Last Updated on July 3, 2026 by Sierra Richard

Hart’s Landing* is the first book in a new spicy small town romance series  by Melanie Harlow that is perfect for readers who enjoyed the Dream Harbor series by Laurie Gilmore*. Here’s who it’s for and whether it’s worth reading.

Disclaimer: Thank you to Melanie Harlow, and Entangled Publishing: Amara for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Commissions may be earned on links in this article marked with “*”. 

Book Recap

Top Tropes/Themes: 

• Contemporary Romance
• Small-Town Romance
• Second Chance Romance
• Childhood Crush
• Friends-to-Lovers
• Found Family
• Strained Parent-Child Relationships
• He Falls First
• First Relationship After a Divorce
• Dual POV

Spice Rating: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ (Many explicit open-door scenes) 

Release Date: May 12, 2026

Let’s talk about it…

Hart’s Landing is a quick and easy 3.25-star read for anyone who is looking for a second chance romance that gets the small town drama right. Melanie Harlow weaves in a heartwarming romance with difficult topics such as grief, narcissistic and alcoholic parents, and the financial problems of a small town. If you enjoyed the Dream Harbor series by Laurie Gilmore*, Hart’s Landing is the next small town series to add to your list!

I Almost Stopped Reading Because of the Mom

From the beginning, I knew that this wasn’t going to be another cute and cozy small town romance, but one that addressed difficult situations that many adults face. Mila’s mom has a strong narcissistic personality that has been overpowering Mila for years. I appreciate how this book addresses how Mila works with a therapist to navigate the hard conversations she has to have with her mother while they are living together after her mother’s surgery. At times, the way Ms. Ferguson treated her daughter was infuriating and made me contemplate closing the book for good. However, I am glad I continued to read and found the way the relationship was left to be both satisfying and realistic.

The Romance was Spicy

If you are a reader of the Dream Harbor series*, Hart’s Landing cranks up the heat with at least a chili pepper on my rating scale. I found the spice rating to be more in line with the Maple Falls series, which is also a small town romance series. The first half of the book really focuses on the plot and building the tension between Mila and Everett, but once they cross the boundaries of friendship, they cross that line again and again. Despite knowing each other as kids, it did feel like they both fell a little too hard and fast for my personal taste, but if you like a book where he falls first and falls hard, this book is for you!

Friendships Strengthened the Story

While I will always be happy when I read a book with strong female friendships, I appreciate when an author pulls off healthy friendships between the guys. This story has both. Mila is working to mend the relationships with her friends that she left behind 10 years ago, while Everett is spending time with his friend group on a regular basis. Sure, they are throwing axes and drinking beer, but they are also talking about some of the things that are going on in each other’s lives. The friendships are also a great setup for who will be taking the lead in future books including the second book titled Rival and Main* which will follow Yasmine and Ripley’s romance.

The Small Town Vibes were Spot On

I grew up in a town of 882 people so I know what it is like to live in a small town. Hart’s Landing got it right! From nosy neighbors, to bringing up drama that happened a decade ago, Melanie Harlow captured what it feels like to live in small town USA. One of my favorite aspects of this book was “The Landing Pad” online forum which read just like the Facebook posts I see from the town I grew up in. I found these sections to be a fun addition that kept the story moving forward with some added comedic relief.

Why was there a ghost?

This book almost lost me from the start because it opens and closes from the point of view of Lydia, a ghost. Lydia passed away from cancer before the events of the book when the girls were in high school, and while she is mentioned a few times between the friends, that is really as far as her role in the story goes. This book has no other supernatural elements and it seemed to be out of place. There could have easily been other ways to include the information in the prologue and epilogue that made more sense for the story as a whole.

My Final Thoughts

Overall, I found Hart’s Landing to be a fun and easy read. It covers difficult topics outside of the romance while still allowing the romance between the characters to take center stage. If you like spicy, small-town romances and a farmer main male character, then I recommend picking up a copy of Hart’s Landing* for yourself!

FAQs: The Hart’s Landing by Melanie Harlow