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Bright Lights Big Christmas
By: May Kay Andrews
Publication date: September 26, 2023

Kerry is spending time on her family’s Christmas tree farm after losing her job. When fall rolls around she to New York to help her older brother sell Christmas trees. Once she gets there she quickly gets close to cute single dad Patrick.

Let me start off with what I liked about this book:
- [ ] Kerry is a great MFC
- [ ] The little boy/Kerrie’s relationship
- [ ] The hallmark movie vibes

What wasn’t my favorite:
- [ ] The brother bothered me and idk why
- [ ] Patrick was to heads over heals for Kerry

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me this ACR in exchange for my honest reviewer.

Big Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews is a must read this Christmas season. I am a huge Mary Kay Andrews fan and I am especially fond of her Christmas stories. She always seems to capture the magic of Christmas. This is another heartwarming tale with wonderful characters.

The Tolliver Family owns a tree farm and sell their trees in the Village of New York City. This year will not be the usual trip to the city. This year Kerry is going to New York with her brother Murphy. Murphy is used to taking after his father and doing the same thing year after year at the family tree stand. At the center of this story is reinvention. Ms. Andrews reminds her faithful readers that sometimes we can’t rely on the ‘old’ way of doing things. Kerry and Murphy learn to reinvent the Tolliver Christmas Tree Stand.

Another thread running through this story is inter-generational friendships. Each of the characters is seen putting the needs of others ahead of their own. The relationship between old and young is endearing to say the least.

The characters are wonderful. They are original, funny, kind, and definitely memorable. Even the secondary characters were charming and as the reader you feel drawn to them as well. It was heartwarming to see the relationships/friendships that the Tollivers have made over the past thirty years running their tree stand.

As usual Mary Kay Andrews has another winner on her hands. This is a fun captivating read and I recommend it highly. Well done.

I would like to thank Mary Kay Andrews, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for a happy Christmas Story with a delightfully, lovely ending this book is for you!!!!!!!!! I fell in love with these characters and you will too.

I loved the characters, the setting and the storyline of this book! A cute story of a family Christmas tree farm in NYC and the challenges but positives. The supporting characters are fantastic! I highly recommend this for the holiday season as a feel good read! I am even going to go back and read Mary Kay Andrews backlist holiday boos!

What a delightful holiday warm cup of cocoa of a book! I loved the characters … especially Kerry and Austin. It was entertaining to watch Kerry and her brother learn to appreciate each other and what they had to offer to help sell Christmas trees in Greenwich Village, NY. The people they interacted with as they passed them on the street or stopped to purchase trees or wreaths, the shopkeepers in the area, the neighbors who took the time to interact with them … made the story heartwarming. Of course, there were a few of the typical irritating characters that you would expect in New York during the Christmas holidays, but overall, there was a feeling of warmth and caring. Sharing a small camper, Spammy, with her brother will have you chuckling. And as Kerry tries diligently to find one of the gentlemen who always stopped by the tree stand, Heinz, you will discover that she has a heart of gold. This is definitely a heartwarming tale with a little bit of romance … but not over the top. It will definitely be a book I buy for my friends to enjoy.

A special note: I smiled at the mention of The Santa Suit, a previous novel by Mary Kay Andrews. And if you haven’t read that one yet, you need to rush out and buy it! A wonderful holiday treat!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

An oh, so enjoyable story of family, friends, and love centered around a family Christmas tree lot in New York City. Brother and sister Murphy and Kerry bring their family farm Christmas trees to their longtime lot in the city. Kerry does not usually go but her father’s illness has forced her to go. She meets Patrick and his adorable son Austin and they bond with the mysterious older man Heinz as they write a story together. The sense of family and friendship flows off the pages.
If you have never read any of Mary Kay Andrews novels, you will find them to be great stories with wonderful characters. I love her writing and how much she adds to each character's personality and background. Her novels are always a delight to read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a sweet little Christmas read. As cozy as drinking a cup of hot chocolate and watching your favourite holiday movie.

I really liked Kerry Tolliver as the MC. I enjoyed her spunkiness in dealing with a less than ideal situation. I didn’t really feel the chemistry during her and Patrick, but his son was sweet.

The most enjoyable part of this book was the setting. The author does a great job of setting the scene, and it really has that holiday magic feel.


Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an ARC of this book to read and review.

It truly starts to feel like the Christmas season after you’ve read a Mary Kay Andrews Christmas book!

I really adored this story, I love the sibling dynamic and family storyline it has.

The setting is lovely, the characters are interesting, and I know for sure I will be reading this again soon!

Thank you to the publisher for an arc copy in exchange for a review!

MKA s holiday books are always my favorite and the first Christmas book I read this year was Bright Lights, Big Christmas and it was adorable!

I know I'm the crazy girl reading all of my holiday romances in September & October for Pub Day publicity but this book will put you into the holiday spirit.

Kerry's family had a Christmas tree farm in Western North Carolina but they have sold trees in Greenwich Village in NYC for 30 years. This year her Dad can't travel so she goes with her brother. Despite the cramped quarters in their vintage travel trailer, Kerry quickly falls in love with the neighborhood and neighbors.

This was such a cute and fun book. There is the right amount of Christmas, new friends and romance in this sweet book. If you read one holiday book this year, it should be Mary Kay Andrew's!

Thanks to @stmartinspress for my copy of Bright Lights, Big Christmas! It comes out Tuesday - September 26th!

Truly a sweet and entertaining holiday story! Centering around a family who runs a tree farm and travels from North Carolina to New York City each year to set up their tree stand, Ms. Andrews had me feeling so nostalgic for my childhood. We visited a Christmas tree stand every year, and I remember how fun it was walking through it to pick out that perfect tree.

I loved the cast of characters, and the comradery and friendship that existed in that small section of the city.

This story certainly had all the charm I've come to expect in a Mary Kay Andrews book. I would have liked a bit more actual romance between Kerry and Patrick, they fell into insta-love and the book ended before we ever seem them truly together, but other than that, it was a very enjoyable read and got the ball rolling on my holiday reads this year!

Bright Lights, BIG THUMBS UP!!! I adored this book from start to finish. The characters and story were absolutely Hallmark movie worthy!!! We can all learn so much about putting others before ourselves, being kind and treasure the moments you get with the ones you love. Definitely a great book to read to kickoff the upcoming holiday season.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Mary Kay Andrews for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!!

Mary Kay Andrews moves north! Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a lovely story about the Tolliver family and their Christmas tree farm in North Carolina. They depend on their holiday sales in NYC to keep the farm going, but their usual arrangements are upended when their father faces some medical challenges. Daughter Kerry happens to be available and so she and her grumpy older brother, Murphy, tackle the city together. It's an eye opening experience for both siblings, and an interesting, heart warming story for the reader. I loved catching the connection with The Santa Suit (thought the town of Tarburton sounded familiar when I first started the book) and Ms. Andrews' small southern town spin on NYC!
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read Bright Lights, Big Christmas in exchange for an honest review.

Please note that as a reader, I live for Mary Kay Andrews's annual book release because she is the reason I read Southern Fiction now. I especially love this one because the South comes to the North with holiday decor! I love the setting, I love the storyline. I love the authenticity of a grumpy older brother who's invested in the family business. I love the little camper! I love the New York style homes and the New York style neighborhoods and even the expensive New York boutiques. I'm not sure there's anything that would have made this book a more perfect christmas read.

Kerry drives up to NYC from her families farm in North Carolina, to sell Christmas trees in a corner lot in the West Village with her brother Murphy. There’s a bit of pressure as her father is recovering from a health scare, and the farm hasn’t been as profitable as they’d like. Kerry and her brother Murphy are welcomed with open arms by the community surrounding the lot, and they find creative ways to offer their holiday services. Kerry meets Patrick, a single dad who lives in the city. She has to leave before Christmas, so the question is— what happens to them after Christmas?

Where I wanted more from this book was on the romance side. Kerry and Patrick needed more build up, and then there was a rushed ending. I also felt like Patrick was pushy, and I just couldn’t fully feel their natural chemistry.

However, I loved the story, and the wide cast of characters we get to meet in NYC during the holidays (which is magical in and of itself). The scenery is so fun, and overall this is a fun, light holiday read that I enjoyed!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

This is a compelling Christmas novella about a young woman who fulfills her obligation to her family and ends up in NYC, trying to track down a missing elderly woman, live in in old camper with no amenities and sell Christmas trees for her family along with her brother Murphy. The character of Murphy is gruff and hard to like but very realistic. I enjoyed the extra details that the author included, like how hard it is to park a camper ini NYC and the camaraderie of the people who live in the neighborhood where the Tollivers sell their trees annually. The character of Kerry Tolliver is relatable and dynamic, with the story centered around her and how she adapts to staying in the city while helping out her family. Kerry is an unemployed graphic artist, so that was an interesting detail that added to the story as she used her free time to sketch and proved to be quite talented. I really enjoyed how she met Patrick, the man who took her parking space and also the father of a precocious dragon-loving boy named Austin. Kerry, who didn’t seem to really fit in anywhere, finds that she can change and be what people need her to be and also stay true to herself. This is a predictable story, but a great one worth reading with all kinds of quirky characters and all of the hectic pace of a big city at Christmastime. The plot was well-paced, perfect for the action, and I enjoyed reading how problems kept arising and the Tollivers were able to help out, even with their country ways. With down-to-earth writing and a story that reached into my heart, this is a great story for the holiday season or anytime when you need encouragement to believe in the goodwill of mankind.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

There’s nothing like a fresh new MKA book to make the world go away. I loved the concept of living in a dingy little travel trailer and selling Christmas trees in the heart of New York City.
I loved how creative Kerry was and all,the ways she made pictures and art with wreaths. Murphy, a grumpy grisly bear, has some soft spots. Austin is an irresistible imp who scampers through the pages. I loved Heinz because I knew there was much more to the story. I also liked the neighborhood community Andrews brought to life.
The only thing I was disappointed with was more with Murphy and Claudia’s story and where it was headed.

Christmas in the heart of New York City. I thought my favorite book setting was Alaska, but this has just taken over! Being among the hustle and bustle of the city life around the biggest holiday of the year would be so fun! I loved experiencing it all through Kerry’s eyes as an adult because she had not been to NYC since she was a kid.

The kindness and warmth of the people living in the surrounding neighborhood had a small town feeling to it. A little romance thrown in was icing on the cake! If you’re looking for your perfect holiday read then you have found it!

There is nothing better than a Mary Kay Andrews Christmas book. This book is filled with the wonder and spirit of Christmas at its finest as this group of characters from all walks of life come together to find the true spirit of Christmas. To make this Christmas story even more special it is set in New York. The Tolliver family have been coming to New York for many years to sell their Christmas trees. This year things are a little different as Mr. Tolliver is unable to travel with his son due to an illness. This means his daughter, Kerry, gets to travel with her grumpy brother, Murphy, to New York to sell their trees, along with a precious little dog named Queenie where they will stay in a vintage camper while they sell their trees.

Mary Kay Andrews is a rich storyteller who knows how to bring her characters and her settings to life, and evoke memories of Christmas and family. I could imagine the wonderful smell of the Christmas trees and coffee and cocoa. This was a delightful story of the true Christmas spirit when you care for others more than yourself. Each character had their own personal struggles which made them even more real to me. Heinz was my favorite character. I will not share too much about him, as you will need to read the book to find out his story. Murphy was a grump who needed a good punch in the gut. A true scrooge selling Christmas trees of all things. He needed a good dose of Christmas spirit. I closed this book with a contented sigh as Mary Kay Andrews has done it again by bringing Christmas spirit to life in print.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews is the light-hearted, feel-good Christmas story you are looking for. It is the story of two estranged siblings: Murph and his younger sister, Kerry, who drive from North Carolina to New York City to set up a Christmas tree lot, just like his family had for years. Murph had been doing it with his dad all his life. Kerry remembered coming when she was a small child, before her parents got divorced and she went with her mother. True, she only went five miles, but it was a lifetime away. Murph drove the big truck with the trailer carrying the trees, and Kerry drive the pickup truck pulling the little trailer, Spammy, that they always lived in while in New York. Kerry met all kinds of people who knew Murph, but she made some new friends of her own, primarily Austin and his father Patrick, and an old man named Heinz. Kerry was a graphic designer, out of work, and sketched when it got slow. She, Austin, and Heinz were working on a book together. All kinds of thing happened at the Christmas tree lot.

Kerry was afraid of living, of taking a chance. She had gotten out of a relationship that hadn’t been what she had thought, and she had lost her job due to a merger. She had moved back to stay with her mother, but knew that wasn’t a long term solution. Austin was a very small boy with a big heart. His parents were divorced but instead of trading him back and forth every week, they took turns staying with him in what had been their home, an apartment right down the street. Murph was a good man, but very isolated from the real world. They were good characters, and Andrews did a wonderful job fleshing them out. There was not a huge big plot, although there were several smaller ones. It was almost a slice-of-life novel, focusing on those three weeks at the tree lot, but is was so much more, focusing on new relationships for all of them. Totally the definition of a feel-good novel.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Bright Lights, Big Christmas by St. Martin’s Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #MaryKayAndrews #BrightLightsBigChristmas

Mary Kay Andrews always brings 5 Stars!!!! I love this author! And like The Santa Suit, this novel is an incredible holiday story! I was hooked from page one and could not put it down. It’s full of family life and drama, simple joys, community, humor, and love. The characters are so completely developed, I felt like I knew each of them personally.

The core of the story is the Tolliver Family, who had been growing Fraser Firs in ‘western’ North Carolina for four decades.

Each holiday season, the Tollivers would head out to sell their trees on a specific corner in the West Village of New York City. In the past several decades, it was usually Murphy (now 39) and his father that made the trip. They always stayed across from the stand in their tiny dilapidated trailer. They had their own way of doing things and worked well together.

Unfortunately, their father suffered a heart attack just weeks before they were to leave for New York. As their father could not make the trip, Kerry (34), stepped in to take his place. Kerry and Murphy did not grow up in the same home and were polar opposites. It quickly became evident that the usual way of doing things would not work. With trials and tribulations, Kerry and Murphy blended their styles together and made it work.

Along the way, many interesting characters came along and added bright colors to the story.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas was a fun book to read and I’m sad that I’m done. I want to stand behind Mary Kay and read her next novel as she’s writing it. I’m a fan for life.

I received this advanced reader’s copy free from Author Mary Kay Andrews, Publisher St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley. This is a voluntary review, and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.