Christmas isn’t Christmas without a Mary Kay Andrews book. They are always a solid Christmas book. Kerry heads to the big city of New York with her brother Murphy to set up their family Christmas tree farm. Kerry is used to her life in North Carolina and this trip changes her life. This book is full of Christmas vibes, a great cast of characters and of course love. I’m already looking forward to next years book.

Huge thank you #macmillanaudio and #StMartinsPress and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

So many Christmas books fall flat, I was so glad to read this winner of a novel! I love found family tropes, and this was heartwarming without being too cloying!

This book was sweet and charming. I wanted something light and Christmas-y this time of year, and this fit the bill. I liked Kerry as a character, but some of the other characters annoyed me at times. It also somehow felt long for a book that was less than 300 pages. That said, it was still a nice read, and I'm glad I read it.

This book was adorable. I say it every time but MKA does not disappoint. I read over 10 different Christmas books this year and this one was hands down my favorite. A girl selling Christmas trees in NYC, a single dad, and a lot of Christmas cheer. If you pick any book to read this December, chose this one!

Swoooon. I’ve read and enjoyed many of Mary Kay Andrews Christmas books and I’ve loved them all. Big Lights, Big Christmas doesn’t fall short of that mark. It’s the perfect book to cuddle up with this holiday season. Kerry Tolliver and her brother, Murphy pair up and head to Greenwich Village with their vintage camper, Spammy in tow to save their family Christmas tree farm. Normally, this annual trip into the city to sell Christmas trees is completed by her father and Murphy, but since her dad is ill, the siblings must work together to save the business. They’re met by a supportive and generous community of people that provide them with food, laundry, showers and even the restroom since their camper doesn’t have a working kitchen or bathroom. This novel is packed full of deep characters and beautiful relationships. I particularly loved the friendship between Kerry, Heinz and Austin. Big Lights, Big Christmas is a story of family, friendship, love, loss, and the deeper meaning of Christmas. It’s a big warm hug.

Many thanks to Mary Kay Andrews, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I just loved the setting if this one! Even though it’s a Hallmark movie, the setting was fun and unique. The character development throughout this one was fantastic. I enjoyed each character and learning more about them throughout the book. The romance was “off” in this one though- it was very fast tracked and completely unbelievable. This was a very cheery, feel good book though and definitely full of Christmas fun!

I am a sucker for a happy ending at Christmas. This was a warm hug in a book. Clean romance is not normally my thing, but I needed to know how this ended for all the characters. I recommend this book if you’re looking for a nice palate cleanser.
4 stars.

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bright Lights, Big City is about a brother and sister selling their family’s Christmas trees in New York City. Kerry has moved back home to the mountains of North Carolina after being fired from her job. She needs to step in and help her brother sell trees after her father suffers a heart attack.

Honestly this book was not great. The characters were so underdeveloped. Murphy, the brother, is constantly pissed off, and we are given no real explanation for it other than “he doesn’t like to be told what to do by a woman” ….. uhhh…. Okay.

Kerry and Patrick’s romance comes out of nowhere. I’m all for instalove normally, but they’ve barely had a full conversation and then he just kisses her? Then he continues to try and push himself on her with his son 2 feet away after she’s said no repeatedly? I wasn’t enjoying it.

The writing is also super repetitive. Almost every chapter is the exact same wording (wake up, get coffee, sell trees, make wreaths, repeat). There was a lot of opportunity to actually build on the relationships, but it didn’t happen.

Honestly I feel like 3 stars is being generous, but I’ve also read worse Christmas books too. If you’re hoping for Santa Suit vibes, this ain’t it.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely LOVED!! Adorable, so festive and have recommended bright lights, big Christmas to so many people!

This book started off full of potential and holiday cheer, especially since I started it soon after going to cut this year's Christmas tree down! It was slow to start and didn't pick up until much later in the book with some excitement. Some of the story lines and relationships felt rushed or ended abruptly (as did the book itself). While at times some of the characters' personalities shined, on the flip side I had to really think back about who certain people were towards the end; it was as if story lines and certain characters were compartmentalized into sections of the book but they could've been incorporated throughout in a way that tied all of the characters and story together better.

All in all I love a short chapter so that made for fun reading onwards in the book, but while the holiday cheer was there I would recommend to go with a different pick for the holiday season! I'm also not a super huge fan of the title; I love something that ties in in a more fun way!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the free eArc in exchange for an honest review!

This is a heartwarming Christmas romp about a brother and sister who try to save the family farm by selling Christmas trees in New York City. The brother and father has been selling the trees in the same location for years but this year the sister has to accompany her brother because their father has suffered a heart attack. She slowly falls in love with the neighborhood and discovers her true self. A cute little read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mary Kay Andrew’s for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my review.

Delightful Christmas read with likable characters and all the Hallmark movie feel goods I expect in a holiday tale.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my copy of Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews in exchange for an honest review. It published September 26, 2023.
This book was really cute, sweet, and I loved the character development. I loved the found-family aspect, and the whole Christmas tree farm was fun too! Definitely a great read for Christmas!

Cute Christmas book! I love how Andrews always has a multigenerational cast and the sense of community and chosen family in her stories. I liked the Christmas vibes and I would love to see this one as a movie.

What a fun, adorable holiday read! I loved everything about this, from the quirky neighborhood characters, to the sibling dynamic between Murphy and Kerry, to QUEENIE (she's my fave!) and everything in between. Bright Lights Big Christmas is everything you could imagine in a crazy New York holiday and more. So so good!

Mary Kay Andrews does it again! This was such a fun and wholesome holiday story.

Synopsis:
When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.
In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she’s come to think of as family,
And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?

This book gave me all of the warm and fuzzy Christmas feelings. I really liked the premise of the book which is kind of opposite to most holiday reads - a small town girl falls in love with the big city. Sometimes the big city isn't all that bad.

I also really enjoyed the little link to Andrews' other holiday novel: The Santa Suit. I got so excited to hear a bit of that story told and roped in to this one,

Overall this book had everything I was looking for in a holiday read. It had Christmas trees and snowy days, but also has many characters to warm your heart. I also always enjoy Andrews' style of writing.

This one is a hit with me and one I hope you will add to your TBR!

This book felt like a hallmark movie. So if this isn’t your thing, move along.

Me, on the other hand, I love hallmark movies! This book gave me a warm cozy feeling, with its found family aspect. Kerry Tolliver and her brother, Murphy, leave their home in North Carolina and head for New York City to sell their family’s Christmas trees. While there, they are immediately embraced into the community and treated as family. This was a book that I could imagine curled up on my couch, snuggled in a blanket, hot cocoa in hand, watching on the Hallmark channel.

The side characters sold this book for me. They are the type of neighbors and the community everyone wishes they had. I fell in love with Austin, a five year old boy who has a passion for helping people. Mr. Heinz, a grumpy old man, holds a special place in my heart.

I wish there was no romance in this story. The romance was not very romancey. I didn’t like the love interest, he got on my nerves. Kerry and Patrick had zero chemistry. She honestly had more chemistry with her brother than Patrick.

It has taken me many years to read some of the authors that people have been talking about. This is one such author. I will say, this is certainly not the last book that I will ready by Mary Kay Andrews.

I figured now was the perfect time to read this one, with the holidays fast approaching. what a fun story, with characters you fall in love with right away.

Selling Christmas trees is the family business, but Kerry hasn't done it for years.. She heads to NYC to help her brother, something she isn't looking forward to one little bit. Having never been to NYC it is hard to imagine anywhere having a small town feel, but the author give you that impression when describing where the tree stand is set up. And, you quickly realize just how fast friendships are made and romance blooms.

A charming tale and I felt really well written. I can't wait to read more by this author.

I loved this festive holiday book about a brother and sister who are selling Christmas trees at their family's tree lot in NY. We read about the friends they meet and the neighborhood that they are living/working in. It's a cute book that reminded me of a heartfelt Christmas movie.

There's just something charming about Christmas Tree farms and this book hit all the feels. Family, friends and the spirit of Christmas.