Title: Jingle All the Way
Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:

"Jingle All the Way" by Debbie Macomber

My Speculation:

I loved 'Jingle All the Way' that featured Dasiy [Everly] Lancaster and Asher Adams, who definitely were two opposite that attracted one another. And their meeting only came about when Dasiy's assisted booked her on the wrong cruise...an Amazon River Cruise in the Amazon Rainforest. The thing I didn't like about that was that it was done on purpose by her immature assistant Annette. On this cruise, she couldn't get out of she meets her tour guide Asher, a naturalist, and things go from worst [due to a mosquito bit] to a friendship that seems to grow into something more for these two. This was quite an interesting cruise for Daisy, where she seems to find out more about herself. It also seemed that Asher was having feelings for Daisy that he really couldn't understand that made him somewhat fearful of Daisy. 'Were they falling in love?' I liked how this author brought in their families where you could see the love they all shared for one another. The Christmas scenes with Dasiy's family were over the top, especially Grandma Ruth's Christmas Fudge. I want that recipe!

What was important about this read was how both of the main characters were finally able to find out what was most important to them and what truly made them happy. And that was... this is where I say you will have to pick up "Jingle All the Way" to see how well this author brings it out to the reader.

I loved this Christmas story because it was definitely a 'Jingle All the Way' read.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Jingle All the Way is a heartwarming holiday romance that sweeps you away to a magical time. A story that reads like a Hallmark Movie, pulling you in and leaving you wanting more. Jingle All the Way is a delightful, light, Christmas read that all will enjoy!

Thanks to Ballantine/Random House for an advanced copy of Debbie Macomber's - Jingle All The Way.

I'm a big Debbie Macomber fan and I was looking for a super Christmas-y book and while Jingle All The Way was cute, but it wasn't as Christmas as I was hoping. Everly's vengeful assistant books her on an Amazon cruise without any internet/phones and not the luxury cruise she was expecting. After a few mishaps, she starts to relax and enjoy the cruise and maybe sparks fly with the ship's naturalist. What will happen when she goes back to Chicago?

I did like the Amazon cruise setting and seeing Everly become less of a work-a-holic but I was really hoping for something more Christmasy. There were a few slightly unrealistic parts (phirannahs, Amazon tribe) and it took away from the book.

Not my favorite Debbie Macomber book.

Ah, nepotism.

Annette seems way too happy to get rid of her. Jack is going to tank the business.

Son of a cracker!

Poor thing.

Ha. She's funny when she's feverish!

Aw. I never heard of pink dolphins.

Men!

She should walk around with hazard signs.

Attagirl.

Haha!

They should name the baby Annette.

Everly Lancaster is overworked, over stressed, and overwhelmed. Her business partner, Jack Campbell, thinks so, too, and suggests she take the entire month of December off work. In fact, he has her assistant make a vacation reservation for a luxury cruise in Brazil. Everly argues at first, but eventually decides that it’s a great idea and packs for two weeks of relaxing on the beach, drinking fruity cocktails with a book in her hand. When she arrives, she is shocked to realize her assistant has booked her on an adventure cruise down the Amazon River, with no beaches, no drinks and no flirty vacation romance. With the encouragement of the on board naturalist, Asher Adams, Everly succeeds in making this trip the adventure of a lifetime. She falls in love with Asher and realizes that her life is on a path that she needs and wants to change. After Asher rejects her at the end of the cruise, she returns home distraught. Everly revisits her life plans and goals, pushing away daily thoughts of Asher and what could have been. But Asher can’t forget about her.

Jingle All The Way is a memorable, adventurous holiday story that will inspire and remain with you for some time. Everly is a strong, resourceful, loving woman that young girls should aspire to be. Asher is a goof, but lovable in the end when he realizes his own heart. Their love story is original and creative. This is the perfect read for a holiday vacation!

For me, reading a Debbie Macomber book feels like a fall day, with a fire and a cup of tea. It is smooth, easy reading always with a story I can wrap my heart around. Evelyn or Daisy as her family calls her is a busy Chicago businesswoman who hasn’t taken a vacation in 6 years. Without giving anything away, she ends up taking the month of December off (her partner in their business insists) and an immature assistant books her a cruise down the Amazon River. This was not what she had planned! But, there she meets Asher, the naturalist on the cruise, and even though both are reluctant there is an attraction. I read this book in one afternoon, and although the book for me had no big emotional scenes, it felt like a warm blanket to read. I always love a good book by this author, and this was another!

Jingle All The Way is this year’s holiday offering from prolific author Debbie Macomber. In this novel, real estate mogul of the internet realty domain Easy Home, Everly Lancaster, has taken up all the slack left by her business partner, Jack Campbell, and has put in 60 hour weeks regularly while giving Jack an out because she doesn’t trust his ability to deal. When Jack insists Everly hire his niece Annette, and Annette repeatedly messes up thinking she will get away with it, Everly fires her. But Jack intervenes and insists Everly take off the month of December and that Annette will book a relaxing tropical vacation for her.

In a whirlwind, Annette does book a Brazilian cruise and gets Everly there on time. What Annette doesn’t divulge is that it is not a luxury cruise, but a bare bones Amazon cruise. By the time Everly determines the limitations of the cruise, it is far too late to disembark, putting her incommunicado for two weeks. For most of the first week of the journey Everly is stricken with a very adverse reaction to a tropical mosquito bite, giving her time to connect with the journey’s naturalist, Asher Adams, who also fills the role of medic, loosely.

The connection is real and the adventure is life changing, but the rejection at the end of the cruise is heart wrenching. Everly returns to Chicago a changed woman and calls her partner on the carpet. Jack must take up the slack. Everly is taking the entire month off, and leaves for her Indiana family farm to spend the holidays with her family.

This is a very good story, and not exactly what you might expect from Ms, Macomber, but the surprise is a big part of the enjoyment. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

Jingle All the Way by Debbie Macomber is a tale that starts in Chicago with Everly Lancaster having a meltdown after her assistant, who is her boss's niece, making one more mistake her presentation. The proverbial 'straw that broke the camel's back' makes Everly insist that the assistant be fired; but, of course, the boss isn't inclined to let the girl go, so instead Jack, the boss who is also a partner with Everly in the business they established, tells Everly to take the month of December off and have a cruise vacation. Annette, the niece/assistant, books the trip and rushes Everly off to take her cruise. Landing at her destination and just making the cruise ship before it left port, Everly (who Asher calls Daisy) finds she has been book on a naturalists cruise on the Amazon River - no computers, no cell phones, no access to the outside world for two weeks. Things keep going from bad to worse with the only saving feature is Asher, the onboard naturalist. The rest of the is a comedy of errors with a budding romance building between Everly and Asher. The reader learns about the backgrounds of Asher and Everly and the feasiility of a permanent romance between the two. Also Everly is in a flux about whether she wants to return back to her work environment or do something else with her life. Everly returns to Chicago, goes to her family home for the Christmas holiday and continues to learn more about herself and what she wants to do with her lifestyle. Asher too having let Everly go is now mulling about his lifestyle and what direction he wants to take it. The story ends with decisions made, new adventures started and happiness abounds through the Christmas holidays. I really liked this story. It is well written, full of fascinating information and gives some great insight into the lives of the characters. It definitely ends with a Christmas feeling of warmth and love but I am still wondering why it was titled Jingle All the Way. I received a digital copy of this book and am giving an honest review.

I can’t think of Christmas books without thinking of Debbie Macomber. Those are for sure synonymous in my mind. As a matter of fact, the last time I read a Debbie Macomber book was Christmastime last year. Well, it’s not quite Christmastime this year, but we are definitely zooming towards the holiday season. This book is fairly light on the holiday stuff, though, and would easily be enjoyable year round.

Let me start with my favorite thing about this book. Asher is a naturalist. He teaches all about the flora and fauna on expeditions. My oldest son is a volunteer naturalist at our local nature park and is working on getting an environmental science degree. So, I felt so in tune with Asher and his passion for the outdoors. I mean, where do you think my son gets it from?!? I definitely loved taking the trip through the rainforest!

Then there’s Everly (Daisy). She’s a business-owning city girl, but she was raised on a farm, so she definitely knows about life outside of the corporate world. That doesn’t mean she was prepared for an expedition through the Amazon when she thought she was getting a luxury cruise. Everly has one disaster after the next to add to the drama, but Asher is there to see her through every bit of it.

I’d call this your typical feel-good Hallmarkesque book, which I think is perfect for the holidays. The character and plot don’t have tons of depth, but you still feel the connection between Everly and Asher, and you have to pull for them. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous how things would be pulled off, though. I didn’t want Asher to have to lose his outdoor time to big city living. Macomber was able to pull it off in a way that wasn’t 100% what I was looking for but still left me feeling very content seeing how both Asher and Everly compromised to find something that would work for them. And they were happy, so that’s what really matters!

I give this one 4 sweet stars! If you’re a Hallmark Christmas movie person, then I definitely recommend this one for you!

The beginning of this review is going to make me sound like a big old scrooge, but please bear with me. I am and have been a big fan of Debbie Macomber for what feels like forever and I adore her work. Always sweet feel good stories that are heartwarming and love filled. This book took a lot of reading for me to feel that way. The beginning of this book drove me bonkers and made me angry. I started and stopped reading multiple times trying to get beyond the first 10% of the story. Here is why. Everly is a seemingly amazing woman. She is strong, smart and works like her life depends on it and she is great at it. That she then allows herself to be bullied, manipulated and pushed out of the office by her partner Jack and his niece is so very unreasonable and unrealistic. Jack, her partner is supposed to have her back and be on the same page business wise. What he is is a giant tool, which may be the nicest thing I could say about him. He is more than pathetic and spineless and is so incredibly whipped by his sister and niece while leaving the lions share of work, particularly the problems to Everly/Daisy. He “has to” give his niece a job and rather than be a decent partner and human being he saddles Everly with her as her assistant. When she again and again screws up and Everly fires her from being her assistant he won’t do it or take her as his assistant. She is a horror show of a human being, spoiled rotten to the very core and knows she has him by the throat because Jack is a chicken hearted jerk who is afraid of his sister and her. He is an embarrassment of a human, friend, partner and basic decent human being with his head in a place it is not anatomically possible to be and yet it is. He then “forces” his partner to take a vacation that his heinous niece sets up and sends her on a cruise with no wifi or access to the outside world with a smirk on her face. Rather than a luxury cruise she sends her on an adventure cruise down the Amazon with no access to the outside world. Seriously who in the world is dumb enough to accept that and actually go? No one, that is who. Not even a spineless fictional would not look to see where she was being sent before going. I didn’t feel anything, but disgust for everyone, but kept reading as as it was written by one of my most beloved authors knew it had to get better. So finally 65% in Everly decides she matters and the only way for others to treat her better is for her to do so herself. She is right as people can only treat us the way we allow them to. Ultimately Jack realizes that his niece is all Everly said she was, fires her and begs Everly to come back early for “he needs her so badly and she is the only one who can handle the big problems”. She continues her vacation because she has a lot to mull over about her life. Does she go back, does she sell her stake in the business, move back near her family who love her unconditionally? Basically what is next for her? The rest is thankfully in true DM fashion. Phew! Sweet, redemptive, loving all of course leading to the proverbial happily ever after. It was a lovely fun wonderful ending, but took a lot to get there. Oh and though this book takes place at Christmas it is by no means a Christmas book. Not a big deal, but if you’re expecting for the book to revolve around the holiday be aware.

Everly Lancaster is a middle child who always felt left out or odd man out in her large farm family. She takes a totally different career choice by becoming a top real-estate executive and pursuing her big dreams. Her career does not leave much room for anything personal. She is always stressed from her job demands. Her business partner insists that she take the whole month of December off for a much needed vacation.

But her vengeful assistant books a guided cruise in the Amazon instead of the luxury beach vacation she anticipated.
Everly is horrified to learn that she will be spending the next two weeks with no Wi-Fi in the rain forest. Not even Asher Adams, the ship’s charming naturalist, can convince Everly that the trip will be unforgettable. But she slowly sees that he is right when she observes the spectacular sights. Her feelings for Asher deepens as they spend time together causing her to take another look at her priorities.

But as the cruise nears its end reality settles in and Everly and Asher have to decide if they want to take a risk with love.

This is another great holiday read that will be worthy of its own Hallmark movie! What do you do when you are a busy partner in a successful business with an inept assistant who is the niece of your business partner? Added to that, your partner encourages you to take a month-long vacation rather than agreeing to fire his niece and, in turn, upset his family. The answer: you go on a vacation arranged by the inept assistant that lands you on an unexpected adventure. What type of adventure? Pick up a copy of this book if you’re looking for a great way to spend the holidays. This book will create an adventure that will produce an enjoyable time for the reader.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book provided by the publisher and Net Galley. However, the thoughts expressed are my own.

Jingle All the Way is the latest holiday offering by the Christmas Queen herself Debbie Macomber. Let’s be honest with the year we’re having, we need a little romance and some cozy holiday feelings. When our overworked protagonist Everly’s (real name Daisy), business partner (Jack) at their jointly owned company Easy Home Realty, hires his niece Annette as Everly’s new admin, she turns out to be a dismal failure. After a string of embarrassments, each worse than the last, Everly has had it. Instead of Jack firing Annette, as Everly has requested, he has her schedule Everly a relaxing luxury cruise vacation.

Annette, feeling vengeful, sends Everly on the cruise of a lifetime – going down the Amazon and far from any Wi-Fi connection. While Jack realizes Everly’s true value to the company, she’s unreachable and falling for guide and naturalist Asher. I’m sure you can guess what happens from here, but the locations and situations in the Amazon add an unexpected twist to this tale as old as time.

I really enjoy that Mrs. Macomber worked in the family angle and gave Everly, as a character, the depth to decide and then recalculate what success looks like to her. The descriptions of the Amazon were just breathtaking. While predictable, Jingle All the Way was a heartwarming holiday story and I highly recommend pairing it with a colder evening and a cup of hot cocoa.

My favorite (five out of five stars) Debbie Macomber Christmas stories, in case you need a double or triple dose of Christmas spirit, include Trading Christmas, The Christmas Basket, Christmas Letters, Starry Night, or any of the Angels books.

I’m very thankful for Netgalley and Ballantine Books allowing me early and complimentary access to Jingle All the Way in return for my honest review.

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Jingle All the Way by Debbie Macomber
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Dear Fellow Reader,

Fall is working its colorful magic outside. Yes, it is getting colder, but we are getting nature’s final show for the year before we settle into a world of whites and greys. No, I am not very excited about winter coming. After spending a lot of time at home, the prospect of the time of year where we spend a lot of time at home is not as exciting as it might have been in the past. But decorating the house is more fun for the next few months.

I went back to the well of ARCs. (Advanced Reader Copies) I try to keep myself from going there too often because there is so much that interests me. And in the past, I have taken many more than I can possibly read and write about. And there have been times that I have written about them and forgotten to report back that I did read and write about the book. I try to be much more careful now. Despite my efforts, I have five books. Yikes! I pick up five books (!) and three of them are new Christmas themed books. I think it is a bit early for Christmas books but not for publishers. I have read two and 1/3 of them so far. I regret to say that the one I have not finished is about to go on the “not going to finish pile”. I feel bad not finishing a book but there are so many books to read that I find that I need to just give up on some. (My husband would point to the large pile of books that I have not read yet as proof.) I will say that sometimes it is the mood that I am in rather than the book itself. As I am sure you know, if you are stressed about something it influences your interpretation of the book.

I was asked recently if I review books that I don’t like or would not recommend. The answer is no. There are a few reasons for this. The primary reason is that the author has put a lot of work in to writing a book. Even if it is the worst book on earth, there were hours and hours of work put into that book and I am not interested in knocking the work that was put into a book. There are plenty of reviewers who will do that. Also, as mentioned in the last paragraph, your moods can affect your interpretation of a book. Also, your maturity can affect your feeling about a book. When I was younger, I loved the book Pentimento by Lillian Hellman. When I read it a few years ago, I was not as smitten. As a rule, I will not review a book that I didn’t like.

That leads us to today’s review. I was surprised that I was given an advanced copy of this book. Debbie Macomber is a well-established author. I would not have expected them to have a desire to ask for reviews as her books will sell well without any reviews. She is very popular.

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Jingle All the Way is Debbie Macomber’s latest Christmas book. If you have never read one of her books before – how? – she writes contemporary woman’s fiction books. They are almost always from the female perspective. In this story, we meet Everly Lancaster. She is a very successful real estate executive who is frustrated with her business partner and his niece, who has been installed as her assistant. The niece has screwed up again and Everly wants her gone. The business partner decides that what Everly really needs is a vacation and tells her to take the month of December off. He practically pushes her out of the door. But he does tell his niece to book Everly on a cruise for the first two weeks of December. A wonderful relaxing cruise with all the perks. Instead, Everly is booked on a nature cruise down the Amazon. The boat is utilitarian. There are no phones or internet. Everly tries to get off the boat but that isn’t possible. Then she gets sick from a bug bite and spends days in bed with a fever. The boat’s naturalist, Asher Adams, takes care of her and spends time talking to her. When she is finally back up on her feet, she has two misadventures on the boat’s excursions. As a result of the trip, Everly finds herself and true love.

Okay, is it a bit formulaic? Yes. Is it a pleasurable read? Yes. This book is a salve to the holiday crazies. And you get to learn some fun facts about the Amazon. If you haven’t read Debbie Macomber before then you are in for a treat. If you have, then you know the pleasurable experience.

This book comes out on October 13. And time for the usual disclaimer - I was given a copy of this book for my unbiased opinion.

Thanks for reading!

No one writes heartwarming holiday fiction like Debbie Macomber. I was thrilled to see that she has a new Christmas story. After reading this lovely book, I'm convinced they need to make this into a holiday movie for Hallmark Channel.

We begin with Daisy, a total workaholic BEFORE she went on an unwanted cruise. Handsome Asher is the tour director for the cruise. We watch the two getting to know each other, spending more and more time together and falling in love. Both family and faith are important to each of them and is what aids them into coming to terms with how they want to continue on with their lives and the future.

I would like to thank Debbie Macomber, Random House Publishing - Ballantine and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Whenever I pick up ANY book by Debbie Macomber, I know that I am going to enjoy it. When I pick up one of her Christmas books, I know that it's going to be even better. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to check out Jingle All the Way... and it was well worth the wait!

To be honest, for over half the book this really didn't seem like a Christmas novel at all. We meet Everly as she is dealing with a incompetent assistant... who just so happens to be the the niece of her business partner. When said partner suggests that she takes a whole month off and insists she goes on a cruise, it seems that this may be just what the overworked Everly needs. When she boards her cruise, however, she realizes it wasn't quite what she was expecting. That assistant has decided to seek revenge and book her an Amazonian adventure tour. Yikes! What follows is a humorous adventure that is everything a good romantic comedy should be.

The chemistry between Everly and Asher (the ship's naturalist) flies off the pages... and I must admit, I wasn't quite ready for their story to end. Speaking of ending, I must say that I did feel that perhaps the ending felt just a bit rushed, but then again, that could be just my not wanting it to end.

The final half of the book did have a more Christmas-y feel to it, which I loved. I think though, even those who aren't overly thrilled with Christmas stories could still get enjoyment out of this one. To me, it felt like a story that takes place at Christmastime, but not one in which Christmas was really the primary focus.

Overall, it was another great read from Debbie Macomber and one that I would highly recommend!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

I've always enjoyed Debbie Macomber's books. They're great, light-hearted easy reads. And, I always love a good Christmas book. But this one was just a little too predicable and hokey for me and I didn't get the Christmas feel until the last few chapters.

I liked the concept of the main character (Daisy/Everly) an overworked, high ambitious young lady, going on a forced vacation. She thinks she is going on a luxury cruise, but ends up on an adventure cruise on the Amazon. She falls in love with Asher, the naturalist on the cruise, which is fine. But the author repeats too many times, how the two feel about each other and how their lives are too different to work. The other part that bothered me was the silly, embarrassing situations she gets herself into. They just didn't feel believable to me.

Two small things that really bothered me - (1) Everly thinks she is going on a luxury cruise. She packs accordingly and sparingly, planning to buy clothes on the cruise. She obviously does not have the right clothes for an adventure cruise on the Amazon. This is only mentioned a couple of times. I just kept wondering, "What is she wearing?" (2) Asher decides to go see Daisy at her family's farm in Indiana - and somehow, miraculously, he knows exactly how to find her! I realize these are minor points, but they just didn't sit well with me.

I liked that both main characters had strong connections with their families and enjoyed those parts of the story, but overall this just wasn't the Christmas book I was hoping for. Thanks Net Galley for the ARC.

Jingle All the Way is a perfect light hearted distraction from every day life. Just what I needed during these crazy times. Daisy and Asher are both lovely people who just needed to figure out they were meant to be together. Although I loved learning about the Amazon jungle, I could have used more Christmas! If only life could go as smoothly as a Debbie Macomber book.

I don't think I've read a book by this author before and figured a holiday romance would be right. I was not disappointed. This is sweet and the setting is different than expected but fits what Everly needs perfectly. The relationship she develops with Asher is amazing and I can see them making it work but she has to set her priorities straight. I fell in love with the rainforest and the sights and the story itself.

Debbie Macomber has used her real life experience on a river cruise to create this fabulous story. Set on an Amazon river cruise ship that is more like an adult summer camp than a luxury cruise this tale has it all. Everly is a workaholic who hates that the CEO's pampered and incompetent niece is her assistant. When the CEO tells her she needs to take a month long vacation and relax on the beach, her assistant plots revenge by signing her up for this cruise. Adversity becomes just the thing to show Everly what really matters in life.