Review: Sleigh Bells in the Snow

Sleigh Bells in the Snow

By Sarah Morgan

Published: October 29, 2013

Once upon a time, Christmas was Kayla Green's favorite time of year. Now all the workaholic wants for Christmas is for it to be over—as fast as possible! So when duty calls her to snowy Vermont to close a deal with a new client, Kayla is grateful for an excuse to avoid the holidays for another year. 

Jackson O'Neil left a thriving business behind to return home and salvage his family's resort—it's in his blood, and he can't let it fail. Now that he's got marketing whiz Kayla Green working with him to put Snow Crystal on the map, success is on the horizon. The fact they strike enough sparks off each other to power all the Christmas lights in Vermont is just an added bonus. 

Kayla might be an expert at her job, but she's out of her depth with Jackson—he makes her crave the happy-ever-after she once dreamed of, and it's terrifying. As the snowflakes continue to swirl, will the woman who doesn't believe in the magic of Christmas finally fall under its spell?

My review:

Sleigh Bells in the Snow is the first book in a series featuring the O'Neil brothers. Jackson O'Neil is desperate to save his family's business and to prove himself to his grandfather. He hires Kayla's PR firm to help and brings her to Snow Crystal to convince his family that things need to change if Snow Crystal is to survive. Kayla is eager to accept Jackson's invitation to spend Christmas at Snow Crystal because it means she can concentrate on work and avoid Christmas in her isolated cabin. Unfortunately for Kayla, Jackson means to involve her in the various Christmas and snow related activities on the resort to help her get a feel for the business. She also can't help her attraction to the man or her reaction to his loud and boisterous family. 

As this is a Christmas story it is a little saccharine sweet at times but the characters are genuine and the romance is ultimately satisfying. Those who like some humor and a little steaminess in their romance novels will not be disappointed either. Both Kayla and Jackson have family issues to deal with on their path to happiness and while their relationship develops quickly because of the time constraints it still felt believable. The secondary characters also added to the charm of the story.

Fans of contemporary romance authors like Kristan Higgins and Jill Shalvis should add this book to their TBR list this holiday season. I will definitely be checking out the rest of the series when it is published.

Note: I received an e-ARC for review purposes courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher