Sleigh Bells and Second Chances (Love in Mission City, Book 3) by Gabbi Grey; Narrated by Michael Dean

We return to Mission City for a third holiday season with a slow burn romance.


From the Sleigh Bells and Second Chances 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.


Lesetiger's review:

This is a slow-burning romance between two people who have both been through a lot and are trying to live with their injuries. One is traumatized by the war, the other had problems with his parents and his social environment.

I found Simeon very charming, he has his heart in the right place. But his stuttering has caused him to develop social anxiety. Ryan, on the other hand, is struggling with trauma after returning from the war and hopes to get the help he needs at the Healing Horses Ranch. And that's where the two meet.

Ryan and Simeon are a really good match and it takes a long time for the two of them to finally do something together and bond. It took a little too long for my taste. Don't get me wrong, I like slow burn romances, but it took a bit too long here. Perhaps this was also due to the fact that the author had a lot of familiar couples from previous books appear in the story. On the one hand, this was nice because I'm always happy to see characters from previous volumes again, but on the other hand, she also devoted a lot of time to them. I would have preferred to learn more about Ryan and Simeon's relationship here.
I loved the sweet moments with the children and the animals.

Michael Dean narrated the audiobook and, as always, he did an absolutely brilliant job. He has a very pleasant voice, he portrayed Simeon's stuttering very well and respectfully and he portrayed the emotions comprehensibly. In general, I thought he chose a suitable voice for all the characters and he read very entertainingly. Highly recommended!


Sleigh Bells and Second Chances is currently available as an audiobook, e-book and paperback, and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription