In Christmas Is All Around, a former child star of a movie like Love Actually who hates Christmas heads to London to spend the holidays with her sister when she somehow ends up at the location where that movie was filmed. All while she is trying to never think about that movie again and to escape the drama surrounding a possible reboot of the movie.
This one was cute. I loved all the references to the different holiday movies. I loved the sweet romance. I loved the holiday traditions. And the in-laws made me laugh. Did it blend into all the other holiday books that I read? Absolutely. But was it fluffy and light and a good escape after long days and nights at work?

This book is just awful for me. There was no chemistry between the characters. It was just an absolutely boring book.

Thanks to the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all words are my own.

I love that the main character, Charlotte, is a former child star in a Christmas movie who now despises the holidays because of that experience. This story just had all the Halmark-y Christmas vibes and wasn't shy about making that clear. I don't think it's one I would read again, but it was cute and I loved the London setting too.

Thank you to Martha Waters, Atria Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Christmas Is All Around:⁣
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Thank you @simon.audio @atriabooks for my gifted copies.⁣
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I started this book during my birthday holiday and really enjoyed it.⁣
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For those that don’t do over the top holiday reads but want a bit of holiday cheer, this is the one for you.⁣
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It definitely gives you the Love, Actually vibes that I so needed. It’s one of my favorite holiday movies and the parallels were great. (Stares in Christmas, Truly) I felt like the chemistry was very organic and I enjoyed all the side characters like Charlotte’s sister. ⁣
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Audio was wonderful. It’s actually just one reader, Nikki Massoud, and I highly recommend the audio. ⁣
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QOTD: Last minute shopping! Anything you need to grab last minute? Or what are you reading?

I really enjoyed this author's writing. I haven't read anything by them before, but I really got into the story and the pacing of it. The characters were well developed and lovable.

This book is probably for younger readers but it wasn’t good and kept me entertained. It also helped me get into the Christmas spirit

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy to honestly review.

🎄 M E R R Y M O N D A Y review 🎄 featuring “Christmas Is All Around” by Martha Waters!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤/5

Charlotte was once a child actor starring in a beloved Christmas movie. Her fans have never forgotten her iconic part in the movie! Meanwhile, Charlotte hates Christmas and just wants to move on from her past fame! This one hit wonder is the definition of Scrooge and the Grinch all wrapped into one! Bah humbug!

When word gets out that Charlotte shot down the idea for a sequel of the movie, she flees to London to visit her sister and escape her angry fans. While visiting, she meets Graham who may be exactly what Charlotte needs to get into the holiday spirit!

Read this if you enjoy:
🎁 grumpy/grinch MC
🎁 forced proximity
🎁 witty banter
🎁 Christmas town setting
🎁 Hallmark vibes

Thank you kindly to @marthabwaters @atriabooks @simonschusterca @netgalley for my #gifted digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book is out now!

This was a super cute, quick, and fluffy Christmas read. I enjoyed these characters and Christmas movie plot! Very fun for Christmastime.

I loved this! I’ve read all of Waters’ regency series and I loved her first contemporary. The setting was perfect and I loved the holiday movie connections. Super fun and festive!

so glad i read this book around the holidays!!! absolutely such a cute and cozy read. cannot recommend enough!!!!

Giving this a neutral rating. I couldn’t get into it at all and it ended up being a DNF for me. I just kept waiting to get invested and it just didn’t happen. The aversion to kids just seemed a bit much. The angst right off the bat was off putting.

This was a lovely British holiday romance!

I enjoyed the banter and the London vibes of it all. The characters were fun (especially Charlotte’s family, I love Alice with all my heart she made me giggle everytime).

The romance between Charlotte and Graham was sweet and I enjoyed the little moments throughout the book; the sheep, the inn 😏, and especially the carolers! The misunderstanding of the book was a little annoying but I enjoyed that it got resolved quickly!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Atria and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

I am not really into Christmas books, especially not Christmas romances, because they are way cheesier than necessary and as someone who absolutely loathes the commercialization of Christmas, these seem to be some of the worst aspects of that.

But Christmas Is All Around was so freaking charming and Charlotte and Graham are adorable and I was wrong! This book has a great premise and the characters are fun and witty without being overly smart about it, plus it takes place in London, a great city for Christmas so fine, bah humbug this was great. I've really enjoyed Martha Waters' other books and its good to know it wasn't just that series, she's a fun and great writer and now I have to read all her books.

So if you are looking for a holiday themed romance that is about Christmas but thankfully not ABOUT CHRISTMAS, this is the one for you.

Christmas Is All Around by Martha Waters is an enchanting holiday rom-com that effortlessly blends humor, heart, and festive cheer. While the plot follows some familiar rom-com tropes, the charming characters and witty dialogue keep the story fresh and enjoyable. The blend of personal growth, family dynamics, and romantic tension makes for a captivating read that’s perfect for curling up with during the winter months.

If you’re searching for a cute and cozy holiday story that will fill you with festive spirit and leave you with a smile, Christmas Is All Around is a must-read.

This was a cute read, but didn’t wow me or feel spectacular. I did really enjoy the male main character Graham, and thought he was the best part of this book. He was a pretty non-toxic human which I found to be refreshing. The main female character Charlotte drove me crazy. She was so stuck on hating Christmas and everything to do with it and the Holiday movie she was a child star in, that she was blind to literally everything else in her life.

Overall a cute hallmark style Christmas love story with a little bit of spice. Would recommend for people who are just looking for a cute and easy Holiday read.

Who is she?! Who is over here reading Christmas books that don’t involve murder, mayhem, and Krampus?! (because I finished that one, The Family Game, and it was excellent-more to come on that one later) I felt the holiday spirit calling to me and I’m here to tell you that these two are worth it!

🎄CHRISTMAS IS ALL AROUND by Martha Waters was just the cutest!
•grumpy/sunshine trope
•former child star turned Christmas grinch
•small town English countryside and a love interest with an ACCENT
•hilarious dysfunctional family
•the best meet-cute

❄️A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS by Taylor Hahn was NOT a romcom. It was basically a book about how to deal with unexpected grief over the holidays. Parts were sad, but I also enjoyed it because of…
•a precious found family
•the musician aspect of this book. I’m a sucker for music fiction :)
•a cute love interest
•so many family secrets and SCANDAL!

Both books were gifted! Thank you tagged publishers!

Have you been reading any holiday themed books? If so, which ones?!

❄️❄️❄️

I really enjoyed this Hallmarkesque holiday book! Charming, with a hefty dose of nostalgia. Super unique premise, and a lot of fun!

I've enjoyed Martha Waters other books in the past and was excited to see she was going to write something a little different, a Christmas rom-com!

This one was entertaining and had me laughing throughout! I enjoyed all the humor around various rom-com and holiday movie tropes and stereotypes. The British wit is always a win for me. And I loved all the family dynamics between the FMC and her sister's little family, and the MMC and his sisters. Definitely a fun read for this season!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for the egalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wanted to love this way more than I did, but unfortunately it fell flats in some areas for me. I did enjoy it but I didn't LOVE it. I will definitely give the author another read at some point to see if maybe it's just a writing issue and I'll still be recommending this to my audience!

This was cute! I think my favorite Christmas movie Easter egg was that book Graham is a crier just like Jude Law’s Graham in The Holiday.