I’m a big fan of Mary Kay Andrews. I found this book to be cute, and a typical Hallmark type story. I immediately suggested it to my mother and sister knowing they would enjoy it. It was a quick, easy read.

It’s a great Christmas story. Kerry gets suckered into helping her brother Murphy sell Christmas trees in NYC. Her brother has his own little community there, after years of selling trees in the same location. The same people buy from him, he has his own group of holiday friends, and the people in the building always stop by the tree stand. Kerry makes a connection with Patrick and his son, and even though she doesn’t live in the city, maybe they can have more.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC of this book.

"Bright Lights, Big Christmas" by Mary Kay Andrews invites readers into the heartwarming holiday tale of Kerry Tolliver, who leaves her family's Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina to embark on an adventure in New York City.

As fall arrives, Kerry heads to Manhattan with her brother and their dog, Queenie, to help sell Christmas trees at their family stand in Greenwich Village. Living in a cozy vintage camper, Kerry immerses herself in the vibrant city atmosphere, eager to explore and make new memories.

In the bustling weeks leading up to Christmas, Kerry forms close bonds with her charming neighbors, finding a sense of community and friendship in the city. However, when an elderly neighbor disappears, Kerry must use her resourcefulness and country know-how to protect her newfound friends and unravel the mystery.

Amidst the holiday hustle and bustle, Kerry finds herself drawn to Patrick, a single father raising his son, Austin, on their quirky block. Despite the challenges they face, Kerry and Patrick's undeniable chemistry sparks a festive romance. But as Christmas approaches, they must navigate their feelings and the uncertainties of their budding relationship.

With themes of family, friendship, and the magic of Christmas, "Bright Lights, Big Christmas" delivers a heartwarming story filled with laughter, romance, and holiday cheer. Mary Kay Andrews delights readers with her signature blend of humor, warmth, and enchanting storytelling, making this novel a perfect festive read for fans of feel-good holiday fiction.

What a charming, small town girl meets big city Christmas novella! Mary Kay Andrews always knows how to bring the Christmas spirit, and boy did she bring it this year with a couple Christmas tree farmers heading to NYC! This was a quick one day read for me, and while the characters and parts of the story felt slightly exaggerated, this book will definitely get you in the Christmas spirit. With it being a novella I would also say expect a bit of a faster paced story. But I really enjoyed the close knit neighborhood, cast of characters, and nod to her previous holiday book!

[thank you @smpromance for the complimentary copy, all opinions are my own]

Want a Christmas in a book?! This is it! You can not go wrong with Mary Kay Andrew’s! She brings comfort and joy in this heartwarming novel about romance and Christmas tree farms! Not only did I laugh but I had butterflies for the couple! Loved it and can’t wait for her next novel!

Kerry Tolliver is back in her hometown licking her wounds. She lost her job after a merger, and soon after her long term boyfriend. Stalled and not knowing what to do next she moved in with her mother. When her estranged father has a heart attack, he and her brother, Murphy need help. The family Christmas tree farm is in dire straights after a few setbacks this year. Usually Kerry's dad, Jacques, and brother set up a neighborhood tree stand in New York City and have been selling trees on the same block for decades. This year Jacques' doctor won't let him go and Murph needs another person to run the stand while he does deliveries. Kerry is enlisted against her will. She doesn't want to set foot in the ancient trailer nicknamed Spammy but familial guilt prevails.

This is not Kerry's ideal Christmas. Living in a tin can trailer with not working bathroom or kitchen with a brother she barely knows freezing her butt off in a city where she knows no one. But the cute neighborhood in New York comes with some surprises for Kerry. She finds inspiration to draw again and a grumpy old character gives her plenty of unasked for advice. Plus the cute kid named, Austin who is fascinated by the tree stand has a hunky dad.

Can Kerry break out of her rut this Christmas and find the courage to pursue new dreams? Of course she can, New York is famous for dreaming big!

This is a feel good, easy reading Christmas story. Highly recommend. Loved the characters and plot line. Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Review of Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

I am such a huge fan of this author. Her books are always an auto buy for me. I didn’t have to buy this one though because my good friend @groundedinreads actually got me an auto sent it to me. Thank you so much Cindy. I will treasure this forever and it will always have a spot on my shelf. I listened to this one while I read my autographed copy. It was a very quick read for me and I did read it a week or two before Christmas. Yes I am that far behind on my reviews. I loved this book. The characters were amazing. I loved the setting of New York City and the season which was Christmas. The author has a way of making you fall in love with the characters and you can’t wait to happen find out what happens with their stories. I probably will read this one every few Christmases.

Quick 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?

Synopsis: Kerry must journey to NYC to man her family’s Christmas tree stand with her grumpy brother due to her fathers recent heart attack. Recently without a graphic design job, she’s been living at home in North Carolina and now has to venture even further out of her comfort zone, staying in the family trailer, Spammy. She meets a whole cast of characters who live in the neighborhood that her dad and brother visit every year, has to compete with a rival tree family trying to undercut them, and maybe finds love along the way!

Review: thank you to @netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was a short and sweet Christmas story. However my biggest qualm with it (and it’s a big one!) is that it’s advertised as a romance and I feel the story would be much better told as a love story with NYC instead of a person. The romance is kind of crammed on in, not quite fulfilling love story expectations.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas + a trailer named Spammy! 🎄
Thank you St Martins Press, for the gifted book! {partner}

Genre: Romance
Trope: Holiday
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 9.26.2023
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Last year, @marykayandrews wrote my favorite holiday read - The Santa Suit. So, when I saw that she had another holiday book coming out, I immediately added it to my list and saved it for just the right time. I should’ve waited a tiiiiny bit longer but oh well, it still put me in the holiday spirit. Bright Lights, Big Christmas lived up to my expectations and then some; it’s the first book I’ve finished in less than a day in a long time.

For all of you MKA fans out there who were *shocked* that the setting for this holiday romance is New York City - don’t y’all worry because the same southern charm that we’ve all come to know and love from her is still present. I loved how she portrayed all the characters throughout the story - for some reason, authors like to make their NYC characters cranky and unwelcoming. But MKA did the exact opposite, and it was a delight!

💨 Bing-able (finished in one day)
🗽 NYC Setting
🤍 Same Southern Charm from MKA
🫶🏼 Found family
💞 Heinz

If you’re looking for a book to get you in the holiday spirit, I highly recommend reading Bright Lights, Big Christmas (and while you’re at it, The Santa Suit).

This was cute, but not the best Mary Kay Andrews book I've read. I like it better when it's set in the South.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

From Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Homewreckers and The Santa Suit, comes a novella celebrating love and the warm, glittering charm of the holiday season.

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?

Filled with family ties, both rekindled and new, and sparkling with Christmas magic, Bright Lights, Big Christmas delivers everything Mary Kay Andrews fans adore, all tied up in a hilarious, romantic gem of a novel.
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Mary Kay Andrews is a can't-miss author for me, so whenever I get a chance to read one of her offerings ahead of publication, I do a little happy dance. I don't read a lot of holiday books, but I read this one in one day. I love New York City at the holidays, but I had never really considered how the Christmas tree vendors made their way to the big city until I read this book. That was a main element of the story and one that I really enjoyed. Although the blurb from the publisher calls it a novella (at 288 pages, I think that's debatable), it really does not read as one. The characters are well-developed and so much fun to get to know. Seeing the season through Kerry's eyes and exploring the layers of her brother's personality, all with the added bonus of his faithful canine companion, were both delightful, and the romance elements woven throughout culminated in a very satisfying HEA, which is just what I am looking for when I read this kind of book.

Such a cute Christmas book! Thank you NetGalley and Mary Kay Andrews for sending me a copy. This book is best read cozy next to the fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa.

NetGalley
September 26, 2023
Fiction, women’s, holiday, digital, arc, holiday
St Martins Press
288 pages 4/5
10/31/23-12/25/23

Every winter the Toliver Family head to NYC from their tree farm in Tarburton, North Carolina to sell their beloved Fraser Fir trees in time for Christmas. The annual sojourn is usually made by Murphy and his father Jock in his rusting 1982 Ford F-150 with a vintage fifteen-foot travel trailer hooked up behind it. The 1962 Shasta trailer was fondly referred to as Spammy and has made the 700 mile trip the day after Thanksgiving for the past 40 years where it would be parked in the West Village of NYC.

This year Jock had a heart attack and would not be able to making the trip with his son Murphy, 39 years-old so it was strongly suggested by their mother Roberta "Birdie" Toliver that 34 year-old Kerry Clare Toliver accompany her brother. Kerry had been vague when she moved home a few months prior from Charlotte where she worked in human resources until a merge rendered her position "redundant". Since her boyfriend, Blake, "ghosted" her there was nothing keeping her there so she returned home to live with Birdie. She barely knew her brother since her parents divorced when she was 7 years-old and Murphy stayed to live with their father on the farm.

It's a humorous story about a new experience for Kerry who enjoyed the trip more than she imagined. From cleaning out the nest of mice in the camper's sleeping loft to the Google map plan of a 10-hour drive and then finding parking in the Big Apple! After Kerry recovers from the culture shock, she falls into a routine with Murphy selling trees and getting to know the locals that have helped the Toliver's over the years. Clare befriends Austin, the 10 year-old son of Patrick, a divorced father sharing custody with his ex-wife. There is a colorful cast of characters which provide drama and humor a long the way.

A fun holiday read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for access to this ARC for review. My review expresses my unbiased and honest opinions.

I’m a big fan of cozy holiday novels, and Mary Kay Andrews does not disappoint! When Kerry is sent to New York to help sell Christmas trees from their NC tree farm, she’s reluctant to believe that she and her older brother will be able to pull off selling their inventory without their Dad there to help. Through twists and turns, some local competition, surprising community support, and a kindling romance, Kerry immerses herself in the season and begins to enjoy being part of the family business. This is a sweet novella that not only ties in some coming of age themes, but also family dynamics and relationships. A must read for those looking for a book to cozy up with during the holidays.

Such a great and fun Christmas read!!

Made me feel all cheery and light! The way Mary writes you feel like you are right there with them at the tree lot!

After reading The Santa Suit last year I was so excited for Mary Kay Andrews' new one this year. She really has a way of bringing the comforts of Christmas an romance to life, giving me Hallmark vibes but while reading (my favorite).

I loved the setting, the characters, and the plot. All of it. Kerry was an enjoyable main character with a quirky yet relatable personality, and the side characters really just added to the enjoyment of the story. Add in a dog and I'm sold! A Christmas tree farm is the perfect setting for a story like this and I felt cozy and at home reading it! What I appreciated most was how the story really captured the meaning of Christmas from the outer joys of the season to the deeper meaning of what Christmas is really about.

Another great holiday read to add to my shelf, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. Really hoping to see more from Mary Kay Andrews next season!

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews is a cute, heartwarming Christmas love story. I loved reading this after the holiday season at it gets me excited for it again next year. You will love this story if you love dogs, Christmas, cute little kids, and hunky guys. This author always delivers such great reads and this is no exception. I highly recommend and will always read anything from this author.

I can always count on Mary Kay Andrews to give me a feel-good romance when I need it. What I WASN'T counting on was reading this bringing me snow in March, but that's my own fault.

In Bright Lights, Big Christmas, Kerry is in New York City helping her brother, Murphy, sell Christmas trees from her family's Christmas tree farm. Sounds fun, right? Only Murphy can be kind of a jerk and they are forced to live together as adults in a small little trailer with no heat and no bathroom!

Things get a little better when she finally meets Patrick, even if they did get to kind of a rough start. His son is super cute though, so that helps. They're just a couple of a fun cast of characters and strangers who end up feeling like family. It had all the feels of a small town romance, even though it took place in a huge city! I absolutely loved it and will continue to turn to Mary Kay Andrews whenever I need a light pick-me-up.

Another cutesy Christmas book that warms my heart! Can’t wait to read it again come December! This is what I love about Mary Kay Andrews, every book I read is like a hug that you didn’t know you needed.

Mary Kay Andrews did not disappoint! This book was a perfect Christmas story. It was cozy and had amazing characters.