I enjoyed Waters’ contemporary debut, as I am a huge fan of her historical romances. Typically I find her characters to be relatable, but I was irritated with the FMC for a good chunk of the book. It was hard to sympathize for her, and I was eagerly waiting her self-realization. The MMC, Graham, was multidimensional and well-developed.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! I am a big fan of Martha Water’s historical romances, and this is a cute contemporary from her. This is the story of a childhood actress, who does NOT want to act anymore, but wants to focus on her art, when she meets Graham, one of the owners of a historical house in England where her childhood film Christmas, Truly was filmed. This book had some nice moments, but overall it was pretty boring and I found Charlotte very unlikable - like, you’re a successful artist that was given a ton of privilege to succeed, what are you so mad about? Though I found Charlotte boring and unlikable, I found a lot of the side characters charming and there was some cute Christmas stuff. But in the end, this book was just a little too meh for me. Overall I recommend it for fans of England, Christmas romances, and Martha Waters.

If you're looking for a cozy, romantic and fun book to jump into it to keep the Christmas spirit alive, I have the perfect book for you...Christmas is All Around by Martha Waters. There were great themes of family, career, passion and of course, love woven throughout the book and the Christmas spirit was off the charts. It was definitely five stars from me!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, cozy, heartwarming Christmas novel. I enjoyed it a lot!

I am a sucker for a UK Christmas novel and this provided so many good settings. This had a reverse grumpy-sunshine with the FMC being a Christmas hater. It was a good change and helped the differentiate this from the many Christmas books I have read this year. I saw a few people saying they felt like Graham (MMC) was a grump too and but didn’t get that vibe.

Ya girl loves a cozy Christmas romance and this one by @marthabwaters was just what I needed to get through the last week of hustle and bustle.

Charlotte was a onetime child actress who starred in one of the most infamous holiday movies. She’s spent the time since trying to distance herself from it, especially once news broke that she is the one cast member who doesn’t want to return for a sequel.

So when she escapes to England to stay with her sister for a few weeks, she is NOT pleased when she discovers she’s at the house where a central scene was filmed. She tries to escape the crowd only to find a very handsome, if somewhat curmudgeony guy.

I adored these characters and can never resist England at Christmas! holiday romances where the leads don’t love the season aren’t always my favorite - but it worked here! They went on quite the journey and I loved it. The first @marthabwaters for me but won’t be the last!

I’d heard a lot of good things about Waters’ The Regency Vows series, so I was excited to get invited to read this Christmas romance from her and I think this was delightful.

Charlotte is an artist in a family of Artists who as a child starred in what became a cult classic Christmas movie and became a bit of a Grinch about it. After an article is released blaming her for a sequel/reboot not happening and an incident with a fan, she escapes to London to spend the holidays with her sister. While there, she runs into Graham, whose family owns the historic house where part of the movie was filmed but they’re struggling to keep up with the expenses of maintaining the house.

I think because it’s a Christmas romance and I was feeling festive, I was able to ignore some of the super contrived plot elements and glaring plot holes in a way I probably wouldn’t in a standard contemporary romance. That being said, I really liked the banter between Charlotte and Graham and the dialogue in general. I also liked the trips to various filming locations and discussions of fictional holiday rom-coms. While not my favorite, it did entertain me throughout the reading experience and it made me look forward to getting to her Regency series.

I love all of Martha’s books and I devoured this one. Fans of the movie Love Actually and The Holiday will love this book! The characters are angsty and not fans of Christmas but it’s what brings them together. Even the side characters are lovable and play important roles to the story and their relationship. The slow burn is so delicious that you are screaming for them to at least finally kiss. The meddling of family and friends is a great bonus to fuel the good and bad between the couple. This is a must read for Christmas romance fans and Love Actually fans.

First and foremost, thank you to Martha Waters, Atria Books and Netgalley for access to an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

Summary:
Charlotte, a former child actress known for her role in a beloved holiday movie, escapes to London to avoid the seasonal chaos she dreads. While there, she crosses paths with Graham, whose family business thrives on holiday cheer. As they navigate shared projects and festive adventures, Charlotte finds herself rethinking her outlook on the season—and on life.

Short and Sweet:
This Hallmark-esque holiday romance brings lighthearted banter, festive charm, and a whirlwind of Christmas tropes in an easy to read package. While the FMC's grinchy attitude sometimes felt overdone, the story’s humor and cozy vibes made it an enjoyable read.

In-Depth Opinion:
I really enjoyed the premise and Hallmark-y vibes of this book, which gave me slight "The Holiday" nostalgia, even if only in tone. The banter between the FMC and MMC was a highlight, offering fun and engaging moments that carried the romance well. However, the FMC’s over-the-top distaste for Christmas, babies, her family, and life in general bordered on unlikeable at times. While this was somewhat intentional for the plot, it felt excessive, making her hard to root for initially. That said, the book embraced nearly every holiday romance trope, and I didn’t mind because it leaned into them so wholeheartedly. Despite the occasional flatness of the FMC, the story’s festive charm and humor made it an entertaining seasonal read.

I'm so happy she wrote something present day. The relationship building was great along with the main characters both trying to prove themselves to their families.

This was a fun, light book to read around Christmastime! I thought the plot was fresh and interesting - former American child star of a famous Christmas movie now is a Scrooge McGrinch about the whole season but she meets a British man whose whole livelihood is tied up in the holidays.
The side characters were funny and kept the plot moving, and I enjoyed the resolution - even with the little bit of miscommunication.

This was a really enjoyable holiday read! I loved the London setting, the main characters were great, the banter between them was fun and it had a sweet romance. You really can't go wrong here! Definitely one to add to your holiday tbr.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for a review. Yes, I know the book is now published, like several months ago. But listen, I tried to read it in July when I got it, and it turns out that I have a Grinch heart, because I couldn't even with Christmas while it was still summer. So I thought I would try it during the holiday season. I've read other books by Waters before and I knew it would be light-hearted (and it was). I thought I wasn't going to be able to read it after the first chapter or so, as my Grinch heart was pretty grumpy, but I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. It was fun and charming. I had fun trying to guess the Christmas movies that Waters was referencing. I don't think my heart grow three times after reading this (maybe like just one time), but it was a great escape from family members during this most blessed of seasons.

This was such a perfect Christmas romance! England at Christmas! An old estate! Basically everything I love with the addition of Martha's signature wit and banter. Loved!

There is one thing that is guaranteed with a Martha Waters book and that is good banter. This book had the perfect ingredients for a great Christmas book. A subtle Scrooge, and a growing romance. The characters didn’t hook on to me and Charlotte was meaner than the grinch!

3.5 stars

I don't know what it is about a London Christmas, but it's really hard to beat when it comes to my favorite settings. I loved that the female main character was the one who hates the holidays, as it seems it's usual the male character. I loved the holiday movie past and the film references throughout the book. Overall just a really entertaining holiday romance.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝:
❤️ Hallmark movie vibes
🤍 former child star of a classic Christmas film FMC
❤️ London setting
🤍 grinchy heroine + sweet British hero

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was a fine book and I can’t pinpoint what it is, but I had a hard time getting invested in the story. The characters were interesting and the storyline festive. However, I just could not engage with it and found myself leaning away from picking it up.

If you were hoping for Christmas Cozy in the first pages you'll have to get through the Christmas Grinches to get there. The comedic moments are fabulous and the sexual tension in the characters is undeniable! Thank you to NetGalley, Martha and Atria Books for the eARC!

What to Expect:
⭐ Gumpy guy x Gumpy Girl not Sunshine girl in this case
⭐ Historical Ties to a estate
⭐ Childhood Trauma + emotional baggage
⭐ Christmas Grinches turned Christmas Lovers

My Thoughts:
Oooo this ladies trauma with her past childhood acting is a bit cringeworthy. While I can understand it is sort of following her around, shes old enough... I think to have gotten over it. She carries a lot of emotional baggage and it is 100% easy to see why she isn't in a relationship and not close with her family. I always struggle with stories when the main character woman is older but struggle with topics that seem should have been dealt with and put to bed sooner.

While I love the storyline of her journey to healing and finding it love it was a bit lack luster. At times their negative vibes really took away from the cozy Christmas vibe of the story. It is the part I struggled with the most! That said it is definitely Hallmarky. It has a sweetness to it underneath.

It wasn't my favorite, but it was an easy quick read for the holiday season.

Synopsis:
Charlotte hates the holidays. As a former child actress, she starred in a modern classic of a holiday movie, and its fans won’t let her move on. When a piece revealing that her reluctance nixed plans for a reboot, she flees to London to spend the five-week countdown to the holidays with her sister.

But the ghosts of Christmas past follow her there when she ends up at Eden Priory, a filming location for the movie she has never visited. There, after being recognized by a fan while viewing the extraordinary holiday decorations, she’s accidently left behind, forcing her to accept a ride back to London from Graham, the son of the owners. Their family business—and the funds to keep their historic house running—relies on holiday cheer, and Graham knows a visit from a holiday star would bring in more visitors.

Now an illustrator, Charlotte accepts a commission illustrating iconic holiday movie scenes in London and its environs. Graham offers to help escort her, as long as she’ll commit to an art workshop at Eden Priory. But as Charlotte’s chaotic family holiday goes awry, she begins spending more time scouting locations with Graham. She may not love a Christmas romance…but what if she has one of her own?

Christmas All Around reads like a Hallmark movie. There’s some humor and banter back and forth between the two main characters. Although those two characters didn’t stand out to me and the side characters weren’t that enjoyable. The story was good but it wasn’t my favorite holiday read.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria for providing me with an Arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was just a delightful Christmas book with a great cast of characters! This definitely needs to be added to your Christmas reading list!
Thank you #NetGalley and #atria for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.