Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this. Christmas books are always welcome! This was a tough one. I loved the story line and the setting. I could picture this NYC street. I liked the neighbors. I loved Heinz! He and Kerry were excellent together. Austin and his book ideas were so fun. Whenever I visit New York, I wonder what it would be like to live there.
Problems with story. Patrick knew Murphy and Spammy! Why didn't he move when he saw they had arrived! Kerry saw him at his car. Why didn't she confront him? Patrick did not impress me. I felt no spark between him and Kerry. Plus, he had a child and wanted to fool around with the child nearby? Murphy was too grumpy and miserable. He didn't spend any time trying to get to know his sister . Just we need to sell trees and he was going to sleep.

An easy read about a Christmas tree stand in New York City, the family that runs it, and the personalities in the neighborhood. I enjoyed the book, but it was pretty obvious where it was going. The story with Heinz was sweet. You are rooting for Kerry and her brother.

The characters are wonderful. I got invested in them from the beginning.

Kerry has to accompany her older brother, Murphy, to NYC to sell their Christmas trees from their family farm in North Carolina when their father is hospitalized and their mother, his ex-wife Birdie agrees to look after Jock. The shock of the big city, the cold weather, the wonderful neighbors who form a community to aid The Tolliver family business are a nice surprise for Kerry. Competition tries to disrupt their efforts and the situation becomes dangerous at times. Kerry meets a young boy, Austin and and elderly 'homeless' man Heinz and steps out of her comfort zone to help.

There are so many experiences to explore in this novel that I won't spoil it with any more information.

A happy ever after that has left me smiling and light hearted.

Thank you Mary Kay Andrews for another great reading experience.

I can never say "no" to a Mary Kay Andrews book! Bright Lights, Big Christmas is like a feel-good, Hallmark type book set in wintry NYC. Can't go wrong with it!

The Tolliver family runs a family Christmas tree farm in North Carolina. They bring their trees to New York City to sell. The selling falls to brother/sister duo Kerry and Murphy. Neither of which are excited to do it with the other. Especially in tight quarters (i.e. a trailer named Spammy), It is imperative for the siblings to sell their trees so that their family business does not go under, following a medical crisis with their father.. We meet note-worthy characters and follow along as romances play out. Kerry is smart and ready to take on new ways to make some extra money. Murphy is gruff, but lovable. Patrick and his son, Austin, play a big part of the story as well as all of the neighbors in NYC. I do wish we could have seen more of how Kerry and Patrick's relationship developed and played out.

It is a sweet and easy read and I truly enjoyed it! Thank you to MKA, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read Bright Lights, Big Christmas!

By far, one of my fave authors! Cute title and cover. She captures the reader’s attention within the first few paragraphs. I would recommend this novel.

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS
BY: MARY KAY ANDREWS

5+++Sparkling Stars

I had been in a book slump lately, with library books that were on hold for months turning out to be unable to hold my attention. I had no Net Galley ARCS awaiting me, but I noticed this as a "Read Now," in the most requested books section. I don't particularly choose Chick Lit or Romance novels, which I somehow associated with this very talented Author, Mary Kay Andrews, whom I have never read before, but was certainly familiar with of hearing about her as somewhat of a household name. I know, I know before I start getting unsolicited comments for me reading, and reviewing a Christmas book before May, when I downloaded this, the premise sounded interesting. What I got was a really wholesome page turning story. It turned out to be only 288 pages, but somehow seemed much longer. Don't get me wrong I was completely immersed in the story, it just must be me, because what should be a novel that I would normally finish at under 300 pages, that was expertly written and interesting, my Kindle percentage marks weren't moving along as usual for a short novel.

There is a romance that develops between Kerry, One of the main Protagonists in this story and a side character named Patrick. But, for me what was center stage for me was the caring nature of friendship. Its main plot starts out on a farm in North Carolina, where its crop yields a special type of Christmas trees. Kerry's father named, Jock is recuperating from a heart attack. Kerry's mother Birdie is helping her ex-husband recover after they have been divorced, with him being divorced three times. Kerry lived with her mother Birdie since she was a young age and her older brother Murphy lived with their father Jock on the Christmas tree farm.

Every year Murphy and Jock go into the same neighborhood to sell these Christmas trees in New York City, which is a ten hour drive from their homes in North Carolina. There was a freeze that happened that destroyed a good portion of the crop, so Kerry who is back at home after her job was made redundant. Birdie, Kerry's mother has guilt tripped her into driving her father's old Ford into New York City, in an exclusive area to help her brother Murphy sell the reduced amount of Christmas trees. The Christmas tree farm is currently in the red, unless they sell the reduced amount left. Kerry reluctantly agrees to assist Murphy taking her father's place, but they have to live in an old camper without heat, or working plumbing. Birdie has nicknamed the ancient camper Spammy, because it is about 30 years old and looks like a tin can that a ham would be sold in.

What was striking to me was that in the neighborhood in New York City, where there are restaurants and expensive real estate is how kind and friendly this tiny community is towards each other. There are all likable characters that are all willing to help each other out by caring about one another. There is a background character named Taryn, who is the mother of young toddlers, who offers Kerry her home to take showers and do her laundry. There is an Italian restaurant where they get their food, who offers to let Kerry and Murphy run an extension cord for their electricity. But there is a least likely 90 year old man who they all come to care about during a crisis. The sheer goodness of these people is what made me love this novel. Also I found it fascinating how much these Christmas trees sold for, and the day to day life of Kerry, and her brother Murphy's routines of how they interacted with these background characters.

There does develop a romance between Kerry, and a divorced man named Patrick who has the sweetest six year old son named Austin who had so much empathy for a child of his age. Kerry went to College for Art, and I found that aspect of the plot interesting. How she shares it with a 90 year old man, and six year old Austin. I just adored how in each ensuing crisis how empathetic, and kind these characters all were. Ultimately, this book was more about family, the deep friendships, and them all willing to help each other was what made this an Unforgettable and elevated it to be worthy of Five, plus star reading experience for me. I highly, highly recommend this as an escape from the worry and responsibilities of every day life which wasn't the least bit sappy, but entirely realistic.

Publication Date: September 26, 2023

Thank you to Net Galley, Mary Kay Andrews and St. Martin's Press for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

BrightLightsBigChristmas #MaryKayAndrews #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

Super cute, fun little Christmas story. I've never read any of Mary Kay's books before and this was an adorable one to start with. All the characters were fleshed out and given a lot of depth in a way that does not always happen in a novella. It definitely felt longer than a novella!

You can't go wrong with anything from MKA, and especially a Christmas book!
Set i New York City, Kerry, and her brother Murphy drive from their North Carolina Christmas tree farm to set up their yearly tree stand in the city. This is the first year Kerry has helped since she was a child. Since Kerry and Murphy live in an old beat up trailer while there, their neighbors take care of them, feed them and become like family. This all adds up to the perfect holiday read!

Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin's Press and the wonderful Mary Kay Andrews for this ARC, in return for my honest review.

I love a Mary Kay Andrews book and this one was no exception. She has a way of making you fall in love with all the characters and becoming deeply engrossed in the story. I loved the close neighborhood feel among the big city of NYC. But I think my favorite was the way the community came together to support Mr. Heinz and bring him back to life and health.

Bright Lights Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

288 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: September 26, 2023

Fiction, Christmas, New York, Romance

Kelly and Murphy Tolliver are in New York City selling Christmas trees for the holidays. Being siblings living together in a pull behind trailer is a nightmare. Two guys open a stand across the street from their stand which is undercutting their sales. An old man goes missing and the neighborhood grows concerned.

The story has a steady pace, the characters are somewhat developed, and it is written in third person point of view. There is a cute mention of the “Santa Suit,” another book by the author. This is a light romantic dramady.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrew’s is a wonderful Christmas book. I love Christmas books. This book has it all romance and fun descriptions of restaurants. The story takes place in New York. There are wonderful characters and community togetherness.

The perfect Christmas story! Set in NYC, this is a delightful and feel-good story for the holidays. Fans of Mary Kay Andrews will not be disappointed. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

What a perfect Christmas story! Kerry and her brother, Murphy, spend the month of December far away from their Christmas tree farm in North Carolina, selling trees while making friends in New York City. Even though Kerry and Murphy live in a broken down trailer with no kitchen or working bathroom, they still manage to find Christmas cheer as they become an integral part of the neighborhood. Fans of Mary Kay Andrews will still recognize her southern charm even though this story takes place up north.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book; I appreciate it !!

This novella is a sweet holiday story with great characters. Set in NYC, the descriptions were so vivid I could almost smell the Christmas trees! While the plot was a bit predictable, I didn't mind it too much because the story was so well told. I only wish the book was a bit longer so there could be some more development before the "instant-love" since that seemed too rushed to me.

Overall, a very good holiday book.

This is the perfect holiday book with a great set of characters. It is heartwarming and shows how far a ripple can reach with a little bit of kindness.

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
*********************************************************
From Mary Kay Andrews, the New York Times bestselling author of The Santa Suit, comes a novella celebrating the magic of Christmas and second chances.
Newly single and unemployed Kerry Tolliver needs a second chance. When she moves back home to her family's Christmas tree farm in North Carolina, she is guilt-tripped into helping her brother, Murphy, to sell trees in New York City. She begrudgingly agrees, but she isn't happy about sharing a trailer with her brother in the East Village for two months. Plus, it's been years, since before her parents' divorce, that she's been to the city to sell Christmas trees.
Then, Kerry meets Patrick, the annoying Mercedes owner who parked in her spot for the first two days. Patrick is recently divorced, a father to a six-year-old son, and lives in the neighbourhood. Can Kerry's first impressions about the recently divorced, single father, and--dare she say, handsome--neighbour be wrong?
Surrounded by warm childhood memories, sparkling possibility, and the magic of Christmas in the City, will Kerry finally get the second chance she needs to find herself... and maybe even find love?

It feels odd to be reading a Christmas book in April but that's okay as once the season starts, I don't want to be reminded of Christmas at all! Christmas in NYC sounds wonderful, though - we have always wanted to go and enjoy all the touristy things although living two months in a trailer in the East Village is not the way I would do a NYC-Xmas.
Lovely characters, a great romance all from a wonderful author means that this book will be recommended by me and fly off the shelves, just as her previous book, The Santa Suit, did before.
#shortbutsweetreviews

I really enjoyed reading this book. This is the first Mary Kay Andrews book I’ve read and I really liked it and will now go back and read her other books. Bright Lights, Big Christmas is about Kerry Tolliver and her second chance at life by going with her brother Murphy to New York to sell Christmas trees from their families Christmas tree farm. I absolutely love Christmas books and this one did not disappoint, it was a 5/5 star read. This book is released September 26,2023. Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Mary Kay Andrew for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

Christmas trees, Christmas lights, and old van named "Spammy" in NYC during the holiday season is a magical, loving and a perfect read anytime.
Mary Kay Andrews has written a short story that has won my heart!
You will definitely want to sit with this little book and meet Kerry and Murphy while they sell their Christmas trees and meet new friends.
Life is always special during the holiday season and this will definitely warm your heart!

Thank you to @NetGalley and @St. Martin's Press for this wonderful ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.

Christmas stories are always warm hearted. This is no exception. It is a sweet, heartwarming story of one Christmas season. Kerry has moved home to her parent's tree farm because she was laid off from her job. She does not seem to know what to do next. Her mother convinces her to go to New York with her brother to sell Christmas trees on a corner. Kerry and her brother clash over how to sell the trees. You will meet a cast of characters who live in the neighborhood. This story will make you feel good about kind hearted neighbors in this community. It has some surprises for Kerry.
Sometimes you just need to read a story that will make you feel good. This is one of those stories. Everyone should read some Christmas stories during the season.

Thank you to #netgalley, #MaryKayAndrews, and #StMartinsPress for a copy of this book.

It's the end of April, which should be too early for Christmas romance but my last couple of reads included a heavy, heartbreaking story about a teen grieving his brother's murder as well as a horror novel about possessed puppets. Both included ghosts. So I decided a light Christmas romance was allowed, even necessary.
I really enjoyed all the main characters and the casual romance, although because of the length of the book most of the side characters end up pretty one dimensional, a few are possibly even 'token'...
I loved Kerry's reconnecting with art as well as reconnecting with her brother, Murphy. Then suddenly, the casual flirting between Kerry and Patrick became full-on instalove which was harder to believe. The ending was fairly predictable, as most Christmas romance books are (we read them for this very reason). My favorite storyline is Heinz's.

*received free digital ARC from netgalley