Tomorrow, one of our Read With Lindsey Most Anticipated Releases comes out! If you love Mary Kay Andrews, Christmas stories, and cute RomCom, this one’s for you! I was honored to have a few minutes with the author herself yesterday at her book signing and reception at the lovely Town House Restaurant & Inn in Buena Vista, GA. Her team even brought a Spammy look-alike! (IYKYK).
I had posted a snippet of my early review of this novel a few weeks back, but wanted to share the full version with you today:
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Kerry Tolliver is cold and frustrated. Her life hasn’t exactly been going to plan lately and bunking with her burly brother in their tiny tin-can camper is less than ideal with no shower and no toilet. She only agreed to be here because her dad is sick and the family Christmas tree stand needs two people to run it. Kerry knows she needs to work on a long-term plan for life: a job and a place to live other than her mom’s house for starters. But now she’s in New York City for the next month, missing out on Christmas with her mom, and relying on the kindness of strangers just to take a shower. To keep her mind off it during the downtime, Kerry sketches the animals and people she encounters. Those drawings lead her to a fast friendship with August, a dinosaur-loving boy from the building next door, and Heinz, an elderly man with art skills of his own. As Kerry begins to feel more at home in the big city, she learns that friends really are the family you choose for yourself!
Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a story of belonging and family ties filled with Mary Kay Andrews’ signature humor. This holiday romance will keep you laughing between the family drama and the witty dialogue! Andrews delivers vivid imagery with descriptions that transport readers to the Big Apple in winter. The friendships and connections between the neighborhood and the Tolliver family prove that a little kindness and warmth go a long way.
I give Bright Lights, Big Christmas 5 out of 5 stars. Traveling to New York during Christmas is a bucket list item for me – the city in snow has always seemed so magical. Andrews uses that magic to deliver a beautiful tale of redemption and friendship in this novel. I enjoyed the twists through out the book, and the inclusion of a little drama with a competing tree stand company. I do wish that rivalry had been played up a little, or continued a little longer – the exit didn’t feel quite right. However, the character development and the surprise Christmas gift twist at the end felt just right!
If your bucket list includes that NYC holiday trip like mine, you will love this book! The novel is a great quick weekend read – I finished it in under 4 hours. I recommend this novel for book lovers looking for a lighter read for the holidays. With some minimal inclusions of sickness and divorce, along with some veiled references to sex, this book may be best for readers over 13.
I chose Bright Lights, Big Christmas as soon as I saw it was available on NetGalley. I adore Mary Kay Andrews as a writer and as a person. Her works are always so enjoyable for me to read, and if you’ve ever met her in person, you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say her personality really draws you in. I really enjoyed getting Christmas in July with this book – it is my favorite holiday! Plus, I felt an instant connection with Kerry Tolliver from her rural upbringing, to her career challenges, to befriending a dinosaur-loving kid like my son.
Don’t wait until tomorrow! Preorder your copy of Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews today!
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: Culture Jock, Kenny Noble Cortes
- Current audio book: First Family, Joseph J Ellis
- Book I’m most looking forward to: The Rules of Magic, Alice Hoffman
Read With Lindsey 