The town of Independence, New Mexico, is fading after the closure of a vehicle parts firm. Families have left, small firms have to try to sell goods online as there are not enough local buyers. Myka and her friend Sophie discuss the matter after the death of a neighbour. His son is on the way to town, to pack up and sell everything. They remember Joshua from school, but he was troublesome and a Navaho, best left alone by the star cheerleader Myka... though she was secretly more than a little interested.

HOMESPUN CHRISTMAS shows Myka, a young widow and no longer a bookkeeper, spinning wool from her own sheep into yarn; her mother knits wonderful sweaters and she can sell wool online. Joshua arrives and they seem to have more in common than she'd remembered. He's an architect, now looking for work, and selling his father's house looks bleak in a forest of sale signs. Maybe it's just that they're both stubborn! That evening Myka asks fellow crafters to share ideas on how to revitalise the town. Waiting for the economy to pick up is not working, and they have to act fast.

Joshua is a well-drawn character, who was determined to outgrow the small town origins and taunts of schoolkids, but with his business closing he's back to square one, and feels like a failure. He remembers the Navaho teaching that everything is connected and forms a pattern. Subplots populate the town with real people, such as Myka's sister- in-law having inherited a share in the local inn, while her violent husband was in prison. Joshua's contacts on the Rez come in useful. The police department is short-handed and one of them still has prejudices against Joshua.

I liked Myka, a practical lady, who suggests that the town's Rio Grande craft traditions are saleable through her web store. But most people just knit or quilt for a hobby, and she has trouble convincing them to start a company. Turning their lives around with Christmas approaching seems like the biggest challenge anyone could face. In the middle of all this Sophie urges Myka to try romance with Joshua - comparison shopping never hurts, she says. Could there be a future for the two of them? Aimee Thurlo knows her location and people, and HOMESPUN CHRISTMAS is a true- to-life encouraging read as well as a rewarding gentle romance. This book deserves to be read.