The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber
What a wonderful Christmas story - Peter Armstrong and Hank Colfax have been best friends since childhood. Peter is a pastor and Hank took over his father's bar. They switch jobs for the week before Christmas. Grace Ann (Gracie) is the church secretary and Peter's sister and Millie is a down on her luck waitress. These are their stories - there is angst, misunderstandings, wonderful and sometimes rough characters, laughter, tears, redemption, Christmas spirit and love to get us to a HEA.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Easy-to-read Entertaining Romantic Inspirational Great world building Happily Ever After Tear-jerker Wonderful characters Page-turner Funny. I enjoyed reading and reviewing this book.

Another delightful tale from Debbie Macomber.

I appreciated the Christmas setting and how the main characters soon see that the other does not have it 'easier' than the other. Plus the interjection of romance to the mix.

All done with the idea of a grandmother telling the grandkids the story of when she and their grandfather fell in love.

I found this to be such a heart warming tale of coziness! Grass is always greener, right? Friends deciding to swap out lives with one another, to see who really has it better? And along the way, they find out so much more than they bargained for. It is nothing short of a must read, holiday story and I am so happy to have been able to read this story, now! Debbie never disappoints and I leave reading her stories so much lighter, and grinning from ear to ear. When an author can make you "feel" anything after reading a book they have put so much time, love and energy into, it is what their job is all about! Feeling something. Evoking emotions. Well done!

Best friends, Peter and Hank, met for lunch during the busy Christmas season. Both were stressed about their job responsibilities and vented to the other about their duties. Both understood how hard it was for their friend, but thought their job was harder. They decided to exchange jobs for a couple of days to get an idea of what their friend did. Peter was a pastor and Hank owned and ran his family's bar. Both jobs would be a huge change from their daily lives.

This cute story began as a story told by a grandmother to her grandchildren. Both men quickly realized that their friend's job brought its own set of challenges. While I enjoyed the story, I wished it had more depth. The ending of the story was a bit too perfectly tied up for me. The conversations between the grandmother and the children about the story were cute.

I received an e-ARC for The Christmas Spirit and want to thank Debbie Macomber, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the opportunity to voluntarily read and give an honest review of this book.

Debbie Macomber is back at it again with one of her heart warming Christmas reads where you will find a bar owner and his close friend who is a pastor swaps jobs for a week close to the holiday season. Each thinking that the other had an easy job learn lessons during the holiday season that will impact their life and others life. If you love a wholesome story this is for you. So cozy up with a blanket on your sofa and your tea/coffee and pick up this book and let me know what you think.

Debbie Macomber is known as “The Queen of Christmas.” I have read countless books by this author and most of her special Christmas editions. It’s Christmas Eve and ‘Nana’ is telling her two grandchildren, Lance aged eight and Lily aged six, a true Christmas story about their family. However, the children don’t know that the story has roots in the very genes of their family.

As the story begins, two lifelong friends, Pete the Pastor and Hank the Tavern Owner are sharing their weekly banter over lunch at the local greasy spoon. The conversation turned to their professions. It soon became clear that they each felt the other had a cushy career with ample free time. Dumbfounded by his friend, Pete suggested that they change places for a week to see how the other half lives. They shook on the deal and were off to their new lives. The rest of the story continues as Hank tries to be the minister of a small-town church and Pete tries to manage a bar. What follows can only be described as hilarious. I laughed, I cried. I felt every emotion of each character. The true meaning of Christmas was brought to life and touched me deeply. It ‘reset’ my heart and reminded me that we truly need to care for one another.

I enjoyed this book very much. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves light-hearted women’s fiction and needs a cup of Christmas cheer. Get your blanket, a cup of hot cocoa, and curl up on the couch next to the tree.

Thank you to the author, Debbie Macomber, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Debbie Macomber’s Christmas books are a tradition that I look forward to every year. Her characters and stories are delightfully entertaining while conveying the true meaning of Christmas.

The premise of this book is different from any Christmas story that I have read. At first the idea of a pastor and a bar owner trading jobs for a week was a little hard for me to grasp…but, I thoroughly enjoyed the story as it unfolded. It has everything from tender moments to scenes that had me laughing out loud. I couldn’t put it down. I fell in love with Peter and Millie and Hank and Grace Ann. I can only hope that this will be the next Hallmark Christmas movie. It will be a classic.

I highly recommend this book to get you into the Christmas spirit. No pun intended. This book has been added to my ‘Christmas books to reread every year list’.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Debbie Macomber has done it again. This is a good book. The two main characters are Peter and Hank. Peter and his good friend Hank decide that each of them have hard jobs that they love. With this thought they switch jobs to see who has it worse. Peter is a pastor and Hank runs a tavern. They each have problems from an elder of the church, to a biker gang, and a donkey. They each learn they both have very hard jobs. The both find their true love.

Story goes back to 1977
2 friends both want a change, a break, and to live how the other does
both are about to learn the biggest lesson-literally stepping into friend's shoes/life
no clue what getting into, what other does day to day
both learning valuable lessons and changing all their lives forever.

I poured a cup of coffee and opened book ...
coffee went cold as I could not put book down,
I didn't care - book was worth more than my morning coffee (mandatory day starter!)

This is a MUST READ!!! PERFECT for these times!

This such a heartwarming story, 10/10 recommend. Debbie Macomber doesn’t disappoint with another hit novel. It is the perfect book to start off the holiday season.

This was a really cute story. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and seeing them all learn and grow. A nice warm fuzzy Christmas story with some good lessons in there. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this one! I have yet to read a Debbie Macomber book I didn’t enjoy, and her holiday stories always hit the spot. This one is no exception! The story is told by a grandmother to her grandchildren; it reminds me a little of how the Princess Bride story is told. This story was lighthearted, full of holiday cheer and redemption, and a sprinkle of romance. If you need a story to help you get in the Christmas spirit, this is a good one to do it!

The Christmas spirit is a heartwarming story. The characters will warm your heart with their spirit and goodness. Putting their trust in God and human kindness.

Debbie Macomber gives us yet another enjoyable Christmas novel based on two characters who switch lives. Yes, it’s been done but never quite like this!

For those who like a clean, enjoyable, feel good story, this one is for you. Two old friends, a bartender/owner and a pastor, decide to switch jobs for a week just before Christmas to settle the debate about whose job is harder. They both experience the difficulties of the other's job and find love as they conquer the obstacles thrown in their way. This is a wonderfully entertaining story full of holiday spirit and I enjoyed it very much.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an advance readers copy.

I loved this book, and really hope it gets made into a Hallmark movie. This book follow best friends Pete and Hank, they both think they have it hard than the other. Pete is a pastor in a small town and Hank owns a tavern in the town over. They decide to switch places for the week leading up to Christmas, along the way Pete and Hank both learn some very valuable lessons. And not just them but Pete’s sister Grace Ann learns that sometimes guarding your heart only leads to you hurting yourself and others even more. I loved they way you see God working in each persons life in all the little details. 5 out of 5 stars for me, a must read book for this upcoming Christmas season.

I love this! This is a delightful story for the holiday season. Pete and Hank, best friends from their school days forward, decide to prove to one another that the jobs they hold are hard. That's when the church minister Peter traded places with Hank the tavern owner- bartender. Pete filled his trade-off hours working in an environment that was frequented by sinners similar to those that Jesus spent time with. Hank walked in Pete's shoes trying to keep the church membership happy in the last few days approaching Christmas. They both have a lot to see and learn.
Grace Ann, Peter's sister and church secretary is not happy at all with the arrangement. She just knows Pete's reputation is about to be destroyed. She is the perfect church member. Hank has been a thorn in her side for years. Now she has to work with him.
This story is a great reminder for anyone that Christ expects us to love and accept our neighbors. Judge not lest you be judged certainly comes to mind. A bartender can be a person to give a message from God and a preacher can show Christ's love to a motorcycle gang member or a stripper. It's all in Gods' plan.
Many, many years ago I read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Johnson with my parents and siblings. I laughed so hard the tears were running down my cheeks. This sweet story makes me think of that book and I feel like it could be an adult side version to that.
I received this advanced reader's copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley. I want to thank them for it. Debbie Macomber has given us a Christmas gift with great humor and her thought provoking characters. This is my own personal opinion.

Excellent book again by Debbie Macomber. This novel entails two friends who are changing places around the holidays. Pete, a pastor and Hank, the owner of a bar decide to change places for a week. The characters are well developed including Pete, Hank and Hank's sister Grace. This novel is heart warming and the characters are completely relatable. It is interesting in this novel that Debbie Macomber essentially utilizes a narrator, a Nana who is telling this story to her grandchildren. This story was not only a romance, but a story of acceptance. Another wonderful work by Debbie Macomber. I highly recommend.

Sweet, sweet story! It brought smiles to my face and hope in my heart that mankind will find it’s way to a more kind world. As usual, Debbie Macomber tells a good story.

Debbie Macomber does it again! She delivers another great, heart warming Christmas story that has the reader feeling all this warm and tingly Christmas feels! I’m always excited when I see another Debbie Macomber Christmas book is coming out and that was no different this time around. The Christmas Spirit definitely did not disappoint, it even exceeded my expectations. I loved everything about this book, the characters, the story and the layout. This was the perfect Christmas book and I really loved how it was set up as a grandma telling her grandkids her Christmas story.

I would definitely recommend this book to Christmas story fans! You won’t regret it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!