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Bright Lights, Big Christmas

by Mary Kay Andrews

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2883197,643 (4.1)5
"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, 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 neighborhood. Can Kerry's first impressions about the recently divorced, single father, and--dare she say, handsome--neighbor 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?"--… (more)
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» See also 5 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 31 (next | show all)
the best part about this book is that all the characters are nice. I'm so tired of reading about selfish, self-centered people. This story about a brother and sister who bring trees from their farm in North Carolina to sell in NYC is full of heartwarming relationships and Christmas cheer. A fun diversion for the Christmas season. ( )
  sanyamakadi | Dec 28, 2024 |
Thank you to Kerrian's Notebook wins, the author and the publisher.

I'm not a big Christmas book reader but I have read a few. Even though I'm Jewish, I like to read Christmas books once in awhile but need to read more Chanukah books it seems. LOL

New York City maybe a big city but the people are special. The Tollivers own a Christmas tree farm in North Carolina and year after year they have their spot for selling their trees. This year Kerry, who's an unemployed art director, is volunteered to sell them with her rough, gruff, brother Murphy, since their father Jock, had a heart attack and can't do it this year, and her mother, Birdie (Jock's ex) is taking care of him. Kerry reluctantly goes and lives in "Spammy" their small trailer with Murphy. Thank goodness for the people who own businesses that have helped them year after year providing them with hot meals, showers, etc. Everyone knows each other on that block where they are set up. Kerry starts dabbling in drawing again and makes wreaths since she has nothing else to do while it's slow plus they need the money to keep the farm going. They have a rival team across the street selling trees cheaply and they have to deal with that too. Then there's Heinz, a grumpy old man, who Kerry thinks is homeless and has no idea where he lives, etc. until he hasn't been seen around the neighborhood and Kerry noticed was sick. They start looking for him and no one seems to know where he lives or who his family is if he had any. Long story short, he had a past life as an artist. So many different lives and stories in this book and I loved all the characters.

Romance, of course was bound to happen with Patrick and Kerry.

I didn't expect to become so emotional but the involvement of Kerry with Heinz's life was incredible when he got sick and he helped her too and he was a nice guy after all.

This was a 2 day fast read. ( )
  sweetbabyjane58 | Dec 15, 2024 |
Newly single and unemployed, Kerry Tolliver moves into a trailer in NYC to help her gruff brother sell Christmas trees from the family farm. She wants to make a new start.

Kerry and her brother Murph have a few sibling conflicts but they both learn more about each other. A romance develops between Kerry and a neighborhood friend of Murph’s and there are some ups and downs. Murph has other friends in the neighborhood and Kerry slowly gets to know them too. This was easy to read and a feel good story about friendship and family. ( )
  gaylebutz | Nov 27, 2024 |
Absolutely adorable! Kerry has been roped in by her family to help sell the Christmas trees from their farm - the huge cash influx that saves their farm and family every year. Except this year, more sales need to be made in New York than in Tennessee (where they are located) and neither mom nor dad can help this year. Kerry and her brother pack up and need to run the whole stand the whole season together.

I loved Kerry and Murphy - their sibling relationship was so cute. I loved that they also had to work through some stuff. I also loved the corner they always sell trees on and their regulars. I love how the small corner had a bodega and a restaurant and how they took care of this little duo of tree sellers. When "the bag guys" moved in, I rooted for Austin to help them win. I loved the stories, the creative wreath making, and getting to know this little group of strangers to friends.

The romance was light and sweet. I loved the friendship and community more. I even loved the little easter egg about [b:The Santa Suit|56693416|The Santa Suit|Mary Kay Andrews|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1632867568l/56693416._SY75_.jpg|88626473]. This one was so much fun and a perfect read for the holidays! I highly recommend it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. ( )
  Trisha_Thomas | Nov 14, 2024 |
Every winter the Toliver Family head to NYC from their tree farm in Tarburton, North Carolina to sell their beloved Fraser Fir trees in time for Christmas. The annual sojourn is usually made by Murphy and his father Jock in his rusting 1982 Ford F-150 with a vintage fifteen-foot travel trailer hooked up behind it. The 1962 Shasta trailer was fondly referred to as Spammy and has made the 700 mile trip the day after Thanksgiving for the past 40 years where it would be parked in the West Village of NYC.

This year Jock had a heart attack and would not be able to making the trip with his son Murphy, 39 years-old so it was strongly suggested by their mother Roberta "Birdie" Toliver that 34 year-old Kerry Clare Toliver accompany her brother. Kerry had been vague when she moved home a few months prior from Charlotte where she worked in human resources until a merge rendered her position "redundant". Since her boyfriend, Blake, "ghosted" her there was nothing keeping her there so she returned home to live with Birdie. She barely knew her brother since her parents divorced when she was 7 years-old and Murphy stayed to live with their father on the farm.

It's a humorous story about a new experience for Kerry who enjoyed the trip more than she imagined. From cleaning out the nest of mice in the camper's sleeping loft to the Google map plan of a 10-hour drive and then finding parking in the Big Apple! After Kerry recovers from the culture shock, she falls into a routine with Murphy selling trees and getting to know the locals that have helped the Toliver's over the years. Clare befriends Austin, the 10 year-old son of Patrick, a divorced father sharing custody with his ex-wife. There is a colorful cast of characters which provide drama and humor a long the way.

A fun holiday read. ( )
  marquis784 | Mar 23, 2024 |
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"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, 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 neighborhood. Can Kerry's first impressions about the recently divorced, single father, and--dare she say, handsome--neighbor 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?"--

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