Thanks NetGalley for the ARC copy. Opinions are my own

First time reading this author and the 2nd book in a series which I did not know when reading this book. It is easily a stand alone.

Amanda is haunted by things from her past, including life altering decisions made by her father. Rafe is a single dad raising his son alone after his ex- wife overdosed and died. Both live in the small town of Shelter Springs, Idaho and each goes about their day doing the best they can to help people but longing for something more for their own lives and questioning whether they are worthy of finding happiness. This is a heartwarming story filled with Christmas magic and love and characters you will find yourself cheering on. A very lovely story
Reasons I enjoyed this book:

Lovely Christmas story written as only RaeAnne Thayne can write them. All the feels of Christmas with a little romance thrown in for good measure.

I’m new to this author, and maybe that’s why it took me so long to finally read this book.
I went into it without much expectation. The pace is good and when I love a single-parent trope, the dead partner is one I would rather avoid.
It’s an easy read however I had a hard time connecting with the characters, possibly because of the 3er person Pov.
Overall, it’s a nice read for a holiday afternoon.
I received an ARC from Harlequin Trade Publishing through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. And I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a sweet and wholesome love story that surprised me with its depth and well written story line. The Christmas theme makes it extra special. The descriptions really flesh out the scenes and the characters feel genuine and charming. I would totally recommend this book to Hallmark movie fans and anyone who loves Christmas and a good holiday market. It is a delightful and refreshing read.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Thanks to Canary Street Press and HTP for my advanced copy of The December Market by RaeAnne Thayne.

This is a sweet and lovely Christmas romance in the Hallmark movie style that I love this time of year. This is book two in the Shelter Springs series, but can be read as a standalone (some of the characters from the first book are mentioned). I loved Shelter Springs and coming back to this sweet town.

This is a cute story of love between Amanda, who doesn't like Christmas but wants to make the holiday great for everyone else, so she runs the town's Holiday Market and Rafe, a single father and assistant Fire Chief. I liked seeing them come together and how their grandparents who both live at the retirement community in town, medle a little to get them together.

This book is sweet and a great Christmas book to get you in the holiday spirit!

This book was delightful. It was my first by this author and I found it really enjoyable. I loved the town and the market sounded adorable. The residents were also charming.

Thank you to Netgalley, Canary Street Press, and RaeAnn Thayne for the eARC of The December Market. All opinions are my own.

4 stars ⭐️

This was my first novel by Thayne and I truly enjoyed it. This story definitely gave off the perfect Hallmark Christmas movie vibes and I couldn’t put it down. The perfect holiday romance for the Christmas season.

*This book is an interconnected standalone and I hadn’t read the first book (Christmas at the Shelter Inn) but I felt that it didn’t impact my understanding of the story.


Tropes
🎄Single dad romance

🎄Small town

🎄Love after loss

🎄Interconnected standalone

Spice Level - Little to none (Kissing, etc)

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!!