Merry and Bright

Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber. New York: Ballantine Books, 2017. 140 pages. **** Published October 3, 2017.

Debbie Macomber has once again written a heart-warming Christmas story. Merry is a temporary employee at Matterson Consulting and with mandatory overtime has little time for anything else in her life. She lives with her mother who has mobility issues due to complications with multiple sclerosis, her father, and her eighteen-year-old Down syndrome brother. Merry is working as a temp to save money for college and tries to help at home as much as she can. Her job on the Boeing project is winding down and after the Christmas holidays her job will end. Merry has made many friends at Matterson and tries to make the workplace better by decorating for the holidays until reprimanded by her inflexible, curmudgeon boss, Jayson Bright. Merry's mother and brother worry that she will never find someone to date, so they surprise her with a subscription to "Mix and Mingle" for an early birthday present. Merry is not amused when she finds out that they used a photo of Bogie, the dog, on her profile. 

Merry meets and talks to a guy on the Internet, but is reluctant to meet him in person. When they agree to meet for coffee, Merry panics and leaves him waiting and wondering what happened. Has Merry met the man of her dreams or is he a fraud?

There is a certain predictability in Macomber's books and it is for this reason that her followers read her books. They are heart-warming, sincere, and full of hope in this unpredictable, crazy, world. Merry and Bright should be on your Holiday list and books to be read this season. 

I received an electronic copy for a review. 

Debbie Macomber is a leading voice in women's fiction, with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. Twelve of her novels have hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, with three debuting at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly lists.  Follow her at debbiemacomber.com and Facebook.com/debbiemacomberworld, Twitter:@debbiemacomber

Instagram: @debbiemacomber,  Pinterest.com/macomberbooks.