Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Ryan

The moment I landed in that war zone, I knew I'd made a big mistake. I wasn't a soldier, and my good intentions almost got me killed. Being wounded and shipped back home to Canada was both a blessing and a curse. I’m safe now, but I can’t stop thinking of the men I left behind. My therapist claims Healing Horses Ranch will help heal my wounds—physical and mental—but I'm not sure how much tranquility and wholesome fresh air I can take. Until I meet a beautiful, shy man who makes moving forward seem almost possible. Can I let go of the past and reach for a future with Simeon?

Simeon

I've made peace with being different from the folks around me. I love my home in Mission City, and if anyone needs something fixed, I’m the guy they call. When the owner of the therapy ranch hires me for a big project, I’m excited to get started. I always work alone, but one of the patients keeps hanging around, and I can't bear to send him on his way. I can see how much he's hurting. If helping me helps him, that's a win for us both. As we share the work, something about that wounded man draws me deeper and deeper in. I'm no therapist, and I have my own issues, so am I a fool to be thinking about a future with a guy who's likely to leave once he's healed?

Sleigh Bells and Second Chances is a slow-burn, age-gap, hurt/comfort, mid-angst, gay romance novel with a shy handyman, a reckless former gamer, a precocious borrowed kid, and a therapy dog named Tiffany.

Narrated by Michael Dean

Book Review

This story has all the feels— ALL of them. It’s sweet, positive, heartwarming, and exudes hope for two fantastic main characters, both of whom have issues that tend to keep them isolated from others.

 

Ryan is suffering from physical and psychological wounds. He’s the only survivor of a mission sent to help the resistance in the Ukraine. He’s not officially a soldier, however, and both his physical and psychological wounds need the help his father finances for him at the Healing Horses ranch.

 

Simeon, a handyman currently working at the ranch, has a very pronounced stutter and though he’s self-conscious about it, others at the ranch don’t find it as annoying as Simeon thinks they do. Nevertheless, it keeps him isolated. It doesn’t stop him from being the person who helps Ryan the most, however. He offers Ryan a chance to help with projects when Ryan finds himself hanging out with the shy handyman. The two hit it off immediately, and Ryan finds that the very gentle and kind Simeon is not only respectful of his boundaries but is a man he wants to know much more about. When a snowstorm strands Ryan with Simeon, Ryan also gets to know Simeon’s grandparents, two very lovable octogenarians who virtually raised the sweet young man.

 

Bottom line on this one – two lonely hearts, slow burn, one a virgin, one with only a little experience. Both introverts, both sweet guys. When they slowly but surely finally got together, I couldn’t keep the smile from my face. Their Christmas holiday season is busy and includes a wedding at the ranch between two of the author’s other characters, Adam and Dean. Romantic sleigh rides and cuddly scenes left me feeling so good and so hopeful for these guys. Definitely, this is one of my favorite holiday stories ever.

 

And if all the goodness in these pages wasn’t enough to make this a top pick, the narration by Michael Dean was spot-on and only added to my enjoyment. The voices he gave to Ryan and to Simeon were perfect for their characters. Secondary characters like Simeon’s grandparents and the Kennedy sisters came to life as well. 

 

This is book three in Gabbi Grey’s ’Mission City’ series but it most certainly can be read as a stand-alone. Sweet and fun cameo appearances by past characters might just drive you back to your favorite book or audiobook retailer, though, so you can read about (or listen to) Maddox and Ravi and Justin and Stanley and others in this universe for a delicious holiday treat. 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This audio book has been provided by the author via GRRT for the purpose of a review.

 

Additional Information

Format	audio book
Length	Listening Length: 10 hours and 38 minutes
Heat Level
Publication Date	22-October-2024
Price	$21.83 audiobook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Sleigh-Bells-Second-Chances-Mission/dp/B0DJH8S6QJ