Her family’s New York City Christmas tree lot was the last place Kerry Tolliver wanted to spend the weeks leading up to Christmas. But it just might be the only thing that can save their family’s North Carolina tree farm.
Toss in a vintage camper, a curmudgeonly big brother, and a handsome single dad, and you have the recipe for Mary Kay Andrew’s latest novella.
Utterly charming, sometimes wistful, and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, Bright Lights, Big Christmas is the perfect, curl-up-by-the-fire read and keeps Andrews on my must-read list!

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mary Kay Andrews writes books that just feel like a big warm hug while you are sipping on hot cocoa with super tiny marshmallows in it.
Bright Lights Big Christmas had all the Hallmark Christmas movie vibes, and I adored it. While it seemed a few people fell in insta-love which is not usually my jam, this story was just sappy and cute and it fit within the story.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews has readers traveling from North Carolina to the West Village where the Tolliver Tree Farm sells their fresh cut Christmas tress each year. I found this story similar to two other Christmas tales that I read many years ago (and I watched the movies). In the beginning, I felt like I was dumped into the middle of the story. It seemed that I was supposed to know the characters. I was glad that more details were provided on Kerry and Murphy as the story progressed. I do not know how Kerry endured Murphy’s attitude. I liked Abingdon Square where Kerry and Murphy set up the Christmas tree stand. Spammy, their old travel trailer, sounded cute and awful. I could not do without basic amenities (a functioning toilet and shower). It would have been difficult for the siblings to endure the frigid temperatures. If I was Kerry, I would have found a way to get power for an electric blanket. The author captured the frosty climate, the delightful smell of the fresh cut Christmas trees, and the spirit of Christmas. There are, though, repetitive details (I knew the details by heart by the end of the book). I felt that the story was a tad too long. Fifty to sixty pages could easily have been shaved off. The ending, however, was rushed. An epilogue would have helped. I liked Patrick and his son, Austin. I felt a friendship between Kerry and Patrick, but I did not feel romantic chemistry. I could tell she cared for Austin and that Kerry enjoyed working on the storybook with him. I liked seeing Kerry and Murphy’s relationship grow as the book progressed. Heinz was a unique character. It is a shame that we really did not get to know him until later in the book. There was one more thing that I found perplexing. Kerry worked as an art director in advertising, so I thought she would have more ways to promote the Tolliver Tree Farm. I thought the author would have Kerry promote the business online (come up with creative idea to bring in business). The story does contain foul language and one individual drinking copious quantities of alcohol. Bright Lights, Big Christmas was a letdown for me, but I believe others will enjoy the Christmas story. Bright Lights, Big Christmas takes us on a journey to the West Village with a ramshackle Spammy, a chilly climate, fresh cut trees, rival sellers, a helpful Heinz, an adorable Austin, and a Christmas romance.

This was fine. I enjoyed the found family aspect of the story, and Mary Kay Andrews does a nice job making the NYC neighborhood feel friendly and small town like, despite the plausibility being pretty suspect. Somehow, though, it felt really long for under 300 pages, and with so many holiday themed stories coming out every year, this didn't have the charm I'd need to pick this over something else.

The queen of southern fiction takes on the Big Apple. And boy did she make it work. This one takes place primarily at a Christmas tree stand. Kerry heads to NYC from her parent's Christmas tree farm in North Carolina to help her brother at their annual tree stand. Living in a camper with her grouchy brother and his dog, Kerry finds that being in the big city is different than she expected. Before she knows it, she gets to know the locals to the area and the little tree stand begins to feel like home.

Andrews delivers a festive, heartwarming story about finding the places you belong and the people you belong with. This is a definite tale of found family. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters that lived within a few blocks of the tree stand. It felt like a small town romance while still taking place in one of the biggest cities in the world. Kerry's growing friendship with Patrick is sweet and I loved how they all came together to support one of the locals when he needed it most.

There's no doubt that Andrews knows how to write a Christmas novel full of warmth and heart. If you are a fan of holiday Hallmark movies, you will be sure to love this one. It will put you in those perfect December feels.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this eArc of Bright Lights Big Christmas in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this heartwarming, funny holiday story. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to read a “holiday” book in September, but I quickly changed my mind reading this one. I loved that (for the most part) everyone was kind, loving and accepting of Kerry and her brother Murphy. I loved the big city with a small town feel and the relationships that evolved throughout. I loved the descriptions of winter, Spammy, farms of North Carolina, some pop culture references and just the overall spirit of the holidays. I really enjoyed the side plot at the end of the book as well. Also give me a cute pup in a story anytime!

This was a quick enjoyable read to start off the holiday season. I will definitely be checking out Mary Kay Andrew’s other books.

I tend to avoid heartwarming holiday stories and romances because so many of them are infused with saccharine and require the reader to put their I.Q. in a box until the book is over. But two years ago, I was happily impressed with Mary Kay Andrews’s The Santa Suit, and so when I was invited to read and review Bright Lights, Big Christmas, I happily agreed. My thanks go to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the review copies. This book is for sale now.

The Tolliver Christmas tree farm is an institution, not only at home in North Carolina but as far north as New York City. As a child, Kerry sometimes accompanied her family to New York to set up a tree stand and sell the trees, but as an adult, she’s had other priorities. This year, though, she finds herself unexpectedly jobless, while at the same time, her father’s health prevents him from executing the task. Kerry must take his place, traveling to the Big Apple with her brother, Murphy. They set up the stand, and they sleep in the ancient pink trailer nicknamed “Spammy” because of its resemblance to a canned ham. Adventure awaits.

Kerry’s love interest pops up before we’re even ten percent into the story, but it appears that the author planned for us to know that, and it doesn’t hurt anything. Over the weeks they are in New York, various small (and large) crises present themselves and are worked out with team work, ingenuity, and the occasional well-placed bribe. They have Murphy’s dog Queenie with them, but she is primarily left in the background where she belongs.

What I appreciate most about this novel is how well grounded the plot is, and the author’s restraint in not permitting any elements to go over the top. There are a host of stereotypes possible, but every time I see one coming, Andrews chooses a different path, and it keeps the story fresh and original. Small details that might be overlooked by someone less detail oriented are seen to, and it keeps the narrative credible. Examples are the need for a shower or bath, given the length of their stay in a trailer without working plumbing; the cost of living in New York; the hazards of theft and vandalism, especially active at Christmas. None of these sidetracks the plot or slows the pace, but the questions a reader might have are tidied away, and this makes for greater enjoyment.

One small criticism involves a situation where theft and vandalism occur at a time when Murphy has to be away, and immediately, other men folk clamor over the need to have someone—someone with a Y chromosome, folks—to do lookout duty, protecting the fair damsel, her trees, and so on.

Apart from that, this is a delightful story. However, for awhile I wasn’t sure I liked it, because I was listening to the audio version, which is poorly done. The male characters are voiced in a way that is choppy, wooden, and unconvincing; but worse is Kerry’s voice, which is performed in a high-pitched, girly-girl voice so off-putting that it took me awhile to realize that the problem wasn’t the author’s, but rather the voice actor’s. The children’s voices are much better, and I actually howled with laughter when the baby in a stroller wailed!

As the story reaches its climax, Kerry has to make some serious choices, and I admire the way this part is resolved. The side character Heinz, an elderly man that lives in the neighborhood and often stops by the tree stand, is terrific.

When all is said and done, I rate the printed version of this novel 4+ stars, and the audio version 3+ stars, with an overall score of 4. I recommend the print version of this book, but not the audio.

What a lovely, feel good holiday story! Kerry really didn’t want to go to New York City to sell Christmas trees with her cranky brother Murphy but the adventure ends up changing her whole life. She was floundering in her adult life and the events of the book helped her move forward. I appreciated that it wasn’t a love at first sight but a growing attraction over weeks not just with Patrick but also with the neighborhood and the people who lived there. I enjoyed when Claudia, Murphy, Patrick, Austin, Kerry and even Queenie banded together to help find Heinz and then worked to help him get healthy. It highlights the joy of the friends who become the family you choose.

I loved the shout out to Dragons Love Tacos as we love that book and its sequel in our house. It was fun to read about it in a grown up book.

I don’t generally do Christmas books but this story was a great one & I’m so glad I read it.

Thanks to NetGalley & St Martin’s Press for a copy of this book.

Readers who love Christmas stories will enjoy this sweet story. This would make a wonderful Hallmark movie! Readers can picture the scene of an old trailer set up by a Christmas tree lot through the eyes of Kerry. The assortment of characters are all interesting in their own way. A touch of mystery and the magic of Christmas will get readers in the holiday spirit. Recommended.

A really charming, heartwarming read to add to your Christmas reading list. This book is full of wonderful characters (old and young), loads of humour, some wonderful community spirit and all the Christmas feels you need to get in the mood for the holidays.

With Kerry’s professional life at a crossroads, she heads back to her hometown to be with her family. When medical reasons prohibit her father from making his annual trip to NY to sell Christmas trees from the farm they own she agrees to go with her brother. Although sharing a trailer with her brother and his dog wasn’t on her bucket list there is nothing she wouldn’t do for those she cares about.

The relationships that Kerry builds with her neighbors are sure to touch your heart from the elderly fellow artist who goes missing to Patrick and Austin, a single father and his son, which has her questioning whether to love when the time is up or if she has found the place where she belongs?

The magic of Christmas as well as love, family and friends are abundant through this story and is sure to leave you with a smile on your face.

This was my second Christmas novel this year and I loved it. Who knew that selling Christmas trees would bring me so much delight. I read and listened to this and saw and felt the weather, lights and cheer. The people and atmosphere of the holidays jumped off the pages. Well written and so many touching moments. This was a New York Christmas and so much more. I fell in love with this story and ALL the characters. I highly recommend this wonderful story.
Thanks St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

3.5 stars.

"Bright Lights, Big Christmas" by Mary Kay Andrews is a quick read about friendship, family, and trying new things and taking new chances. It is a sweet, heartwarming tale that starts out strong, but is too repetitive for about 70% of the book. It sort of feels like it could have been a novella if it had been reduced by ~70-100 pages. The entire story could have used about 35% more Christmas/holiday cheer. Most of the time, this is a warm hug of a book. There's not a lot of conflict or struggle or turbulence. It's a relatively low-stakes story. Andrews develops her characters well and makes us feel for all of them for one reason or another. I liked Kerry as the main character. Most od her romance with Patrick is cute, but there's not a whole lot pf chemistry or build-up between them. I liked her/their interactions with Patrick's young son, Austin. The ending is predictable, but that is not necessarily bad. It feels like the parts with Heinz came a little out of nowhere. Still, I have a hunch readers will enjoy this one. I loved the audiobook narration from Kathleen McInerney. She did a spectacular job with the voices and her inflections of tone. Really well done audiobook!

Thank you to NetGalley, Mary Kay Andrews, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary ARC/ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

When Kerry loses her job, she's forced to move back to her rural North Carolina hometown (the same town in which Andrews' story THE SANTA SUIT is set). When her dad falls ill, she's stuck accompanying her gruff older brother Murphy on the annual trip to New York City to sell the family's Christmas tree allotment, which, of course, makes up the main share of the income for their farm. Murphy and their dad Jock (whose name immediately makes me think of DALLAS, I'm so old, guys) typically sleep in a tiny trailer parked by the stand powered by an extension cord they run to a kind nearby business. Immediately I call foul--where in NYC can you a) park a trailer for a month? b) run extension cords across the sidewalks and c) find kindly people who feed you for free and let you use their showers? Because, oh yeah, the trailer has no running water and is powered by a space heater. I felt cold reading most of this book.

Kerry immediately makes friends with all the neighbors, including an elderly man, Heinz, and her brother's friend Patrick and his young son, Austin. Heinz and Austin are easily the best part of this book--they have far more depth than the other characters. I felt empathy and cared for them because of this. Kerry's "romance" with Patrick is utter instalove and makes no sense--there was no reason to root for them, as they had no chemistry, banter, or any sort of connection or backstory whatsoever.

The book was incredibly slow in the first half (it's cold, sell some trees, repeat) but picks up a bit in the second half. Honestly, I would have been fine cutting the romance story altogether and just focusing on Heinz' piece. That aspect was incredibly touching.

Overall, it's a sweet read but lacks much depth, like many of the movies I watch each year on Hallmark. Although there's a gay character in this read (yay!) so I guess we'll have to call this a Lifetime book instead, right? ;)

Kerry is down on her luck and moves back home after losing her job and boyfriend. When her dad has a medical issue, it’s up to Kerry and her brother, Murphy, to make the annual trek to NYC and set up the family Christmas tree lot.

The definitely had all the holiday feels. I did find the book pretty predictable though.

A good Christmasy rom com. 3.5 ⭐️

This was such a sweet holiday read. I loved how it took place at a Christmas tree farm in NY. It makes me want to get my tree out now and decorate! I enjoyed the different characters and it was such a heartwarming story, especially towards the end. I really enjoyed the journey this took us on and it put a smile on my face. I recommend if you are looking for a book to get into the holiday spirit.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own. 4.5 rounded up.

3.5 stars

This was just a middle of the road read for me.

I liked the atmosphere of the story itself, what I would give to spend christmas in NY selling christmas trees, but I felt like there was little to no plot. Not a lot happens in this book and I was craving just a little action or drama of some kind.

I didnt really connect with the main characters Kerry and Murray, but the side characters made the book for me. Heinz was the best part of the book.

This is my second Mary Kay Andrews book so I don't think this author is for me. But if you love fluffy, low stakes Christmas stories, check this one out!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy of Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews.

Kerry Tolliver has come back home to mountains of North Carolina to figure out what to do with her life. She really wants to pursue a career in art, but is not sure how to turn her dreams into a reality. When her father has to have heart surgery, Kerry finds herself forced into making the yearly trip to New York City to sell Christmas trees from their family farm. While this trip is definitely not in her plans, she is “persuaded” to help her brother make the trek to the city and recover the money they have already lost from a hard growing season and a delay in arriving due to their dad’s surgery. With “Spammy” the camper in tow, Kerry and her brother head to New York to set up shop on their usual street corner in Greenwich Village. Kerry and Murphy struggle to get along, forced into the close quarters of the camper in a less than ideal living situation. Murphy resents that Kerry has never taken an interest in the business and Kerry resents that Murphy is a jerk most of the time. However, over the next month, they will make connections to the people in the neighborhood that will change the course of their lives and make this a Christmas to remember.

This is definitely a Hallmark Christmas Movie book! Light, easy, quick, and very festive, this is a sweet one to add to your holiday list. The characters are endearing (except for Murphy – he’s a grumpy brat), and Andrews really uses the folks in this neighborhood to show that “family” can come in all shapes, sizes, and forms. I enjoyed this one!

Wow!! Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2023. Such an adorable quick read and so, so, so good!!! This book is just the coziest!! So heartwarming and feel-good!
I loved all the characters and how the story unfolded. The lovely setting had me swooning for a close-knit neighborhood.

Mary Kay Andrews has given her readers a beautiful story in BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS! I could not turn the pages fast enough while reading this beautiful story. Kerry and Murphy travel to New York to sell Christmas trees from their North Carolina family farm. Her father is recovering from a heart attack so she replaced him. Each character in this book has some sort of problem be it divorce, illness, …..yet in the three weeks that Murphy and Kerry are there, they form bonds with the neighborhood. I rooted for Heinz, Austin, Patrick, and several other characters. I loved the ending. I kept thinking that the community of Abdington Square would make a good series for television. I know I plan to place copies of this book in several of my friends’ hands for Christmas. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.