When you get rid of one problem and you think life is going good along comes the the past. Dealing with the past can be complicated when you have children involved. With working on the sleigh reins for the Christmas parade and more problems occur. A sweet family read that will have you cheering for the guy who has changed his life.
Received an ARC from NetGalley and leaving a review by my own choice..

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cozy, heartwarming Christmas novel. I enjoyed it a lot.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC copy of The Sound of Sleighbells. I love Christmas books. It always gets me in the mood for the season. This one, however, didn’t give me that overall Christmasy feel. The side story about our star-crossed lovers, kind of felt like there were two parallel stories happening and I found it distracting. At the end, Ruth and Judd find their happily ever after, which was nice. It just wrapped up too quickly for me after that.

I liked the story , it has a bit of everything in it but nothing really stood out as extra special. I will give this 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

A fairly typical sweet Christmas story that easily can be made into a Christmas movie. Has a little bit of everything, first love, lost love, 2nd chances, secrets and cute little girls. A quick read that will get you into the holiday spirit.
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheSoundofSleighbells

This is a great book to get you ready for the holiday season. Ruth is a strong woman who has made some questionable decisions in the past. She is afraid to let anyone else in after them. Her kids are great additions. The town seems like a cool place and the people are interesting. Judd is her first love that went to prison for 5 years for accidentally killing a man. He has built a good life. I highly recommend this one, especially if you like holiday stories.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

little too cozy for me but definitely put in the christmas mood and its only september lol. I actually don't have a lot of thoughts regarding this one. it was as basic as it gets, the small town setting kinda sweet and it was a short read. maybe I'd have liked it more if i read it around christmas but still it was fine. not too good but definitely not bad.

Ruth McCoy and her three children are trying to make it in a small Texas town after leaving her abusive husband. Christmas is coming and the whole town is looking forward to the annual Christmas activities. Judd Rankin and Ruth dated in high school until an unfortunate accident leads Judd to spend a couple of years in prison. Since this is a Christmas book, you know what will happen next. This book was so sugary sweet that my teeth hurt. You could see the plot a mile away and there were so many stereotypes. I have enjoyed many books by this author, but this one didn’t hit for me.

This is another great story in the Branding Iron series. I liked the way the author tied so many characters together within the plot. It was a great story of forgiveness, redemption and love. It is just the type of book you are looking for to read during the Christmas season.

The Sound of Sleighbells is a cozy and heartwarming Christmas book that takes place in Texas with a small town ranch setting. It is a great romance Christmas book to read. I loved reading about Ruth McCoy and her family and also about Ruth finding romance again. Janet Dailey wrote such a heartwarming Christmas book that I would highly recommend for everyone! The Sound of Sleighbells was a cute page turning book for sure!

More than a holiday romance. Second chance. Suspense. Small town community spirit. Engaging and enjoyable. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

3.5 stars

Ruth's life is finally stable. She's left a trail of romantic misfortune behind her. She's got three beautiful children, the oldest of whom is 15 year-old Skip. One day Skip goes off with a friend to help repair the harness that will be used in the Christmas parade. The only problem is, the man who is helping them fix the harness is Skip's actual father, and neither of them knows it! Ruth does, however, and her world is turned upside-down as she attempts to navigate life with her ex, and her son's secret father, who is now back in town. Will the miracle of Christmas heal the past and create a space for love in the future?

This second-chance romance was very quaint. It's set in a small town in Texas in the late 1990s. Most of the characters were so endearing, even those with rougher edges. I enjoyed the Christmas setting, giving me those cozy holiday feels I've been wanting even though Christmas is months away (as I type this). 😄 I was eager to see each character's happily ever after!

At times I had difficulty connecting to the characters, but I found that the story was usually pretty compelling. If you like ranches, Christmas, and sweet old-school romance, this romance is for you! 😃

I'd like to thank Kensington Books and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opnions expressed are my own.

Loved this story about Ruth and Judd and the town of Branding Iron. Ruth and Judd had a past he made a wrong decision and ended up in prison for awhile, leaving Ruth pregnant. Her family kicked her out of the house and she met Tom who took her baby Skip as his own. Unfortunately he died. Then she met Ed ,who was abusive but gave her 2 girls. Skip and his friend wanted to redo the horse harness for the Christmas parade which was stored in Judd's leather workshop. So as it goes Judd finds out that Skip is his and the story continues.

Ruth McCoy is trying to rebuild a new life for herself and her children after her divorce from her abusive husband. Judd Rankin has also had some hard times and just wants to lead a peaceful life. Fate brings them together again as they had a relationship when they were younger that ended when Judd went to prison. When Ruth’s son starts working for Judd, she soon realizes that the secret she has is going to be revealed. Can they have another chance?

The Sound of Sleighbells (The Christmas Tree Ranch #6) by Janet Dailey
This book deserves more than 5 stars - It is such a wonderful heartfelt story. I had to dry my happy tears before I could write this review. Ruth and Judd have a fantastic second chance romance - She is a widow and divorced mother of three. Judd spent time in prison for a bad mistake in his youth. There is angst, deceit, vengeance, suspense, wonderful family and friends, reuniting a father and son and the making of family with a very HEA.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Happily Ever After Funny Tear-jerker Easy-to-read Wonderful characters Great world building Informative Page-turner Romantic Action-packed Haunting Scary Entertaining Unpredictable.

Ruth McCoy is raising her three children alone. Her ex-husband is in prison for abuse. Judd Rankin is back in town and living on his family ranch. Judd served time for manslaughter and when he went to prison Ruth cut off contact with him.
Judd is her 15-year-old son's dad; but she hasn't told Judd. Judd is doing leather work making saddles for a living. Ruth makes the decision to let her son work with Judd making the sleighbells for Santas sleigh.
Can they find their way to trusting and loving each other?

The Sound of Sleighbells is a delightful tale that captures the essence of the holiday season. The narrative is infused with the joyous spirit of Christmas as characters engage in activities like selecting and adorning trees, organizing festive gatherings, and upholding cherished holiday customs. These heartwarming traditions, coupled with the quaint allure of a small town, contribute to the overall optimistic and hopeful ambiance of the book. Dailey's storytelling is both sweet and enchanting, making it an ideal choice for a cozy winter read. Picture yourself nestled next to a crackling fire, immersing yourself in the pages of this perfect holiday romance.

A beautiful story about second chances, family, friendship fighting for your loved ones, and the magic of Christmas. Can Ruth give their children a happy Christmas with her abusive ex husband in prison and her struggling to make ends meet? When her past threaten to shatter her life, can she a second chance with her first love?

The Sound of Sleighbells, is a Christmas story, a quick read, and the journey of how they all came to be where they are today. Even the boys, who wanted to repair the harness before the Christmas parade.
Ruth has been struggling since her divorce, and when she wakes up Thanksgiving Day, to a broken window in her station wagon and all the food she bought for Thanksgiving dinner stolen, she knows she has to replace the food. She doesn't have the money, but she will write a check and hope it doesn't get cashed until Monday when her paycheck will be deposited.
At the store, Judd sees her, and they have been avoiding each other since he moved back. He decides to go check out and at the last moment makes a decision, and asks the clerk to make it happen. This is the start of life looking a little brighter for them, but life is never smooth sailing, but there is always hope. I enjoyed reading this story, because it is life, with its ups and downs, and sometimes things happen so that you will think about things, and see it a little differently which changes you.
I received an Arc from Kensington through NetGalley.

This is book six of the series but the first for me. After her abusive ex husband has been sent to prison Ruth is trying to get her life back together when her first love and the father of her oldest child comes back into her life. Good story.