The holiday season is tough for Amanda Taylor, but running the Holiday Market in her home of Shelter Springs keeps her busy. Her grandmother, Birdie, has recently started a new relationship, and Amanda finds herself drawn to his grandson, single father and local paramedic/assistant fire chief, Rafe. An accident on the job leads Rafe to running the first aid station at the holiday market, drawing Amanda and Rafe even closer together.

This novel is the second of the “Shelter Springs” books, set one year after “Christmas at the Shelter Inn”, which I read last year. However, this book totally works as a standalone, it is just set in the same place with some overlapping characters! This book embodies all the best Hallmark-esque Christmas essentials with a snowy Christmas market, plenty of holiday activities, and a sweet romance. Pick this one up for a feel-good read this holiday season!

Thank you to UpLit Reads, Canary Street Press, NetGalley, and RaeAnne Thayne for my gifted physical + eARC!

This was a great cozy read that I curled right up on the couch with. This is book #2 in the series. The December Market gave me all the holiday feels and put me right in the Christmas spirit.

This was such a cute read and the perfect way to get me into the Christmas Spirit. Love the slow burn and family aspect of the story. I also loved the small town Romance and enduring pain that leads to love again. The story had a Hallmark feel to it all which was just what I like to read. Very wholesome read to get you into the Holiday Spirit! Would recommend to anyone that needs a good happily ever after story!

Another festive Christmas novel from Raeanne Thayne. A single woman haunted by the trauma in her past; a single dad next door with his own baggage. Add in meddling grandparents, a Christmas market, and a determined six-year old. The town of Shelter Springs and its neighbor, Haven Lake, should be on everyone’s list to visit! Beautiful settings for books!

Thank you so much @uplitreads @raeannethayne for a gifted copy of this book!

🎄 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🎄
Amanda runs a homemade soap shop and is in charge of the holiday market. She looks after her grandmother who has been spending a lot of time with a new friend in her retirement community. This guy is the grandfather to her neighbor Rafe, who is a single dad to his son Isaac, who is adorable!

Amanda keeps running into them and due to an accident, she has to see Rafe more at the holiday market. She is finding it hard not to get to know Rafe and Isaac better, even though her past wants her to keep her distance from getting close to people.

Isaac was the sweetest boy! It was fun to see how quickly he warmed up to Amanda and his dad quickly followed. Rafe and Amanda both have past experiences that make them wary of each other, but it was nice to see them learn to work through those things and be open to new things in life!

This is a sweet holiday romance that will get you in the mood for holiday shopping and family time!

🎄 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🩷 Holiday Romances
🩷 Single Dad
🩷 Adorable 6 Year Olds
🩷 Cute Grandparents
🩷 Overcoming Past Trauma

The December Market is the second book in the Shelter Springs series. RaeAnne Thayne’s books are always a delight to read.

This was my first time reading this author and I absolutely loved it! This is the second book in the Shelter Springs series and I definitely plan to go back and read book 1. This was a really quick sweet read! Also I am a sucker for a good single dad romance!

Thank you RaeAnne Thayne, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Canary Street Press for the gifted copy!

The December Market is book 2 in a series but it can be read in its own. RaeAnne Thayne writes such wonderful Christmas books and The December Market is no exception.

Full of holiday cheer, it's everything I want out of a Christmas book. It is a feel good joyful story.

So delightful.

4.5 Stars

Out of all of the Christmas stories that I’ve read this year - so far - this was my favourite one. I wish now that I had known this was part of a series, but it was a relatively believable story, which seems to be rare.

This story centers around Rafe and Amanda, both who have had more than their share of grief and loss. Rafe’s son is somewhat of a matchmaker, as he manages to bring Rafe and Amanda together.

A sweet story, with some moments of danger and, of course, a perfect ending.


Pub Date: 08 Oct 2024


Many thanks for the for the ARC provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing / Canary Street Press

Cozy up with this predictable yet adorable Christmas read. It’s a quick read about Amanda and Rafe finding love during the holiday season.

When Amanda visits her grandmother Birdie in her Shelter Inn senior apartment, Amanda never thought she would meet up with a gorgeous firefighter named Rafe and his adorable little son Isaac. What starts out as a plan to help Rafe when he breaks his arm turns out to be a key to romance and a second chance at love. Amanda and Rafe both need to take a risk to find love again.

Grandmother Birdie also finds a chance at love with Rafe's grandfather Paolo as they spend time together at the Shelter Inn and at the December Market coordinated by Amanda. Readers are invited to follow these couples through the progress of their respective romances and look forward to happy ever afters. Featuring cute kids, dogs, and cats, this book has a lot to love.

This is a sweet romance with kisses only, no overt intimacy, no violence, or strong language. The magic and miracles of the Christmas season add fun and flavor to this story of overcoming past heartbreak to open one's heart to a new life and love. This book is the second in a series, although it can be read as a standalone.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own,

Magical Christmas Miracle?
Amanda isn’t a fan of Christmas….will she find the love of the holiday season again?
Rate has sworn off relationships and marriage….
Can they overcome past pain and hurt?
Second chance romance
Single father
A nice Christmas romance to start the holiday season off with.


Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book gave me all the holiday feels...it gives Virgin River vibes but in the best way. Definitely got me into the holiday spirit!!

In "The December Market," the reader is taken back to Shelter Springs where we follow the story of Amanda and Rafe. Set during the week of the Christmas Market in Shelter Spring we see the Characters grow and heal as they fall for each other. In the end, will the pain of the past prevail or will a dawning love take center stage?

One of the highlights for me was catching up with Birdie; it's always a pleasure revisiting familiar faces in a series and seeing their lives evolve. Watching her find joy brought a warmth that added to the holiday spirit of the story.

Overall, The December Market is a heartwarming, festive tale perfect for cozying up by the fire, sipping hot cocoa, and immersing yourself in the holiday season. This story is sure to put you in a wintery, Christmas mood and leaves you rooting for love to conquer all.

The story revolves around Amanda who’s scared to love again with her previous experiences. Despite of that, she falls for a single dad which puts her through some emotional dilemmas.

I really wanted to enjoy this book because I love a good holiday romance but this took me so long to finish. I initially requested an advanced copy but couldn’t get through it so I switched to the audiobook after release. The audiobook is certainly better and the narrator does a great job. But I still drifted off in several places and that spark keeping me engaged is not there. The characters are likable, the holiday vibe cheery but the story bored me taking me so long to finish.

Nothing remarkable. But would be a nice read if you are looking for a closed door, single dad, holiday romance with slow burn.

The December Market is a cute holiday story. Set in a small town Amanda Taylor is a girl who has been through a lot and finds solice in family, friends and her community. As the chair of the towns holiday market as well as a store owner she is very busy. Upon reconnecting with Rafe the town’s hunky fire chief and paramedic she has to decide can she open her heart to love again or stay safe within her busy life. A very cute holiday read I would definitely recommend.

Very sweet holiday story. The romantic story line was one of those that was a bit frustrating - both people seemed to be holding back for reasons that just weren’t very strong or valid. Still, you rooted for them. The grandparent story line was so cute! This is a second in a series (Shelter Springs #2) and I did see connection to the first book, but I think it could easily be enjoyed as a stand alone as well.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This is the second book in a series but can also be read as a stand alone. This is a sweet romance that I adored. The perfect book to put you in the holiday spirit.

This was a sweet Hallmark-style story! I haven't read the first in the series, and I do think it would have helped me remember the overall list of characters if I had, but it wasn't necessary to enjoy the story. Rafe and Amanda are both working through grief and some big losses in their life and are wondering if they can open up their hearts to find love again. The overall relationship arc felt a little rushed, but it was still a sweet story that has me ready for the holidays! I could absolutely see this as a movie one day.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

4.5 stars

This is a beautiful holiday story. I loved returning to the Shelter Inn to revisit the lovely residents and their meddling. In this story, not as much time is spent at the inn as in the previous one; instead, we see everyone out and about at the holiday market.

Amanda has been subconsciously avoiding her new neighbor, Rafe. Her alcoholic father caused a terrible tragedy in his family many years ago, so she tends to keep her distance from certain people. That’s no longer possible after his grandfather moves into the Shelter Inn and seems to be courting her grandmother. What starts as her expressing her concern soon turns into Amanda and Rafe becoming friends. She’s a caregiver through and through and cannot help but step in when Rafe is injured on the job. He’s not used to being idle but can’t say no to Amanda when his son Isaac is enamored with him.

I got all the feels from this story. From Amanda and Rafe’s chemistry, Isaac’s obvious attachment to Amanda, and Rafe’s caution with his young son. Once again this author brought a quaint fictional town to life and had me dreaming of Christmas.