Martha Waters Archives - The Litertarian

W.O.W. I was not expecting this book. I really enjoyed Martha Waters Christmas book last year, so I was excited to find this book in my inbox, but was I expecting it to bowl me over the way this one did? Absolutely not.

And Then There Was The One by Martha Waters Book Cover

This was supposed to be a murder mystery. Maybe a cozy mystery with some romantic subplot. Instead, this was the story of an epic romance with a side of some casual community murder.

Loved. It.

In fact, this is a masterclass in the slow burn romance. Our leading man is strong, confident, and entirely smitten. Our heroine is focused, guarded, and not-to-be-trifled-with. Their banter is top tier. The swoon worthy moments had me actually swooning.

10/10, no notes.

And yeah, they solve a murder too, but that’s just background noise 🙂

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: And Then There Was The One
Author:: Martha Waters
Genre:: Cozy Mystery Romance
Publisher:: Atria
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 8h 20m
Audiobook Narrator:: Billie Fulford-Brown
Published:: October 14th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

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The Blonde Identity | Ally Carter (Review Coming Soon)
Once Upon A Crime | Brynn Kelly
Love at First Sighting | Mallory Marlowe

One of the common ingredients in a holiday romance is a character who doesn’t like Christmas. Well Charlotte takes that to the extreme. As a young child she starred in a holiday romance film that continues to haunt her as an adult. This year, with talks of a reboot, she flies off to the UK to spend the holiday season with her sister.

Christmas is All Around Martha Waters Book Cover

Graham doesn’t care much about Christmas one way or the other, he is only focused on keeping his ancestral home running, and the holidays are a big part of that. It’s an old English estate, and every dollar since his father died has been a struggle. They meet when Charlotte and her sister visit an event at the place, Eden Priory, and Charlotte realizes it is the place her formative movie was filmed. Rom-Com magic happens and Graham is giving Charlotte a ride home. Now an artist, they strike a deal that she will paint a few landscapes for their giftshop.

I feel like the summary of this book doesn’t really do it justice. I’ve been trying to come up with ways to spruce it up for ten minutes, but the plot just is what it is. It’s a vehicle for these two awesome characters to fall in love. That’s not to say it’s a throw away plot, just that it’s hard to summarize concisely.

The best part of this book is the easy banter. Oh goodness, I found myself smiling so much during this book. Charlotte is unapologetic in her disgruntled holiday persona, and Graham is happy to oblige her. The romance that builds between them is so satisfying and natural. Perfect rom-com material!

The story goes deeper than that though. Both of them have old wounds to heal, Graham’s about his father and his responsibility/hero complex, Charlotte about her holiday past and even past relationships. Nothing feels forced (except maybe the inciting incident), it’s just really good storytelling.

This is absolutely a holiday romance you can get lost in this season. There is something special about the genre of holiday romance, and I really recommend this one! My other favorites are linked below! I hope you find something so yummy to escape into this holiday season!

Details

Title:: Christmas is All Around
Author:: Martha Waters
Genre:: Holiday Romance
Publisher:: Atria Books
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 8h 56m
Audiobook Narrator:: Nikki Massoud
Audiobook Publisher:: Simon & Schuster Audio
Published:: October 22nd, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars