Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Trapped in the middle of five siblings, Everly Lancaster always had big dreams. Now a top real-estate executive, Everly finds her work is her life, leaving no space for anything (or anyone) else. Sensing her stress, Everly's boss insists she take December off. At first, a month away seems crazy--how will the company survive without her? But Everly's mother convinces her otherwise. She deserves a vacation--plus, when she returns, she'll have no excuse to skip family Christmas like she did last year.

But after her vengeful assistant books a guided cruise in the Amazon instead of the luxury beach vacation she expected, Everly is horrified to realize that she's about to spend the next two weeks trapped--with no Wi-Fi!--in the rain forest. Not even Asher Adams, the ship's charming naturalist, can convince Everly that the trip will be unforgettable. Slowly but surely, she realizes he is right: the sights are spectacular. And with each passing day, Everly's relationship with Asher deepens, forcing her to take a long, hard look at her priorities.

Everly and Asher begin to see magic in the possibility of a life together. But as the cruise nears its end, and Everly's family Christmas approaches, both must decide if love is worth the risk. A merry surprise may be in store in Debbie Macomber's newest holiday delight.  

Review:

I haven't read any novels by Debbie Macomber.  I often see the very approachable covers and they look really fun.  So I was really surprised when I read Jingle All The Way, her newest book.  While it does have a sweet romance, it was not at all realistic.  There were also many characters who were two-dimensional, plus there were some extremely racist situations that make this a book I cannot recommend. 

What I Mixed About:

Romance:

It was refreshing to read a romance novel where the characters don't immediately jump into bed together.  I liked that Everly and Asher took the time to get to know each other before they got physical.  I found this very sweet.

However, I thought it was totally unrealistic that they would have such strong feelings for each other after only two weeks on a boat.  They start putting roadblocks in the way of their romance before it really gets going, speaking about how could they go on when they live in such different worlds.  Wouldn't most people just enjoy their limited time and wistfully think about what might have been.  But that wouldn't fit with the romance formula.

What I Didn't Like:

Premise:

I thought the premise, an overworked executive is forced to take a vacation, expecting to go on a luxury cruise when, in fact, she goes on a eco-tour of the Amazon, to be really forced.  It also pushed the narrative that women who have successful careers are really unhappy, and would be more content if they just found a nice guy.  I found this to be truly offensive.

Two-Dimensional Characters:

The characters are not very developed.  There are Everly's sisters, who married young and already have several children.  They are completely content, have no worries, and are not stressed in any way.  Stay-at-home moms have just as much stress as working mothers, it's just that their stresses are different. 

Everly's mother only seems to exist to happily cook for her large family.  She works hard to ensure everyone is happy.  That's fine, but doesn't she have any other interests?  That can't be all there is to this woman.

The other passengers on the cruise are also barely developed.  They all are described as happy retired couples who go on adventure travel experiences with no issues.  No couples bicker or annoy each other.  No people on the ship exhibit any negative traits.  As much as I enjoy traveling, it's not all sunshine and happy people.

Stereotypes:

My biggest issue with this book is that there are some really racist moments during the Amazon adventure portion of the book.  One of the excursions during the cruise is a trip inland to visit an indigenous tribe.  I'm sure this is a thing, but there was no mention of the ethics involved in this.  Things go from bad to worse (in my opinion) when Everly and one of the guides gets lost in the rain forest.  There, they are confronted by a different indigenous group (wielding spears) and the tour guide is tied to a tree.  When this "misunderstanding" is resolved, Everly tries to shake the hand of the "warrior", whereupon they say she has just indicated she wants to marry him.  Really? This is so disrespectful and disappointing that such stereotypes are still being used today.

Rating: 

Release Date:  October 13, 2020

Author:  Debbie Macomber

Publisher:  Ballantine

Genre:  Women's Fiction

Page Length:  272 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format: E-Book

Recommendation:  I really hope her other books are better than this two-dimensional and offensive book.  I cannot recommend this novel.