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
.
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.
.
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.
.
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.

I love Christmas romcom season. It always falls during the stressful beginnings of school, and I get to escape for a bit.

This is not Andrews’ first Christmas novel; I reviewed The Santa Suit—which is briefly mentioned in this book—here. https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2021/11/cuddle-up-with-holiday-romances.html

As with that book, the romance develops rather quickly. I’m not sure I catch the whole motivation for it, but it’s cute. It also lacks the typical conflict characteristic of most romcoms. Yes, there is a threat of separation for the couple, but they overcome it and we get our happily ever after.

We never really look very deeply into Kerry’s personality or thoughts. We know she has lost her job and her boyfriend. We watch her gain confidence in a new endeavor. But it sees like all we see is the surface, nothing very deep. Her character changes little.

Don’t get me wrong—it’s a satisfying story. It’s just that it ends up more on the Christmas fluff side of things.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Some drinking. Implied sex, closed door. Mild cursing. Some characters are gay.

Who Might Like This Book:
If you like Hallmark Christmas movies, this book will fit very well!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2023/09/an-assortment-of-new-releases.html

This was the perfect holiday read for me. A mix of small town and big city. The Tolliver family may be from small town NC, but they have been known for their superior quality Christmas tree stand in NYC each winter. This book mixes holiday cheer, some family angst, and some unexpected love stories into a sweet bingeable Christmas read. Mary Kay Andrews is able to create the small town feel with a close knit cast of characters, in a city known for it's holiday charm. I definitely recommend this book by MKA if you are looking for a cozy winter/Christmas read.

One can never have too much Christmas in one's life. A heartwarming Christmas tale is perfect for any day in any season, and Bright Lights, Big Christmas delivers both charming North Carolina fraser fir coziness with the magic of a NYC holiday. The characters were a warm cup of cocoa to soothe one's mind and spirit. MKA delivers a perfect tale to boost your holiday mood whether you are just settling into pumpkin spice and spooky season or jumping right over to gingerbread spice and Mariah Carey on replay.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Every year, the Tolliver Family Tree Farm has a Christmas tree lot on the same corner in Greenwich Village. The neighbors there are like a second family to them. This year, Kerry has to go in place of her dad, since he just had heart surgery., so she will join her brother Murphy and his dog Queenie. They spend the entire Christmas season selling trees, and living out of Spammy, the decades old camper that the family has always used. Kerry forms deep friendships with several of the locals especially a man named Patrick & his young son Austin, and an elderly man named Heinz. When Heinz goes missing right before Christmas, Kerry is determined to find him and make sure he is ok. Also, the closer it gets to Christmas Day, and time for Kerry & Murphy to head back home to the mountains of North Carolina, the deeper her feelings for Patrick become, & the more certain she feels this is right where she belongs.

This is another great Christmas story by this talented author. She has a way of making you feel like you are there in the midst of it all, watching it unfold. I could almost smell the pine trees. This has all of the earmarks of a great Christmas novel - a captivating storyline, a little bit of romance, snow, Christmas trees & decorations, .and friends & family gathered together to celebrate. I loved it, and if you are like me and always read a stack of Christmas-themed books around the holidays, then you will want to add this one to your TBR pile.

This is a delightful feel-good book that puts me in the mood for Christmas! I like the characters and how they help and support each other . I always look forward to the next MKA book.

What starts as a bit of Christmas misadventure in Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews, turns into caring, love, romance, and family togetherness.

There’s something so magical about Christmas in NYC. ✨
This was such a charming holiday story!
I often tend to find Christmas books on the corny side, but I loved this one! I enjoyed how the story was centered around Murphy and Kerry working the Christmas tree lot in NYC, but that it had quirky and lovable characters woven in. The short chapters made it easy to pick up and I loved escaping into their daily life. The ending was emotional and perfectly captured the warm and fuzzy Christmas vibes. I was laughing and tearing up throughout.
Add this to your holiday TBR list!