Bright Lights, Big Christmas

Cute Christmas read!

Delving into Mary Kay Andrews' book for the first time, I was captivated by her ability to craft a timely Christmas love story centered on New York City's holiday season. Through the vivid portrayal of an avenue and a few shop names, she built a setting that resonated with the festive cheer. Kerry Tolliver found herself uprooted from her North Carolina hometown, compelled to sell Christmas trees from a family stand in bustling New York City. Struggling after a layoff and her father recovering from an illness, Kerry faced a challenging three weeks enduring the icy winter in a dysfunctional camper with her older brother, Murphy. Unexpectedly, as the days dwindled and Christmas Eve approached, she formed deep connections with the neighborhood folks, particularly Patrick, a single dad, and his son, Austin. The question loomed: should she return to her hometown, where she felt out of place, or take a bold leap toward a fresh start in the city that never sleeps? The book's standout features were its ease of reading and the effortless flow of words, depicting classic Christmas elements—trees, wintry weather, and the joyous holiday spirit exuded by the characters. Witnessing Kerry's bond grow stronger with her brother was heartwarming, considering they grew physically apart due to their parents' divorce. The character evolution of Kerry and Murphy was beautifully portrayed—from initially distant to openly expressing sibling affection after spending time together. However, I found myself questioning if this was indeed a holiday romance. I was reading Chapter 9 when I noticed the limited interaction between Kerry and Patrick. A couple of chapters after, Patrick's spontaneous peck on Kerry's lips left me baffled. It felt abrupt and rushed, lacking the buildup their relationship deserved. The secondary characters, particularly Mr. Heinz and Austin, brought a certain charm to the narrative. Mr. Heinz, like a grumpy yet endearing grandpa, rediscovered the joy of Christmas, while Austin's quirky demeanor added brightness to the story. "Bright Lights, Big Christmas" is a decent holiday read. While it may not stand out as exceptional or make it to the top of my list of recommended holiday books, it's certainly not a book I'd dissuade others from picking up.

For the first 3/4 of the book She seems to totally miss the magic of NYC around the holidays. Never really grasps describing the exuberance of NYC personalities and while there seems to be a romance subplot in the story, you never really feel any kind of chemistry between the two. Everything fell flat for me. Another thing that really threw me off is that the only person described by their race in the book was a Black woman. The person’s race wasn’t important enough in the story to justify this. Am I to assume everyone else is white? This makes no sense. And on the flip side, there were an unlikely amount of red heads described as well, only like 1% of the world has red hair. Another thing that bothered me was that one of the characters described the pizza as “authentic” and I’ve never known a NYer to call pizza authentic. Idk maybe you’d like this book if you’re from the south and have never been to NY. But it lacked character depth and personality. It never left me needing to know what happened next or caring about any of the characters until the very end. I almost didn’t finish it, but the ending was pretty cute so I guess if you can bear the soulless beginning it’s an okay Christmas story.

What a wonderful holiday read. The characters have a way of making you love and care for them. The story embraces the power of being caring and showing empathy for others.

Loved it!

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews was a fantastic Christmas story. Carrie was fired from her job and back living with her mother in the little western North Carolina town where she grew up. Her father had a heart attack and her divorced mother needed to move in and take care of him. However, someone had to go to New York City to help Carrie’s brother sell the family’s Christmas trees from the family’s farm. In typical May Kay Andrews fashion, she created a story full of romance, comedy, friendship, a closer sibling connection, community, and a journey of self discovery all within the backdrop of a ratty old camping trailer, a Christmas tree stand, and the cold winter weather in Manhattan at Christmastime. There were definitely times when I found myself laughing out loud, and I always love the happy ending. What a wonderful book to get the reader into the spirit for a Christmas romance! I definitely recommend this book, which I give 4.5 stars. Readers of romantic comedy will love this single dad romance. I am voluntarily writing this honest review after reading an advanced complementary copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press.

I just could not put it down. Beautifully written starting on a Christmas tree farm in North Carolina and a snowy,cozy ending in New York City?

“Bright Lights, Big Christmas” is a touching story of new friendships, new beginnings and helping those in need. Kerry Tolliver is back in New York City where she had spent many fun holiday seasons with her family when she was a child. The magic of Christmas had been absent from her life for a long time but now that she was back, she jumped into the holiday season with child-like exuberance. She sold her family's Christmas trees, played joyful holiday music and created beautiful and sought after Christmas wreaths that soon would be gracing fashionable doors around the city. Kerry made many new friends and began dabbling in her artwork again which got her thinking about where her life was going. Kerry was at a loss of what to do until she met an old and wise man who needed her as much as she needed him. Kerry had many decisions to make and among them was what to do about her “relationship” with Patrick and his adorable son, Austin. She wondered if the spirit of the season was making her fall in love with the idea of a life with Austin, or was she just being overly dramatic? Kerry is a kind person with a loving heart who brought everyone together as they shared in the joy of the season and I am sure she will find the perfect present waiting for her under the tree!

Mary Kay Andrews has given readers a delightful gift in the form of this story of a Christmas filled with second chances. Andrews introduces us to unforgettable characters, each needing a second chance. Kerry has driven one of the trucks and trailers loaded with Christmas trees from NC to NY where her brother and father always run a Christmas tree lot. This is a “make it or break it” year for them. Kerry needs a career jump-start and a love interest. Her brother needs a new attitude and a girlfriend. Patrick (the gorgeous guy who parked where they always put their lot and didn't move his car for days) needs a second chance at building a family for his precious son, Austin. Then, there is the elderly neighbor who comes by and offers advice on all things. When Kerry notices he is missing, she pulls out all the stops to find him. Everyone is stunned to learn the true identity of their friend! He was ready to give up on life, but Kerry convinced him to take a second chance. Andrews concludes this book on a high note with a small-town NC girl, Kerry, deciding that the bright lights and big Christmas she enjoyed in NY were the best and her future never looked brighter! This was a delightful Christmas book! #BrightLightsBigChristmas #MaryKayAndrews #StMartinsPress

Oh how I hope this will become a Christmas movie.! Once again as only Mary Kay Andrews can do, she has written a wonderful Christmas story filled with love and hope. Kerry is guilted into helping sell Christmas trees along with her grumpy older brother in New York City. They drive a trailer of trees from their father’s tree farm in North Carolina and also Spammy a relict of an old broken down camper. Being in their usual neighborhood spot as several problems to overcome. But finding new friends, that became a family to Kerry helps her find herself again after losing her job and having to economize by moving in with her mom. Wonderful characters, just love little Austin and the recluse Heinz. I did read the book and listened to the audiobook, both are winners! This definitely has the Christmas spirit written throughout. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #BrightLightsBigChristmas #MaryKayAndrews