A Ferry Merry Christmas

272 pages Publisher Ballantine Book Publication date October 21, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

A delayed ferryboat brings people together in the best of ways during the holiday season in this enchanting Christmas novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

Avery and Reed Bond grew up sharing a close-knit relationship, weathering life’s storms side by side. Even so, Avery often finds herself exasperated by her brother’s relentless matchmaking, while Reed can’t resist teasing his sister—after all, isn’t that what siblings do?

Facing their first Christmas without their beloved Grams, the woman who lovingly raised them, Reed and Avery decide to spend the holiday together at Reed’s home. However, their plans take an unexpected turn when the ferry Avery’s traveling on stalls in the middle of Puget Sound, stranding its passengers and leaving Reed waiting a now undetermined length of time for her arrival. What is at first an inconvenience threatens to ruin the plans of a number of commuters, but Avery and Reed soon discover that this unforeseen delay might end up being be a perfectly timed blessing in disguise.

While stuck on the ferry, Avery meets a handsome sailor and witnesses a Christmas miracle that reignites her belief in the holiday spirit. Meanwhile, Reed runs into a coworker who’s also waiting for a family member to arrive, and sparks a surprising and delightful connection.

In this tale of holiday magic, the Bond siblings find themselves taking a chance on love, proving that sometimes the best moments in life come when we least expect them.

MY THOUGHTS

Every holiday season I read the author’s latest Christmas book. This past year I hadn’t had a chance to read the latest but I’m so glad I read it now.
The reason I enjoy the author’s books is because not only are they uplifting and feel-good books, but they also have an important lesson in them.
We have several things going on in this book.
An unassuming ferry ride at Christmas time turns into anything but when it breaks down on the water leaving passengers stranded for hours when they have such important places to be and people to see.
These passengers become more frustrated the longer they wait for repairs to be made. Some of the passengers we meet are a separated couple with a child who weren’t expecting to see each other, a young nervous man whose wife is in labor with their first child and siblings who were so close growing up but time moves on and that closeness just doesn’t seem to be there.
I really enjoyed seeing these characters relationships take a turn for the better as Christmas miracles are abound. Upbeat, uplifting and I’m here for it.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

Debbie Macomber is a leading voice in women’s fiction. Fifteen of her novels have reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller lists, and six of her beloved Christmas novels have been made into hit movies on the Hallmark Channel, in addition to the original series Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove, based on Macomber’s Cedar Cove books. There are more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide.