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.

“Bright Lights Big Christmas is me, offering my readers a hot cocoa hug of a happy holiday story.” ~Mary Kay Andrews

This book was exactly that…”a hot cocoa hug”!

Andrews gave me two of my favorite things during the Holidays….North Carolina and New York City! There is just something so magical about New York City during the Holiday season and so enchanting about a family run Christmas tree farm in North Carolina. Mary Kay Andrews was able to give us both of these in this beautiful Christmas story.

Spoiler-free synopsis…
Imagine growing up in North Carolina where your family owns a Christmas tree farm. In November, you take your trees up to New York City, where you will be able to sell your trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village, all while sharing a little vintage camper with your brother and his dog, Queenie! In the weeks leading into Christmas, you quickly become close with the charming neighbors who live near the stand.

This book was just sparkling with Christmas magic!

I fell in love with all of the characters, but I really enjoyed the brother-sister story line along with “Spammy”, the tiny vintage camper that they call home in the Greenwich Village while they sell Christmas trees!

This was a Christmas tale about family, fr-amily and second chances. It was a sweet and heartwarming story that will make you want to jump on a plane and head to NYC (or drive up in “Spammy”).

Thank you NetGalley for the gifted copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review! I really enjoyed this one on audio! The narrator, Kathleen McInerney, was wonderful!

4/5 joyful stars🎄🎄🎄🎄 for me.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kate Andrews

#netgalley published 9/26/23
#stmartinspress
#romance #mystery

This is a light Christmas story with romance and a mysterious man. Kerry and brother Murphy head to NYC to sell their Christmas trees from their families farm. Murphy has done this for the last 20+ years. Kerry is only doing this for 2 reasons. 1) her dad had heart surgery. And 2) she is at a point in her life where she is trying to figure things out after having been laid off from her graphics design job.

There are a couple of possible romances going on. All of the neighbors are trying to cheer them all on. There is a little boy and a mysterious artist whom nobody knows exactly who he is.

I had lots of fun getting to know these characters. And I love when authors throw in the wild card of a child into the mix. It gives me the chance to see a second chance romance even if it's not for the MC. I think that I'm going to make MKA one of my auto buy authors.

#Womensfiction
#bookstagram #bookrecommendation #booknerdsbookreview #bookreview

If a book could be a blanket, this one would be a cozy, warm one! A wholesome, sweet, Hallmark movie in a book with likable characters. The story takes place in the West Village of New York City. Each year, the Tolliver family from North Carolina sells their Christmas trees on the same corner. Jock Tolliver, the family’s patriarch, is ill this year. His daughter, Kerry, is roped into helping her older brother, Murphy. Both are casualties of divorce, each raised by a different parent. Much of the story focuses on the pair discovering the talents of the other. This book introduces us to the characters of the neighborhood and explores the themes of friendship and love.

Charming Christmas tale ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cue the warm fuzzies! This somewhat cheesy tale of Christmas holiday magic comes at a time in my life when I need all the Hallmark holiday joy - so while this is my second Mary Kay Andrews story where I found the characters a little lackluster one-dimensional, the last half of the book my my heart swell with joy. Must be a Christmas miracle!

Thank you NetGalley for accepting my request to read this novella. When I received it I decided to wait and read it closer to Christmas. Well, plans changed. My husband contracted COVID and was hospitalized for 17 days. I sadly did not read anything. He continues to struggle and now it's Christmas and I'm not in the spirit. I then remembered I needed to read Bright Lights, Big Christmas. Mary Kay Andrews has always been a favorite author of mine! To add to the story a dear friend met Mary Kay Andrews at the West Virginia Book Festival and bought me a copy and had her sign it for me.
This book made me feel like Christmas! I read it over 2 afternoons sitting by my trees. What a sweet story of a brother and sister from North Carolina who grow Christmas trees and go to New York City to sell them at their family Christmas Tree Stand. Of course, they meet wonderful characters, fall in love and show the true gift of Christmas -giving to others.
I need this book and am so glad I was able to read it. Mary Kay Andrews remains a favorite and I can't wait until I can read another book by her!!
Leslie Ponder

What an absolutely perfect, feel good book for the holiday. I loved the characters, so likeable. Was it a little corny? Sure. Did I love it? You betcha!