Merry by Susan Breen

With a name like “Merry,” it’s no wonder she’s totally into Christmas 24/7. She lives and breathes it all year ‘round leading up to – well, Christmas Day!

Merry is 55 years old. She should have been more sensible about going overboard with the holiday decorations. She had no business getting up on the roof to attach Rudolph to the eaves. Yikes! She fell off the roof! Luckily she’s banged up and bruised, but nothing broken.

In spite of her injuries, she still wants her husband and grown up family to have the best Christmas ever. Her husband Sully is her rock of Gibraltar. They have 3 snarky kids who are always fighting with each other over their lives and career choices. Her oldest son, Nick, is living in Oregon and runs adventure tours. Her adopted daughter, Song Lee, works in a lobbyist firm in DC. Her other daughter, Bessie, is a struggling actor.

Merry’s prized possession is a rare book: A Christmas Carol – signed by the author himself! It’s a beautiful book that has been passed down through 5 generations of her family. It’s extremely valuable, but it’s not about the money. She cherishes this wonderful family heirloom and is ready to pass it down to her children.

Merry, even as a child, never stopped believing in Christmas – no matter how bad things got. But what Merry doesn’t see coming takes family drama to a whole new level. To her shock and horror, none of her children are interested in taking the book. They are adamant. It’s something Merry can’t fathom. The book exudes the essence of the season – how could they “not” want it?

But Merry will NOT let this ruin her Christmas. She takes the entire family to London for a Christmas vacation, following in the footsteps of the renowned author Charles Dickens. Walking the same streets, breathing in the same sights – everything Dickens. She thinks this will be the perfect Christmas, a Christmas that will reunite and solidify their family bringing them peace and joy.

But things go wrong the minute they hit their deluxe apartment rental in London. They all try to make the best of it, but squabbling and vicious fighting between their grown children pick up speed. Nothing she has planned for them as a family seems to be working out. And then she realizes she’s seeing a ghost – the ghost of Charles Dickens himself!

This is such a wonderful book to read during the holiday season. Merry, by Susan Breen, gives us a tale of a dysfunctional family filled with heartwarming humor, bittersweet moments and touching scenarios.. It’s a tale laced with plenty of joy and happiness in spite of everything going wrong.

You can’t help but LOVE quirky Mary. Yes, she may be a train wreck this Christmas, but she’s here to teach us a lesson: Never give up on the Christmas spirit!

A copy of this book and cover photo were provided by Alcove Press/Crooked Lane Books.