconclusive issues at hand.

Veterinary Partner is an emotionally loaded thriller romance worth checking out.

I received an e-ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Colleen Corgel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so I did enjoy the premise of the book, and the fact that you have two people reluctant to take a risk on a relationship despite their obvious attraction to each other. I even liked that the Kruger's are such jerks about their feud with lead character Callie. It feels like a small town feud that got taken to extremes. I even liked both lead's uncertainty to an extent, but some of the commitment to that uncertainty and how it manifests is off putting.

So you have veterinarian Lauren who basically is helping out new cattle rancher Callie. Callie's daughter, Becky inherited the ranch after her other mother passed away. Lauren and Callie butt heads because of Lauren's lecturing and Callie trying to regain a sense of control over her own situation. Then there's the Kruger's a bunch of bullies who own land next to Callie's ranch and are trying to take over the property and presumably her livestock. Callie and Lauren must learn to work with each other and communicate through their growing feelings with each other to stop the Kruger's bullying.

There's a lot of little details in this book that are great. Descriptions on how to take care of different animals, specifically the cattle are lovely. Lauren's daily work at her practice reminds us that she does take care of all kinds of animals. There's the mentions of driving into the city of Saskatoon from their small town for some fun. I also liked that the setting was mostly in the winter (despite what the cover says), because Canada's winters in some provinces are unforgiving.

What I didn't like, and this is what hurt the book for me, is that Callie and Lauren don't really grow. Callie is trying to reclaim her control, especially with the double whammy of learning how to be a cattle rancher, and knowing that she was too passive in her previous relationship. That leads her to make some really reckless decisions near the end of the book, that would have worked better near the beginning. Callie even admits that she needs to understand that asking for and receiving help isn't giving up control, but she still makes poor decisions with regards to that. Lauren is a big old mess and her insecurities don't really get revealed until the mid point. Like we don't get a lot of her motivations up until that point, so is seems that she is being a waffler for the sake of being a waffler. Which is a huge disservice to her character - she was emotionally damaged from the break up of her last relationship, and that messed her up a lot, but we don't know that until that midpoint, so it just feels like she is using her breakup as an excuse, and not the cause of her waffling on Callie.

So this is a debut, and it does come with its debut author hiccups, which I get. I think people will enjoy the romantic tension between Callie and Lauren to a point, but I think it was strung out a little too much. I honestly think that people will enjoy the scenes with the vet stuff and even the scenes with the menacing Kruger men more than the developing relationship. It has the hallmarks of a great small town romantic drama, but its just missing on building the romantic plot.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and BSB in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Claire (Book Blog Bird) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Veterinary Partner is the story of Callie, a young widow trying to make a go of her family farm out on the Canadian prarie and Lauren, the new vet in town who has kind of a tragic past.

So firstly, I now know a lot more about cattle farming in Canada than I did before. That sounds dreary, but it was actually really interesting! The extreme weather, small town setting and the immensely hard work of running a cattle and arable farm are all described really well.

I thought the story itself was pretty good - Callie is faced by difficulties at every turn due to her inexperience in farming, including dastardly neighbours who are trying to force her to sell her land and Lauren is trying to patch things up with her children and not get involved in any new romantic liaisons. This is a romance novel, so obviously there is an HEA, but there are plenty of obstacles along the way.

The biggest problem for me was that I didn't really get the chemistry between the two MCs. They start off by not liking each other then they became friends and then lovers, but I just wasn't feeling it. Their path to romance seems to be littered with passive aggressive comments and hurt feelings. When I read a romance I like it when it's obvious that the two people should be together but they're kept apart by outside influences, not their own sulkiness. It almost seemed like they got together because they were The Town Lesbians, not because they were MFEO.

Other than that, it was totally readable. The writing itself flowed well and the author obviously has a talent for description. The dialogue could be a bit forced in places, but it wasn't disastrous.

This is a debut novel and I'd be interested in seeing what the author comes up with next.

I received a copy of Veterinary Partner from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley.

[Aleana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Callie and Lauren has a lot of baggage. Callie is a young widow with a daughter who is struggling to keep her farm but is determined to succeed. Lauren is a vet and she stills hurting over her family rejects that she has walls up that keeps everyone at arms length.

As they get to know each other they have to stand together when danger comes but what they didn’t expect is falling for each other.

For first debut it was ok read. I mean it took me time to warm up to the main characters because
I was getting annoyed with both of them I get it you don’t want to ask for help but it doesn’t means your weak it means your strong because you had the strength to ask.

[H M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm confused about this review. the writing was fine. the style tho I had problem with. Callie was so annoying, so whinny, so childish and honestly every time she said i'm indepandant I was like ( B* Where ? ). she made a huge deal out of everything. like the "break" thing. SHE ACTUALLY TOLD HER AT THE BEGINNING .

Lauren is not better. LIKE CHILLL, she's so dramatic. I get the meaning behind the panic but she was over doing it. specially since she was ok with other children. !

the fact is, I did not find consistency in the building, yet i finished the book in appreciation for the author and her team. ( sorry if i'm kinda harsh). since this is a debut I think the next will be better

thank you for giving me free copy in exchange of H opinion

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Callie is a recent widow and recently inherited a cattle farm from her wife's family. She has no idea how to run the farm and take care of the cattle, not to mention the neighbouring farmer threatening to take her land and continuing to make all sorts of problems for her and her daughter. She clashes with the vet in town, Lauren, over the wellbeing of her cattle, but neither woman can deny their attraction. Can they turn over their rough start and work towards a bright future for all of them?

I didn't connect immediately to the characters, partly because the beginning seemed really abrupt and a little confusing to me and then there was a lot of repetition. I also didn't connect to Callie and her relationship with her daughter, Becky, and feel like focusing more on this earlier would have helped me connect but it was missing. Things hop along pretty quickly at the beginning but it settled into a nice balance of romance and drama and I enjoyed the second half of the book a lot more. I love reading books that take place in my home county and I loved exploring a province I've never been to through the authors words. I liked this book well enough and I will definitely check out what comes next from this author.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars.Callie Anderson is a widow who is trying to run a cattle farm and her daughter. When she has problems with her cattle birthing, she turns to Veterinarian, Dr. Lauren Cornish. Lauren is attractive and single, but has been divorced and abandoned by her teenage children. Lauren is unsure if she wants to get involved with another woman with children. Lauren and Callie cannot help but meet time and time again and cannot help the growing attraction to each other.

I thought this book was okay. I thought it was a little too technical and I did not like how much of that was described in the book. I thought their chemistry was okay and it definitely evolved throughout the novel. It was kind of an average novel that I read but thought it was just okay. I could not get past all the technical terms in the book and it went right over my head. I would not recommend this book and I am not sure it was a great read.

[Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an educational read. I now know so much more about how calves are born. It was almost more interesting than what was happening with the leading ladies (smile). Catherine Anderson is a widow with a young daughter, Rebecca. Callie has inherited a farm and she is determined to keep it going even though she is challenged by insecurities, experience, and mean guys that want her farm. Dr, Lauren Cornish, veterinarian, divorced and dealing with the separation from her two children, William and Sammie. Both women are protective of their heart and it shows through with the back and forth.

While reading, I thought this is an interesting slow burn. With the character personalities, bad guys, children and friends, I thought there would be more intrigue. It was not the case. The story is much more enjoyable toward the end.

ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc, via NetGalley

[Jaie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick impression: some fun details about vet practice and Saskatchewan, but I was frustrated by the main characters and didn't feel their chemistry.

I love a story about single parents finding love. And this story had two such characters! Unfortunately I didn't really like them so much. They were stubborn and terrible at communicating. The ranchers next door were harassing them and neither asked for help, which I found foolish.

I was engaged enough to see how things worked out so I read till the end, but it didn't hold my attention solidly. The middle felt too long and the ending felt rushed. And while the ranchers were truly terrible, did they do enough to warrant prison?

I'm interested to see what Wheelton writes next. This was a great start, and I'd love to read more about vets in super cold places.

[Patty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy contemporary romance novels, and those that also feature pets or animals get extra points in my book. However much I wanted to enjoy this book, I just didn't. The main characters seemed stilted to me, almost contrived to the author's belief of how they "should be" given their preference.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book, but my opinions are my own and this book just wasn't didn't do it for me.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Widow Callie Anderson is in the fight of her life to save her farm not only for herself, but her daughter. She makes mistake after mistake, but many of those mistakes come from inexperience and the next door neighbors who want her property and will do anything to get it. Callie calls in the local veterinarian to help with some cattle and things really get off to a rocky start with Dr. Lauren Cornish, but quickly turn to spark between the two. And so the story builds.

I must admit that I did not connect with this one. I do think the book was well written, but I found the story to be slow. I would have loved if the book focused more on the romance between Callie and Lauren instead of focusing more so on the Kruger's next door. There was so much drama there that I could not focus on the connection between the mains. It took me longer than usual to get through this one because I detached myself. I do think there might be some out there who would enjoy this one, but it wasn't great for me. 2.75 stars

This arc was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

[nutmeg · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delightful read that left me all pleased and gratified while reminiscing about the characters.

Callie, a widow with a daughter in tow, is struggling to get the farm she inherited from her father-in-law in order. Despite all her industrial efforts, surmounting debts, threats from her neighbour to bully her into selling the farm that she has no business in running is stretching her limits. When one of her heifers had a difficult labour, a new vet in town, Lauren was called into action.

The characters were endearing with their faults and flaws, attractions were masked by their insecurities but the desire for each other burned strong throughout the story.

I loved everything about the book, as a city girl, I was introduced to farm life and it’s works, the ladies were highly relatable personalities, their angsty dance with and away from each other was captivating and appealing. This book should be on your shelf or library.

I just reviewed Veterinary Partner by Nancy Wheelton. #NetGalley

[Brenda Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren and Callie are both struggling with losses and neither are looking to find someone. Their first meeting was not the best but between heifers delivering calves and neighbors causing trouble they find themselves together more often than they want. Would love a sequel to see where this relationship goes.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book by Nancy Wheelton and as a practicing Vet you can be sure that her descriptions of veterinary practices within the book are accurate.

The story revolves around two women; Dr Lauren Cornish, newest vet at Prairie Veterinary Services (PVS) in the fictional town of Thresherton, Saskatchewan, is newly arrived in town after a bitter divorce from her wife TJ, and desperately trying to mend the relationship with her and TJ’s children Sam and William who are angry at her for leaving them ; Callie’s wife Liz, a police officer, was killed in the line of duty five years ago. Since then Callie has been raising their daughter Becky. Callie and Becky moved to Poplarcreek Farm three years ago to help her father-in-law Doug. Since Doug died the previous year, she’s been running the farm by herself, despite having little knowledge about cattle.

Callie’s next farm neighbour Heinz Kruger is a brute of a man, along with his sons, Tommy and Kyle, he is intent on making Callie’s life a misery in the hope that she’ll sell the farm to him. He is the only person to call her by her birth name, Catherine, all part of his intimidation.

From letting his bull into the paddock to service Callie’s heifers who are too young to carry such large calves to term without c-sections, and then having the affrontery to demand payment for the calves produced because of his actions, to not paying for two of her cows that Kyle took to market when he borrowed her truck and trailer, to trying to get her to consider marrying Kyle.

As Lauren and Callie skirt around each other, both attracted and both afraid for their own reasons, the Kruger family up the ante, threatening the lives of both Lauren and Callie’s, and Becky’s future.

This is an excellently written book, the Kruger’s will make your skin crawl, as Lauren and Callie endeavour to put their pasts behind them as their fledgling relationship develops.
Many thanks to Bold Strokes Books Inc and NetGalley Australia for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Devon H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This romance is fraught with tensions from all angles. Not such young spring chickens anymore, Callie and Lauren are both starting over in a small Canadian town. Both out of past relationships, these lesbians are not quite sure they're ready to start looking for love, but they find themselves almost immediately attracted to one another at first sight. Meanwhile, there is danger brewing with a farm next door to Callie, the Kruger's farm. This father and son combo farm are up to no good, but Callie doesn't feel like she has enough proof to get them arrested. Then there are the complicated relationships with their daughters, and wanting to strengthen their bonds with their children, feeling afraid that their children will struggle with yet another broken relationship. So unfolds this somewhat uncomfortable dance of two women with insecurities trying to figure out their feelings without communicating very clearly.

Most of the book felt like a series of poorly written dialogue strung together with this vast heap of insecurities that resulted in the two women making a series of really avoidable mistakes. This way of moving through the world is so far removed from my own, and felt almost disingenuous. I'm sure many people, including myself, experience such insecurities, but the way they are described felt stilted and not how people typically think or talk. The writer did a lot of explaining with words instead of showing with actions/behaviors.

However, that's not to say this was a bad book. There was plenty of action, both danger and sexual, and I wanted to see where the two would end up. The plot was interesting, the setting felt cozy, and the family scenes/animal scenes were adorable. I read this through to the end, and found some enjoyment in it, although I don't plan to read anything further from this author.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Charkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent example of a well written book with romantic suspense. The characters and the plot is realistic and kept me on my toes throughout the entire book.

Callie: Callie is a young single woman who was dealt a bad hand. She lose her wife early, and is left with a young daughter to care for alone whilst trying to deal with the grief. They move to her father-in-law, and in the beginning of the book it's been a year since they lost him too. She's determined to keep the family farm for her daughter.

Lauren: Lauren left Toronto after a bad break-up, leaving her children with her ex. This loss weighs heavily on Laurens mind and heart. Lauren is a veterinarian who loves helping animals, but has little patience with owners who don't treat their animals right.

Pro:
Romantic suspense with perfect balance between the two - The suspense progress very naturally throughout the book, and it feels realistic.
Realistic portrayal of finding someone new after the loss of a spouse - Wheelton have described the insecurities of being the new partner after a loss very well. The mental comparisons and the feeling of not being good enough Lauren tremendously. The insecurities of with moving on is also very well written. I really like how this is handled throughout the book.
Animal centered - Being a book where a veterinarian meets a farmer means it's centered a lot on animals, which is always nice. I like that the book doesn't glorify either the hard work required to make a farm run or the tough sides of a veterinarians job.

Con:
_

This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

[Rosi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story could have been better if it hadn’t had so many inconsistencies in its development, which have particularly confused me and sometimes even bothered me. Nor has it managed to get the cold environment where it is located to become an important part, in the way that other books have done, I think with temperatures of twenty below zero degrees Celsius, I don’t know how many are in Fahrenheit, maybe four below, and passing on a farm, has had much more importance. But the protagonists dress to party with light clothing and heels, like it's nothing. Then there are children as protagonists, important enough, but I have not been able to fully understand their role. I don't want to comment too much about the nice neighbors.

Callie and Lauren are two women with a past that has left them burdened and reluctant and afraid of new romantic relationships.But the reluctance is changing type, too suddenly throughout the book, or so it has seemed to me. And then, I know there are some things that are triggers and force them to make decisions, but after so many doubts, the change seems too sudden.

And I really think that there are parts of the story that are not coherent, as if some chapter was removed from the book, since there are facts that do not agree with previous actions.

As romance it is too bumpy at first, even with absurd misunderstandings. In the end everything is resolved too quickly and the end itself is abrupt.

An advanced reading copy has been sent to me by the publisher Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley for my honest review

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a dual theme of romance and suspense. The two main characters are Callie Anderson and Dr. Lauren Cornish. Callie Anderson lost her wife about a year ago. They ran a cattle farm that had been in her wife’s family. However, when her wife dies, Callie is left with many tasks that she had not done before and is totally overwhelmed. In addition, she is trying to raise her 10-year old daughter. Added to this mixture, Callie has a neighbor who is trying to force her to sell the ranch.

Lauren is a veterinarian who has recently moved to a small town near Saskatchewan. She is divorced and has been rejected by her two children left behind with her ex-wife. The practice that she joins is well established and she likes working on larger animals, something she was not able to do at her previous employment.

When I read the synopsis for this book, I thought I would enjoy the story. Unfortunately, Veterinary Partner was too slow and at times confusing. Ms. Wheelton tried to have many issues going on in this story. I think it might have been better if it was just a romance.

Although Ms. Wheelton’s veterinarian background was helpful in developing the character of Lauren, too many facts were given which slowed done the pace of the book. Also, both Callie and Lauren’s characters constantly had emotional mood swings, and for me, that affected the pace of the story.

This is the debut book by Ms. Wheelton. Although I am not going to rank this book highly, I do feel that the author has promise and I look forward to her future books. I rate Veterinary Partner 3 out of 5 stars.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A debut novel written by a vet, about Callie a young widow trying to run her cattle farm whilst taking care of her daughter and Lauren the local vet who has recently moved to this part of Canada following her divorce leaving her children behind. The level of detail about the life of a vet and the challenges of running a cattle farm obviously come from the author's own experience, they are interesting and thoughtfully written. I like finding out about different ways to live. I also really liked the diversity of the women's history, in the past these women would have been widowed or divorced from men but both have ex-wives, which makes a pleasant change. They are also both parents struggling with different parental issues which again makes a pleasant change in lesbian romances. There is a sub plot where Callie if being bullied by some highly aggressive men who want her farm, this story as gripping and built well but ended abruptly. The romance between the characters was also developed well but once they did finally get together they had some weird conversations that were at times passive aggressive and at others puzzling. Overall its a good read and I'm interested in seeing what this author does next.

With thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow burn, angsty, overcoming challenges romance. Set in rural Canada (Saskatchewan).

Callie wants nothing more than for things to settle down. After her wife was killed five years ago in the line of duty, Callie has moved out to rural Saskatchewan with their now-10 year old daughter to try to reset her life on her partner's family's cattle farm. But her neighbors are hoping she will fail and sell the farm to them. And those neighbors will stop at nothing - threats, sabotage, kidnapping and physical intimidation - to get Callie to move on. Callie's two bright spots are her daughter and the beautiful new veterinarian in town, Lauren.

After her marriage fell apart, Lauren left her ex and two teenage kids in Toronto for a new start at a rural veterinary practice. While forswearing love and desperately missing her kids (who blame her for the separation and running away), she is starting to get herself back on her feet. That is until she gets swept up into Callie's drama.

[Dr E · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent book, with a lot of story to accompany the romance. The plot can be quite menacing at times, but it’s kept reasonably light; possibly a bit too light in places. Although that kind of works too, in terms of some of the men issuing threats that are insidious where the women know are there, but can’t prove. They know it feels menacing but it all relates as a bit innocuous when they try to explain it. Similar to gaslighting. The romance feels real, especially as both women are grappling with how they felt in previous relationships and wanting this time to be different. More true to themselves.
I learnt far more than I ever expected to learn about calving, which was actually pretty interesting. The kids were pretty accurate with age appropriate dialogue. I hate it when the kids sound like grown ups.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent read. I enjoyed the characters' occupations: rancher and veterinarian. I learned a bit more about both and about animals, especially calving. The book's billed as also a mystery, but we learn really early who the villains are, so it was really learning more about was done in the past and what will the bad guys do next, until the final chapters. There are some dramatic and kind of scary scenes because of the villains.

Both women were touchy and sensitive, and seemed to have a tendency to dwell or overreact, or sometimes ignore things. The behavior makes sense because of their pasts but sometimes one or the other annoyed me. There is one secondary character whose behavior bothered me but it wasn't really explained.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this, it kept my attention, and I will read more by Wheelton.

[Ann Readyoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

#VeterinaryPartner#NetGalley
This story opens with Callie Anderson in over her head on her farm. She won't give up no matter who thinks she can't do it. The local get Dr. Lauren Cornish feels like Callow doesn't have a clue. The neighbors the Kruger's want Callies land and they stop at nothing to get it. As Callow is raising her daughter after the death of her wife. She is not ready to open her heart to Lauren. Will Callow save her land? Will she open her eyes to letting someone new into her life ? Will they stand together when there is danger coming ? Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

[Vee Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

The description of this book piqued my interest. I have a fascination with farm life and veterinarians. Usually I'm drawn into a story by the first page, but I struggled with this one... it was hard keeping my interest once I started reading. I don't know if it's because of real life situations affecting me or if it was the story itself. The whole situation with Callie's neighbor made me sick...just saying...

More than likely I'll give this another read through much later on and I'll do an update on my review.