Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair - Heidi Swain

Available here from Amazon 

I hold my hands up and admit I’m a new addition to the Heidi Swain Appreciation Society, but I LOVE everything I have been able to get my hands on so far and that includes Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair.

Independent Anna takes a job as companion to the owner of Wynthorpe Hall for the festive period, expecting it to last only a few weeks - little does she know that this is the start of a life she never believed she could have. Anna is Anti-Christmas and does everything she can to avoid the entire season, but very soon after her arrival at Wynthorpe Hall she is amazed to find herself thrown in the festive deep end. Within the eccentric household, she starts to feel like she is part of their very unique family and when Jamie arrives home from travelling it soon becomes clear Wynthorpe Hall will provide her with far more than she was bargaining for

Jamie finds himself struggling to come to terms with life at home, responsibilities are making it difficult for him to be truly happy. He makes a pact with Anna – she must 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.

I have no qualms with reading festive books at any point in the year, I’m more than happy to cosy up and start thinking about getting festive. Heidi Swain gives us a marvellous, heart-warming festive filled book and I loved every moment of it.

Having only recently been introduced to Wynbridge I was pleased to find myself back -  this time up at Wynthorpe Hall with a whole host of new characters to discover (and ultimately fall in love with). I thought the setting of the Hall added extra festive feeling, imagining the grand building and sweeping landscape. Throughout the book, we are re-introduced to characters from Heidi’s other books, this is something I always really love in books as it feels like you are visiting old friends and catching up on their lives.

This takes nothing away from the new characters in this books. They are all different with their own little back story (and potential for future stories maybe??) but I must confess, I was mostly enamoured with Angus. Lovable Angus, mischievous, smart and always up to something. I can’t wait to find out what Angus can get up to next. I felt for, and liked, Anna- not because I am anti-Christmas (I’m not!) but through the writing you can feel that she has suffered, she has been hurt, devastated and built her own walls up to protect herself. It was wonderful to see her open up and let others in, she embraced the people around her and accepted the love and support they were offering.

I love the relationship between Jamie and Anna, how they help each other and how they learn to love along the way – Anna with Christmas, Jamie with Wynthorpe Hall and both with each other. It is such a feel good, romantic tale that you can cosy up with – whether it’s the festive season or not. 


I just couldn’t put the book down, it’s beautifully written and leaves you with a lovely warm feeling. Here’s to the next! Follow Heidi on Twitter - @Heidi_Swain

Comfy Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍