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
