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.

This was a really sweet story and a delight to read. Kerry goes to New York to help her brother sell Christmas trees from their family farm. She grew up with their mom while her brother grew up on the tree farm with their father so they aren’t especially close. They are staying in an old motor home affectionately named Spammy. As Kerry starts to get to know the residents of this area, she feels like she belongs. She becomes especially close with a young boy, his attractive father, and an older gentleman in the neighborhood.

This was a fun, low-conflict story filled with Christmas cheer and wonderful characters. I liked getting to know Kerry, her brother, and the other characters. I appreciated the fact that there was a bit of mystery worked into the story in addition to just the right amount of romance. Kerry seemed like she just belonged in the neighborhood and I hoped that she would figure out how to make her visit more permanent.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Kathleen McInerney did a great job with the story. I thought that the voices she used for the various characters did a great job of helping to bring the story to life. I found her voice to be very pleasant and am certain that her narration added to my enjoyment of this book. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to others. I found this to be a very well-done holiday story that kept me hooked until the very end.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press.

I'm always excited to hear that Mary Kay Andrews has a new book coming out. And even better? This latest is a Christmas tale - Bright Lights, Big Christmas!

MKA gives us a great lead in Kerry Tolliver. She's thoughtful, caring and is someone you'd love to have in your friends circle. She and her brother Murphy are heading to Greenwich Village in New York City to sell their Christmas trees. Her family been doing this since the 1950's and the neighborhood always welcomes them back. But there's competition this year...

I love the setting. Having a Christmas tree stand as a focal point is fun and different. As is Spammy - the trailer that Murphy and Kerry are living in.

There's a wealth of supporting characters in the neighborhood and local businesses. All of them are kind, good people. (And I kind of wished I had an apartment in the neighborhood.) Austin is one of the key players - he's six years old and steals the show more than once. And at the other end is Mr. Heinz, a cantankerous older gentleman. In between are some candidates for the romance plot line that MKA always weaves into her books. Oh, and a dog named Queenie as well.

Relationships of all kinds are explored in Bright Lights, Big Christmas. Difficult issues, questions, situations and more are resolved by the final pages. And that's what I expect and love about MKA's writing. Feel good fiction that tugs at the heartstrings. And fills you with the holiday spirit!

Some may say that New York City is not a very friendly place and people don't even know their neighbors there, but that is definitely not true in this novel. It is full of heartwarming found family vibes. It's like a steaming cup of cocoa to the soul.

True, the story doesn't really break any new ground. It's all pretty formulaic. However, it's just what you would expect and want from Mary Kay Andrews: a fun story, a cute romance, and a happy ending. It's a great way to kick off your holiday reading season.

Thank you thanks to St. Martin's Press, Mary Kay Andrews & NetGalley for an advanced copy of "Big Lights, Big Christmas". The expected pub date of this book is September 2023 and would make a perfect stocking stuffer or holiday book club read.


Mary Kay Andrews Christmas 2023 new release "Big Lights, Big Christmas" was such a fun, get in the holiday spirit, read. My only complain is that I wish I read it during the holiday season!!!

Four Generations of The Tollivers Family have maintained and run the Tollivers Tree Farm in North Carolina and every christmas they sell their home grown trees on the same corner in Greenwich Village NYC for as long as they can remember. After dad Jock Tolliver has a heart attach and is unable to assist his son Murphy with sales in NYC, his daughter Kerry steps up and pitches in to help. With the tree business suffering from competition and barely making the bottom line, Kerry is able to mix old ways of business with new ways of business to drive an increase of sales and even further loyalty to the Tollivers Trees. Its old school sales vs new school (instagram influencer, changing the business model (light decorating, personalized wreaths made out of the dropping of the trees) Kerry is able to sell every tree on the lot and then some.
The storyline that tugs at the heart is the brother sister relationship between Murphy and Kerry, the love attraction between Patrick, Kerry and Patricks son Austin, the family that is made up of the local businesses and the relationship and caring for Heinz.

Overall a quick, easy and heartfelt read.

4.0 stars overall.

5 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.

Five stars for the perfect Christmas romance novel. Yes, I am a total sucker for cheesy, fluffy romance novels around the holidays!Guaranteed this one will be a Christmas movie soon!

Kerri lost her job, her boyfriend, her apartment and moved back in with her mom in Tarburton, NC. Her dad and brother Murphy run a tree farm up in the mountains. Her mom Birdie lives in a small cottage in town. Kerri wants no part of dealing with her dad or the tree farm, but when her father has a heart attack, Kerri is stuck taking her dad’s place selling trees in New York City.

Living out of a very old travel trailer called Spammy, Kerri will have to manage a month in the city away from the comforts of home. The last time she did this, she was a child and her family was together. Now it’s going to be Kerri and her brother Murphy.

But the City at the holidays is magical and perhaps it can cast a spell over Kerri’s glum attitude. Maybe the charm of Abingdon Square will help Kerri find her way to a new life, love and happiness once again. Perhaps a little bit of that charm will trickle over into other’s lives as well.

When I say the perfect Christmas romance novel, I do not lie. This one makes you want to curl up by the fire with hot cocoa and enjoy. Add it to your holiday bookshelf!!

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is the perfect holiday read. I enjoyed the story and really became invested in all of the characters. It was a light-hearted read with plenty of heart. Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

A light-hearted, feel good cozy holiday read. Wonderful story of found family with romance, makes you want to cuddle up in the couch with a hot beverage and your favorite blanket

Such a sweet, joyful story that was exactly what I needed in my reading life right now. I appreciated that this story had enough plot to keep things interesting while also being easy to read and enjoy. A couple of things felt a bit neat, but not enough to detract - highly recommend this one!

I love MKA's stories and I love when the holiday books start popping up in my reading queue. Reading Bright Lights, Big Christmas was the perfect way to kick off my Christmas reading. A beloved author's wonderful holiday story. Win, win!

Kerry has to go help the family's Christmas tree farm business in the big city. Not what she was really wanting to do with her life but her family needs her, so she does it. Her meeting and making friends with all of the quirky people of the neighborhood is what made me love this story so much. She discovers that there are people who truly care for each other in this big, scary place.

I loved the relationships that developed within the story, so much love and friendship found among strangers. As always with a MKA story, I become totally engrossed with the storyline and the wonderful, caring characters. I loved this story and know I will be thinking about it long after I finished it. This was the perfect start to what I hope is more enjoyable Christmas reading for me. I highly recommend Bright Lights, Big Christmas!

A magical tale of family and love. I loved this book, I loved the characters, the setting, the storyline! It was filled with holiday magic, and a sweet love story. I couldn't turn the page fast enough! You must add this to your holiday reading list.

This is a sweet and heartwarming novel to get you in the Christmas spirit. Kerry Tolliver is from a Christmas tree farm in North Carolina. She travels with her brother to sell Christmas trees in New York City. While there she makes connections to the people in the neighborhood. New friendships, new romance, and caring characters make this an enjoyable read. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. The story was super predictable, but also really cute and heartwarming. .

Kerry comes home hoping to regroup before looking for a new job in the new year. Unexpectedly, she's helping her brother sell Christmas trees in New York, which she hasn't done since childhood. It's a time of the siblings getting to know each other again, and a way to save the family farm--Christmas trees are their main business.

The camper has a special spot for the tree lot, and the community is faithful to the Tollivers. Kerry adds in decorated wreaths, and more. Kerry has a possible love interest, and she has befriended his young son, and they create an illustrated story. An older gentleman from the neighborhood enhances the drawings with a flair which betrays his outside appearance.

As the selling season goes on, the community becomes like family, especially for Kerry, and she dreams of a future in NY. While one neighbor goes through a health crisis, the community steps in. Kerry unearths secrets which could lead to a career change.

This story of a community becoming family is a wonderful tale perfect for the holiday season and beyond. Heartwarming at its core, it reminds us to grab unexpected chances, and the heartfelt meaning of Christmas is giving to others.

received a netgalley from the publisher