I thoroughly enjoyed this light hearted story of two people experiencing and meeting on a dating web site. The relationship of Merry and Jay involves many online chats before they take the plunge to meet face-to-face. Complications to meeting ensue for both of them and some irrational mistakes almost ruin everything.

Excellent holiday story with shades of "You've Got Mail". Merry Knight is an overworked temp at an agency in Seattle with loving parents and wonderful special needs brother, Patrick. As an early birthday present, her mother and her brother buy her membership to an online dating service. She quickly bonds with another person on her dating service and they write anonymously to each other for days before trying to meet-both being people who didn't realize how lonely they were until they bonded over the internet with each other. Unfortunately, her "pen-pal" ends up being her boss Jayson Bright, a man who appears to be the Scrooge half of their relationship. I liked reading about how they each complemented each other and found their way to middle ground. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Debbie Macomber has once again written a heart-warming Christmas story. Merry is a temporary employee at Matterson Consulting and with mandatory overtime has little time for anything else in her life. She lives with her mother who has mobility issues due to complications with multiple sclerosis, her father, and her eighteen-year-old Down syndrome brother. Merry is working as a temp to save money for college and tries to help at home as much as she can. Her job on the Boeing project is winding down and after the Christmas holidays her job will end. Merry has made many friends at Matterson and tries to make the workplace better by decorating for the holidays until reprimanded by her inflexible, curmudgeon boss, Jayson Bright. Merry's mother and brother worry that she will never find someone to date, so they surprise her with a subscription to "Mix and Mingle" for an early birthday present. Does Merry meet the man of her dreams online or is he a fraud and destined to break her heart?

I am a huge fan of Debbie Macomber's books, and this one didn't disappoint. In this year's Christmas book, Merry is taking a year off of college to earn enough money to finish. Her boss is a perpetually angry man and his constant bad moods combined with all of the overtime she is having to work is leaving her frazzled. Her mom and younger brother sign her up for a dating site as an early birthday present. Will she find love, or is her Christmas this year going to be overshadowed by her grinch of a boss? If this book doesn't put you in the Christmas mood, nothing will.

It's that wonderful time of the year where we get Christmas theme stories. A fun and quick read sure to bring a smile to your face.

Merry Knight is working as Temp in order to save money for college. She is working long hours and unfortunately has a grouchy boss who lacks Christmas spirt. He doesn't want Christmas decorations up or for her to eat lunch at her desk. Talk about needed some holiday cheer. Work leaves a lot to be desired and not having much of a social life doesn't help. Her family feeling she needs to dated sign her up for on-line dating. Merry being a good sports gives it a try and finds a man who captures her interest. He is easy to talk to and seems kinds. Could it be to good to be true? Will they finally meet face to face? If you want to know what happens pick up this book.

I enjoyed reading this book and it made me laugh at times. I can never go wrong with this author.

Title: Merry and Bright
Author: Debbie Macomber
Rating: 5/5
Release Date: November 16, 2017
Description from Goodreads: “Merry Smith is pretty busy these days. She’s taking care of her family, baking cookies, decorating for the holidays, and hoping to stay out of the crosshairs of her stressed and by-the-book boss at the consulting firm where she temps. Her own social life is the last thing she has in mind, much less a man. Without her knowledge, Merry’s well-meaning mom and brother create an online dating profile for her—minus her photo—and the matches start rolling in. Initially, Merry is incredulous, but she reluctantly decides to give it a whirl.

Soon Merry finds herself chatting with a charming stranger, a man with similar interests and an unmistakably kind soul. Their online exchanges become the brightest part of her day. But meeting face-to-face is altogether different, and her special friend is the last person Merry expects—or desires. Still, sometimes hearts can see what our eyes cannot. In this satisfying seasonal tale, unanticipated love is only a click away.”
Review: I have always loved Debbie Macomber’s Christmas novels but this one is probably my favorite so far. Merry and Bright was a super sweet romance and I was drawn in instantly.
This book made me want a mug of hot chocolate and to go wandering around looking at Christmas lights. I was reminded of all the wonders of Christmas time and to take time out of my busy schedule to do something wonderful for someone in need. There are many people out there who don’t have the advantages we do, Christmas is the perfect time to help out someone and make their day special too. Debbie Macomber put me right there in the middle of this beautiful Seattle Christmas and I didn’t want to leave. The ending came way too soon and I reluctantly turned that last page.
This was such a fast read and filled with so much holiday cheer and wonderful romance. I couldn’t think of a better Christmas book to curl up with on a lazy Sunday. I loved this book and will definitely reread during that magical Christmas season!

Full review will be published on my blog alyssarossblog.wordpress.com on November 2, 2017.

*I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.*

I enjoyed this book. It is a fun, quick read for a lazy afternoon. Gets you in the mood to start thinking about the holidays. Mary/Merry works for Scrooge. He is just trying to prove his worth to his Uncle and was not a very nice person to work with. They both end up on a dating site, and instant Christmas movie. LOL

What a wonderful story. If you liked "You've Got Mail" or the old movie "Little Shop Around the Corner", you will love this book. It is sweet and such a "feel good story". Merry's mother and brother sign her up on a dating site. You can guess what happens from there. As always, Debbie Macomber has hit the mark again!

Merry Knight has been quite busy with her job and family while getting ready for the upcoming Christmas season so she hasn’t put any time into starting any kind of a social life. As an early present Merry’s mother and brother decided that they would sign her up for an online dating service when she kept using the I don’t have any time excuse. Merry isn’t sure about getting out there and dating but doesn’t have the heart to be mad at her family for thinking of her happiness.

Jayson Bright hears about the online dating service from a friend who is now a very happy customer and planning his own wedding. A bit skeptical Jayson hesitantly signs on to check out the service and immediately sees Merry’s new account and decides to take a chance and message her. The two of them quickly become friends behind their computer screens chatting away with one another night after night but when the time comes to meet there’s quite a big obstacle that just may keep them apart.

Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber was a lovely little Christmas romance read that is sure to put a smile on your face and bring in those festive thoughts as the holiday season approaches. Merry was born near the Christmas holiday hence her festive spelling of her name and has always loved the season and everything it brings. Jayson however is the Scrooge in the story who never had the lovely memories of Christmas that Merry had so it was nice to see how her influence brightened his spirit.

While Merry and Jayson were both likable and true to their character descriptions and fun getting to know I think what made this story even more touching was Merry’s family. While the family is a close knit loving bunch Merry’s brother sometimes stole the show as he helped Merry with finding a date. Her brother was special needs and I felt like the character was wonderfully portrayed in the story and loved him interacting with Merry and Jayson. In the end it was a lovely little feel good Christmas romance and I’d definitely recommend checking this one out.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This year, Christmas started a bit early as I was blessed to receive an advanced review copy of Merry and Bright ~ Debbie's 2017 Christmas novel. I grabbed my soda, some cookies and settled down under the air conditioning to enjoy an afternoon of Christmas romance delight. 😊

Merry and Bright is a mix of holiday cheer, romance and the humor Ms. Macomber is is so well known for! This delightful story had me smiling, laughing and cheering Merry on throughout the whole story. It was the best afternoon I have spent in a long while and I came away from it with a huge smile on my face and a warm, cozy feeling in my heart.

If you love romance and Christmas, you will most definitely enjoy Merry and Bright!

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own. Thank you to Ms. Macomber, Ballentine Books and Negalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Merry and Bright is a contemporary story of a family working hard to deal with all that life has to throw at them and still making the best of everything. Merry Knight lives at home with her parents and younger brother. Her brother has Downs Syndrome and is in high school. Merry's mom and brother sign her up on a dating website as a early birthday present and as her bio pic they post a picture of the family dog. It isn't long before Merry gets a wink from someone. His name is Jay and he also uses a dog pic as his profile picture. Slowly they get to know each other online, There is definitely an attraction there. Through Merry, Debbie Macomber shows the love and wonder of family and Christmas. An entertaining read and moves along very quickly. Where does Debbie Macomber get all of her ideas? Loved it.

I loved this book. Which isn't a surprise really because I enjoy Debbie Macomber's books. This one is wonderfully written so much that I read it in one sitting. I didn't want to put it down. I believe that the reader can relate to Merry in many ways. The story is mostly believable with some fluff. Your main characters are likable. Merry (the main female) is signed up for a dating site by her mother and brother. Only her dog's picture is used instead of her own. She has some minor issues with her boss throughout the book. However, unknowingly, she is talking with her boss on the site and really likes him. Neither used their pictures on the site so neither know who they are really talking to. The way things progress and and play out is really enjoyable. I like sweet fluffy books like this. Keep them coming!

This book was the best kind of cheesy. Like Hallmark movie cheesy. Which actually makes sense since Debbie Macombers books are often turned into Hallmark movies.

A simple, light-hearted tale of mistaken identity and how never to judge a book by its cover, the story of Merry and Jayson was heartwarming and romantic. With very little angst, a whole lot of cookies and the best little brother a girl could have, this book is sure to brighten your mood and make you anxious for the holidays to begin!

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review

It's been a while since I've read a Debbie Macomber (and the day after I finished this one, I got the offer of another one from a friend in London! yay!).  

Anyway, Merry is temping for a company, as she saves up enough money to go back to college. She lives with her parents and her younger brother Patrick, who (as someone born with Down's Syndrome) has an alternative view on life, that can often be more positive and simpler than Merry would care to give credit for.  As she's not planning to stick around after Christmas, she's not kicked up a fuss when the HR department gets her nameplate wrong and rechristens her "Mary". In fact, it makes things a little easier, when it turns out she gets into trouble with her "by the rules" boss, who then turns out to be her online date.

Told mainlyfrom Merry's point of view, we also hear a little from Jayson's point of view, especially what makes him sign up to the dating website in the first place. We get to see Merry's interaction with her brother and mother, but I got little about her father, and nothing about Jayson's father or uncle, except for a reference about how Jayson had fallen out with his father. 

In talking to Merry online, Jayson begins to realise that there's more to life than work and the mandated overtime that's been put in place for the report he needs ahead of Christmas. Such as baking cookies for the neighbours; allowing people to put Christmas decorations up; and that perhaps aggressively enforcing the "no eating at your desk" rule, whilst making people work overtime could have been addressed differently.  Finally Jayson's friend Cooper persuades him to pay attention to both Merry and Mary, especially after Merry has decided not to meet him In Real Life. Similar to the film "Shop around the Corner", Jayson finds that taking the time out to talk to a real person can be as enjoyable as anything, if you've found the right person.

Whilst some of Macomber's books can be a little predictable, it's the telling that makes them enjoyable, and the little details she adds in that make people keep coming back. This is a great read in the run up to Christmas, and adds a little cheer to what can be a stressful time of the year

Merry And Bright
Debbie Macomber
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Christmas is the season of the heart, and #1 New York Timesbestselling author Debbie Macomber is here to warm yours with a delightful holiday novel of first impressions and second chances.

Merry Knight is pretty busy these days. She's taking care of her family, baking cookies, decorating for the holidays, and hoping to stay out of the crosshairs of her stressed and by-the-book boss at the consulting firm where she temps. Her own social life is the last thing she has in mind, much less a man. Without her knowledge, Merry's well-meaning mom and brother create an online dating profile for her--minus her photo--and the matches start rolling in. Initially, Merry is incredulous, but she reluctantly decides to give it a whirl.

Soon Merry finds herself chatting with a charming stranger, a man with similar interests and an unmistakably kind soul. Their online exchanges become the brightest part of her day. But meeting face-to-face is altogether different, and her special friend is the last person Merry expects--or desires. Still, sometimes hearts can see what our eyes cannot. In this satisfying seasonal tale, unanticipated love is only a click away. (Goodreads)


Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. I really liked Merry, she was a sweet, caring, loving person. She loves her family fiercely and she is happy with her life. But after she spends time with Jay/Jayson, she realizes that she is missing having someone special in her life. I really enjoyed the time spent with her brother, Patrick, he was an amazing character. Jayson was a good guy who has not had a lot of love in his past, and he began to loosen up and enjoy life more after meeting Mary/Merry. I enjoyed meeting and getting to know all of the characters and spending time with them.

I have read a lot of this author’s books and I have loved them all. This book was no exception. All of her books are feel-good reads that are clean, with no swearing or anything explicit in them. This author shows that you can write a heartwarming romance without any vulgarities in it. I thought that the title of the book was very clever.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted women’s contemporary romance. It is a quick easy read and once I started it reading it I did not want to put it down. If you are looking for a great holiday read that makes you feel happy, grab this book.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

The thing that is appealing about Debbie Macomber's books is their predictability. They are kind of like comfort-food in books. In our stress-filled, and sometimes anger-filled world it can be comforting to pick up a book that won't disappoint, that is classic girl-meets-boy with a heroine finding her happy ending free of graphic violence or even graphic sex. It's not about experiencing real life and messiness - we all have enough drama in our lives. It's kind of like living out rainbow dreams filled with unicorns and unlimited chocolate cupcakes. Those are really sweet things to imagine, and a wonderful escape from harsh realities. So Merry and Bright does not disappoint...and I completely fell in love with Merry's young (18/12, in her words) special-needs brother. A sweet holiday themed read.

Merry and Bright was a very sweet holiday love story by Debbie Macomber. The book pulled me right in, and I really liked the two main characters, Merry and Jason. I felt sorry for Jason, never having had much of anyone care for him before, and I was glad that Merry had a warm and loving family.

Merry is a temporary employee at the company owned by Jason's uncle, and he is her boss. Merry inadvertently ruffles Jason's feathers a few times, making her very uncomfortable with him.

When Merry's mother and brother set her up on an online dating site, she meets a man there who seems to be exactly suited to her. What she doesn't know is that this man is her boss, Jason. The two are clueless that they already know one another in person, and don't care for each other. Watching Merry and Jason get to know one another online was enjoyable, and I liked the way their relationship developed. I could see that things were going to get rocky between them when they met in person, and I was really anticipating that!

This was a fun book and a good holiday read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Merry And Bright

Debbie Macomber



Merry Knight is working a temp job at a consulting firm but she might as well be a full time employee with the hours she is working. To top it off she does not like her boss, Jayson Bright. She seems to get on his nerves as she is happy and trying to spread holiday cheer and he keeps shutting her down. MERRY AND BRIGHT introduces you to Merry’s parents and her special needs brother, Patrick. She loves her family very much and tries to do all she can for them, but her job now has mandatory over time and she feels as if she just doesn’t have enough time in the day. Jayson is a very handsome man but very serious and does everything by the book. Merry could never imagine being with a man like that.

Merry’s mom is worried that life is passing Merry by. One day her mother and brother sign her up on a dating website. She needs to have fun again and enjoy life. They want men to like her for her not her beauty so they put up a picture of the family dog on her profile. There she meets Jay and decides not to meet him right away. She likes getting to know him without the physical stuff getting in the way. When they do finally meet, well, let’s just say things don’t go as planned. MERRY AND BRIGHT will have you giggling out loud, at the same time holding your breath. The way Merry freaked out was totally expected and I’m sure I would have done the same thing.

I have never met a Debbie Macomber story that didn’t pull on my heart strings and MERRY AND BRIGHT did not disappoint. It is kind of predictable but I still loved every minute of it. It is a sweet story filled with family, emotions that will have you smiling and tearing up, second chances and no bad language or sex scenes. I look forward to Debbie Macomber’s holiday stories every year and as soon as I know they are coming I’m filled with excitement. Debbie has a way of pulling her readers right in and making them fall in love with all of her characters. I found myself cheering for Merry and hoping she would be able to teach Jayson what Christmas is all about.

Merry Knight was working as a temp at a consulting firm in Seattle. She lived with her family, a Mom with MS, a brother with Downs Syndrome and a father who traveled for his sales job. She had been in college but took a break to earn enough money to return for her final courses toward her teaching degree. So she had little time to meet men.

So as December rolled around, she was anxious to end her temp position right before Christmas and return to school in January. She enjoyed the job but not her boss, Jayson Bright, who was under pressure to complete an assignment and possibly secure more work from that client.

Merry' Mom and her brother Patrick decided that Merry needed to meet someone and signed her up for an online dating service. Rather than post a photo of herself, she added one of her dog. Around the same time, Jayson's friend told him of meeting an old friend on the same online site and now preparing to marry her. So Jayson also signed up for that dating site and used his dog's photo as well.

Soon Jayson and Merry were contacting each other online and having nightly chats. This lasted for a few weeks. Neither was aware that they worked together. When they decide to meet in person, there are problems.

This is a short, predictable Christmas themed story.

A delightful Christmas office romance along the lines of You've Got Mail. Easy and quick to read during the holiday season when you are rushing around. Every year Debbie Macomber writes a holiday story and reading them has become a tradition.