This is a delightful Christmas romcom that puts you in the festive mood! It has some cheesier moments that weren’t necessarily my cup of tea, but the romance was really cute!

I really liked the slow burn this book had! Main character was fine! Love interest was kind of boring after his initial set up! 3rd act fight was kind of dumb! Reconciliation was pretty good!

This book tries to subvert common Christmas romance tropes and embrace them at the same time, leading to a misguided and messy book. Simply acknowledging the tropes by saying, "Wow this moment between us is like a Hallmark Christmas movie!!!!!!!!" is not clever writing, it's just uninteresting.

If you are feeling even 1% not into the cheese of a book like this, don't read it. You will have a bad time.

There are so many better Christmas romance books, but this one is certainly decent.

4.5 stars! This was a really, really cute Christmas romcom. Charlotte, the FMC, is a Christmas grump who incidentally starred in a Love, Actually-esque Christmas movie when she was a child. (She does not learn the true joy of Christmas by the end and remains a Christmas hater/tolerator.) Graham, the MMC, has a family home that was used in Charlotte’s film that he is trying to save. The book was truly a romcom, and both the romance and the comedy were a hit for me. I think the book would be a good choice for both Christmas lovers and Christmas haters. My only quibbles are with the third act conflict pacing and with the lack of an epilogue, but these were minor.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

Charlotte and Graham were a cute pair. Charlotte is a former child actress who is haunted by one of her roles, she goes to London for the holidays to sspend it with her sister and ends up at a home used for filming that role (owned by Graham). I enjoyed the story, it was a nice holiday read

Mmmm . . . there are so many things to love about this book! It's a delightful bit of anti-Christmas cheer and I devoured it as quickly as my schedule allowed.

The characters are complex and complicated and flawed and interesting -- basically exactly what I've come to expect from Martha Waters. I liked Charlotte's penchant for speaking bluntly, Graham's quiet regard, and Alice's demonic presence.

I thought the story started off slowly. It took a little while for me to feel completely sucked into it, which is my only complaint. Once things all clicked into place, I was IN IT. It unfolds beautifully and while I never questioned how it would end, I did have to wonder how we'd get there.

By far my favorite aspect of the book is the narrative voice. It's told third person limited, from Charlotte's PoV. The neurodivergent grammarian inside me was tickled by the abundant use of parentheticals and em dashes! It gave the narrative a unique cadence that felt perfectly Charlotte. I also adored the liberal use of more obscure pop culture references. Sure, the whole plot mocks a popular (and problematic) Christmas movie but there are other references that often made me giggle out loud.

Go read it. It's a wonderfully unique holiday romance and I'm certain you'll enjoy it!

<i>Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I love a sweet Christmas love story, and this was hands down one of the best ones I've read!! Highly recommend this! It was the sweetest story and the characters were so relatable. Wonderful job!

I DNF’d this at 56%, but somehow kept thinking about it and decided to pick it up again. So glad I did, because I ended up liking it.

If you enjoy holiday romances, add this to your TBR.

This book has the most Hallmark Christmas movie vibes and it was very much intentional. It has a former child actor who starred in a beloved Christmas movie (Christmas, Truly) and grew up to hate Christmas, who flees her resurging fame, only to accidentally get stuck at the estate where that movie was filmed and fall for the owner of the estate who teaches her the true meaning of Christmas. It was fun. It was light. It was filled with holiday spirit. It was also just as predictable and cheesy as most Hallmark movies, but I'm not mad at all. It was self-aware of what it was, with the characters pointing out how certain situations were very Hallmark Christmas-styled. Also, I was so intrigued by the plot of the fictional Christmas, Truly movie. It seemed to be an emotional rollercoaster with a complicated plotline that was never fully explained which made it fun to catch the reference as the book went along. Overall, it was exactly what you'd want in a Hallmark-style Christmas novel. Just a lot of heart and a lot of holiday vibes. I definitely prefer Martha Waters' Regency novels, but I had a lot of fun!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoyable Christmas romance that references past Christmas movies (directly and indirectly). Charlotte, as a child, starred in one movie that became a Christmas staple. Not really her calling, she left acting to pursue art thanks to the cushioning from the movie. She decides to go to London for an extended stay with her sister after an article calls her out for not wanting to appear in a reboot. They attend an event that happens to be at a manor that was featured in Charlotte’s film and Charlotte has a meet-cute with Graham, whose family owns the manor. Graham is trying to save the manor since funds have dried up and approaches Charlotte about creating some artwork around houses featured in Christmas movies to sell. Oh, and Charlotte despises Christmas. I’m not doing a good job with this synopsis because I don’t want to give anything away. It is a little open-door but you won’t clutch your pearls. But read this book. It’s good.

Thank you Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Charlotte was so annoying and unlikeable at every turn while Graham was pretty bland. I didn’t get cozy Christmas vibes here.

I loved this book! Charlotte is such a cute character and Graham is so kind. I love their story!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

"Christmas is All Around" is a charming and festive holiday read that is perfect for fans of spicy not sticky sweet heroines like in Lyssa Kay Adams’ “A Very Merry Bromance” and Netflix movies like “Holidate.”
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Few writers earn the label RomCom as successfully as Martha Waters. “Christmas Is All Around” delivers the characteristic Waters wit we know from Historical Romance, but this time in modern day Great Britain during the holiday season.

When we first meet our heroine, Charlotte, she’s grumpy. Specifically, she is grumpily riffing on the film "Love Actually’s" earnest declaration that the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport is the most inspiring example of love. Charlotte isn’t buying it. Nor is she buying anything that comes from the Christmas Industrial Complex, including her own role as a child in a beloved holiday film. The tone is set that Charlotte is resistant to cheer, forced or genuine, which could very easily have turned her into a tedious character as the story moved on.

Waters did not fall into the cranky-character quicksand however. She neither changes into a Christmas super fan with a personality transplant, nor stays unchanged and rigid for no reason. Her character arc feels very genuine, especially in the ways she looks within herself and acknowledges the hurt of her own past and how it might be limiting her giving and receiving love. She stays funny, snarky, and grumpy while also becoming more open, forgiving, and non-judgemental.

Charlotte meets her love interest, Graham, as he is stripping out of a felt reindeer costume and he has a bit of work to do himself. But we get the feeling in that first moment that whatever it is Charlotte is made of, grumpiness and all, it’s the right fit for him. Graham is at a crossroad in his life, trying to save the crumbling multigenerational mansion filled with memories for his family - even if they don’t really value the same things he believes they should. But he’s also looking for a home for his heart, because he’s as lonely as Charlotte has been. That is the real journey here, under the pretext of Charlotte and Graham Save a Priory.

Bonus points for a very fun and unexpectedly hot love scene where the chemistry between these two is revealed as far more than just good banter in the streets.

The only wish I would have made is an epilogue further afield, as the resolution of what a person who lives an entire continent away will do remains a mystery. Which one moves where?

Overall, I'd recommend this one to readers looking for a holiday novel that never strays into cloying sweetness territory but has a big heart and big feels.
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Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. Expected publication date Oct 22, 2024

This was really cute. I've read Martha Waters' historical novels, and I enjoyed the British/American aspects of this and would recommend as a fun Christmas read.

I received a free ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Martha Waters Regency Vows series and was so excited to see her make the move to contemporary romance, especially a holiday story. Christmas Is All Around is a delightful holiday story. I quickly became invested in our female lead character, Charlotte. Having obtained unwanted fame as a child acting in a classic holiday movie, she has never been able to fully move away from that success. Currently working as an artist and illustrator, she makes her living doing commissions. In an attempt to remove herself from the spotlight surrounding a proposed sequel to the movie, she heads off the stay with her sister in London for the five weeks preceding Christmas.

Graham's family owns Eden Priory, which was home to his great grandfather the famous artist Christian Calloway. But in order maintain the property, the family is trying to find creative ways to make ends meet. When Graham and Charlotte have a meet cute at one of the families holiday events, it kicks off this delightful story. I loved Charlottes delightfully chaotic family and all of the holiday adventures that they took part in with their young baby Alice. Graham and Charlotte's romance developed very naturally as they spent more time together and I relished the UK holiday setting. While the conflict involves Charlotte's need to not be connected to her past acting fame, I found her desire to stand on her own understandable.

This story was a fun quick read and I enjoyed it all the way through. I will be recommending this one to anyone looking for a fun holiday read.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

2.5 stars.

The vibes:
- Christmas time in London
- Stressful baby
- Christmas hater

My thoughts:
I struggled with Charlotte. 😭🙈 She felt quite self absorbed throughout the book. At one point her sister makes a comment how Charlotte is behaving as if she’s on a torture vacation (to which I cheered). And Charlotte is shocked …..she asks herself if she’s been complaining THAT often. She was so jaded and negative about everything. About Christmas. About Christmas movies. About the baby.

Which speaking of, the chaos of the baby stressed me out. It was funny at first but goodness. She’s always referred to as a demon possessed baby or “demon baby”. This poor baby just being a baby. Charlotte is a major baby hater (which to each their own) but God bless- we hear about it the ENTIRE book. She (Charlotte) annoyed me with her attitude about baby Alice. The least she could do is TRY to be nice or understanding that a baby is behaving like a baby. Otherwise, she should have paid for her own hotel if she wanted peace and quiet.

I know some people say any Christmas romance is a “hallmark” vibe but I definitely don’t consider those to be exclusive terms.. This book isn’t a love letter to Christmas- but rather it’s about a character who hates everything about Christmas and has something negative to think/say about every Christmas thing I love. And as a side note- the book is open door and as soon as the word “cunnilingus” was used- I was like …. Please no. This is no hallmark movie, my guys 😂🙈

The movie that Charlotte was a child star in was mentioned 86 times. I’m not sure if this is a lot to you but it felt like a lot to me as I was reading it. I wanted Charlotte beyond this movie and she made a huge deal about it and made it her entire personality while being angry at everyone for making it her entire personality.

I toggled between 2.5-3 stars, but I disliked more than I liked unfortunately. I do read a lot of Christmas romance and have found some that really hit all marks and I want that Christmas feeling I love. Unfortunately this one was just ok for me and Charlotte made me feel so so grumpy about life. And the ending left me wanting so much more closure.

Release date: October 22, 2024.

Thank you so much to Martha Waters, Atria publishing, and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

*note- posted on Instagram (posted on stories on 8/14 and saved permanently to my Story Review highlight reel on my profile) , goodreads, Storygraph, and barnes and noble. Links provided. Will be posted on Amazon after release date when Amazon allows me to.

***Spoilers***
I was invited to read Christmas Is All Around by Martha Waters through NetGalley. I love reading holiday books year round, so I really enjoyed reading this in the middle of summer. I thought this was a very cute and quick read. I thought the miscommunication aspects of the book were believable and would greatly affect a budding relationship given her trust issues. Her inability to form multiple genuine relationships given her childhood fame would absolutely be a relationship roadblock. I'm so glad she didn't give into the reboot. I also liked that she didn't spend the entire book pining for her parents' approval, because it just feels like it is never really going to happen and that is ok. I wish the spicy scenes were more in depth (but that is just me). Overall, I thought this book was great and look forward to more by the author.

Thank you to Martha Waters, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Reading Christmas books in the summer is a special kind of fun. Reading Christmas books that are most definitely just a Hallmark movie is even more fun! This story follows Charlotte, an artist that once starred in a Christmas movie as a child. She hates all things Christmas, as is expected. However, she's spending the holidays with her sister's family in London doing all sorts of Christmas activities. At one of these activities, she meets a charming, handsome English man and the typical Hallmark movie tropes start.

I've never been one for Christmas myself and I definitely don't care for the rom-com movies of the season, especially the super sappy Hallmark ones. But put it in a book and I'm there! Every summer, I want to escape to the snow and silly love stories. And this one doesn't disappoint in that aspect. It's a very average story, even calling itself out on checking all the boxes of a holiday movie, but it's an enjoyable story. It's a quick moving read. There's a bit of spice, maybe 3/5, nothing too crazy, which was fine by me. The snarky wit between the main characters was better than the spice scene overall.

If you're looking for a fast and fun Christmas love story, grab a mug of mulled wine and settle in with this one!

Such a cute winter read that I enjoyed! I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

I received a free copy of, Christmas Is All Around, by Martha Waters, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Former child actress Charlotte is not a fan of the holidays, this year she decides to spend the holidays in London. People seem to have their own agenda, even at Christmas. I liked Charlotte, she intrigued me.

This book is so cute. Small town Christmas Hallmarky vibe! This is my first read from this author and I’m definitely gonna be adding her to my list!