A new Christmas story by Debbie Macomber is always such a treat! I look forward to her new release every year as her books are always so heartwarming and sweet.

This book was a little different for her because it follows multiple perspectives and a small cast of characters rather than a standard romance following a couple. I wasn’t expecting that, but it was fun to see how different everyone was and I liked seeing them come together despite their differences. I also liked the interconnectedness of everything. Of course there’s romance, but it’s interwoven with the other stories of the ferry passengers, which gave it a unique feel.

As always, I enjoyed reading about Debbie Macomber’s inspiration for this book and I always like her notes to the reader as well.

This was definitely a feel good Christmas story. Full of love, forgiveness, and hope. I would definitely recommend this heartwarming tale and I can’t wait to see what Debbie Macomber will come out with next!

I love Debbie Macomber’s books and this one definitely did not disappoint!! Her books are so heartwarming and are really uplifting!! They never fail to put a smile on you face and make you feel really good by the time you finish the book!!

This book is mainly about Avery and Reed Bond who are spending their first Christmas together without their beloved grandmother. Avery is taking the ferry across Puget Sound to visit with Reed for Christmas. The ferry breaks down leaving the passengers stuck until the spare part arrives.

Avery meets Harrison a sailor on his way to have Christmas with his sister. Harrison convinces Avery to give him a chance and to get to know him better. In the meantime Reed meets Kellie at the ferry station while they both wait for his sister and her brother. They decide to spend time together while waiting for the ferry to arrive.

We also get to know Virginia who is going to meet her twin sister Veronica so they can reconcile. They had a falling out after both their parents passed and Virginia has decided it is time to put the past behind them.

James Jordan who is trying to get home to his wife before she delivers their first baby. They are new to area and he is all she has since they have no family in the area.

Logan left his wife Beth and daughter Olivia because he felt he wasn’t good enough for them. Beth and Olivia are going to see Santa. All Olivia wants for Christmas is to spend time with her daddy. They run into Logan on the same ferry and Beth invites him to spend Christmas with her family.

I absolutely loved this book!! It was so sweet, very charming and downright delightful!! I loved reading about the different stories and how they were able to find their own special Christmas magic. I really enjoyed reading the epilogue at the end and thought it was a great way to end the book. I highly recommend this book!!

3.5 out of 5. I am writing this review, having just walked by the ferry station where most of the story happens, and I loved how it made the story come to life even more. Its a very quick read, and as with most of Debbie Macombers, heartfelt and sweet in a not necessarily obvious way. Christmas magic is in spades. And although the double serendipity might seem a bit obvious, it actually works out and is super sweet in the end. The ending birthday party was absolutely adorable. A picture of the Ferry:

A Ferry Merry Christmas by Debbie Macomber is a delightful Christmas story. When a ferry breaks down, passengers are stranded for hours. While stranded Avery and Harrison meet and sparks begin to fly, an older woman tries to reconnect with her twin sister, a man’s wife goes into labor and without him there to comfort her, and a woman runs into her estranged husband.

I really enjoyed reading A Ferry Merry Christmas. The story was sweet and filled with humor and suspense. Fans of Hallmark Christmas movies would love the book. Maybe Hallmark will make a movie out of this book too!

I was so excited to receive a new Debbie Macomber holiday novel! This was a cute book, set on a Ferry that had engine problems and was stuck for hours. I enjoyed all the little stories and characters, but to be honest it did not feel like a Christmas book. It was not my favorite of hers, but definitely a quick and happy read.

Once again this go to author does not disappoint! We are on a ferry ride that is about to change lives, and we read the magic! The spirit of Christmas comes alive here and there is healing, new friends are made, and possible new relationships!
This is a story with tension at first, what is happening and I need to be in Seattle, but seems to end with warm hugs, and new friends.
I love how the little gestures, become mountains, and in turn make more share! How kindness becomes healing!
Love that there is an epilogue!
A must read Christmas story!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Ballantine Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

4.5⭐️ Start your holiday with a feel good cozy read. This is a quick bingeable read that will get you in the holiday spirit.

Avery and Reed decide to spend Christmas together to honor their grandmother since it will be their first Christmas without her. Harrison and Kellie are spending Christmas together since Harrison is on leave from the Navy. Disaster strikes when the ferry has mechanical issues leaving passengers stranded, but sometimes the unexpected is a blessing in disguise. We learn what is going on with several of the passengers and their situations while waiting for the ferry to be repaired.

I love the way this book incorporates more than one couple and situation and concentrates on family. It's a story about family, forgiveness, second chances, and I can easily see this made into a Hallmark movie. This is an overall feel good book!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

What a feel-good Christmas story! Author Debbie Macomber brings this charming story to life through the lives of several passengers on a ferry from Bremerton to Seattle that gets stuck in the middle of Puget Sound. She brilliantly writes from the perspective of both those on the ferry and those waiting for some of the ferry passengers. It's a case of how you never know who you might meet and what they are going through in life at the moment. Total strangers' lives touch and impact one another in ways that could be called a Christmas miracle.

A Ferry Merry Christmas by Debbie Macomber is an easy holiday themed book that has characters I could connect with and follow as they made their way towards a merry Christmas.
This was a beautiful warm holiday story that centers around passengers that got stuck on a ferry and the people waiting at the pier who are waiting for them. It was a unique twist on how lives are touched and changed when you least expect it.
I always feel like I have been hugged by the author with every book I have read by her.
Thank you NetGalley, Debbie Macomber and Ballantine for the arc of A Ferry Merry Christmas. This is my personal review.

An easy, uplifting holiday read by Debbie Macomber. The ferry running from Bremerton WA to Seattle breaks down at the most inconvenient of times, heading into the holidays. Strangers become friends, broken relationships are mended and stories are told both on and off of the ferry. A quick read, good for a filler if looking for something with some Christmas hope and spirit. Thanks to NetGalley, Ms Macomber, and Ballantine/Random House Pub for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a quick read that is sure to put you in the holiday spirit. Holiday plans get derailed for many characters when their ferryboat headed to Seattle experiences engine trouble and sits in the middle of the water for hours while waiting for a fix. Each of the passengers has their own tale about who is waiting for them on land, and the urgency with which they need to arrive. Some passengers develop new friendships, some experience the spark of romance, and some experience new beginnings over a phone call. The holiday spirit has a strong presence once the boat begins to move again, making this a Christmas for them all to remember.

I was given an ARC copy of this book in return for a review.

I always enjoy Debbie Macomber's Christmas stories and this was no exception. This book happens mainly on the ferry that breaks down before it reaches its destination. The passengers are forced to wait while a replacement part is located and brought to the ferry. Several storylines are developed throughout the wait both on and off the ferry. Romance begins on the ferry and on shore, one man's wife goes into labor and he is stuck on the ferry and a lady misses a meeting with her twin who she has not had contact with in many years. Pick this book up on October 2025 to enjoy this wonderful holiday offering from Debbie Macomber.

In true Debbie Macomber fashion, we’re given a delightful and heartwarming story with the bonus of it taking place at Christmas. Avery and Reed were raised by their grandparents. With this being the first year that both grandparents are gone, they decide to meet up to continue family traditions. However, fate intervenes and the ferry that Avery is on breaks down and leaves her stranded for hours. Both end up meeting people that help them pass the time. While there do happen to be a lot of coincidences in this story, I don’t feel that it makes it any less believable. Debbie’s stories are famous for always having a way of working out positively and this one is no different. We’re also given glimpses of other characters’ stories along the way that renew your Christmas spirit. The book is a quick read with lots of positive energy finding love and light in even the most unlikely places.

A wonderful holiday read aboard a ferry. It's sweet, wholesome and lighthearted but heartwarming and full of emotion, making for a low angst, uplifting read. You'll be charmed, delighted and enchanted, and it just might make you believe in magic and find it in the most ordinary things.

This is such a festive and heartwarming book! It’s such an original concept. A ferry full of people being stranded for hours on end. There are second chances, meet cutes and reconciliations. There’s also an adorable little girl. I got so wrapped on the happenings aboard ship I felt as though was with the characters. I adore Debbie Macomber’s Christmas books and this one lived up to my expectations! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

A Ferry Merry Christmas is a touching story about a group of people who come together when it matters the most.

Avery Bond is on her way to see her brother for Christmas. They are both dealing with the loss of their beloved Grandmother. Being stuck for hours on the Ferry is not what Avery had in mind, but she finds some friends along the way to share the time with.

Harrison Stetler is on his way to see his sister after being gone for a few years, due to being in the Navy. He is very excited to see her, but he finds that having hours to chat with Avery is just as wonderful.

Virginia Talbot is on her way to see her twin sister. They had a falling out over something that should have never happened. She is on her way, hoping to make up and spend the Holiday together.

Beth Sullivan is on her way with her adorable daughter Olivia to see Santa. Olivia only wants two things. She wants an iPad and she wants her daddy to come home for Christmas.

Debbie Macomber writes the best Holiday stories. They make you laugh and cry and when it's all over, you just want to pick it up and read it again.

I enjoyed A Ferry Merry Christmas so much! There's romance, second chance at love, hope, friendship, family and of course the magic of the season is present throughout.

A Ferry Merry Christmas by Debbie Macomber was such a refreshing heartwarming holiday story.

Stuck on a ferry in the middle of Pudget Sound, several strangers meet and find a connection while they await the broken part to be replaced. Avery who is going to spend Christmas with her brother, the first Christmas since their grandmother passed. She meets Harrison, a navy submariner, who plans to spend the holiday with his sister. Then there is Virginia seeking to reconcile with her twin sister, is bringing Veronica their mothers gingerbread cookies. There is Olivia, a preciouses little girl with a big Christmas wish she wants to share with Santa. James is stuck on this ferry, but he brings the whole boat load of people together for a Christmas miracle.

This story was meaningful in a way that brought people together. It's a lovely holiday read and an excellent addition to your holiday collection.

I received a complimentary ecopy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Title: A Ferry Merry Christmas
Author: Debbie Macomber
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I needed something to cool me down as the heat of summer is hitting Oklahoma. So what better than a Christmas book by one of my long time favorite authors. Debbie Macomber knows how to serve up a Christmas story that is hopeful, fluffy with the meaning of the holiday, with a whole lot of love sprinkled throughout the book.

A ferry’s engine goes out before reaching the pier in Seattle, stranding hundreds of passengers in the middle of Puget Sound. On board are a host of characters with Christmas stories to tell. First is Avery who is going to spend Christmas with her older brother after the death of their Gram. Harrison is a Navy submariner who is planning to spend the holiday with his sister. Virginia is holding to reconcile with her twin sister after a rift over their mother’s china. Olivia is a child just wanting an iPad and her parents to be together. Throw in a little miracle of Christmas and you have a delightful holiday story.

Takeaways:
1. This is a quick read. The digital copy was 143 pages, but it says physical is 272 pages.
2. Each chapter is dedicated to a character and they get revisited as time passes in the book. It helps with the pace of the book.
3. This is truly a story of coming together for the magic of Christmas. It offers stories of togetherness, redemption, starting over, new birth, and how a community of strangers can come together to help one another.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be republished on October 21, 2025.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram @ballentinebooks @debbiemacomber #aferrymerrychrismas

A Ferry Merry Christmas by Debbie Macomber is an examination of the various responses and actions of a group of strangers caught up in unexpected and challenging circumstances. There are several interwoven stories here. Macomber takes the characters and the reader through their frustration and anger, then their kindness and cooperation, another round of frustration and anger and finally intense and triumphant cooperation. The author then goes on to tell how the experience has changed the major character’s lives. There is of course romance, some new and some reconciliation. The descriptions of Seattle and surrounding communities are fascinating, particularly for those unfamiliar with the area. If you need a Christmas treat, this cozy read is for you. Strongly recommended.

Debbie Macomber brings us the story of siblings Avery and Reed Bond. Avery is on her way to see her brother on the ferry to Seattle. When complications with the engine happens and there is a delay, they are both left with time on their hands waiting for the ferry to make it to the dock. What they realize is that what started out as something that inconveniences them and the other passengers and those waiting for them turns into something magical and miraculous. Read to find out what these siblings find while waiting for the other.

Debbie Macomber brings us a story about people coming together in a moment of crisis and how helping each other can bring about miracles. Read on to see how taking chances, helping your fellow man, and working together may be just what these two needed in their lives! So find yourself a quiet place and indulge in a story that makes you just feel good and know that your miracle may just be around the corner when you least expect it!

I have received and read an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Ballantine | Ballantine Books for this privilege.