*Please note this is an audiobook review*

A charming and easygoing story filled with the warmth and love we crave. The book has all the details of a “holiday story” wishlist. Small town girl in the city, a family-run business, blossoming friendships of unlikely opposites, and cheering for the underdog. You will fall in love with the characters and feel inspired by their journey.

The narrator has an engaging way of reading the story—a sweet voice that pairs perfectly with the nature of the book. There were some moments that she seemed to fall out of the accent she was representing, but it didn’t necessarily take away from the moment. The production team did a fabulous job of creating an audiobook I’m sure the author is proud of.

I highly recommend this heartwarming book to get you in the warm nostalgic mood of the holiday season.

Kerry and her brother Murphy head to New York City during the holiday season in order to sell Christmas trees from their family's farm. While there, they are staying together in a tiny trailer by their Christmas tree lot. Kerry is between jobs and uncertain about her future, but new friends and new opportunities are just around the corner.

This is a wonderful holiday tale about making friends and letting others help you. The characters are all endearing in their own way, even the grumpy Heinz. Kerry's romance with Patrick is a nice touch, but Patrick's son Austin steals the show. The broken-down trailer the siblings are staying in has a name--Spammy--and it is almost a character of its own. Their older friend, the irritable and closed-off Heinz, has a lot of secrets to tell, and his story is revealed in a heart-touching way. There are also hints of sabotage as someone is trying to keep Kerry and Murphy from selling their trees. The reader is immediately transported to New York City during the Christmas season, and the Christmas spirit is evident throughout the book. This is a fun and joyful holiday read.

Kathleen McInerney does a great job portraying all of the characters in the audiobook version.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

This book definitely put me in the holiday season in August. I loved how this author made a big city building seem like it was a small town. This story was well written, heartwarming and hit me in all the feels. Sometimes it could get a little mundane because Kerry and her brother were at the Christmas tree stand every day, but I still enjoyed this audiobook very much. There was a touch of romance that made it an extra treat. The ending was fun and the quirky characters kept me thinking about this book days after I finished. The audiobook narrator did a great job. Huge thanks to netgalley and the audiobook publisher for allowing me to listen and review this book.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas
Mary Kay Andrews
The Tollivers raise Fraser fir trees on their tree farm in North Carolina. They transport them to New York City to sell them during the Christmas season.
Kerry Tolliver heads to New York City to sell Christmas Trees. She is taking the place of their father; Jock Tolliver who has had a heart attack and surgery. He won’t be able to participate this year. There are several reasons why she doesn’t look forward to the ordeal. The first being she must drive the small, old, moldy, and musty camper to Greenwich Village. The second is her brother, Murphy is gruff and grumpy; they aren’t close and living tighter in that little nasty camper won’t be easy or pleasant. The third is she isn’t interested in selling trees. She is between jobs and thinks she should be focusing her attention in that area. However, once there she meets the business owners and neighbors that live in the area, they reach out to her in friendship. She also meets Patrick and his son Austin.
Kerry matures in this novel. She comes to realize she has been holding herself back. A lot of that comes from an elderly artist that she befriends. There are several lessons to be learned from Bright Lights, Big Christmas: believe in yourself, place the needs of others before yours, and the importance of intergenerational friendships. There is much we can learn from those younger than we are and older than we are. The relationship between Patrick and Kerry is sweet and fun to watch while it slowly develops. While the romance is nice it is not the main focus of this tale. The characters were well made and all likeable. I was particularly fond of Austin.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of Bright Lights, Big Christmas. As always this review is my personal opinion.

Christmas second chance romance. Such a nice, cozy read. Makes me even more excited for Christmas. Every book that Mary Kay Andrews writes is a great one.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook! I thought this book was very cute and would be such a fun book to grab and get cozy with. I love Christmas themed books and this was such a fun themed one based in NYC.

3.5 ⭐️ This was a heartwarming Christmas book that definitely gave me the warm fuzzies! It was as festive and cozy as a Hallmark Christmas movie! There was less focus on romance and more focus on the relationships and community between the visiting Christmas tree farmers and the neighborhood residents.

Our characters gave us a mixture of Southern charm and New York pride. I’m not sure how realistic the camaraderie would be in a big city like New York City, but I liked what it added to the story. I will now imagine all Christmas tree sellers are surrounded by a supportive community of locals who provide access to showers and after hour diner visits. My favorite part of this book was that the love story wasn’t with whom you expected. The best parts of humanity were on display.

Thank you to Mary Kay Andrews and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of the audiobook! The sound quality was excellent and the narrator was pleasant. She did a good job distinguishing characters.

This was a GREAT story to listen to! AWESOME narration! Great main characters. The plot was easy to find. The story was engaging and easy to follow. Will be purchasing this book. Shout out to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this story.

4 STARS!

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to and review this audiobook prior to release.

THE SANTA SUIT by Mary Kay Andrews is a Christmas story favorite and one I read in just a couple sittings, so I was so excited to get my hands on her new Christmas book! In true Mary Kay Andrews, this was a light and breezy read that could be enjoyed in a day or so.

This one wasn't very plot heavy so I was a little bored in the beginning and found the characters to be a little...less than interesting. I think for what it is, it was fun, but usually prefer a little more plot even in my holiday reads! There were still lots of heartwarming moments and I definitely had the "Hallmark* feeling a couple times though!

I don't think I was the biggest fan of the narration this time and unfortunately I think the "whininess" led to me being more annoyed with the main character than if I would have read a physical copy.

Fans of hers will still love this and I'm sure it will be a big hit this holiday season!

This book will be available for purchase on September 26th.

Mary Kay Andrews is a great author and I’ve loved everything I’ve read by her. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator fit perfectly with the book. The holiday storyline was fun and interesting without being too cutesy. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a nice Christmasy book.

4.5 ⭐️’s
This hallmark “esque” story has everything needed to put you in the Christmas spirit. Completely charming, this was a dual read/listen. Kathleen McInerney has the perfect voice to bring Mary Kay Andrew’s books to life and this one was so real you could almost smell the Christmas trees and taste the hot chocolate🙂 A perfect, feel good story from an author that knows what Christmas is all about❣️Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for and ARC and ALC of this book.

I picked this one up for a dose of holiday cheer. It has the makings of a tale sure to make your spirits bright: a small-town, Southern girl travels to New York City to stay in a camper affectionately—or not so affectionately—named Spammy to sell Christmas trees with her older brother and his dog on the streets of Manhattan.

There are Christmas trees and lights, snow and holiday music, and even a Christmas party. I should have been feeling festive, but the book ended up feeling a bit long to me.

It is sweet in a Hallmark way with an instalove scenario between our FMC, Kerry, and a recent divorcé who lives on the block part-time with his young son, but I had a tough time becoming invested in the connection or chemistry between the two. I do love found family elements in stories but am not sure I was truly sold on those elements in this one. And I struggled with the way the brother spoke to and treated Kerry. I understand that he is supposed to come off as gruff or grumpy, but at some points, he comes across as mean to a sibling who is there to help him out.

Kathleen McInerney does a good job with the audiobook narration. Her tone for Kerry is sweet. She uses easily distinguishable voices for each of the characters. Her pacing is easy to follow.

Be aware that due to the way some of the chapter endings are written, though, parts of the audiobook feel a bit choppy. Those abrupt changes can be attributed to the writing style, though, instead of the narration.

Overall, this wasn’t a huge hit for me but may be one for fans of this author.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley.com for free advanced copy of this. I loved this book! It's a light romance book in the sense that isn't cheesy. Th author really makes you feel like you are there selling trees in a small space in NYC. The narrator was good in this audiobook. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys a light holiday winter book.

Cue the Christmas music (but not the snow 😂) It’s a little early to start in on the holiday season, but I could pass up the chance to read this book early. I’m a fan of Mary Kay Andrew’s and love Christmas books so it was a no brainer. This story is about a family that runs a Christmas tree farm and brings their trees to NY for the holiday season. The warmth and friendships of the neighborhood where they sell trees is endearing and makes you want to stroll through. Throw in a little love interest and you’ve got Christmas magic.

I have read many of MKA's book and love them all.
I loved the characters in this one.
I adored Austin and the writing of the book.
This is a fast holiday read.

I loved this heartwarming holiday story about siblings Kerry and Murphy. Murphy and his dad normally bring their Christmas trees from the family tree farm in North Carolina to sell in NYC every holiday season, and have built up a community of friends that they depend on every year to help them while they are there. This year however sister Kerry has to substitute for dad when his health keeps him from coming, and her recent job loss allows her to be guilted into helping the family business even though she hasn't spent time with her brother in many years.

Even though this novel takes place in NYC vs. the authors usual small town scene, she makes this corner of the city feel like a close neighborhood, and although this still is a trademark MKA romance, it also has a wonderful found family element which was the most important part of the story for me. I highly recommend you adding this novel when you are ready for that holiday story to give you some joy and happy tears.

Another great cozy Christmas book from Mary Kay! If you’re a hallmark fan, this is a great holiday read to dive into for feel good reads. I loved this one! Great narrator!

This is the first time I’ve listened to anything by Mary Kay Andrews. It was such a delight to be able to listen to Bright Lights, Big Christmas. I loved the holiday feeling the story gave as well as the character of Birdie! We all have a Birdie in our lives 😊 .

This was such a sweet & heartwarming story. I thought the narrator Kathleen McInerney did a wonderful job & it was just magical listening to this seasonal audio.

I want to thank Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced audio book.
Publication date : September 26, 2023

Mary Kay Andreas does it again. This is only the 2nd book I’ve read of hers and I loved it. Cute Christmas story not filled with fluff.

Tropes/themes
Second chance love
Blended families
Divorce
Family business

I love to listen to audiobooks of books I've already read and enjoyed. I get to revisit the characters I grew to love and pick up nuances I missed the first time through. This was no exception - narrator Kathleen McInerney brought all the characters to life - from young Austin to elderly Heinz. Makes me want to plan a Christmas trip to NYC!