Another holiday DM delight! This one is extra special. Two friends swap jobs for a few days and quickly get an education. Hank tells some hard truths to a few people and helps the church while Pete befriends bikers and runs a bar.
With typical Macomber warmth and gentleness, this book was so fun to read.
At times I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. The Christmas Eve scene in the church is a classic along with Ms. Pious’ encounter with the strippers. For other good scenes you’ll have to read the book.
My faves were Walt and Rowdy—they were like the old guys in the balcony on the Muppet Show. The Hell’s Outlaws were realky a good group of guys, complete with chains, leather and Harley’s. I adored them.
It’s a quick read that brightened my day.

The Christmas Spirit is a sweet, wholesome Christmas story. Hank and Pete have been best friends since elementary school, yet lead very different lives. They decide to switch places for a week, each thinking they will have it easier than the other. Needless to say they both learn a valuable lesson.

Although I did enjoy this story, I found much of it to be a bit unbelievable. If the men have been best friends for many many years, shouldn't they know more about the difficulties the other faces in their job? And since the storyline takes place over the course of a week, the romance and even friendship relationships just seem a bit far-fetched.

However, this complaint aside, it was still a wholesome, enjoyable read. The characters were all very well done and entertaining, and most go through good personal growth. There were also several humorous and sweet plot points as well.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, sweet, Christmas read with entertaining characters and situations.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Life long friends with very different jobs decide to switch places the week before Christmas both assuming that the other has no idea how hard their life is. This switch changes both of their lives. This Christmas story is one filled with hope, love, and antics that keep everyone on their toes! It embodies the true meaning of Christmas. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read.

The Christmas Spirit is a very touching Christmas tale from consummate author Debbie Macomber. In a similar style to Dorothea Benton Frank’s Christmas Pearl and Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith, this story will become a holiday classic.

Hank Colfax and Peter Sullivan have been friends since childhood. They played football and ran track together. Although their lives have traveled different paths since their high school days, Pete had gone to college and was now a pastor, Hank had taken over his father’s tavern and ran the business on his own, they had remained close. In fact, they met at least monthly at Mom’s Diner between the two for lunch. The location where they met may have had as much to do with a young waitress who worked there as it did the point between their two small towns.

On a December day, their lunch discussion leads them to each stating they feel the other has a much easier time in life until their conversation leads to a bet for them to exchange places for the days moving up to Christmas Eve. Pastor Pete would take on the running of the tavern in Kettle Springs and all it entails. Hank would take on the duties of the pastor in Bridgeport until the Christmas Eve service. What could go wrong?

Grace Ann Sullivan, Pete’s younger sister is totally against this idea. As the church administrator she is left with Hank and expects a total disaster. And while much may go awry, the outcomes are priceless.

This is such a delightful book! Perfect for the holiday season, but just as appropriate at any time the reader wants a story of how different perspectives and open hearts and minds can usher in small miracles. Told in such a delightful manner as Nana is entertaining her two grandchildren with a story of In The Beginning instead of Once Upon A Time format, this may be the absolute finest Christmas story ever penned by Ms. Macomber. I very much enjoyed this book and I do wholeheartedly recommend it!

Debbie Macomber is a wonderful storyteller, especially in spinning a Christmas tale that touches the heart of her readers. A grandmother spends some special time with her two young grandchildren telling a true story about two friends. I found myself smiling as this unusual story unfolds when two friends since childhood, Peter, a pastor, and his friend, Hank, a tavern owner, switch places the week before Christmas. Both have eye opening experiences and make some friends they never would have before, all in the spirit of Christ's love during the holiday season. We are reminded to love people as Christ loves all, no matter the way they look or act. In the process, Hank and Peter make some lifelong friends out of their usual network and romance is involved. This is heartwarming with how love can touch a heart and change people for the better, even while I gasped at times with the rough edges of some of the characters. Surprisingly, Hank, the tavern owner, had some poignant and applicable stories from the Bible to remind us of how Jesus associated with sinners and how He loved all.
I received a complimentary copy from Ballentine Books and NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review. All thoughts are mine only.

This book was perfect! It is full of the Christmas spirit and will make you laugh out loud in spots. I loved everything about this book. Grab a cup of hot cocoa, your favorite fluffy throw and settle in for a wonderful fun read. I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Great story! My favorite Christmas novel is "Trading Christmas", also by Debbie Macomber, so I knew I'd like this one with a similar plot. In both, two characters trade places during the Christmas season. in the previous one, a male and female stranger trade places (actual locales) ; in "The Christmas Spirit", it's two male friends who think the other has a much easier job. They are both excited to try the other's occupation, expecting something much different than what they got. After all, Peter is a pastor while Hank is a bartender.

It's a heart-warming story when each of the two men make discoveries that induce changes to their lives and to their way of thinking. The Christmas Spirit is certainly present!

I'm thankful to NetGalley for the opportunity to have read this, have posted on Goodreads and will soon share on other sites.

THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
Debbie Macomber
Holiday Romance / Christmas
Release date 10-18-2022

Peter and Hank lead totally separate lives. With two majorly different jobs: Peter as a pastor and Hank as a bartender. When they decide to change jobs a week before Christmas, all high jinx ensue.

This was a book that I could not put down and I read it in one sitting. It was vastly different from Debbie Macomber's last few Christmas books which I had found to feel a bit predictable with similar plots. This one had me laughing out loud in places and almost crying in others. All in all, one of the best books I have read by her in a while. I give it a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Mavomber is a gentle reminder that we need to open our hearts and be more accepting to those who are different. The Christmas spirit is not just for Christmas time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ohh what an enjoyable and entertaining read!!! I love Debbie Macomber and her (Christmas) novels. The Christmas Spirit is a wonderful way to start the Christmas holiday! The reading left my heart warm and cheerful.
Two friends switch jobs a week prior to Christmas. Peter is a devoted pastor and has strong ties and relationships to his congregation and community. He switches with his long time friend Hank. Hank is a bartender at the local pub. Each thinking the other had the holiday season job easier. Only to discover how similar their jobs are! I laughed and smiled many times. I enjoyed the bantering!
Caution- this book contains:
*new bonds of friendship
*finding love in the least expected place
*desire to get cozy and lose yourself between the pages of a great book!!!
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Pub Group - Ballantine for ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a sweet, heartwarming story! I wasn't sure how bar owner Hank and Pastor Peter were going to switch jobs for a week, but with them each bringing a different perspective to their clientele, it was funny, sweet, and totally entertaining. I loved how they came together in the end to help others in need, and the whole story is setup as a grandmother telling a story to her grandchildren and is telling the story of her family. As always a great story from Debbie Macomber!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

Debbie Macomber puts a fresh spin on a holiday feel-good story with The Christmas Spirit. The story unfolds as it is told to her two grandchildren by the narrator. Their sweet interjections throughout the book make for a fun audio listen. It's the perfect family, faith, and friendship filled story to put you in the mood for the holidays.

The Christmas Spirit is told by a grandmother to her two grandchildren. It is the story of two best friends, Hank and Pete. Hank is a bar owner and Pete is a pastor. One day over lunch, the two come up with a plan to switch jobs for the rest of the week. Each thinks the other has an easy job. They are about to find out all is not as easy as it might appear to others. With Christmas near, things are about to get interesting.

The characters are not the typical bunch. You will see devout parishioners, strippers, old men, and even a biker gang to name a few. They interact with each other in unexpected ways.

A heartfelt story of faith, love, friendship that is also comical at times. Just what I was in the mood for. Macomber does not disappoint.

Thanks to netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the arc

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber is a heartwarming Christmas story. I like the way this story was told. A grandmother is telling two of her grandchildren a story. The tale she tells takes place in 1977. There are chapters in the present with the grandmother and the kids plus the chapters in the past. This is a cute story. I liked the characters. Hank and Pete are the main characters. They have been friends since elementary school. They are having lunch and each one is complaining about their job. It is a busy time for both of them with Christmas only a week away. One of them proposes they switch jobs for the week. Pete, a pastor, will run Hank’s bar while Hank will handle Pete’s pastoral duties. Hank will have the added task of dealing with Pete’s sister and church secretary, Grace Ann who is not Hank’s biggest fan. It is an enlightening experiment for both men. There is plenty of humor. I laughed often while reading The Christmas Spirit. There is a scene with Pete, a biker gang, and darts that tickled my funny bone. There is romance for Pete and Hank as well. Miracles do happen during the holidays. I like Debbie Macomber’s writing style. It is conversational and friendly. I felt like grandma was telling me a story. I just loved the ending. This is one book that you will want to read straight through (make sure you have your hot cocoa and cookies nearby). The Christmas Spirit is a cheerful Christmas tale with a job swap, scrumptious snowballs, a dripping roof, a mulish mule, a biker challenge, a striking server, straightlaced secretary, a dour donor, and party planning.

Many thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
This was a sweet, wholesome book, which is to be expected from Debbie Macomber. We are introduced to Hank and Pete, a bar owner and a pastor, respectively. Each believes that his job is more difficult than his friend's. So, to determine who is right, they switch positions. Of course they both rapidly find out that there is more to each job than they anticipated. Throw in some romance and some bad-turned-good guys, and you have a cute story befitting a Hallmark movie. Great to put you in the mood for the holidays.

I was given this ARC via Netgalley to read for free. This was a cute, quick Christmas read, but not over the top with the Christmas theme. I did think it was a little different from the other Debbie Macomber books I've read due to two male characters being the more lead characters. The perfect book to lead into holiday reading season.

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber is a heartwarming story to get readers ready for holiday season. It has so much love, spirit and wonderful characters. Also, romance is abound for the main characters, Hank and Pete who change places for one week. My favorite character was Grace Ann because she allowed love to transform her life. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 stars

Macomber is one of my favorite authors, and I particularly love her Christmas stories. Her latest is no exception.
I loved seeing the changes in Hank and Peter, as well as how they realized and demonstrated the true meaning of Christmas (vs. the consumerism). I also liked how this was a story within a story, with the grandmother telling a (true) story to her grandchildren. Overall, this is a heartwarming story with realistic and relatable characters, a charming small-town setting, and a bit of romance thrown into the mix (much to the grandson's dismay!). It's an uplifting read, perfect for the upcoming holiday season!

You can always count on Debbie Macomber to write a heart warming Christmas story every year. This book will warm your heart from the inside out. Nana is telling her grandchildren a "story" about two best friends who decide to trade places for a week before Christmas. The switch will be very interesting because Hank owns and runs the local bar and Pete is the pastor of the local church. Needless to say their lifestyles and jobs are on opposite ends of the spectrum, including the people they encounter daily. Both men will learn life lessons as they try to fill the other man's shoes. This book and this story made my spirit soar and felt like a warm fire to my soul. I was so engrossed in the story that I felt as if I lived in the book with the characters for a few hours because I was not going to put it down until I finished it. The characters were engaging and you can learn a life lesson yourself from these characters. In true Debbie Macomber fashion the story flowed easily and was easy to read. If this one does not put a smile on your face, you need to check your Christmas spirit. There was a romance budding for each man in the story with an unlikely lady for each of them. This will put you in the Christmas spirit and the spirit of giving to others. It was also a reminder to me that when you are dealing with people that are not the same as you, you should be careful and never judge a book by the cover. There were also a couple of really humorous scenes in the book that will give you a chuckle. Christmas book lovers will inhale this gem! This is another winner for Christmas Queen Debbie Macomber!

Thank you to Random House Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a fun book! Debbie Macomber always manages to include a valuable lesson in a humorous, entertaining story. I always turn to her books when I need a relaxing read that doesn’t cause brain strain or give me nightmares, and this book didn’t disappoint. Take time to read this book as you prepare for the holiday season.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.