The Christmas Basket by Debbie Macomber

Summary:

No one tells a Christmas story like Debbie Macomber. The Christmas Basket is filled with gifts for the reader -- gifts of warmth and laughter . . . and emotional truth. This Christmas, let Debbie make you smile!

That summer -- more than ten years ago, while they were still in high school -- Noelle McDowell and Thomas Sutton fell secretly in love. Secretly because their mothers had been locked in a bitter feud for decades. But despite the animosity between Sarah McDowell and Mary Sutton, Noelle planned to elope with Thom. Until he jilted her.

This Christmas Noelle McDowell is home to celebrate the holidays with her family. (After all, December 25 is also her birthday.) Unfortunately, Noelle's feelings about home -- or rather, her hometown of Rose, Oregon -- were changed forever the day Thomas Sutton broke her heart.

This Christmas the feuding mothers find themselves working together to fill Christmas baskets for charity. What irony! And what an opportunity for reconciliation . . . if only they could see it.

This Christmas Noelle and Thom discover they're still in love. Regardless of their mothers' reactions, they want to be together. Is that possible? Can old rivalries be set aside? Will Sarah's Christmas daughter have a second chance with Mary's charming son?

Maybe she will . . . this Christmas!
Summary Taken from Goodreads.com

Be honest with yourselves. You knew that I'd review another Debbie Macomber Christmas book. Deep down you knew it. I know you must be getting pretty tired of them but I just so happen to enjoy them and find them to be the perfect holiday reads.

That being said let me make this clear this is my least favourite of all her Christmas books that I have read so far. But it was still cute. Plus it was a very quick read since I was able to finish it in about 2 hours while travellng to and from school on Friday.

The story was kind of prdictable but still Christmasy and I did enjoy it. Just not as much as her other Christmas books. I didn't feel very strong attachments to any of the characters in this book. Sure I liked some of them but others like Thom the male lead I didn't care for. I think I'm noticing a pattern. I rarely like the men in Debbie Macomber's books. Usually I want to punch them. There's always something about them that seems off.

I did like the humour in this book and the story of the fued between the mothers was good too but I wish Noelle had been a more active heroine. She was very forgettable like many of the charcters which is why coupled with how I felt that the ending was rushed that I didn't like this book as much as others by the other. Don't get me wrong I still recommend it and enjoy her writing but I find that this was one of her weaker works though still heartwarming.

★★★ 1/2