Merry and Bright (Christmas)

by Debbie Macomber

Merry Smith is pretty busy these days. She's taking care of her family, baking cookies, decorating for the holidays, and hoping to stay out of the crosshairs of her stressed and by-the-book boss at the consulting firm where she temps. Her own social life is the last thing she has in mind, much less a man. Without her knowledge, Merry's well-meaning mom and brother create an online dating profile for her--minus her photo--and the matches start rolling in. Initially, Merry is incredulous, but she reluctantly decides to give it a whirl. Soon Merry finds herself chatting with a charming stranger, a man with similar interests and an unmistakably kind soul. Their online exchanges become the brightest part of her day. But meeting face-to-face is altogether different, and her special friend is the last person Merry expects--or desires. Still, sometimes hearts can see what our eyes cannot. In this satisfying seasonal tale, unanticipated love is only a click away.

• ISBN13: 9780399181221
• Publish Date: 3 October 2017
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Imprint: Ballantine Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

Merry Knight is a tired, overworked twenty-four year old who has been working mandatory overtime at a downtown firm after taking a year off from school to raise funds for tuition and help her family. Her mother suffers from MS and her younger brother who works part-time at the local Kroger has Down Syndrome.  All of this leaves little time for a social life, let alone dating. While finances are tight, Merry's mother and brother set her up for a three-month membership as Merry Smith on an online dating site. They even set up her profile complete with a picture. Eep!

Meanwhile, Jayson Bright a successful downtown manager is facing the biggest deadline of his life, but a recent phone call with an old buddy who just got engaged has him checking out an online dating site where he stumbles upon Merry's profile and thus begins our story.

Macomber's holiday stories are always warm and fuzzy with sprinkles of tender moments that remind us of the true meaning of Christmas. While Merry and Bright, was completely predictable thanks to the reader being privy to who all the players were, it was delightful to watch it all unfold. At one point I was a tad annoyed that Merry didn't fess up, but Macomber made it work as Jay opened his eyes to those around him, or maybe just maybe Merry looked a little closer at the man she thought she knew.

I loved the online chats, advice from friends and the changes we see in Jay as he communicates with Merry. Her brother was adorable and his interference helped the story along. It was interesting to see the different sides of Jay. There was a thread regarding Jayson's father that I would have liked to know more about, but it didn't detract from the story. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Linda]

3.5 stars
Merry and Bright is a cute story, in which online dating is taken to another level entirely.