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.

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

I'm confused about this review. the writing was fine. they 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

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.?.

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

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.
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