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.

Perfect, cozy winter/Christmas read. Thank you to netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for a review.

Kerry, now unemployed, reluctantly agrees to go with her gruff, unknown to her older brother, to sell Christmas trees in New York. Spending days freezing on a New York street corner, sleeping in a beat up trailer, Kerry develops friendships, love and somewhat of a relationship with her brother.

Will she stay in New York or return home to North Carolina?

Such a cute, cozy Christmas read. Love the character development and relationships that develop.

Adorable! Halmark Esq, story of finding oneself in the midst of family drama. As we follow siblings Kerry and Murphy, we learn of the ups and downs of trying to continue the family business in today’s finicky retail climate. Kerry finds herself drawn into the life of the neighborhood their tree stand returns to every year, and the patrons who rely on them. Quick read that will not disappoint.

Loved this book! I read it from cover to cover pretty quickly! Now I feel like there should be a sequel, as there is more to this story. Honestly I wasn’t sure I was going to want to read a Christmas themed but I am so glad I grabbed this as a read now, I think that is how I got it I should say. Lol!!
Thank you NetGalley and and the publisher St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read this early, Not my first by this author and definitely will not be my last, I’m already eyeing another I see posted on Facebook to add to my to be read list!
So yes I enjoyed this one, be sure and pick up your copy on publication date of Sept 26, 2023! You will not be disappointed!!!

First of all, let me thank NetGalley, Mary Kay Andrews, and St. Martin's Press for giving me the glorious opportunity to read an advance copy of Bright Lights, Big Christmas. In my mind, summer begins when MKA"s new novel comes out, usually in May, and is always a staple in my beach bag. I admit I was a bit disappointed when I learned this year the book would be coming out in September but I figured maybe that just meant I was going to the beach in September! Imagine my delighted self when I received the email stating I had been selected to receive an advance copy. This book does NOT disappoint at all and it will be worth the wait until September, as a matter of fact, come September I will be buying the hard book and reading again during the holiday season. In usual fashion, there is a sweet romance but the friendships and "community" are the real heart of this book. A true collection of a neighborhood with teenagers, parents, opticians, bodega owners, diners, elderly, and the youngest of children, and dogs! They all make their little corner of NYC seem like the small town Kerry is from in North Carolina. One little detail that I loved was the nod to The Santa Suit, it was a quick little surprise that reminded me that MKA is not only an amazing beach read author but a holiday queen as well! I only wish the illustration for the book featuring Spammy was included!! I didn't get my summer beach read but I got a Christmas read floating in the pool and that's perfectly alright with me!!! Thanks again for this opportunity Netgalley!