The December Market is book two in the charming Shelter Springs Series by RaeAnne Thayne.
I devoured book one Christmas at the Shelter Inn.
And was jumping up and down when I seen I was approved for the second title.

This was such an enchanting holiday tale.
RaeAnne Thayne has created another heartwarming story that will melt your heart. I loved every minute and hated to see it end.
A perfect book that will give you all the Christmas hallmark movie vibes.

Thank You NetGalley and Canary Street Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Amanda vive marcada por las acciones de su padre, quien conducía en estado de ebriedad y causó la muerte de cuatro personas. A pesar de ser una buena persona y esforzarse por el bienestar del pueblo, no todos la tratan como deberían, lo que la ha llevado a convencerse de que es mejor estar sola para no salir lastimada.

Rafe es un viudo y padre soltero que no tiene intención de volver a enamorarse, ya que lo único que ha traído eso es dolor.

El romance se desarrolla lentamente, lo cual me gustó, y además no hay escenas sexuales, lo cual también es un punto a favor. Sin embargo, lo que no me gustó fueron las numerosas referencias a libros de otras series; eran excesivas y, en lugar de motivarme a leer sus historias, me causaron rechazo.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked that this story took place during the holidays with wonderful characters who had overcome grief in their lives and had tried to move on the best that they could. The book was filled with holiday cheer, Christmas wishes, and two weeks of the Shelter Springs Holiday Giving Market. It also was fun to see Amanda's Grandmother Birdie in her dedicated matchmaking role. I really liked how Amanda was able to overcome her fear and find her faith. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

This book featured Amanda and Rafe who were each dealing with past trauma in their lives and it had caused them to try to avoid relationships. But the attraction between them was strong and they were having a hard time keeping their resolutions to stay single. There were a lot of characters introduced in the beginning of the book and it was hard for me to keep them and their stories straight. I especially found Amanda’s character difficult to understand, especially her reaction to her grandmother, Birdie’s, little love interest in Paulo, Rafe’s grandfather. The book was over halfway finished before I understood her reason for objecting to the elderly couple’s romance. After a number of twists and turns, there was eventually a HEA. I think my favorite characters in the book were the side characters, Birdie and Paulo, and Rafe’s adorable 7 year old son, Isaac. Overall I would consider this a clean romance but there was some profanity sprinkled in and I would have preferred it had been left out; it added nothing to the story. I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I enjoyed reading The December Market by RaeAnne Thayne. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Amanda Taylor is the owner of a small boutique soap shop. She isn’t fond of Christmas, but focuses on what her customers love when it comes to the Shelter Springs Holiday Market. Trouble arises when her grandmother starts dating a new resident to their local senior living inn, and Amanda teams up with Rafe, the grandson of the suitor, to keep them apart. As a single father and paramedic, Rafe has his own struggles but finds himself drawn to Amanda. Despite their best efforts to resist, their growing connection and frequent encounters at the market spark the possibility of a second chance at love during the holiday season.

3 stars

Unfortunately this one just didn't do it for me, but I can absolutely see there being an audience for this type of holiday story. It felt very much like a Hallmark/Lifetime movie, where there are a lot of characters introduced and many have complicated traumatic backstories. This was my first by RaeAnne Thayne and I did read that there are other books that explain some of the previous emotional trauma that led to Amanda and Rafe's resistance to love. It made it a bit more difficult to find their chemistry as it seemed there was too much avoidance and not enough fun to build a relationship on, in addition to lengthy past dramas to hash out for each character. Not for me, but likely a hit for plenty of other readers!

Thank you to UpLit Reads, NetGalley and RaeAnne for gifting me with an early eARC of this novel!

THE DECEMBER MARKET is such a lovely story. RaeAnne Thayne does it again and again, delivering a sweet, warm Christmas romance that just tugs on your heartstrings and stays with you long after it’s done. I really enjoyed the pace of the wonderful story. When single dad, neighbor, and assistant fire chief, Rafe Arredondo, falls and breaks his arm during a rooftop rescue, Amanda does the neighborly thing and takes some meals to his house. He has been her neighbor for over a month and she hasn't welcomed him yet so this is the perfect way. I felt that the story moved along just right.


THE DECEMBER MARKET is only the eighth book I have read of RaeAnne Thayne’s but after reading it, I’m excited to search out her other books and read all of those too. Amanda Taylor has a hard time getting through the holiday season because of a tragedy that happened around Christmas. Rafe can see the pain in Amanda's eyes but isn't sure how he can help her. RaeAnne Thayne has a way of pulling you right in and getting you emotionally invested into the characters lives. My heart was breaking for Rafe and Amanda and all that they had been through. I was cheering for Amanda and Rafe and at the same time, giggling out loud with the comments they made at each other.


RaeAnne Thayne is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her writing is so warm and her characters are all believable. Once you start reading, you aren’t going to be able to stop. A family coming together at Christmas time…….what more could you ask for? Rafe and Amanda both have walls up around their hearts and aren't looking to fall in love, but you know how that goes right? I thought I knew how THE DECEMBER MARKET was going to end but I sure was wrong! I’m looking forward to reading more by this wonderful and heart tugging author!


I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Aother holiday season in Shelter Springs and Amanda Taylor is gearing up to chair the town's annual Christmas Market. This year romance is blooming in the Shelter Inn retirement community, will it bloom elsewhere as well? This book is like an annual Christmas letter from Shelter Springs with news of the latest romances.

Sweet romance + holiday magic!
This was my first RaeAnne Thayne book so I now have many more to enjoy. The December Market tells the story of Amanda Taylor who is a local gift shop owner and who runs the Christmas market in Shelter Springs. Amanda had experienced multiple tragedies in her life and was determined to not open her heart again romantically. She tries to convince herself that a busy life with friends, work and volunteering was enough. But that starts to change when Amanda meets Rafe and his young son- who work their way deep into her heart. This was an enjoyable holiday read!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy.

I enjoyed this Christmas romance set around a small town Christmas market. The two main characters have loved and lost and are not looking for romance. Their shifts at the holiday market and Rafe son, Isaac, keeps them in almost constant contact. Isaac is adorable and is a highlight of the story. Good read that gets you in the holiday spirit!

OHHH MY CHRISTMAS LOVING HEART!!!

Grab a cup of hot cocoa and cozy up with The December Market, a heartwarming, magical, snow falling, small town, clean Christmas romance that is swoon worthy! It’s full of hope, forgiveness, emotional family drama, second chances and Christmas cheer. But it’s also about finding the strength to overcome the struggles and traumas of the past and the impact of their ripple effects.

I read Christmas at Shelter Inn, the first book in the series, in preparation of book two, The December Market. In The December Market, the FMC, Amanda, is a strong small business owner and in charge of the town’s annual Christmas Market. The MMC, Rafe, a fireman/paramedic and a single dad of the cutest, most thoughtful and lovable 6 y/o little boy. I don’t think you necessarily have to read book 1 first but it was helpful to know the backstory of some of the side characters. I have truly fallen head over heels for the diverse, multigenerational cast of characters in the Shelter Springs series and am so sad my time with them has come to an end.

I’m a new reader of RaeAnne Thaynes. I read 15 Summers Later in June and now this series and have really enjoyed all 3. I’ll definitely be looking at her backlist and adding more to my TBR. Thaynes did an incredible job creating lovable characters, an intriguing plot, and describing every detail of the Christmas Market. Visiting a European style Christmas Market is on my bucket list, so I thoroughly enjoyed every minute! The cover is absolutely stunning and makes me wish I were standing next to that gorgeous tree with a cup of hot cocoa while shopping the market!

This book would make a fantastic Hallmark movie! It's sure to put even a curmudgeon in the holiday spirit!

Thank you to @netgalley, @htp_hive, @canarystreetpress, @htpbooks, and @RaeAnneThayne for the #gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of The December Market.

Amanda loves her little town and she always goes above and beyond to try to help the other residents with whatever she can. She loves her grandma Birdie and while she was visiting her she runs into Rafe and his son Isaac. Amanda has always felt nervous around Rafe but has never known why. She has been through too much heartbreak to put herself in that situation again. But they keep ending up around each other and it gets harder for her to push her feelings aside. Can she finally let go of her past?

I could not resonate with the characters-the main character Amanda drove me crazy with her constantly second guessing herself. This book has a lot of fluff and slow parts that could have been taken out of the book without losing the story. It was just a boring read.

It's been a while since I read a romance from this talented storyteller, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed everything I’ve read from her in the past. I love her stories full of small-town charm, colorful characters, and an abundance of heart.

Amanda Taylor is a single woman who heads up the holiday market in their small town. She's suffered more than her share of loss, but she chooses to focus her grief into helping others. When single dad, neighbor, and assistant fire chief, Rafe Arredondo, falls and breaks his arm during a rooftop rescue, Amanda does the neighborly thing and takes some meals to his house. His six-year-old son, Isaac, is immediately taken with Amanda, and Rafe isn’t far behind.

The emotional aspects of this one are fantastic, with both main characters having loved and lost and becoming brave enough to try again. As kids go, little Isaac is adorable and adds so much to the story which is rounded out with entertaining and caring seniors.

My issues are with some wordiness and repetitiveness, and seeing different characters' dialog in the same paragraph, which made reading difficult for my American eyes at times. While these issues made this a 3.5 star read for me, I’m hoping a lot was corrected in final editing post galley copies. It's really a sweet, heartwarming story that's sure to put readers in a happy holiday mood.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the eARC!

I really enjoyed this. It was like a Hallmark movie in a book. I adore books based around Christmas. The characters were so lovable, and the two mains had incredible chemistry. This was a nice palate cleanser to my normal reads, as it was an oh so sweet, but clean romance. Isaac was also super cute, and made a nice addition to the story. I don’t find books where I like all the characters often, but this one was pleasantly surprised to find that I did like them all. The only thing I disliked about the book was that there really wasn’t a ton going on, but that book is not that long anyway, but I liked to see the two characters fall in love with each other, without even really knowing.
Overall, it was a nice, sweet read and I enjoyed it.

This was my first holiday book of the year and I enjoyed this one! I absolutely love the single dad trope and he falls first so this was a super quick read. I do wish the epilogue would’ve been a tad longer but other than that it was the perfect Christmas book to get in the spirit.

**Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for an ARC copy of this book, make sure to snag your copy Tuesday**

The h and the H live in the same town. He is a firefighter/paramedic who injures his arm hanging Christmas lights for two older shopkeepers. She owns a gift shop and is in charge of the yearly Christmas market. She lives a couple of houses away from the H and his son. His wife died of an overdose. Her father was the town doctor, a drunk, who killed the H’s cousin in a drunk driving accident. She tries to resist him and his young son, but she is irresistibly drawn to them. Also her grandma begins to date his grandfather.
I received an ARC from net galley

RaeAnne Thayne has written many books, but this is only the second one of hers I have read. I have so many more to discover! This is the second book in the Shelter Springs series, but can easily be read as a stand alone.

Description:
Amanda Taylor isn’t a fan of Christmas, but as the owner of a local soap shop, ignoring the holiday season isn’t an option. To forget the pain of Christmases past, Amanda focuses on making the season bright for her customers at the Shelter Springs Holiday Giving Market. But when her beloved grandmother, Birdie, starts dating the dashing new resident of the Shelter Inn retirement community, Amanda smells trouble. Fortunately, Rafe Arredondo, the grandson of Birdie’s charming suitor, is equally dubious of the match. Unfortunately, he's just as fiery as his grandfather—and Amanda has zero interest in getting burned.

As a single father, paramedic and assistant fire chief, Rafe has more than enough on his plate. Sure, he and Amanda share a common goal in keeping their grandparents apart. Still, that doesn’t mean he should allow himself to feel as drawn to her as he does. Even if she is great with his young son. Even if she does help the burden of his own painful past feel a little lighter… But when their paths keep crossing at the holiday market, it starts to feel like fate, prompting them both to wonder if taking a chance on love might gift them everything they’ve been wishing for.

My Thoughts:
This is a sweet romance and a great way to spend an afternoon. I liked all the characters, especially the hot fireman, Rafe. He is just what a woman wants in a man. I liked Amanda too and thought she came across as an independent, motivated, and dedicated woman. I could see why she was a little reticent to get involved again after being burned before. I enjoyed the story, the town and the characters. The plot was simple but effective.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing - Canary Street Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Amanda was dealing with what her father had did several years ago. She threw herself in keeping busy and helping everyone out. She was in charge of Shelter Springs December Market each year. Rafe was her brother’s best friend and she really liked him but didn’t want to be in a relationship and Rafe didn’t neither. Rafe was raising his son Isaac and he had really became attached to Amanda. Birdie is Amanda’s grandmother and she maybe in a relationship as well. This is such a love story and some heartbreaking things that two young people need to come to terms with. Heartwarming story and makes you feel good.

I received this ARC from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A story as sweet as the cover on the book. Amanda Taylor and Rafe Arredondo both grew up in the same small town a few years apart. Their lives have both been touched by tragedy. He is now a single father to a five year old son and an EMT firefighter. She runs her own shop and is also in charge of the annual Holiday Giving Market. Their paths keep crossing as he buys a house very near hers and then they find that her grandmother and his grandfather have become a couple at their retirement home.

This is a story that could be a Hallmark movie, complete with a child asking Santa for a mom for Christmas. There is no big angst other than letting go of the past. If you like heartwarming, kissing only, family centered stories this works. My feelings didn’t attach to the characters but I enjoyed reading the story. (3.5 Stars)

The December Market is an emotional roller coaster. I cried more than once. Amanda and Rafe both have histories that are difficult. There is a wealth of pain in the past.
Amanda does so much good in town and feels like it isn’t enough. She takes on so much to make the December Market happen and keep her own business thriving.
Rafe is a caring hero. He is a firefighter and a paramedic. He breaks his arm early on helping an older lady.
I suppose there are more books for this setting either before this book or coming in the future because there are a lot of stories here.
I enjoyed reading The December Market. Prepare to have your heart strings tugged.
This is a clean holiday romance with some kisses.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to preview this book.