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The Sound of Sleighbells (The Christmas Tree Ranch Book 6) Janet Dailey

234 pages publication date September 26,2023 Zebra Books

About The Book

In her newest Texas-set Christmas Tree Ranch novel, New York Times bestselling author and America’s First Lady of Romance combines the popular Western ranch setting of Diana Palmer’s romances with the relatable small-town characters of Robyn Carr’s women’s fiction, to create heartwarming holiday magic filled with family, love, second chances and new beginnings.

After her divorce, Ruth McCoy is eager to trade her children’s painful memories for new holiday traditions. But Ruth has a whole new set of distractions when fate brings the man she once loved together with the son he never knew he had . . .
 
Life has thrown Judd Rankin some tough turns, and he’s startled by the feelings he still has for Ruth. Though the successful rancher knows better than to chase old dreams, he doesn’t mind lending the struggling single mom a hand. And when Judd sees Ruth’s teenaged son’s interest in his custom saddle business, he’s happy to let the boy help him build the harness for Branding Iron’s Christmas sleigh. Besides, the kid reminds Judd of the young man he once was. A man who believed anything was possible . . .
 
Powerless to deny the growing bond between her son and Judd, Ruth knows it’s only a matter of time before her secret is discovered. But will the revelation shatter the tender feelings between her and Judd—or turn out to be her family’s greatest gift?

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My Thoughts

This is what you think of when you think of a Hallmark movie.
Part of the Christmas Tree Ranch series and the second book I’ve read in the series. Last year’s Christmas book was the first book. I can tell you this much, I will be needing to go to my library and find the rest of the books in this incredible series. I haven’t read many books by this author; I know she has quite a few but the ones I’ve read I’ve enjoyed quite a bit.


When you’re thinking of what makes a Christmas book fulfilling this is the type of book you’ll think of. Richly detailed for Christmas but the book doesn’t go overboard with sickeningly sweet like some books do, small town, children, wonderful characters, engaging plot and a realistic romance.


Divorced mother, Ruth McCoy just wants her children to have happy Christmas memories and wants to start new family traditions. A mama bear she will do all she can to protect these children, even her oldest a fifteen-year-old boy who is out to prove he’s a man who doesn’t really need Mama’s guidance, but we all know they do at that age.


A run in with an old flame stirs up memories on both of their parts and we get a flash back to Ruth and Judd’s past. Can he convince her a second chance romance with him is the best thing for her and her children or is it all just water under the bridge best left in the past?


A very warm and welcoming story where the characters seem like friends you’d want to stop and have coffee with. Will a secret from Ruth’s past put the brakes on the budding relationship between Ruth and Judd? A sweet romance that’ll surely get you in the holiday mood.
Recommended!

Pub Date 26 Sep 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The Author

JANET DAILEY’s first book was published in 1976. Since then, she has written more than 100 novels and become one of the top-selling female authors in the world, with 300 million copies of her books sold in nineteen languages in ninety-eight countries. She is known for her strong, decisive characters, her extraordinary ability to recreate a time and a place, and her unerring courage to confront important, controversial issues in her stories. You can learn more about Janet at http://www.JanetDailey.com.

Enjoy your weekend and share those kind words with someone.

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Somebody like Santa: A Heartwarming Texas Christmas Love Story (The Christmas Tree Ranch #5) By Janet Dailey-Review

About The Book

For Cooper Chapman, moving next door to his newlywed sister in Branding Iron, Texas, is the biggest gift he could ask for this Christmas. The divorced single dad knows his troubled teenaged son only needs the healing balm of big skies and family ties.  But soon after settling into their new home, Trevor falls in with some wild friends at his new school, leaving Cooper leaning hard on youth counselor Jess Graver. With grace and wisdom, Jess soothes Cooper’s worries over his son, even as the elusive beauty stirs romantic feelings to life . . .

With the holiday growing closer, young Trevor finds an unexpected mentor in a local farmer, helping him build a horse-drawn sleigh for the Christmas parade. Now the only thing that could make Cooper’s New Year brighter would be making warm-hearted Jess his own. But when he stumbles upon a secret from her past, it will take more than mistletoe to bring them back together and keep her at his side for all the sweet seasons to come . . .

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My Thoughts

This is the fifth book in the Christmas Tree Ranch series.
Branding Iron, Texas is the home of Cooper Chapman’s newlywed sister and her husband, it’s convenient that there is a rental next to her for him and his young teenaged son to move into for their new start. Moving to the middle of nowhere in this “redneck hell of Branding Iron, Texas” is not Trevor, the thirteen-year-old son’s idea of a good time, he desperately misses Seattle with his friends and where he fit in.
School counselor Jess Graver more than once comes to the aid of Cooper Chapman, calming his worries when his son falls in with a wild crowd at school trying to prove himself worthy.


Jess and Cooper have an immediate attraction to each other, but I wouldn’t call this book a romance as each of them seems to keep pulling away from the other one emotionally for one reason or another.


There are a lot of side stories that could have taken on a book of their own, a hidden secret discovered, working as redemption to right a wrong as an older man gives the teen a chance to make things right, a Christmas parade, violence and abuse, kidnapping.
I did not particularly like the female lead character in this book, in my opinion she is standoffish and not willing to listen to reason.

My favorite characters would have to be Trevor the troubled teen who gains confidence and turns his life around and even goes out of his way to show empathy and help a troubled friend. Another favorite character is Maggie, that firecracker of a little girl, the take charge kind who is everyone’s friend.


For a novella length book, I think there was too much packed into it and some of these side stories should have been explored in the possibility of their own book.

Pub Date 27 Sep 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own. 

The Author

JANET DAILEY’s first book was published in 1976. Since then she has written more than 100 novels and become one of the top-selling female authors in the world, with 300 million copies of her books sold in nineteen languages in ninety-eight countries. She is known for her strong, decisive characters, her extraordinary ability to recreate a time and a place, and her unerring courage to confront important, controversial issues in her stories. You can learn more about Janet at http://www.JanetDailey.com.

With much appreciation for your visit today. May you stay safe and warm.