Book Review: Sleigh Belles

Author: Beth Albright
Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Mira

Join the Sassy Belles this holiday season—it's Christmas, Southern-style!

With her hair perfectly coiffed, nails freshly manicured and a heavy trail of perfume wafting behind her, local news reporter Dallas Dubois is sure she's about to kick her career—and maybe her love life—into high gear. The director of the Tuscaloosa children's Christmas play has fallen ill, and Dallas is ordered by her station manager to take the reins. Everyone is shocked—especially Cal Hollingsworth, who still remembers her as the Ice Queen from high school.

If nothing else, Dallas has never met a challenge that a little lip gloss and a Chanel knockoff couldn't fix. But she has no idea how to relate to these kids, and their brutal honesty is giving her pause. Things are made even more complicated by the butterflies she gets whenever Cal is near….

But when long-lost family members reenter her life, Dallas's icy veneer begins to melt. And with Cal by her side, she soon realizes that it's what's under all the hair spray that counts.

Dallas always had a bit of a chip on her shoulder, always assumed someone was out to get her. Maybe this time she was right.

With her future on the line, she certainly could not afford to lose any control. And Cal made her lose control. As they arrived back at the TV station, she promised herself she’d stay away from him at all costs. No matter what. She’d managed it since they’d finished college, and she could manage it now.

The firewall was down, and Dallas was desperate to put it back together as fast as she could.

I have enjoyed following this series so far, and I hope there will be more books in the near future! The Southern sassiness is just too much to resist, especially if you are a Southern belle like me! The cover, of course, caught my eye, as I am ready for all things Christmas starting in the beginning of November! I loved the other two books in this series, and I was anxious to finally read Dallas’s story. In this book the relationships between Blake, Vivi, and Dallas develop a little more, and I must say that things are not as light-hearted and easy going in this book as they have been in the others.

Throughout the other books in this series, I didn’t develop a very strong opinion of Blake. I actually couldn’t stand her at certain parts, but I began to warm up to her towards the end. In this book, which shares her complete story, I felt a different type of emotion towards her. I began to sympathize with her, and some of her previous actions became suddenly clear. She has been abandoned and neglected her entire life, and this really puts her character in perspective and shines a new light on things. I must admit that Beth Albright made me change my view on this character, and I am so sorry for ever doubting Dallas.

However, I loved Cal the best! Cal was just what Dallas needed. Characters like Cal are always my favorite because they are written to balance even the snarkiest and crudest out. Cal was sweet and charming and I would definitely add that he was the sugar to Dallas’s spice. Their relationship and story is rooted in the past, and it was wonderful being able to know the connection that they once had and now watching that grow and change for the better. This book is just written about relationships in general, and the mending of some that have been broken for far too long. I think the message behind the book is far more powerful than any of the previous ones!

***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Harlequin Mira in exchange for my honest review***