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.

I want to thank the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. I really really enjoyed this book. I thought it was really cute and I would highly recommend!

Synopsis: Charlotte starred in a hit Christmas movie as a child and never acted again. When she refuses to star in a reboot of the movie, her fans are angry, leading her to flee to her sister's home in London where she still can't escape her past.
Thoughts: I thought this was very cute! The Christmas aesthetics are perfect - London and the English countryside, a chaotic family, and Christmas movies.
The movie Charlotte starred in as a child has strong Love, Actually vibes, which I thought was fun. The romance is sweet and has great chemistry. Just an all around feel good holiday romance that I really enjoyed!
Read this if you like:
Christmas movies
London and English countryside setting family drama forced proximity rom coms

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. I had read the books of Waters before and enjoyed their Regency feel as well as the wit. While this is a modern-day set novel, it still retained the wit of her previous work. It was a very sweet treat to enjoy during the holiday season which did hit the romance novel tropes and also improved on them. 3.75 stars.

Christmas Is All Around is a romance about a child actor known for the Christmas movie she starred in and an incident that incites her to run away to London to stay with her sister. While in London, they visit an estate that happens to be one of the filming locations for the film that changed her life. There, she meets one of the estate's owners. She slowly starts to fall for him, but will her history affect them if they end up together?

Martha Waters delivers a holiday rom-com brimming with charm and wit in Christmas Is All Around. It's the perfect cozy read to spark your holiday spirit-even if you're a Christmas skeptic like Charlotte.
Charlotte, a former child star famous for her role in a beloved holiday movie, wishes she could escape the season altogether. Fleeing New York for London, she joins her sister's festive frenzy of baby's first Christmas, only to stumble into even more yuletide chaos at Eden Priory, a picturesque English manor and filming location from her movie.
There, Charlotte meets Graham-thoughtful, warm, and surprisingly charming, even without his felt reindeer costume. When his family commissions her to illustrate iconic holiday movie scenes, Graham becomes her guide through a snow-dusted London and its whimsical filming locations. Along the way, Charlotte finds herself reluctantly swept into the season's magic and closer to a man who might just make her believe in more than mistletoe.
Waters weaves humor and heart into a story as cozy as a crackling fire. With swoon-worthy moments, laugh-out-loud banter, and a richly atmospheric setting, Christmas Is All Around sparkles like the first snowfall.
This is more than a love story-it's a celebration of unexpected joy, holiday traditions, and second chances.

This story is a festive, heartwarming romance that captures the magic of the holiday season with a generous dose of charm and humor.

Set in a picturesque town filled with holiday decorations, the story follows two main characters—an unexpected couple who, much like many holiday rom-coms, find themselves thrown together in a series of amusing and sweet circumstances. While the plot may feel familiar to readers of seasonal romance, the book's warmth and charm help elevate it into something fun and enjoyable.

The romance between the protagonists is sweet and easy-going, with a slow-burn quality that many readers will enjoy. There’s plenty of witty banter and chemistry between the characters, though the romantic tension didn’t always have the emotional depth or complexity of a more dramatic love story. Nevertheless, the light nature of the romance matches the tone of the holiday setting and keeps the read breezy and feel-good.

Overall, *Christmas Is All Around* is a sweet and festive holiday romance that hits all the right notes for readers seeking a cozy, feel-good escape. It’s the perfect book to curl up with by the fireplace or bring along on a winter getaway. While it may not be groundbreaking in its storytelling, it provides an enjoyable and comforting read that captures the magic of Christmas with all the warmth and joy one could hope for in a holiday romance.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC!

CHRISTMAS IS ALL AROUND🎄✨

Charlotte starred in a Christmas movie as a child and when they want to do a reboot, she is nearing 30 and completely over it (and over Christmas in general.) She travels to London at Christmas time to spend 6 weeks with her sister and meets Graham, whose family owns the English manor that part of the movie she starred in was filmed.

This was a short and cute Christmas romance! I enjoyed the story and loved that it was set in London, it made me want to travel there during the holidays - so cozy!🥰

Overall an enjoyable read with an interesting premise but I felt as though the pacing was a little slow for my taste. I liked it, but it wasn’t my fav holiday read I picked up this season.

I also learned that Brits call the time between Christmas and New Years “Betwixtmas” which is the cutest phrase ever and will def become part of my vocab moving forward.

Christmas is All Around by Martha Waters is a charming holiday rom-com that follows a former child star as she rediscovers the magic of the season. With witty banter and heartwarming characters, this delightful read is perfect for cozying up with during the holidays.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

This was fine but Waters is a HistRom star. I wish the business would respect her for it and have her back under contract for that instead.