Huge thank you for allowing me to read and review this book. I absolutely loved it! The ending was predictable, but I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to Heinz. I love a good happily ever after, especially at Christmas time!

With her father ill, Kerry must step in to help out with her family’s Christmas Tree farm. This requires her to stay in New York with her brother in a tiny camper that’s falling apart. They have a corner in Greenwich Village that the family has used for many years. Her brother doesn’t appreciate any of her suggestions for improvement. However, Kerry has a mind of her own and gradually puts her ideas into use. The family has made friends with neighboring businesses, and they take Kerry under their wing. She makes some new friends as well, including a single father with an adorable young son. She also befriends an elderly man who lives in the area and is perceived to be grouchy and unfriendly. Kerry soon becomes an integral part of the neighborhood. This is one of the best Christmas stories I’ve read in a long time. I only wish there were plans for a sequel as I would love to know what happens to Kerry in the future.

Also reviewed on B&N (1IrishEyes430) and Kobo (IrishEyes430)

Mary Kay Andrews does it again! Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a sweet story of Kerry Tolliver who's life is not where she thought it would be. When she learns that her Dad is unable to make the annual trip from NC to NYC to sell their families Christmas trees, Kerry is roped in to help save the family for another year. Mary Kay Andrews once again does a wonderful job of building the characters and by the end of the book it feels as if you the reader are living inside of her story. There is a slight nod to last years Christmas book and it has me hoping for another Christmas book next year to tie into this one! This is a must read for this years Christmas season! Grab a cup of hot chocolate and a cozy blanket and dive right into this book!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I've read many stories of those who own Christmas tree lots, so I didn't think this would be as good of a read as it was. The story had wonderful support characters that kept you reading along the way.

The holiday season wouldn’t be complete without a new feel-good title from Mary Kay Andrews.

In Bright Lights, Big Christmas, Kerry, the youngest in the Tolliver family, is drafted to help at the family’s Christmas Tree stand in New York City. Since Kerry is recently unemployed due to a company downsizing, she and her older brother must bring the trees from North Carolina to New York for the holiday selling season. Forced to live in a small camper on the lot, the siblings quickly reconnect and discover a variety of charming characters in the neighborhood. From the mysterious old man to the handsome single dad and his friendly son, Kerry’s first New York City experience is filled with the magic of Christmas.

Full of all the heartwarming vibes of a Hallmark Channel movie, Bright Lights, Big Christmas is an upbeat and picturesque tale perfect for the season. A touch of romance and a variety of appealing characters create a cozy, small town feeling within the busy Greenwich Village setting. A perfect escape read for the holiday season.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this title in exchange for my honest review.

I was really looking forward to reading Bright Lights, Big Christmas as I've heard wonderful things about author Mary Kay Andrews and there is nothing I love more than a Christmas story. This book definitely checked off a lot of boxes for me. The characters were lovely, the setting was straight out of a Hallmark movie (my favourite!) and just the right amount of nostalgia.

This was a sweet and wholesome read, Kerry Tolliver sets off with her brother from her family tree farm in North Carolina to New York City to fill in for her dad at the tree stand they operate on a corner in Greenwich Village. For the several weeks the stand is open the family stays in a vintage camper and it is absolutely heartwarming how they have become a part of the local community. You often think of NYC as this big and scary place but this neighbourhood is something special. I loved how well-developed the side characters were and had so much fun getting to know their quirky personalities.

There were a lot of great moments in this book, and a few minor mysteries worked in but my favourite has to be the relationship between Kerry, one of the neighbourhood kids and an old man. I am a sucker for intergenerational friendships. The romance between Kerry and Patrick was sweet and very organic but I felt this storyline somewhat underdeveloped and would have loved to see more of their relationship.

Overall this was a wonderful holiday read and I will certainly look forward to reading more by this author.

The Tollivers have a Christmas tree farm in North Carolina. For about forty years they head to West Village, NY right after Thanksgiving to sell their trees.

Kerry doesn't normally go, but this year she has stepped up to help her brother as their father is ill and just out of the hospital. They live in "Spammy", and old trailer. Kerry, her brother, Murphy, and their dog Queenie.

Kerry and Murphy are quickly a part of the neighborhood. There's romance and even a little mystery. Great holiday read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for an ALC and ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
I just loved this one and truthfully it has been a while since I really loved a book by this author and I have been reading her books for too many years to think about. In recent years I have thought that some of her heroines were just either too whiny or too screechy for me. This one took me back to why I used to love her books so much. I hated for it to be over. It has family, friends, romance, redemption and lots and lots of Christmas. Falala!

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews is definitely a book you need to put on your list to read for Christmas. I love a book by Mary Kay Andrews but, when she writes a Christmas book I know I am in! This book is so full of the Holiday spirit and love, I couldn’t put it down. My husband doesn’t often hear me comment that the book I just finished was a great book that warmed my heart.

Kerry Tolliver has to leave her North Carolina home to go with her older brother to New York City to sell Christmas trees. Their family has sold trees for the holiday for years and due illness her father is not able to go this year. They set up an old  camper on the corner of a quaint neighborhood. Through the years her brother has made friends in the area but this is all new to Kerry. 

The neighbors compose most of the characters in the book. There is an old man that is quite critical of Kerry’s drawings and I think he turned out to be my favorite neighbor. There is a little boy by the name of Austin who loves to come and help out with the trees. His dad and mother have divorced and they rotate in and out of the apartment so Austin is not disrupted. Kerry’s brother is pretty gruff and doesn’t appreciate all of her suggestions. He wants to keep things the way they have always been. So, you can see that there is an interesting cast of characters and this is just the beginning. 

The Christmas Spirit is alive and well in this book. It is not a romance and it is not strictly Christmas. It is family, loving each other, putting up with each other and doing what is right to make the world and their life move forward, the important stuff. I am fairly new to Mary Kay Andrews and always wondered what all the hype was about. I have read two of her Christmas stories and a couple of novels and have enjoyed them all so I have to say I know what the hype was about. 

If you want to know why her writing is so loved or you're already a fan of Mary Kay Andrews, I highly recommend this book to put you in the Christmas Spirit. I always love this time of year when the Holiday books hit the shelves. Don’t you? Until next time…Happy Reading! 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from #Netgalley, #St.MartinsPress and #Mary Kay Andrews. Thank you! The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I was excited to read this after reading Santa Suit last holiday season. Mary Kay Andrew's books are the perfect balance between a true Christmas romance and a feel good comedy, and never veer into too-cheesy territory. I also appreciated the Hallmark movie Christmas tree farm setting- helps set the scene for sure!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the early copy in exchange for my honest review!

Why did I think this was releasing closer to December??? Macmillan Audio, I am so sorry I am behind giving this one feedback, because it is the perfect Christmas read from Mary Kay Andrews! Bright Lights, Big Christmas kept me smiling from start to finish. There are so many characters to focus on in this one that it kept my attention all the way through.

Kerry Tolliver gets sucked into working for her family's tree business in NYC when her dad has a medical emergency and she's the only one who can assist her brother Murph. Right from the start, Kerry is more sunshine and. her brother is the grump. Then in the city, Kerry meets so many lovely people who have been supporting their family business over the years. People include a mysterious Mr. Heinz, Patrick and his darling son Austin, Claudia who works at the diner, and many others. Gah, I could gush over this one for days because it really just activated my holiday spirit. Halloween, what?! Move over, I'm ready for my tree!

This book was amazing. I couldn’t put this book down. Kerry tolliver goes to New York to help her brother sell Christmas trees. She feels so at home in New York. She meets Patrick and his son Austin. She can’t decide if she wants to stay in North Carolina with her mom where is very unhappy. Or move to New York to start over with her art. I would so recommend this book!

Thanks NetGalley and st Martin press for letting me read this amazing book from Mary Kay Andrews!

OMG what an amazingly cute book by Mary Kay Andrews! I loved the little tid bit from the Santa Suit included in Kerry's story. I always felt there was a little more to that story and I am glad I got to know there was a Nick that came around in the picture. I want to go out and buy me a littl Spammy and run a Christmas Tree Lot now. LOVED THIS BOOK!!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

A feel good Christmas story that celebrates community and family above all. I has that cozy vibe that feels like the holidays, luckily it's still warm enough to read outside. All the characters are pretty lovable except the Brody's.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is the 2023 entry from Mary Kay Andrews to what has become an annual heartwarming Christmas story for the holidays. As always, Andrews delivers tons of Christmas cheer and a feel-good story to get your holiday "warm and fuzzy feelings" going into overdrive!

Christmas tree farms are a well=used holiday trope in the Hallmark movie tradition, and it is indeed charming and mood setting. The Tolliver family has opened a tree stand in the West Village of New York for decades, and they are in fact so well known that local restaurants and residents open their bathroom facilities to the family. Does such a hospitable, happy place exist in New York as the neighborhood portrayed here? I don't know, but I certainly would like to believe it is so.

Listening to the audio version of this took it from 4 stars to 5 for me. Kathleen McInerney is perfectly suited for this role. Her voice is just young enough, and full of hope and cheer. Her rendition of the little boy Austin makes you want to pinch Austin's cute cheeks, and the quavery voice of the old man makes you want to offer your arm for support.

In short, what I liked most about this book:
1. The narrator
2. The feel-good holiday factor
3. A romance without all the gory sexual details
4. A happy and hopeful ending, with a little surprise thrown in

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

s this story begins, it’s late fall, and with Christmas approaching it’s time for Kerry to leave their Christmas tree farm in North Carolina and drive their camper - which is on its last legs - up to Greenwich Village to help her brother with selling the trees, at the same spot they’ve sold them every year.

Her brother knows which neighbors are happy to help, especially as their camper’s not fully equipped - unless you don’t need to eat since the stove doesn’t work, and neither does the toilet. It doesn’t take long before she begins to meet and become friendly with the neighbors, and the shops who let her use their restrooms. She quickly makes friends with a father, Patrick, through his young son, Austin, who is writing a story, and she offers to help him with illustrations. When an older man happens by who gives her some tips, he continues stopping by daily to follow the progress. They work on this when she has time, until one day he doesn’t appear. As days pass, they all become worried about him, and ask around, without much success.

In the meantime, there is a new tree stand across the street from theirs, which seems to be trying to create a lot of problems for them.

Meanwhile, there is a slowly building connection forming between Patrick and Kerry, which she knows that it can’t possibly work since she is only there for a short time, and North Carolina is her home. Add in their need to find out what happened to the man who seems to have disappeared. No one seems to know where he lives, but they are determined to find out.

A simple, sweet story of the bonds we form when we least expect it and the lengths we will go to for those we care for.


Published: 26 Sep 2023

Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press

I am a big fan of Mary Kay Andrews and this story did not disappoint! A fun holiday read. I thought it was a bit slow to start but once it got going it was great. Totally enjoyed the romance between Kerry and Patrick and all the friends Kerry made. Enjoyed the references to characters from The Santa Suit.

A sweet story for those in your life that need an uncomplicated, happy-ending. Unfortunately, I found this book to be just ok as I wished there was more character development and depth to the story.

Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints. The holiday books she has written are always heartwarming, and this one is no different. The Tolliver family had always sold Christmas trees in New York over the holidays. This year, a medical emergency gave them a late start. After becoming "redundant" at her job in Charlotte, Kerry found herself back home, and since her father was laid up, she had to go help her brother in New York sell trees. Money worries caused anxiety for the family, but Kerry found she could put her skills to use to increase sales. And no holiday story would be complete without a little romance...Kerry may need to open her heart to love. This story will put you in the Christmas spirit!

I loved this book. It has all the Christmas feels. Who knew that the big city could have a small town vibe all because of a Christmas tree lot? And a mysterious old gent who might be Santa?

I liked that the focus is on the main character figuring out her relationship with her brother and her career more than a typical Christmas instalove romance. The characters in the neighborhood were fun and supportive. I also loved the callback to The Santa Suit from a few years ago.

If you want one book to get you into a Christmas mood, this is the one for 2023.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I am required by federal law to disclose this.