Fall in Love with Debbie Macomber’s ‘Merry and Bright’ [REVIEW]

Merry Knight loves catching snowflakes on her eyelashes in Debbie Macomber’s Merry and Bright. (Photo by Stephen Poff, Flickr)

Falling in love is tricky business in the fast-paced world we live in. Besides, who has the time? Discover what happens when the best of intentions leads to the most complicated of circumstances in Debbie Macomber’s sweet new romance, Merry and Bright. 

Ballantine Books

Merry Knight has taken a year off from school so she can work to save enough money to pay for another year of classes. As if working mandatory overtime at a temp position isn’t enough on her plate, she also has to help out her mom who has MS and her brother with special needs. There simply isn’t any time to try to date and meet someone. That’s when her family steps in to create a profile for her on an online dating site.

Jayson Bright is a workaholic boss who takes himself a bit too seriously. He always thought he wouldn’t fall in love until he was at least forty, but when his cousin announces his engagement, he starts thinking that perhaps he should make time for romance. So he makes an online dating profile of his own. Soon he finds himself chatting with a woman who entrances him like no other. Little does he know that the woman he is chatting with is Merry, a woman he has not always been nice to and who works at his company. How long will it take them to realize who one another is? And will their budding romance survive the harsh light of day when the truth about their identities finally comes out?

Debbie Macomber is one of my favorite authors, and for good reason. She creates authentic, memorable characters who never fail to charm our socks off with their internal angst and hilarious wit. More than once, I threw my head back and laughed out loud at the predicaments Merry and Jayson find themselves in as they navigate both love and family. This is one of those rare feel-good books readers will want to share, populated by characters they’ll love to know, and one which they will hate to finish. Filled with hope and heart, Merry and Bright makes the perfect gift for anyone who needs a big dose of wholesome happiness to illuminate their day.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debbie Macomber
(Photo by Deborah Feingold)

Debbie Macomber is the author of Twelve Days of Christmas, Sweet Tomorrows, The World of Debbie Macomber: Come Home to Color, and A Girl’s Guide to Moving On. There are more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide and they have spent more than 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Thirteen of her novels hit the number one spot.

Five of Macomber’s books have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons.

Macomber owns two businesses in Port Orchard, Wash., the town which inspired the Cedar Cove Series. These include The Grey House Café, formerly the Victorian Rose Tea Room, featured in the Cedar Cove Series, and A Good Yarn Shop, introduced in her popular Blossom Street novels. They are located on the Village Square campus, which also serves as Debbie’s corporate headquarters.

She and her husband, Wayne, serve on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, and she is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series.

MERRY AND BRIGHT
By Debbie Macomber
272 pgs. Ballantine Books. $20.