Reviews - The December Market

99 reviews for:

The December Market

RaeAnne Thayne

3.57 AVERAGE

sha_y0726's review against another edition

4.0

lighthearted medium-paced

courtneyjustine's review

3.0

Good wholesome Christmas book. Not a lot of substance but got the job done

lisaborchardt's review

2.0

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Too many characters with insignificant parts to keep them all straight. Slow paced and kinda boring. Main character thought and said the same things over and over through the whole book. Not much depth to the character development

mrsbekahzraik's review against another edition

3.0

lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

susanjanette's review

3.5

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

jaimejustreadsromance's review

4.0

RaeAnne Thayne always writes the stories that blend heart, hope, loss, grief and small town history in the best of ways. This story was sad at times but hopeful too. Of course there is the small town drama where everyone's in everyone else's business and grudges are held against whole families for the actions of one member but at the same time the people all come together as a community to help when it really counts.
Amanda is overcompensating in her service to the community to make up for the sins of her father. Her romantic history isn't great, so she keeps her heart locked up and puts her focus on her soap shop and her grandmother living in a retirement community.
Rafe is focused on raising his son after his wife left them and subsequently passed away. He's the assistant firechief & paramedic for Shelter Springs and stubborn as all get out. When he's injured during a roof rescue and put on leave from work he is NOT happy. He's not someone who can just sit around and not contribute so when he's tasked with covering the paramedic tent at the town's December market, he jumps at the chance. Even if it means constantly running into his new, attractive neighbor, Amanda, who was the first person to stop by his house with meals for him and his son.
Amanda tried to avoid welcoming Rafe to the neighborhood when he first moved in because he's the last person she can be attracted to because of the history between their families but when he's injured she can't not do the neighborly thing and bring him food and offer any assistance he might need to aid in his healing. Seeing him everyday at the market is not going to help her avoid this attraction she's tried to ignore. When she discovers that her grandmother and his grandfather are dating, it only complicates everything further.
Rafe and Amanda keep ending up in each other's spaces and a friendship is quickly formed but the attraction between them grows too. Will Amanda be able to open herself up to love and accept that she isn't responsible for her father's mistakes? Will Rafe let himself love again at the risk of being walked away from...again?
If you enjoy a sweet, well-written, low-angst, small town romance in a Christmas season setting, this is one you.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review