Every day after Thanksgiving our family treks out to the Vine Christmas Tree Farm to cut down our Christmas tree. So when my book club selected Mary Kay Andrews’ Bright Lights, Big Christmas, I was delighted to revisit my family tradition through the eyes of Kerry Tolliver and her brother Murphy who set up their vintage trailer Spammy on the streets of New York and sell the trees from the Tolliver family Christmas tree farm.

Kerry meets a quirky cast of characters along the way. “We’re not strangers… We’re friends. You, me, Austin, Patrick, Murphey, and Claudia. What’s that saying? Friends are the family you choose? I guess we’ve chosen you. Whether you like it or not…Sounds as though you have friends who care about you. You can never have enough of those.” But it’s elderly Mr. Heinz who challenges Kerry to confront her insecurities and resistance to change. “Go home then. Give up on a good man who could bring you happiness. Give up on your art. Give up on your dreams. Lead a small life in a small town. And spend the rest of your life wondering ‘what if?’”

Christmas arrives, and with it a gift that changes everything. “Austin stared down at the last page. The illustration showed three backlit figures. The gates to the forest were unlocked and flung open, and a young boy, an old man with a cane, and a woman, all of them holding hands and accompanied by an alert, trusting dog, stood looking at the forest. In the distance could be seen a police cruiser with two villains, hanging out the back window. ‘It’s us!’ the boy exclaimed, stabbing the drawing with his finger. ‘Me, Mr. Heinz, and Karry. And Queenie. And there’s the bad guys, going to jail, right, Kerry?’…’Do you like it?’ Heinz asked, almost shyly. ‘It’s the best book I ever read,’ Austin said.” Ditto for Mary Kay Andrews’ Bright Lights, Big Christmas!

What a fun, easy going audiobook to enjoy at the beginning of the holiday season! Selling Xmas trees to help the family while discovering love and her own purpose really filled my heart with Xmas cheer. Nice audio production.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

You never fail with a Christmas romance in the fall, helping you to get in the right mood for December, and MKA is such a master at her craft. I enjoyed how she made Christmas in New York into a village feast, and her description of how Kerry made new friends among her customers. However, I found the romance between Kerry and Patrick completely unbelievable and without any heat at all. And were Kerry's father and brother supposed to be charming? I found them unlikeable and borderline abusive.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to listen to this ARC.

Probably one of my favorite MKA books to date! I loved the family Christmas Tree farm meets NYC chaos, and loved all the characters. This is a great holiday read!

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for accepting my request to audibly read and review Big Lights, Big Christmas.

Narrated by Kathleen McInerney

Stars: 3.5

An electronic audible Hallmark movie. BLBC worked beautifully as a palette cleanser for me. The whimsical Christmas tree lot, brother and sister day and night different, with the single parent falls in love escape. And, if I'm honest several chuckles, a couple eye rolls and at least one 'who does that' came at the right time for me.

I read simple stories like this once or twice a year and try to have fun with them. I did appreciate the author writing characters that worked hard and hustled knowing the bulk of their income came at Christmas. Andrews worked her magic. Smart always wins.

Such a cute holiday read. The narrorator was great. A fast adorable feel good book. I would Suggest everyone read for Christmas.

Another enchanting Christmas story by acclaimed author, Mary Kay Andrews! I highly recommend to anyone looking for a light novel filled with the sparkling magic of our favorite holiday season.

3.5 stars

This was a really fun, lighthearted read with all the country come to town Christmas vibes that make Hallmark a holiday staple.

I paired the e-book with the audio version, and this was a fun way to immerse myself in the storytelling.

Read this one if you’re looking for a holiday romcom read in between those Hallmark and Lifetime movie binges.


My thanks to @netgalley, @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas was a great read by Mary Kay Andrews. Kerry Tolliver leaves her family's Christmas tree farm in North Carolina to head to New York City with her older brother to sell trees at the family stand. She is sharing a small vintage camper with her brother and experiencing Manhattan for the first time. She quickly becomes close with the neighbors near the stand. An elderly neighbor goes missing and she will do whatever is needed to find her new friend. She also grew close to Patrick, a single dad raising his son Austin. They all grow close. I loved reading this book and cant wait to read more by the author.

This was more than just a love story. There is some mystery but to me this was more about finding your place in the world and believing in yourself.

The characters were great aside from the main character Kerry. I actually hated her. I think we are supposed to feel sorry for her but I didn’t. She was one of those people you hope you never actually have to interact with. Someone that can smile and be nice but the moment anything stressful happens, like needing to pee, she becomes a crazy person. However, I did love the capitalistic ideas Kerry has for Tolliver Farms money making. She was definitely able to help save the farm.

I loved the friendships that were formed within the story. Kerry was okay but she seemed very immature, at best. Especially when she was pounding on someone’s car for not moving out of the parking spot she wanted. It was the most ridiculous thing in this story to me. I never fully recovered from that scene. Kerry was always going to seem stupid to me after this point. No sane person would ever do such a thing. I also hated that the guy decided to like her after that.

I had to try to forget those things and focus on the rest of the story. This started off rocky but got better after all the dumb shit passed. Overall, I enjoyed the story.

The supporting characters were more interesting though. I would have loved to have more of them and less of her. I think her mom, Heinz, Patrick, Austin and even some of the customers would have been more interesting that her.

I could recommend this to people who like hate to love romance with a little mystery. If Kerry doesn’t sound like to much for you or sounds like you would laugh at her antics then this might be fore you. There is much more to this story than a romance, so if you like that, pick this one up for your holiday reads.

I listened to Kathleen McInerney’s narration of this story. I really like her for modern stories. If you enjoy contemporary audiobooks than you may have heard of her. She is perfect for them.

I generally enjoy the books by Mary Kay Andrews, especially her Christmas stories! Bright Lights, Big Christmas, however, wasn't my favorite. I did really enjoy the setting. Who doesn't want to read about a Christmas romance set at a Christmas Tree Farm. It's the perfect Hallmark-esque setting! I just really had a hard time with the romance in the story. I didn't feel their chemistry and there wasn't enough buildup. I wasn't buying their romance. There are other Christmas stories by Mary Kay Andrews that I would read before this one, unfortunately.

This one was just okay for me. It was a decently cute story but there were pieces I just didn’t love. The vandalism with the other tree people just felt like a bit much. I do love the connections she made and how she was able to use her art skills to help her find a new life. Christmas is such a special season that I’m particular about my books for this season and I often have a slightly harsher rating system for them. This one is well worth the read, just not my favorite.

This was a cute little Christmas romance with a little mystery, I could see it being Hallmark movie! So many fun characters.


Narrated by Kathleen McInerney who as always does a great job at the narration.

I have bought this one for the library!

3 1/2 stars

I received this audiobook from the publisher Macmillan Audio for a fair and honest review.

As usual, an excellent novel by MKA!!
I loved this book so much!
Thanks for the opportunity to experience it!
Highly recommended!

*Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.*

I’m a sucker for a holiday rom-com, whether it’s a movie (especially my not-so-guilty-pleasure Hallmark Christmas movies) or in book form, so I was thrilled to be able to listen to the audiobook version of BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS by the fabulous Mary Kay Andrews. Bright Lights, Big Christmas tells the story of Kerry Tolliver, a southern girl who leaves her family’s Christmas tree farm to help her moody older brother sell the trees in New York City. The Christmassy feelings serve as a backdrop to what is ultimately a story about family, a sweet dog, new friends, a mysterious elderly man, and, of course, a handsome single dad and his adorable kid.

This book isn’t just a romantic love story. It’s a story about siblings reconnecting, and about a small-town woman figuring out what she really wants out of life. It’s about learning when to stick up for yourself, when to ask for help, and when to lend a hand. It’s about learning to love yourself and to get to know others without judgment or preconceived notions. It’s basically everything I was hoping for from a holiday story. And, as an added bonus, the ending wasn’t entirely predictable (aside from being a happy one), which was a pleasant surprise.

If you’re looking for a quick, funny, and heartwarming holiday romance, I highly recommend this one. That being said, the audiobook version wasn’t my favorite. The voices used by the narrator were great, but something was a little off about the cadence. If you’re not too fussed about the narration, this might be a good audiobook choice. If you’re a bit pickier, though, I’d say stick with the physical copy or eBook for the best experience.

This book was too slow paced for my liking. The plot was fine, it was just such a slow pace for a Christmas romance. I feel like a few characters acted weird. Like it didn't feel authentic to how people would actually act, which made me dislike mostly everyone in the story. Grouchy men and whiny-get-everything-they-want children bother me to no end.

I enjoyed the narrator, who I think did a good job as all the voices of the characters in the story.

I was really excited about this book but it fell flat for me.

It was lacking characters development and found myself frustrated with Kerry for her lack of self confidence and understanding her worth. I got the impression that Murphy was supposed to be a grumpy brother that really was soft family guy on the inside, but he mostly just came across as a jerk. I wanted to know more about Claudia and their relationship as I feel that could have softened him a little. Patrick came across as manipulative and at times passive aggressive.

My favourite character was Gretchen because she was awful and her character stayed true to that throughout.
Austin was also pretty cool. I liked his imagination and determination. Especially to write his story and find Murphy's bike.

I would have loved to learn more about Heinz early on. The way he weaved through the book felt like I was reading two separate books. One where he was a focal point and another where he passed by.

I listened to the audio version, and thought the narration was good with the exception of Kerry's voice. I found her narration squeaky and made me feel like she was a damsel in distress that lacked self confidence, and the ability to stand up for herself. I would have loved to hear more confidence in her voice when she did make decisions.

Kerry’s family owns a Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina. Each winter, her father and brother make the trek to NYC to set up a stand and sell some of their trees. This year, health problems prevent Kerry’s father from making the trip so she is taking his place. In the weeks the stand is up. Kerry becomes close with the neighborhood locals, makes friends, and even develops a slight crush on a single dad with the sweetest son.

No author writes small town Hallmark vibe Christmas stories quite like Mary Kay Andrews. This story warmed my heart and brought me so much joy. While this story was much more focused on the friendships formed and the small found family Kerry managed to create in just a few short weeks, there also was a subplot of romance. There was also a bit of drama, especially centered around the Christmas tree business and the rivalry with another tree stand across the street. This charming book left me with a smile.

This was the perfect audiobook to listen to while putting up my Christmas tree. Kathleen McInerney did a great job narrating, even including unique voices for various characters. Her narration kept me engaged in the story and it was quite fitting to listen to a story centered around a Christmas tree business while decorating my own! I loved the audiobook and the time fellow by while listening.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance copies.

This is a fun one, because not only did I get an ARC of Bright Lights, Big Christmas as an audiobook . . . I got to met Mary Kay Andrews and get an autographed copy of the hardback! She was absolutely delightful, and so was this book.

In this fun Christmas tale, Kerry Tolliver embarks on a festive adventure from her family’s Christmas tree farm in North Carolina to the bustling streets of New York City. Every year, her family sets up in the same neighborhood to sell Christmas trees, developing friendship with the neighbors. Kerry hasn’t been since she was a kid, but this year she’s filling in for her dad, forced to live in Spammy, a tiny rustic camper, with her cranky brother, Murphy.

Kerry starts to develop a friendship with one of the neighbors, single dad Patrick. Both Kerry and Patrick’s son Austin enjoy drawing, and they begin draw pictures together that start to become a story. An elderly neighbor stops by to critique their work, and it’s not long before Kerry remembers her passion for art.

When the elderly neighbor goes missing, Austin begs Kerry to help find him. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just say that what they find is a little different than they expected.

I’ve always loved visiting New York City at Christmastime, and I could just picture this little stand and the quirky neighborhood of friends. You’ll fall in love with Kerry, Murphy, Patrick, Austin and even Spammy! I highly recommend this festive and funny holiday tale.

This is the first book by Mary Kay Andrews that I have read. I enjoyed the story although I felt it was a tad predictable. But an enjoyable read for anyone wanting a feel-good romance about the holidays.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.