I adored Martha Waters’ The Regency vows series. I was curious to see how Waters would pivot from historical romance to modern romance, specifically Christmas romance.

With her signature wit and development of a likable full cast of characters, Waters pens a very cute Grinchy romance about Charlotte and Graham. Charlotte starred in a Christmas movie hit when she was nine and the movie haunts her. Graham’s family owns the house where part of the film Charlotte starred in was filmed. This book is hilariously self-aware and pokes fun at the holiday romance plot lines, Christmas traditions, and people’s obsession with actors and popular movies.

I saw that Waters posted an early review that described this book as two nepotism babies falling in love. I think that’s apt — some of the problems feel a little contrived. For example, Charlotte’s complaints about the film felt a bit overblown at times. Graham deals with more substantial issues and is a gem. We protect Graham at all costs. I liked how their relationship develops and I loved how Charlotte’s sister and best friend interact with her and call her out when needed.

Overall, a solid romance that’s ideal for anyone feeling Grinchy about the season but who also wants something cozy and cute.

Ever since appearing as a child in a Christmas movie that has become a classic, Charlotte has tried to distance herself from the holiday as much as possible. Charlotte heads to London to celebrate with her sister and get out of the States. It seems Charlotte can’t escape her past even in a different country. When she heads to an event at Eden Priory-a country estate where the movie was filmed-Charlotte’s past and present collide. She becomes quick friends with the family who owns Eden Priory, the son Graham in particular. When he commissions Charlotte to illustrate famous Christmas scenes all around London, the time together leads Graham and Charlotte to challenge each other. This creates a spark they can’t deny. But all is not what it seems.

With Martha Water’s trademark wit and sweetness this holiday romance has gone straight to the top as one of my favorites!

what a fun, unique, intriguing story! I loved Charlottes character as she grapples with past haunts while also falling for Graham who is unknowingly connected to Charlottes past. I was hooked into Charlottes story here, wanting to know more and more about her why’s. Graham is cute and I love his and Charlottes connection and love story.

overall, a super fun, captivating, unique story! thank you for the arc :)

This story was a sweet Christmas romance! The tongue-in-cheek aspect, especially towards the end was a bit much for me personally, and the side characters felt underdeveloped which led to a more flat feeling as I read.

This was an interesting storyline - a take on a young, child actress from love, actually (but of course renamed)… who grew up in a Hollywood family … but hated fame. She winds up being forced to attend a Christmas event at one of the filming locations that celebrates the movie, after fleeing home to avoid the public outcry from enraged fans after refusing to do a sequel, like, 20 years later, and basically being told her decision has derailed the entire project.

Meeting a very non-fan and someone related to the property (Eden Priory), she somehow winds up touring the English countryside and doing commissioned drawings of other iconic movie locations with him, and realizing that the Christmas season might not be so bad, afterall…

I’m a big fan of Waters’ regency romps and this one is really different, but really enjoyable! I also love the actual movie it was loosely based on (the one that Charlotte was in as a child actor), so those ties definitely might have kept me glued to the pages a little more, waiting for some other Easter eggs. I definitely recommend this one to her fans, and love, actually fans, and just good Christmas romance fans!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Atria Books, and this is my honest feedback.

I don't read much historical romance but LOVED Martha Water's series so I knew I'd love this one as well and I was right. An absolute delight: smart, sexy, whimsical, festive.

This was such a fun Christmas story. I loved the relationship between the two main characters. They were both so thoughtful of each other and so respectful. I also loved the idea of an unwilling child star.

Charlotte is a former child star who hates the holidays and has no desire to associate with the movie that made her famous. To escape pressure to do a reboot, she heads from NYC to London to visit family for the holidays. While there, she accidentally finds herself at a filming location for the movie, and strikes a deal with one of the owners, Graham.

3.75 stars

If you love a good Hallmark Christmas movie but crave some additional spice, reading Christmas is All Around is definitely a good idea. Author Martha Waters gives readers a delightful little romp in modern day England with all the charm and wit of her historically-set previous works.

This book winks at its predecessors and is meta in the sense that it’s breaking down its tropes in real time, all without feeling too rote. Those who crave interesting and safe (meaning there's a happy ending) holiday reads will be delighted by the book.

I will say that this book feels more cinematic than literary, if only because its commentary throughout is mostly regarding films. The ending is definitely an HFN, and I would have loved an epilogue.

Overall, though, this is a nice addition to other holiday-themed contemporary romances and a book you’ll definitely want to finish in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this! I had high hopes going into this book as I love a good, Christmas read. Charlotte is a previous childhood star battling her past role, and is definitely a bit of a Scrooge for the holidays. This book is good, and the character development and bond between Graham and Charlotte is sweet. I did find that Charlotte was too much of a Scrooge at times, sometimes to the detriment of keeping my interest and the story line, but overall a festive read!

Christmas Is All Around is a fun holiday romance, perfect for fans of Hallmark Christmas movies. Charlotte hates the holidays.  When she was younger, she starred in a Christmas movie. Well, to her misfortune, that movie has become a fan favorite. It’s one of those Christmas movies everyone watches each year. Charlotte shoots down reprising her role in a reboot and receives a lot of hate from it. Desperate to flee the crazy fans, she flies to London for 6 weeks with her sister and brother-in-law before the holidays. What Charlotte didn’t expect was to find herself falling in love like everyone does in a Christmas romance movie.

This is a cute story! I loved every scene with Charlotte and Graham. They were adorable together, and I loved their sarcastic banter. Martha Waters does a great job portraying a realistic relationship between the two. They slowly drop their walls and let the other in, bit by bit.

I don’t have any complaints about the story. I gave this 3 stars rather than 4 stars because I never felt fully invested.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book!

Super cute and cozy read. I loved the child star angle for the FMC - this was so refreshing! I really appreciated how her story line tangled with the MMC, because it felt really natural that they would have tension around the movie. However, I really wanted to see the story from the MMC's perspective - I felt like he was supposed to be grouchy, but not really? I'm not sure I fully got a sense of who he was.

Additionally, the romance moved at a strange pace - did they like each other or not? That being said, I loved the ways that their story was drawn out a bit by different challenges they experienced along the way. But the spicy moments...they felt very jarring and sudden. There were only a few pages between them kissing and then getting spicy. While I enjoyed the spice, I didn't see how they'd landed there in the plot. It felt sudden.

BUT, that being said, this was a lovely read and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a fun, refreshing holiday read.

This was such a great book for the holidays and will appeal to both people who love Christmas and those that don’t (like our lovely but surly FMC, Charlotte). I really enjoyed the idyllic setting of England/London during the holiday season and found myself wanting to be transported to these lovely towns that Charelotte and Graham were visiting! Also really liked how the characters felt real and nuanced and were each dealing with their own demons but helping each other too. The chemistry was great and I LOVED the cast of side characters! Overall highly recommend this for your holiday tbr!

Another book to add to your holiday list! This was a fun rom-com, but it wasn’t syrupy sweet. There was enough fun banter between the two main characters that they built tension but weren’t aggravating.

This book was just so cute, I really enjoyed this one, both Graham and Charlotte are not fans of Christmas, she was a child star and not just any child start but one that was featured in a very famous Christmas movie. They have this amazing chemistry, and their families are everything!!! I really liked this book I laughed a lot and damn near cried lol, that’s always a good thing.

What a sweet and heartwarming Christmas novel! The story follows along Charlotte and her real life Hallmark movie. The one thing she does not want to define her may end up being the start of her happy ever after! The banter and funny little quirks in this book were a delight to read, and I would recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet romcom without the angst. Thank you NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

Very cheery, very holiday vibes read, I absolutely recommend this if you're looking for a wholesome, humorous read 💙 it's a slow-burn, sort of coworkers/allies to lovers? I was shipping the MCs so hard, they had amazing banter and chemistry. I also really enjoyed all the supporting characters, they contributed so much to the book emotionally.

Timeline wise, the book is literally set in the weeks leading up to Christmas, and all the activities and banter contribute perfectly to the vibes!

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

It took me a bit to get into this one, but it was such a delight once I did.
Charlotte is a former child actress best known for her appearance in a Love Actually-style Christmas movie. Graham is a charming Brit looking to save his family's estate.
Both are absolute grinches, but they end up falling in love in a tropey, delightfully cheesy holiday read. The banter in this one is dry and witty and genuinely great.
Is the plot fully plotting in this one? Not necessarily; it's full of shenanigans. But the vibes are fun, and it's a perfect Christmas escapist novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

It took me a bit to get into this one but once I did, I loved it! Great banter and poking fun at rom-com books, movies, and tropes!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Just so we're clear, I am never quoting that fucking movie again."

✨Grinchy/Sunshine
✨ He Falls First
✨ New York / England
✨ Christmas Countdown
✨ Not a rom-com, rom-com

I am obsessed. This book is a gem and a delight. I loved every second I spent in this book, although I binge read it so I wish I had spent longer if I am being honest. I just loved it. The banter, the carolers, the reindeer, like everything about this book was just great. It's a perfect Christmas themed rom-com about a girl who started as a child star in a Christmas movie, who grows up hating Christmas, and an guy who's family business would just so happen to benefit if the star of said Christmas movie showed up. Okay there's actually a lot more to it than that, and that's also really not a great synopsis probably, but I don't want to spoil anything and it's close enough. Just go read the book and thank me later. <3

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for letting me read this one early in exchange for my review.

From the first page I was squealing with the Love Actually vibes and they didn't disappoint! As a lover of all things Christmas I thought I might dislike Charlotte but I'm not sure I've ever loved a Christmas-hating character more. She is the kind of blunt and straightforward I wish I could be. Plus her taste in glasses wearing British men is truly commendable!

While I loved everything about this book the scene that really got me was the sheep and leading into a one room situation was just *chef's kiss*. I also will have dreams (maybe nightmares despite my Christmas loving heart) about being woken up by Christmas carolers. I will definitely be getting this in a hard copy so I can read it every Christmas!