Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms

A Small-Town Christmas Romance

De: Claire Kingsley

Narrado por: Shane East, CJ Bloom

Now in duet audio, from USA Today Bestselling author Claire Kingsley, the stand-alone small-town/romcom/romantic suspense/Christmas romance you didn’t know you needed.

Handsome, charismatic, and charming, Jensen Lakes is an enigma in a designer suit. But his playboy reputation is a persona—one of many—that he uses in his unique line of work.

A priceless heirloom goes missing right before the holidays, and Jensen is hired to find it. Tracking down the perpetrator will be simple. He’ll be in and out before Santa hits chimneys.

Natalie Thatcher needs a break. She’s a dedicated sister, aunt, and nurse, but her life is no Christmas carol. Between bills, mounting home repairs, and holiday shopping still to be done, most days she feels like a tangled strand of lights.

Jensen follows his quarry to Tilikum, and the Christmas-clad town throws him for a loop. As does Natalie. He enlists her aid—who better to help him navigate the local quirks than the captivating woman next door? Despite their chemistry and sizzling banter, love isn’t on his Christmas list. Or hers.

But as danger mounts, Jensen finds himself in an unexpected position—falling in love with his partner. And when her life is on the line, he’ll risk everything to keep her safe.

And get her home for Christmas.

Author’s Note: A handsome charmer falls hard for a sassy small-town girl. Adventure, witty banter, Christmas coziness, and a holiday happily ever after that will leave your heart full.

Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms can be enjoyed as a stand-alone romance.

©2025 Claire Kingsley (P)2025 Claire Kingsley

A Warm Holiday Hug

This book is like a warm holiday hug from Claire Kingsley! I couldn't adore it more. Taking a trip to Tilikum is always a great escape, and this one was a bonus as long time fans will also recognize Jensen Lakes from The Dirty Martini Running club. But don't worry, if you are new to the Claire Kinglsey fandom, you will still be just fine with this book.

This book combines it all. Small town coziness, a spicy meet-cute, characters you want to cheer on the whole way through, and suspense. It's the perfect holiday read to take in and escape reality with. I was completely hooked and read way past my bedtime. Claire's storytelling brings these characters to life, makes me want to pack my bags to head to Tilikum.

Jensen is handsome and charming while Natalie feels like the bestie you didn't know you needed. Love isn't on either of their Christmas lists, but their chemistry can't be denied. When danger lurks, they can't help but face all the feelings that have been building. And I love that there isn't a third act breakup!

This books should definitely be on your list, and I can't recommend the audio enough. The narrators did an amazing job of bringing these characters completely off the page! And if you are a sucker for an accent, this is going to score some bonus points!

Suspenseful Christmas in Tilikum

Jensen & Natalie are the most unusual pair who came together in the most unusual of circumstances. Natalie is a nurse who finds herself in quite a bind when she finds herself smack dab in the middle of a nurses strike. With a little extra time on her hands, Jensen enlists her help in tracking down a stolen priceless heirloom that he has the job of being tasked to locate & retrieve.
Neither is looking for love, but with suspense, Christmas magic, & a little Tilikum charm they find themselves staring straight into the lenses of what could be forever.
I loved the witty banter between these characters. Not just the main players, but also Natalie’s sister, her niece, & the residents of Tilikum. The suspense was just enough to keep me invested, & the Christmas magic had me feeling festive.

Audiobook Review:
Shane East & CJ Bloom…need I say more!? Both are two of my favorites, & it doesn’t matter the character or the story arc, they both capture the story perfectly. This one was no exception.

Christmas Magic, with a gift of exquisite narration!

Claire Kingsley has gifted us a holiday romance that sparkles brighter than the lights in Tilikum! From the moment Jensen Lakes—enigmatic, charming, and wrapped in mystery—steps into the snow-dusted town, I was hooked. His mission to recover a priceless heirloom is the perfect setup for a swoony, suspenseful adventure, but it’s his unexpected connection with Natalie Thatcher that truly melts the heart.
Natalie is everything you want in a heroine: grounded, resilient, and radiating warmth despite life’s chaos. Watching her navigate the holidays with grace and grit while slowly opening her heart to Jensen was pure magic. Their chemistry crackles like a cozy fireplace, and the witty banter? Chef’s kiss.
Kingsley masterfully blends romance, humor, and a dash of danger, all wrapped in the cozy charm of small-town Christmas. The emotional beats are pitch-perfect, the pacing is brisk yet tender, and the ending delivers a satisfying, heartwarming payoff that left me misty-eyed and grinning.
The narrators brought the story to live in the most enjoyable, and amazing way, offering another dimension to this Holiday Masterpiece!
If you’re craving a story that feels like a Hallmark movie with edge, heart, and heat—this is it. Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms isn’t just a holiday read; it’s a celebration of love, courage, and the magic of finding home in unexpected places!

Another 5 stars for Claire Kingsley

This book was excellent from start to finish. I was so excited to finally get my hands on Jensen Lake’s book, as are many Claire Kingsley fans! The chemistry between the main characters, Jensen and Natalie, is absolutely fantastic and their meet cute was perfection. The mystery/suspense aspect of this book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. As always, Shane East and CJ Bloom do a phenomenal job voicing the characters!

Christmas Happily Ever After

Many years ago, I read this awesome author's series, The Dirty Martini Running Club. Since that time, I have been waiting to see Jensen Lakes again and longed to see him get his HEA. I had pretty much given up. Well, Christmas miracles do happen!

Jensen is a handsome man who dresses well and turns heads while also blending into a crowd. He turned a penchant for thievery done for thrills into a lucrative career of returning items to their owners. After a successful case, he gets asked to take on one more case in the small town of Tilikum on the way home to see his sister and her family for the holidays.

While in Tilikum, he meets Natalie, a nurse who gives new meaning to the phrase hard luck Jensen enlists her help as a local to find where the item may be. Along the way, they develop feelings for one another but their lives are too different. Jensen leaves but returns when he can't shake the feeling that Natalie might be in danger.

Can Jensen keep her safe, find the item and solve the case? Or will the danger that lurks take her from him?

The narration of this book was just beyond fantastic. The MMC's British accent was so good. I could have listened to him read the phone book. The female lead is great too. Shane East and CJ Bloom did a great job.

The perfect winter read!

Oh. My. Gosh. Hohoho! If you're looking for the perfect blend of holiday festivities, romcom, and romantic suspense, you have found it! Claire Kingsley is always a one-click instant buy for me, shelf trophies and all, and this book absolutely maintains that trend. We FINALLY get a glimpse into the mysterious life of Jensen Lakes, and watching this delicious man be brought to his knees and find true love with Natalie, is epic. We get to see all of our favorite Tilikum locations, but from an all new perspective, and it just brought me so much freaking JOY! Five sleighing stars once again!

Jewels, family, and love holiday style

I loved, loved, loved Natalie and Jensen’s holiday romance with a side of stolen jewels and suspense. I am a sucker for a good swoony holiday romance with all the feel good holiday goodies thrown in. And just because I’m in my suspense era does not mean I am no longer going read holiday romances . So if the book includes suspense wahoo - that just means it’s doubly perfect. This story includes all the feels, all the swoons, all the sweet family moments, all the laughs, all the spice and a dash of suspense woven together in quirky Tillikum perfection. Natalie is an ER nurse in the small town of Tillikum. She lives with her sister and niece and is holding all of it together with wishes and twine. She is currently not working because the nurses are on strike. Jensen is a stolen art investigator who steals the stolen pieces back from the thieves. He is a charismatic enigma and comes to Tillikum in pursuit of a priceless necklace. He rents the apartment over Natalie’s garage while he’s in town. Needing the help of a local to navigate all that is Tillikum, Natalie agrees to be Jensen’s partner in his investigation. They are partners with chemistry that sizzled off the page and feelings that are hard to ignore. I loved the witty banter and the coziness of the story along with the suspense. It made my heart so very happy to read this book and get lost in the story. Visiting Tillikum with its usual hilarious weirdness and the hints of the Martini Running Club series were just an added plus. Definitely add this holiday romance to your list. And now I want sprinkle pancakes.

The ebook of this story was so good but the audio raises it to another level. Shane East and CJ Bloom did a phenomenal job narrating the story and characters into life with enough change of inflection, tone and cadence to voice multiple characters quite convincingly. Including doing a great job with Jensen’s British accent. Swoon.

Christmas Fun and Suspense!

Claire x small town is always a win!!

But, Claire x small town x Christmas x romantic suspense!?!
I knew I was in for an absolute treat!

Seeing Jensen Lakes falling!? Oh my, what a sight to behold! He was a man gone on sight. I love how Natalie didn’t immediately fall for his charms. She flipped his world upside down from the moment they met. Their banter is so fun. Chemistry undeniable. I loved how they formed a partnership for his mission.

This was such a fun, adventure filled read!

Shane East bringing Jensen to life: 😮‍💨 He never ever disappoints! Cj Bloom brought a vibrant charm as Natalie. These two were such a delight to listen to, the perfect Jensen and Natalie!

So good!

Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms is a holiday romance brings all that small town charm Claire Kingsley is known for mixed with suspense. Jensen is our swoony British hero who hunts down thieves and finds himself in Tilikum where he meets Natalie. These two have an immediate spark and all the chemistry and work together. I loved watching these two who weren’t looking for love fall for each other. I could not put this one down, another favorite from Claire for sure.

The audiobook is performed by Shane East and CJ Bloom in duet. Shane does amazing portraying the charisma and swoon as Jensen. CJ did amazing at showcasing Natalie sense of adventure and love for her family. These two did a wonderful job bringing to life Jensen and Natalie and all of town’s characters I loved both of their performances. This audio was fun, had me swooning, and kept me on the edge of my seat! Thank you to Claire and her team for an early listen!

Jensen & Natalie!

Shane East, YES PLEASE!! CJ Bloom, absolutely a DREAM!

Claire, you've done it again!

What a thrill it is for readers to finally get Jensen Lakes' story. We finally get to learn what it is that keeps him living in the lap of luxury, jet setting around the globe, never thinking he'll ever settle down - let alone in a charming small town.

Natalie Thatcher lives with her sister and niece in the family home left to them after their mother passed away. The house is old and needs a lot of upkeep and repairs. They have been renting the apartment over the garage as an airbnb to earn extra income.

Oh, I wish I could tell you the entire story but trust me, you're going to want to read this one as soon as you can. There's a little suspense, more like intrigue, as Jensen asks Natalie to help him. It's lovely to get to revisit Tilikum, Christmas Village, Louise Haven, with mentions of some of our other favorite characters from the Haven & Bailey brothers series. And yes, there are squirrels.

Sweet Scale: 5/5
Spicy Scale: 3/5