The Christmas Basket    by Debbie Macomber Order:  USA  Can Mira, 2002 (2002) Hardcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Martina Bexte Noelle McDowell's starry-eyed plans to elope with her high school sweetheart, Thom Sutton, fall by the wayside when he jilts her. Devastated by Thom's betrayal, Noelle turns her back on her hometown of Rose, Oregon, choosing instead to bury herself in her work at a software company in Dallas. But after ten years she can't avoid her childhood home, family and friends any longer. Her younger sister is getting married and Noelle's mother has insisted she come home for Christmas and participate fully in the wedding plans. Unfortunately the first person Noelle bumps into on the plane ride home is Thom Sutton. The sparks are still there, but both Noelle and Thom convince themselves too much time has passed, and too many hard feelings still fester, to mend any fences. Their feuding mothers (forced to work together making holiday baskets for local charities) and the town's Christmas festivities throw Noelle and Thom together again and again, and it's at one of these get-togethers that they realise that they're still very much in love. They also learn that their rift amounted to nothing more than a series of ill-timed misfortunes and misunderstandings. Can Noelle and Thom start over again and rekindle the flames of their old love? Or will the continued shenanigans of their mothers ruin everything? Debbie Macomber has built a solid reputation with her popular hometown, family-oriented romances and adds The Christmas Basket to her growing list of seasonal stories. She offers a wholesome lesson in forgiveness with a large dash of love and laughter, perfect ingredients for the holidays. This mid-sized hardcover also comes beautifully packaged, making it the ideal gift for avid readers on your shopping list. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews