Kerry Tolliver isn't really enthusiastic about going to New York City for the weeks leading up to Christmas. But her father's heart attack has put the family Christmas tree farm in peril--they've already lost a week of the lucrative short season and with her mother caring for her father, someone needs to help her mountain-man brother. Someone willing to share the tiny vintage camper they park alongside the Greenwich Village tree lot.

But Kerry soon finds herself drawn into the quirky neighborhood and its residents. Undeniably, divorced Patrick and his young son, Austin, are the most appealing, but the grouchy, seemingly unhoused Heinz, with his strong opinions about Kerry's art, is a close second. As Christmas quickly approaches, and the Tollivers face one setback after another (particularly at the hands of rival Christmas tree sellers), Kerry begins to dread leaving as much as she one dreaded coming.

Total escape reading, but with such wonderful characters and an impeccable setting (with more December snow than New York has seen recently, I wager), Bright Lights, Big Christmas is vintage MKA. Speaking of vintage, along with the trailer, there's some vintage clothing and decor. #BrightLightsBigChristmas #NetGalley

Any new novel by author Mary Kay Andrews is cause for excitement, but a holiday story is extra special and always magical. Bright Lights, Big Christmas is your perfect start to holiday reading.

Kerry Tolliver is from Tarburton, North Carolina (remember the Santa Suit?? Yay!) but until recently lived and worked in Charlotte. After her job was downsized, her co-worker boyfriend and all her work friends downsized her also and ghosted her. She eventually gave up and moved back home to her family’s Christmas tree farm. Not where she really wants to be, but no job means no money and she needs somewhere to stay while she figures out next steps. Figures out her life.

In the meantime, her mom does what moms do best and guilt trips her into going with her older brother Murphy to New York City for a couple of months to sell Christmas trees. It’s a family tradition. Or was a family tradition until her parents divorced. Kerry stayed with her mother, Murphy stayed with their father, Jock. For years now Murphy and Jock have made the trip. They need the money the sales in New York bring in, especially this year when the farm is struggling. So even though Jock’s had a heart attack and can’t go, it’s imperative they make those sales. Kerry is there, Kerry has nothing else to do, so Kerry must go.

She’s not happy about it. She has good memories from the trips the four of them made, but those memories are from long ago. Their little trailer Spammy (because it resembles a canned ham) used to be cozy but is now falling apart. No working bathroom, no heat except for a little space heater – and as she discovers when she ventures inside, no recent housekeeping. Her traveling companion isn’t ideal, either. Her brother is a very cranky, impatient man, often rude. They’ve never been close; he’s always acted as if she irritated him. So even though he needs the help he’s not happy about it either, and wants her to do what she’s told, stop complaining, don’t make any suggestions for Pete’s sake because what does she know about it. Doesn’t exactly sound like a dream vacation, does it?

They pull up to their usual spot in a little neighborhood where they always set up and a Mercedes is parked there for two days. Not a good start. Then it gets worse when the Brody brothers set up a cut-rate inferior quality lot right across the street from them. The trailer is dusty, musty, cold. If she leaves the lot for more than a few minutes Murphy is all over her and she has to count on the kindness of strangers to even take a shower. Wow. But Kerry has fortitude and stamina and digs deep to look on the bright side. She starts making wreaths to add to their product line, custom decorating trees . . . all while Murphy is grumbling about any time she spends away to get supplies or any money she spends to get them. This man needs an attitude adjustment.

But lots of funny little things start happening and this is where author Andrews does her thing and the magic begins. Their lot is not in the big, unfriendly, cold New York we usually think of. This is a microcosm, a little neighborhood with quirky, inquisitive, friendly people who are just, well, neighborly. Except of course for those Brody brothers whose competitive mischief is more like vandalism. This neighborhood is made up of a variety of diverse, interesting folks who have the holiday spirit, a sense of community and want to help Kerry and Murphy. She’s still cold most of the time, Murphy is often a disgruntled handful and sleeping comfort is non-existent, but Kerry is beginning to enjoy her daily interactions with the people she’s just met. Everybody in this little neighborhood knows Murphy and actually likes him. To say he becomes charming would be an overstatement, but he is different at times. He’s made arrangements for food and showers and Kerry falls into the routine.

And the inconsiderate Mercedes driver? Turns out he’s a very attractive, very nice, recently divorced man with a six-year-old son. Both father and son are smitten with Kerry from the start. She’s powerfully attracted to Patrick as well, and Austin is sweet, precocious and adorable. Everything about this place feels good, is starting to feel so comfortable, like home. Or a home she would like to have. Her good memories from the past are resurfacing and she’s making wonderful new memories. People who feel like old friends, not people she’s just met. Patrick and Austin, of course, but also Claudia and Taryn and Heinz, an old, mysterious man who is private and aloof, doesn’t hold back his opinions about Kerry’s artistic talent and many others – the draw to stay here is strong. But she can’t just set up an easel on the corner and start painting. Where will she live? Work? This is New York City after all.

In Bright Lights, Big Christmas Mary Kay Andrews does again what she does best: gives us a charming, enchanting well-written, perfectly paced, satisfying story. In her books things almost always work out, and that’s the beauty of it. You can’t predict how it’s going to happen but you get a warm feeling from the start that just continues until the last page, where you sigh contentedly, and then immediately look for another book from this fabulous author to soothe your heart.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy of Bright Lights, Big Christmas via NetGalley for my reading pleasure and honest opinion. A definite pleasure that I recommend. I leave this review voluntarily; all opinions are my own.

Oh how I wish I read this one closer to the holidays it was the perfect escape. Heartwarming and a little slow burn . I’m never disappointed in MKA.

Good sweet story. Murph and Kerry travel from their tree farm in NC to sell trees in NYC. As a camping family, I love Spammy. It's great that Spammy gets a happy ending. Love Kerry's creativity on the wreathed.s love how Heinz, Kerry and Austin all worked on a story together. Love that Kerry got her happily ever after.

Sweet love story about a girl from North Carolina in NYC to help her family - falling in love - finding herself and helping an old man find a reason to live.

Like watching a Hallmark Christmas movie. Great way to read yourself into the Christmas Spirit!

Bright Lights, Big Christmas, by Mary Kay Andrews, is a festive holiday treat that immerses you in the season. The art-theme adds a unique charm and suspense. However, I wish the romance had a bit more buildup in the beginning as the romance seemed to generate out of thin air. Despite that, the book is a delightful read that captures the essence of Christmas and brings a cozy, heartwarming glow to your holiday season.

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.

I wish I could’ve read this book closer to the holiday, but I did enjoy it and it made me wish for the holiday season. A bit of a slow burn, but I think it will be a hit this Christmas!

Thanks to NetGalley & St Martins Press for the ARC!

I enjoyed this book. It held my interest from start to finish. It was a quick, Christmas read. It had a lot of interesting characters.

If you are looking for a delightful, heartwarming and sweet Christmas story, look no further than BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS by Mary Kay Andrews. I love this author’s stories and this one definitely did not disappoint. It is filled with wonderful characters, a festive setting and a story of family and romance that kept me engaged from beginning to end. For four generations, the Tolliver family has grown Christmas trees on their North Carolina tree farm. Each season, they transport them to their iconic tree stand in the West Village, NY. When the family patriarch, Jock, has a heart attack, daughter Kerry must accompany her estranged brother Murphy and his dog, Queenie, to New York to man the stand. The pair must share a tiny, run-down vintage camper and rely on the kindness of their village neighbors for facilities and meals. Kerry meets handsome divorced dad, Patrick and his adorable son, Austin. As the days pass, the chemistry between Kerry and Patrick grows, but can their relationship survive once Christmas Eve has passed? I truly enjoyed this charming and heartfelt holiday story and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

I needed an entertaining read and pulled this wonderful novella up on my Kindle and it turned out to be the perfect choice. Christmas stories always make me feel good and it's nice to read one before the hustle of the season. I really liked the characters in this story and how they epitomize that friends are the family you choose - that might even be a line in the book! I read it all in one sitting and recommend it for those that like a romantic story that doesn't get in its own way. A fun and quick read.

A delightful, heartwarming Christmas story that hits all the feels a reader wants in a Mary Kay Andrews holiday book. Kerry Tolliver and her brother Murphy travel from their Christmas tree farm in North Carolina for their yearly Christmas tree sale in New York. This year the pressure is on as their father’s health has put the importance of this year’s sales a priority. As they settle into Abingdon Square in Greenwich Village the neighborhood characters welcome them back and add a fun part to the story. Both the new and long-term relationships add to the overall enjoyment of the book. The book is a quick-read because it is such a joy to follow along with well-defined characters whose lives intertwine in a charming way. The addition of the old-man character, Heinz, and the young boy, Austin, play important parts in the overall story as we see a neighborhood come together and flow into a conclusion that is very endearing. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #BrightLightsBigChristmas

Kerry Tolliver has been tasked with helping run her family's Christmas tree stand after her father’s illness. She spends the next several weeks leading up to Christmas getting to know her estranged brother and the neighborhood of regulars who buy her family’s trees.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a stand-alone holiday fiction. There is a small reference to The Santa Suit, also by Mary Kay Andrews, but you do not need to read it to understand the plot of this book. While there is a romance subplot, I wouldn’t strictly categorize this as a romance book. There is also some mystery woven throughout the storyline.

The overall tone of the book is cozy. Are there some tense moments and conflict? Yes, but it aids in the overall mood and adds to the realism. Kerry is really the sole main character of the book. She’s getting to know her brother and making connections with new people. The relationship that she develops with Patrick is secondary to everything else.

I’ve enjoyed every book that I’ve read from Mary Kay Andrews and this one is no exception. This is my favorite holiday book so far this year.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press!

I was on vacation and flew through this book. I loved this holiday book because... New York, A Christmas tree stand, a good-looking man, a grumpy old man, a cute little boy... and the camper, Spammy! A great first holiday book of the year! Seriously, has Mary Kay Andrews ever written anything I didn't love?

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is another wonderful Christmas story by Mary Kay Andrews. I wait for Ms. Andrews Christmas stories and this one was worth the wait. This is a heartwarming story with wonderful characters you will love. This story is filled with friendship, family, self discovery and all the love and warmth of the Holiday Season. It is beautifully written and adorable. It will warm your heart, make you smile and maybe she’d a tear. An unforgettable holiday story by a very talented author. A MUST read for this Holiday Season!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Mary Kay Andrews for this wonderfully festive story to read and review. The opinions expressed are my own.
#netgalley. #stmartinspress. #marykayandrews
#brightlightsbigchristmas. #arc. #christmasromance. #stmartinspressinfluencer

This is yet another Mary Kay Andrews Christmas winner! I was quickly pulled into a world where Kerry and her brother Murphy are tasked with driving from their Carolina homes to NYC to sell the family Christmas trees for the holiday season. Once there, Murphy greets old friends and since Kerry hasn’t been there since a child, she meets a whole cast of new friends who welcome her with open arms. I quickly fell in love with little Austin who lives in the building near where the tree stand is and also with Heinz, the slightly grumpy older man who is clearly more than he lets on. The story flows like water and sucks you in so easily that you feel like you are right there with everyone. There seemed to be happy endings in store for more than one of the characters and I can’t recommend this book enough! It was impossible to put down and a classic MKA story!

Mary Kay Andrews delivers with this Christmas story. Her amazing blend of characters, atmosphere, pets and Christmas with a good dose of cocoa within a neighborhood of New York gave me the warmest feeling even if my toes are still chilly from the winter weather of selling Christmas trees with the brother and sister Tollivers. A Christmas story for any time of the year but this goes on my repeat list. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book; this is my honest opinion.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas has a little bit of everything to put you in a festive mood and reaching for some hot chocolate. We have a brother & sister trying to save their family Christmas farm, a rival family selling trees on the same block, a single dad with a cute kid who falls at first sight, a grumpy old man who keeps to himself but who everyone knows and a community that comes together when you need them the most. Even though it’s set in New York City, the neighbourhood has a small town feel and the characters each bring a quirkiness to the story.

Since it is a novella, the romance moves pretty fast (a little too fast for us) and we were missing a bit of the pining and build-up. The overall story was cute and reminded us of a Hallmark Christmas movie and we definitely love that!

Read if you like:
▪️Christmas in NYC
▪️Saving a small business
▪️Found family
▪️Hallmark movie vibes
▪️Single dad
▪️Holiday reads

I'm not one to rush the seasons, especially Christmas, preferring to enjoy them as they come. But this year, the August heat here was particularly gross, with heat advisories almost daily. So I welcomed the chance to read something to take my mind to a different climate. Set in New York City in December, this was a nice way to at least mentally jump into thoughts of boots and sweaters and all things Christmas. And I know I can count on Mary Kay Andrews for a charming and entertaining read, usually with a touch of mystery thrown in. This book was no exception as a brother and sister, who don't really know each other all that well as adults, meet up in NYC to set up their tree lot to sell Christmas trees grown on their family farm in North Carolina. While it's been an annual event for years, it's the first time since childhood for the sister, Kerry, to go. Some recent big life changes have left her in limbo just a bit, so she steps in to help the family and to hopefully get some perspective to plan what her next steps will be. It's just the kind of book I like to read around the holidays - light, fun, nothing overly dramatic but still held my interest all the way through. And there was a nice little call back to The Santa Suit, which I read last year.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS is the perfect cozy holiday read. It takes a rural tree farm into Greenwich Village, throws in the requisite cast of charming characters, and ties it all up with a sweet, romantic bow.

I likes this one a lot. It was low stress while still keeping me engaged and wanting to know what was happening next. The Tolliver family is funny and flawed, and Kerry Tolliver is a delightful protagonist.

If you're looking for a quick, happy read, pick up BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS.