Mary Kay Andrews’ "Bright Lights, Big Christmas" feels like that perfectly cozy Hallmark movie crossed with your favorite chaotic sitcom—full of quirky characters, holiday mishaps, and an unhealthy obsession with Christmas trees. Kerry Tolliver trades her North Carolina tree farm for New York City's bustling Greenwich Village, bunking in an adorably questionable vintage camper called "Spammy" with her very grouchy brother, Murphy. The mission: sell enough Christmas trees to survive the season (and possibly each other).

Kerry’s big-city holiday adventure is made infinitely better by an unforgettable supporting cast: there's Patrick, a charming single dad whose kid, Austin, probably knows more about dragons than Wikipedia; Heinz, the quirky elderly neighbor who critiques art like Gordon Ramsay critiques risotto; and Murphy, whose emotional availability ranks somewhere between "Scrooge" and "Grinch" on the holiday cheer spectrum. Watching Kerry navigate NYC’s winter chaos—complete with snow, romance, and questionable life decisions—is the kind of cozy chaos you didn't realize your holiday reading list needed.

With a festive 4 out of 5 stars, "Bright Lights, Big Christmas" is holiday escapism done right—sweet enough to satisfy your inner hopeless romantic, funny enough to keep your eggnog-snorting laugh game strong, and emotionally genuine enough to warm even Murphy’s frozen heart. After reading this, you'll want to grab some hot cocoa, adopt a vintage camper, and seriously question why your life doesn't involve selling Christmas trees to attractive single parents in New York City every winter.

This is another warm and fuzzy Christmas read, and Mary Kay Andrews is known for this category of books. This book wasn’t memorable for me by the end of the holiday season after reading many Christmasy books. It was good, but didn’t stand out in the crowd. 2.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews in exchange for my honest review and opinion. First off let me start by saying ANYTHING by MK Andrews is already on my must read list! I couldn't wait to read this and I was so lucky to read it poolside in Hawaii during the Christmas holiday. Such a fun, warm, family holiday read. I absolutely loved everything page and was sad to finish it as it's a quick read. READ THIS ASAP!

I thought this was a cozy Christmasy read. Predictable? Yes... but in all the right ways. Memorable? Not likely- more of a familiar feel... If you're looking for a comfortable wintery escape, this is it.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews is adorable. I absolutely love Kerry and Patrick. The characters are delightful. Kerry sets up in New York City to sell trees from her family's Christmas tree farm. While in the big city, she meets a cast of characters that come together and brighten the holidays. I highly recommend this short Christmas story. I read this before The Santa Suit, but I would recommend reading The Santa Suit first because the suit is brought up in this one (it isn't an important part of the book, but a fun easter egg).

This was my first Mary Kay Andrewsbook and it did not disappoint. I will definitely be reading more of Mary Kay's books.

I really enjoyed this short read holiday story. The characters were believable and it was a fun holiday story!

This book has been on my Netgalley for a bit and I haven’t picked it up. I haven’t been into romance in a minute, so I’m not the right person to review it anymore.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Bright Lights, Big Christmas
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Mary Kay Andrews
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 288

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐬:
• Christmas Romance
• Found Family
• Small (Family) Business
• Clean Romance

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
• Such a cute, cozy holiday romance
• Great Supportive Neighbors
• I love Heinz and his story!
• Hallmark Christmas Movie vibes

𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:Kerry’s family owns a Christmas tree farm in North Carolina. Her father falls ill and so she needs to put her life on hold and help her brother, Murray sell Christmas trees in Greenwich Village. She shares a small trailer with her grumpy brother & his dog. Patrick is a single dad to Austin who lives in an apartment across the street from the tree lot. Kerry gets to know him and several other neighbors while she is there. I loved the connections she made. I especially loved Heinz! Overall this is a great holiday book - at times there are some pacing issues and I wish that the relationship between Kerry & Patrick was more developed but I definitely would recommend this book to those who love a cute holiday romance.

LOVED this book, one of my favorite Christmas books! The characters were cute and the plot very well written. Loved the personality of Kerry!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review. This was such an amazing Christmas story! I loved it so much, could not put it down. I absolutely love Mary Kay Andrews summer books but I am now a fan of her holiday ones as well! I will always read anything she writes. I always recommend her books and will continue doing that!

Bright lights big Christmas was a sweet light hearted Christmas story that takes place in New York. Kind of just a cheesy hallmark style book. The biggest plot point was that they needed to sell Christmas trees and the lot across from them was trying to sabotage them. It wasnt very interesting and the romance was pretty boring. This could have been better!

Mary Kay Andrews is the queen of cozy heartwarming holiday reads. Bright Lights, Big Christmas was no exception. Family reconnection, self-rediscovery, and found family are at the center of this story that centers around a Christmas Tree Stand during the holiday season in the quaintest little New York neighborhood. I adored the development of the unlikely friendship between a grouchy, misunderstood old man, a young woman from the mountains, and a little boy with the greatest imagination. I found myself sighing in pure contentment sever times. This story is like a cup of cocoa wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold winter day type of hug for your soul. 🥰

This was so fun and sweet. Love a found family in a close neighborhood. The city tree farm was so charming. So many issues and loved all the different neighbors and the romances. Especially loved the grumpy old man.

I typically love Mary Kay Andrews, but this one just didn’t quite work for me. The plot felt very slow—nothing ever really happened—and the romance seemed forced and lackluster. It also felt too much like a Hallmark movie from the minor conflict to the wise older character to the overly idealistic ending. That said, the setting was the story’s saving grace; a Christmas tree stand in NYC during December felt truly magical. I also appreciated the sibling dynamic between Kerry and Murphy, and the short chapters were a nice touch. Overall, if you're looking for a quick, feel-good read to wrap up the holiday season, this one might be just what you need!

This story was a bit slow for me. I feel like it could've been shorter, but I really loved the characters. I think it dragged on about selling trees/sleeping shifts and could've used a bit more story development.

Ahhh, I am not sure what it was with this book, but I had to keep coming back to finally finish it.

It was good, don't get me wrong, I just wasn't interested, so to say.

The story was cute and cozy. It just sort of felt like a chore to read, but then overall, I liked it.

If you are a hallmark, Christmas loving person, you'd no doubt enjoy this one.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is the perfect book for relaxing during the holidays. The female protagonist joins her grumpy brother in their trailer to go to New York City to sell Christmas trees in the city as her brother and dad have done for years. They live in the trailer during selling season and interact with all of the neighborhood characters. It’s also a cute love story.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I was also gifted the audio version. This was such a cute romantic story. It is perfect for. CHRISTMAS time!
The characters were all likeable. I could not put it down. I would read from this author again!. The cover is so cute!

When Kerry is tasked with joining her brother in NYC to sell Christmas trees, she has no idea the bonds she’ll form with the people in the neighborhood. When one falls ill after all the trees have sold, they band together to help him. A sweet tale of a community coming together during the Christmas season with a side of a love story.

A light, sweet holiday read! While the book was jolly and cute, I found myself wanting a bit more depth from the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.