Bright lights, big Christmas : a novel /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

From Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Homewreckers and The Santa Suit , comes a novella celebrating love and the warm, glittering charm of the holiday season.

"Nobody does Christmas like Mary Kay Andrews." ―Debbie Macomber

"Cozy up with Santa's favorite novelist!" ―Adriana Trigiani

When fall rolls around, it's time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family's Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry's ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.

In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she's come to think of as family,

And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick's chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?

Filled with family ties, both rekindled and new, and sparkling with Christmas magic, BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS delivers everything Mary Kay Andrews fans adore, all tied up in a hilarious, romantic gem of a novel.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Andrews (The Santa Suit) serves up a Christmas treat in this sparkling tale. Kerry Tolliver has just been laid off from her advertising job in Charlotte, N.C., when she hears that her father, Jock, has suffered a heart attack. She joins her brother, Murphy, in New York City to pick up their family business selling Christmas trees. Camped out for the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas in their vintage trailer--dubbed "Spammy" for its resemblance to the canned meat tins--the siblings hawk their family's trees to upscale New Yorkers on a corner in Greenwich Village. Despite a less-than-ideal first meeting, Kerry falls for divorced father Patrick McCaleb and his sweet six-year-old son, Austin. Soon, she's making new friends in the neighborhood--including a mysterious elderly man, Heinz, who is hiding a significant secret. When the trees are gone, Kerry and Murphy are supposed to head back to North Carolina--but will they? Andrews is skillful at plotting and characterization, and here demonstrates that even major cities can have a small-town neighborhood feel. Exemplary supporting characters--especially the prickly Heinz, gruff but lovable Murphy, and sweet six-year-old Austin--round out the novel. Those looking for sweet and clean holiday stories will be delighted. (Sept.)

Booklist Review

Queen of the Beach Reads Andrews brings the feel-good to Christmastime in her latest (after The Homewreckers, 2022). The Tollivers have sold their Carolina Christmas trees in New York every December for years, but this year, Kerry is joining her brother Murphy for the first time since she was a kid. New York at Christmas is everything she remembers, and even having to sleep in an old trailer fondly referred to as Spammy can't take away from the magic Kerry finds there. Having recently lost her job, the welcoming neighborhood in which they've set up their tree stand inspires her to make new friends and find joy in her drawing again. Soon, Kerry realizes she has found a new kind of family. Will a potential new romance convince her to stay when the season's over? Andrews draws marvelously likable characters, and here, she expands that to describe a warm, picturesque New York community that will remind her fans of the small towns often found in her novels. Put this in the hands of both regular Andrews readers and anyone looking for cozy, Christmas-themed cheer.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Mary Kay Andrews was born Kathy Hogan Trocheck on July 27, 1954 in St. Petersburg, Florida. She received a B.A. in journalism from the University of Georgia. She worked for fourteen years as a reporter, mainly at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, before becoming a full-time author.

Under Kathy Hogan Trocheck, she wrote 10 mysteries including the Callahan Garrity Mystery series and the Truman Kicklighter Mysteries series. Under Mary Kay Andrews, her works include the Weezie and Bebe series, Little Bitty Lies, Hissy Fit, Deep Dish, The Fixer Upper, Summer Rental, Spring Fever, Ladies Night, Save the Date, and Beach Town.

Mary Kay's title, The Weekenders, made the New York Times Bestseller list in 2016.

(Bowker Author Biography)