Time travel through your love life, did you make the right choice? It would be great if we could do this, really entertaining and not sure where it is going to end up. I loved reading this, some unexpected bits but really entertaining.

During these turbulent times, there are few things that provide the kind of comfort that Christmas romance novels do. I’d heard amazing things about this one so I was delighted when I was approved for it because I knew it would be the tonic that we all need.

Ben’s marriage to Daphne is going through a rough patch and he is riddled with guilt about more than one of his past decisions. When his former crush Alice gets in touch a few days before Christmas, he can’t help but wonder if the choices he has made were really the right ones. Then he meets a mysterious man in the pub, selling watches on Christmas Eve and a wild, much-needed ride begins…

Ben himself is a likeable, relatable guy. As a young man working in media, he has multiple opportunities to exhibit and take part in alpha male behaviour but he consistently chooses not to, giving him multiple brownie points. I trusted that he would always do the right thing and I felt pretty safe with him. It’s rare to read a romance from a male perspective but I really appreciated this fresh viewpoint. It’s still such a female-dominated genre but voices like Ben’s bring a wealth of new elements to it, which I highly appreciated.

Tom Ellen writes realistic young love so well. I saw remnants of my own experiences of exciting new romance in Ben’s recollections of the early days of his relationship with Daphne. Ben recalls multiple instances where Daphne fully encouraged his dreams and offered unwavering emotional support. I got pretty caught up and invested in the success of their relationship, which is testament to the characterisations.

Ben had a wonderful relationship with his mum but he has so many regrets about their last conversation. The passage where he talks about how much her consistent belief in her son’s abilities irritates him hit particularly close to home for me because I feel the exact same way towards my parents’ insistent claims that I am talented. Like Ben, I was raised to believe that I was special and that I could do whatever I wanted with my life. When those dreams weren’t realised, I couldn’t help but pass some of the blame on to those who had told me it was possible. I believe it’s a very common discourse between blindly supportive parents and their disenchanted, unfulfilled children. The more the world batters us down, the more our parents’ words seem like lies. It’s hugely unfair and heartbreaking because actually, a little self-belief is all that’s needed to break this tension. I shed tears over Ben’s despair and regrets over his mother’s death. The scenes in which he talks to her, knowing what’s to come, will definitely have you reaching for the tissues.

The book also explores the unreliability of memory. Despite believing that he has always held a flame for Alice, when meeting her with all the wisdom of his older self, Ben realises that he doesn’t actually like her that much. Unlike kind, accepting, goofy Daphne, Alice is driven by money and success and seems to enjoy complaining and pointing out other people’s flaws. It made me think about whether anyone that I was convinced was perfect in my early 20s is actually a pretty toxic, questionable human being. If I analysed their behaviours in the light of who I am now, the answer is probably yes.

Although Ben’s journey is ultimately about him analysing the changing face of his romance with Daphne, it seemed to me that his friendship with Harv also needed some reflection. At the beginning, Ben notices how Harv has changed since their uni days and that they have less in common than they used to. Usually this would be a sign that they’d drift apart but I was really hoping their friendship would stand the test of time. I don’t often read books that feature an adult male friendship as much as this one does but I loved their easy-going yet still intensely caring dynamic. The more I saw of them, the more I knew that Harv would never willingly stop drinking pints with Ben.

The watch salesman pops up several times in the narrative and I couldn’t decide as to who he really was. His presence added a magical, ethereal element to the book and I doubt it would have been the same without him. He seemed to be the anchor of Ben’s flights and indeed, Ben felt reassured whenever he spotted him. I think that he is some kind of personification of time or a kindly spirit that appears as a vaguely recognisable person to whoever is looking at him. I also considered that he may possibly be a future incarnation of Ben himself, from an era where time travel exists, come to warn and guide his younger self.

When I first realised that All About Us is essentially a modern take on A Christmas Carol, (which was quite far into my reading, I’ll admit!), my mind was blown. The replacement of the typical cruel, stingy Scrooge archetype with this sensitive, awkward 30-something is something that I’d never seen before but that makes perfect sense. We don’t have to be an outwardly mean or unkind person to hurt those we love and cause terrible damage to our own lives. Sadly, in our flawed imperfect humanness, we’re all capable of it.

All About Us is a delightful, tearjerking festive romance that discusses the power of choice and explores the meaning of true happiness. Touching on grief, regret, altering perspectives and letting go, it’s a wonderful Christmas read that will sit nicely in the stocking of anyone who loves a unique love story.

Have your tissues at the ready for this book. This modern retelling of A Christmas Carol was an emotional and magical rollercoaster about love, loss and friendship.

Whilst most people know the original story and it’s plot that doesn’t stop you from eagerly going on this journey with Ben and figuring out why his life turned out the way it has. We get to take a look into his life and what he could have done differently. The use of time travelling was a brilliant way of giving Ben’s character depth and development as we watch his character grow as he realises his mistakes.

However, I did struggle with the book at times and found myself skimming parts that I honestly thought were too long winded or just didn’t capture my attention enough. The book definitely picked up at the end but I wished it had done it sooner.

Overall, All About Us was a cute, Christmassy read with a clear message on how the decisions that you make have a huge impact on the way your life can turn out.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my word, what a beautifully written and gorgeous read this is! All About Us is Tom Ellen’s debut book written for adults and what a wonderful debut it is. It tells the story of thirty something Ben who is becoming disillusioned with life. His marriage is on the rocks, his career going nowhere and all his hopes and dreams appear to be in tatters. But then a chance encounter with a stranger in a pub changes everything and Ben finds himself back where he started. This time around will he make the same decisions all over again? Or will he finally find the courage to follow his heart?

There is something special about this magical story that completely captured my heart. Pure escapism at its very best, All About Us is the perfect book to take us into this festive season. Taking us on a magical journey similar to A Christmas Carol, It’s A Wonderful Life and Canadian TV show Being Erica, it has everything we could possibly need to give our spirits the lift they so sorely need right now!

Tom Ellen’s writing is beautiful, the story thought provoking but never too heavy, taking the reader on a romantic, life affirming rollercoaster of a ride that once started you will not want to end.

With characters I couldn’t help but fall in love with, there isn’t anything I didn’t love about this book. Exactly the kind of story I love, I honestly can’t rate All About Us highly enough. A pure delight!

I was first drawn to this book by the cover and thank goodness it did! This book i could just not put down what a great read, thank you for gifting it to me!

I read this for a blog tour.

This was lovely, a sweet, sad, ultimately redemptive, heart warming story about love and how relationships and people change over time.

Ben is at a crossroads in his life and the chance to go back and relive moments from his past allows him to better understand what he wants from his present and future.

This was such a wonderful and festive treat of a book.

Based on Dickens' A Christmas Carol, the story follows Ben who has reached a crossroads in his life and is beginning to question whether he has made the right choices in his life, particularly concerning the woman he married, Daphne. As he starts to wonder, on Christmas Eve 2020, if he is really meant to be with another woman he was close to at university, Ben finds himself transported to Christmas Days of the past, present and future to discover whether the grass really is greener on the other side and to reflect on his past mistakes.

This book brings a new lease of life to the A Christmas Carol structure and handled the time travelling elements really well. Despite his flaws I couldn't help but love Ben and was rooting for him to find where he belongs. There were some genuinely heartwrenching moments in this, combined with humourous observations and dialogue so it felt like an emotional journey reading this book and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I would highly recommend this if you are looking for the perfect festive read.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

A nice romantic Christmas Carol inspired story and nice to read a romantic story with a male lead, however it didn’t really stand out for me, it’s an easy read, with an interesting premise of a Christmas Carol mixed with sliding doors, but it just wasn’t really a catch your attention and hold it kind of story, the characters felt a bit one dimensional and the story I felt fell a bit flat once or twice, it picked up towards the end and I felt more of a connection to Ben, but just a bit late, overall a nice read, but nothing memorable for me

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

“If you could turn the clock back, would you chose a different life?”

Ben is 34 years old. He’s been with to Daphne, the girl he met at University, for 15 years, but they are having difficulties. Daphne has a successful career, working long hours,and Ben is stuck in a dead-end job, lamenting that his writing career never took off.

Alice is his Uni friend, the quiet but humours girl who had a crush on him, who he spent a lot of time with and who many thought he would get together with. When she gets back in touch, with the promise of more than friendship, Ben accepts an invitation to meet, knowing that he was going to be starting an affair.

However, things take a turn in the pub on Christmas Eve, an eccentric old man gifts Ben a watch that is broken, the time stuck on one minute to midnight. And when Ben goes to sleep that night, he wakes the following morning on 5th December 2005, the day he kissed Daphne, choosing her over Alice.

I enjoyed this book which is a modern twist on Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. Ben gets to wake up on different days over the course of his life, his interaction with his (now) wife and his Uni friend Alice making him think about his life choices and finally bringing the realisation of what is truly important to him. His habit of blaming others for his failures and wallowing in self-pity is frustrating, but I liked that Ben grew to realise what he had been doing and learning that he had to take responsibility himself.

I also enjoyed the fact that this was a women’s fiction Christmas book with a male lead - they are few and far between!

A thought-provoking but light Christmas read.

A beautiful read. It’s unusual to find such a book told from the male perspective and I think that’s why it was so special. Very sliding doors, with Ben travelling to significant years of his life. Will he see this as a chance to change the course of his life for good, or realise that the grass isn’t always greener. How amazing to have that chance at that stage in his life. I’m quite teary having just finished reading. Wonderfully captivating. #allaboutus #netgalley

This is essentially a retelling of A Christmas Carol for a modern audience, and I really enjoyed it. The story follows Ben, who seems to have fallen into a rut and out of love with his wife, moving through key milestones in his life in the past, present and future to determine whether he made the right choices.

It was a fairly light read for the most part (although it does cover parental death) and I particularly enjoyed the flashbacks with Ben’s mum and also from when Ben was a fresher. I think it did jump to different milestones a bit too much though.

I found Ben to be pretty unlikeable as he was selfish, thoughtless and whiny. To drive the plot, Ben had to be that way and I liked that he was flawed and pretty realistic even if I still didn’t really like him by the end. I also really appreciated that this was written from a male perspective as well- it made for a refreshing change!

Many thanks to HQ for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas 2020. Ben is sitting in a pub with his friend while his wife, Daphne, is at a work event. His marriage is falling apart and he’s seriously questioning whether he’s made the right choices in life. When a strange old man hands him a watch, with the hands frozen on 1 minute to 12, Ben discovers he can revisit the Christmases of the past 15 years, back to when he first met Daphne. Although he finds he can’t change the past, will the past change him and will he make the same mistakes a second time around?

I loved this story for so many reasons. It was refreshing to have a male protagonist in a novel of this genre. His reactions to the behaviour of himself and those around him in the past was something I think we could all relate to, and his changing attitudes built up gradually through the chapters. At first I assumed that he would just change what happened in 2005, which would then have a knock on effect in the future, however, happily I was wrong. The fact that whatever he did made no difference apart from to his own feelings made this a gripping tale and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Brilliant book.

Christmas Eve 2020 and an old man in a packed London pub hands Ben a wristwatch that allows him to revisit various moments in his life.....
What a brilliant read. Not my usual genre and I must admit I found myself initially thinking this might not be for me but boy am I glad I stuck with it. The characters are so well rounded and just normal it’s like you know them . Think Sliding Doors and A Christmas Carol. A real path taken/not taken premise. Such a great read, I heard myself shouting at Ben at times and weeping for him at others.

On Christmas Eve of 2020, Ben thinks about two things.
1) His marriage to Daphne looks like it might be over

2) An old university friend, Alice, who has just got in touch again to meet up for a drink.

He knows that that drink could turn into something more and he can’t help but wonder if Alice is the one who got away.

Before he knows it, an eavesdropping stranger gives him a watch. Ben doesn’t think too much about it but the next morning he realises he’s woken up on 5th December 2005; the night that he first kissed Daphne, foregoing any chance he’d had with Alice.

If you enjoy a Christmas romance, All About Us is a cosy read. It’s not all fluff though as Tom Ellen does a good job exploring grief, friendship and some of the hard stuff that comes with marriage and relationships. At times, I got frustrated with Ben and his silly choices but hey, he’s human, right?

I found this book very honest as it’s human nature to think the grass is greener on the other side or to want what we don’t have. I’m sure we’ve all felt that way about something or the other but how many of us have dared to explore?

A delightful festive time slip novel, which will appeal to anyone who ever wonders about their "one that got away". Tom Ellen writes with a light comedy touch, and really tugs at your emotions. Recommended.

This was like a retelling of A Christmas Carol with a twist.

Heartwarming and sad and funny and sweet all at once.

All About Us tells the story of Ben who is feeling like perhaps he made the wrong choice 15 years ago. We get taken through Christmases past to see if Ben will change his mind about the decision he made then and about the consequences we all face following difficult decisions.

Thanks to NetGalley and to HQ for the opportunity to read and review.

This book was not what I expected at all! It’s a modern day version of A Christmas Carol as Ben is taken back to his past, present and future to answer that burning question he has….did he choose the right girl all those years ago?!

Ben is always taken back to Christmas just a different year each time and each one was perfect. I thought the same as Ben most times, what could he possibly learn by going back to this moment, but as you go on this journey with Ben through each one you can see that what he saw at the time was always clouded by his negative thoughts or sadness he was experiencing. Each moment interlinked perfectly to the next, providing all the answers Ben needed. He learnt so much along the way and grew as a character.

The most heartbreaking and equally loveliest of moments was definitely when he got to go back to spend Christmas with his mum again who had sadly passed away. Ben is distraught and filled with so much guilt because he argued with her before she died, so for him to get the chance to go back was just so lovely. The author handled this so well and you could really feel how Ben must have felt. It was so emotional.

Overall it’s a beautifully written book which we can all definitely learn something from!

Ben is at a crisis point in his life and relationship. On Christmas Eve he is given a watch by a stranger in the pub and so commences a special journey for Ben. A modern twist on the Dickensian Christmas Carol when Ben time travels to various key episodes in his life when he made life choices . Were they the correct ones? Can he alter? Does he like what he sees in the future?
I warmed to the tale as it progressed willing the characters to resolve their issues. Filled with bright moments and sadness. A time to reflect on life’s pathways.

All About Us by Tom Ellen is the story of Ben.  He's finding life very hard, and is wondering if he made the right choices.  He's with Daphne, but should he have ended up with Alice?

It's Christmas Eve, and when he gets given a watch by a mysterious man at the pub, he puts it on, but he doesn't realise what's about to happen to him.  When he wakes up the next morning, it's not Christmas Day, instead it's 5th December, 15 years before, when he made his choice between Daphne and Alice.

This is a heartwarming, sad, sweet and funny story of Ben's past, his decisions, and the consequences.  

I really enjoyed the book overall, even if I did find some sections sad and hard to read.  It really is a very good book, and one that has a lot of Christmas in it, if you're looking for something festive!

 All About Us  is being published on 15th October 2020, and is available from  Amazon ,  Waterstones  and your  local independent bookshop .

You can follow Tom Ellen on  Twitter .

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to  HQ .

Okay I absolutely loved this book, I’m not a big romance fan but I was hooked! It hit every emotion possible I even had to take a break as it actually made me feel sad. This is just a beautiful written book and I loved every minute of it.