Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. And thank you to @macmillan.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

A Festive and Heartwarming Christmas Tale

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a delightful holiday romance that captures the magic of the season. Mary Kay Andrews has once again crafted a charming story filled with heartwarming characters and festive cheer.

Kerry Tolliver, a talented artist, is thrust into the role of family caretaker as she travels to New York City to help her brother run their annual Christmas tree stand. In the bustling West Village, she encounters a cast of colorful characters, including a handsome neighbor with a mysterious past.

The novel beautifully blends the cozy charm of a small-town Christmas with the excitement of the big city. Andrews's vivid descriptions of the holiday season create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
The characters are endearing and relatable, and their interactions spark both humor and heartfelt moments.

The audiobook narration by Kathleen McInerney is excellent, bringing the story to life with her expressive voice and perfect pacing.

Overall, Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a heartwarming and enjoyable read that will leave you feeling festive and uplifted.

4 stars

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Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my gifted audio of this one!

I haven’t read much by this author, but what I have read I have enjoyed.

A delightful Christmas book filled with love, found family, and a place to call home! Not idealistic, but certainly intimate, idea of living in a camper in Manhattan, during the holidays, drew me right in. Throw in a single dad with an adorable son and I’m done.

This was a light read that was the perfect timing for me. For romance lovers of all ages.

Read if you enjoy:
👨 Single Dad
🗽 NYC Setting
🎄 Holiday books
👴 Elderly characters

This is a fun, quirky book that brings a small-town feel to New York City. You will love getting to know these characters!

The author made you feel like you were in the Christmas season even though it was summer when I was reading it. This was a good reminder of the importance of family, friendship and being kind to others. The power of live and kindness can change and save someone's life.

A nice holiday story with lots of feel-good moments. The cozy corner neighborhood atmosphere set smack-dab in the middle of a large metropolitan city lends a certain charm and comfortable appeal. The characters have an everyday folksy feel, like they're just people going about their lives and being kind to those around them simply because that's who they are. There's no ulterior motive, and genuine friendships are formed and cemented, bringing these temporary neighbors together as family year-round. An easy and contenting read, perfect for a casual Saturday at home in those weeks just before the busy holiday season starts.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a pleasant listen that captures the magic of the holidays. The audiobook format adds an extra layer of immersion, with the narrator bringing the characters and setting to life with enthusiasm and warmth. The holiday spirit is palpable throughout, making it a perfect listen for the festive season.

Review of Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

I am such a huge fan of this author. Her books are always an auto buy for me. I didn’t have to buy this one though because my good friend @groundedinreads actually got me an auto sent it to me. Thank you so much Cindy. I will treasure this forever and it will always have a spot on my shelf. I listened to this one while I read my autographed copy. It was a very quick read for me and I did read it a week or two before Christmas. Yes I am that far behind on my reviews. I loved this book. The characters were amazing. I loved the setting of New York City and the season which was Christmas. The author has a way of making you fall in love with the characters and you can’t wait to happen find out what happens with their stories. I probably will read this one every few Christmases.

Quick synopsis:

When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.

In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she’s come to think of as family, 

And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?

Christmas, sweet romance, adorable kid, kind main character truly made this book magical. The supporting characters were charming and likeable. It may be a few months after Christmas by the time I finished this book, but it brought a lot of warm fuzzy feelings that I get right before Christmas.

Mary Kay Andrew's is the absolute best at creating these sweet Christmas-y books that are simultaneously light and very touching.

If you haven't already read Bright Lights, Big Christmas, I'd recommend you pick it up to read during some holiday downtime or even just to bring some winter joy.

This hit all of the notes that you want from a sweet winter read.

Love the Christmas Tree lot story with the vintage camper. Oh and the dog. Set up in a neighborhood in New York with friendly locals and a good restaurant. If you want a feel good holiday book then this one is for you.

Thanks for the review edition!

This was my FIRST Mary Kay Andrews book - but it won't be my last. This was a fun book that checked a lot of hallmark movie boxes and had all the feel good vibes while containing well-developed characters you could easily relate to and understand. I loved it!

Kerry accompanies her big brother to New York CIty so they can sell Christmas trees from their NC Farm. They have to stay in a tiny vintage trailer and brave cold temperatures to do so. But Kerry's experience is brightened when she meets single dad Patrick and his young son Austin. This is a delightful, feel-good Christmas story with lots of interesting characters brought to life by great narration. I"d highly recommend it for one of those gloomy winter days! A great listen.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing an advance review copy. My opinions, however, are my own.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a perfect holiday read for Mary Kay Andrews fans. This book is such a cozy story set in New York city. I loved Kerry's character so much and her holiday spirit is so contagious. The theme of the Christmas tree lot in the middle of New York is so much fun and I really enjoyed the many side characters that pop into the story. This is one to add to your TBR if you are looking for a lighthearted holiday read that has some great storytelling.

This was a perfect holiday winter read! This books brought so much holiday joy and it was so warm and cozy. A sweet, lighthearted novel with a mix of small town and big city vibes!

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an ALC.

Overall, a nice lighthearted holiday read with some heartwarming moments. Make sure you have a hot beverage to drink while you read it because it's always blustery cold on the NYC streets.

This will definitely be a reread next year for me!

This was a fun little Christmas story about a girl from small town North Carolina spends a month selling Christmas trees from her family's farm in New York City. I loved the story of her and her brother living in an old beat up camper for the month, and I really really loved getting to know the neighbors they encountered while selling the trees. I love Mary Kay Andrews, and this book had her signature charm. Only negative to this book was the fact that I didn't love the romance element to it - it felt a little rushed, and not really needed. Overall, would recommend if you're in need for some Christmas cheer! 3.75 stars.

This one was good! We love a Christmas adjacent book, and Mary Kay Andrews doesn’t disappoint i liked it much more than I expected

Kerry Tolliver travels to NYC with her brother to help work on her family Christmas Tree stand. Living in a vintage camper for several weeks, with a brother whom she has barely spoken to recently, Kerry quickly learns that this will be harder than it originally seemed when she signed up because her father was sick. Because this is a cute, light-hearted Christmas story, the expected ensues - friendships/relationships bloom, Kerry learns a thing or two, and Christmas magic comes to life on these NYC streets.

This is a cute Christmas rom-com. For fans of Lifetime and Hallmark Christmas movies, you will enjoy this book. Woman down on her luck travels to NYC for Christmas. Meets handsome man. Makes friends. Learns the true meaning of family, Christmas, and giving to others. Just a cute story. I listened to this book on audio and the narrator did a good job. Listen to it while you are wrapping Christmas presents or making cookies!

Special thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

What an adorable Christmas story. Now I know why I saw this pop up in my feed so much over the holidays. The Tolver family sells their Christmas trees they grow in North Carolina every year in New York City. This year, the father is not able to go to the city, so his daughter Kerry helps her brother out with the stand. Kerry meets Patrick and his adorable son Austin. Very heartfelt and warming story.

This Christmas season isn't going to be how Kerry imagined it to be. She was laid off from her job, and she is going to be joining her gruff older brother and his dog in a small camper on the street in NYC to sell Christmas Tree's from her family's farm.

As she lives and works in the neighborhood, she makes friends and develops a community around her that makes NYC start to feel like home.

When one of her new friends, an elderly man, goes missing, she has to pull together the community she's collected to find him and maybe find herself in the process too.
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I thought this book was very cute. I adored the found family aspect of it. Minus the romance, this book felt a lot like reading The Vanderbeekers. They have the same warm and fuzzy feel good vibes.

And actually I feel like the romance was the worst part of the whole thing. Their intimacy felt like it was just pandering to a certain type of reader and added nothing to the story. I would have loved the book without the romance or just better flirting (and only flirting). Because as is, Kerry and her love interest didn't have much chemistry.

But romance aside, (and really it's just a side plot anyway) this book is Christmassy goodness. Perfect to read to close out the holiday season or to put on your holiday TBR for next year.
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This is a closed door romance. There is implied intimacy.

Thank you for the gifted book @Macmillan.Audio and @StMartinsPress. All opinions are my own.