📚Book Review 📚
Bright Lights, Big Christmas
by Mary Kay Andrews
Pub Date 9/26/23

Kerry Tolliver, a recent out of work artist and graphic designer, is needed to help out with her family’s Christmas tree farm since her father is recovering from a heart attack. Each year they travel to Greenwich Village to sell their trees on a corner. Their travel trailer nicknamed Spammy is where they sleep. Kerry’s brother is the gruff sort and they haven’t spent much time together since they were children. Memories of when her family was together and she was young come back to her.

The neighbors are like family. Kerry comes to love the neighborhood and especially single Dad, Patrick, and his son Austin. Elderly neighbor, Heinz, is also an artist and needs help that he denies at first.

I loved this cute story about family, friends, neighbors, and taking chances. A great read. I look forward to reading more Mary Kay Andrews.

Thank you @netgalley @marykayandrews and @stmartinspress for an electronic book ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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I haven’t read a ton of Mary Kay Andrew’s books, but what I have read I have enjoyed. I looked forward to getting into the holiday spirit with this one. It was a cute, quick, lighthearted read with a theme of found family and a little romance.

There is an eclectic cast of characters in the neighborhood Kerry’s brother, Murphy, sets up camp for their family Christmas tree lot every year. Kerry has been struggling to figure out where she wants to be in life after losing her job and ending a relationship. During her first season helping Murphy sell the trees, she gets to know the neighbors and finds her place among them.

If you’re looking for a light, festive read this book is a great fit for that. I really loved what the characters of Heinz and Austin brought to the story, and even Queenie the dog. They really added personality and pure heart to it. The romance between Kerry and Patrick all happened at warp speed and could’ve used a lot more development, but we can all use a little departure from realism while we’re embracing the holiday setting.

I really enjoyed this story about Kerry Tolliver who was going to New york to help her brother sell Christmas trees from their North Carolina Christmas Tree farm. She was driving the trees there in the farm truck. It took her awhile to get there. After they got set up they had their trees and Kerry made wreaths to sell also. They met a lot of the people in the Neighborhood and then Kerry meant Patrick and his son Austin. Her brother made a trip back to the farm to get more trees but the neighbors helped her out. . See what happens does Patrick and Kerry begin to see each other and does she decide to stay or go home. A VERY GOOD READ.

Mary Kay Andrews delivers another great holiday novel with Bright Lights Big Christmas.

The story is about Kerry Tolliver who returns to her small town after her big city job is eliminated by a company buy out and merger. She is needed to help with the family Christmas tree farm after her father suffers a heart attack. She is to spend three weeks with her brother Murphy, whom she hasn’t really been around since her parents divorced when she was seven and who lived with her father while she stayed with their mother.

Being forced to live in a small RV, nicknamed Spammy, Kerry and Murphy are forced to work on their relationship all while trying to sell their Christmas trees to save the farm. Literally.

Their relationships with the residents of the New York City neighborhood help them with basic needs, have friendships with Murphy and Kerry and show the spirit of friendship and community.

While Kerry is there, she develops a special bond with Patrick and his son, Patrick. She helps the neighbor Heinz.

This is a sweet book that would be a perfect holiday read.

I was given this ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine.

Mary Kay Andrews does it again. She has brought us a delightful new Christmas story.
We meet Kerry Tolliver, an out of work graphic artist that has moved back home with her mother. Due to an illness with her dad she needs to go with her brother Murphy to New York City to help sell the family's Christmas Trees. The family is depending on this season to help save the farm.
Their time in the city is full of adventures and new people. We meet Heinz and elderly man with a mystery of his own. Patrick and his son Austin that live in the building close by. Austin likes spending time at the tree stand. Could there be a little romance between Patrick and Kerry. Everyone comes together in the neighborhood to help each other out.
This story will really put you in the holiday spirit.

Like a Literary Hallmark Movie

Every Christmas I look forward to taking a break from holiday craziness by reading Mary Kay Andrews latest holiday romance. It is as much of a tradition for me as decorating the tree.

This year’s offering did not disappoint. I had the opportunity to read it early but will look forward to re-reading it over the holidays.

The only discordant note for me was the cringey decision to name the toddler twins in the story after Sesame Street characters. Imaging the grief those poor little guys would endure growing up made me sad for them. However, the fact that I am so concerned about the potential bullying of fictional characters testifies to the amazing job Ms. Andrews does of connecting her readers to her characters.

One reading of a Mary Kay Andrews book is never enough for me. I am looking forward to getting reacquainted with these characters at Christmastime.

Thank you NetGalley, Mary Kay Andrews and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Bright Lights, Big Christmas. This is my personal review.
Kerry has returned to the family Christmas tree farm in North Carolina after losing her job. She gets home and has made the decision to help her brother Murphy set up and run the tree lot in New York that they have had every year.
The story is so well written I want to go to their tree lot in New York and buy a tree!
The characters in the book fit together so perfectly.
I enjoyed this holiday book a lot!

I loved this book! It will be perfect for those who are looking for a fun and magical Christmas story. I loved the charm, the growth of characters, and overall magic of the holiday.

I will say that the romance aspect did feel a bit rushed, but its easy to overlook in a light holiday read like this.

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC of this book!

This was a sweet story with a lovely "NYC At Christmas" setting. The MC, Kerry Tolliver, drives to NYC from her family's Christmas tree farm in North Carolina to set up their long time annual Christmas Tree stand. Living in a camper van with her gruff lumberjack brother Murphy, Kerry is shown love and community by the surrounding neighbors as they sell through the trees from Tolliver's Farm.

Even though I read it in the middle of June, I almost felt chilly as I flipped each (digital) page. Kerry and Murphy living in their unheated camper van sounded like a crazy city adventure! The neighbors that befriended them warmed my heart, and each character brought more dimension to the story. From a 6 year old boy filled with enthusiasm and a heart of gold to a crotchety old man who lives on his own, each brings something unique to the table.

While I enjoyed the setting and the characters, the book was entirely too long for me. I think we could've gotten to the meat and potatoes of the story in around 200-215 pages, making this a novella (like The Santa Suit, which takes place in Kerry and Murphy's hometown). The storytelling felt a bit redundant at some points, but I was charmed enough by the setting and the characters to continue reading.

While the whole book itself was too long, the ending was too short. Another chapter would've been nice for better closure, or an epilogue. It felt like we had all this buildup with a 3 page closure. Maybe that's how MKA normally writes (I'm not a super regular reader of her work), but this didn't work for me.

All in all, I think this story will land well as an easy breezy Christmas read for a lot of folks.

A country Christmas tree stand in the middle of New York City - what my Christmas story dreams are made of! I loved this sweet story of siblings and found friends turned family. Mary Kay Andrews made magic with her ability to evoke a cozy small town feel right in the middle of the big city. For me it was the best of both worlds. The characters were so loveable and ultimately reminded themselves and the reader how important it is to have people in your life to encourage you to believe in yourself and follow your dreams. With a wonderful mix of characters of all ages and lifestyles this was the sweetest, most wholesome Christmas story I've read in a while - oh, and a feel good ending that leaves you smiling ear to ear!

Reading this book is like walking in a winter wonderland! The Tollivers have had a Christmas tree lot set up in New York for years. Kerry has to help her brother this year. Not much is better than New York but New York at Christmas? I couldn’t get enough! This book will make you want to cozy up by the fire and read all night! Loved it! And to tie in Santa Bob from The Santa Suit? Perfection!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martian’s Press for this ARC. You are definitely going to want to preorder this one!

Kerry reluctantly returned to her small NC hometown after being made redundant from her art director job. When her father has a heart attack, saving the family’s Christmas tree farm means helping her brother staff a tree stand in NYC. Kerry didn’t expect to be living in an old trailer on a NYC street with the brother she doesn’t know well, and she certainly never guessed one of the area residents would be an intriguing divorced father and his imaginative son.

Andrews quickly pulled me into this closed door romance, and though it is predictable I found myself laughing and rooting for the characters. I especially liked the neighborhood she created, from small business owners to apartment building residents. This is loosely connected to The Santa Suit, as the NC town is the same, but it easily stands alone. Andrews has penned another pitch perfect holiday story with all the feels. This is sure to fly off the shelves. Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Kerry Tolliver, newly unemployed, agrees to help her family's farm, and sell their Christmas trees at their usual stand in New York City. For the next few weeks, she will live in a tiny vintage camper with her gruff older brother (and his dog Queenie).

When a secretive elderly neighbor goes missing with the holidays fast approaching, Kerry discovers that the friends she's made in this tiny corner of the city have become family . . . and maybe more . . .

Mary Kay Andrews is the new reigning queen of Christmas, and this story will help her cement that status. Heartwarming and quirky, Bright Lights, Big Christmas explores all the ways that families are forged. Highly recommended. #Bright Lights, Big Christmas #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy of this book.

In Bright Lights, Big Christmas, Kerry takes the place of her ailing father, selling Christmas trees in New York City with her grumpy brother.

I loved every moment of reading this book. Kerry is a comfortable character, plucky and upbeat, the type of person you'd love to have as your best friend. She immerses herself in a difficult situation with a good attitude and an open mind, and I loved discovering Greenwich Village and it's people through her eyes. The secondary characters were well-developed and vivid, and I fell in love with them as much as Kerry.

Christmas books can be hit or miss for me--either too much 'festivities' to the point the book lacks plot and feels kitschy, or too little, so it doesn't carry the Christmas golden glow you're hoping for. I thought Big Lights, Big Christmas hit just the right balance, putting me in a festive mood in the middle of a June heat wave. Andrews nailed the outer joy of Christmas, but also the inner, more important spirit of Christmas, and quite poignantly, too.

This was a nice, fast-paced easy read. Now to go read all of Mary Kay Andrews' Christmas book backlist!

Fun Christmas read. A little bit of romance, a little family drama, a cast of quirky neighbors, and a few bad guys too. A quick read to start off your holiday reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a cute, feel-good holiday story. While I did enjoy it, I found it slow and lacking character depth and development. I also felt the ending was rushed. Still, Mary Kay Andrews is a favorite, and I won’t hesitate to recommend this holiday read!

Looking for a sweet and funny "Hallmark Christmas Movie" kind of read? Well look no farther. Bright lights, Big City is just that. Kerry and her brother Murphy must go to New York city to sell Christmas trees, to save their family's Christmas Tree farm. While there they meet a cast of fabulous characters.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC for the honest review. #Netgalley #BrightLightsBigCity

Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023

This is MKA at her best! Bright Lights, Big Christmas is heart warming and full of holiday cheer. It is laugh out loud funny at moments and also heartfelt. This book transported me to both the mountains of NC where I got Christmas trees from family owned farms and the magic that is NYC at Christmastime. This book feels like being snuggled up by the tree with a warm beverage in your coziest Christmas PJs. I absolutely recommend!

Mary Kay Andrews definitely knows how to write heartfelt, adorable Christmas novels! I felt compelled to make a cup of hot chocolate while reading her latest novel, Bright Lights, Big Christmas, even though it is currently the middle of a hot, humid summer!

Andrews’ latest novel introduces us to Kerry Tolliver, a young graphic designer who is back living at her childhood home in the mountains of North Carolina after losing her job. Due to complicated circumstances, Kerry travels with her brother to New York City to sell Christmas trees from their family farm during the month of December. While there, she meets a cast of wonderful characters of all ages and the story evolves.

I am a lifelong fan of Andrews’ writing. Her latest novel is such an uplifting Christmas read and would make the best Christmas gift for any devoted reader.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.

This book is a delightful Christmas read. The cast of characters is endearing and brings the story to life. Kerry and her brother Murphy have grown up on a Christmas tree farm. When their father cannot go to New York to sell trees this holiday season.it’s up to the brother and sister duo to take over this year. As the story unfolds the reader gets to know the unique and sometimes quirky people from the neighborhood. This is a feel-good holiday story that will have the reader rooting for the Tollivers and falling in love with the people from the neighborhood. A great story. Highly recommend.