Book Review - Christmas All The Way by Holly Hepburn

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Title: Christmas All The Way

Author: Holly Hepburn

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 8th October 2026

Rating: 4 Stars

Welcome to Freezy Tye – voted Britain’s Most Christmassy Village seven years in a row.

Best friends since university, Keeley and Grace first bonded over their love of nineteenth century romance classics, but life has taken them in different directions. While Keeley became the top curator at Juniper Cottage, home of forgotten author Eliza Norton, Grace settled into family life and now faces an empty nest with her son leaving for Australia.

When Grace takes a part-time job at winter wonderland shop Santa's Secret, she soon starts clashing with the owner's grumpy son, Raff. Meanwhile, Keeley is horrified when brash social media expert Xander Jones is brought in to modernise Eliza's legacy. Determined to resist his ideas, she instead finds herself unexpectedly drawn to him.

As December nears, Freezy Tye competes to retain its Christmas title. But with serious competition from a neighbouring village, and heartache dragging them down, Keeley and Grace find their festive spirit is in short supply. Can they all find a way to pull together and deliver a festive season to remember.

What a highly enjoyable story this is, focusing on best friend Keeley and Grace who are both facing some change in their lives. 

For Keeley, she suddenly has a new colleague at Juniper Cottage who is determined to increase visitor numbers, but she isn't overly onboard with the thought she may have someone to answer to.  While Grace is facing an empty nest, but then gets a part-time job at Santa's Secret. 

Santa's Secret is a massive open all year Christmas shop that has amazing displays, and every decoration you could ever imagine all under one roof.  I would absolutely love to visit, and I would fear for my bank balance at the same time. 

Unfortunately for me, the details to do with Juniper Cottage and Eliza Norton's life just weren't that interesting, as I am not a fan of history, so some of that to my mind felt a bit dry.  But I did appreciate what they were trying to do which definitely did make it seem like history comes alive. 

While I was loving everything to do with Grace's storyline, and I also enjoyed how they both were on the committee to see if Freezy Tye can win Most Christmassy village for yet another year. I loved the ideas that Grace came up with, and would have loved to be transported through the pages of the book to the village to see for myself. 

I enjoyed the ladies' love interests too, and think I fell for both men a bit. 

This is a thoroughly enjoyable first foray into festive fiction for Holly Hepburn which definitely left me feeling rather Christmassy. 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.