Debbie never disappoints! This will put you in the Christmas Spirit. You will laugh out loud at parts but as always you feel good when you finish the book! I could read it anytime of year!

A quick and uplifting Christmas read where two best friends trade jobs the week leading up to Christmas - will they find out the grass isn’t greener on the other side of the fence? 2 men who grew up together as best friends took very different paths in adulthood - one became a preacher and the other owns a bar and tends bar there (among other things). Each looks at the others life/job as being easier (both are bachelors, so they don’t have a family at home), so they decide to trade jobs for a week….

I enjoyed this book, and was surprised to see how the story included some characters I wouldn’t have expected. Another great Christmas book from Debbie Macomber.

Thank you NetGalley!
Two friends trade places the week before Christmas and find love along the way. Loved the differences and similarities between a pastor and a bartender! This was a feel good novel to read during the Christmas holidays. Debbie Macomber never disappoints- especially books centered around Christmas! Loved the characters! Told the true meaning of Christmas.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Christmas Spirit
By:Debbie Macomber
Published date: October 18, 2022

This was different from other Debbie Macomber books I’ve read. It starts out with a grandmother telling her grandchildren a Christmas story.
Hank Colfax and Peter Armstrong had been best friends all their lives. Once a month they would meet up to have lunch and catch up. Hank owned a bar and Peter was a pastor. After having a spat about their jobs they decided to trade places and try the others job. They both learn a lot about the other and both add people to their lives they wouldn’t have with out the switch.
The story ends again with the grandmother and her grandchildren. They learn her role in the story and what happened to the others characters.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine books and NetGalley for the arc of this book.

I really enjoyed the premise behind the Christmas Spirit and how the story was being told by Grandma to her grandchildren. The idea of a pastor and a bartender switching places was fun to see it unravel especially with all the fun characters along the way. Although the title was about Christmas spirit, I think that the message should really be about showing kindness to one another in the community was the real message. It was a sweet, yet predictable story and I found it was a perfect read for the holidays. Thanks to NetGalley & Ballantine Books for the ARC!

This book was unique in that it wasn't just centered around a love story. Instead it began with a Grandmother telling a story to a grandchild and the main characters were Peter Armstrong, a Pastor and Hank Colfax, a bartender.

Peter is exhausted from working at the family tavern and complains to Hank telling him how easy his job is compared to running the bar. The two trade places and find out that what they think of the way the other one's days are, may not be what they expected.

I thought this was a wonderful holiday read and enjoyed the fact that it was a bit different in basing the characters on the men's point of view.

5 stars

An easy and light read that's appropriate for everyone. Even though it may be a little predictable it is still a good read . Two good friends swapping jobs, more or less lives, temporally is humorous and touching at same time. Wonderful Christmas story!

Always loved Debbie's books. You can read them in an afternoon.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this heartwarming ARC of The Christmas Spirit. I will begin by saying that I have read many of Debbie Macomber's books in the past and they always have a way of making you feel warm and cozy inside. This book was an easy and fun read. It is told as a Christmas story from a grandmother to her grandchildren. It is not your typical Christmas story as it involves strippers, a bar, and bikers but in addition to being a fun read it reminds us about the true meaning of Christmas. The two main characters of this story are Hank and Peter. They have been lifelong friends and meet up monthly to catch up. Hank is the owner of a bar and Peter is a pastor. Neither one seem to have time for love in their life but it's amazing what one week can do (especially in a romance novel). They both think the other has an easier life, so they decide to switch lives for a week. I really enjoyed this book and would encourage it to readers who want an escape from their hectic lives and to laugh a little as well.

A beautiful story of hope, love and forgiveness. Debbie never disappoints, and you can always count on her wonderful bookS! Thank you NG !

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber is another fabulous Christmas novel by a talented author. Each Christmas book is unique, never following an easy formula. Her characters are always some of the most authentic in literature today. Her plots ring true with sincerely and humor because she writes of places and emotions she knows well. I loved everything about this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

This is exactly why we love Debbie Macomber. I noticed a dip in her storytelling passion when she was being made to do TikTok dances to promote her books...but hey publisher, Macomber doesn't need that kind of attention. Let her delve into her words and writing, her scenes and characters, and let us breathe in that wonderful story world that only she can create. This is a terrific story, so ideal for the holiday season, a gift and a treat rolled into one for a cozy reading day that keeps even the most frazzled reader's attention, Nice work! Glad she's 'back.' Please don't force her to dance around. She's so above that,

I look forward to Debbie Macomber's Christmas books each year. I was excited to receive an advanced copy. In this book, two friends switch jobs thinking each other's job is easier. Fun Christmas book.

I enjoyed The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber. The characters in this story will warm your heart! Happy Reading!
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

Peter Armstrong is a minister at a local church. He hasn’t found the right woman yet. Peter is kept busy with his church duties. Hank Colfax runs a local bar. He isn’t really one to let someone help him take care of his business. Hank hasn’t found the right one yet and doesn’t have time for a relationship. These two best friends since high school try to meet for lunch. At one such lunch they’re complaining about their busy lives. Each thinks the other has it easy, so they decide to change places until Christmas Eve. Hank and Peter will find more than The Christmas Spirit this holiday season.

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber is her annual Christmas story. Two men Hank and Peter have been best friends since high school. Complete opposites no one seems to know how they’ve stayed friends. A minister and a bar owner, who are so busy they have no time for romance. Each complain at their usual lunch how busy they are, that leads to them deciding they can do the other’s job. Hank and Peter decided to switch places until Christmas Eve. They’ll find out that each other’s lives are different than they each thought. The Christmas Spirit takes the reader back in time to 1977 as the wife of one of these men tell her grandchildren a Christmas story. The boy hates romance and the girl love it. There is humor, unexpected events that neither man saw coming. A commonality between the two professions that was unseen by the characters. Hank’s strength played to Peter’s weakness and vice versa. They also possibility of a true love and a change in their lives that they might not have seen until they switched places. Debbie Macomber’s The Christmas Spirit will make you laugh, smile and lift your spirits. Even though this wonderful is her recent Christmas holiday book this reader could read it anytime of the year. Cute grandchildren learning about their grandfather’s adventure. A must for Debbie Macomber fans and a wonderful Christmas holiday story that will keep the reader entertained all the way through the telling of this story.

"The Christmas Spirit" is a heartwarming holiday novel that explores the true meaning of the festive season. The book revolves around two best friends, Peter Armstrong and Hank Colfax, whose lives couldn't be more different. Peter is the local pastor who is dedicated to his community and spends his time visiting the flock and preparing for the Christmas service and live nativity, while Hank runs the family-owned tavern and serves a diverse customer base, including a handful of lonely regulars and the local biker gang.

In this heartwarming story, Peter and Hank switch jobs until Christmas Eve and discover that their responsibilities are more similar than they expected. The book takes us on a journey as the two friends begin to see each other in a new light and each discovers a new love to cherish. The characters are relatable and easy to love, and their stories are woven together in a touching way that highlights the importance of kindness and community during the holiday season.

Debbie Macomber's writing is crisp and fluid, and the story is well-paced, keeping the reader engaged from start to finish. "The Christmas Spirit" is a charming and heartwarming read that is sure to put you in the holiday mood. Whether you're looking for a cozy, feel-good book to curl up with or just need a little extra holiday magic in your life, "The Christmas Spirit" is a must-read.

~~~ I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~~~

I just can't do it. I NEVER not finish a book! But unfortunately, The Christmas Spirit is not my cup of tea in the least bit. I got 35% through before reading other reviews that share the same issues as me, and even said it goes downhill even more! To start with the book is told within a story that a nana is telling her grandchildren (ages 6 and 8). I'm not sure what grandmother would ever tell a story involving stip clubs, bar fights, and drugs... but that's how this book is structured. Also, I didn't care for the characters at all- the main men, Pete and Hank both fight over whose job is more time consuming and harder. So they switch places- sending Hank the Bar owner to be a pastor! This is just ridiculous. I'm over it and disappointed. I have read tons of Macomber books and usually really enjoy them!

This was a charming story! I love Debbie Macomber's Christmas story. This one did not disappoint. Really nice and heartwarming. Definitely recommend.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. Debbie Macomber in my mind is the absolute best Christmas story author. I will never pass up an opportunity to read one of her books. This book will not disappoint you and leave you with all the feels. So good and will put you in the right holiday frame of mind.

What a great and charming Christmas story! But you expect nothing less than that from Debbie Macomber! I have read many, many of her books and have never read one I didn't love and this one is no different! Thank you Debbie for giving us another great book!t

(2.5⭐️) When a pastor and a bar owner switch places at Christmastime, the meaning of Christmas takes on a new perspective.

This was a sweet (potentially overly sweet), faith based book that made for an easy and quick holiday read.

It's worth noting that I really enjoyed Dear Santa, Macomber's 2021 holiday book. It put me right in the spirit of Christmas and delighted me. Somehow I missed that same charm in this one but will be looking for it in next year's book.