I loved this story!!! Debbie Macomber has become a go-to author for her Christmas offering and this one was beyond fun.

Two best friends, Peter Armstrong and Hank Colfax, couldn't live more different lives. Pete is the pastor of the local church while Hank is a bartender at the tavern he owns. Pete is dedicated to his flock, visiting and appeasing the most cantankerous, attending meetings, and at this time of year, preparing for the annual Christmas Eve live nativity service. Hank serves an entirely different group of people - his scruffy, lonely regulars, and the local biker gang. When Hank argues that Pete could never do his job, Pete thinks it would be a walk in the park compared to his. He challenges Hank to switch places with him for a week, knowing that this week, in particular, will be crazy busy. Is either man up to the challenges he'll face in the other's job?

I gotta say, I loved Hank. A less likely pastoral candidate, I've never seen, and yet, he knows just enough of his Bible to be dangerous to those who think they know more - including the church secretary, Pete's sister, Grace Ann. He regularly shines the light of God's grace, on Grace Ann's judgmental thinking. He tells off the old lady who has been holding the church hostage as their largest benefactor, making her pull her membership but then, he comes up with a way to make the money they need without Mrs. Millstone's (ironic, much?) help.

I also loved Pete. He does his best, but he's not a bartender, which becomes painfully obvious his first night with a packed house for Monday Night Football. He learns that Hank's job involves as much "counseling" as his job as pastor. He also connects with the woman he's been longing for from afar for months. Her plight brings out every protective instinct he has, and she's way better at bartending than he is, so hiring her seems smart but it's Hank's business. Will he agree?

I loved the scenes at the Christmas party Pete throws at the tavern. I also loved the scenes at the Christmas Eve church service, when all of the tavern regulars show up in all their "glory" and treat the Christmas story as an interactive event - yelling at the innkeeper who turns Joseph and Mary away to sleep in the stables. This made me giggle.

Readers who love Debbie Macomber's take on Christmas and a lovely romance (or two) will love this book. It's a sweet read - nothing I saw was too racy. It's a grandma telling an "in the beginning" story to her grandchildren, so kissing is the most the characters do (and every time that happens, the grandson covers his ears.) I read this in two sittings, but it can easily be read in one day. I definitely recommend!

I honestly don't think it would feel like Christmas without one of Debbie's holiday books. This one explores two friends that decide to switch jobs until Christmas Eve.

One is a Pastor and one is a Bartender, both filling peoples needs in a different capacity. Actually, like they say try to walk in someone elses shoes, it is never as easy as it seems and puts everything, including love, in a new perspective .

Debbie knows how to touch your soul, it was like a breath air.

Find out for yourself the magic of Debbie Macomber

(copy also to Goodreads)

The Christmas Spirit by beloved author, Debbie Macomber… the perfect book to kick off your holiday reading! A sweet "once upon a time" story told by a grandmother to her grandchildren. The twist is that her "story" really did happen once upon a time. Two best friends, each thinking the other has it easier than they do, trade places. One swaps out his stressful and busy pastorship for running his best friends bar, and the bartending friend leaves behind his
late night hours and nonstop work for what he thinks will be it'll be the easy job of being a pastor. The swap takes place right before Christmas and is set to last less than a week but the life lessons and positive changes for each man as well as others around them will stick with them all for a lifetime. The Spirit of Christmas will surely get you all in the spirit for Christmas!

I LOVED this book! I devoured it in a day.
The way the story was told was so heart warming and cozy. It put me in the Christmas Spirit and makes me want to spend time with my family and friends while decorating my house for The holidays.

What says the holidays more than a Debbie Macomber Christmas story!?! This is a gorgeous little Christmas story packed with all the good stuff for the holiday season in the typical Debbie Macomber style.! Seriously, you could not ask for much more than what this book gives! It’s sweet, it’s festive, it will melt your heart, and it will put you into the Christmas and holiday mood quickly. I look forward to her books each year and this one does not disappoint!

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber is your not to miss Christmas book this holiday season. As soon as I get Debbie's new Christmas book, I immediately want to curl up with a blanket and coffee and read until I have finished the book. Its like your own personal little Hallmark movie right in your hands. Pick this up, you need this book in your life this holiday season!

Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Debbie Macomber for a digital ARC of this book. The Christmas Spirit is another warm and uplifting Christmas book from Debbie Macomber. Pastor Peter and bartender Frank are lifelong friends who lead very different lives, with each believing their’s is the most challenging. They decide to switch jobs right before Christmas. Lessons on life, acceptance and love are learned. Naturally, as this is a Debbie Macomber book, there is romance and a happy ending. Be sure to put this on your list of holiday reads!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. This was a sweet little story about stepping out of your comfort zone to see what you may be missing.

This was a fun, heartwarming Christmas story. It opens with a grandmother telling her grandchildren a story, one that starts "in the beginning" instead of "once upon a time." I hadto laugh at her grandson's aversion to anything with kissing, and her promise to warn him so he could cover his ears.

The story is about two men who have been best friends since high school. Though their lives are very different, they regularly get together for lunch and to catch up on each other's lives. During this lunch, each comments on the busyness and stresses of their jobs. Hank is the owner and sole employee of The Last Call, a tavern. Peter is the pastor of a nearby church, somewhat overwhelmed with the preparations for Christmas which is only a few days away. Each believes that the other has the easier life, and decide to switch places to prove it.

I loved seeing these two confident men get tossed into sink or swim situations. Peter's first night as a bartender was a real eye-opener. The bar is busy and he can't keep up with the orders. The customers get grouchy and Peter worries that he's going to wreck Hank's business. Matters become even more tense with the arrival of a motorcycle gang. They don't take well to Peter's ineptness or his cagy replies about what he does in real life. He's saved from disaster by the arrival of Millie, the waitress from the restaurant where he and Hank have lunch. She also works as a waitress at the local strip club, and knows the motorcycle gang from there. She rapidly defuses the situation and steps in to help Peter with the drinks. Peter offers her a job helping him after hearing her story, and looks forward to getting to know her better. Over the next few days, Peter finds his feet, discovers that his job and Hank's hve many similarities, and gets to know many different types of people he wouldn't have met otherwise.

Meanwhile, Hank promptly misplaces the list of duties Peter gave him. After settling in to watch a football game, he's not too happy to get a call from Peter's sister Grace Ann, fussing at him for missing his appointment to collect the donkey for the nativity play. Grace Ann is the church secretary, very uptight, and no fan of Hank. Hank, who had a crush on her in high school, delights in teasing her. When Hank admits losing the list, Grace Ann promises to make sure he doesn't miss anything. His first full day on the job goes south fast when he mortally offends the church's biggest donor. Grace Ann is horrified, Peter is accepting (and a little envious that Hank had the courage to do it), and the finance committee worried. I liked how Hank brought an outsider's fresh look to raising money. Over the next few days, Hank also discovers the similarities of their work as he listens to people's concerns.

I enjoyed seeing the romances develop between Peter and Millie, and Hank and Grace Ann. Peter and Millie are fairly straightforward. Millie worries about her past being an issue for Peter's church family. I loved Peter's confidence that everything would be fine, though you couldn't prove it by Grace Ann's initial reaction. Hank had a rougher time with Grace Ann. Since he knew her in high school, she has become uptight and judgmental, very different than the girl he remembers. I enjoyed seeing him call her out on her attitude and deliver some home truths she wasn't expecting from him.

The ending was terrific, with a Christmas party that brought together people from both their worlds. I laughed out loud at the description of the bikers singing Christmas carols, and Millie's former coworkers visiting with the missionary ladies from Peter's church. The hilarity continued on Christmas Eve as some of the patrons of the Last Call showed up for the service. The Christmas spirit was alive and well, all thanks to a little job sharing.

I liked the epilogue which provided "the rest of the story" about our two couples. It wasn't a surprise, but I enjoyed catching up on some of the more colorful characters.

A bartender and a pastor switch jobs during Christmas week....

Debbie Macomber is often more miss than hit for me but The Christmas Spirit was an absolute delight. I loved that that story was one being told by Nana to her two grandchildren. It's charming and sentimental and lovely for Christmas.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

This is a classic Debbie Macomber Christmas story. I loved the beginning with the nana telling her grandkids about the story. Our story begins with two best friends both burnt out and tired. They each think each other’s life is easier. Boy did they think wrong. It’s a story about Hank and Grace Ann and Peter and Millie fall in love. This is a story about assumptions and what it means to not judge a person. I highly recommend this!

This was a short, sweet romantic Christmas story. It was predictable and the characters weren't particularly deep, and I had to keep reminding myself that it was set in the 1970s or so, in order to remember why the characters acted the way they did when it was a bit frustrating at times. If you are looking for a happy ending story without much drama, then this is a nice story to read.

Go grab your Snuggie, a hot cup of coffee, and your kitty and snuggle up in front of the fireplace for this warmhearted book! The Christmas Spirit is a story about Peter and his childhood best friend, Hank. Peter is a pastor for a church and Hank owns a bar - the two decided to swap jobs for a week, believing that their new vocation will be a piece of cake. In true Debbie Macomber fashion, this wholesome romance was full of newfound friendships, finding oneself, and lots of love! In a recent Macomber audiobook I listened to, Debbie spoke about how she was "given the gift of storytelling" and I could not agree more! I always look forward to her books, especially her Christmas ones, and this was no exception!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for a digital copy of this book! All opinions are my own! :)

If you are in my age range, you well remember the Princess Bride movie. The grandpa is telling a story to the young Fred Savage, who is listening intently yet full of questions and eager for the tale to move on.

This is the way Debbie Macomber couches her story of Hank Colfax and Peter Armstrong, two men frustrated and disillusioned with their current lives. They decide to 'switch lives' for a week (poorly timed just before Christmas.) A classic case of the idiom 'the grass is always greener', they will unsurprisingly come to find that things are not always what they seem, and gratitude in one's own circumstances can go a long way.

This book was somewhat religious in nature, which I did not know to expect, so if that will bother you, be aware.

A cute Christmas story! Light, magical, if not unrealistic, just the kind of story to start the Christmas season with some Christmas spirit. Loved the story the grandma told her grandchildren and especially loved the little grandson's reaction to love and some kissing! A story of people who are very different from each other opening themselves up to each other and enjoying a magical Christmas together.

Not your typical trade lives storyline. Peter Armstrong and Hank Colfax have been best friends for many years. However, their lives have taken such different paths. Peter is dedicated to lead his congregation and church. Hank leads a different set of customers. Owning a bar, Hank is often the ears for his customers. When both men decide the other has it easier, they trade professions the week before Christmas. What they find is that despite different clients, their professions really aren't that different. Throw in a little love along the way and you have a wonderful tale. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

The Christmas Spirit begins with a grandmother telling not a “once upon a time” story but a “remember when.” She tells the story of Peter who was a local pastor and his friend Hank who was the local bartender. Each feel their job is more stressful than the other and so they decide to switch job a week before Christmas. Both quickly realize that each other’s jobs were not as easy as they expected.
Debbie Macomber provides a wonderful snuggle up on the couch Christmas story that will make you laugh out loud, shake your head and fill you with the Christmas Spirit. The revelation at the end was the cherry on top of a great Christmas story. Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books and Debbie Macomber for ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Not my favorite of Debbie Macomber’s, but still a sweet holiday read.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance read, in consideration for a review.

Once again, Debbie Macomber comes through with a wonderful Christmas book. This one has 2 men telling each other that their job is harder than the other guy's. When they decide to switch jobs until Christmas Eve, they discover new things about themselves and the other person. This is a must read if you are a fan of hers!

Such a delightful Christmas story! One of Macomber’s best. I loved the premise that a bartender and a pastor trade place during the week of Christmas. Each is convinced that they are getting the better (easier) end of the deal. Seeing the enlightenment of both men is both touching and hilarious at the same time. There are so many poignant moments and lessons of faith being lived out. I love the mix of characters, from the clean and polished to the rough and gruff, and how they bring perfect balance to this sweet story. The story is told from the perspective a grandmother to her grand kids and hearing their reactions made is so much sweeter. You do not want to miss this Christmas story!

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.