Monday 11 December 2017

Review: Sleigh Rides And Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair by Heidi Swain

The new Christmas bestseller from the author of Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market!

When Anna takes on the role of companion to the owner of Wynthorpe Hall, on the outskirts of Wynbridge, she has no idea that her life is set to change beyond all recognition.

A confirmed ‘bah humbug’ when it comes to Christmas, Anna is amazed to find herself quickly immersed in the eccentric household, and when youngest son Jamie unexpectedly arrives home it soon becomes obvious that her personal feelings are going all out to compromise her professional persona.

Jamie, struggling to come to terms with life back in the Fens, makes a pact with Anna – she has to teach him to fall back in love with Wynthorpe Hall, while he helps her fall back in love with Christmas. But will it all prove too much for Anna, or can the family of Wynthorpe Hall warm her heart once and for all...?

Join Anna for a festive journey that is festooned with sleigh rides and silver bells and help her discover her happy ever after.


Review: This was such a heart-warming festive adventure of a book and I just loved every moment of it. It was great to be back in Wynbridge again, but this time up at Wynthorpe Hall, something a little different, a new location to discover. And of course with a new location come new characters. I really did love this setting within a familiar setting and thought it was a very clever way to incorporate readers who are familiar with Wynbridge and new readers who don't yet know the delights of this welcoming market town. I really did love this setting, it felt extra Christmas because it was a big old hall full of rooms which are rarely opened and stables and a great sweeping landscape. I could just picture it with christmas decorations and hosting big family dinners-it was perfect. 

And the new characters were also great, There were plenty of visits from old friends too, don;t worry if you are a fan of this series of books but I really loved having a new man character as the lynch pin of this novel. Anna was a great character to go on this journey wit. She has so much more to her than meets the eye and it was great watching it gradually reveal itself as the novel progressed. We really don't know from one moment to the next how she is going to react to events in the book and that makes for a great page turner too. 

Of course there are the family members who belong to Wynthorpe Hall to get to know too. I really felt like part of the family from the very first pages. Never mind whether Anna was going to stay and work with them or not, I was ready to jump right in there. I loved getting to know Jamie and his brothers and it was just lovely spending time and learning a family secret or two. 

Although this book is set at Christmas and is definitely a festive read, there is so much more to it than just Christmas time and tinsel. There are some really relatable issues that are covered in this book and the characters in the book all have their own things going on that I am sure we all have encountered in our lives in one way or another (no spoilers) and this is a sizable book to get your teeth into as well-although with everything going on between its pages, the time absolutely flew by for me!

All in all this was just a really lovely read. It was my first festive read of the season and I definitely started in the right place because it really got me in the mood for a mince pie or two! Because this book is so substantial it is great for reading at this time of year because it allows you some me time in a time normally filled with family obligations and other things to occupy your head space. I would definitely recommend putting this book on your Christmas list or just downloading it right now and allowing some time for yourself back in the fabulously festive Wynbridge. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

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