A fairly enjoyable Christmas read from Debbie Macomber. Light and breezy ala The Shop Around the Corner/You've Got Mail.

Another beautiful book and full of messages from great Debbie Macomber. I am a fan of her books, her writing and her characters.
In Merry and Bright, she brings the story of the upbeat Merry, a girl who had everything to be always complaining about life and being bitter. Even with her mother and younger brother problems, she does not get discouraged and is always with a smile on her face and willing to help anyone who needs her, even her grouchy boss Jayson Bright. Jayson is Merry's opposite, he's always serious and angry, a workaholic addicted to perfection until the day he starts communicating with a mysterious girl over the internet. What I find very interesting is that Jayson does not fall in love with girl only, he falls in love with her whole family and this detail marked me enough.
The book brings a message of resilience, strength in adversity and hope, great for the Christmas mood. I loved the plot, the suspense and the movie that inspired the book. One detail that made me sad was that I expect a more closed and less fast ending. As the plot was very focused on the suspense of the couple finding out who the virtual friends were in real life, in the end the main conflict was solved without great emotions and I missed a lot of epilogue showing the couple with his cousin Cooper and enjoying each other , but even this detail did not take away the brightness of the plot.

A fun, lighthearted Christmas tale! I enjoyed the characters and the way the story unfolded. Cute play on words for the title! I especially loved the family involvement throughout the story, well done!

I would recommend this book to those looking for a heartwarming holiday read, and absolutely for fans of the author, Debbie Macomber.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this work and to share my thoughts.

Another good book by Debbie. Enjoyed the transformation of Jayson

Tis the season and I wanted to read a holiday book by this author. She is who I think of when I think holidays and happy. This book lived up to my expectations. Merry, the main character, is a young woman, bright and refreshing, who has a lot going on in her life and she meets a guy who seems to to fit her at all. The season brings them together, along with a little help from her mom and brother.

It's a great holiday, feel good story, perfect for this time of year.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Merry’s mom and brother create an online dating profile for her without a picture. She is reluctant at first but soon finds herself chatting with a charming stranger. Their online exchanges become the brightest part of her day. What happens when they meet in person?!

The last book of Debbie’s I read was a little of a let down for me, so I was skeptical to start this one. I actually read this book in one sitting!!! That never happens. I got in to the story right away and had to see where it was going. Chris and I met online, and so this story had a special place in my heart.

Bottom Line: Such a light and quick little love story with a little Christmas cheer. If you are a fan of Debbie Macomber, read it!

** I received a copy of Merry and Bright from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.**

Got to love a Macomber holiday novel. Predictable but perfect for the holiday season. I especially liked the character, Patrick. He was endearing and would love to know more about him and his girl.

Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber is a wonderful light read perfect for the Holiday Season in front of the fireplace.
Merry Knight, a busy frugal young woman, is working at Matterson Consulting trying to help her widowed mother and Down’s syndrome brother make ends meet. She has little time for herself or to date. So, for her birthday Merry’s mother and brother sign her up for an online dating service, Mix & Mingle.
What happens as a result of their good-natured interference makes up this lovely novel. The individuals are well thought out, the dialogue and the situations are believable. And of course, in Debbie Macomber’s style, the story is a clean enjoyable romantic story that I didn’t want to end. I hope these characters reappear in more of Debbie Macomber’s books because I became quite fond of them.


I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Ballantine Books with no obligation to review it. This is my honest review after reading

Not much says Christmas time like a Debbie Macomber Christmas book can. Merry and Bright was a feel-good romance that puts you into the Christmas mood. The story was along time lines of You've Got Mail, so it was a bit predictible, but an enjoyable read.

I am a sucker for a good Debbie Macomber holiday read and this one didn't disappoint. It's sweet and full of laughable moments and should be on everyone's holiday radar.

Merry Bright is working at a temp job so that she can save up money to pay for her last year of college. She is working for a bit of a scrooge named Jayson Bright. He has a deadline to get a project done before Christmas and demands everyone work a lot of overtime.

Neither have time to date. One day Merry comes home and her brother Patrick, who has down syndrome, is so excited she is home. He tells her how their mother and him set her up on Mix and Mingle for an early birthday present. He is so excited she can't really get mad but she is not real happy. Though she is not sure she likes that they set her profile up with a dog for a profile pic.

Cooper, who is Jayson's best friend and cousin stops by for a visit and tells Jayson how he has met the one and she ended up being someone they both new from childhood and he met her on Mix and Mingle. He caves and checks out Mix and Mingle and sees a picture of a dog, intrigued he sets up his own profile with a picture of a dog as well.

Things start of great but then thing something happens and it's not so great and well you just need to read it. I really liked Merry, she is a sweet and thoughtful young woman who loves her family a lot. I liked Jayson too though it takes a bit longer to warm up to him as he does come off as bit of a scrooge but he had a totally different upbringing. I think Patrick, Merry's brother, was my favorite as he was just so cute! 

This is not a unique concept and it has a You Got Mail feel to it for sure but it's still cute and was a lot of fun to read so if you're looking for something light and fluffy and full of Christmas this is for you! :)

Debbie Macomber is a very consistent writer. Her stories are always warm and inviting; and her Christmas stories are always among my favorites.

Merry and Bright is a nice story however it is just not among my top books by Macomber. It is so very similar to You've Got Mail and just did not have enough twists to make it as memorable as I had hoped for. Still, it is a nice story, an easy read and had enough holiday spirit to warm your heart.

4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy Christmas rom-coms. :) (I know this is not everyone's genre!)

Merry Knight is working a temp job, (for an awful boss), and taking care of her family (her mother has MS and her younger brother is Autistic) all while saving for her final year in college. Her family has had a hard time making ends meet, and getting daily chores done. Because Merry is so selfless, her mother and brother sign her up for an online Matchmaking site called Mix & Mingle. They don't use her real name, and use a picture of their dog, just in case she's mad. Soon after Merry gets a "wink" from a match who also has a dog as a profile picture. When she finds out that her match is actually her boss, a total jerk, she doesn't know how to proceed. Holiday hi-jinx and shenanigans ensue.

I am a sucker for Christmas rom coms. I can't help it. I'm trash for Hallmark channel in the winter, and I love reading these books. I've been disappointed by the last few that I had read by this author... but finally I felt like this one was back to what I expected. I thought that this was cute, predictable, romantic, and heartwarming. Just the type of book I need when the world is hurting so much. I loved the family aspect of this one. I loved that Merry was so close with her parents and brother. I love that those relationships were featured heavily in the book as well. If you're looking for a happy Holiday read, I definitely recommend this one. :)

An nice early Christmas present for myself. Macomber is one of my go to authors when I'm looking for a good book that won't disappoint. It was an even bigger score since it is a Chistmas book, which are my absolute favorite to read.

Merry Knight is working at a temp job. Her boss, jayson Bryght is a strick rule follower. The two of them seem to clash on just about everything. Merry is outgoing and speaks her mind and Jayson is pushing his employees with mandatory overtime and a no frills work environment, to finish a project prior to Christmas.

Merry's mother and brother sign her up for a dating website for her birthday. Jayson signs up for the same website after realizing his cousin is in love and met the love of his life on the sited.

Merry and Jayson end up hooking up on line and chatting about anything and everything. Neither realizing that they already knew one another and didn't care for the other.

A nice heart-warming story with great characters.

5 stars

I received an ARC of Merry and Bright in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Best selling author Debbie Macomber pulled out another great Christmas read this holiday season. She did a great job of creating well developed main characters with great supporting characters as well. It was nice to see how she also developed the relationship between Merry and Jay from the start of the book to the very end. I also enjoyed seeing the relationships that Merry had with her brother and parents. It is always nice to read about a supportive family.

In addition to the well developed characters I really enjoyed Debbie's well written story. It was sweet, with not a lot of drama but just enough to keep it interesting. I also liked how she incorporated a little humor into the story as well when it came to Merry and Jay's relationship growing online through the dating website. Lastly, I enjoyed reading how Jay's feelings developed for the two versions of "Merry". It really showed in the end it matters what a person is like on the inside rather than what a person looks like on the outside when finding true love.

If you want a quick, easy read that has romance, christmas and a few laughs than this is the right book for you.

Can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve for the next holiday season.

I read all of Debbie Macomber's books and have never been disappointed...this was no exception. A light easy read which i couldn't put down. Thank you so much for allowing me to read it!!!

I could see immediately where this book was going, but it was still fun to read. I'm a sucker for a Christmas story and usually enjoy Debbie Macomber's. No exception here!

To put it in food terms this book was a light airy holiday desert. Something to escape to/with, not a substantial meal, but enjoyable.

Title: Merry and Bright
Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:

"Merry and Bright" by Debbie Macomber

My Thoughts....

This was quite a thoughtful good Christmas read that will keep your attention all the way till the end. What will happen for Merry Knight when her mother and brother [Patrick] decide to give her a special birthday present which happened to be on December 24th? What will she do when Merry finds out that she has been signed up on a dating website... 'Mix and Mingle' due to the fact that she worked all the time and had been so busy with college [taking out a year out to work] and the upcoming holidays? Merry's mom has MS, a son with special needs and a husband that travels with working a lots. So, she felt that life was passing Merry by and just wanted to do something special for her. Well, for Merry everything was looking up for her until she finds out she has been signed up with a certain person that she didn't care for. Merry Knight and Jayson Bright [her boss] didn't get along very well almost clashing on just about everything at work. However, it seemed like Merry and Jayson liked chatting together behind their computer screens. What will happen when Merry finds out just who her on line date is? Will these two be able to come together as it was with each of these two individuals come from different backgrounds? We find Merry was born near the Christmas holiday and even the spell of her name showed how much she loved all there was to offer about the holiday, however, Jayson was more of what one would call a 'Scrooge' which he never had any good memories of that holiday. So, yes they both have different childhoods but with them both wanting something more meaningful and real in their lives will there be a friendship that will develop more for each other? To find out what all happens you will have to pick up "Merry and Bright" to see how well this author will bring out the 'romance, drama and misunderstanding and in the end a very happy "Merry and Bright" Christmas all out so very well to the reader. Yes, this story maybe a little predictable story but still a good read.

I liked how this author was able to give the reader quite a emotional heart-warming read with a host of well developed characters that will give the readers one memorable and delightful holiday story. This is also definitely one of those reads that will get one in the mood for a good fun family Christmas season.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Every year I look forward to Debbie Macomber's holiday book. With all the earmarks of a Hallmark  Christmas movie I know she is going to put me in the holiday spirit. From the play on the title to the heartwarming tale within Merry and Bright is this seasons must read holiday romance. Grab some hot cocoa and check out my coffee dates with Merry and Bright....

Merry Smith is busy getting ready for the holidays, taking care of her family and trying to avoid her by the book boss. Her family is concerned about her social life, so her mother and brother take it upon themselves to register her on a dating website.

Jayson Bright is not too thrilled with the holidays and only concerned with meeting his goals at work. His best friend urges him to check out a dating website.

Merry and Jayson find interest in the website but will be shocked by the results.