The December Market

A tender, small-town holiday romance where the unexpected power of love melts the hardened hearts of two, grief-stricken locals.

 

The spirit of Christmas mends broken hearts in The December Market, a tender holiday romance by RaeAnne Thayne.

 

As in book one in the series, Christmas at the Shelter Inn, the story is set in Shelter Springs, Idaho—a small town that nourishes a sense of community, especially at Christmas. But for 31-year-old resident Amanda Taylor, the holidays resurrect sad memories of how her father’s alcoholism destroyed many lives and how her fiancé’s drinking problem ended their relationship.  As owner of an eco-friendly, skin care product shop, wounded Amanda buries herself in work and even oversees the Holiday Giving Market, where local merchants and artisans gather to sell their wares during the month of December.

 

Hard-working Amanda keeps crossing paths with Rafe Arredondo, a handsome paramedic and firefighter who tends to the first-aid booth at the market. Amanda learns that Rafe and his lovable six-year-old son, Isaac, live in her neighborhood—Rafe is widowed; his wife died of a drug overdose. When Amanda pays a visit to her plucky grandmother at the local retirement community, she and Rafe meet again and discover they have even more in common: their grandparents, both residents, are dating. As fate brings together Amanda and Rafe, their past heartaches are confronted by the prospect of a budding romance.

 

Prolific Thayne (15 Summers Later) unravels a heartfelt, hopeful story where grief is transcended by the power of love.

The December Market (Book 2 of 2: Shelter Springs) by RaeAnne Thayne

Canary Street Press (HarperCollins/Harlequin Books), $18.99 paperback, 9781335929358, 304 pages

Publication Date: October 8, 2024

To order this book via INDIEBOUND/Bookshop.org, link HERE

 

NOTE: This review is a reprint and is being posted with the permission of Shelf Awareness. To read this review as originally published on Shelf Awareness (October 11, 2024), link HERE 

The Booklover's Library

An authentic, tender--at times harrowing--story about how a book-loving British mother and daughter navigate the perils of WWII.

The imprint of WWII on a British mother and daughter are thoughtfully explored in The Booklover’s Library, a deeply moving, meticulously researched novel of historical fiction by Madeline Martin.

Set in England from 1931 to 1946, the story follows Emma Taylor, whose mother died after she was born. Her beloved bookshop-owner father raised her, passing on his passion for books. Eight years after he perishes in a fire that also claimed his store, Emma marries a solicitor who is struck and killed by a car after the birth of their daughter, Olivia.

As WWII looms larger, Emma struggles to find work, as being widowed with a child is construed as an employment liability. When she finally encounters a woman familiar with her father and his bookshop--who is impressed by Emma’s book knowledge--Emma is offered a position at a subscription-style lending library with conditions: Emma must claim she is unmarried--referred to as “Miss Taylor”--and her daughter must be referred to as her “sister.”

As war escalates, a multitude of challenges grow, and Emma is forced, for safety’s sake, to send Olivia away to the English countryside. Separated mother and daughter become entrenched in an uncertain world. But the power of friendship, community, and the comfort of books sustains them.

Martin (The Last Bookshop in London) authentically depicts how the terror of WWII--and the many sacrifices made therein--inspired great resilience of the human spirit.

The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin

Hanover Square Press (Harlequin/HarperCollins), $18.99 paperback, 9781335000392, 432 pages

Publication Date: September 10, 2024

To order this book on INDIEBOUND/Bookshop.Org, link HERE

 

NOTE: This review is a reprint and is being posted with the permission of Shelf Awareness. To read this review as originally published on Shelf Awareness (September 13, 2024), link HERE