Thank you Atria Books for my #gifted copy and thank you Simon Audio for my #gifted listening copy of Christmas Is All Around! #AtriaPartner #atriabooks #ChristmasIsAllAround #MarthaWaters

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐈𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐚 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐍𝐢𝐤𝐤𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐝
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

Christmas All Around was a cute holiday book by Martha Waters. I really enjoyed the characters and how Charlotte, the FMC, was somewhat grumpy and loathed the holiday season. I loved how Graham entered the picture and felt like the plot was just so perfect. The side characters also worked so well in this book, and found them to be so quirky. Overall, I thought this was such a cute, fun, and heartwarming read. There were some humorous moments and also some really tender moments too. I highly recommend this one this holiday season!

🎄Forced Proximity
🎄Former Childhood Actress
🎄Hallmark Movie References
🎄Set In London
🎄Amazing Banter
🎄Single POV
🎄Heartwarming

🎧I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by the talented Nikki Massoud. Massoud did an excellent job bringing this book to life and I felt like she really did an excellent job with this audiobook. I would highly recommend reading this one with your ears if that option is available to you.

Posted on Goodreads on October 17, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around October 18, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on October 22, 2024
**-will post on designated date

Charlotte decides to extend her annual trip to visit her sister's family in London when her childhood stardom once again rears it's head and bites her in the bum. Her refusal to reprise her role has angered the masses. She simply wants to be taken seriously for her art and jumps at the opportunity to create a new series for Graham's ancestral home, Eden Priory, after a not-so-sweet meeting.
I love the humor that Martha exhibits in her historicals and so I was surprised that it didn't come across as much in this contemporary Christmas novel. It read much heavier than I expected. That said, I really liked the supporting cast and the setting was picturesque. The whole concept of a failing. financially burdensome manor as the catalyst for a meet-disaster was lovely.
Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the ARC of Christmas is All Around.

What a happy, heartwarming story this was! I was hooked from page one and felt every twist and turn through the story like it was my own. I will be recommending this to all my reader friends this holiday season!

4.25 stars

A Christmas romance for the Christmas haters (but also for the Christmas lovers). This was a really fun, festive, holiday romance that poked fun at the Hallmark Christmas movie world while also embracing its cheesiness and joy. Charlotte and Graham were both well-written characters who had some things to work through - Charlotte's issues with Christmas and her former child stardom, and Graham with trying to save his family's historic home. I thought these characters worked really well together and I loved their chemistry. All their little adventures were quirky while still allowing for really great character development for them both.
Both of their families were also a lot of fun and I enjoyed all their holiday traditions as well as their meddling. One of my favorite things, though, might be that they never forced Charlotte to start liking Christmas, they just let her enjoy spending time with them in her own way. I thought it was nice that despite being a significant character trait, it wasn't something that needed to be "fixed".
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It's got all the holiday fun and romance you would want while also giving you well developed characters and realistic issues.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

The best part about this book for me was how self-aware it was. It lovingly made fun of all the holiday romance tropes even as it followed nearly every single one. At the same time, it had an emotional sincerity and depth between the two love interests that really allowed me to connect with them as a reader, and I appreciated that. Also there were a few Easter egg references to Waters's Regency romance series and I very much enjoyed that, and all the British-ness in general. A fun read, all around!

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books & Martha Waters for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

If you are anti-Christmas Rom Com, you will like this Christmas Rom Com. It pokes fun at so many of the troublesome tropes yet revels in them as well! Martha Waters' banter was present in all of its glory, the side characters gave the story dimension and Holiday vibes made me want to have some mulled wine and try a mince pie. (Where can I get one in the states?)

I caught at least one nod to the Regency Vows series.. perhaps I missed more? Which one(s) did you find?

This book made me realise that normal people don’t learn the plot of movies they’ve never seen, that’s not normal behaviour, that’s just me afraid to be weird in case someone is discussing that film and I need to pretend I’ve seen it, but that’s not the point of the book, only my weird epiphany.
Charlotte hates Christmas, and as someone with a rocky relationship with festivities I thought I could relate, but her hate, while with some good reasons behind, felt often childish. She’s spending time with her sister and her family and acting like every moment of it is a chore. Do we really need a constant reminder that her 6 months old niece is crying? I’ll say to give her some slack, since she’s 6 months and hardly ruining her life, or her Christmas.
For more than half of the book the romance between Charlotte and Graham felt more like a cordial work relationship, until the moment they randomly start kissing.
The book was filled with repetitions, every conversation had to be repeated twice before the characters actually memorised the information shared, couldn’t tell if it was editing problem or writing style choices.
The conflict and resolution was at the same time rushed and drawn out too much.
It wasn’t an awful book, just one that didn’t really feel like something that’ll stick with me.

Charlotte starred in one film in her childhood. Moving on from the movie, she has an illustration career and wants nothing to do with acting. When it comes out that she is the lone holdout in another movie, the backlash becomes too much. She flees to London to visit her sister and niece for Christmas. While visiting a quaint estate, the owners ask Charlotte to help illustrate various film scenes across the English countryside. She finds herself enamoured by the handsome Graham, who escorts her across England. Will Graham unthaw her grumpy heart this holiday season?

I found this book to be Hallmark adjacent, happening across the English countryside. Charlotte and Graham are complete opposites. With Charlotte’s ba-humbug nature, Graham seems to balance her out. I enjoyed this book, but it felt like a lot of the other holiday novels that are out there. There were a lot of convenient circumstances bringing Charlotte and Graham together, but it was nice to see them come together. I did find Charlotte annoying sometimes, and I was happy when her sister finally called her on her childish behaviour.

I especially enjoyed the English setting and found the author pulling me into the quaintness of everything. One thing I know, I want to visit a Christmas market in England as soon as possible.

If you want a book that takes you to England this holiday season, this is a great book to check out. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

I could not get into this one. I restarted it twice and only made it to 20% before I gave up. The storyline didn't hook me and I found the main character very annoying.

As a former child actress in a huge modern classic holiday movie, Charlotte hates Christmas and all the festive activities surrounding it. Even as she tries to move on and pursue different artistic skills. But the world won't let her forget, especially when rumors of a reboot are squashed by an article stating she is one stopping it. To get away from the backlash she flees to London to stay with her sister for the holiday season. There, she accidentally stumbles into the English filming location of the film, and starts to be entangled with the family who owns it. Especially, one specific family member, who happens to be handsome and charming! Graham comes up with a business proposition that could help them both. But will the holiday season turn this anti-Christmas girl into a holiday romance story? ... I mean... You probably know the answer to that! 😂
I love @marthabwaters and was excited to read a modern romance from her! She does a great job building chemistry and has great banter between characters!
As is typical, you know there will be something that breaks the couple apart and that they will have to overcome if they are to continue. I felt Charlotte 's reaction to their obstacle was a bit extreme, and she dragged it on longer than needed. But... There was a HEA, so, I guess I'm ok! ☺️
If you're looking for a fun Christmas read, I would definitely recommend this one! It is set to be published later this month (22 Oct) so get it soon and add it to your TBR for the holiday season!!
Thank you to @NetGalley for an advanced copy!
#NetGalley #ChristmasIsAllAround

Started off promising, but then I hit a wall about 1/4 of the way in. The characters are fun though and I did enjoy the situational comedy for the most part. But it got a little boring through the middle.

I wish I was coming in with a 5-star read but sadly, this book was incredibly boring. I was certainly intrigued by the concept of a child actress but thought the direction of the book would be a bit different. After facing backlash from fans, the main character went abroad to spend some time with her sister and to get away from the crazy fans who couldn't imagine why she wouldn't want to do a spin-off of her ever so popular film, Christmas, Truly. Keeping in mind, that movie was filmed 20 years ago.

Once she got to London, she found herself in none other than the house that “Christmas, Truly” was partially filmed in. There was no escaping. Her whole family was in the film industry and she wanted no part of it. She was an artist and her newest assignment was painting scenes from well-known Christmas movies. Only problem being? She disliked Christmas and hadn't seen any of the movies - other than her own.

Enter: Graham. He would show her around and educate her on the Christmas movies. This is where the book fell absolutely flat for me. I couldn't get into it and felt no real connection with the characters unfortunately. I've seen a lot of great reviews of this book so just because I didn't enjoy it, doesn't mean it's not for you. If this plot seems of interest, I would recommend giving it a try!

Charlotte hates Christmas. Or maybe she just hates being reminded of the Christmas movie she starred in as a child. And the way the fanbase has reacted to her choice not to join the cast for the sequel. Charlotte runs away to hide with her sister for Christmas only to meet Graham, the current owner of the home where the move was filmed.

Read if you like:
-Christmas Love Stories
-Confronting the Past to Move Forward

I enjoyed Christmas is All Around, but I didn't lose my mind over it. It was a decent book. It was festive and fun with just the right amount of tongue in cheek humor. But it didn't pack the emotional punch I was hoping for.

Is it too early to be fully in the Christmas spirit? Absolutely not. This book has defrosted Mariah Carey in my household with its perfect holiday rom-com vibes. Charlotte, a former child star in Chirstmas, Truly, is spending the holidays with her sister in London to escape the buzz of the reboot of Christmas, Truly. On this trip, she ends up at Eden Priory, which happens to be where the film was shot. Graham, the charming son of the owners, has an incredible meet cute with Charlotte, and later entices her to create art for Eden Priory's shop. They embark on a series of delightful adventures full of banter and chemistry. If you're looking for a light hearted read filled with laughter and all the Christmas vibes, I would highly recommend giving this book a try! Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to be honest, I go into most holiday reads with pretty low expectations and usually anticipate something around three stars. Thankfully, CHRISTMAS IS ALL AROUND was much more entertaining than I expected and will likely be one of my favorite festive reads of the year!

In this one, we meet Charlotte a one hit wonder in the child acting world who has recently turned down the opportunity to reprise her role in a reboot of the beloved Christmas film (I’m equating this to Love, Actually). After some angry fan interactions she flees to London to visit her sister and despite her best intentions, the grumpy woman falls in love (shocker!!!!).

From my goodreads sleuthing, it appears this author mainly writes historical romance and it was really fun to see some of her obvious passion peeking through in a very modern day plot. I tried to figure out if any of Graham’s relatives ever made an appearance in The Regency Vows series, but no such luck! I shall report back as soon as I get to those books!

As with most seasonal reads, CHRISTMAS IS ALL AROUND is a bit cheesy and predictable but the humor is a little more tongue in cheek and the characters fully recognize (and banter about) the over the top Christmas cheer. Plus, there’s some spice and a cocktail making competition! Cheers to both!

I mostly loved the UK setting and now I’m even more excited to visit at Christmastime. I also really adored the side characters. Charlotte’s sister and brother-in-law were equally neurotic and adorable and I really appreciated when Ava finally called Charlotte on her BS.

Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader! All opinions are my own.

This is a fun, entertaining read. Graham and Charlotte are interesting, complex, wounded, strong, smart, intriguing, entertaining characters. I enjoyed their romance and the path it took. I wish we had gotten to see where they ended up. These two are fun to spend time with. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The family aspects of the story added much to the characters’ development and growth as well as the overall story. The book is easy to read and get into.

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

Christmas Is All Around by Martha Waters was such a cute read. This book follows Charlotte, who hates the holidays. I really like the characters. This story was a fun quick read and I enjoyed it all the way through.
Overall, it was the perfect book for a cozy season!
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this charming and funny holiday romance.
Artist Charlotte has unease towards Christmas because of a solo acting role as a child in a famous Christmas. When she accidentally finds herself at a historic home, one of the filming locations for the movie, she meets Graham, one of the homeowners. Graham offers to hire Charlotte to create various artworks of famous Christmas movie locations around the area. They spend time going to the locations and slowly start falling for each other.
I loved Charlotte's dry humor. Her witty banter with Graham was entertaining and romantic. The book is set during the holidays, but it also feels like a story that could be enjoyed at any time of the year. London at Christmas was such a wonderful setting.
The book was light and a fun read. It was relaxing and enjoyable. I highly recommend it if you want a quick and cozy story.

My first time reading this author’s book.

The character development was intriguing and the plot was quite original. I enjoyed the slow build up to about 60% mark but felt like things fell flat after. I liked how much of the conflicts were resolved in a straight forward way.

This was a wonderful holiday read! Sometimes I feel like I'm reading the same holiday romance over and over, but I liked the plot of this one.

While this is Charlotte's POV, Graham will steal your heart as the love interest. He is a nice character, loves Christmas (but doesn't seem Christmas crazy), and has a big heart for family. He was easy to like right from the beginning.

Charlotte is the Scrooge, and you will definitely know it. However, not only does she loathe the holidays, she also loathes children, which the author makes sure you know about 837463 times. Poor Alice is nothing but a demon baby that cries, creates problems, pukes, poops, and makes life utterly miserable. It is totally fine to not like children, but the author mentioned it every single chance she could, and that really took away from a lot of the Christmas magic in some respects.

Charlotte is also a hard character to connect with, to like, to even stand. She has the holiday grumps because her Christmas movie past follows her, but she just generally sees the glass half empty all the time. It isn't until the very end that she starts to snap out of it and stop being so dismissive of everyone's feelings.

Overall it was a lovely Christmas read. 3.5 stars! Spice is very mild and short so don't expect much of that in here.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!