Member Reviews
I just finished reading Bright Lights, Big Christmas and felt like I was living vicariously in a really good Hallmark Christmas movie—only better because it lasted longer & had so many more wonderful details! You will love Kerry, the main character, right away. And just when it seems it’s not possible for something else to go wrong, it does; and because of that, we get to meet Patrick and be a part of his & Kerry’s fun and loving relationship. I highly recommend you preorder this book & kick off your holiday reading with a fantastic, feel good Christmas-time story!
Loved this book! Devoured in one sitting. Loved the dynamic and the flow of the story. Thanks for the ARC!
This was one of the best books by Mary Kay Andrews. I read the book in one sitting. I loved the characters and the story line. The book takes place in New York at Christmas and that is magica within itself. A definite read for any book club in December.
Mary Kay Andrews has never disappointed me yet. I love her books and writing style. Bright Lights, Big Christmas will be another hit. It has all the things you want in a Christmas book, romance, family, friends, snow and more. Instead of the typical big city girl going back home to the small town this one takes the small town girl from North Carolina to the big city of New York where Kerry Tolliver has to help her brother sell their family Christmas trees because her father is ill. While I love Hallmark movies I also like stories with a bit more depth. I felt this one has that. The whole cast of characters are fun and wonderful. I think I may need to read this again at Christmas!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I absolutely adore Mary Kay Andrews Christmas novellas!! This is another phenomenal one! It makes you forget what's going on around you and just feel good while reading it. I will highly recommend this one to everyone who enjoys a fun, light read.
First of all, thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
Mary Kay Andrews did not disappoint! I loved this cozy. Before I read it, it felt weird to read a Christmas book in May. But I did not have to worry about that. Once I started reading, I could see Christmas lights, decoration, and snow (or snow might be real in Ohio). I loved the cozy vibe this book gave me. Highly recommend this book, especially for holiday. I will definitely get this for my friends!!.
More detailed review will be updated on my Instagram in a few days!
Another fantastic Christmas read. This winter's romcom Christmas novels will be one of the best I'm sure. I loved this novella and loved the main character Kerry. A fantastic holiday read. Right up my Hallmark movie watching alley!
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.
I absolutely loved Bright Lights, Big Christmas! I thought it was SO cute, the characters were so fun (I loved Kerry and Murphy's relationship), and loved how the book ended (without giving anything away). This was such a sweet book, and I look forward to rereading it at the holidays.
I've heard great things about Mary Kay Andrews, but this is my first book by her. Such a fun Christmas novella. I will 100% read more by her.
What a fun Christmas story, going the opposite of the Hallmark grain! Here the small town characters go to the biggest of cities and find love and caring neighbors. I so very much enjoyed this turn of the trope. My only other comment is that I didn't feel like we got a lot of information on the main romantic relationship, and the move to "love" seemed very quick. The story line on her art and the writing of the book was just lovely.
Mary Kay Andrews, the author of Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a New York Times bestselling author. Her success comes from her ability to create a perfect recipe for an entertaining romance that has engaging characters and a plot that will capture your interest.
Kerry Tolliver, the lead character has had a rough year. She lost her job as an art director after a company merger. Her boyfriend lost interest in her. With a dwindling bank account, she needed to return to the family Christmas tree farm in North Carolina.
Sadly things are not much better at home. Her father has been hospitalized after a heart attack. His third wife has left him. His first wife, Kerry's mom has agreed to return to the farm temporarily to support Jock when he is released from the hospital.
Kerry agrees to help her family by joining her brother on the farm's annual trip to New York City to operate a Christmas tree stand. Her brother drives up with a trailer loaded with their trees. Kerry drives a truck hauling the family's old ham tin shaped trailer called Spammy.
Spammy is not ideal accommodation. It lacks heat and running water. Kerry and her brother make the best of things by accepting kind offers from people in the neighborhood to use their facilities. In doing so, they build up friendships within their temporary community.
You will need to read the book to see if the duo are successful in their business venture and personal connections. Bright Lights, Big Christmas will be released on September 26, 2023 by @StMartinsPress. It is the ideal book for getting in the mood for Christmas.
Bright light, big Christmas, MKA never disappoints! Lighthearted and charming, this Christmas novella has everything - a Christmas tree farm, a cup pup, the mysterious old man, a heroine looking for a fresh start after a rocky year, and a little romance! A MUST-READ this holiday season!
Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Mary Kay Andrews for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a heartwarming tale with romance and friends who become family. It is the perfect book to snuggle up with a cup of tea and read on a snowy winter day. I loved the way Mary Kay Andrews makes you fall in love with all the characters, from the neighborhood grouch to the little boy who wants to be involved. A truly delightful story that reminds you of what's important, especially around the holidays.
Bright Lights and Christmas is a typical Mary Kay Andrews book. I enjoy her light hearted stories that revolve around family and romance. Kerry Tolliver’s family owns a Christmas Tree farm in North Carolina. Her father and brother, Murphy, haul trees to New York City each Christmas. This is where they make the most of their income for the year. Their father, however, has had open heart surgery and isn’t able to travel. Kerry reluctantly steps in and goes in her father’s place. Kerry makes a “family” of friends in the neighborhood and ultimately finds her future. Everyone has challenges but they all manage to figure things out. Five Stars!
As with all of Mary Kay Andrews' books, I completely adored this one. And like with Christmas cookies, I also gobbled up this story in as few readings as possible. She just has this way about her writing that sucks you into the story where you're not just reading it anymore, you're living it right along with her characters in their world.
Kerry is a lovely, driven young woman who has had the world dumped on her and has no idea how to go about the life in which she envisions herself living. Life happens and all of her careful planning is just gone. However, instead of crumbling like a lot of people would do, she goes back home to lick her wounds and to re-group. Her father has some unexpected health problems then Boom! She is sucked into taking his place doing the work that normally he and her brother does.
However, it is that place that leads her unexpectedly to the life that she could never have dreamed possible. I loved this story. It touches your heart and even though I read this in April, it still made me feel like I was there with her and her brother Murphy selling Christmas trees. Uplifting and heartwarming, it helps you feel connected to the world. I absolutely recommend this book.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers, and to Mary Kay Andrews for the ability to read and review this book. All opinions are mine and are completely honest.
MKA did it again with this wonderful Christmas book! I'm so glad there's another since her last Christmas book was my favorite she's written so far!
This book is a delight. It's a light hearted, feel good Christmas story. The characters are all so loveable and pure. I love the neighbors and community and how supportive and close they are. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this.
I received a free copy of, Bright Lights, Big Christmas, by Mary Kay Andrews, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Kerry is unemployed, so she decides to go back home for the holidays, and help her brother Murphy, with the Christmas tree lot, selling trees and magic, in New York City. Kerry meets Patrick and his son Austin, he is divorced and living in the city, but she has leave before Christmas what will happen to Kerry and Patrick? Such a lovely Christmas story. Mary Kay Andrews, always works magic with her words and stories.
Most Christmas themed books remind me of a Hallmark movie. That's not necessarily a bad thing but sometimes they can read as super cheesy! This latest one from Andrews was so sweet and much better than any Hallmark movie. The themes of family and love and NYC were fabulous. I liked the brother-sister MC energy. It was a perfect city setting too! I really liked this story and wasn't bored at all. I am going to gift this for friends later this year. Don't miss it! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for the purpose of this review. Five stars.
Kerry Tolliver is guilted by her parents into helping her estranged brother Murphy sell Christmas trees from their North Carolina family farm in New York City. She drives the family’s old camper, called Spammy, up to the City, where she and Murphy live—without working plumbing or heat—while selling trees to keep the family business afloat. With the help of a cast of characters from around the neighborhood, Kerry and Murphy learn to work together while discovering themselves and what makes them happy, just in time for Christmas.
Thank you to @netgalley for the advance copy! I’ve only read one other book by this author before, which I really liked, so I was excited to read this one. This was such a cute story that had the perfect cozy Christmas feel throughout. I loved all of the characters from the neighborhood and how they came together to help each other in so many different ways. If you’re looking for a lighthearted read with all the cozy Christmas vibes, add this to your list! Bright Lights, Big Christmas comes out September 26!