Cute, rom com set in London with love actually undertones. This was a little slow at times but overall it’s a sweet read, perfect for the holiday season.

Visiting her sister Ava for the holidays in London, ex child actor Charlotte now 29 and famous for starring in a Christmas movie at 9 years old, is forced to confront her Scroogeness while surrounded by holiday cheer.
She meets Graham, basically Stephen Nedoroscik (it’s the glasses for me), and embark on their own little holiday romcom.

This is a slow burn, but I didn’t always feel the chemistry or tension between the characters. It felt a little unresolved at the end and a little too open ended for me.

Side note: 6 month old Alice being a fussy, screeching baby throughout this whole story was distracting. It didn’t add anything to the plot and instead made me skip ahead. I don’t know what vendetta Waters has about 6 month old babies and parents who seem oblivious to the triggers of a fussy baby, but I could have done without this subplot.

Overall, 3 star read. Great to add to your TBR if you love a hallmark woman leaves her hometown to visit her sister who moved away/overseas and finds romance storyline.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster/Atria for this eARC!

I tried but ended up DNFing this one around 50 percent. I’ve enjoyed Martha Waters historical romcoms in the past but this fell a bit flat for me. I found the dialogue to be cringey, too many characters I do not care about, and honestly the references to Love Actually were just way to much for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Christmas is All Around is a sweet Hallmarky rom-com set in London, which adds to its charm. I enjoyed how the book poked fun at itself mentioning how the characters' arc mimicked a Hallmark movie itself. I felt that the anti-holiday sentiments of the main character were a bit heavy handed at times and wished that there were greater character development. However, it was a light, fun, holiday story, which delivered in putting me in a calm, jolly mood.

I absolutely love this book, the MMC had just enough swoon and just a little bit of a coni mon roll vibe and I could. It out it down!

Great, quick Christmas read. It was easy to get sucked into the story, and it held my attention throughout. I ended up reading the whole book in one go. This story gives all the Christmasy/Hallmark vibes, with a captivating plot that many other Christmas stories are missing. I do wish there had been an epilogue, as I had some questions about how things were going to work out for them in the future. Overall, I loved the writing and would pick up any book written by Martha Walters in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books Publicity for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a cozy Christmas read, even when I start it in August! This was a cute, cozy and predictable read but at times dragged on. During the school year when I make time to read, I need a book to be easy to dive into.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I enjoyed this book from first till last page.A sweet Christmasy romcom that spread’s Christmas cheer.Gave me all the holiday feels #netgalley #atriabooks

This book was excellent. I found the characters' opposites to be endearing. While Graham had Christmas as a major focal point, Charlotte wanted to avoid it and the Christmas movie she had filmed. Observing the evolution of Graham and Charlotte's relationship was entertaining. Together, they were adorable! This book did seem to go on a little too long at times.

Delightfully fun holiday romance!

Charlotte has worked hard to escape her reputation as a one-time child actor in a beloved Christmas film, but it’s made even more difficult by the fact that strangers on the street are now blaming her for holding up a 20-year reunion movie. She flees New York across the pond to visit her sister and escape the chaos…and straight into the orbit of Graham, a handsome Brit with his own ties to the Christmas movie from her past.

This was a great time, but I think my favorite part was seeing how close the author could get to making a Love Actually reference (Charlotte’s Christmas movie is “Christmas, Truly”) without ACTUALLY referencing the movie. A lovely lighthearted cozy holiday read!

Highly recommend to anyone who watches Love Actually every year at Christmas (🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️), or even those who are a little skeptical of Big Christmas but still want to feel holly and jolly.

One of the things I love about this author is that she comes up with the best storylines. They are completely unique and do not have a recycled theme. Waters is an amazing storyteller and I never hesitate to grab her books!

This story is a blend of fun and witty conversations and actions found throughout the book. Her characters are memorable and hilarious especially when we meet the reason for birth control, her niece!

The female main character is a bit strong minded when it comes to anything Christmas, because of her past and family ties, so experiencing Christmas in England has her screaming a bit inside.. and maybe a few times outside too!

The male main character is a surprising treat to her vacation and a delightful addition to balancing out Charlotte. Their banter is awesome and their growing romance is sweet, swoony, and steamy.

Christmas Is All Around is a Christmas story that will become a memorable part of your holiday romances. Definitely not one to be missed. I hope that Waters continues to write her historical romances and now her contemporary romances as well. She excels at both and I now have a new genre to follow of hers!

If you are preparing for the holiday season, add this to your Christmas reads list. This was a cute romcom taking place in London. Charlotte, the main female character, is a huge scrooge, and it was frustrating at times. Perhaps I am just very close to my family and don’t mind being around them, but I didn’t like the way Charlotte treated spending time doing holiday activities with hers. I really adored Graham and appreciated all of the holiday antics the characters went through. The ending was a bit corny, but that’s a holiday romance for you! If you like Martha Waters’ historical romances, I think you will enjoy this one!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book!
This was my first christmas book i read for the year. What a charming book to get me in the mood for the season! I especially loved the setting and vivid description of London during the holidays. I could imagine myself there even with never having been.
Charlotte and Graham were both great characters that were well developed and easy to love.
This was a cozy christmas read!!

I very rarely share reviews for books less than 4 stars, because my cup of tea may not be yours and vice versa. However in the spirit of completing this book and receiving it as an ARC, here are my thoughts.

3 stars.

this was a new to me author, this is the only book I’ve read by Marta. I loved the idea of this story, but the FMC bugged me quite a bit 🫣 as a former child star in a very popular Christmas movie, Charlotte despised being remembered for role. She wants to be recognized for her art. This carries the theme throughout the majority of the book. It was difficult to look past the amount of times her distaste for the movie was mentioned.

This book had a ton of potential, it missed the mark for me though.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Publishing for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Christmas Is All Around” by Martha Waters
Every Family has their … issues
What a fun contemporary Christmas romance this was. A little bit serious, but mostly light with a lively cast of characters. I truly enjoyed my time within this story. Happy Reading ! !

this was sweet and it’s always a fun/meta time when characters are trope-aware. I love Martha’s historical romances and I think the hijinks in those pair really well her humor, and that humor was still present here but it was toned down and didn’t have quite the same impact on me. overall though, a great contemporary romance debut!

I love me a Christmas romance in the heat of the Summer, so Martha Waters’ Christmas is All Around was a delightful little treat! This heartwarming tale perfectly balanced humor and romance, offering a fresh take on a holiday book that hooked me in with Charlotte’s grumpy exterior in the first chapter. The book’s vivid descriptions of London and its iconic Christmas sights added an extra layer of charm. Thank to to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I got the ARC for this book I was like a Christmas book released in October? But when I started reading it I didn’t really care cause the book was a cozy cute read. While the plot is yes about Christmas it wasn’t just about that. Thanks to Atria for this advanced copy! The ending was a bit sudden though but it was a great start to the festive reading season.

Christmas Is All Around was a delightful Christmas romcom! London feels so Christmasy in this book it made Nashville in August feel cozy! I would love to see this turned into a movie!

A feel good enemies to lovers holiday romance by the one and only Martha Waters, yes please!

Child actor Charlotte made one film, a Christmas one, and it seemly ruined her life, or so she thought until she meets Graham. This book checks all the boxes for a festive holiday romcom beginning with a unique meet cute, forced proximity and the always favorite one bed.

Charlotte begins falling for Graham, the handsome owner of the stately English home from the movie she’s been running from half her life. As they spend time together she begins to realize maybe Christmas isn’t as bad as she once thought.

The characters are well developed, the setting idyllic and charming, this is one book you’re going to want to read this holiday season. I don’t usually read Christmas in July but when I do it’s Martha Waters and it makes me want to jet off to the English country side!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advance copy of “Christmas is All Around” by Martha Waters, all opinions are my own.