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carriebreanne's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Super cute story! It was like Beauty And The Beast meets Hallmark. Lighthearted, predictable, and sweet. I definitely recommend! Especially to those who love Hallmark movies
cottagecore_librarian's review
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookameme's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A Cute Holiday Romance
Quote:📖
Home is not a place. Home is whatever makes your soul happy.
Thoughts: 💡
This was a really cute Christmas story where the down on her luck FMC melts the grumpy hero’s heart of ice. The side characters were cute and I loved how close Belle was with her family.
The relationship was adorable and exactly what you would expect from a hallmark-esque Christmas romance.
Writing Mechanics: ✍️
The writing was well edited, the characters had depth, and the plot was cute and well put together. It wasn’t the deep dark plots I usually read but it was enjoyable for a holiday romance.
Fun Bits:
⚜️ Hallmark Christmas Movie Vibes
⚜️ Close Knit Family
⚜️ Small Town Setting
⚜️ Broody MMC Finds His Soft Side
Note:✨
Standalone
Stats:📊
Clean Romance
Character Dev: 5 💙💙💙💙💙/5
Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance📕
Tropes: Beauty & The Beast Retelling, Small Town, Hallmark Vibes, Grumpy x Sunshine📘
POV: Single 💃🏻
enchantingtaleswithalex's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you so much to author N.D. Testa for allowing me to be an ARC reader for this novel! (And how appropriate that I zoomed right through it on the debut day!)
If you're someone who loves a festive setting, romantic sleigh rides and a fairytale retelling, I think you will greatly enjoy this novel. "Sleigh Belle" introduces us to Belle, a young woman forced to return to her family home in Vermont after a failed career in New York City, and Jake, a young man who has turned his heart to stone in order to escape the pain of past heartbreak. Through old traditions and the meddling of a man who saw romance before its time, Belle and Jake are brought together during the holidays as she desperately attempts to keep the Christmas traditions of her home town alive.
I felt this was a solid 3.5 star novel that is perfect for people who enjoy a fast paced plot and a happy ending. The biggest reason I can't quite give this a 4 is because the dialogue between characters sometimes pulled me out of the narrative. Some of it was great! But there were a lot of places where I felt that people just...don't talk like that. So it pulled me a little bit from what was happening in each chapter. The sentence structure was short and sweet but sometimes just a little too short to truly grant me a picture of where the characters were at the time.
Overall it was an enjoyable read and I do appreciate that I had the opportunity to be a first time ARC reader!
If you're someone who loves a festive setting, romantic sleigh rides and a fairytale retelling, I think you will greatly enjoy this novel. "Sleigh Belle" introduces us to Belle, a young woman forced to return to her family home in Vermont after a failed career in New York City, and Jake, a young man who has turned his heart to stone in order to escape the pain of past heartbreak. Through old traditions and the meddling of a man who saw romance before its time, Belle and Jake are brought together during the holidays as she desperately attempts to keep the Christmas traditions of her home town alive.
I felt this was a solid 3.5 star novel that is perfect for people who enjoy a fast paced plot and a happy ending. The biggest reason I can't quite give this a 4 is because the dialogue between characters sometimes pulled me out of the narrative. Some of it was great! But there were a lot of places where I felt that people just...don't talk like that. So it pulled me a little bit from what was happening in each chapter. The sentence structure was short and sweet but sometimes just a little too short to truly grant me a picture of where the characters were at the time.
Overall it was an enjoyable read and I do appreciate that I had the opportunity to be a first time ARC reader!
bookish_reads's review
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
💌 Sleigh Belle by N. D. Testa
The book is the human embodiment of Beauty And The Beast. It revolves around the main characters Belle, Jake, and the Christmas mystery/miracle. The delicate, romantic, and mysterious relationship showcased in the novel kept me waiting for their kiss. I won’t spoil the moment for future readers by telling about how and where it happened but, all I would love to confess is that they do kiss and it was magical. While reaching the end of the book, at one point I was angry at a decision Belle was going to make but Nicole beautifully overpowered that emotion and made the end of Sleigh Belle worth the read. She did an amazing job because of her efforts all the agitation vanished as if it had never been in existence before.
The portrayal of Frost Manor’s precious owner, Sam (Jake’s grandfather) was the moment that I cherished throughout the book. His riddles, passions for Christmas, and letters were pleasurable rides.
If love was ever displayed in the simplest form it would be Sleigh Belle’s journey. It had a beginning, a middle, and an end. There was no murder, emotional trauma that was triggering not just for the character but the reader too, or even sexual activity. It’s shocking how without any of these acts the novel was wholesome. Her work was complete and did not require any other crutches to help her novel to walk. The novel spoke and walked on its own and that's what made me happier.
—Love S
The book is the human embodiment of Beauty And The Beast. It revolves around the main characters Belle, Jake, and the Christmas mystery/miracle. The delicate, romantic, and mysterious relationship showcased in the novel kept me waiting for their kiss. I won’t spoil the moment for future readers by telling about how and where it happened but, all I would love to confess is that they do kiss and it was magical. While reaching the end of the book, at one point I was angry at a decision Belle was going to make but Nicole beautifully overpowered that emotion and made the end of Sleigh Belle worth the read. She did an amazing job because of her efforts all the agitation vanished as if it had never been in existence before.
The portrayal of Frost Manor’s precious owner, Sam (Jake’s grandfather) was the moment that I cherished throughout the book. His riddles, passions for Christmas, and letters were pleasurable rides.
If love was ever displayed in the simplest form it would be Sleigh Belle’s journey. It had a beginning, a middle, and an end. There was no murder, emotional trauma that was triggering not just for the character but the reader too, or even sexual activity. It’s shocking how without any of these acts the novel was wholesome. Her work was complete and did not require any other crutches to help her novel to walk. The novel spoke and walked on its own and that's what made me happier.
—Love S
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