Bright Lights, Big Christmas

2.5 stars

I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

Tollivers had been growing this particular variety of Christmas tree, in this particular patch of farmland in the mountains of western North Carolina, for four generations.

Kerry has recently moved back home after her agency merged with another, her job as art director became redundant, and her relationship of two years just drifted to an end. When her mother has to take care of her father, even though they've been exes for years, after he has a heart-attack, Kerry suddenly has to help out with her family's tree farm. When her parents got divorced, Kerry went to live with her mom and her older brother Murphy went to live with their dad but now she's going to have live in a small trailer, affectionately named Spammy, for a month in New York City while they work their tree stand and try to keep the family farm afloat.

It dawned on her that in less than a month, these few crowded city blocks had become her home and these strangers now felt like neighbors. And one of those neighbors was . . . something more.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas was a chik-lit story that was great at showcasing how close knit neighborhoods in big cities can be. Small towns seem to get more of a spotlight in holiday books and I loved how this delivered on the good feels of neighbors helping neighbors and that holiday community feel. Growing up and not having much to do with the farm, Kerry was a little bit fish out of water with knowing how to help and how much hard work goes into the tree stand and her older grumpy brother Murphy seems to harbor a little resentment that she's just showing up now to help. As they get to know each other more, Kerry learning that the farm is in financial trouble and Murphy acknowledging how Kerry's new ideas can bring in money, they start to thaw toward to one another.

As Kerry works the tree stand, we get to know the people that live and work in the neighborhood, from Claudia that runs the restaurant where they can get occasional free food (and Murphy might have a crush on), to the new mother of twins that lets them shower and do laundry at her place, to the older gentleman named Heinz who wanders the neighborhood but no one seems to know much about, and to the newly single dad Patrick (who's allergic to pine!) that Kerry may have had a bad first impression with but now they both can't seem to keep their eyes off each other.

There's some of that quirky Andrews-ness, the trailer Spammy has a personality all it's own and rival tree sellers provide some hijinks but there's also some cuteness, Patrick's son Austin, Murphy's dog, and the couples and families that we get little glimpses into their lives as they purchase trees. The romance between Kerry and Patrick was very thin, don't expect any depth, just a sudden kiss on the lips from Patrick to alert that he was liking her and then invites to dinner. Kerry is only running the tree stand for a month and before that time is even up, Patrick is telling her she can move in with him because he wants her to stay in the city, I guess he was really feeling the Christmas spirit.

It was in the later second half when Heinz turns up missing and shifts to reveals about him. The reveals lead and provide for a happy ending for Kerry and Patrick, with this and another earlier happy happenstance involving an Instagram Influencer and the tree stand, it's a Merry Christmas for all. This was a little stark in the depth of emotion departments but if you want to read a cozy, bedroom door firmly shut, holiday story that was great at showcasing how big city neighborhoods care for each other, this would be one to pick up.