As always Debbie Macomber delivers a great feel good Christmas story! I was wondering if it I was going to gwt i to it as tje first couple chapters in I tjoughy for sure it was a prdictable ending but I was pleasantly surprised where my mind had taken me wasnt in the book at all! With an extremely busy lifestyle I was still able to read this rather quickly as every free minute I had I grabbed it up to read. Love the characters and thier stories. Thanks for delivering again Debbie!

Another warm wonderful Christmas Story. This is a story full of family love and caring, humor, and romance. It is a very sweet romance between Merry and Jayson on an internet dating site. They are not aware they already know each other. It makes you realize that you need to talk with a person to really know them. I enjoyed reading this sweet Christmas story.

Merry works a temp job at a consulting firm, and still lives at home with her parents and younger brother, Patrick, while saving up for her final year in college. Although she enjoys her job, the mandatory over time to get a major project done before the holidays leaves her no time for a romantic life. Since her birthday is December 26th, her mother and brother decide to buy her a subscription to an online dating site. Since she is unsure of the whole idea, but doesn't want to let them down, she decides to give it a try, using a picture of her brother's dog as her profile picture. Perhaps it will help weed out those who aren't serious about getting to know someone on a deeper level. And then she meets Jay.

Jayson is the VP at his Uncle's consulting firm, and has no social or romantic life of his own. He is the rule enforcer in the office, and often comes off as stuffy, grouchy, and too firm. Then his cousin and best friend, Cooper, calls to let him know he is getting married to an old childhood friend of there's. He stumbled upon her online, while helping a friend with an online dating profile, and just knew they were meant to be. Jayson finally decides maybe it's his turn to try the online dating scene too. And that's when he meets her.

"Jay" ie Jayson, does not realize that Merry is his Merry, from the office, seeing as her nameplate at work has her name spelled as Mary. What happens when they each find out who the other person really are? Can they over look the office hostility, and form a real relationship based on who they both really are? Never before have Jayson or Merry felt about someone the way they feel about each other. But is it really worth taking that chance? Can it really work?

I love holiday books to begin with, and this one was filled with sweet moments, lovable characters, and real life situations.

Once again, Debbie Macomber gives us a delightful story with loveable characters. This was a quick read that I finished in one afternoon. Perhaps that was because I was unable to put it down.

Merry Knight takes on a temporary job working long hours to help pay for next year's college tuition, all the while helping out at home with her mother who has multiple sclerosis and her brother with Down's Syndrome, Her life has become so busy that she has had no time for a social life. That's when her mother and brother come up with a plan to have Merry join an internet dating website. When they tell Merry what they had done, Merry couldn't get angry with them because she knew they were only trying to help. Instead of a picture of herself, she decided to use a picture of their dog. Then when she receives a response from a man who also posts a picture of a dog instead of himself, she becomes intrigued and a fondness develops. After weeks of corresponding, they plan to meet in person. That's when Merry discovers who this man really is and she quickly leaves before he sees her. Will their relationship continue? Hmmmm.

One of the things I liked about this story is that neither Merry nor Jayson lied... other than not posting their true names. And even though I just knew how the story would end, it still didn't keep me from cheering for this HEA, And the characters! Oh how I loved sweet Patrick! Even though Jayson wasn't all that loveable in the beginning, as I learned his history and his personal story, and as I saw how he changed after getting to know Merry/Mary, I started loving him as well.

This is such a great Christmas story. Debbie Macomber has a way of making you feel the joy and excitement with each Christmas carol sung and each decoration described. "Merry and Bright" would make a great Christmas gift for all your reader friends.

Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber
This Christmas themed book starts out with Merry and we learn all she does for the family-her mom who has MS, her brother who has Down's Syndrome and her job that ends that night.
She tries to skimp and save so she can have a meal out and her mother is trying to get her to use a dating site.
Story also follows her boss, the VP, Mr. Bright and he's anything but. He makes her working life miserable.
Love the surprise Merry is given for her birthday, I'm laughing out loud as to what they did!
Chapters alternate between Merrys' life and Jason Bright's life.
Jayson and his cousin Cooper have grown up together and made a pact not to marry before 40 but Jayson is being asked to be his best man, in Australia...
Cute holiday story. Predictable.
Love hearing of the Christmas scenes that are decorated and described.
Excerpt from The Twelve Days of Christmas (12/2016) is included.
I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

Debbie Macomber writes the most beautiful and uplifting holiday stories, and Merry and Bright is a shining example! I was so touched by Merry's kind character, and by her taking the time to work a year to pay for her own college expenses and help her family. In the course of Merry's one year temp contract, she has multiple tense encounters with the company vice president, in which she finds him very stern and lacking holiday spirit and flexibility. To surprise her and brighten her spirits, Merry's mother and brother sign her up for an online dating service, using a picture of a beloved pet rather than hers, to attract potential interest that cares for her as a person before her appearance. Merry reluctantly becomes active on the site and is soon chatting with a very special guy. They seem to really click online, but what will happen when they meet, and realize whom they are chatting with? I highly encourage and recommend fellow readers and Debbie Macomber fans to read "Merry and Bright". It will start you feeling the holiday spirit in the fall!

Merry and Jayson are perfect for each other but they don't realize it at first. This is a beautiful, heartwarming, and sweet story about two people falling in love. Debbie Macomber has written another best seller.

The 2017 Debbie Macomber Christmas book follows in the tradition of holidays past. This feel good novel is a fun light-hearted Christmas read. A case of mis-spelling and online dating combine for a fun holiday office romance. This is sure to become a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie in the future.

I received an advanced copy of this via NetGalley.

I have to admit this is the first Debbie Macomber novel I have read. I know she has written many many books but I have never picked one up until now. Merry and Bright is a Christmas Story/romance and reminded me of sweet Halmark type christmas movies that are so pleasant to watch anytime of year but especially around the holidays. This was a lovely story that had likable characters and left you with positive feelings. Certainly a pleasure read. I appreciated the fact that the romance was clean and the plot not too far fetched. This one was a "Shop Around the Corner" or "You've got mail" plot that played out exactly as I expected but was still pleasing and fun to follow. I will have to pick up more of Debbie Macomber books for those moments when I just need a little feel good like of story to pass the time with.

You Got Mail meets the festivities of the holidays in this adorable story from Debbie Macomber... Merry works for a creep, or at least so she believes, but when she begins to talk to a guy on a dating site, her mood just might change a little.

This is an adorable, clean story about listening to your heart, treating your fellow man like you want to be treated, and seeing a person for their worth, not always their actions. Filled to the brim with Christmas cheer, I felt this would make a cute Hallmark movie and enraptures the reader without adding stuff more sensitive readers avoid,

This holiday story takes place in the beautiful Seattle area during the Christmas holidays, when things just can't get any more hectic! But YES they can. Merry's contract job is coming to an end and her boss Jayson is at the reins demanding perfection and overtime. While on the homefront live-at-home Merry's family feels she needs more of a romantic life and signs her up for an online meet and match for singles. She accidently gets hooked up with her boss, unbeknowst to both of them. Then "roll out the fun"!!

I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who loves a excellent holiday romance with a twist.

This book is good for the heart and lets us see that all people may have beautiful interior. Enjoy the good clean FUN!

Merry and Bright is a sweet reminder of the true spirit of Christmas and another winner by Debbie Macomber. Her Christmas books are great for getting one in the Christmas mood.

Merry Knight is taking a year off from school and working as a data entry temp at Matterson Consulting to save up for school. Each member of her family does their part to support each other financially and emotionally. Her dad travels as a pharmaceutical rep while her mom has MS and is limited to what she can do. Her eighteen year old Patrick has Down syndrome. He goes to school and works at a grocery store. Merry's job requires overtime work because of a project nearing the deadline and her boss, Jayson Bright, is a stern, by the book boss. To add to the stress, it is the Christmas season and a busy but special time for Merry. Merry's social life is non existent. Robin, her mom, and Patrick decide to sign Merry up for an online dating service using a different name, Merry Smith, and a picture of their golden retriever. They misspelled her name at work so her nameplate says Mary Knight.

Jayson Bright is under a lot of pressure to finish a project that Matterson Consulting is doing to gain work for the Boeing Company. His life revolves around the company and he has high goals to move into his uncle's place as head of the company when his uncle retires. Jayson's family life growing up consisted of being moved back and forth between parents when neither seemed to want him. He grew up in boarding schools and summer camps with his best friend and cousin, Cooper, who had the same kind of life. Christmas is just another day for Jayson. He always got presents but there was not a special celebration for the holiday. Cooper reconnected with Maddy, a girl that they knew at summer camp, on an online dating service and now they are engaged. Taken by surprise by Cooper's announcement, Jayson acknowledges his own loneliness and signs up with the online dating service under a different name. Jayson is drawn to Merry Smith whose picture is one of a golden retriever, a dog he once had.

As Jay and Merry connect online, they become friends but decide to wait a while to meet in person. But the situation gets complicated when they agree to meet. I don't want to give anything away so I am not going into anymore detail. When two people with different views of family and the Christmas season become friends, interesting things can happen. This is a sweet story of true Christmas spirit as seen in a close family enjoying gifts of the heart, time, baking, going to church and other traditions.

Thanks to Debbie Macomber and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book from Random House Publishing - Ballantine and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am a big fan of Debbie Macomber but this one didn't quite do it for me. It's a charming Christmas story but it is just too cliché for me. The main character Merry born the day after Christmas from a family who is poor but very loving. Then add in a brother and mother with disabilities (hints of Tiny Tim from A Christmas Carol) and a boss Jayson Bright who has an attitude like Ebenezer Scrooge. Jump to modern day with the movie You've Got Mail running in the background with Merry meeting a mystery operate online and eventually deciding to meet. Flash to the scene at the coffee shop in You've Got Mail where Tom Hanks looks in the window to see his mystery mail girl and recognizes Meg Ryan except it is Jayson waiting in the coffee shop.
I normally do not do spoilers but had to share some of the story to point out the clichés. Debbie Macomber is an incredibly talented author who writes, charming, heartwarming, contemporary romances but I feel like she missed the mark with this one and it was disappointing to me.

So, a few pages in, if you haven't forgotten the title of the book (right there on the page corner) you know what has to happen, and the journey from here to there is all in the details. It's feel-good holiday cheer :) Don't be afraid to just enjoy it like a holiday sweet.

I have read only three of Debbie Macomber's Christmas romance novels, but her latest, Merry and Bright, due out October 3, 2017, is by far the best of the three. It shows that, while things could go horribly wrong, with internet dating, sometimes they go wonderfully right.
 
Merry Noel Knight has taken a year off from college to earn money for her senior year working as a temporary data entry clerk at Matterson Consulting, Her boss, Jayson Bright, is feeling pressure to prove himself to his uncle, the owner of the firm.
 
Merry is under pressure to complete the data for a huge report, and has no time for dating. Without her knowledge, her mother and her younger brother who has Down's Syndrome set up an account for her on the online site, "Mix & Mingle". In place of her photo, they post a photo of the family dog. Meanwhile, Jayson's cousin and best friend reveals that he is engaged to a childhood friend who he found on Mix & Mingle. After refusing to try it, Jayson (Jay) decides to set up an account for himself.
 
At work, Jay is stressed out and insists on everything being done by-the-book. He becomes a thorn in Merry's side. Outside of work, Jay is a nice guy, and it is this Jay who Merry meets online.
 
The book compares Jay's childhood of boarding school, and being used by his mother to manipulate his father, to Merry's family life of holidays together and sharing daily meals. It also shows the capabilities and loving personalities of those with Down's Syndrome. This book has a predictable ending, but is a wonderfully heart-warming, feel-good Christmas season story.
 
What Made This Book Reviewer Grumpy:
 
Using "bring" and "brought" when the words "take" and "took" should have been used.
Using "I've got" and "you've got" when it should have been "I have" and "you have".
Frequent use of split infinitives, such as "to forcibly turn", "to personally thank", etc. Look for me online as The Grumpy Book Reviewer.

Merry and Bright is an amazing Christmas novel! It is packed with emotion and ever lasting love and filled to the brim with the magic of Christmas. This is the book to read during the holiday season and I think I will be re-reading it during that time as it really brings out the joy of Christmas. Not only that, the budding romance mixed with the reality of dating in this day an age really make it stand out amongst the rest! I loved this one.

Warm hearted feel good story. A quick afternoon read. This author always leaves readers feeling good and wanting more. It's not deep thoughs, but just happy. We need this!

Another great Debbie Macomber read! Quick, happy, and uplifting. Loved this as a break from the world!

Debbie Macomber’s new book, Merry and Bright, is exactly that. The story follows Merry, a young woman with a loving family and a lot of responsibilities. One night, after a long day ruined by her rotten boss, her family announces they’ve signed her up for online dating. The story that follows is pleasant and undemanding. Unlike some of Macomber’s books, this one is not particularly church oriented. This book might make a good gift for an older female relative you’re visiting but don’t know well.

A super cute, fluffy read. I loved Merry & her family and the chemistry between her and Jayson. My only complaint is that the story felt a little rushed.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!***