Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews is a wonderful second chance that takes place during the Christmas tree selling season. While the family is from western NC the story takes place in the Big Apple turned magical during the holiday season. Keeping the family tree farm profitable is a big endeavor for Kerry and her brother Murphy. Living together in a small trailer for two months is an even bigger challenge. Add competition, new romance brewing for Kerry and you have an entertaining read.

Ms. Andrews hit the mark with this enchanting read just in time to get you in the Christmas spirit. Sometime hard work deserves a little Christmas magic and a whole lot of love causing one to step out of their comfort zone. Read Bright Lights, Big Christmas, it is a thumb up holiday story.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a joyful, feel good Christmas story that you could only get from Mary Kay Andrews. The characters were well formed and made you feel like you knew them and could feel their joy and pain. The difference from the main characters' home on a Christmas tree farm in North Carolina and the streets of New York City, where they sold their trees, was well presented. Put the holidays behind this scenery and characters and you have the perfect Christmas story that we all expect from Mary Kay Andrews.
Make a cup of hot chocolate and sit back and enjoy reading Bright Lights, Big Christmas.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

I love all of Mary Kay Andrews’ books but this one was exceptionally good. After losing her job and having to move in with her mom, Kerry and her brother Murph go to NYC to sell Christmas trees from their NC farm. Kerry is replacing her dad who is recovering from a heart attack. Murph has run the corner stand for years and knows all of the locals . The siblings live in a tiny, tear shaped, ancient camper nicknamed Spammy. Kerry brings her own twists to improving the business. She rediscovers her love of art working on wreathes and illustrating a story with Austin, a neighborhood kindergartener. There is some romance coupled with found family vibes. It was a new take on a traditional Christmas book This will be a great read for the holidays but I thoroughly enjoyed it now. I thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This heartwarming story set between North Carolina and New York City’s Greenwich Village gives you a feeling of warmth and family among people who should be strangers in a city that is known for people, not knowing each other. The struggles of a family to survive, and to find partners for the two children of separated parents makes this a very heartwarming, beautiful little read. I couldn’t wait to find out whether or not there would be a “happily ever after" in this book. But knowing Mary Kay Andrews, I knew I would be happy at the end of the book with the exception of it, and it too quickly.

Meet Kerry Tolliver and brother Murphy and dog Queenie as the drive their trees from North Carolina to NYC. The neighborhood knows and anticipates the Tolliver's trees. See how this welcoming neighborhood aids and takes in the Tollivers. Each character is so welcoming and interesting.

If you need a pick me up! run don't walk to get a copy.

This book is sticky sweet: just what you'd expect for a christmas story!
Kerry comes to NYC to sell Christmas trees with her (not close) brother Murphy after her father has a health condition. The story unfolds over the few weeks before Christmas as Kerry and a wide cast of NY side characters reinvigorate a love for design and art, strike up friendships, find love, save an old man, and spread christmas spirit.
A lot of this story is a suspension of disbelief, but isn't that a bit what you're looking for in a story about Christmas? There is nothing deep about this story but I"m not sure there would need to be! The love story seems a bit forced but its brimming with PG-13 goodness, and you can't help but love the male lead and his son.
Overall this is a cutesy, fun, heart-warming story.

I recommend this book with my whole heart. It has a bit of everything in it. As you can see from the synopsis, this is a book that should hit all the right notes with readers who like a short novel filled with interesting characters, holiday madness, sad moments and happy moments, a bit of a mystery, and the chance at love.

I also learned a bit about Christmas tree farming and the selling of trees in New York City, which is odd since I live in an area with many tree farms, and I've never paid much attention to what it takes to work a farm like these. I love learning a little something while I read.

After several months of reading books that were unsatisfying, I hit on this gem!

Yes, it is a bit early to read a Christmas book, but it is well worth it. I will be doing a re-read later on, closer to the season.

I highly recommend this book to those who love Fannie Flagg, Dorothy Benton Frank, Anne B. Ross, and of course, this author.

*ARC supplied by the publisher St. Martin's Press, Mary Kay Andrews author, and Net
Galley. My thanks.

Coming for Christmas is another Mary Kay Andrews special! Once again she nails it with great characters (including a rundown camper called Spammie) and a great setting (a Christmas tree lot in NYC).

Personal opinion: it’s a little bit sappy. But I LOVE sappy and it just fit my mood (for me Christmas in July). This is a great book to get you started on the Christmas season.

Themes: 🌆🎄🏕️❤️💖

My thoughts: 😀😊😍🥰😘🥳🎅🤶🎄

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I love this book! It made me want to put up my Christmas tree, walk around the New York City St. at Christmas time, have a hot cup of cocoa and more importantly, this book was about friendships, family, being there for each other, helping each other, and letting others help you to reach your potential.

Kerry Tolliver is dreading living in a trailer for a month on the New York City streets while she helps her brother Murphy sell Christmas trees… Something the family has been doing for years… Slowly, Kerry becomes ingrained in this neighborhood, and with the people all around her!

Kerry Tolliver is camping out in the West Village with her brother in the weeks leading up to Christmas to sell trees from their family's North Carolina farm. As the siblings get to know their new neighbors, they become enmeshed in the local community in ways neither of them expected.

I love the way Mary Kay Andrews writes people and found family in particular. This Christmas-set story is no exception. Despite taking place in NYC, this book still has has the small town vibes of any Mary Kay Andrews book, along with humor, heart, and a whole lot of feel good vibes. I personally could have done without the romance angle, as I felt it was underdeveloped and consequently underwhelming, but I loved the brief mention of characters from The Santa Suit! Overall, this is a cozy holiday read to tuck into with a cup of hot cocoa and a soft blanket.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for gifting me with an ARC to review! I really enjoyed it.

Thank you Netgalley for an early eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Mary Kay Andrews always delivers such well rounded, cute stories. They always give off "small town romance" vibes, and I can see why people eat them up every year. This book is like Christmas in a cup that leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy. This book was super lighthearted with clean romance and really sweet characters. There was different family dynamics and lots of moments that left me smiling. This is the perfect book to read by the fire this fall to get in the Christmas spirit.

It’s Christmas time and Kerry Tolliver and her older brother are headed north on their vintage trailer from their Christmas Tree Farm on North Carolina to New York where her family has been selling Christmas Trees since she was a child. As the story unfolds, Kerry meets the neighborhood folk while trying to find herself.

This is a cute Hallmark style romance. Small town girl, Kerry finds herself fully immersed in the West Village and the residents of the neighbor, including the Austin, the young boy, his dad, Patrick, the recent divorcee and Heinz, the mysterious nonagenarian. I felt the relationship between Patrick
and Kerry was overshadowed somewhat by the relationship between Austin, the young boy and Kerry almost to the point where I was slightly surprised by a late scene that seem to come at me from a cold start. I loved Heinz character, and would like to have seen more of his backstory mold the storyline or found family. Overall a sweet closed door, or should I say closed trailer door, romance for the holidays.

Thank you @netgalley for the
Opportunity to read this early in return for an honest review

My thanks to Net Galley, St Martin s,and the personal invitation I received to review this book.

LOVED this book! Reading this was like experiencing a warm holiday hug. The author creates wonderful visuals with the narrative that makes you see the Christmas tree stand the characters work at. You can easily connect with these characters. Highly recommend and look forward to the author s next read.

Another amazing book by Mary Kay Andrews. Her stories are always heartwarming and enjoyable and this one is no different.
If you are ready to get into the Christmas spirit with a cozy, quick read, this is the book for you.
The characters are lovable and her story makes you want to be there on the street selling Christmas trees with them!

I would like to thank St. Martins Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. I have been reading some fairly heavy ( and to be honest) unsatisfying books lately and needed to read something light , fun and uplighting. This really fit the bill. It is your typical Mary Kay Andrews type of fare. I , for one, appreciate this type of book. It is the story of Kerry Tolliver. Kerry is from a small town in North Carolina. Her parents ran a Christmas Tree farm. Every year when Kerry was little, her parents would take Kerry and Kerry's brother Murphy to New York City to set up a tree stand to sell their Christmas Trees. They had a camper they called Spammy and all lived in it for a month. Then Kerry's parents divorced when Kerry was 7. Kerry lived with her mother and Murphy with their father. After Kerry finished school, she moved to Charlotte and worked in graphic design. When the story opens, Kerry has been laid off from work, and her boyfriend has left her as well.She moved home to decided what she wanted to do with her life. Her father was seriously ill and could not go with her brother to NYC to sell the trees. Kerry had to go with her brother, and help at the Tree stand for the first time in years. While in NY, Kerry meets Patrick, who is divorced with a son Austin. Kerry and Patrick have a spark, but Kerry is hesitant to make any kind of commitment. The story is very involved, with a reclusive older gentleman whom Kerry and Austin befriend, the mystery behind the gentleman, the budding romance between Murphy and Claudia, who runs the nearby restaurant, a pair of rival Christmas tree sellers, and a whole host of local residents who treat Murphy like part of the family. It is fun, light and very Christmassy. I enjoyed it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely loved this book it was such a page turner i couldn’t put it down thanks to @NetGalley & @St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this book!

Well let me just say I love this author and I love Christmas so it was perfect for me. I love a holiday story I even made an iced cocoa smoothie so I could really get in the mood. Fluffy holiday books are my thing and I love it.

This was a fun short Christmas story with some drama and some romance. Mostly set in NYC Kerry and her brother Murphy are there to sell Christmas trees from their father’s tree farm. Kerry is between jobs and has an artistic talent she doesn’t recognize. Mary Kay Andrews books are such fun and this one may be the best. The characters, even the crabby ones, are easy to like. If you like Christmas books, women's fiction and romance, this is a great book for you to read. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Another Christmas hallmark movie in book form by Mary Kay Andrews. Bright Lights, Big Christmas is set in New York City at the Tolliver family Christmas Tree lot. This year, Kerry has joined her brother selling the trees after being strong armed by her mother. While working the lot, Kerry meets many wonderful and interesting people in the neighborhood including Mr. Heinz and especially Patrick and his young son Austin. When Mr. Heinz stops visiting them at the tree lot, Kerry and company become very concerned and set out to find him before Christmas.

Enjoyable Christmas book that’s a super quick read. So if you love Hallmark Christmas movies and books set in New York City definitely at this one to your tbr.


Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Great book that should become a Christmas classic to read and watch every year.

What a fun Christmas read. I usually don't read a lot of Christmas books in the summer. But this one caught my eye.
The characters in this story were well developed and had strengths and weaknesses, which made them very believable. The descriptions of the weather, places and people are so vivid you feel like you are part of this story. The characters get to know each other at the same time as the reader gets to know them.

Nothing is better than Christmas trees, lights, family, dogs and romance. Read this one.

3.5 *

I love Christmas in July! 🎄

Another hit book by Mary Kay Andrews. This was an interesting premise that worked out well.

The Tolliver Family has owned a Christmas Tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for many, many years. Each year one month before Christmas the family would drive down to New York City in their rusty old camper and trailer and set-up shop on a neighbourhood corner with Christmas trees for sale. Now all grown up Kerry Tolliver will go to NYC with her brother Murphy as their father is convalescing after a heart attack.

This is a heartwarming story. I enjoyed reading about the different people in the neighbourhood and all the different customers that would stop by the Christmas Tree shop on the corner. It was a "feel good" story about people coming together to help others in need. Lots of nostalgia for Kerry and sweet surprises. I liked the connection with another Mary Kay Andrews Christmas novel, The Santa Suit. (Must say I still enjoyed that one a little bit more than this one.)
I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.

Available September 26, 2023