Yes, it's a Christmas book. Yes, I know it's not Christmas yet but I've had this book waiting for me for a while now. It doesn't release until October but the synopsis just kept calling to me and I couldn't wait any longer. And life is going to be crazy the first of October to read and write the review then, so I decided to grab it now and enjoy. And I did! It was fabulous! I've read the last several Christmas books that Debbie Macomber has written and have loved them. This one was no exception!

I had a big ol' grin on my face the whole time and kept thinking that this was just super cute and I couldn't wait for the big reveal to happen. Cute, cute, cute, cute!!!!

I loved Merry's relationships with her parents and teenage brother. Patrick, the brother, melted my heart. Patrick has Down Syndrome and loves his sister Merry very much. So in a moment of wanting to cheer her up, he and her mom create a dating profile for her online. They use the image of a their dog for her profile picture and surprise her with their news. What she doesn't expect is to find another user with the picture of their dog as their profile. A wink, a click and a short message lead to lots of fun conversations (via the internet of course) and the chance at a happy and Merry Christmas.

Merry's personal life is stressful right now. Work is stressful. She just wants to enjoy nothing more than chatting online with her new friend Jay after a long day. Their friendship slowly starts to evolve and it's time to put it to the test of meeting. Will they be able to ever meet? Will their friendship be enough to keep them happy once they do meet?

Seriously this was a super cute story that I devoured last night. I think I say this every time I read one of her Christmas novels...I sure hope they make this into a Hallmark movie! Yep, the same sentiment rings true for this book. I want a Hallmark movie out of this one! It's just a sweet, feel good and happy novel. A cozy Christmas story that warms your heart and gets you in the mood for family and friends and just the magic of that time of year. I'd happily curl up on the couch with my hubby and family, popcorn and blankets, and laugh and giggle and smile and sigh all while watching this.

There are so many more things I want to say about this book but I really don't want to spoil it and if I start to say something about the characters or a scene, I just know I'll give something away, even if I were being vague. So let me leave it at that and say one last time that I highly recommend this for a cute, super sweet read. If you need a good pick me up, grab this one.

Content: Clean

I received a copy from the publisher, Ballantine Books, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

I've never read a Debbie Macomber novel. By that fact alone I'm probably not the target audience for this book. However I was in the mood for a holiday story and I've enjoyed holiday romance fiction before so I thought this would be fun. Macomber writes in a foreword that her readers have come to expect a holiday story from her every year. With that admission, and the fact that she is a writing powerhouse, I was expecting something formulaic, and I was not disappointed. But it is a delightful book. I'd give it 3.5 stars. Macomber knows what she is doing and the plot moves along quickly and she hits all the marks you need for a holiday novel. I could see the story playing out just like a Hallmark movie. If this book was made into such a film, I would watch it. For those who like this type of book or like Macomber I would definitely recommend it. Having not read Macomber before, I appreciated the erotic reserve, as so many other new romance type novels seem to be heading toward. This is a book that can get my heard pumping a little bit, but I'm also able to recommend it to my mom.

Every year without fail I look forward to Debbie's Christmas book. She has yet to disappoint me. This book was FANTASTIC. I loved the premise, I loved the characters, I loved the Christmas vibes. I love love loved it!
As I am and have struggled with online dating myself multiple times it was nice to read a story where there was still some struggles with online dating. I can honestly say that had I not been reading this on public transportation while on vacation for my birthday, I would have cried like a baby at the happy ending.

I enjoyed this book SO MUCH thank you to Debbie, the publishers and Net Galley for the E-ARC!

From the bestselling author of the Cedar Cove series, Debbie Macomber's Merry and Bright is a great short book to put you in the holiday mood. Available October 3, 2017. 

Merry is a twenty-something woman working long hours to help take care of her family and save for her last year of college. The last thing on her mind is dating. So when her mother and younger brother decide to sign her up for online dating, Merry is less than thrilled. 

Jayson Bright is an ambitious VP hoping to prove to his uncle that he should be next in line to run the consulting firm when his uncle retires. Finding time to date isn't on his to-do list as the deadline of a huge deal looms near. But one look at his best friend's lovestruck eyes has Jayson wondering if there's something to this online dating thing. 

Although only a short story under 200 pages, this is a really feel good holiday story. I totally could feel the growing chemistry between Merry and Jayson, loved the focus on the positive side of online dating, and even the conflict of Merry and Jayson's working relationship. I laughed out loud several times and really enjoyed the happy ending. My only complaint was how short the story was, thus not giving the reader enough time to really get to know the characters.  

All in all a nice quick read to get you in a holiday and romantic mood.

Merry and Bright was great story. Merry works for an up and coming man at a firm where she is temping. If she can just make it through the holidays. For her birthday her mother and brother buy her a subsceiption to an online dating service. Just what she doesn't need. Thwn she starts chatting with a wonderful man. Her mother and.brother like him too. She discovers who he is but can not wrap her head around how different the "real" person is from her online person. Her heart is broken. Can it really be true?

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
Over the years I have read loads of books by Debbie Macomber which I have really enjoyed and this was no exception.
This was a heart warming, easy to read romance which whilst being predictable, made me smile.

When I first found my love of reading Debbie Macomber was one of the first authors I ever became obsessed with their writing. She creates these magical, yet real, world scenarios and it captivates you until the last page. There is so much love, family, values, magic written within the pages of her new Christmas novel Merry and Bright. A tale of a meddling family who knows when to step in when you may have your priorities misaligned a bit. What the heroine Merry finds is that family, the heart and fate might have in store may just set those priorities straight. I loved this novel and can't wait for the new book by Debbie!

You can't go wrong with a Debbie Macomber book! She writes a lovely story with lovely people set in lovely places that most anyone would want to be. She writes emotional, thoughtful, crowd pleasing stories that make for a very pleasant afternoon or weekend read.

Merry and Bright is a classic Debbie Macomber book. It’s a Christmas story filled with an engaging plot, likable characters, both the main ones as well as the secondary characters, a clean romance, and above all, a story about the spirit of Christmas.
Merry is temping at a company whose CEO is Jayson. The few times they have interacted, they have clashed.
Patrick, Merry’s brother, and Robin , her Mom decide she needs to date and sign her up at an online dating site.
Needless to say, the plot thickens and when you think there will be no happy ending, you know that if it’s A Ms Macomber story, you will not only find it, but it will make you smile.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
I was gifted this book by Netgalley and Random House. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

It is Christmas time and Merry Knight who spends all her time at her temporary job and taking care of her mother with MS and her brother with Down's syndrome has no time for herself, never mind a love life.
For her birthday her mother and brother sign her up for a dating site. She corresponds with someone every night on line but also starts to have feelings for her boss even though he is boorish.
What happens next makes you feel good. The heart knows what it wants.
The book was perfect to cheer you up and smile. Love always wins. A perfect holiday read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return am giving a voluntary review. I enjoyed Merry "Mary" and Jayson "Jay". The two of them had such different backgrounds that they played well off each other. There is definitely a "You've Got Mail" vibe to the story, but that worked for me, and there were enough differences that I didn't feel like I was just reading the same story.

I received an advanced copy to review from NetGalley. I am a huge fan of Debbie Macomber's, especially her holiday books. Merry and Bright is reminiscent of You've Got Mail and the Jimmy Stewart classic The Shoppe Around the Corner, but from the reverse perspective. A very cute romance incorporating online dating and taking time to see what is right in front of your eyes and being able to recognize it.

This was one of my favorite Christmas romances I've read. Absolutely adorable and fun!

Another Christmas win from Debbie Macomber! Perfect for pairing with a mug of cocoa.

An absolutely delightful holiday story with a perfect ending!
First impressions, on-line dating and believing in one's heart all brought together in this most enjoying story by a very gifted Debbie Macomber. A real job to read and an even bigger one to review. Enjoy this special book--it will leave you smiling throughout this season. Thank you for the opportunity to have read this book prior to publication---it was wonderful!

A Debbie Macomber Christmas love story is always a hit! Merry Knight is a genuinely nice woman, she loves her family especially her brother Patrick and is working as a Temp to save money to go back to college. An early birthday present from her family has her signing up on an online dating service where she meets Jay. Jayson Bright is under a deadline and finds himself having little run in with Mary (Merry). He doesn't like Christmas, eating at your desk during lunch or homeless people outside his condo building, but after his cousin finds love on an online dating site he signs up and Jayson and Mary become Jay and Merry. This is a great Christmas love story that will warm your heart and renew your faith in the goodness of the Season.

This is a warm fuzzy read. Just what I was looking for.

Debbie Macomber's protagonist, Merry Knight, finds herself in a precarious situation. Does she trust what she's feels about a person from chatting with him online or does she only rely on what she see's in his business practices?

I loved the character, Merry Knight. She is a hard worker, a loving and helpful daughter and a person dedicated to helping her family. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her romance with her online suitor develop.

People are not always what you see on the outside. We have to take the time to get to know them. Once we do, the things they do are seen in a different light, His light.

When you're ready to get in the Christmas mood, this book will weave it's magic for you. I hope you get you a copy for this holiday season.

A Christmas book YAY!! Honestly haven't read a Christmas or winter themed book in a while and I'm just starting to get back into them. I have to say I didn't enjoy this book as much as a would've liked too. I felt like the book moved too fast towards the end and it wasn't very believable.

I know books are fiction and it's not always meant to be realistic BUT through the entire book Jayson was cold towards Merry and just suddenly he has a heart of gold and falls in love?? Trust me, I love slow burns just as much as the next person, but this was something else...it felt like there was no character development on Jayson's end. I wanted to hear more about his father!! His family!!

In general I give this book a 3.25-50? Weirdest rating I've ever given, I know!! But honestly I can't give it a solid number because it was just very back and forth. Don't get me wrong, I still loved the plot, would read it again, and recommend to a friend, but I think there's room for growth.

Merry Knight has placed romance on the back burner for far too long when her clever and concerned mother and brother create a profile on a dating website in order to find Merry a boyfriend. After constantly working overtime and dealing with her difficult boss, she decides to give the online dating a try. She connects with a thoughtful and caring man, named Jay, who seems perfect for her. However, she does not realize that Jay is actually Jayson Bright, her overbearing boss from work. In a classic “You’ve Got Mail” scenario, the two agree to meet for coffee and once Merry recognizes her boss, she leaves while trying to reconcile the sweet man she’s talked with online to the abrasive man from her office. When Merry and Jay spend an evening working late together, the sparks ignite and Merry decides to reveal herself to him at the office Christmas party. Will Jayson accept the fact that Merry online and Mary from work are one and the same? Or will he feel tricked and abandon all communication with her? Enjoy reading this fabulous holiday story from Debbie Macomber and watch the gift of love permeate the lives of these two characters.

To me, there is nothing better to kick off the holiday season than a book from Debbie Macomber. Her holiday stories are cozy and warm and qualify as a comfort read each and every year. Merry and Bright does not disappoint and creates a wonderful romantic comedy which I am certain readers will love.

Merry and Bright, by Debbie Macomber is a contemporary holiday romance.

Merry Smith loves the Christmas season, even though she's busy with family activities and mandatory overtime at her temp job. However, Merry doesn't enjoy her boss' critiques and criticisms, especially over holiday-related issues. As the boss, Jayson Bright tries to treat every employee fairly, even though he often is quite strict to follow company guidelines.

Due to family meddling and friends' suggestions, both Jayson and Merry are signed up on a dating site, yet without their full names nor photos posted. Their online romance seems promising to both, yet neither realize they've already met in person.

Merry and Bright is geared towards those who enjoy reading quick contemporary holiday romances.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.