REVIEW: Sleigh Bells Ring by RaeAnne Thayne

Sleigh Bells Ring by RaeAnne Thayne is a heartwarming Christmas story.

Annelise “Annie” McCade and her twin niece Alice and nephew Henry are having lots of fun having a snowball fight outside the residence at Angel View Ranch. Annie is the caretaker for the property and the twins are staying there with her while their father Wes McCade has been sentenced to 30 days in the local lockup for drunk and disorderly behavior. Wes lost the children’s mother and their unborn child the year before and he has not been dealing well with that loss. Annie calls a timeout during the snowball fight to replenish snowballs. When Annie calls out that the fight is back on she throws a snowball without really looking and hits the man walking into the middle of the battlefield in the face.

What a shock. It’s Tate Sheridan of the Sheridan family who owns the ranch. Annie, her brother Wes, Tate and his sister Brianna were the best of friends when they were children and the Sheridan family visited the ranch. Annie and Wes’ father was the ranch manager at the time. Now Annie gets the news the entire Sheridan family will be arriving in a few days for the Christmas holiday. Annie has so much to do to get ready and Tate is a major distraction.

Tate Sheridan and his entire family are grieving the death of his grandfather, the patriarch of the Sheridan family. Tate is adjusting to his new role as the President and CEO of Sheridan International. Tate’s father died in a horseback riding accident at their ranch when Tate was a teen so the mantle of running the family business falls on Tate’s shoulders.

No one in the family felt comfortable at the ranch after the accident except for his grandfather who visited often. It seems his grandfather found peace there. So the family is gathering at the ranch for a memorial and to spread his grandfather’s ashes at the ranch he loved. Tate hadn’t thought much about Annie McCade over the twenty years since he had last been at the ranch. He can’t get her off his mind now. His attraction to her is that powerful.

Members of both the Sheridan and McCade families have issues from past losses to deal with. Ms. Thayne does a good job of dealing with their pain and sorrow as they work to overcome their losses. I enjoyed all the characters and their overwhelming goodness. They all cherish helping others. I really liked the twins in the story. Six-year-old children at Christmastime are a joy to read about.

Book Info:

Publication: October 26th 2021 | HQN |

Celebrate the season with this sparkling holiday romance, perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber, Dorthea Benton Frank, and Nancy Thayer!

Ranch manager Annie McCade thought her twin niece and nephew could join her at the Angel View Ranch for Christmas with her absent employer being none the wiser. But when the ranch’s owner, Tate Sheridan, shows up out of the blue, Annie’s plans are upended. Soon she finds herself helping Tate make a Christmas to remember for his grieving and fractured extended family.

Sleigh Bells Ring is the latest heartwarming, festive Christmas story by New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne.