I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I absolutely love Waters’ regency novels but Christmas Is All Around was fun, witty, and heart warming! It’s a great Christmas romance and a definite treat.

I like to read a Christmas book or two this time of year, and this one fit the bill. I thought it would be a quick read since it was pretty short, but I did have times when I felt it was slow. Overall a pleasant read though.

Christmas is All Around by Martha Waters is a cute holiday rom com set in a London Christmas. Charlotte heads to England to spend the holidays with her sister and family, despite hating Christmas. She has never gotten over being recognized for being a child star from a popular holiday movie and so she avoids Christmas at all costs. Despite this, she heads to the site of the holiday movie for an event and of course meets a handsome stranger, that while she doesn’t know it at the time, has a lot to do with this part of her past. As they fall in love, will Charlotte be able to get past his connection to Christmas, Truly?

Cute story and characters. Predictable—but in a good, Christmas story way.

A cozy holiday modern romance for your TBR this season.

There's not much "com," in this supposed rom-com, and a too much rehashing of Charlotte's former child star issues make this a three instead of a five for me. Still, it kept my attention. I read it in a day.

Graham was a good, kind leading man with GLASSES. Which is good enough for one star on its own! The one sex scene was on the short-side and only about a 5 on the spicy scale. If you're a fan of Waters' historical rom coms, be advised that this is quite different.

Waited until Christmas time to read this one. Definitely hallmark vibes. Spice 2/5. At first it was hard to feel the chemistry between the two main characters but it got there towards the end.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster/Atria for the opportunity to review this title. I am a Martha Waters fan, having read her Regency Vows series, so I was incredibly excited when I was asked to read this merry romance. Martha writes her characters with this sarcastic sense of humor I find so charming! I must admit, it was a slow start and the ending fell a little short for me, but if you're a sucker for all things Hallmark Christmas movie, this fits the vibe, with some spice mixed in!

Charlotte Lane can't seem to escape the Christmas movie she acted in as a child--it's followed her her entire life, and now that's she's turned down acting in a sequel, total strangers are accosting her. When she flees to her sister's house in London, she thinks she'll finally get a break from it--until they attend an event at the house where her character's counterpart's scenes were filmed. And even worse, the house belongs to a gorgeous, sweet man she finds herself drawn to.

I absolutely adored Christmas Is All Around. I loved Charlotte, Graham, and the whole cast of characters. I also rally loved that (spoilers incoming) Charlotte stuck to her resolve not to do the sequel. A part of me worried that that would factor into the resolution, and I loved that it didn't--but that she found her own way to make peace with things, which felt very true to her. I'd read Martha Waters's historical books and I loved getting to read a contemporary by her, too!

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. This blog post includes affiliate links.

After reading a couple of Martha Waters’ historical romances, I was curious to see what her contemporary Christmas Is All Around would be like.

The verdict: despite the FMC, who sometimes seems oblivious, this book ends up being heartwarming.

There’s so much discourse about unlikable heroines but the truth is that Charlotte is kind of annoying at times. I thought she was unfair toward her sister & surprisingly high-maintenance herself, given her vocal distaste for the movie she was in as a child & her dislike of Christmas.

But…I also like how Graham likes her crabbiness. There’s something nice about someone falling in love with a grumpy, not always very self-aware lead, & the way that the characters overall engage with each other is cute.

This isn’t a book that will be perennial holiday fave for me, but it was enjoyable & sweet & real, if you know a holiday grump or are one yourself ;).

I loved Martha Waters regency series so I was psyched that she had a Christmas book coming out, named for Love, Actually which is my favorite Christmas movie! This was a cute holiday romance, we have a former child actress that is haunted by the Christmas movie she did as a kid and is just trying to distance herself from it, then we have this sweet, charming man, picture Jude Law in The Holiday, who owns a classic English estate that is barely keeping float. They come up with a plan that could help them both and of course start to fall in love. It was a good book, but I didn't really understand whyy Charlotte hated her role sooo much and she brought it up too much. I also didn't love how they both made fun of corny holiday romance movies which I happen to love, especially Love, Actually, which that book is name after!! So that was kinda off-putting but I think it was more of a me thing.

This book was a solid mid book for me. I was enjoying it. It was cute and fun and moved along quickly. Charlotte may have been a little too grumpy but it was kind of relatable, not really understandable though. She lives in New York city and is successful enough as an artist she doesn't need a different full time job, like why so grumpy girl.
HOWEVER it lost a star because the 3rd act breakup was absolutely ridiculous and made no sense. It was overreacting for the sake of drama.

Charlotte is trying to outrun her past - namely her role as a child in a very famous Christmas movie. When she is the only thing stopping a sequel, she heads to London to visit her sister and family and let the spotlight die down. But on a trip to the very house featured in her Christmas movie, Charlotte meets Graham, the owner, and slowly but surely, starts to feel like she’s starring in a real life Christmas movie.

This is a fun Love Actually-inspired Christmas story that had some laugh out loud moments and a lot of heart. I liked this book. Charlotte is definitely the grumpy side of the grumpy/sunshine trope, sometimes overly so. But I liked the chemistry between her and the MMC. Overall a solid Christmas romcom.

Charlotte is a former Christmas movie child star who no longer enjoys Christmas, and also refuses to participate in a reboot that could save Graham’s family estate. Graham is determined to show her some Christmas cheer, and (of course) they fall for each other along the way! This is a classic little Christmas romcom, and perfect to get you in the Christmas spirit! I loved Charlotte’s chaotic family as well, and the ending was adorable. Definitely one to add to your Christmas TBR!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read before pub day! ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. CHRISTMAS IS ALL AROUND is out now!

3.5 rounded up to 4. This was honestly everything I could ask for a holiday romance! I enjoyed that the roles were a bit reversed in terms of Charlotte being the grumpy one for the holidays. Graham really pushed Charlotte into the holiday spirit, and shocker they developed feelings for one another. What started as a working relationship definitely blossomed into more. I felt like some of the side characters/storylines weren’t always necessary but overall, I enjoyed it.

I liked the concept of this book, but I think the story ultimately fell flat. It took me forever to slog through this book, which is never a good sign. Furthermore, the third act conflict was pretty ridiculous and childish in my opinion. I thought the premise and Christmas vibes were nice, but I didn't really enjoy reading this overall and can't see myself recommending it to others - it didn't really do much for me. Thanks anyway for the ARC.

Feels like a Hallmark Christmas movie in a book! This is my favorite type of book to read this time of year. I really enjoyed the main characters but the supporting cast really brings the story to life.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Really enjoyed this book! The main character was very relatable and the concept was fun. I really enjoyed all the side characters. definitely gives London Boy by Taylor Swift.

Charlotte is a former child actress who dislikes the holidays. She had starred in a Christmas classic and fans will not let her escape from that role. She escapes to London to spend the holidays with her sister and build up her art profile. Little does she know they stumble into Eden Priory where her movie was filmed. In a whirlwind of events she accidentally gets left in the town and recognized by fans of the movie there. She ends up meeting one of the owners Graham and he helps to get her back to London. Charlotte finds out that Eden Priory is slowly failing and that the funds for the holiday house are running low. Charlotte and Graham make a deal to help each other out but over time there seems to be more between them. Will Graham’s intentions for Charlotte reveal a secret motive all along? Will Charlotte be saying So Long, London or will her heart warm up to the holidays and Graham?

This book screams perfect Netflix Christmas movie! I think the setting was perfect being in cozy London. I liked Charlotte’s growth from beginning to end. However I couldn’t see where her hatred of her holiday movie really stemmed from. I enjoyed seeing the bond between Charlotte and Graham and it just grew when they went on their short trips together! I think the two main characters balance each other out well! Overall I recommend for a fun Christmas romance!

Such a charming and fun holiday rom-com! This one is set in London & brings all the holiday vibes!

I really enjoyed the family antics. I find a lot of holiday books have big & dramatic families, and it just brings so much humor and fun to the story. I also really liked the main characters, and I felt their connection right from the start.

Overall, it was engaging and fun! A must add to your holiday TBR!

This book was okay. I enjoyed the setting of London at Christmas but I found the main character of Charlotte kind of unlikeable. I found she was ungrateful, selfish, and kind of unpleasant. I found the romance between her and Graham to be lacking. How does someone like Graham who enjoys Christmas and is very family orientated fall in love with someone that hates Christmas and seems to not really like any of her family members, including her niece Alice who she seems to actually hate.

There were sometimes too many characters for me. Characters were mentioned and included and then never spoke of again. What happened to Leo? He was never spoken of again after the drunken Christmas party. I will say though I did enjoy Ava and Kit's relationship more then Charlotte and Graham. They were much more likeable and loving.

Overall this book wasn't terrible though. It was exactly what I look for in a Christmas romance book.

I loved Martha Waters's entire Regency Vows series, and though I knew I’d read anything she put out, I was surprised when she announced her next book: a contemporary holiday romance called Christmas Is All Around. It’s such a different style of novel, starting with it not being set 200 years in the past. And yet her writing and voice shine as much here as in her historical romances. This is another win in her rapidly growing catalogue.

Christmas Is All Around stars a former child actor, Charlotte, who appeared in a popular holiday film, Christmas Truly. (Yes, it’s basically Love Actually!) However, Charlotte didn’t enjoy acting and honestly doesn’t like holiday movies or Christmas in general. So, a bit of a grinch! She goes to London to visit her sister and six-month-old niece, and while there, she meets Graham. His family owns the building where Charlotte’s Christmas Truly love interest lived, and they’re looking for new ways to fund this old house… and holiday cheer certainly draws a crowd. Should Charlotte keep trying to outrun the ghosts of Christmas past, or could Graham be worth it after all?

Tropes & Narrative Devices:
• Holiday romance
• Former child actor
• Grumpy heroine
• Work-related romance
• Field trips
• Only one bed
• Third-person POV (Charlotte)

What I Liked:

• The anti-Hallmark movie vibes. The author sold this book as one that would appeal to people who don’t like Hallmark Christmas movies. And indeed, although I do enjoy Christmas and many holiday movies, Hallmark movies specifically… I kind of hate them. So this book sounded perfect to me! Charlotte is a grinch, and I appreciate that she never has to discover the joy of the season. She can find love and overall happiness, even without the holiday cheer people expect of her. Good for her.

• Funny banter. All of Martha Waters’s books are hilarious, and the characters’ banter in particular is her trademark. Prior to this, it worked well in her regency romances, and it translates easily to the contemporary setting, too. Perhaps it’s more natural here, actually. Regardless, this book was such fun to read, grinchy vibes and all!

• Christmas themes. Obviously, a book called Christmas Is All Around is going to surround our characters with Christmas. In addition to movies (and the obvious Love Actually similarities), I enjoyed seeing Charlotte go about doing Christmas-y things against her will. It certainly put me into the holiday mood.

• Discussions around creativity and individuality. Charlotte wants to be known for her current art, not that one movie she was in as a nine-year-old. I liked the discussions around her worth, being held back by or grateful to that movie, and finding balance in her perspective.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
• Since I currently relate to Ava in that I have a (nearly) six-month-old baby, Charlotte should be a more involved aunt! Lol.

Final Thoughts
I don’t read too many holiday romances, but Christmas Is All Around was the perfect one for me. I enjoyed the romance between Charlotte and Graham, seasonal setting and all. It’s smart, funny, and just a feel-good (but not Hallmark-y!) read that’s perfect for the holidays.