When a ferry stalls and everyone should be grumpy, they choose joy instead — and Christmas does what Christmas does best.
There’s something about being stuck with strangers at Christmas that feels like fate, isn’t there? Instead of a night ruined, this becomes a story about community — how music, kindness, and a little holiday hope can turn a delay into the best kind of detour. Debbie Macomber leans into the charm and warmth she’s known for, giving us a gently romantic reminder that Christmas miracles don’t always arrive on schedule.
If you’re craving a holiday read that reminds you why humanity is still good — this is it. What begins as a stressful travel nightmare turns heartfelt fast, with strangers opening up and helping each other through more than just the weather. It’s classic Macomber comfort: simple joys, generous hearts, and the kind of connection we’re all craving this time of year.
Title:A Ferry Merry Christmas by Debbie Macomber
Genre: Holiday Contemporary Romance
Setting: Puget Sound, Washington State
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 / 5)
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Book Description
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 Review
I’m calling this one a 4-star, warm-hearted holiday read — the kind you can finish in an afternoon with cocoa and feel better afterward.
At the heart of the story are siblings Avery and Reed Bond, spending their first Christmas without their beloved Gram. Their bond—and the quiet grief beneath it—grounds the story, even as each of them finds a little unexpected romance of their own. It’s tender without being heavy, and I liked how Macomber keeps the focus on family and showing up for one another.
I also loved reading how this story began — inspired by a real ferry incident near Puget Sound. You can feel how that single spark of an idea grew into something warm and human. The author captures that moment when frustration turns into connection, when strangers stop being inconvenienced passengers and start being a little community.
Each person on that ferry had somewhere important to be, and yet the delay ended up giving them something even better — perspective, kindness, and the reminder that we’re all a little more connected than we realize. It’s such a gentle but beautiful message for the season.
There are sweet romantic threads too, but what really stays with you is the collective warmth — the sense that healing and joy can show up in the most unexpected ways. I especially liked the epilogue, which tied everything together with that signature Debbie Macomber touch of hope and togetherness.
What I really enjoyed was how Macomber leans into community. Everyone on that ferry has a reason to be annoyed — delayed plans, bad weather, family expectations — but one act of kindness leads to another, and suddenly the ferry feels less like “we’re stuck” and more like “we’re in this together.” That was especially true with James and his wife at the hospital — the way total strangers rallied around them was the heart of the book for me. That “we’re all going to make this special anyway” energy is very on brand for the author.
Is it Hallmark-y? Yes. Is it predictable? Also yes. But that’s why we pick up Debbie Macomber at Christmas — we want a cozy setup, low drama, and people choosing kindness over chaos. This one delivers that.
One line that really stayed with me was, “Maybe the delay wasn’t ruining Christmas—it was rearranging it into something better.” It sums up the entire spirit of this story. What began as a night filled with frustration slowly turned into something hopeful and human. I loved how people put aside their irritation, shared what they had, and came together to support James and Lilly during their unexpected Christmas miracle — a birth that reminded everyone what kindness can do. It’s one of those scenes that lingers long after the last page.
Story Highlights
- ❄ Found-family vibes on a ferry (unexpected but adorable)
- 🎄 Sibling duo navigating grief during the holidays
- 🍼 Passengers rallying around James while his wife is in labor = peak Christmas spirit
- 💗 Sweet, low-angst holiday romance threads
- ✨ Theme: delays aren’t always detours — sometimes they’re invitations
Why You’ll Love It
- You want a low-angst, feel-good holiday escape
- You’re into stories where community comes together in surprising ways
- You’re a sucker for cozy sibling bonds and second-chance healing
- You like a romance that’s sweet, hopeful, and G-rated
- You’re craving a “read it in one night with cocoa” book
If You Love…
- Hallmark-style holiday romances full of warm fuzzies
- Found-family moments where strangers become your people
- Feel-good women’s fiction with multiple emotional arcs
- Community-centric Christmas stories like those by RaeAnne Thayne
- Debbie Macomber classics such as Dashing Through the Snow
About Debbie Macomber
Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and a beloved voice in holiday and small-town fiction. Many of her Christmas novels have been adapted for TV, and her books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide.
Join the Conversation
Did you love the ferry community scene as much as I did? Would you read a whole novella just about James and his wife getting their Christmas miracle? Tell me in the comments — I love chatting holiday romances with you. 💬
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