Another pitch perfect Hallmark Holiday movie style Christmas story from one of my fav authors! This was a feel-good small town, Christmas tree farm girly falls for a big city single Dad romance that sees Kerry Toliver traveling to NYC in a beat up vintage trailer to help her family and sell Christmas trees in the city. Charming with tons of feels and a cute story in a story with a fun nod to last year's The santa suit. I adored this one from its cute cover to the heartwarming, kissing only holiday romance! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review!!

Die tiger dads recent heart attack, Kerry must make the trip from he family Xmas tree farm in NC to NYC with her older brother to sell the trees and get the farm back in the black. Kerry and her brother but heads but she comes up with ways to earn them more money. I really enjoyed how Kerry and Patrick come together and also how Kerry struggles with what to do with her life. Great Xmas book.

I received this ARC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. My review is still exactly how I would review this book if I hadn’t received an ARC. I definitely enjoyed reading this and it was a quick slip into the Christmas spirit before I go back to Halloween. Okay so there were positives and negatives to this ARC for sure. There are simply too many story lines occurring. A whole new story like gets introduced in the last hundred pages. I don’t know it seems like I’m getting too much of everything that I feel like in being cheated on the main plot. Now the positives, it was a heart warming read. There was a big Christmas theme, so it wasn’t like a Christmas book with a very small part of it being Christmas. It was overall a fun read.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a sweet, heartwarming holiday read. Siblings Kerry and Murphy Tolliver travel to New York City to sell Christmas trees from their family farm in North Carolina every year. This year, their father isn't able to make the journey so Kerry travels in his place. The siblings meet lots of new folks in the community in NYC and learn a lot about themselves in the process. One highlight of the book is the travel camper, Spammy. It is a character all its own! If you enjoy Mary Kay Andrews's books, especially the seasonal ones, you'll love this one! I am hoping to see it as a movie in the future.

I love this author-every time! This book was a ight hearted, wonderful, holiday read. The descriptions of life in NYC, selling Christmas trees on the street corner, was so real. I read this in Sept. and shivered with the cold of the holiday season in NYC. I loved the characters and wished to read more about them, so in other words, I didn't want to read the last page!

This was a sweet Christmas story! I could see myself sitting by a fire on a winter weekend reading this while the snow fell. Kerry and her brother leave their Christmas tree farm in North Carolina to travel to NYC to sell trees on a corner in Greenwich Village. Everyone in the neighborhood knows the family and Kerry meets Patrick and his son Austin. Sparks fly between Kerry and Patrick, and she knows she needs to make some decisions on what to do about her future. I hope Kerry's brother, Murphy gets his own story next Christmas!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

This is my first May Kay Andrews read and I really enjoyed it! I never used to be a big fan of Christmas stories/movies, but I've been coming around to them over the past few years. This one definitely had that sweet, Hallmark Christmas vibe. The story is about Kerry and her brother, Murphy, and their trip to NYC to sell Christmas trees grown on the family farm in NC. Kerry and Murphy aren't exactly estranged, but they weren't close over the years, so they have a lot of catching up to do - especially when their living quarters is a cramped, old school camper. Murphy is no stranger to the city and has his regulars who help him out every year during the tree selling season. Kerry has the pleasure of meeting all of these wonderful people for the first time (so many great characters!). This was a cute story of new beginnings, friendships, love, and the spirit of Christmas.

Kerry is between jobs so she is living back home in North Carolina at her family's Christmas tree farm. When her father becomes ill she packs up trees with her brother Murphy and drives the camper, Spammy, up to New York City for a month.

This isn't great literature but it was the right book at the right time. I loved all the characters so much and wished I knew more about Claudia and Murphy. Even Spammy was somewhat of a quirky character and New York seemed magical with the hustle and bustle. I could almost smell the pine trees.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.

I loved the Christmas feel and I'm happy more people are using the Christmas tree farm vibes more! It makes it feel more Christmas-y

Loved reading the newest by Mary Kay Andrews! This book has a small town feel set in NYC. Kerry is unexpectedly ends up helping her family’s Christmas tree farm sell trees in NYC and in the meantime she finds new friends, of all ages, and even love. This was a great read to start the Christmas season!

Thank you, NetGalley. What a cozy read! This is the perfect soul cleanser if the news gets you down. I couldn't be side by side with my sibling for many weeks selling trees from the family Christmas farm. Get out the hot chocolate, put on the fireplace and dig in. You might find yourself singing carols after you read this book.

I love a feel-good book for the Holidays and Mary Kay Andrews has not disappointed in the past and she doesn't this time either. The East Village neighborhood in New York Andrews depicts seems to come straight out of the 1950's. Everyone is happy and generous and kind to the Christmas tree vendors who have been coming to their small enclave for years. Not quite believable for New York, but I wanted to believe, and this is a Christmas book after all.

Kerry Tolliver has been downsized from her job as a graphic artist and has moved home to the hill of North Carolina. Her father and brother run a Christmas tree farm and this year due to her father's heart attack, Kerry is needed to help work the lot in New York City. Since this is the farm's income for the year, she really has no choice. She finds herself sharing Spammy, a tiny vintage travel trailer with her gruff brother, Murphy, and his Irish Setter, Queenie. It's cramped and cold but the neighbors are super nice, and a girl has to do what a girl has to do.

Kerry finds herself attracted to a single dad, Patrick and his adorable almost 7-year-old son, Austin. While entertaining Austin with a charming story she and he are creating an elderly man, Heinz, stops and adds to the illustrations. The whole neighborhood comes to be like a family to Kerry and when Heinz hasn't been seen for several days, Kerry starts looking for him.

As the time comes for close the Christmas tree stand, Kerry must make some tough decisions. She has no job back in Tarbutton, South Carolina, but her family is there. What is happening between her and Patrick could be something special, but after only three weeks it's hard to know. She loves the neighborhood but can't even imagine being able to afford to live here or anywhere in the city. Christmas is a special time of year and miracles do happen.

My thanks the Publisher and the Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews was absolutely delightful.

Here is my recommendation: go ahead and order yourself a copy as a gift to yourself (because let’s be real, we all deserve early Christmas gifts). And then, as you are putting away your Halloween decorations later, take a break and open this little holiday treasure. Your heart will thank you.

I read this in two days, finishing one night with just a happy grin on my face. Clocking in at just 288 pages, this novella is filled with wonderful characters, Christmas magic, and a whole lot of found family. If you’re a fan of feel-good Christmas movies, grab this. You’ll laugh and sigh and feel the magic of the season on every page. 5 sparkly Christmas trees for this read. Many thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the arc.

When her dad becomes ill, Kerry is drafted to leave the North Carolina tree farm and join her rather cranky brother in Greenwich Village to man the family's traditional Christmas tree stand. Brother Murphy is used to doing things a certain way, so he and Kerry often butt heads when she offers up new ideas. Like maybe cleaning the adorable trailer they live in to make it actually livable. Yuck. And I must say, the prices are appalling! But I live in Oregon where we have loads of trees, so, shutting up. Murphy is well known and liked among the locals, and Kerry is soon pulled into the little community of quirky and endearing neighbors, and there are even a few sparks with a handsome single dad.
I love Christmas stories, but so many are saccharine or overly predictable, but I am so happy to say this was an absolute delight from start to finish. The characters are well drawn and believable, and the secondary characters equally so - no cardboard here. I especially liked the sometimes combative relationship between Kerry and Murphy as each vied for their own ideas, a real sister/brother relationship. A beautiful job all around. Greatly enjoyed. Highly recommended.

Sometimes you need to dive into a world that's cozy and sweet, where if it doesn't work out by the end, it's not the end. That's when you might grab one of Mary Kay Andrews' novels to envelop you in a warm holiday hug. You have to believe in a bit of magic, insta-love and a whole lot of good luck.

You'll also find lovable characters - in this case we have Kerry, her half brother Murphy, and their trusty camper, Spammy. The 3 of them are parked in the West Village to sell the Christmas trees from their father's farm, Kerry joining for the first time as her father recovers from a health scare.

Murphy, though, has been there before - he knows everyone, and everyone knows him. This isn't gritty NYC, or anonymous and indifferent the way the city might be, at times. This neighborhood is full of friendly neighbors who let Kerry use their showers, warm restaurant owners who feed her, and a cute kid, Austin, who takes an immediate shine to her. So does Austin's dad, and there is our romance.

Throw in an eccentric and somewhat mysterious gentleman, Heinz, that joins the fray. There's a bit of a Great Expectations tinge to the story as Kerry unravels his past, and for what he does for her future.

The writing is easy and the world is enchanting for as long as you're reading, which makes it all worthwhile.

This one is perfect for anyone who loves a holiday romance or a Hallmark holiday movie. This one had all the elements of a seasonal read:
🎄 A down on her luck heroine helping out her family Christmas tree stand for the holidays
💚 Set in the big city of NYC where anything can happen in the week’s leading to the holidays
🎄A precocious child with a big imagination and a handsome single dad
❤️ A colorful cast of characters that build a wonderful community including a mysterious hermit, a grumpy brother, and lots of eclectic shop owners

A must read if you’re looking for a little holiday spirit!

I have a confession to make. Until reading The Newcomer recently, I had never read any of Mary Kay Andrews’ books. I know. Weird, right? But after reading it, I decided to pick up more of her books in the future, which lands me here with Bright Lights, Big Christmas. I would call it a sweet romance with fade-to-black scenes that you’d expect from a light yet emotional journey for the characters. If you’re like me and love a great holiday read any time of the year, this is one you definitely should read. Written from the heroine’s point of view, the secondary characters are significant and meaningful for her (and their own) growth throughout the story. It’s more chick-lit than romance, now that I think about it, but it does have a HEA. Bright Lights, Big Christmas should be the book you reach for when you’re in the mood for something far from angsty yet a worthy emotional journey.

NICUnurse’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a sweet holiday story that has great characters. A strained relationship between a brother and sister divided by the parents' divorce is further tested as they struggle to save their ailing father's Christmas tree farm business. The stresses and strains of navigating their failing sales numbers are exacerbated by hurts from the past, and the machinations of a rival business owned by brothers who don't mind using a bit of sabotage in the competition. The motley crew of neighbors surrounding them in the East Village neighborhood lends support, but many of them are experiencing their own struggles. The story develops the relationships amongst all these characters as the Christmas season plays out, and Kerry and Murphy get help from unexpected quarters and have their lives changed by the time Christmas Eve rolls around. I loved the two siblings, love interest Patrick and his son Austin, Claudia, Murphy's girlfriend, Vic the high school helper, and Heinz, the crusty elderly gent who surprises them all. The ups and downs of the various characters keep the story moving along toward the requisite happy ending. This holiday novel is a sure bet if you like a skillfully-written Hallmark-style Christmas story with a lot of heart, engaging characters with depth, and tales of triumphing over adversity by means of accepting the support of others and giving them support in return.

A sweet and charming holiday romance set in NYC. Brother and sister Murphy and Kerry Tolliver come to the city to sell Christmas trees grown on the family farm in North Carolina. Normally their father Jock would be there working with Murphy but he's recovering from a heart attack. And since Kerry was recently let go from her job as a graphic artist, her family has roped her into pitching in.

Kerry quickly gets the hang of things, making friends with the neighborhood people, crafting gorgeous wreaths to sell, and doodling sketches in her spare time. Soon she finds herself working on a children's story with the little boy living in the building next door with the oh so handsome and recently-divorced father.

As always, this is a quick and heart-warming story from the inimitable Mary Kay Andrews, a perfect gift idea for the holidays.

I received an arc of this new novel from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Oh how I hope this will become a Christmas movie.! Once again as only Mary Kay Andrews can do, she has written a wonderful Christmas story filled with love and hope. Kerry is guilted into helping sell Christmas trees along with her grumpy older brother in New York City. They drive a trailer of trees from their father’s tree farm in North Carolina and also Spammy a relict of an old broken down camper. Being in their usual neighborhood spot as several problems to overcome. But finding new friends, that became a family to Kerry helps her find herself again after losing her job and having to economize by moving in with her mom.
Wonderful characters, just love little Austin and the recluse Heinz. I did read the book and listened to the audiobook, both are winners! This definitely has the Christmas spirit written throughout.
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #BrightLightsBigChristmas #MaryKayAndrews