Title: Bright Lights, Big Christmas
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Length: Approximately 8 hours and 8 minutes
Source: Review Copy from NetGalley

Do you have a live Christmas tree or an artificial one? In Bright Lights, Big Christmas, Kerry Tolliver is helping out her family after her father’s heart attack, by traveling from her family’s Christmas tree farm in North Carolina to New York City with her big brother Murphy and his dog Queen to sell their Christmas trees. This is how the family makes their money for the year. Their family has been selling Christmas trees in the same location since Kerry was a child, but she hasn’t been a part of it since she was a kid. She is now in her thirties and at a crossroads in life. What does she want to do moving into the future?

Kerry meets a handsome single dad, Patrick, who lives nearby with his son Austin. She grows close to them both, but how can she start a relationship if she returns to North Carolina soon?

Kerry also befriends an elderly man, Heinz, that stops by her Christmas tree stand daily. She is an artist, and together with Austin and Heinz, they start to create a Christmas book. When Heinz goes missing, Austin will not stop until they discover what has happened to him. Will they find him before it is too late?

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews was the Brenda Novak Book Group pick for October, but I didn’t read it until December. I greatly enjoyed this book. It was a light tale filled with second chances, found family, and the spirit of Christmas. I loved the characters in the community surrounding the Christmas tree lot including Spammy, the old camper Kerry and Murphy live in that does not have any heat or a functioning bathroom. I felt very cold reading about this. I enjoyed the mystery at the end and the romance.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kathleen McInerney, and I greatly enjoyed it. This is a clean read and it felt like a Hallmark movie. I would love to see this story as a movie.

Overall, Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a feel-good Christmas novel with great characters.

BRIGHT LIGHT, BIG CHRISTMAS
Mary Kay Andrews, author
Christmas Fiction/Romance

Kerry Tolliver never leaves the small Christmas tree farm her family owns. When she is forced to travel, with her brother and his dog, in their vintage camper to go to New York, she is a bit overwhelmed. As she meets the people of the block the Christmas tree lot is on, like the handsome Patrick and his adorable son, she starts to realize she doesn’t mind this trip so much.

This book is a perfect short holiday read. With some romance and a missing person thrown in, Mary Kay Andrew’s book will not disappoint her fans or anyone looking for that perfect holiday read. This was definitely a 5 out of 5 stars read for me.

Mary Kay Andrews stands out again. Another wonderful Christmas read. It made my heart full of love and wrapped up in holiday tinsel. Was it as good as Santa Suit? Not necessarily and some parts moved slower then others but truly a great read. It ended in a way I wasn't planning for but it kept the book going!

A charming holiday story where brother and sister are selling Christmas trees in the big city hoping to make enough profit to save their family farm in North Carolina. The siblings have a strained relationship but are welcomed whole heartedly into the little community it New York City.
There’s also a couple sweet love stories, as well as new friendships that feel like a big cup of cocoa to the soul.

This was my first book by this author and maybe I'm not the right audience for it. I was tempted by the premise of a small-town girl enjoying Christmas in NYC, along with a single dad romance, but the execution wasn't great. The relationship between the siblings is inconsistent with no contributing factors as explanation. The romance accelerates from 0 to 80 with no development. Throughout the book, the main characters' feelings were stated with little discussion of them between the characters, regardless of the situation. In the last quarter of the book, the focus switches to a secondary character and his past with no parallel to the main characters. The writing was simplistic and the narration on the audiobook was often robotic.

This is such a great holiday read. I loved the idea of a brother and sister manning a Christmas tree lot in NYC during the holidays. I also loved all of the characters we meet and get to know along the way and appreciated the interesting twist at the end. If you're not necessarily looking for a romance, but want a cozy holiday read nonetheless, this is a good one.

While this was a sweet story, and I loved the setting in the NYC neighborhood, this one fell a little flat for me. There wasn’t enough tension or development in the relationship and I didn’t really love how the men in this book acted. I definitely enjoyed The Santa Suit more, but there’s lots of holiday vibes to be had in this book.

MKA is my favorite author of all time and this book was just as amazing in audio format as it was reading the ebook version! The narrators blew it away and I look forward to more audiobooks my MKA.

Oh my goodness, I fell for this book hard. I adored the characters, the neighborhood and how everything came together. It’s the kind of book that will warm your heart & celebrates the spirit and magic of Christmas. If you enjoy Hallmark Christmas movies - you won’t want to miss this one.

Another cute, fun, holiday book from Mary Kay Andrews! I loved the characters and the settling of this book. Spammy was a main character…i loved the ending for everyone!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my copy of Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews Narrated by Kathleen McInerney in exchange for an honest review. It published September 26, 2023.
First off, narration was really well-done.
This book was really cute, sweet, and I loved the character development. I loved the found-family aspect, and the whole Christmas tree farm was fun too! Definitely a great read for Christmas!

Kerrie and Murphy are Christmas tree sellers from a tree farm in South Carolina. Selling trees on a corner in NYC.
They find love and friendships like family in the big city. Such a cozy and heart warming story.
Thank you NetGalley , Mary Kay Andrews and Harper publishing for the chance to read this delightful story in exchange for my unbiased review.

I think this just wasn't the book for me. Although it was exactly what it intended to be, I failed to connect with the characters or the story.

Mary Kay Andrews does it again! This was such a fun and wholesome holiday story.

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?

This book gave me all of the warm and fuzzy Christmas feelings. I really liked the premise of the book which is kind of opposite to most holiday reads - a small town girl falls in love with the big city. Sometimes the big city isn't all that bad.

I also really enjoyed the little link to Andrews' other holiday novel: The Santa Suit. I got so excited to hear a bit of that story told and roped in to this one,

Overall this book had everything I was looking for in a holiday read. It had Christmas trees and snowy days, but also has many characters to warm your heart. I also always enjoy Andrews' style of writing.

This one is a hit with me and one I hope you will add to your TBR!

Absolutely loved it. The perfect book to get you in the Christmas spirit. A found family novel full of holiday cheer with just a smidge of romance to top it off.
🎄
Read if you love:
* found family
* family business
* big city vibes
* sweet children
* grumpy old people

“Bright Lights Big Christmas is me, offering my readers a hot cocoa hug of a happy holiday story.” ~Mary Kay Andrews

This book was exactly that…”a hot cocoa hug”!

Andrews gave me two of my favorite things during the Holidays….North Carolina and New York City! There is just something so magical about New York City during the Holiday season and so enchanting about a family run Christmas tree farm in North Carolina. Mary Kay Andrews was able to give us both of these in this beautiful Christmas story.

Spoiler-free synopsis…
Imagine growing up in North Carolina where your family owns a Christmas tree farm. In November, you take your trees up to New York City, where you will be able to sell your trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village, all while sharing a little vintage camper with your brother and his dog, Queenie! In the weeks leading into Christmas, you quickly become close with the charming neighbors who live near the stand.

This book was just sparkling with Christmas magic!

I fell in love with all of the characters, but I really enjoyed the brother-sister story line along with “Spammy”, the tiny vintage camper that they call home in the Greenwich Village while they sell Christmas trees!

This was a Christmas tale about family, fr-amily and second chances. It was a sweet and heartwarming story that will make you want to jump on a plane and head to NYC (or drive up in “Spammy”).

Thank you NetGalley for the gifted copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review! I really enjoyed this one on audio! The narrator, Kathleen McInerney, was wonderful!

4/5 joyful stars🎄🎄🎄🎄 for me.

I was happy to pick up Mary Kay Andrews' new novel "Bright Lights, Big Christmas." As a big fan of Mary Kay Andrews, her latest book has warmed my heart, just like her previous novels. The story takes place in a big and cold New York City, where Kerry reunites with her brother Murphy to save their family business. However, in true MKA fashion, the siblings achieve much more than simply selling off their Christmas trees. The big city also gives them an opportunity to find love, help a friend in need, and establish a new future.

This holiday read is an absolute must-read that will warm your heart and rekindle your hope for the season. The beautifully crafted plot and well-developed characters make this romantic novel an incredibly enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Thank you, NetGalley, for a free and advanced copy of this novel.

🎄Bright Lights Big Christmas🎄

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Genre: Contemporary Romance

If you are looking for a feel good, cozy Christmas read, this is your book! Sit next to a fire with a hot Cocoa with this book and thank me later.

Kerry Tolliver lives on a Christmas tree farm (que Christmas Tree Farm by Taylor swift), and heads to Greenwich Village in New York to set up a corner stand and sell their Christmas trees to the community with her brother, as her dad is too sick to sell this year. Kerry fully expected to hate the experience, but the more she immersed herself into the local community, and put her own spin on the Christmas tree business by making made to order fresh wreaths, she started to feel at home. Not to mention the hot single dad and his son who took an interest in Kerry early on in the book.

I felt all the christmassy feels reading this short novel. At only 288 pages, this is the perfect book to immerse yourself in the Christmas spirit, and to finish your end of the year reading goal. The relationship formed between Kerry and Patrick was so sweet, but I think I loved Patrick’s son, Austin, even more.
Mary Kay Andrews expertly made a hallmark movie into a short read that made me feel so good and in the Christmas spirit by the end of it.

Mary Kay Andrews never lets you down! This is such a great Christmas read! I enjoyed the tree lot and the vibe of the neighborhood and it’s residents. It’s the perfect small town Christmas in the big city book.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for giving the chance to listen to this audiobook.

I know I can always count on Mary Kay Andrews for a light, heartwarming story, and this book was no different. It got me into the holiday spirit and was a quick listen, what more could I ask for!