Audiobook Review: The Christmas Basket by Debbie Macomber

Author: Debbie Macomber
Narrator: Karen White

Title: The Christmas Basket

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit
Pages: Audiobook
Published: September 24, 2002
Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

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!

Review: 

This was a random find. I was looking for an Xmas romance in my library's audios and this one popped out at me. 

Here we have Noelle and Thom. They were in love when they were young, but their mothers hate each other. They wanted to run away together....but Thom stood Noelle up. Years have passed and Noelle is back home. She has avoided coming back, but she is tired of running. This Christmas she is back home and she keeps running into Thom. At the same time, the feuding mothers are forced to work together to fill Christmas baskets for charity. Will the four of them be able to communicate and move forward?

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I'm SO picky with 2nd chances and the last one was meh for me so I was worried. I loved when everything came out and they realized the truth. I won't spoil it, but I was SO happy with the reveal. I literally jumped for joy and yippeed! 

The side story of the mothers was a nice cherry on top. That was interesting and the conclusion was lovely. Can we get a short story sequel? I want to see more of these two families. 

I felt the diary entries were a little...................unnecessary. We don't need a rehashing of what Noelle felt. We got to see her live reactions. NOW if they were the little sister's or something? Sure. Add another POV in a way. 

The narrator was good. Her older lady voices seemed a little similar. I would forget which mom was which if my focus wasn't 100%. I had to rewind a couple of times because I was confused. 

All-in-all, this was a nice find. I enjoyed all facets of the story. I felt the narrator did alright. The diary entries could've been cut or given to someone else but I didn't hate them. This was a nice little clean romance for the holidays. 4 stars!!!!!! I'm feeling generous especially since this 2nd chance actually worked and I didn't feel any ick toward anyone. 

ONE WORD SUMMARY: Cute

Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #57

- Library Love #35

Book Review: Jingle All the Way by Debbie Macomber

Author: Debbie Macomber

Title: Jingle All the Way

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Chick Lit
Format: ebook

Pages: 272 

Published:  October 13th 2020

Where I Got It: My shelf (Netgalley)

Summary: 

Everly Lancaster always dreamed of leaving her hometown in rural Illinois. Now she helps run a burgeoning startup in Chicago, where her professional goals leave little time for friends...or a vacation.

When a massive snowstorm hits, Everly's mother urges her to come home for Christmas, but she hesitates to return to the life she's worked so hard to escape. Searching for other holiday plans, Everly tasks her assistant with booking her a cruise--the perfect getaway. Embarking on a weeklong tour of the Amazon guided by charming naturalist Asher Adams, Everly slowly but surely begins to realize that relationships are more important than work--and just might decide to journey home just in time for Christmas Day.

Review:

Couldn't resist one. Look at that pup on the cover! Plus a romance that starts on an Amazon cruise? Okay. No choice but to read this. 

The story follows Everly/Daisy. She was always the odd man out amongst her large family. She now runs a huge company in Chicago where she has made work her life. She barely has time for friends, family, or even a moment to take a vacation. On the urging of her co-owner, she decides to give her terrible assistant one more chance and lets her book her a couple week vacation. Well....turns out she is about to face the wilds of the Amazon with no Wifi and a being lead by a charming naturalist Asher Adams. 

This would make the cutest Hallmark movie ever. LOL

Poor Everly. I would be mad because her assistant sucks and her co-owner sucks and now she is stuck in Brazil on a "cruise" with no wifi and your showers are limited. Boo! I am with Everly...I am a modern woman...I need modern things thankssss especially for a 2 week trip!!!! A few days...okay, 2 weeks? Girl no. Give me a pool and a shower and TV. 

BUT Asher is a hunk and it might be worth it ;) He is charming and oh-so sweet especially when Everly was sick. Bless his hunky heart. 

I loved the adventure Everly was forced to take and I'm glad she had fun even though she is not meant for the wilds. She is klutzy and her luck sucks. I can relate to her for sure on all of that. 

I am also glad that this was not 100% all about romance. Sure that was 90%, but we did get to see Everly find herself and reconnect with her big ol' lovable family. That was very sweet. 

Ooooo and that ending/epilogue was good. Very sweet. I didn't really expect that at all. 

My only issue....the puppy. There is no puppy in this D: !!!!! WAH? Teased me for sure with that. 

Oh and another issue I had was how quickly these two fell for each other. Yes, yes, insta-love. It bothered me at first...but it wasn't an easy love for sure so it balanced out in the end. So I was able to look past this little issue I had. 

Overall, this was a very sweet romance and a very sweet Xmas book that you can cuddle up with next to a fire. Yesss I am using the word "sweet" a lot in this review, but it is the perfect word for this novel. I'll give this 4 stars.