REVIEW: Christmas at the Shelter Inn by RaeAnne Thayne

In Christmas at the Shelter Inn by RaeAnne Thayne, Natalie Shepherd has returned home to the Shelter Inn to help her sister, who is on bedrest, take care of her family. When they were children, Natalie’s parents ran the Shelter Inn until their mother passed away and their father, deep in his own grief, took off, leaving the girls and their brother with their aunt to raise. Now Natalie’s sister, McKenna, and their aunt, Liz, turned the inn into a senior citizen home. After the deaths of her mother and brother, and her father’s abandonment, the Shelter Inn is the last place she wants to be, and she’s counting down the days until she can leave again.

After Griffin Taylor’s father killed several teenagers in a drunk driving incident, Griffin left Shelter Springs and became a doctor. Now he’s back, hoping to prove to the town that he’s nothing like his father. The last person he expects is to run into Natalie. Griffin had been her brother’s best friend, and the last person who had seen him alive. While he’s attracted to Natalie, he’s harboring a lot of guilt for what happened to her brother.

While Griffin and Natalie are fighting their attraction to one another, the group of seniors at the Shelter Inn, including Griffin’s own grandmother, have decided to become matchmakers. Will they be able to put their pasts behind them to have a future together?

Readers will feel for both Griffin and Natalie. Both had been let down by their fathers, and both were still dealing with repercussions. The only difference is that Natalie’s father is still alive, and is back in town, wanting to make amends. Her struggles with dealing with that are realistic and understandable.

The seniors at the Shelter Inn are funny and entertaining with their antics, and they always rally around one another when needed. Natalie’s nieces are adorable. They refer to Griffin as “Dr. Jingle” and I loved how they accepted Griffin into their fold, as well as how good he was with them.

A heartwarming tale about family, loss, forgiveness, healing, and love, Christmas at the Shelter Inn encompasses the spirit and the magic of Christmas. It’s recommended for those who enjoy the brother’s best friend trope, small town romances, and second chances.

Book Info:

Publication: October 10, 2023 | Canary Street Press |

Growing up at the Shelter Inn hotel, Natalie Shepherd envied guests who could come and go as they pleased. So when it was time to finally leave for college and put the lush green mountains around Shelter Springs—along with the cloud of loss that seemed to follow her family—behind her, she swore she’d never come back. But now her sister McKenna needs a favor. On pregnancy bed rest at doctor’s orders, McKenna needs a helping hand with her two young daughters and someone to take over the inn during the hectic holiday season, and Nat can’t refuse. And just when things can’t get worse, she runs into her late brother’s best friend, Griffin Taylor…

Griff has mixed feelings about Natalie’s return. She’s just as beautiful and full of life as he remembered, but there’s a secret he’s carried for years about her brother—and the guilt is eating away at him. Still, Christmas in this small town is filled with treasured traditions and new adventures that hold the promise of something sweet and lasting. From matchmaking seniors to rambunctious nieces, it seems everyone is hoping Nat and Griff will put loss behind them and find a happy new beginning…