I really enjoyed my trip back to Shelter Springs! Having read Christmas at the Shelter Inn last holiday season, I was very excited for book two in the series. Loved Amanda and Rafe's love story unfold. Loved even more, I think, all the side characters in this lovely town. If you need a holiday read with family, community and a sweet love story...pick up The December Market.

I’ve had The December Market on my TBR list for a while, so I was very excited to finally get the opportunity to read it. This is the second book in the Shelter Springs series, and while I haven’t had the opportunity to read the first book, I was not lost as this can easily be read as a standalone.

I enjoyed the chill, laidback vibe, and the chemistry between the characters is palpable. It’s clear there is something between Rafe and Amanda that has happened before the story began, as I felt the tension between them before it was clearly mentioned. This intrigued me and really helped move the story along. I also loved the side romance between the grandparents. So incredibly sweet!

While I did enjoy the narrative, I do feel like the overall story was a bit drawn out. There seems to be quite a bit of filler and repetition. We get that these characters have been through some tough stuff, but does this have to be continuously repeated? I feel like taking out some of the repetition would’ve helped the overall flow tremendously.

Though there were parts that did tend to drag, the ending was pretty darn sweet. In my opinion, there’s nothing better than a happily-ever-after in a sweet Christmas story, and this one really won me over. Though not the smoothest of reads, this novel was still pleasant, and I have no regrets of reading it throughout my holiday break.

There is a lot of comfort in holiday romance stories. This book is no exception. The formula is predictable and comfortable all at once. Amanda has lived in Shelter Springs all her life, but the tragedy of an alcoholic father and a distant mother remains with her into adulthood. Her beloved grandmother, Birdie, lives in Shelter Springs and leaving is not an option to Amanda. She goes out of her way to be involved and helpful within the community, yet she always feels as if she is looked down upon. A chance meeting with her handsome neighbor, Rafe, and his adorable son bring a taste of happiness to her life, but her instinct is to run away from the fear of getting too close to anyone.

Rafe has his own reasons for holding Amanda at arms distance, but his young son has no such fear of Amanda, and quickly draws closer to her.

Set around the Shelter Springs Christmas Market and their own grandparents, Amanda and Rafe try to learn to let love into their world again.

I liked this book so much. It was a really sweet Christmas story and I would read anything this author writes if it's this good. I gave this 5 stars.

Thank you HTP, Canary Street Press, & The Hive for the gifted digital copy!

The December Market
RaeAnne Thayne
Publishing Date: October 8, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Narrator: Vanessa Johansson 🎧

This is technically the second book in a series but I read it as a standalone and I don’t feel like it was a problem. I have such mixed feelings about this one. There was some really great representation throughout. Cultural diversity, substance abuse and mental health rep, a child with Down’s syndrome, and older characters involved in romances. I appreciated all of this so much. The whole concept of the Holiday Market was cute. We get forced proximity when our firefighter MMC, Rafe, is put to work in the first aide tent at the market where Amanda has a booth with her soap shop.

What didn’t work for me was that the FMC was just really annoying and negative. She had such issue with her grandmother showing romantic interest in someone. She was cold when she heard Rafe’s son asked Santa for her to be his mom for Christmas. She was just so so unlikable for me. I also found Rafe to be very judgemental of her at points. In addition, I felt like the author took the unhealthiness of relationships past a little too far. It was like everyone was in a toxic, borderline abusive relationship in the past, which diluted the impact of our main characters pasts.

🎧 The narration here was just ok for me. It was not always easy to tell when characters switched during dialogue as there wasn’t a lot of differentiation of voice tones. I also feel like the narrator did a great job with the older characters but stayed too close to that voice when the younger characters were speaking, which made them sound older and had me confused how old people were at points.

I don’t have the highest expectations for Christmas books, in the same way I don’t have high expectations for hallmark movies. They have a lot of cheese and predictable plot points but for me that’s exactly what I want during the cozy seasons so this suited me just fine!

Set in the charming mountain town of Shelter Springs, The December Market delivers a heartwarming second-chance holiday romance. Amanda Taylor pours her energy into her soap shop, the town's holiday market, and caring for her grandmother, Birdie. But when Birdie finds love at the retirement home, and Amanda keeps crossing paths with Rafe Arredondo—a widowed firefighter with a young son—both are reminded that love might be worth the risk. 💕
This sweet and festive story is full of community spirit, family connections, and holiday magic. While it can be read on its own, I recommend reading Christmas at the Shelter Inn first for the full Shelter Springs experience! Perfect for curling up with a cozy blanket and hot cocoa. ☕

This was such a sweet and adorable perfect for now since it's the Christmas time. Also do you see that cover isn't it lovely? So there is Amanda and Rafe Amanda is a local shop owner who is running a Christmas Market and race is a single dad local fireman who was injured while helping out and now looking for something to do. It was just so sweet watching the romance between the two but it seems like it's not the only romance going on when Amanda realizes her grandmother birdie maybe with someone causing her some concern. I really enjoyed this book would definitely recommend especially if you like Hallmark movies.

I guess you could say this is a cozy holiday romance but unfortunately, I didn't love it. A lot of time was spent inside the heads of the two main characters and not enough time was spent actually seeing the relationship in action. I didn't think there was really any chemistry either and I'm not sure why they were drawn to each other. It was also very repetitive. I do think the best part of the story was Isaac, Rafe's son.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great book. I really liked it!

I recieved an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I tried to read this and listen to it but I didn't like either of the main characters and in the end of DNF.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for the opportunity to read The December Market by RaeAnne Thayne, a heartwarming Christmas novel.

Thank you @htpbooks @htp_hive @raeannethayne and @canarystreetpress for my gifted ebook. It’s out now and is the second book in the series, but I think it’s fine to read as a standalone.

The December Market is an adorable second chance romance for Amanda. She stopped enjoying Christmas after her father had a bad car accident and harms a local boy in the process. She owns a local soap shop though and depends on the holiday sales. She meets Rafe when her grandmother starts dating his grandfather and they hit it off. Rafe is a young widow who lost his wife to substance abuse, and he has a young son.

Both have been burned in love before, but will the holiday magic bring them together? I really enjoyed this sweet story. I was especially drawn to Rafe’s story and he was such a good father and grandson.

If you’re looking for a holiday story with heart and soul, The December Market by RaeAnne Thayne is for you. Set in the small Idaho town of Shelter Springs, the story provides a realistic romance between Amanda Taylor, small business owner and all-around involved townsperson, and Rafe Arredondo, assistant fire chief and local hero. When I think of Christmas books, I typically reach for a cozy, heartwarming story. I want to block out hardships and real life and focus on a fantasy. The December Market provided the sweet, heartwarming story but it did not offer a fantasy. Instead, in the first two chapters, it mentioned the tragedies and losses numerous people in the town had suffered. By the time another trauma was mentioned for yet another character, I put the book aside. I could not deal with all of the sadness. A few days and a couple of other happier Christmas novels later, I returned to the book, determined to see where it would lead me, and I am glad I did.

Amanda and Rafe have both experienced unbelievable tragedy relating to the substance abuse of others around them. As a result, their baggage keeps them from fully moving forward or getting involved in relationships. How will these two move past the obstacles and end up together in this Christmas-centered romance? The path they take is beautiful and real. As Amanda fought her feelings and hid behind the pain of her past, I found myself engaged in her struggle. There are many funny and true-to-life moments provided courtesy of colorful characters such as Isaac, Rafe’s young son, and Birdie, Amanda’s grandmother.

Lovers of Hallmark movies will enjoy this story, which spans Thanksgiving through Christmas.This is book 2 in a series, but I had not read the previous book and had no trouble with it as a stand-alone read. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was such a cozy second-chance romance! I loved the relationship between Rafe and Amanda. They were so cute together. I liked the storyline of Rafe's son Isaac asking Santa for a mother and hoping it would be Amanda. I'm glad that Amanda decided to put her faith in front of her fear and discovered that it was harder to live without Rafe and Isaac in her life. It made for a fantastic ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book features so many of my favorite tropes: small town, single dad, grumpy x sunshine and hilarious family dynamics. It is such a gem of a book. Must read during the holiday season.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows two people who have heartbreak in their past. They come together in this small town during the holiday season and a relationship blossoms.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me and it was a DNF. I didn't feel the chemistry between these two characters and I just wasn't invested in the story. I was also just bored because the story seemed drug out and repetitive.

I hope others love this one but it didn't work for me.

"The magic of Christmas—and a second shot at romance—is in the air in Shelter Springs this holiday season…"
The December Market is the second book in the Shelter Springs series and it was the perfect holiday read. You can read this as a stand alone since I did not read the first book in the series, but it was easy to follow. This author wrote this so well and all of the characters in the book were amazing especially Amanda. The book is was such a sweet romance that I enjoyed a lot and would recommend to any reader who loves romance books. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing - Canary Street Press for this read in exchange of my honest review of The December Market by RaeAnne Thayne.

The December Market by RaeAnne Thayne is a sweet story for the season or really any time. The characters are authentic and relatable, especially little Isaac.

Sweet, cozy romance in a small town. Lots of past shared history in the community, between families. Addiction, death, and figuring out how to move forward, all during the Christmas season. The December Market is a perfect place for everyone to gather. Book two in a series.