Christmas Is All Around

I loved Martha Waters‘s entire Regency Vows series, and though I knew I’d read anything she put out, I was surprised when she announced her next book: a contemporary holiday romance called Christmas Is All Around. It’s such a different style of novel, starting with it not being set 200 years in the past. And yet her writing and voice shine as much here as in her historical romances. This is another win in her rapidly growing catalogue.

Christmas Is All Around stars a former child actor, Charlotte, who appeared in a popular holiday film, Christmas Truly. (Yes, it’s basically Love Actually!) However, Charlotte didn’t enjoy acting and honestly doesn’t like holiday movies or Christmas in general. So, a bit of a grinch! She goes to London to visit her sister and six-month-old niece, and while there, she meets Graham. His family owns the building where Charlotte’s Christmas Truly love interest lived, and they’re looking for new ways to fund this old house… and holiday cheer certainly draws a crowd. Should Charlotte keep trying to outrun the ghosts of Christmas past, or could Graham be worth it after all?

Tropes & Narrative Devices:

• Holiday romance
• Former child actor
• Grumpy heroine
• Work-related romance
• Field trips
• Only one bed
• Third-person POV (Charlotte)

What I Liked:

• The anti-Hallmark movie vibes. The author sold this book as one that would appeal to people who don’t like Hallmark Christmas movies. And indeed, although I do enjoy Christmas and many holiday movies, Hallmark movies specifically… I kind of hate them. So this book sounded perfect to me! Charlotte is a grinch, and I appreciate that she never has to discover the joy of the season. She can find love and overall happiness, even without the holiday cheer people expect of her. Good for her.
• Funny banter. All of Martha Waters’s books are hilarious, and the characters’ banter in particular is her trademark. Prior to this, it worked well in her regency romances, and it translates easily to the contemporary setting, too. Perhaps it’s more natural here, actually. Regardless, this book was such fun to read, grinchy vibes and all!
• Christmas themes. Obviously, a book called Christmas Is All Around is going to surround our characters with Christmas. In addition to movies (and the obvious Love Actually similarities), I enjoyed seeing Charlotte go about doing Christmas-y things against her will. It certainly put me into the holiday mood.
• Discussions around creativity and individuality. Charlotte wants to be known for her current art, not that one movie she was in as a nine-year-old. I liked the discussions around her worth, being held back by or grateful to that movie, and finding balance in her perspective.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• Since I currently relate to Ava in that I have a (nearly) six-month-old baby, Charlotte should be a more involved aunt! Lol.

Final Thoughts

I don’t read too many holiday romances, but Christmas Is All Around was the perfect one for me. I enjoyed the romance between Charlotte and Graham, seasonal setting and all. It’s smart, funny, and just a feel-good (but not Hallmark-y!) read that’s perfect for the holidays.

Special thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Christmas Is All Around here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Christmas Is All Around by Martha Waters
Audience	Adult
Genre	Holiday Romance
Setting	England
Number of Pages	304
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	October 22, 2024
Publisher	Atria Books

Official Summary

A former child star learns that holiday magic can come from a change in perspective in this charming and hilarious holiday rom-com.

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?