This was so so cute. I just love Christmas romances. The romance was sweet. The story hooked me from the start. There was a little family drama. All the side characters make the story even better. I cannot wait to read more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

What could be better than pre-Christmas in New York with your big brother (who snores) in a tiny camper with no bathroom? Kerry has always felt like a fish out of water in her hometown. Now she is helping out the family by selling Christmas trees in New York. Everyone in the neighborhood knows Murphy and they are shocked that he has a little sister. The whole neighborhood shows up to buy trees from them, but they have to sell more to make up for the loss of some of their trees earlier in the year. While sitting there selling trees, Kerry meets people from the neighborhood. She finds that they are all like family and they welcome her in. Especially Patrick and Austin. Kerry and Austin strike up an instant friendship and Austin helps her write a story. There is a neighborhood man who comes on the scene and then leaves again quickly. No one is sure where he lives, and no one knows anything about him. When he stops coming by, Kerry starts to be worried, and Austin insists that they find him. When she does find him, they are surprised at his background. Patrick wants Kerry to stay, but how can she do that? Where would she live, how would she support herself. Christmas is a time of miracles and Kerry needs one now. Loved the story and the characters.

Merry Christmas!

Mary Kay Andrews has written a warm, festive book to get you in the Christmas mood.

The Tolliver family owns a Christmas tree farm in the North Carolina mountains. Every year for decades the family travels to New York and parks in the same location and sells trees. This year father Jock is in the hospital and son Murphy and sister Kerry have the task of traveling to New York and selling trees.
Kerry's mon and dad divorced when she was seven years old and she lived with her mother and brother Murphy lived with Jock in North Carolina. So Murphy and Kerry have not spent much time together before traveling to New York.
When they arrive they discover a new tree company across the street selling discounted trees.
With Jock being sick they have to sell all the Christmas trees to be able to keep the tree farm in North Carolina.

As with all of MKA's books you have a little drama, suspense and of course romance. The story has a cast of colorful characters from the neighborhood, This is a sweet story.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and give an honest review,
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.

Mary Kay Andrews, as always, created an enjoyable and layered but easy-reading story. She is one of my go-to authors for cozy books that make me happy.

The story takes place in the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas but it is not a Christmas-only book and can be read any time. It centers around an estranged sister and brother pair selling Christmas trees from their family farm in a quaint neighborhood in NYC. From that weaved various threads of romance, family, friendship and a battle with bad guys. This book made me wish I was able to visit this happy little corner of NYC and experience what it was like to live among these neighbors, partake in their daily lives, and visit the Tolliver Christmas Tree stand and see Spammy and Queenie. In the end everyone was able to find what they were looking for and everything tied up nicely, which made the reading experience pleasing and rewarding. I especially happy with the resolution of Heinz's story!

Overall it was a quick read that gave me all the happy holiday feels!

Against their wishes, a brother and sister duo from North Carolina head to the Big Apple to sell their coveted Christmas trees during the holiday season. Squeezed into a rickety, old trailer and a stand-off with a new Christmas Tree seller kitty corner to their stand, the siblings must learn to set aside their differences to sell their lot of trees to keep their tree farm afloat. The sense of community, depictions of all things Christmas and an NYC holiday backdrop make for a heartwarming story. You'll want to pick up Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews this coming holiday season.

You can find my review of this book on my instagram feed, @maplegatereads at the beginning of November.

Happy reading!

This felt exactly like a hallmark movie. The characters were so wonderfully described and developed. There is nothing better than New York at Christmas, and this story felt exactly like being there. A Christmas Tree stand, a rusty old camper, sweet dogs, fancy parties, vintage shopping-- It had so many lovely details.

This is a perfect holiday read!! I listened to the audiobook as well, and it was SO well done!

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy to read!

Another great holiday book by MKA. This book gave me all the feels. It had me rooting for Kerry and Murphy, her grouchy brother. They are selling Christmas trees in NYC and the people of the neighborhood star in this novel as they come to visit the Tolliver's at their Christmas tree selling setup on the street. This one really put me in the holiday, feel good spirit!

What a sweet Christmas story! Hallmark movies don't hold a candle to Mary Kay Andrews's Christmas books. I loved The Santa Suit, so I hoped this would be just as good. And it was.

This was a cute story about a brother and sister who make a trip from the mountains of North Carolina to New York City to set up their family Christmas Tree stand. Kerry was sent to help her brother Murphy this year because their father had fallen ill and it's up to them to make enough to keep the tree farm going. While learning the ropes of selling trees, Kerry comes up with ways to increase their profits and also makes some meaningful relationships. At the end of the Christmas tree season, will Kerry go home to North Carolina or will she stay and see where these new relationships will take her?

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC!

I love Mary Kay Andrews. She is the Queen of feel good romance! What a cute, cozy, holiday story.I wish I had the chance to read this closer to Christmas. Nonetheless, It was a great read about family, friends and finding your way through taking chances.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc for my honest review,

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews is a delightful Christmas romp full of heart, community, and the holiday spirit.

The last thing Kerry wants is to drive her dad's truck and dilapidated trailer to New York City for weeks of urban camping to sell Christmas trees. Even worse, she'll be working alongside her distant brother. But after being laid off and her dad's declining health, she doesn't have a long list of reasons not to help out the family Christmas tree farm.

Andrews once again creates a wonderful cast of characters in a strong community. Kerry, her brother Murphy, and his lovable dog Queenie stay in the dry camper, relying on the relationships between neighboring businesses and residents for showers, bathrooms, and food. With a rival tree stand, a mysterious older gentleman, a charming kid, and a potential romance, the city has more in store for these siblings than they realized.

Fans of Andrews's beachy books will enjoy this dip into wintertime fare, enjoying her classic wit and swoony romance in a new setting. There's plenty of vintage references, from the camper to an old style apartment, as well as a dose of holiday themed fun.

This delightful setting had me price-checking wintry NYC trips. Andrews balances the charm of the city with the reality of urban camping in an ancient, dry camper. The delicious food, lovely snowscapes, and friendly community leaves the reader feeling satisfied, cozy, and in the mood to untangle Christmas lights.

This story is soft, sweet, and full of heart-- the perfect cozy, wintry read to get readers excited for the holidays.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an e-ARC so that I could share my honest opinions.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas will be available September 26, 2023.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is the latest tale by Mary Kay Andrews. I’ve enjoyed a ton of her past reads including, The Homewreckers and The Santa Suit, which are both mentioned in the synopsis, so I was excited to read this one. Kerry Tolliver, 34, needs to assist her father, along with her brother, Murphy (39), after his heart attack. Their family owns a Christmas tree farm in North Carolina and the trees are then transported/sold in New York City. This is the first year since she was young that she has participated in the selling portion of the business, so with this change, come many obstacles.

Along with trying change roles in the family’s company, Kerry has a complicated brother-sister relationship with her brother. The two are different, but they need to work and live together in a small space to help their father. The small travel trailer is a great living arrangement for the set-up of the story as it gives the forced proximity trope a new twist with bringing family together instead of a romance. The New York City setting was also nice as the neighborhoods in the city do feel like small communities in a way, at least that is my experience, so it was a nice way to give the big city and small-town vibe to the same story. To note that, the New York City described in the story is more magical than the one I’ve experienced, even in the same neighborhood, but it adds a fantasy element to the story.

While this book is on the shorter side below 300 pages, it does tell a nice story complete with a romance. Through the process, Kerry finds herself attracted to a single dad, Patrick, who has a 7-year-old named Austin. I did not connect to this romance as much as I expected, but it was still sweet. Considering The Santa Suit was slightly shorter and felt more complete, I am not sure why this novel did not feel as well-rounded. The writing of the story still included some nice holiday spirit, and it was a nice intro to the season. Overall, I think this story needed a little bit more exploration of all the elements (characters, plot, etc.), however, it was still a very enjoyable read!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**

Read this if you need a good dose of Holiday Cheer! I loved this story. The characters are great and the setting is just perfect. Highly recommended with a cozy blanket and hot chocolate.

What an absolutely adorable, sugary sweet, fun, festive, and heartfelt Christmas story! It is like a Hallmark movie on the written page.

The narration of this book is everything! My favorite was how she narrated the little boy Austin. Each character had their own distinct tone ensuring that you just get lost in this sweet Christmas story. Kerry and Murphy have such a fun sibling dynamic and I just loved experiencing their christmas tree sales and wreath making shenanigans right along with them.

This book has everything you would want! A Christmas tree farm, family squabbles, love, adorable little boys, curmudgeonly old men, a sense of community, and the spirit of the holidays oozing off the page.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, St Martin’s Press, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
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Kerry is going with her brother to seel christmas trees in New York. Usually her dad goes so this is all new to her. Her goal is to sell all the trees and get out of there but she finds she is starting to enjoy the time with the local neighborhood.
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What I liked:
-This was a sweet light hearted read that was a lot of fun to read.
-I loved how Kerry started to make the tree stand her own with her own touch and how the neighborhood responded.
-I loved, loved all the people in the neighborhood, but especially the young boy and the elderly man.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a great one to read in winter, it has all the wintery vibes with the snow.

I'm a sucker for any books related to Christmas and the book, Bright Lights, Big Christmas didn't disappoint! This book got me in the holiday spirit and I loved meeting these characters and seeing Christmas through their eyes. Friendship, romance, and the holidays - it's a perfect recipe for a great novel and as with other novels by Mary Kay Andrews, I got sucked in from the very beginning and was disappointed when the story ended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review an advance reader copy of this book.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews was such a charming story!
I had such a blast in New York City with Kerry and Patrick.
The vivid scenery and beautiful people I could picture everything so perfectly.
Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry was simply put….. the best! I could feel everything just seep off the pages.
Even the secondary characters were amazing.
This is a story of self-discovery and the importance of friendship and family, with a side of romance and twist of humor. It held my interest from start to finish and I wouldn't have minded if it had been longer!
This story was cute, amusing and sweet.
Her stories are almost magical and you can't help but fall in love with them.
It’s perfectly written in such a uplifting manner.
I always look forward to reading MKA and this one did not disappoint!

If you enjoy:
_holiday romance
_interesting characters
_warm & entertaining stories
_family ties
_light romance
_self-discovery
_friendship
_some drama
_hallmark movies

You’ll love this upcoming title.

It's a sweet, romantic, holiday piece of women's fiction.
Such a lovely concept for a book and it truly would make a great movie.

To Whom It May Concern,
Please can you turn the totally wonderful and magical book Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews into a Hallmark film?

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I went into this book hoping for the literary equivalent of a warm cup of cocoa, and MKA did not disappoint! This was just what I needed to get me in the holiday spirit. Combining the magic of NYC at Christmas, a sprinkle of Southern charm and the comforts of found family, it's a perfect, cozy holiday read!

Kerry Tolliver is feeling a little lost. In between jobs and living with her mom, she grudgingly agrees to travel from NC to NYC with her brother to run their family's Christmas tree stand. The Tolliver family has been selling their trees in the same neighborhood of the West Village since she was a baby, but this year the stakes couldn't be higher. Their family farm is at risk if they don't make enough money this season, and Kerry finds creative ways to expand and update their business. But her brother Murphy is stuck in his ways, and doesn't always agree with her methods. And when a rival seller moves in across the street, threatening their season, it will take their entire community banding together to get them back on track.

I seriously couldn't put this one down and didn't want to leave this little square of NYC. What kept it from being a five star read for me was that Kerry, the FMC, felt a little underdeveloped at times. Her decision making and motivations often felt surface level, almost as if the inter-personal conflict was being forced. It wasn't terribly noticeable, and certainly didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the novel, but was annoying enough to knock it out of five star range.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this ARC!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! I was so pulled into this story and the setting; I thought I smelled the pine trees! I really enjoyed this story from beginning to end. It was such a feel-good story as Christmas stories should be. The characters were fantastic, and I wanted to be there with them. This is a book I can see myself reading again each year. It's the perfect book to curl up with when you have some time to devote to the book during the holiday season. You won't want to put it down. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Thank you @smpromance @macmillan.audio for the perfect holiday read! Kerry goes to NYC to join her brother to sell Christmas trees. She meets the people of the neighborhood and forms a connection with Patrick and his son, Austin. This story is so sweet and Austin was added so much cuteness. The voices that Kathleen McInerney did for all the characters really brought the story to life.