A Perfect Christmas Romance
Sleigh Bells Ring: A Christmas Romance Novel
Holiday Romance, Clean & Wholesome Romance, Contemporary Women Fiction
HQN
October 26, 2021
Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, Kindle
336
Celebrate the season with this sparkling and heartwarming holiday romance that proves sometimes all you need is a little Christmas magic… Angel’s View Ranch has always been special to Annelise McCade. Once upon a time, it was her family’s land, until her grandfather sold it to billionaire Wallace Sheridan. Now employed as the live-in caretaker, Annie is just trying to make it through the holidays with both her sanity and her niece's and nephew’s faith in the magic of Christmas intact. The six-year-old twins recently lost their mother, so Annie tells herself it wouldn’t be a problem to bring them to Angel’s View. Why should it be? The Sheridans haven’t visited in years, not since Wallace died. They would never know the twins were there…until Tate Sheridan shows up out of the blue two weeks before Christmas. Crushed to learn that Tate is there to sell his grandfather’s property—and mortified that her secret guests have been discovered—Annie offers her resignation. But Tate asks them to stay and help him get the house ready for one last family Christmas before it’s put on the market. Annie and Tate have three days to work their magic before the Sheridan clan arrives—and to work through the growing attraction between them. But Annie simply can’t fall for the man who will put her out of a job and a home. Still, the sparkle of the season is impossible to deny…and this Christmas has surprises in store for everyone.
I only want to read holiday romances after reading Sleigh Bells Ring by RaeAnne Thayne
Christmas has always been my favorite season, and nothing gives me more hope, fills my heart with more love, or makes me feel more peace than cuddling with a warm blanket and drinking hot chocolate while watching a holiday romance movie. There’s something about small towns, snowy mountains, Christmas trees, and serendipitous encounters that effectively soothe my often skeptical and tired soul. Sleigh Bells Ring by RaeAnne Thayne did just that—it instantly lifted my spirits.
The plot
After the death of her sister-in-law, Annie decides to move back to her hometown to help her brother with his young twins and takes a job as the caretaker for the ranch her father used to own. Angel’s View Ranch now belongs to the Sheridan’s, with whom Annie and her family were close to growing up, but they haven’t been around for many years. A few days before Christmas, unexpectedly, Tate Sheridan walks in with the news that his whole family is on their way to spend Christmas at the ranch, which means Tate and Annie only have a few days to get the inhabited house Christmas ready.
Tate is a handsome, hardworking, and kindhearted millionaire. This man, honestly, doesn’t have a single flaw. Annie’s only flaw is not taking care of herself and fully devoting herself to helping others. The story borders on a damsel in distress trope, which I’m usually not a fan of, but I didn’t mind it because Tate also puts in the work.
RaeAnne Thayne gifted us not one BUT TWO love stories. What more can we ask for?
As Tate and Annie work together to ensure his family has a nice holiday retreat, sparks fly, but the Christmas miracles don’t stop there, and you will have to read the book to know the rest. Although I will give you a little bit of a spoiler, the chapters alternate between three different perspectives.
What I liked best about this story is that, while holiday movies are usually pretty superficial, this one has depth. Our main characters reconnect having had complex journeys and facing uncertain futures. There is a beautiful warmth to the way RaeAnne Thayne takes us through their grief, trauma, and healing.
Sleigh Bells Ring was my first holiday romance novel EVER. It never crossed my mind that if I love holiday movies, maybe I would love an extended book version even more. Now, I feel like I have discovered an unlimited source of pure, blissful happiness. Sleigh Bells Ring by RaeAnne Thayne is pureness and perfection in 336 pages.
Darienne was 15 when her aunt gave her a copy of Princess by Jean Sasson, and she has been hooked on books ever since. Originally from Puerto Rico and now living in Maryland, she’s always looking to visit new coffee shops and bookstores. Her favorite genres include YA, spicy romcoms, and women’s fiction. Thanks to the Bees, she’s also now obsessed with romantasy series. Other loves include lavender lattes, sassy coffee mugs, sunrises, sleeping in, small-town charm, and big city lights. One day, she’ll write that book that lives in her head.
