Ruth McCoy hasn’t made the best choices in men. Her last husband is now serving time for kidnapping and attempted murder, but Ruth is determined to give her children the best Christmas possible. Part of that means letting her son work with rancher and custom saddle maker, Jed Rankin, to repair the harness for the horses used to pull Santa's sleigh in the Branding Iron Christmas parade.

But Ruth is torn between giving her fifteen-year-old son, Skip, who's had to grow up too fast, his heart’s desire and keeping her secret from Jedd, the man she dated seventeen years ago. And when a bad seed returns to town, Ruth will do whatever necessary to keep her children safe.

With the backdrop of the Christmas season, this story of family, community, and second chances is guaranteed to put you in the holiday mood. You won’t want to miss this sweet, southern, small-town, feel-good romance.

I found this a very romantic story with a lot of Christmas magic but it does have a small challenging part that messes things up a little but not enough to ruin the plot. I love the holiday theme and all the preparation the town is going into to make Christmas special for everyone and I love that the children are participanting by fixing a harness for the horses. I love that Ruth and Judd are getting reaquianted and eventually fall in love again, and I love that people can learn from their mistakes and make changes for the better, especially in romance novel.

I want to thank Kensington Books, Kensington and NetGalley for an advance copy of this novel about the meaning of Christmas.

A great winter romance
Best-selling author Janet Dailey presents her novel "The Sound of Sleigh bells", the sixth book in the Christmas Tree Ranch series, published by Kensington Books. Ruth McCoy is freshly divorced. She wants to create new Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions for four-year old Tammy and six-year old Janeen. Her life had been marked by a number of ups and downs and heartbreaks. A fifteen year old lie could cost her her son Skip and she was waiting and praying for forgiveness. Judd Rankin's life knew also some major turns. Now he is back in his hometown and back in the life of Ruth. But there are mysteries that are out of Ruth's control that could ruin the happiness of the family. And what about her relationship with Judd.
This was the first book of Janet Dailey that I read. I am looking forward to reading more of her books, especially also from this series. I liked the great and believable characters and the story-line that was interesting and took also unexpected turns. I highly recommend it to readers who like romance novels that also contain the elements of mystery and suspense.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#TheSoundOfSleighbells #Netgalley

The Sound of Sleighbells by Janet Dailey A Second chance at romance and a heartwarming Christmas story with family, love and holiday cheer. Enjoyed catching up with Abner and learning more about Judd and Ruth. Very good addition to Branding Iron Christmas series.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read The Sound of Sleighbells before the release date.

The Sound of Sleighbells is a romance novel set in Branding Iron, Texas. The talented author combines a western setting, and small-town characters to create a heartwarming story about family, love, second chances and new beginnings.

Ruth McCoy is eager to start new holiday traditions with her children after her divorce. But fate brings the man she once loved together with the teenage son he never knew he had. Ruth knows it’s only a matter of time before her secret is discovered.

Judd Rankin has had some tough times in his life including a stint in prison. He’s back in Branding Iron to start over and is surprised by the feelings he still has for Ruth. He doesn’t mind helping the struggling single mom or letting her son help in his custom saddle business when he shows an interest. But something about the teenager reminds him of his younger self. When Ruth’s secret is revealed will it destroy Ruth and Judds growing feelings or be their greatest gift.

Enjoyed this quick read with great characters, second chances , a HEA , and plenty of drama to keep the reader engaged.

4/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have enjoyed the other books in Janet Dailey's Branding Iron Christmas series. This book is a fine addition to that series. The main characters Judd and Ruth had a relationship when they were young, but circumstances forced them apart. Both had serious problems to overcome and were doing so. Both the main characters and the peripheral characters were well developed and memorable. The plot had twists and turns and plenty of suspense, but resolved nicely. This was an enjoyable example of Western romantic fiction. Strongly recommended.

I haven't picked up a Janet Dailey book that I didn't like. This one is no exception. Once I started reading it I just could not put it down.

Judd and Ruth used to date in High School and he went out with some of friends one night and ended up killing a man in a fight. Now Judd is out of prison, he is keeping a low profile in town.


Can Ruth and Judd pick up where they left off, will they have a second chance. Check out the story I think you will enjoy it.

The book was a Christmas story about a woman and her 3 children and her bad marriages. And how she overcomes to
move back to her home town and finds love with her first love that was in jail and never told him about his son, he never new he had.
And Christmas miracles for everyone.
A great book

A very well written romance. Great plot and well developed characters. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

I usually like Janet Dailey Christmas stories but this one just didn't do anything for me. Pass on this one.

Janet Dailey brings us the story of newly divorced mom of three Ruth back to her hometown. Life choices brings Ruth back and sees that first love Judd has returned as well. The past seems to be rushing forward as her son and his friend start working with Judd restoring the harness for the upcoming Christmas sleigh ride. As her past and her present collide, will the secret she has been harboring explode and destroy everything she worked so hard for? Or will it turn into something wonderful?

We get to see how Ruth and Judd first work around each other without actually coming in contact even though it is a small town and everyone knows everyone. Then we see how events from the past forces them to work together and how life choices impacts their present and perhaps their future. You keep turning the page to see what happens next and what will they do. It is a very nice Christmas story filled with love and family.

I received and read an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for this privilege.

Loved the characters and plot idea. Writing and dialogue was a little stilted for me. Teenage boy seemed unrealistic but maybe it’s a regional thing. Could have been great but didn’t quite get there.

I received a free copy of, The Sound of Sleighbells, by Janet Dailey, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I love Christmas stories, any time of the year, their is something special about them. Ruth is starting over, and then her old love shows up. Judd has been going through a lot of things himself, life is messy. This is a sweet story, I enjoyed it.

Janet Daily never disappoints and The Sound of Sleigh Bells proves it once again. For someone whose relationships don’t work out, the past comes to the present and second chances might be a possibility. This sweet holiday read gives warmth to the heart and honors the Christmas season with small acts of kindness that bring joy to the heart and thankfulness for what we are given. Five stars to The Sound of Sleigh Bells.

This is a compelling story of lost love and regained self worth and is set in a small town in Texas. Ruth and Judd have a history but haven't reconnected until recently. Judd has made a new life for himself with a custom saddle business on his property. Ruth is struggling after a divorce from her 2nd husband. She has a son by her 1st husband (who is deceased) and two young daughters from her 2nd marriage and life is a struggle. Judd and Ruth are both intrigued when their paths cross again but Ruth has a secret she has kept from Judd and the repercussions could be massive.

I really enjoyed this story and the characters and situations. This is a fun Christmas / Redemption story.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

As a long time Janet Dailey fan, I was not disappointed in the writing for this one. The storyline was good and the second chance romance was sweet. Dialogue was good. I lost interest in some of the parts though.

This was a 4 star for me.

The Sounds of Sleighbells
By Janet Dailey

This was my first book I have read by Janet Dailey. I read this book in 2 days, I could not put it down. Ruth McCoy was ready to have a fun and joyous holiday, and shed her painful past & memories. Her choice in men were less than stellar. Ruth had beautiful children out of her painful past and they brought much joy and love to her life. Judd Rankin was a blast form Ruth’s past and soon became the joy to her future and her children’s future joy and happiness. A secret Ruth hid for years will come to light. I loved the loving and caring characters in the small town who went out of their way to show love and kindness in time of need. This book will bring joy to your holiday reading, a MUST read.

First and foremost thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Sound of Sleighbells before the release date.

The Sound of Sleighbells by Janet Dailey is an extremely cute traditional romance novel set in Branding Iron, Texas in 1998. The story is set around a single mother of three named Ruth. When Ruth was a teenager she fell for a guy named Judd, who happened to be a member of a motorcycle club. When one night Judd chose the gang over Ruth and got himself arrested for manslaughter Ruth took off and never looked back. What people didn't know was that Ruth was keeping a very big secret from Judd and needed to find a nice man to marry before anyone found out that her secret was that she was pregnant with Judd's baby. Ruth quickly married a nice man named Tom who claimed Skip as his own and they never told Skip about who is father really was. Unfortunately Tom was murdered leaving Ruth alone once more. She met a man named Ed McCoy who she married and had her two daughters with. Ed turned out to be a psycho who abuses Ruth relentlessly. When he finally snapped and blew their house up Ruth vows off men and focuses on giving herself and her children the life they deserve.

Flash forward to 1998 and now Ruth's living in a small rental house newly divorced from Ed now that he's in prison. What Ruth didn't expect is that Judd is back in Branding Iron with a very successful saddle making business and offers his shop to Skip and his two friends so they can restore the horse harness for the Christmas parade. That's when it finally dawned on Judd that Skip is most likely his son, but he doesn't bring it up to Ruth.

This story was so well written and cute that it kept me hooked from start to finish. It had romance, heartbreak, Christmas spirit, and a little bit of a mystery once Digger comes back to town looking up to no good. He's got some major secrets of his own for being back in Branding Iron.

I really enjoyed this book!

Ruth and Judd were high school sweethearts. Events happened that tore them apart and forced Ruth to move on. Years later they reconnect, but Ruth isn’t ready to open her heart to another relationship after all she’s been through. When someone else from their past shows up, trouble soon follows.

A lovely second chance story with danger, secrets, new beginnings, and more! There are a couple of instances where you might need a tissue close by for the tears.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. Janet Dailey legacy continues from her family. This book was heart warming and romantic. I give it five stars. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.