This is a fun, quick holiday read with all the elements of a love story taking place around the magical holiday season. Sibling relationships, family, drama, and friendship are major themes for this story. And there is an adorable camper involved. Two adult siblings are working in downtown New York City selling Christmas trees for the season before heading back to the family farm. Only this year, each of them find someone special in New York City to make their holidays a bit brighter.

Cute quick holiday read! Atmospheric New York setting with a heart warming plot. Great book to get you ready for the season!

#FridayReads featuring #BrightLightsBigChristmas by @marykayandrews.

It's not Christmastime without MKA and she hits it out of the park again with this book! I adored these characters and this story. It made me smile, laugh out loud and cry more than once in the best of ways. It was just the book I needed right now! All the feels. Hopefully one day we'll meet up with Kerry, Murphy, Queenie, Austin, Patrick, Heinz, Claudia and Spammy again.

5 stars!

Kerry’s family owns a Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina. Each winter, her father and brother make the trek to NYC to set up a stand and sell some of their trees. This year, health problems prevent Kerry’s father from making the trip so she is taking his place. In the weeks the stand is up. Kerry becomes close with the neighborhood locals, makes friends, and even develops a slight crush on a single dad with the sweetest son.

No author writes small town Hallmark vibe Christmas stories quite like Mary Kay Andrews. This story warmed my heart and brought me so much joy. While this story was much more focused on the friendships formed and the small found family Kerry managed to create in just a few short weeks, there also was a subplot of romance. There was also a bit of drama, especially centered around the Christmas tree business and the rivalry with another tree stand across the street. This charming book left me with a smile.

This was the perfect audiobook to listen to while putting up my Christmas tree. Kathleen McInerney did a great job narrating, even including unique voices for various characters. Her narration kept me engaged in the story and it was quite fitting to listen to a story centered around a Christmas tree business while decorating my own! I loved the audiobook and the time fellow by while listening.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance copies.

If you love a good Hallmark movie, then THIS ONE IS FOR YOU! This is short, sweet, and full of that ooey gooey Hallmark goodness. Where the typical Christmas trope has the big city girl heading to the country, this story tells the reverse where Kerry heads from her family's Christmas Tree Farm in North Carolina to the big city of New York to sell trees during the holiday season.

Kerry's journey to a corner in New York City, where her family has been selling Christmas trees for generations, is filled with significance this year— they must sell more trees than ever to prevent the farm's closure. The sparks between Kerry and Patrick add a delightful romantic element to the plot, but this is a good clean romance story!

Immersed in Christmas, even reading this book in October put me in the Holiday mood. The sweet romance, intertwined with the predictable, yet heartwarming plot, makes it a perfect read for any romance enthusiast during the festive season. If you enjoy this one, make sure to check out The Santa Suit by MKA as well!

This is the first book that I’ve read from Mary Kay Andrews and I loved it. I felt the spirit of the holiday season and the real meaning of it: family and friends. The different stories brought by this book are amazing, the characters, situations and locations are so palpable that I felt I was there with each one of the characters. Great Christmas/holiday book you should read this holiday season!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing group for the ARC in exchange of my honest review.

This was a delightful holiday read! The setting was in New York City. But the feeling was cozy. This was partly due to the holiday time. And it was also because the characters were all so special. It made it feel like the setting was a small town atmosphere. Add in a little romance to the mix to make the story even more special.

such a feel good christmas story. Loved the characters and all the stories going on from the old man to the little boy. Perfect setting in NY.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews is a fun Christmas novel. It has all the elements to make it the perfect holiday read. The characters were quirky and interesting. There was character development and unexpected life changes— overall it was a fun read. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Mary Kay Andrews returns with a cast of quirky characters and the spirit of Christmas in a novella that will have you grabbing a cup of cocoa and a soft blanket as you snuggle in and lose yourself in BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS.
When things in her life unravel, Kerry heads home to her Mom’s for a reset, and maybe to hide while she figures out what to do next. The last thing she expected was that her father’s illness would lead to her being roped into helping her brother sell trees from the family’s farm at their yearly lot in new York City. She really doesn’t know her older brother, Murphy, and the thought of spending a month plus in the family’s beat up trailer is less than appealing. She soon finds that the neighborhood has embraced her brother and father, and now her, with different neighbors offering different things. She finds herself making friends, and contributing to the tree lot sales in unexpected ways, She also finds herself spending time with a single dad, is son, and a somewhat mysterious old man.
This was such a fun and festive book, and it will warm your heart, making it a perfect read for the Christmas holiday.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#BrightLightsBigChristmas #MaryKayAndrews #ChristmasNovella #StMartins

This was an adorable novella set at Christmas time in NYC! Kerry is a sweetheart who is caring and creative. Her brother Murphy is a bit of a jerk but has the weight of the world on his shoulders to save his dad’s Christmas tree farm. Patrick is lovely and boy does he have the cutest son, Austin! The other side characters were great. I loved that this was a quick read and easy to get into. It really helped me get into the Christmas spirit!

Mary Kay Andrews’ latest, Bright Lights, Big Christmas was the perfect catalyst to enter into the holiday season. Set on NYC, Murphy and his sister, Kerry, take the yearly trip from the Carolina mountains up to New York to sell their beautifully grown trees in the City. Weather and health challenges have left the Tolliver family in a rough spot this season and they need a strong showing to get out of the red. What unfolds in New York, is a series of challenges and bumps through which Kerry and Murphy must navigate. Mary Kay Andrews’ characters, setting descriptions and events grow a warm and memorable narrative that drew me in. This is the perfect book to evoke the sentiments of friends that become family during the cold and harsh season. Loved it!

Kerry, whose life has just fallen apart, is called in to help her family with their New York City Christmas tree stand. So she sets off with her slightly-estranged brother, to stay in a little tin can of a camper, borrow showers and bathrooms, and make enough sales to sustain her family Christmas tree farm for another year. Along the way, she finds friends and a bit of something more.

This was a cozy, festive read that's perfect for kicking off holiday book lists. Favorite things: Holiday vibes, found family, an evolving sibling relationship, and a slightly mysterious older man who has a lot to learn and to teach everyone else.

Thanks to Net Galley and St Martins Press for the complimentary digital review copy of this title.

We know that Christmas is hands down one of my favorite times of the year - and this book is just giving me all the holiday feels!
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A camper called Spammy
A grumpy snoring brother
A sister finding her way
A Christmas tree lot
An evil competitor
A welcoming community
A single dad (eye wiggle)
And so much more.
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I can smell the trees and sense the excitement of the season.
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If you love Countdown To Christmas on Hallmark - grab this book!
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Thank you @marykayandrews @netgalley @stmartinspress I will be adding this one to my mama’s Bookmas box since she has a camper! Shhh don’t tell her.

Kerry heads into New York City with her brother to help sell this years lot of Christmas trees since her father cannot go. It means a few weeks living out of an old camper with no kitchen or bathroom. It will be fine, right?

Kerry and Murphy have a strange relationship as with divorced parents they grew up separately. Hey never seem to get along, or agree on anything, in an annoying way. She always turns it into him not wanting to listen to a woman, when maybe that’s not it.

The story line was cute and enjoyable, but the characters didn’t mesh with me. Kerry was just blah, plain and somewhat annoying. And Patrick, the love interest was somewhat predatory. He was always right, always wanting things his way, wanted/expected physical relationship when Kerry wasn’t ready it didn’t sit well with me. Heinz was the saving grace of a character.

I wish I enjoyed the main characters more because it would have made the book more enjoyable for me.

This is like a Hallmark movie. It’s a quick, light read that will make you feel warm and fuzzy. There’s also not as much depth as I would like, but if you are looking for a holiday easy read then this is a great option.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

Perfect story for the holidays! Christmas traditions, family, found family, and a community coming together in December.o

Kerry Tolliver has not been part of her family's tradition of selling Christmas trees in New York City since her parent's divorced when she was young. But this year she finds herself hauling Spammy, the ancient camper, from North Carolina to New York City. Her father has had a heart attack and she has been tasked with helping the brother she barely knows sell the trees. The experience is not what she expected. She finds a community that embraces the Tolliver's every year, gets to know her brother, and learns a lot about herself and what she wants out of life. The closer she gets to the people in New York City the more she wonders where her future lies.

A story of finding the confidence to trust yourself and to have the courage to create the life of your dreams.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This story resembles a Hallmark Christmas movie - brother and sister leave their small town for New York City in an attempt to save their family's Christmas tree farm. At the start, Murphy and Kerry are not close siblings, but have warmed up to each other by the end. Many colorful characters from the neighborhood they have set up shop in are sprinkled throughout the story and lend to the sugary sweet nostalgia of Christmas. I quick seasonal read!

This is a sweet Christmas romance about family and community set during the Christmas season in NYC. The story centers around a somewhat estranged brother and sister that must learn to co-exist together as they set up and sell their trees from their family Christmas tree farm. There is good character development and a fun story with ups and downs, but it centers around the community they and their parents have developed over the years. It is a delightful holiday romance. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book for my honest review.

One thing Kerry did not plan on when returning home to the family's Christmas tree farm, was having to step in and help sell the trees. Kerry's dad is returning home to recuperate from a heart attack and under doctor's orders to rest. Kerry grew up traveling and selling trees in their old Shasta travel trailer and did not want a repeat performance. Guilted into stepping up by her mother and brother, Kerry and her brother travel to New York and sets up the lot. Kerry slowly begins to warm up, especially when Patrick, and his son, Austin, begin to come around. Add the company of an elderly gentleman who will not reveal any information about himself, and things change. Add in the competition of a lower-priced lot, Kerry begins crafting wreaths for more income. Kerry, her brother, Queenie the dog, are going to make the best of the selling season, especially with the addition of her new found friends. Will Kerry be able to go back to North Carolina, or will the lights of New York, and possible love, keep Kerry in the Big City. Loved, loved, loved this book! I always look forward to reading Mary Kay Andrews books.