It’s like listening to the best Hallmark Christmas movie. Enjoyed the character development and plot. Easy read with great vibes, warm fuzzies, and relatable themes.

Mary Kay Andrews is the go to for Christmas reads. Her stories are always a joy to read and have a beautiful heartwarming theme within them. This book was no different I was hooked right away and finished listening in one day. I loved the characters and the back stories for each of them especially the older gentleman Mr Heinz and a young boy Austin . The community that surrounds Murphy and the family Christmas tree stall will steal your heart.

The narrator for this book was easy to listen to and kept me engaged I could feel the emotion throughout the story .

I voluntarily received a free copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own

I would recommend this book to family friends and my book clubs

I enjoyed Bright Lights, Big Christmas so much that I finished the audiobook in one day and I didn’t want it to end.

Murphy Tolaver has been traveling from the mountains of NC to NYC every year to sell Christmas trees with his dad. When the Tolaver patriarch suffers a medical emergency his sister Carrie steps in to help. Along the way she adds her own personal touches to their traditional tree stand which frustrates her brother but might just save the tree farm.

While everyone in the neighborhood knows Murphy, Carrie is new in town and makes fast friends with everyone she meets. This is especially true for recently divorced Patrick, his son Austin and a man presumed homeless Mr. Heinz. Together Carrie’s imagination reignites and she not only begins sketching again but tries her hand at storytelling.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is like a warm cozy Hallmark movie you read. With an almost insta-love trope and teverse big city vibes, the characters are easy to connect with and the story just flows.

I’m a huge fan of Mary Kay Andrews and Bright Lights, Big Christmas is no exception.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bright Lights Big Christmas
By: May Kay Andrews
Narrator: Kathleen McInerney
Publication date: September 26, 2023

Kerry is spending time on her family’s Christmas tree farm after losing her job. When fall rolls around she to New York to help her older brother sell Christmas trees. Once she gets there she quickly gets close to cute single dad Patrick.

Let me start off with what I liked about this book:
- [ ] Kerry is a great MFC
- [ ] The little boy/Kerrie’s relationship
- [ ] The hallmark movie vibes
- [ ] The narrator

What wasn’t my favorite:
- [ ] The brother bothered me and idk why
- [ ] Patrick was to heads over heals for Kerry

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me this ACR in exchange for my honest reviewer.

I loved the characters, the setting and the storyline of this book! A cute story of a family Christmas tree farm in NYC and the challenges but positives. The supporting characters are fantastic and the narrator is wonderful too! I highly recommend this for the holiday season as a feel good read!

What a delightful holiday warm cup of cocoa of a book! I loved the characters … especially Kerry and Austin. It was entertaining to watch Kerry and her brother learn to appreciate each other and what they had to offer to help sell Christmas trees in Greenwich Village, NY. The people they interacted with as they passed them on the street or stopped to purchase trees or wreaths, the shopkeepers in the area, the neighbors who took the time to interact with them … made the story heartwarming. Of course, there were a few of the typical irritating characters that you would expect in New York during the Christmas holidays, but overall, there was a feeling of warmth and caring. Sharing a small camper, Spammy, with her brother will have you chuckling. And as Kerry tries diligently to find one of the gentlemen who always stopped by the tree stand, Heinz, you will discover that she has a heart of gold. This is definitely a heartwarming tale with a little bit of romance … but not over the top. It will definitely be a book I buy for my friends to enjoy.

A special note: I smiled at the mention of The Santa Suit, a previous novel by Mary Kay Andrews. And if you haven’t read that one yet, you need to rush out and buy it! A wonderful holiday treat!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

All I want to do now is work at a Christmas Tree lot in New York City now. This was a delightful audiobook. The narrator was amazing. I am so ready for Christmastime and Winter after reading this book. I loved all of the characters. Highly recommend. 4.5 Stars!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me read and review this book.

Please note that as a reader, I live for Mary Kay Andrews's annual book release because she is the reason I read Southern Fiction now. I especially love this one because the South comes to the North with holiday decor! I love the setting, I love the storyline. I love the authenticity of a grumpy older brother who's invested in the family business. I love the little camper! I love the New York style homes and the New York style neighborhoods and even the expensive New York boutiques. I'm not sure there's anything that would have made this book a more perfect christmas read.

Kerry leaves her family's North Carolina Christmas tree farm to help her brother sell trees in New York City. Amidst forming bonds with neighbors and facing a mysterious disappearance, she also navigates a budding romance with single dad Patrick. This heartwarming story combines country wisdom and city life, capturing the essence of Christmas and romance in a humorous, sparkling tale.

The perfect Christmas Hallmark-esque story. I loved the reverse ‘city girl goes to a small town’ and how this story featured a brother and sister bringing small town charm to the center of NYC. It is a cute romance story, but I’d say that plot line is almost secondary to all the other commotion that happens in the neighborhood. Who would have thought camping in Manhattan could seem so appealing? It’s almost as if their camper and dog, Queenie, are main characters. This was a well written novella that feels like a full novel because of how much Andrews is able to fit in. You will be fully emerged in the Christmas spirit when you finish!

Thank you @Macmillan.Audio and @neygalley for the ALC, I loved this audiobook! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Perfect for you if you like:
Hallmark movies
Small town feel in cities
Kids as a main character
Friends as family

Similar to:
A Winter in New York by Josie Silver
Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews

⛔️Closed door, just kisses
⚠️some mild language, divorce

Mary Kay Andrews, gave us another great Christmas story. Bright Lights, Big Christmas was a quick read with fun characters.

Family and friends, both old and new come together to make another successful season at a small town tree lot that's been in the family tree lot for many years. With a bit of romance, this makes a perfect read at Christmas time, or any time you need a lift. I gave it a strong 5 stars.

I received an advanced reader copy from St. Martin’s Press through #NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this story that follows the Tolliver siblings, Kerry and Murphy, as they manage the family's traditional Christmas tree lot in a NYC neighborhood.

While Kerry is trying to figure out what comes next in her life after her recent job loss, she blossoms as she helps make this year's Christmas tree sales the best they've ever been for the Tolliver family. Not only does she introduce new and creative ways to make more money from related products and services, but she also starts to build lasting friendships with the people she comes to know and love within the neighborhood.

Even though it takes her brother way too long to appreciate her contributions, she finds other people who do and who support her as she tries to make this year the best Christmas season yet.

I found myself drawn in by the characters, the setting, and the sense of found family in this story. Heinz and Quenie were special favorites of mine.

Thank you to Mary Kay Andrews, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

I decided to kick off my holiday reads with Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews and it was the perfect cozy holiday book! I was drawn to this book due to the fact that the Tolliver family owns the largest Christmas Tree Farm in western North Carolina (where I live!). They harvest their trees, load them onto a trailer, pack themselves into a camper (lovingly nicknames Spammy because it looks like a ham), and head to a prime time lot in New York City every year for several weeks. The Tolliver siblings have now grown up and apart, but when their father suffers a heart attack Kerry returns home to help her brother, Murphy, take the trip to save the farm’s profits. Over the next several weeks of the holiday season, Kerry and Murphy will rekindle their relationship while also reconnecting with the NYC locals who live in the neighborhood where the trees have been sold for over 50 years. This read is centered on love; family bonds, friendship love, new romance, parental love, and neighborly love. They is a wide case of characters from a local boy who thinks Murphy is a true lumberjack to an aging retired artist who frequently visits Kerry and assists with her art. The perfect snowy setting with holiday parties and magical memories, this read will give readers all the feels that make the season so special! The narrator did a wonderful job with a slew of characters making each one distinct and memorable.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for my advanced listener’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

Kerry Tolliver leaves her family Christmas tree farm in North Carolina to help her brother sell the trees in New York. During her stay in New York, there were some ups and downs but she made some new friends along the way.

I've never read a book by Mary Kay Andrews but I'm going to go and read some more. I really enjoyed reading this feel good story and was drawn in right from the beginning. I enjoyed how the characters came to life and it wasn't just romance, it was a story about family and friends. I love Christmas anytime of the year, so to pick up a heartwarming Christmas story in September really gave me a jump start into the Christmas spirit.

I really enjoyed the narration by Kathleen McInerney, she really made the characters come to life. She made the book exciting and fun to listen to.
I will be recommending this book to my friends and family for a fun Christmas read.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a chance to read an early copy for my honest opinion.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5856228819

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews follows Kerry Tolliver, whose family owns a Christmas Tree farm in western North Carolina. The bulk of their sales, however, come from New York City where they have a tree lot set up in Greenwich Village. Every year Kerry's dad and her brother Murphy would haul trees and a trailer (nicknamed Spammy because it looks like a can of SPAM) to the Big Apple for a month to sell trees. This year, however, Kerry's dad is in poor health and so Kerry makes the trip with her brother. Kerry, who is an artist, isn't looking forward to it and has no idea how truly life changing this experience will end up being for her.

I truly loved everything about this story! Andrews does a magnificent job of capturing the magic of New York at Christmas and I especially loved how she portrays the sense of community that can be found in places like Greenwich Village. Anytime the Tollivers need assistance, be it an extra set of hands to help deliver trees, a hot meal on a cold night or even just a place to shower, they had so many people they could count on and it was heartwarming to see.

My favorite part of the story though was the personal journey for Kerry. She really comes into her own in New York, using her artistic ability to design wreaths and boost sales, and with the help of an adorable young boy and an eccentric senior citizen, she also blossoms as an artist and finds her "voice" so to speak. This little group also had the most wonderful found family vibes and I adored watching them interact. This trip also gives Kerry a chance to reacquaint herself with her brother, Murphy and to find love when she least expects it.

Cozy, heartwarming and magical, Bright Lights, Big Christmas is the perfect book to kick off your holiday reading and fill you with holiday cheer. Out 9/26!

I read the e-book and the audiobook & loved both (thanks for the gifted copies @stmartinspress and @macmillanaudio). Kathleen McInerney does a phenomenal job narrating the audiobook and bringing all of these wonderful characters to life!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bright Lights, Big Christmas
By: Mary Kay Andrews
Pub Date: 9/26/2023
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

It’s Christmas in the book reviewing world!!
Kerry Tolliver has had a rough go. A broken relationship and a job loss has knocked her back to her mom’s house. She’s been there moping for 3 months when her father becomes ill which forces Kerry to travel with her brother to NYC to sell the families Christmas trees.
What she doesn’t expect is to find herself in shocking ways in their little corner of the big apple. In just a short period of time she can see herself making a home there but with no job prospects there just isn’t any way she can stay… or is there?!?
I absolutely loved the little mention of The Santa Suit, last year's Christmas novel from Andrews. 🎄🎄🎄

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a wonderful story of family ties, friendships, and of course a little romance. I listened to the audio book narrated by Kathleen McInerney and I was immediately captivated and transported to the family Christmas tree lot in Greenwich Village with Spammy parked close by. I enjoyed the lead character Kerry, and and could easily relate to her. If you love Hallmark Christmas movies, you will love this book!

This delightful holiday read has got me in the holiday spirit before the summer is even over. Filled with moments of cheer, romance, and sibling rivalry this book brings all the southern wit and charm that Mary Kay Andrews is known for. This book will leave you with all the warm fuzzy feelings and ready to start your holiday prep!

Told just like a Hallmark movie we have Kerry who goes to NYC with her brother to help out her family"s Christmas tree business. While there she connects with people in the neighborhood, not to mention she finds herself in the process. She also finds love with a local man who believes in her and all she wants to do.

This one came highly anticipated since I saw MKA promoting it on her Instagram acct. I preordered the book and then was offered the ALC. The narrator was great and perfectly captured Kerry Tolliver’s almost saccharine sweet personality. Kerry has been stuck in a rut when her dad falls ill and she is forced to takeover his spot at the NYC tree stand that he and her brother have run for years. I loved the banter between Kerry and her brother Murphy and enjoyed the found family she gathered along the way, from the curmudgeon Heinz, to local neighbors Patrick and his son Austin. This was a sweet story of pushing outside of your comfort zone and discovering what really makes you happy. Kerry always brought a positive, can-do, attitude towards the Family Tree Farm business, but not so optimistically about her own life path. So she finds some friends along the way that open her eyes to her potential and set her off in a new direction. This one reads just like your favorite Hallmark movies., complete with a reference to The Santa Suit! You are sure to love this one for the Holiday Season!

Being this is a short novella, there isn't much depth to this story, but I kind of liked it. The situation with finding a found family always captures my heart and this definitely touched mine especially with Christmas being the setting. Mary Kay Andrews always writes wonderful stories that entertain and make me laugh.

The audiobook was well done with an excellent narrator.

Thank you for the advanced copy.