Lift Your Spirits with "Merry & Bright" Audiobook by Debbie Macomber

Lift Your Spirits!!!

Merry & Bright by Debbie Macomber -- Audiobook Review by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Five Stars! *****
I listened to this novel as an Audible.com download. I may listen to it again before Christmas. This was a great listen. The narrator did a super job bringing Debbie Macomber's excellent story to life. The heroine, Merry, is very sympathetic. Her mom has serious health problems, her father is on the road a lot for his job, and she has a younger brother with a disability. Merry has taken a break from her studies (given her age in her mid-twenties I assume she was working on her graduate studies but I didn't hear where it was specified) and she is working temporarily at a large company. She's doing a great job but with her generous spirit and kind ways, and her need to be frugal, Merry frequently runs into issues with her boss.

A lot of stories leave me with feeling of loss as I consider all the trials the characters have been through. I mostly listen to historical romance. But this contemporary romance left me feeling very upbeat, uplifted by the positive story. It's a lot like a Hallmark movie and would make an excellent one. I wouldn't be at all surprised if that happens.

This is a clean read with some mild faith elements. If you're put off by the online dating premise, don't be--the hero and heroine end up there by a few twists and Macomber has her characters realistically deal with the potential pitfalls of going that route for romance. You'll be caught up in the story before you can even say, "Merry and Bright!"

Highly recommend!

Here's the blurb from Audible:
Merry Knight 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.