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 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.

~Standalone~

This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors/fade to black, or only kissing.

Title:  A Ferry Merry Christmas
Series:  ~Standalone~
Author:  Debbie Macomber
Published:  October 21, 2025
Publisher: Ballantine Books
My Rating:  4.5 stars

A Ferry Merry Christmas is this year’s standalone Christmas Romance from one of my all-time favorite authors, Debbie Macomber.  Quite frankly, no matter how early in the holiday season that Christmas ARCs or enticing new Holiday e-books show up… It’s not the Christmas reading season for me until I finish this yearly tradition of a new story to get caught up in, a new believable group of characters to celebrate Christmas with.

The idea for A Ferry Merry Christmas was inspired by an actual event.  (Yes, I’m one of “those” readers who do read the Foreword, the Dedication, and the Notes and Tidbits that authors leave for us… found a lot of new to me authors that way, some were unknown pseudonyms.)  I cannot even imagine the emotions of people who are stuck in the middle of Pugeunt Sound on a stalled ferry on Christmas Eve.  The growing unease, the anger, the frustration, and even the panic of one particular passenger are felt in every chapter. (I loved the solution the other stranded folks have for our panicked traveler!)

The main focus is on the Bond siblings, Avery and Reed, facing their first Christmas without their beloved grandmother and needing to be together so badly, to remember, to celebrate her life.  Neither one expected romance to be part of this unexpected road bump for their Christmas celebration, but here we are.  Avery will meet a handsome Navy man, even though she swore she’d never, ever date a military man again.  And Reed, who is back on shore awaiting his sister’s arrival, will meet a lovely woman who is awaiting her brother’s arrival for their Christmas time together.  I loved their connections, the growing attractions going on, and the short tour we got on the mainland of various Christmas market locations.

Of course, every passenger on that ferry has a story to be told; some are seeking reconciliation with a loved one, others are trying to get to family celebrations, and one is especially panic-stricken at not being at home with his wife right now.  All will play their own parts as this charming story unfolds, with a *chef’s kiss* perfect epilogue as a bonus for us all.

If you love a well-written, emotional, witty, funny, Christmas Spirit-filled romance, then you’ll love A Ferry Merry Christmas by Debbie Macomber – it’s going on my annual Christmas re-read list without a doubt.  Give yourself a gift this year; you deserve a lovely, sweet, believable Christmas Romance.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust.  It is my choice to leave a review, giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)