Book Review: Sleigh Bells Ring

Sleigh Bells Ring novella compilation

Sleigh Bells Ring by Sandra D. Bricker, Lynette Sowell, Barbara J. Scott, and Lenora Worth

Let's begin with the summary:

Santa Claus is coming to town, and so are the Tucker sisters.

Never mind a pony. The Tucker girls have inherited their father’s horse farm for Christmas. Make that . . . a run-down horse farm. It needs some serious TLC in order to make it sell-ready. Joanna knows that by recruiting her sisters and one handsome ranch hand they can fix up the place and even celebrate one last Christmas while they’re at it. However, to Isabella, returning to their home in Kentucky bluegrass country for Christmas seems like an impossible hurdle. Can her Chicago boyfriend make life merry and bright again?

One thing’s for sure—nothing is peace on earth for Sophia as a new beau brings up old wounds. And when the fate of the horse farm is put in jeopardy because Amy accidentally fraternizes with the enemy, tensions rise. But it’s not like the land developer stole Christmas . . . just her heart.

Can the Tucker sisters have themselves a merry little Christmas?

And now, my review:
 
This is a delightful Christmas novella collection, featuring four sisters during the Christmas season. One of the authors, my friend Sandie Bricker, recently passed away. But before she did, she asked if I'd be willing to read this collection for review. I really enjoy reading Christmas novella collections this time year, and I gladly accepted.

Sandie's book is first. We see the launch of the struggle to get all the sisters together for Christmas. They've just lost their father, but they had complicated relationships with him. Plus, they have their own lives now, so coming back to the house where he lived, and where they grew up, isn't something they are eager to do.

I liked the reunion romance aspect of this set, as well as the peaceful rural setting. There's something idyllic about breaking away from the big city and the hectic lifestyle to focus on family and Christmas and even revisit the past for a season. There's healing in that. Readers will relate to this.

I also liked that this was a compilation of contemporary stories. They're each novellas (about 20K words each), so they read quickly, which is helpful during this busy time of year.

Another bonus of reading compilations like this is getting to know knew-to-you authors. This set gives readers a taste of four different authors' writing voices and styles. Yet they blend together well. Pick up this compilation. You'll enjoy it! And you might even find another favorite author or two.