🎧︎Sleigh Bells Ring by RaeAnne Thayne delivered a sweet, cozy and heartwarming, small town Christmas romance. It featured two romantic pairings, adorable twins and enough Christmas cheer to get one in the mood for the holiday season.
Sleigh Bells Ring is the warm, festive story by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne, a name that has become synonymous with Christmas. In this emotional and heartwarming book, RaeAnne Thayne tells the story of the caretaker of a ranch determined to keep the spread going, and the man who inherited the land and is determined to sell. But when it benefits them both to pretend to be each other's long-lost love, can real love be far behind? Celebrate the season in this sparkling holiday romance, perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber, Robyn Carr, and Susan Mallery.
Title: Sleigh Bells Ring
Author(s): RaeAnne Thayne
Narrator(s): Stacy Gonzalez
Published by Harlequin Books on October 26, 2021
Pages: 341
Length: 9 Hours and 5 Mins
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance
Source: Netgalley, Scribd
Format: Audiobook, eArc 
Purchase: Amazon|B&N|Kobo|Audible|Audiobooks.com
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None of the Sheridan family members has visited the gorgeous Angel's View Ranch in the entire thirty months Annie McCade has been the caretaker of the property, and she has no reason to believe this holiday season will be any different. After all, why would they visit? Annie knows Wallace Sheridan, the family patriarch who hired her, loved it here but no one else in the family did. They couldn't face their dark memories of the place. Annie certainly understands their pain--when, as a child, she lived on the ranch, she saw a young and frantic Tate Sheridan come galloping out of the mountains, looking for help for his severely injured father, who would later die from massive injuries. Since then, with the exception of Wallace, the whole remaining family couldn't get away fast enough.
And actually, Annie is grateful to have the place to herself--her ne'er-do-well brother got himself thrown in jail over the holidays, and she took temporary custody of her little niece and nephew for Christmas. Until Tate shows up and she unexpectedly hits him square in the face with a snowball! She worries that she is about to get fired, but Tate, after confronting the ghosts of his past, realizes he wants Annie to stay. His big family and their entourage are arriving the next day, and he can't manage them--and the big, echoing ranch house--without her.
So Tate has a brilliant idea. He tells her she and the kids can stay, through the holidays at least--if she agrees to pretend to be his long-lost love, to keep his busybody matchmaking grandmother off his back.
Annie is at first outraged by the suggestions and then intrigued. How hard could it be to pretend she and Tate have fallen for each other? He's gorgeous, after all--and some part of her heart had never forgotten their long-ago friendship. The trick, she realizes, will be convincing her heart during the magical holiday season that it's only make belive.
This is my second time reading the author’s work. I enjoyed every moment spent immersed in the world she created. 🎧︎Sleigh Bells Ring introduces Annalise McCade and Tate Sheridan. Annalise returned to Angel’s View Ranch to work as the caretaker. Her brother got himself into some trouble that landed him in jail after a series of poor choices. This left her with the responsibility of taking care of her twin niece and nephew. The children staying with her at the ranch wouldn’t be a problem, but then the Sheridan family came to spend Christmas at the ranch.
With most of the staff absent and the chef in the hospital because of a serious accident, Annalise offered to prepare the meals for the family. Annie grew up with the Sheridans and, from a tender age, she harbored a crush for Tate Sheridan. Tate is taking over the responsibilities of the ranch from his grandfather, who recently passed. Having Tate in proximity at this point wreaks havoc on her mind, body, and heart.
🎧︎Sleigh Bells Ring delivered not one, but two romantic pairings, with the focus on the romance developing between Tate and Annalise. The secondary romance is between Tate’s sister Brie and the ranch manager Levi. I fell wholeheartedly in love with the characters. Their fears, pain, struggles and hope leapt from the pages. My heart ached for the twins most of all. At six years of age, they’ve experienced so much pain and loss in their short life.
The romance came with its fair share of challenges for both couples. Annalise thought Tate was forbidden to her because of his wealthy status. However, her fears were for naught, as Tate was a kind-hearted man. He didn’t allow his wealth to control him. Instead, he used it to help others. In relation to the secondary couple, tragic events from Brie’s past, and choices made as a result, threatened to derail the budding romance between her and Levi.
Now readers who like their romance with steam will be disappointed to know that 🎧︎Sleigh Bells Ring had no smexy times. There were a few kisses and some flirtations, but nothing to set your reading device on fire. However, do not let this stop you from picking up this delightful story about healing, love, and family. It is bound to tug on your heartstrings and leave you with a smile in the end.
Narration
Stacy Gonzalez provided the narration for the story. I enjoyed listening to her. She did a good job with the voices of the characters, especially the twins. Her voices were distinct, which made it easy to determine which of the characters were speaking. I would definitely listen to her again.
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About RaeAnne Thayne
I’m not one of those people who knew from birth she was destined to become a writer. I always loved to read and throughout my childhood I could usually be found with a book in my hands. To the disgust of my friends, I even enjoyed creative writing assignments that made them all groan. But I had other dreams besides writing. I wanted to be an actress or a teacher or a lawyer. Life took a different turn for me, though, when my mother made me take a journalism elective in high school (thanks, Mom!). I knew the first day that this was where I belonged. After I graduated from college in journalism, I took a job at the local daily newspaper and I reveled in the challenge and the diversity of it. One day I could be interviewing the latest country music star, the next day I was writing about local motorcycle gangs or interviewing an award-winning scientist. Through it all — through the natural progression of my career from reporter to editor — I wrote stories in my head. Not just any stories, either, but romances, the kind of books I have devoured since junior high school, with tales about real people going through the trials and tribulations of life until they find deep and lasting love. I had no idea how to put these people on paper, but knew I had to try — their stories were too compelling for me to ignore. I sold my first book in 1995 and now, more than 60 books later, I’ve come to love everything about writing, from the click of the computer keys under my fingers to the “that’s—it!” feeling I get when a story is flowing. I write full-time now (well, as full-time as I can manage juggling my kids!) amid the raw beauty of the northern Utah mountains. Even though I might not have dreamed of being a writer when I was younger, now I simply can’t imagine my life any other way.
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I see her books frequently and I keep meaning to try them. This sounds like a lovely Christmas pair of romances and setting.
Wonderful review Nadene. I also enjoyed this one, especially as there were no steamy scenes. I agree with your comments about the narration, she did a wonderful job.
I’m really glad you had a lovely time with this book! I don’t mind if there are no steamy scenes, as long as both story and characters are well delivered, the reading is gonna be pleasant 🙂
I love RaeAnne Thayne and this sounds absolutely wonderful. I haven’t listened to this narrator but it sounds like I definitely need to give her a try.