The Christmas Spirit: A Novel

Written by Debbie Macomber

Narrated by Eliza Foss

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Two lifelong friends decide to trade places the week before Christmas and end up finding love along the way in this delightful novel from the queen of holiday stories, #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

Peter Armstrong and Hank Colfax are best friends, but their lives couldn’t be more different. Peter, the local pastor who is dedicated to his community, spending time visiting the flock, attending meetings, and, with the holiday season approaching, preparing for the Christmas service and live nativity. As a bartender, Hank serves a much different customer base at his family-owned tavern, including a handful of lonely regulars and the local biker gang. 

When Peter scoffs that Hank has it easy compared to him, the two decide to switch jobs until Christmas Eve. To their surprise, the responsibilities of a bartender and a pastor are similar, but taking on the other’s work is more difficult than either Peter or Hank expected. As the two begin to see each other in a new light—and each discovers a new love to cherish—their lives are forever changed.

In The Christmas Spirit, Debbie Macomber celebrates the true meaning of the holidays and the inclusive community spirit that binds us all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
• Release date: Oct 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9780593614136

Debbie Macomber

Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author and a leading voice in women’s fiction today. She is a multiple award winner with more than 200 million copies of her books in print. Five of her Christmas titles have been made into Hallmark Channel Original Movies, as well as a series based on her bestselling Cedar Cove stories. For more information, visit her website: www.DebbieMacomber.com.

Reviews for The Christmas Spirit

[tatoosh-3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Pete, the pastor of Light of Life Church in Bridgetown, a small town in northeastern Washington state, and Hank, owner and sole staff of the Last Call tavern in nearby Kettle Springs, are lifelong friends. Both are struggling with financial problems and overwork, and each thinks his friend has a pretty easy time. Desperate for a change, they agree to trade jobs for the week before Christmas.

This setup is intriguing, and some readers will appreciate the faith-based message that appears repeatedly. But Macomber makes an unfortunate decision to frame the story as a grandmother telling her grandchildren a “once-upon-a-time” tale. Every time the plot begins to generate some momentum, Macomber cuts away for an annoying grandmother-grandchildren scene. The grandchildren are annoying clichés lacking in personality. During romantic scenes, Lance places his hands over his ears. Lily is sensitive, artistic, and loves romantic scenes.

Readers are well-award that the boy(s) and girl(s) will overcome their initial disenchantment, fall in love, and commit to each other. The challenge in romance novels is creating original scenarios and populating them with engaging events. Aside from the original premise, readers will find a routine romance. Difficulties are overcome quickly and effortlessly, robbing the plot of any mystery or tension. The tedious cutaways to the grandchildren further diminish the story. There was potential here that Macomber failed to deliver.

[marthajeanne · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very unbelievable. The first page of eery chapter of the ebook has desgns over the text.

[ethel55_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Such a nice holiday story. This one is set back a bit in time, to 1977. Hank and Pete are best friends from high school and still live two towns away from each other. The two meet for lunch monthly and on a whim (and hoping the other will see reason), they decide to switch jobs the week of Christmas. The best part is that Pete is a pastor and Hank, a bartender. Both quickly discover neither job is as easy as it looks on the surface. They make new friends and find a little romance along the way as the story reaches an unforgettable Christmas service. Macomber can always counted on to write a heartwarming tale for the holidays

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber is a heartwarming Christmas story. I like the way this story was told. A grandmother is telling two of her grandchildren a story. The tale she tells takes place in 1977. There are chapters in the present with the grandmother and the kids plus the chapters in the past. This is a cute story. I liked the characters. Hank and Pete are the main characters. They have been friends since elementary school. They are having lunch and each one is complaining about their job. It is a busy time for both of them with Christmas only a week away. One of them proposes they switch jobs for the week. Pete, a pastor, will run Hank’s bar while Hank will handle Pete’s pastoral duties. Hank will have the added task of dealing with Pete’s sister and church secretary, Grace Ann who is not Hank’s biggest fan. It is an enlightening experiment for both men. There is plenty of humor. I laughed often while reading The Christmas Spirit. There is a scene with Pete, a biker gang, and darts that tickled my funny bone. There is romance for Pete and Hank as well. Miracles do happen during the holidays. I like Debbie Macomber’s writing style. It is conversational and friendly. I felt like grandma was telling me a story. I just loved the ending. This is one book that you will want to read straight through (make sure you have your hot cocoa and cookies nearby). The Christmas Spirit is a cheerful Christmas tale with a job swap, scrumptious snowballs, a dripping roof, a mulish mule, a biker challenge, a striking server, straightlaced secretary, a dour donor, and party planning.

[dele2451 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Heartwarming holiday fare. Quaint and quick.

[susan0316 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't read a lot of Christmas novels but I always make sure not to miss Debbie Macomber's yearly Christmas story. As always, she provides her readers with a well written story, likable characters and a great Christmas lesson to remember.

Pete and Hank have been best friends since they were in school. Even though they lead totally different lives, they get together for lunch at least once a month. Both are stressed out over the demands of their jobs - Hank owns a neighborhood bar and Pete is a pastor at a local church. One day at lunch, they decide to swap jobs for a few days -- each one thinks that the other will learn how hard their job really is compared to the other. Each one thinks that they got the easier job in the swap but by the end of their swap, they have found out how difficult each job really is. They find that there are a lot of similarities between the two jobs - both of them spend time to listening to and trying to help the people they come in contact with. Pete starts off on the wrong foot at the bar -- he doesn't know how to fill a pitcher of beer so it isn't all foam and the local motorcycle group gives him a hard time. Hank has to visit the elderly and get a donkey for the Christmas Eve nativity play among other issues. The good news for both is that they finally find the woman they love during the swap and their lives are forever changed.

If you want a well written reminder of the meaning of Christmas, this is a book that you don't want to miss.

[bookappeal · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I understand why readers looking for a simple feel-good read might like this but I found it too simplistic, exaggerated and unbelievable to be enjoyable. The Christian elements are non denominational but frequent. At least the book has a good message against religious hypocrisy. I don’t know why the author felt the need to tell it under the guise of a grandmother telling her grandkids a story. It would have been a better read without their interjections.

[ladyofthelodge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When a pastor and a tavern owner switch jobs for a week right before Christmas, both of them learn about the problems and rewards of their "new" jobs. Pastor Pete discovers ways to reach people who are not regular church goers. Hank's ways of speaking the truth to others changes their lives and his in unexpected ways. The story is framed within story-telling session between Nana and her grandkids, with the points in time alternating between past and present. Savvy readers may guess some clues as to the narrative, but surprises still abound in the ending. This winsome Christian novel would be a great one to share as a family read aloud, although it works well as a novel for independent readers and adults. This is a sweet and clean novel, with a clear Christian message about acceptance and forgiveness.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Peter, a pastor, and Hank, a tavern owner, are life-long friends. Each thinks the other’s job is easier, and they decide to prove it by switching jobs for a week. Hank takes over for Peter at his church, and Pete stands behind the bar for Hank. Before the week is over, both have a better appreciation for what his friend’s job entails. The story is told by a grandmother to her grandkids, as a made-up story, with help and interruptions by the kids. Eventually, it dawns on the kids who Nana is really talking about. It’s a lovely Christmas tale, with some romance, a little religion, a good dose of humor, a small bit of scariness, and a whole lot of good entertainment. As always, Debbie Macomber is an extraordinary writer who knows how to tell a great story. Highly recommended.

[scoutmomskf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a fun, heartwarming Christmas story. It opens with a grandmother telling her grandchildren a story, one that starts "in the beginning" instead of "once upon a time." I hadto laugh at her grandson's aversion to anything with kissing, and her promise to warn him so he could cover his ears.

The story is about two men who have been best friends since high school. Though their lives are very different, they regularly get together for lunch and to catch up on each other's lives. During this lunch, each comments on the busyness and stresses of their jobs. Hank is the owner and sole employee of The Last Call, a tavern. Peter is the pastor of a nearby church, somewhat overwhelmed with the preparations for Christmas which is only a few days away. Each believes that the other has the easier life, and decide to switch places to prove it.

I loved seeing these two confident men get tossed into sink or swim situations. Peter's first night as a bartender was a real eye-opener. The bar is busy and he can't keep up with the orders. The customers get grouchy and Peter worries that he's going to wreck Hank's business. Matters become even more tense with the arrival of a motorcycle gang. They don't take well to Peter's ineptness or his cagy replies about what he does in real life. He's saved from disaster by the arrival of Millie, the waitress from the restaurant where he and Hank have lunch. She also works as a waitress at the local strip club, and knows the motorcycle gang from there. She rapidly defuses the situation and steps in to help Peter with the drinks. Peter offers her a job helping him after hearing her story, and looks forward to getting to know her better. Over the next few days, Peter finds his feet, discovers that his job and Hank's hve many similarities, and gets to know many different types of people he wouldn't have met otherwise.

Meanwhile, Hank promptly misplaces the list of duties Peter gave him. After settling in to watch a football game, he's not too happy to get a call from Peter's sister Grace Ann, fussing at him for missing his appointment to collect the donkey for the nativity play. Grace Ann is the church secretary, very uptight, and no fan of Hank. Hank, who had a crush on her in high school, delights in teasing her. When Hank admits losing the list, Grace Ann promises to make sure he doesn't miss anything. His first full day on the job goes south fast when he mortally offends the church's biggest donor. Grace Ann is horrified, Peter is accepting (and a little envious that Hank had the courage to do it), and the finance committee worried. I liked how Hank brought an outsider's fresh look to raising money. Over the next few days, Hank also discovers the similarities of their work as he listens to people's concerns.

I enjoyed seeing the romances develop between Peter and Millie, and Hank and Grace Ann. Peter and Millie are fairly straightforward. Millie worries about her past being an issue for Peter's church family. I loved Peter's confidence that everything would be fine, though you couldn't prove it by Grace Ann's initial reaction. Hank had a rougher time with Grace Ann. Since he knew her in high school, she has become uptight and judgmental, very different than the girl he remembers. I enjoyed seeing him call her out on her attitude and deliver some home truths she wasn't expecting from him.

The ending was terrific, with a Christmas party that brought together people from both their worlds. I laughed out loud at the description of the bikers singing Christmas carols, and Millie's former coworkers visiting with the missionary ladies from Peter's church. The hilarity continued on Christmas Eve as some of the patrons of the Last Call showed up for the service. The Christmas spirit was alive and well, all thanks to a little job sharing.

I liked the epilogue which provided "the rest of the story" about our two couples. It wasn't a surprise, but I enjoyed catching up on some of the more colorful characters.

#netgalley

[mrsmommybooknerd7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

#FirstLine - "Nana, Nana, "we're here, " eight-year-old Lance shouted, as he raced into the house ahead of his six-year-old sister.

I loved this books so much. Dare I say that Macomber is the queen of Christmas?!?!?! I think she really gets to the heart of the holiday season through her beautiful stories. It does not feel like Christmas until I read one of her amazingly sweet and heartwarming stories of the season. This year I needed a dose of Christmas in October!!! Who can blames me??? Christmas is the best and Macomber's books are sheer joy!!! The Christmas Spirit is a book about remembering what it is like to fall in love and what the Christmas holiday is all about. This story captures what it means to have faith and to truly believe in something greater than ourselves. A must read holiday story!!!

[jbarr5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber
story starts out with a grandmother and she's got her two grandkids over for a few hours at night and she proceeds to tell them a story.
One is about a pastor and the other is a bartender. They each think the other has so much time on their hands and agree for a week to swap jobs.
the pastor has a sister Grace Ann who is a secretary and keeps him busy with things to do for the parish. Hank handles not only bartending but the books and scheduling.
They soon learn both jobs are not easy in any way. Granddaughter enjoys the hand holding and kissing but the grandson plugs his ears when the parts come with warning from the grandmother.
Love the charity things done to help the church with things they need. Christmas party of hookers and bikers, what a concept.
Things you can't imagine are happening in this book. Like how they also both find women in their lives and they wree right there all along.
Different perspectives and it's a wonder who shows up at the church service with the bartender in charge of the nights service. Love how the community helps when needed, no questions asked.
Cute Christmas story. Love ending how everybody is discussed and what they are doing today. About the author is included at the end along with titles of her other works.
Received this review copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#TheChristmasSpirit #NetGalley

[alekee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This a really feel good read, and it really shows the true meaning of Christmas.
A grandmother telling a real story to her grandchildren, and a true one, not a Once Upon A Time, and she has to tell her Grandson when there is kissing! Love it!
The story is so heart warming, and kind of unbelieveable, a pastor and a bar tender trade jobs! Ok, can you imagine the surprises of the patrons and parishioners! Wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall at both places!
We have changes of hearts and many surprises, who would have thought that the bartender would give bible lessons?
You don't want to miss this sweet read, I really enjoyed it, in fact once the first page was turned I kept reading to the end!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Random House Group - Ballantine, and was not required to give a positive review.