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A review by juliannewarren12
Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This book is a cute hallmark-esque story and a quick read. Going into it knowing the story wasn’t going to be complex/deep, I thought it was very cute. I finished it in two days and was perfect to read after almost getting into a reading slump, but there were some major flaws I cannot ignore.
1: This book desperately needed to be written in first person. The third person style made it so hard to connect with any character. The character with the most personality was Austin the kid, but even then we barely know anything about him. The writing seemed to be focused more on describing the scene but we really needed to know Kerry’s thoughts.
2: There is no chemistry whatsoever and this is considered a romance book. I picked this book up just wanting a Christmasy story, not caring about the romance, but there was no chemistry.Between both couples (Kerry and Patrick, Murphy and Claudia), there was no flirting, chemistry, or playful banter occurring. The romance felt forced yet bland and going no where. Patrick kisses Kerry like maybe three times and each just felt me as the reader feeling awkward. While I don’t think “spice” is necessary, there wasn’t even a spark. I think if this book was from Patrick’s perspective it would’ve been way better. Getting to know more about Gretchen and Austin, while observing Kerry from the outside would’ve been a better story imo.
3: The plot was cute but overly simple. 90% of the book is just about selling trees. The customer interactions and day-to-day shifts were just written in too much detail the entire time. I would’ve rather learned more about Kerry and her past or the romances instead of the daily operations.The only real plot in this book is when Mr Heinz was sick and it reveals he was a famous artist. This also left the ending feeling unresolved as it just cuts off after Kerry announced her plan to stay. A chapter about a year later would’ve wrapped up the book much better.
I thought this book was cute and ~did~
enjoy reading it as a filler between serious books, but could not take it seriously. It got me in the Christmas mood but did not provide much else to the reader. I wouldn’t reread this or recommend it to anyone.
1: This book desperately needed to be written in first person. The third person style made it so hard to connect with any character. The character with the most personality was Austin the kid, but even then we barely know anything about him. The writing seemed to be focused more on describing the scene but we really needed to know Kerry’s thoughts.
2: There is no chemistry whatsoever and this is considered a romance book. I picked this book up just wanting a Christmasy story, not caring about the romance, but there was no chemistry.
3: The plot was cute but overly simple. 90% of the book is just about selling trees. The customer interactions and day-to-day shifts were just written in too much detail the entire time. I would’ve rather learned more about Kerry and her past or the romances instead of the daily operations.
I thought this book was cute and ~did~
enjoy reading it as a filler between serious books, but could not take it seriously. It got me in the Christmas mood but did not provide much else to the reader. I wouldn’t reread this or recommend it to anyone.