| Title | : | Jingle Bell Jam |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1953060277 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781953060273 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 170 |
| Publication | : | Published November 9, 2021 |
But she does. Melanie isn't put off by Bryan's teddy bear figure at all. He's handsome and nice and she wants to get to know him better. But his ex, Amy, is a new member at the gym and she doesn't hesitate to point out that it's against the rules for staff to date clients. And when Melanie hires Bryan to design her a house, it becomes even more impossible because Bryan has the same policy for his clients. Can they find their way to happiness somehow?
Jingle Bell Jam Reviews
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A cute and very sweet Christmas romance novella. Bryan loves to eat especially after his back injury, and Melanie runs a fitness studio at River's End Ranch (Ranch & Resort in Riston, Idaho) and is his personal trainer. They aren't supposed to date, but there's so much spark between the two! Ugh, small town and the ex, the ex is not very friendly.
"Jingle Bell Jam" is a clean holiday romance. I feel a bit overwhelmed with the ending. I don't want to spoil it, but maybe if the book was longer it wouldn't feel as rushed. Overall, a festive and happy little read!
Omg, I didn't know this is a part of a very long series (63 books), and "Jingle Bell Jam" is #32. There are a total of 8 authors, interesting! This is available on KU.
Thank you Piping Plover Press and Netgalley for an audio copy for review. -
Meh. Sweet story, but not much to it. And there were soooo many unnecessary characters thrown in (a lot of them starting with “M” which made it even harder to keep straight … apparently even for the author because she swapped out “Melanie” for “Melissa” at least once). This book really needed another run through by the editor.
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I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Jingle Bell Jam was a pretty cute audio to dive into. It definitely got me into the holiday spirit. It also introduced me to Bryan and Melanie. They were both adorable throughout this and I could help being in awe of the holiday magic working between them either.
Of course, not everything can be simple because his ex is determined to worm her way in between them. Luckily for them, it doesn't really do anything because they just end up getting closer to one another. Eventually sparks fly and a romance is born.
Honestly, this was pretty cute, and I could totally see it being a Hallmark movie in the near future. The characters were easy to like and get along with. The drama was predictable but made the overall romance a bit stronger in my opinion. Plus, the holiday spirit just put me in a good mood.
The one thing that would make it better is having snow falling outside right now. Since it's not, I guess I will just have to end this with being happy to get the chance to dive into it. I hope Pamela writes another holiday book stat! -
Jingle Bell Jam by Pamela Kelley is your typical feel good, laugh out loud Christmas story. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, but other than that it was so good!! All you need is a cozy blanket to read this quick story! I have never read a book by Pamela Kelley before, but i'm so glad I picked this one up! As quick as this story was I felt like the author nailed it!
Jingle Bell Jam takes place in a small town in Idaho. Bryan Baker is a kind, good-natured architect who absolutely loves sweets after going through a break up with his ex-girlfriend Amy. Bryan is indulging sweets more often than he should and focusing on work to keep his mind of his breakup. One day Bryan is working and his back goes out, Bryan goes to the doctor, which is his brother, Clark. Bryan's brother reads him the riot act, and orders him to see a personal trainer because Bryan is a little bit over weight.
Melanie is a personal fitness trainer at the local gym. When Bryan first meets Melanie he thinks she is so great, but he knows that Melanie would never look at him twice because she is way too gorgeous for him. But Melanie does look at Bryan, she's not put off by his teddy bear figure, but Melanie is determined to get to know Bryan more. Bryan's ex Amy, is a new member at the gym, Amy doesn't hesitate to point out that it's against the rules for staff to date clients. Melanie and Bryan are quickly drawn together as they train together, but they also decide to spend time together during a snow blizzard when the power goes out in town.
Melanie hires Bryan to build her dream house, but quickly learns that Bryan has the same don't date your clients policy. Can Melanie and Bryan find their way to happiness somehow? Wade owns the gym and wants Melanie to be in charge of the website, when Melanie sees that someone is leaving terrible reviews about their gym, she is determined to find out who it is. Late on Melanie thinks she knows who is leaving the nasty reviews, because there's a competition with another gym in town. I thought Melanie and Bryan were so cute, and I found Melanie so sweet because she was determined to help Bryan. -
Jingle Bell Jam by Pamela M. Kelley
3h 7m narrated by Leslie Howard, 170 pages
River's End Ranch #32 (a multi-author series)
Previously published as Jingle-Bell Jam
Genre: Holiday > Christmas, Romance > Contemporary Romance
Featuring: Summary Introduction, Glam Ranch, Gym, Home Building, Mountains, Boston, Idaho, Western Romance, Recipes (print version or PDF), Food Pantry, Author's Note
Rating as a movie: PG-13
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🎄
My thoughts: 📱25% 47:15 Ch. 4 - It's okay; the recycled names threw me off. It feels like I just tuned into a new sitcom in the middle of the 4th season.
I wasn't really feeling this scene at first, but by the end, I was convinced to find the first book and give the series a shot. This was a fun book, and it would have been better if I hadn't read it as a standalone. There were lots of inside jokes, and I had to read up on the series to find out it was set in Idaho as it was never mentioned in the story. This series is written by 5 Western Romance authors. The first book is Short-Order Sheriff by Kirsten Osbourne. 13 out 66 books are written by Pamela Kelley, including this one and book 2 Veterinarian's Vacation. I will be looking for those next year.
Recommend to others?: Yes, this sounds like a good series. This story left of details and got straight to it for a quick read. -
3.5 stars: So apparently, this is book #32 of 63, but I had no idea. I enjoyed this story and had no problem following it. This is a Christmas romance between Melanie, personal trainer relatively new to the area and Bryan Baker, a kind-hearted builder/architect who has been instructed to lose weight after a back injury. They are instantly attracted to one another, there is policy at the gym to not date clients and as he is going to build a home for Melanie, there is a conflict there as well. Throw in a jealous ex who tries to keep them apart, and there is some angst, but all works out well in the Christmas romance.
I enjoyed getting to know Melanie and Bryan as well as their friends. It was fun to see them get to know one another, attend trivia nights at the local pub and other festive activities. The gym Melanie works at has some issues with their business, but with Melanie on the case, it soon gets sorted. "Jingle Bell Jam" is a clean holiday romance. Because it is a novella, the ending was a bit quick, but that often happens. Overall, a festive and happy story. The audiobook is narrated by Leslie Howard who does a nice job with the story. Using expression, emotion and inflection she gives voice to the characters. At just over 2 hours at 1.5 speed, this was a pleasant story to listen to in an afternoon. -
Cute and sweet holiday story about Brian, who is in need of a personal trainer after injuring his back and comfort eating after a breakup, and Melanie, said personal trainer who is new in town and someone Brian thinks is out of his league. When they start working out together, the sparks fly and they want to be together, except his ex is doing all she can to sabotage it after seeing how good he looks now. Can Melanie and Brian overcome all the obstacles in their way and find true love and a happily ever after?
This was fairly short (I listened to it in under 2 hours) and super Hallmark movie-ish and just right for a holiday read.
Thanks to Piping Plover Press and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review. -
I listened to this book on audio, and it was a sweet little Christmas treat. The audio narrator was excellent, and it was a fun, short listen!
Bryan and Melanie’s romance is pretty straight forward - the story feels more like you’re enjoying the holiday season at the ranch, with the happy ending forthcoming. Honestly, in this busy season, I was completely okay with that! It was full of sweet moments and Christmas spirit… and sometimes we need an inevitable happy ending! Bryan and Melanie are both sweeties, and it’s easy to root for them.
It took me a bit to realize that it was actually a novella for a longer running series - so if you think she’s talking about extraneous characters a lot, it’s her checking in with characters longtime readers would recognize and enjoy.
Looking at it critically, I wish Amy was a bit more of an obstacle than she ended up being. And I was also a bit put off by the extreme emphasis in the beginning on Bryan’s need to diet. It felt a bit forced, and I didn’t love the diet push being so prominent in a Christmas story? That felt heavy handed. Personal preference, too, I wish there had been a touch more heat… but that’s just me lol!!
All in all, I marked this book initially 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for a great narrator for review purposes. I will likely pick up the first couple books in this series… I think it’s really fun that it’s a series written by multiple authors!
I’d recommend this as a sweet, short holiday read if you want to get into the holiday spirit!!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the sending me this audiobook in return for an honest review! -
Pamela Kelley writes feel good, wholesome, clean books with everyday characters that you would like to have as your neighbor or friends. This story focuses on Bryan Baker who joins a gym to get in better shape and Melanie who works for the gym and is his personal trainer. The story itself if fine with likable characters but I knew from how many names were being mentioned that this was part of an ongoing series. It turns out it is #32 of 64 books in a series created by Kelley and a few other authors in a fictional Idaho setting. I've not read any of the others books to know how much the characters and stories overlap.
This is a shorter (170 page) Christmas story and I listened to the audio book. Leslie Howard does a great job with the narration and I've enjoyed her before with Kelley's Nantucket Beach series. I would have enjoyed this being a longer novel. It felt like I barely got going in the lives of the characters and it was over. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a audiobook in exchange for an honest review. -
I struggled with this one, honestly. The ending felt rushed, unnecessary, and unrealistic. The characters went from 0 to 100 in the span of a few weeks and I couldn't get behind it. I also didn't like how often Bryan's weight was brought up. We get it. You mentioned in the beginning that he was a little overweight. I don't need to be reminded 17 more times. I also felt there were unnecessary characters thrown in, but I had no idea before I read it that it is part of a long-standing series, so that's my fault there. Another thing that bothered me was that I didn't really feel the passion between Bryan and Amy. It felt more like they should be close friends. Overall, this will be a good read for people who like lighter reads that are more wholesome than passionate.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the audio copy in exchange for my honest review! -
Bryan Baker is a sweet, if slightly overweight, architect. After he hurts his back, his brother doctor tells him to get a personal trainer to lose some weight and strengthen his muscles to keep it from happening again. Bryan is immediately attracted to his personal trainer, Melanie, and contrary to his assumptions, she likes him back! However, the gym has a policy against employees dating clients, and when Melanie hires Bryan to design the house she wants to build, he has the same policy. Can they find happiness despite these obstacles?
This was a cute novella, though the ending seemed a bit rushed, probably in part due to the length of the story. This sweet, clean romance is part of a series but can easily be read as a standalone. I could easily see this story as a Hallmark movie.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book. -
A sweet seasonal read that is romantic and filled with friendship and loyalty. It speaks of values and being true to oneself.
Bryan is finally going to take control of his health. Taking his doctor brother's advice, Bryan signs on with a personal trainer. She, Melanie, has recently purchased some land is dreams of building her own home. Bryan happens to design buildings.
Fate seems to keep throwing these two together, even though Bryan's jealous ex-girlfriend does her best to keep them apart. The ex is the sort of character you love to hate.
Its fun to take part in the different activities as Bryan and Melanie get to know each other and discover if they can design a future. -
This is a cute story that really got me into the holiday spirit!
It had a good wholesome feel and the characters were very likeable. The added "complications" of not dating clients added a bit of a challenge for the romance between Melanie and Bryan. The issues of sabotaging the gym made for a mini mystery of sorts as well.
I know that it was a short book, but would have loved the romance to not be so quick at the end. The build up to the romance was great though.
This was a fun cozy audiobook that I could totally see being made into a Christmas movie.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this Audiobook in exchange for my honest review. -
Super cute but very short. Pamela Kelley is known for her romances set in idyllic towns and this is no exception. All of the snow made for a cozy setting for Bryan and Melanie and I enjoyed getting to know them. I just wish this had been longer as there was potential there to really build up their relationship and the ending was definitely rushed.
I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. -
I was given this ARC audiobook from @netgalley but just had a chance to listen to it. This was your typical sweet, extra…extra fluffy Christmas Hallmark type book. The Narrator, Leslie Howard was good and the storyline was cute.
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I’m sorry to say I was disappointed in this book by Pamela Kelley - I’ve liked her other books. It seemed rushed, jumbled and so many characters were mentioned that I had no background on. Maybe it is part of a series but the book description did not say it was. It could also stand a good editing. It also is not really a Christmas book, it is a romance. The romance is also very rushed. It does have a beautiful cover though.
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Easy, cheesy without much substance, but exactly what I expect from Christmas romances!
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3 Stars
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My first book by this author and definitely not my last. Clean Christmas romance.
I listened to the audiobook and was very happy with it. -
I was given this book in August but I wanted to wait until it was the season to read it. This book gave me The Hating Game vibes. It was the same basic plot, except I preferred the writing in this book to the other. This book also focuses heavily on mental health and I can appreciate that as well. I really enjoyed their relationship dynamic and how it evolved. It wasnt very Christmasy other than it was set at Christmas time but it was a quick easy read that held my attention and definitely deserves 4 stars.
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I loved this cute Christmas story! It was my first time reading something by Pamela Kelley but I will keep my eyes on her name for the future. It helped get me into the Christmas spirit for sure!
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What I didn’t know when I started this is that it is book number 32 of 63! So, if you like to read a series from the start, you may not want to jump in with this book like I accidentally did. That said, I didn’t feel like I missed so much that I was confused, left out, and/or that jumped into something blindly (though technically that’s sort of exactly what I did). You are more than able to read this as a one off or start right here, but it may just make you want to start back at the beginning so that you know who some of the characters are more intimately by the time you get back to this one. Moving on now though…
In this book, you get to meet a builder/architect named Bryan Baker who is a really nice guy. He really loves his sweets and it’s very possible he’s been over indulging just a bit ever since he went through a breakup. When he throws his back out one day while lifting up holiday turkeys, his brother the doctor gives him quite the lecture and sends him on his way with a prescription for a fitness program.
He joins the gym and meets Melanie, a very pretty and very friendly personal trainer. He’s instantly attracted to both of these qualities but figures she’s just way out of his league. However, Melanie is just as instantly attracted to him and really wants to get to know him better but what she doesn’t know is that his ex, Amy who happens to be a new gym member herself, pointed out very quickly to Bryan that it’s totally against the rules for staff to date clients.
Since Bryan has a similar policy and Melanie hires him to design her new home, well, the situation just seems completely impossible. However, Jacyln, another of Bryan’s clients who apparently talks to invisible fairies (and this is where it might have been nice to read previous books!) likes to play match-maker and she’s got her match-making eyes set on these two.
This book is very cute but you really have to like fast moving relationships. This doesn’t take place over a whole lot of time and a lot happens very quickly. I’ll stop there but it’s just a pretty quick book. The book itself is rather short and then the relationships inside the pages aren’t over very long periods of time so it’s fast moving. Still, it’s well written with very good characters who have terrific personalities and are just fun to hang around with for the duration of the story. I’d recommend this book and perhaps the series but since this is the only one I’ve read out of it I can only safely recommend this one.
The audiobook for this book is also incredible. I was able to get a copy of it through Netgalley and it’s very well done. The narrator is fantastic and the characters really come to life when you get a chance to listen to them come to life. Highly recommend both the book and the audio.
Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the audiobook copy of this book! -
Jingle Bell Jam
by Pamela Kelley
Narrated by Leslie Howard
I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and Piping Plover Press in exchange for an honest review.
At just over 3 hours this was a nice short holiday romance that had a somewhat Hallmark feel to it. Mostly in that it was a closed door romance taking place in a relatively small snowy mountain resort town just before Christmas.
While I always appreciate a main character who doesn’t fit the common mold - I.e. our hero is overweight and out of shape and meets the heroine as his physical trainer following a back injury. I feel like an opportunity was missed to deal more fully with this concept though as a novela I can understand we’re on limited time here.
Things I liked -
The hero has 2 cats.
The jam in the title refers to literal strawberry jam etc.
The hero has a loving family - parents/siblings.
The “villain” is somewhat redeemable.
Things I did not love -
The conclusion felt slightly rushed/quick/easy but again - novella.
We open with a cooky old lady side character who talks to fairies. I can get behind cooky old people side characters in small towns but I need a little more back story to support their character development to make it feel less out of left feel.
Narrator and sound quality were good.
Overall a solid sweet closed door Christmas romance novella.
4.5/5 -
Jingle Bell Jam
by Pamela Kelley
Narrated by Leslie Howard
I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and Piping Plover Press in exchange for an honest review.
At just over 3 hours this was a nice short holiday romance that had a somewhat Hallmark feel to it. Mostly in that it was a closed door romance taking place in a relatively small snowy mountain resort town just before Christmas.
While I always appreciate a main character who doesn’t fit the common mold - I.e. our hero is overweight and out of shape and meets the heroine as his physical trainer following a back injury. I feel like an opportunity was missed to deal more fully with this concept though as a novela I can understand we’re on limited time here.
Things I liked -
The hero has 2 cats.
The jam in the title refers to literal strawberry jam etc.
The hero has a loving family - parents/siblings.
The “villain” is somewhat redeemable.
Things I did not love -
The conclusion felt slightly rushed/quick/easy but again - novella.
We open with a cooky old lady side character who talks to fairies. I can get behind cooky old people side characters in small towns but I need a little more back story to support their character development to make it feel less out of left feel.
Narrator and sound quality were good.
Overall a solid sweet closed door Christmas romance novella.
4.5/5 -
Jingle-Bell Jam (River’s End Ranch #32)
Pamela M. Kelley
Bryan Baker is a little out of shape but he has trouble resisting sweets, especially raspberry jam cookies. After injuring his back his doctor/brother strongly suggests he starts working out with a personal trainer. Bryan agrees and hires Melanie, the new manager at the fitness center at the Ranch. He met her previously at trivia night. He likes her a lot but didn’t think she could ever be interested in him. He tries to set her up with his brother, but Amy wasn’t interested in Clark. Melanie is attracted to Bryan, he is sweet, kind and very handsome. Bryan’s ex-girlfriend Amy discourages the couple by pointing out that it is against policy for them to date. Melanie is the new manager of the fitness center at the Ranch. Melanie loves the area and a short time after moving there hires Bryan to design and build her new home.
This is a sweet winter romance. Bryan and Melanie are made for each other. Amy is determined to keep them apart. She didn’t want Bryan but doesn’t like that anyone else is interested in him. It was fun watching Bryan and Melanie fall in love. This is a very quick read. -
Jingle Bell Jam by Pamela Kelley
Narrated by Leslie Howard
Publisher: Piping Plover Press
Genre: Romance
Publication Date: December 14, 2021
Jingle Bell Jam by Pamela Kelley is a sweet holiday romance and I loved it so much!! This standalone romance is part of the River's End Ranch series set in Riston, Idaho. I had not read any of the previous books before and was able to easily read this. Since this whole series appears to be on Kindle Unlimited (or at least most of it!), I will be diving in so I can get to know the town and its residents better.
I truly loved this book! The setting was perfect and I loved that it was Christmas time! I loved the interaction between all of the characters. The romance was wonderful and sweet. This book made me feel all the feels, especially warmth and hope!
I loved the narration by Leslie Howard. She brought something special to this book!
I highly recommend reading Jingle Bell Jam if you are looking for a sweet romance!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. -
I have read and enjoyed Pamela Kelley's Beach Plum Cover series. SO when I saw this cute book I thought it would make a great easy holiday read.
Jingle Bell Jam is a sweet, small town love story about Bryan and Melanie. Him a slightly teddy bear shaped guy in need of a personal trainer, and her the personal trainer. Upon meeting there are sparks between the two but company policy says no dating clients. Add in a jealous ex and things get a little complicated.
Partway through reading this I felt like the characters should be more familiar to me, Pamela writes about them and then town like old friends. It felt as though the book was a part of a series. Turns out I was right! Jingle Bell Jam is part of a long series (63 books) put out by multiple authors. However, I didn't need to read the other books to fall right in to small town life with Bryan and Melanie.
All and all a quick but fun, easy holiday read!
Thank you to Netgalley for the ebook to enjoy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. -
This is fat phobic garbage. I made it 6% of the way through the audiobook, which is only 3 1/2 hours and decided I’m done. Our fat character is a guy and for the first however long I’ve listen to now 30 minutes 45 it’s just he’s so down on himself and his weight and he ends up twitching his back. his brothers a doctor. Who says the only way you’re going to get better is to lose weight. Physical therapy is fine but you have to lose 15 to 20 pounds. Go see this personal trainer. Our main character thinks how can I go see this personal trainer they’re just thin and beautiful and no one‘s gonna want to see me as I’m fat and ugly and I don’t wanna be seen in a gym like that and I just I’m done . I wanted to like this book because I was enjoying the narrator but as a fat individual I don’t need to hear a book with her down on themselves over and over and over again if it could’ve been hey you need to exercise for muscle, gain or tone but no you need to lose weight and I’m I’m done this is not a holiday book I feel like finishing.
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This was a very sweet Holiday story. It is short so it is definitely a whirlwind romance. It is a quick read that will help get you into the mood for Christmas. There is great chemistry between the main characters, Bryan and Melanie. Bryan is nursing his heartbreak and loneliness by eating when his brother, a doctor tells him he needs to shed a few pounds or else he is going to have some serious health problems in the future. At his brothers suggestion he meets with a personal trainer, Melanie, at the new gym in town, They immediately connect and she decides to hire him for a construction project. Both have rules against dating clients but the chemistry is undeniable. Are they both going to break the rules to find love and happiness? This has all of the makings of a Hallmark Christmas movie, so if that is what you like than you will like this story.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley#JingleBellJam#PamelaKelley
