Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Women's Fiction
Expected Publication Date: September 26, 2023

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a standalone Christmas romance by Mary Kay Andrews and is a must read for 2023!

I absolutely loved this book! The characters were interesting, the story was fascinating and I felt like I was a part of the neighborhood in New York! I was captivated by this book! It's a fun Christmas story and I look forward to re-reading it this holiday season! This is a heartwarming book that I didn't want to put down!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Kerry Tolliver is reluctantly helping out her family after her dad was hospitalized — that means leaving North Carolina after Thanksgiving to help her brother Murphy run a Christmas tree lot in Manhattan. Her temporary “home” is going to be an ancient trailer home nicknamed “Spammy” while relying on the kindness of nearby cafes and delicatessens for bathroom facilities. She’s a recently laid off ad agency employee whose boyfriend has ghosted her. As her funds and means of support disappeared, she returned back to Tarburton, NC to do freelance work, but her mother has pointed out that Kerry is turning into a loner. Maybe a month in NYC will change that.

And it does. Working on the tree lot turns into a magical experience as Kerry befriends shopkeepers, neighbors, little neighbor boys (and their single dads), grumpy old artists, and social influencers while competing with the cut-rate Brody Brothers’s tree lot (which has set up shop down the street).

This is a super sweet story as Kerry sells trees, works ridiculously hard, and eases into a romance with single dad, Patrick, and his adorable son, Austin. It’s filled with a great sense of Christmas spirit and it’s going to be a great story to read during the holidays (hopefully in front of a fire with a mug of hot chocolate). “Bright Lights, Big Christmas” would also be a great book club choice during the holiday! 4 stars!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Just some very blue ones
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO But the fragrance of Fraser fir trees pervades the story since the Tollivers own a Christmas tree farm.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a cute, quick read for the holidays where this family sells Christmas trees in NC for the holidays. This book was just ok for me. I loved her last year's Christmas book much much better. I felt it was missing something but not sure what. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

Mary Kay Andrews has done it again. This book has all the feels--laughter, joy, sadness, hope. Now I want to spend a month in New York City selling Christmas Trees.

PS: Spammy is my favorite character in this book

Loved it! Cute story filled with the joy and surprises of Christmas. Mary Kay Andrews is one of my favorites and she never disappoints. This one will fill you with the joy of the season!

This was a cute Christmas rom com and I enjoyed the plot. I wish it had mentioned more about New York City but I still enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to honestly review.

The Tollivers have a Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina in the holiday novella Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews due out September 26. Usually, Murphy and his father Jock haul the trees to New York City to sell starting a month before Christmas, but this year, Jock’s health is interfering with their usual plans so Murphy tells his sister Kerry that she has to step up.

Kerry moved back home to NC recently after being termed “redundant” in her art agency job. She is reluctant to haul the Tolliver’s small, dilapidated camper to New York to provide a place for her and Murphy to live while selling the trees. But when push comes to shove, Kerry musters up the energy to hall “Spammy” to New York with her father’s truck.

The Tolliver family has developed great relationships over the years with the business owners and residents in Greenwich Village where they set up a lot to sell their trees. When another tree company tries to undersell the Tollivers, arranging their business just across the street, Kerry ups their game using her artistic abilities. The competitors challenge back with theft and vandalism until Murphy stands up to them.

Embraced by their temporary neighbors, Kerry becomes close with Patrick and his son Austin along with an aging gentleman known as Heinz as well as the retail shop owners. Restaurant owner Claudia feeds the Tollivers and provides restroom facilities while the bakery next door to her provides plenty of coffee and pastries.

When Heinz goes missing, Kerry and Murphy make a wide search of the area looking for him. Turns out, there is much that the Tollivers and the residents in Greenwich Village do not know about the elderly man who they think may be homeless.

When Patrick wants to dial up the friendship to romance, Kerry is reluctant, although she isn’t immune to his charms nor those of his sweet son Austin. She and Murphy are supposed to be heading back to North Carolina to spend Christmas with their mother and father; however, a snowstorm along with icy roads threatens to delay their plans to return home for Christmas.

Mary Kay Andrews, the Queen of Summer Reads, has provided readers with another holiday novella following her last one, The Santa Suit. Andrews, a pseudonym for Kathy Hogan Trocheck, splits her time between Atlanta and a second home on Tybee Island.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting August 13, 2023.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

NYC, family-business, family, family-dynamics, siblings, romance, women's-fiction, friendship, pet-dog, situational-humor, novella*****

Another perfect holiday treat from this favorite author. The publisher's blurb is a good hook and the writing is always wonderful and full of truly engaging characters. Loved it!
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you

This is not the first book by author Mary Kay Andrews that I have read. I enjoyed the story of Murphy and Kerry Tolliver trying to keep their father’s tree farm afloat by going to New York City to sell Christmas trees. It has been a family tradition for decades but not one Kerry has assisted in a long time. Their father suffers some health issues and cannot make the month-long trip out of town so Kerry is roped into helping Murphy.

This is a great feel-good story. I enjoyed how quickly the author gets you involved with the characters, the sub-plots and all. The main characters, Patrick, his son Austin, the older artist, and the neighborhood residents.
I felt like I was in the middle of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Bring it on especially in the warm August month in which I read it.

I was given an advanced copy through Netgalley and am not required to leave a positive review. I plan to add this book to my re-read list whenever I need a pick me up.

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martins press for giving me this arc in exchange for a honest review.

The perfectly balanced Christmas book. If you love hallmark movies, small town vibes with all the found family feelings this one’s for you.

Will have you wanting to light the fireplace, cozy up in a blanket with some hot coco. A super feel good story.

I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend.

Kerry Tolliver, out of a job and back home in Carolina, finds herself assigned to accompany her brother Murph to New York City to set up camp selling home-grown Christmas trees in Greenwich Village. Despite warm memories from past years before their parents divorced, she dreads the experience. Having only.a vintage trailer with neither cooking nor bathroom facilities to be her home for a month, she relies on the kindness of strangers to meet her needs. Her needs are met and new friends involve themselves in her life. A young boy and his dad and an elderly artist are the most important. This is my second Mary Kay Andrews Christmas novel and, as with last year’s, I loved it. It is a holiday treat anytime of year!

This is a cute story with a delightful cast of characters. It is set around a Christmas tree lot. A story about family, friends and a love story. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

📝 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐭 𝐔𝐩
Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews tells the story of Kerry Tolliver and her adventure in New York City helping her older brother Murphy manage the Christmas tree stand that her family has set up in Greenwich Village for decades selling the finest Fraser Fir Christmas trees from their family tree farm in North Carolina. Along the way, Kerry forges special bonds with people who live in the village while experiencing the beauty of the Big City for the first time.


💭 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
This book was such a sweet, lighthearted, charming holiday story that gave me all the warm and cozy feels, reminding me of a Hallmark Christmas movie. The community and unlikely friendships Kerry finds within this city was a world I found myself wanting to be enveloped in as well. There was also a bit of holiday romance sprinkled in as well although it wasn’t the main focus of the story and I found myself wishing for more chemistry between Kerry and Patrick. I enjoyed all of the side characters, especially Patrick and his son Austin as well as the elderly Mr. Heinz and his story we got a glimpse of towards the end. Lastly, I love how the Tolliver’s family tree farm was in North Carolina which also happens to be my home state and the vintage little camper named Spammy that Kerry and her brother lived out of during their time in New York City. Overall this was a fun holiday read and I’d recommend it!

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

This is my first Christmas novel for this year, and it will be difficult to find a better one! I absolutely loved this book! For starters, my home state is NC, the home for the Tollivers and their tree farm. Although I don't live in the mountains, this book took me there, and I could see the hillsides covered in Christmas trees, all different sizes. A beauty to behold! I have traveled to NYC and could see Murphy and Kerry set up on a busy corner with a tree standing selling our beautiful NC trees! I will definitely be recommending this book to others and think it will make a great gift!

Kerry Tolliver has no idea that selling Christmas trees with her grumpy brother, Murphy, is just what she needs. After losing her job & living with her mom, Kerry needs to find a new direction. Kerry & Murphy set up the annual family tree lot stocked with trees from their North Carolina tree farm. But the New York City neighborhood & Murphy cause Kerry many challenges-the weather, living in an old beat up camper without running water, & another tree lot trying to steal their business. With the help of new friends , Kerry finds a new path she had only dreamed was possible along with a family of new friends.

Mary Kay Andrews once again draws us into a story of friendship, family & finding the courage to follow your dreams. This is a must read!

Great holiday romance novel! Loved the storyline and holiday theme throughout. Mary Kay Andrews does not disappoint again!

💭Thoughts:
This was a sweet story. I’m a sucker for a cute Christmas romance. I enjoyed the found family aspect of this story. Neighbors coming together to help neighbors. Every time I read a Christmas story I want to move to a snowy small town and never leave. This story had all the things I love- cute kids, cute dogs, grumpy old men, single dads, and a FMC wanting a fresh start.

This is a cute, quick read that will definitely put you in the Christmas spirit!

Mary Kay Andrews' books never disappoint, and Bright Lights, Big Christmas is no exception. Kerry Tolliver helps out her family's Christmas tree business by travelling with her brother from North Carolina to New York City to sell trees. Andrews paints a realistic picture of selling Christmas trees in New York. The cast of characters is varied but friendships develop with some of the long-time customers in the neighborhood. Kerry's soul searching, new friends, and helping her family all mesh together in a wonderful story.

You won't be able to put this one down. I read it in a little over a day!

Mary Kay Andrews has always delivered a great holiday read that I love. I knew when I saw this one, I immediately wanted to read it. Of course this one did not disappoint and I got a great Christmas read once again.

Kerry Tolliver lives in the mountains of North Carolina with her family on the Tolliver Christmas Tree farm. With the upcoming holiday season fast approaching, Kerry is going to have to pitch in for her dad unlike any year before. Her dad just had open heart surgery and is in no shape to be in the cold New York winter selling Christmas trees, even though he has a different opinion. Kerry's brother is already in New York setting up the Tolliver Christmas Tree stand and Kerry is going to drive Spammy, the tin box camper to New York and meet her brother and stay for the holiday season. Kerry is not happy about all of it but she knows that she can't let her dad down and if she doesn't go, her dad will try to. Kerry's mom is tasked with the job of taking care of Kerry's dad, even though they have long been divorced.

When Kerry gets Spammy to New York and tries to set up, there is a car that is parked in their place and so Kerry has to park a little ways from the stand and wait for them to move. The car seems to take forever and the owner just keeps coming out to get things out of the car, but never moves the vehicle. Kerry ends up confronting the owner in a heated discussion and meets Patrick. Patrick is a divorced dad that has a son, Austin. Austin is a pretty good kid and has helped Kerry's brother out on some days in the stand. Of course he is young so it is more just letting Austin be a part of what is going on instead of him working. Kerry soon connects with Austin and they hit it off pretty much immediately.

Kerry meets some of the nicest people in the neighborhood. She soon comes to feel that she has a great big family in the New York neighborhood. There is one exception to the people though and that is the brothers that set up across the street to sell their Christmas trees at a lower rate than the Tolliver's. The brother's will come to be a thorn in the Tolliver's side, but Kerry and her brother soon put an end to them being so mean and nasty.

Kerry also makes friends with an older man in the neighborhood that everyone thinks is homeless. He gives Kerry advice on some of her sketches she does with Austin. Austin and Kerry end up making a story and illustrating it together. The old man gives her advice and soon they have a great story going that Austin is excited about and can't wait to finish it.

This story will warm your heart and leave you longing for some Christmas weather and cheer. I fell in love with the characters and the storyline of this book. I am always sad when these books come to an end because I get so caught up in them and feel like these characters are part of my life. A great read that I am sure you will love as well.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. Such a great read.

Mary Kay Andrews's books are reliable for a readable Hallmark movie. A Christmas one is even better. This is the sort of book that reminds you that hope is never far away and good can come from anywhere. I enjoyed it, but wish it wasn't quite so predictable.