Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh how I enjoyed reading this heartwarming Christmas novel! It’s summer here in Texas but I thoroughly enjoyed this holiday story set in New York. I loved the main character(s) and the charming Christmas tree stand smack dab in the middle of a bustling NYC neighborhood. Some books are hard to muster the energy to come back to reading, however, I felt the opposite with this one. I didn’t want to put it down!

Thanks for the lighthearted and cozy Christmas read.

Highly recommend!

I don't know what it is about Ms Andrews' Christmas stories but once I start reading one, I can't put it down. They are magical, charming, kind, romantic, and all those good things. They feature people with problems and issues, and people who help. Situations that draw out the best in people. People being true neighbors. It is a lovely world to inhabit while immersed in a story.

A great slow burn Christmas book. At times it was a bit too slow, for my liking. However I can see this being a Hallmark movie! I read this in the summer, but I can just imagine what it’d be like with snow outside, the crisp air and a fire burning. Cozy!

I am a big Mary Kay Andrews fan and Bright Lights, Big Christmas did not disappoint! This book centers around Kerry, whom through a series of events, is asked to go to New York City with her brother to set up and man their family's annual Christmas Tree stand. What follows is a sweet, funny, romantic story involving a host of interesting characters and happenings in NYC. I loved this book and loved imagining Kerry in hustle and bustle of New York at Christmastime as she reconnects with her family and finds her passions, her loves and new talents. I would highly recommend finding a cozy chair in a quiet corner and getting lost in this story!

🎄 🎄 🎄🎄🎄

Mary Kay Andrews’ Bright Lights Big Christmas was an absolute delight!

The story is so enchanting - two siblings from North Carolina head up to the big apple to sell their Christmas trees like the family has for many years. The story is so many things, it is about connection, friends, community and a bit of romance! It is just so sweet and an nice cosy read! I looked forward to reading a few of the short chapters each night because it put in such a great mood! It also got me excited for the holiday season!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital advanced readers copy!! I received a complimentary copy of this book. This novel will be published September 26, 2023! Add it to your holiday wish list!

Kerry Tolliver is struggling to find her place in the world when she’s enlisted to help her brother with their annual Christmas tree sale in New York City. This is a world away from their tree farm in the North Carolina mountains, and it’s not an easy transition, especially given a tumultuous relationship with her brother. But it turns out it might be just the change that Kerry needs. She feels a creative spark ignite, helping take the struggling business in a newer, better direction, and she also finds herself surrounded by a community into which she quickly, delightedly is welcomed.

Hijinks ensue, romance abounds, friends gather, family finds shared ground.

This is a light, wholesome Christmas story- and for me a great holiday-escape-in-August after a couple weightier reads.

Thank you Mary Kay Andrews, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Since I’m a big fan of Mary Kay Andrews, I just knew I had to read Bright Lights, Big Christmas. And I was not disappointed.

The book’s description pretty much hightlights the gist of the novel. But it’s primarily a friends and family story with a smidge of romance.

The characters are typical Mary Kay Andrews’ style — clean, wholesome, colorful and sometimes snarky. I loved everyone of them in this novel. And if you’ve also read The Santa Suit, there are a couple of other character mentions which was a nice surprise and a welcome nod to The Santa Suit novel.

A lot of heartfelt scenes dotted the novel’s landscape, which made for some tearful and joyous moments. Get the tissues ready for a heartwarming holiday story perfect for Christmastime or anytime of the year for a needed break from the daily grind. Five stars.

I received a DRC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Thank you for this ARC! I like reading holiday books and like reading books that take place in NYC so this was perfect. It was heartwarming and had lots of intersecting story lines. None of the characters were too well developed and it was fairly unbelievable (living in a trailer with no bathroom and depending on restaurants for toilets? Not realistic) but it was still fun. If you’re a fan of Christmas books it won’t disappoint.

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS was a delight to read. I enjoyed Kerry's character the most, she was compassionate and caring of others and it showed throughout the story. I also liked that she took a leap of faith and decided to pursue her real passion. Of course, what else would make a holiday story better than a sweet romance added in. I thought Patrick and Kerry were just the cutest couple!! If you enjoy a story that makes you smile and laugh, you'll love this one. It's a perfect story for the holiday season.

Many thanks to NetGalley and ST .Martin's Press for my gifted ARC.
This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Cute and cozy holiday read with entire cast of likable characters. I liked this book it was a short read and quick and definitely filled with holiday spirit. I would for sure recommend this one especially if you enjoy the idea of Christmas in New York City. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Such a perfect holiday story with the best "Hallmark" vibes!
Kerry Tolliver learns the ropes of selling Christmas trees on the corner of a bustling street in NYC from her brother, by way of living in a beat up old camper without amenities! Learning her way through the season while meeting the regular neighborhood crew makes this story absolutely adorable. A touch of "bad guys", a smidge of romance, and a whole lot of community love!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this digital advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest opinions!

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Women's Fiction
Expected Publication Date: September 26, 2023

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a standalone Christmas romance by Mary Kay Andrews and is a must read for 2023!

I absolutely loved this book! The characters were interesting, the story was fascinating and I felt like I was a part of the neighborhood in New York! I was captivated by this book! It's a fun Christmas story and I look forward to re-reading it this holiday season! This is a heartwarming book that I didn't want to put down!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Kerry Tolliver is reluctantly helping out her family after her dad was hospitalized — that means leaving North Carolina after Thanksgiving to help her brother Murphy run a Christmas tree lot in Manhattan. Her temporary “home” is going to be an ancient trailer home nicknamed “Spammy” while relying on the kindness of nearby cafes and delicatessens for bathroom facilities. She’s a recently laid off ad agency employee whose boyfriend has ghosted her. As her funds and means of support disappeared, she returned back to Tarburton, NC to do freelance work, but her mother has pointed out that Kerry is turning into a loner. Maybe a month in NYC will change that.

And it does. Working on the tree lot turns into a magical experience as Kerry befriends shopkeepers, neighbors, little neighbor boys (and their single dads), grumpy old artists, and social influencers while competing with the cut-rate Brody Brothers’s tree lot (which has set up shop down the street).

This is a super sweet story as Kerry sells trees, works ridiculously hard, and eases into a romance with single dad, Patrick, and his adorable son, Austin. It’s filled with a great sense of Christmas spirit and it’s going to be a great story to read during the holidays (hopefully in front of a fire with a mug of hot chocolate). “Bright Lights, Big Christmas” would also be a great book club choice during the holiday! 4 stars!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Just some very blue ones
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO But the fragrance of Fraser fir trees pervades the story since the Tollivers own a Christmas tree farm.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a cute, quick read for the holidays where this family sells Christmas trees in NC for the holidays. This book was just ok for me. I loved her last year's Christmas book much much better. I felt it was missing something but not sure what. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

Mary Kay Andrews has done it again. This book has all the feels--laughter, joy, sadness, hope. Now I want to spend a month in New York City selling Christmas Trees.

PS: Spammy is my favorite character in this book

Loved it! Cute story filled with the joy and surprises of Christmas. Mary Kay Andrews is one of my favorites and she never disappoints. This one will fill you with the joy of the season!

This was a cute Christmas rom com and I enjoyed the plot. I wish it had mentioned more about New York City but I still enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to honestly review.

The Tollivers have a Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina in the holiday novella Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews due out September 26. Usually, Murphy and his father Jock haul the trees to New York City to sell starting a month before Christmas, but this year, Jock’s health is interfering with their usual plans so Murphy tells his sister Kerry that she has to step up.

Kerry moved back home to NC recently after being termed “redundant” in her art agency job. She is reluctant to haul the Tolliver’s small, dilapidated camper to New York to provide a place for her and Murphy to live while selling the trees. But when push comes to shove, Kerry musters up the energy to hall “Spammy” to New York with her father’s truck.

The Tolliver family has developed great relationships over the years with the business owners and residents in Greenwich Village where they set up a lot to sell their trees. When another tree company tries to undersell the Tollivers, arranging their business just across the street, Kerry ups their game using her artistic abilities. The competitors challenge back with theft and vandalism until Murphy stands up to them.

Embraced by their temporary neighbors, Kerry becomes close with Patrick and his son Austin along with an aging gentleman known as Heinz as well as the retail shop owners. Restaurant owner Claudia feeds the Tollivers and provides restroom facilities while the bakery next door to her provides plenty of coffee and pastries.

When Heinz goes missing, Kerry and Murphy make a wide search of the area looking for him. Turns out, there is much that the Tollivers and the residents in Greenwich Village do not know about the elderly man who they think may be homeless.

When Patrick wants to dial up the friendship to romance, Kerry is reluctant, although she isn’t immune to his charms nor those of his sweet son Austin. She and Murphy are supposed to be heading back to North Carolina to spend Christmas with their mother and father; however, a snowstorm along with icy roads threatens to delay their plans to return home for Christmas.

Mary Kay Andrews, the Queen of Summer Reads, has provided readers with another holiday novella following her last one, The Santa Suit. Andrews, a pseudonym for Kathy Hogan Trocheck, splits her time between Atlanta and a second home on Tybee Island.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting August 13, 2023.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

NYC, family-business, family, family-dynamics, siblings, romance, women's-fiction, friendship, pet-dog, situational-humor, novella*****

Another perfect holiday treat from this favorite author. The publisher's blurb is a good hook and the writing is always wonderful and full of truly engaging characters. Loved it!
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you

This is not the first book by author Mary Kay Andrews that I have read. I enjoyed the story of Murphy and Kerry Tolliver trying to keep their father’s tree farm afloat by going to New York City to sell Christmas trees. It has been a family tradition for decades but not one Kerry has assisted in a long time. Their father suffers some health issues and cannot make the month-long trip out of town so Kerry is roped into helping Murphy.

This is a great feel-good story. I enjoyed how quickly the author gets you involved with the characters, the sub-plots and all. The main characters, Patrick, his son Austin, the older artist, and the neighborhood residents.
I felt like I was in the middle of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Bring it on especially in the warm August month in which I read it.

I was given an advanced copy through Netgalley and am not required to leave a positive review. I plan to add this book to my re-read list whenever I need a pick me up.