Another great addition to Ms. Macomber christmas books. Set in the age of dating online Merry's mother and brother sign her up for online dating without her knowledge. At first she is not pleased but eventually gives it a chance. She meets Jay and realize they have alot in common.
Jay at first was skeptical of online dating but his cousin sang the praises of the website that found him his wife that Jay decides to sign up. He comes across Merry profile which shows the family dog Bogie. He in turn put a picture of his deceased dog. Due to the fact they do not use their picture they are not aware they know each other. As they begin to write to each other they realize they have alot in common and begin to fall for each other before meeting. When time comes to meet each other a situation comes up that could possible disappoint them both.
A sweet novel of the spirit of what christmas is all about family, Joy sense of togetherness and the greatest gift of Christmas. Review is on goodreads and amazon.com

I love anything written by Debbie Macomber and this book was no exception. Laugh out loud, fantastic read.

Debbie Macomber is a much-published romance author whose assurance with all the expected romance elements exhibits itself nicely with this cosy seasonal romance.

I'm a sucker for epistolary romances, especially when the romance that develops in the letters runs counter to real life, as it does here: Merry Knight works hard earning money for her family, who are struggling with various expensive issues. About the only free time she has is for baking.

Her mother and brother feel badly about how hard she works, and so they concoct a plot: they sign her up for an online dating service, only her name gets misspelled.

Meanwhile, she is laboring away at her temp job, trying to do two positions' worth of work before her contract runs out before the holiday. This job is not made easier by her boss Cain, who seems to be a real stick-in-the-mud rules wise, and every encounter she has with him gives her a worse impression.

Meanwhile Cain is lonely and stressed, as he has to prove himself with the current contract, which has to be delivered on time, and correct. His way of dealing with the staff is to be a stickler. His best bud calls up to announce he's getting married, and extols this dating service . . .

You know where it's going from there. The fun is all in the getting there, and how Macomber is going to handle the Big Reveal, and what happens after. I really enjoyed how much time she took to set up the characters of Merry's family, and how Cain gets a separate friendship going with Merry's brother, who has some health challenges.

There were a couple of points at which the secret seemed a bit strained in order to keep the reveal from happening too soon, but I was willing to roll with it, as the rest of the story was so enjoyable. Who found out first, how they reacted, how the other reacted, and what finally happened kept me turning the pages until the satisfying ending. I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable holiday season read.

Copy provided courtesy of NetGalley

Merry has been working a temp job for almost a year. She hasn't always gotten along with her boss and he doesn't make things easy on the employees. They have to work mandatory overtime and are not allowed to put up Christmas decorations. Jay has been trying to get a report done and has to have the employees work overtime to do it. Then "Mary" wants to put up decorations and he has to ask her to take them down. Both Merry and Jay sign up for an on-line dating service. Neither have time to find someone. Merry's mom and brother put a picture of their dog for Merry's picture. Jay saw it and thought it was a good idea, so he put a picture of his dog up for his profile. Unaware that they know each other, Merry and Jay get to know each other better. When they find out the truth, will they be able to continue their growing feelings?

A lovely Christmas read with a great story and a nice ending, exactly what I've come to expect and enjoy from Debbie Macomber. She's a great storyteller and her characters really tug at the heartstrings.

Merry Knight works as a temp at a consulting firm. Her year-long contract is almost up, and she's not really disappointed. Mostly because of her boss Jayson, who seems to be quite a Scrooge especially during the Christmas season. Merry puts up decorations and d he makes her take them down. She's ready to move on to baking cookies decorating the house and with her mom and her special needs brother. One day after work, they surprise her with an early present - they created an online dating profile for her, using a picture of her dog as her photo.

Merry is frustrated, but surprised and pleased when she gets a response from a guy who also has a dog as his picture. She starts having regular conversations with him, and feels they have a real connection. When they finally arrange to meet, it doesn't work out like Merry thought it would.

I definitely recommend this book. It's a great holiday read that will leave you with a smile on your face.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Merry, or is it Mary? And you can only guess that the masculine part of the story is Bright! Merry is working temp work for a company and has a rather disagreeable supervisor, Jay Bright. Her family talks her into using an online dating app because she hasn't dated in such a long time. I really enjoyed reading about this part of the story because it was humorous and so sweet! This is another fine Christmas story by Debbie Macomber that will warm your heart and make you smile.

Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber will be available October 3, 2017 from Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House Publishing Group. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

"Christmas is a condition of the heart. It's being open and sincere, generous and kind to those with less, or showing our love to those we cherish."
This quote is the theme of this sweet holiday love story.
Truly an upbeat message of inspiration and hope when Merry and Jay start and online romance, with some definite twists and turns as you turn the pages..
A definite good read to put you in the Christmas mood!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion of the book. If you love Debbie Macomber's Christmas stories this one is a must! Its a quick read so as to not interfere with your holiday shopping and great gift idea! I have read 75% of her catalog and I can't get enough of her books.

A sweet romantic holiday story. I enjoyed the characters and storyline?

This is a pretty cute story but I wasn't so sure at first. This is the second novel of the author's I've read and I do not like her characters lack of nuance. The man in this story continually repeats his back story of the rich neglected child which gets annoying fast. In the last book I read her male character was similar in sticking to his grouchiness. The female character is really too good to be true which can also be boring in a character but in this case it worked as a counter point for the male character. The story really picks up as the characters interact and we know the truth about who they are. At that point it was a fun quick read. I do wish the author would write more well rounded and interesting characters but I liked this more than the last Christmas novel of hers I reviewed.

Merry and Bright is a delightful Christmas read by Debbie Macomber. I look forward to the annual Christmas tales that come out each year and none is than the ones by Debbie Macomber. I enjoyed following Merry as she untangled the web of internet snares created by her mother and brother as they looked to play matchmaker by way of online dating.

Debbie Macomber never disappoints with her writing and Christmas stories seem to be her speciality. This one was so heartwarming and heartfelt. Both main characters Merry and Jason, are true examples that you can't judge a person and what they are really like until you get to know them. They both had wrong first impressions. Merry grew up in a loving home with moderate means. Jason was raised in a home where his parents divorced and remarried several times. He was sent away to school and never felt loved. Jason's uncle is grooming him to take over his company when he retires. Merry works there as a temp in order to make enough for tuition for her last year of college. How they "meet" each other on an online dating service is so much fun! Both have dog pictures as their profile photos. They feel getting to know someone and their character is much more important than knowing what someone looks like. So they meet online over several weeks and finally agree to meet. Unknown to Jason, Merry spots him and realizes who he is. She runs away, stands him up, and rushes back home. What happens next? If you enjoy books by Debbie Macomber you'll just have to get a copy and find out. This will get you in the Christmas spirit and ready for the season to come.
I received an ebook from the publisher through Netgalley and was not required to write a review.

Again, Debbie Macomber comes up with a heartwarming holiday story that keeps you captivated from beginning to end. Merry is a temp working for a company trying to meet a deadline right before Christmas, she's working a lot of overtime. She lives with her mother (who has MS but is still somewhat mobile right now), a brother with down's syndrome, & her father. Jayson Bright runs the company Merry works for & is not known for being nice in the office. He's also busy with the overtime work & has no time to date.

Merry's mom & brother decide to fill out an online dating application to get her a man for her birthday. They put a picture of the family dog instead of her so she can be liked based on her answers & not her looks. Merry isn't thrilled by this. Meanwhile, Jayson's best friend/cousin is getting married to an old friend of theirs that he met up with again through that same dating app. Jayson decides to try it out using a picture of his dog as well when he sees Merry's & wants to message with her.

The ensuing results of this are well worth the read. Highly recommend this book even if you've never read a Debbie Macomber book before, You'll want to pick up more after reading this.

I love Debbie Macomber's books! This book was a fun, light & easy read. Not as good as some of her books in the past, but I still enjoyed reading it. Check it out this holiday season!

With Debbie Macomber, you always know that you will get a delightful story, endearing characters and a satisfying conclusion with enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. She excels at her Christmas themed books and Merry and Bright didn't disappoint! Highly recommended for a fun holiday read!

It's only September but I'm in the Christmas spirit thanks to Debbie Macomber's new book Merry and Bright! As usual Macomber knocks it out of the park with her latest holiday story. Merry Knight works as a temp for Jayson Bright and the deadline is approaching for a big contract. Jayson is a stickler for following the employee handbook which says employees can't date. That's fine with Merry because she thinks Mr. Bright is not her type anyway. As a matter of fact she can't seem to do anything right when he is around. With no time for a social life because of forced overtime Merry isn't worried about breaking the employee dating rule anyway. Fortunately Merry has a brother and a mother that step in to help her social life. Throw in an Internet dating site and the approaching holiday season and suddenly Christmas looks very interesting! I love how Macomber can take everyday life and turn it into a can't put it down book! Get into the holiday spirit early and treat yourself to Merry and Bright!

I look forward to the holiday stories by Debbie Macomber each year and this was another great one. Just what I needed at this time with so much happening in the world. Grab a cup of tea or coffee and settle in with Merry and Bright; it will lighten your heart for sure!!

I received an ebook ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

Cute Christmas book. I love Debbie Macomber's Christmas books. The only thing I wish...they were longer. This one had cute characters, easy misunderstandings, good underlying moral story, fun, and Christmas. Only two things I wish would have happened. 1. a few parts were repeated a few times but not so obvious it was annoying. 2. LONGER! I wish it would have been longer, these books are so cute. Keep up the wonderful Christmas stories Debbie Macomber.

A classic Debbie Macomber novel! Everything a Christmas story should be... sweet, warm, and full of holiday cheer! This one left me with a big smile on my face!!! Highly recommend.