Thank you so much @Bookouture & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 14 February 2022)

SYNOPSIS | Abby has recently been dumped by her fiancé, lost her NYC apartment & lost her job finding herself with nowhere to go but back to the small rural Irish town that she grew up in... at least until she can get back onto her feet.

WHAT I LIKED:
- slow burn Gilmore Girl-esque vibes
- the side characters really shone in this
- the focus on repairing her relationship with her sister
- quaint Irish countryside village just makes me crave a little getaway

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- miscommunication runs rampant & this caused me to feel frustrated at Abby & Luke on multiple occasions
- only Abby's POV

Read if you like: childhood friends to lovers
-
When Abby goes back to Ireland after losing her job and her fiancé, she reconnects with her childhood friend, Luke. While in Ireland, Abby tries to figure out what her next steps are and tries to work out her feelings for the boy next door.
-
I really loved this book. Loved Abby and her growth in the book, loved the setting in Ireland, and loved the building up of the romance!
-
CW: car accident, losing your job.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC copy of The Rebound by Catherine Walsh in return for an honest review. All of the thoughts and opinions in this review are entirely my own.

This story follows Abby Reynolds and her fall from the high life in New York City. Abby was making decent money, living with her fiance, and making her dream life come true. Then suddenly everything falls apart her fiance dumps her, she lost her job and has become homeless. Abby is left with no place to go except back home to Ireland a place that she hates to return to most. Abby has no other choice than to go to her childhood home in a small rural town called Clonard. She is going back home to the one person she can never seem to get along with and that is her sister Louise. They are both very different women. Abby is all about living the high life while Louise wants to save the planet and become a mother.

During Abby’s stay at home, she runs into old friends and meets some new ones as well. She reintroduces herself to her old neighbor and childhood friend Luke. He recognizes her right away but Abby has no idea who this new dreamy man is that just so happens to live nearby. It does not occur to her who he is until the next day when he comes for lunch with his parents to Louise’s home. As you go through this story you see Abby’s life unfolding and being remade. You will follow her through her adventures of catching up with old friends, hanging out with new ones, applying for jobs, working toward figuring out her sister, and possibly even falling in love.

This book has all the things that you would expect in a small town Rom-Com type story. I very much appreciated the fact that it took place in Ireland and spanned over many months. If you are looking for a light and fluffy read then this may be the book for you. I know I enjoyed reading it and getting to know the characters. I found it to be a quick read and I am grateful to have received an ARC copy. Now part of receiving it as I said is that I have to give an honest review of the book. I stand by what I have said above but I have to also mention that the digital copy I received had some editing issues. Often throughout the book, I found additional words in sentences that did not make any sense or in some cases a lack of words to make the sentence complete. When I was reading it I knew what words were supposed to be there so I just inserted them myself. However, that is something that should not have to be done by the reader it should already have been taken care of. That is one of the reasons that I am giving this book a 3-star rating.

Releasing just in time for Valentine’s Day - THE REBOUND is the story of a newly single girl, a tall dark, and handsome stranger, and a plan of no strings attached. A romantic comedy, this book made me laugh out loud and was a book I enjoyed from start to end.

We follow Abby, fresh off an engagement. Even worse? She lost her job right after the end of her relationship. Suddenly she reconnects with Luke, and boy did he grow up. There is not a lot of spice to this book, but that does not cause me to like it less. I feel a lot of Rom Coms are rated based on the level of spice, not on the relationship being portrayed. If spice is your thing, I still think you should read this book - it is the classic Rom-Com and I highly recommend it.

This was a cozy read. I really enjoyed the small town in ireland vibes and descriptions. I was here for the romance, and I was surprised by the relationship between Abby and Louise. I read the letter from the author and how she didn't had Louise in the first drafts... And I'm glad that she is now in the book. Louise is a very complex and interesting character and someone who really cares. Despite Abby thinking Louise hates her, we can clearly see it's not like that; Louise loves her sister.

The Rebound was funny, cozy, comfortable, really sweet and intimate. I loved One Night Only and now I love The Rebound. The characters were good, funny and lovable, the pacing was fast and the writing was very good as well.

Tomasz was clearly the mvp in this book. Jess and Beth own my heart by now.

This was such a cute and easy read

plot

Abby returns home to Ireland from New York after she loses her job and fiancé. With nowhere to go she ends up staying with her sister, Louise, who she never got along with due to the lack of communication between them over the years. It was supposed to be a temporary stay, until she finds herself a new job but after receiving rejection emails again and again her short stay turned into a long one. Frustrated at first, Abby soon realises that her coming back home wasn't such a bad idea after all, as she now gets the opportunity to improve her relationship with her activist sister, make new friends and maybe find love again through her childhood friend Luke, the awkward boy next door now turned into a selfless gentleman who is a literal Cinnabon roll.

The only question is if this thing with Luke is temporary or is he afterall just a rebound for Abby until she finds herself a new job?

final thoughts
-i loved reading about the different relationship developments here and how there were no extreme unnecessarily dramatic scenarios, everything just fell into place smoothly which made it the reading experience easier and more enjoyable.
- cried a little during Louise and Abby's bonding times.
- luke is adorable.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story was nothing like I thought it would be and that turned out to be a good thing. I loved that it was set in Ireland. Visiting Dublin and Galway are at the top of my bucket list so it was very cool to see those places explored. I wasn’t the hugest fan of some of Abby’s decisions, but she got everything straightened out and her character definitely grew throughout the story. Luke was sweet. I love boy next door stories. The biggest thing I liked was the sister relationship in this. Louise and Abby had a rocky start but it was so nice seeing them start to try, and include each other, and really talk. I think that relationship was portrayed well and I was happy to see her and her sister get closer and work everything out. Overall an enjoyable read.

Sadly, I couldn't finish this book and I didn't want to force myself. I ended at around 57%.

I had a hard time connecting to Abby and I didn't sympathize with her in any way. She knew that she worked for a sketchy company and was upset when it was shut down? I'm sorry but what did you expect. She was also rude to her sister considering that her sister let her stay at her house (since Abby lost her apartment which was given to her by the company) Luke was okay but there was no development even until halfway through.

It was also insta-love, which I hate and the forced proximity trope was a bit useless since she was in a small town anyway. I felt literally no chemistry between them.

Hopefully, others enjoyed it more but I don't think it was for me.

The Rebound by Catherine Walsh

Abby returns to her small hometown in Ireland after having a high profile life in NYC with a successful fiance, an elite corporate position, and a busy social calendar. When everything she has is suddenly gone, she reluctantly travels back to her family home with her estranged sister and a town full of people she thought she would never see again. Instead of the tragic "end" she had feared, she finds new beginnings in her family relationships, career aspirations, and her love life ❤️

I loved that this was set in Ireland, it had P.S. I love you vibes minus the sobbing 🙌

What I loved
💕 Luke (who doesn't love the scrawny neighbor with a crush turned hunk)
💕Beth and Jess! Again, always a fan of good supporting characters
💕How strong Abby was as a character, not a damsel in distress

The only criticism I have is that it lacked that big climactic moment where it all is on the line. It was more like a lot of tiny moments.

Overall, would definitely recommend. I really enjoyed it all the way through!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This is my second book by Catherine Walsh and I loved it! She writes with humor, honesty, and her characters are relatable. This story follows Abby who just lost her job, her fiance broke up with her, and she is lost. She is originally from a small village in Ireland so she decides to go back there to stay with her sister. I love reading about Ireland. I went years ago and have to go back. Of course given the title you know she is going to meet someone, but what she doesn't know is that the someone she meets is someone she knew from her past. Enter Luke, a hot guy, a guy she thinks is a stranger and would make the perfect rebound. Until she finds out exactly who he is, the boy next door. I loved that this book wasn't a typical romantic comedy. Yes it was a story about Abby and Luke, but it was also a story about Abby and her sister that she doesn't get along with. I connected most with that part of the story. It was also about Abby finding herself again after losing everything, and realizing what she ultimately really wanted. A great book to read just in time for Valentine's Day!

Abby lived in a beautiful life apartment in Manhattan with her fiancé and had a great job. Until it all fell apart. Her fiancé told her that he wanted to break up and therefore she had to move out of the great apartment, The large international company that she worked for closed unexpectantly in all locations. So, she unexpectantly heads back to her childhood home in rural Ireland where she swore that she would never return to while unemployed, homeless and 100% single. She is feeling totally down on her luck when she meets this very hot guy as arrives in Ireland. She feels that Luke is what she needs to take her mind off of everything. The next day she finds out that the hot stranger is actually Luke Bailey, the boy next door. They were great friends when they were young but as they got into high school, she was the girl who had high aspirations and planned on moving away for a great career and he was just not in her league. The guy she remembered looked nothing like the hot guy that he is now, When he came over for lunch the next day, they could both feel the sparks between them. However, her sister mentioned her fiancé and he appeared upset that she was flirting with him when she was engaged. She had not told her family of the breakup, so sister thought that she was still engaged. This is a feel-good romance that I highly recommend.

I loved this book, I mostly laught but was not just fun. There were sereius moments and many deep talks. Well not boring at all. I enjoyed every page and could bot put it down. Once again the book make me think of going to Ireland. It must be nice when there are no storms.

Abby come back to her childhood village after few years of leaving away. She was dumped and she has nowhere to live. So she stays with her sister. And then there is him, the perfect neighbour.. all to discover.There are some old and new people around. Abby is really ashamed but she find the way to get settled and discover new resolutions. She get so know how to get addapted to new situations and do what you want in your life.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this great Arc. Perfect for February reading.

A bit of a slow burn for me but I enjoyed it very much. Not only Abbys chem with Luke but Abby’s relationship with her sister Louise was spot on relatable especially since my sister is called Abby. LOL laughed and kept reading. I would definitely be giving the physical copy to my sister for Christmas.

I was very excited to read this but I ended up being disappointed. I couldn't connect to any of the characters and I felt like there was zero character development. It's a slow burn, which normally I'm a fan off, but this book took it to a whole different level. Regardless of me not connecting to the story, I did enjoy the writing style. It was easy to get through. But unfortunately this was just not for me.

I really liked this story I never read any by this author I will have to look more in to here's. I couldn't put it down I liked it. I received this copy from NetGalley publishers!

Really cute romantic comedy. Perfect for a bit of fluff. Abby is returning home after being away 7 years. She has lost her job, most of her money and her fiancé. She is moving in with her sister, with whom she has a strained relationship. She doesn’t know what her next step is. She runs into Luke, a childhood friend. There is definite chemistry but everyone thinks she is engaged and only home for a visit.
I really enjoyed reading about her resolving her issues with her sister and her chemistry with Luke. I would definitely recommend this to my friends and I would read her other books.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I really loved this book! I sat down to start reading on a Saturday afternoon and had finished it by the evening.

I enjoyed seeing Abby's relationship with her sister and how they navigated their past issues. I particularly enjoyed reading about Abby adjusting to her new life after having so many changes happen in her life.

I loved her storyline with Luke and selfishly would have liked for this to continue on longer because I was enjoying reading their story so much.

This is the first book I have read by Catherine Walsh and I'm looking forward to reading One Night Only which I quickly purchased after finishing The Rebound.

This was such a wholesome read! I could not put it down I swear, I brought it with me everywhere just to be able to get a few minutes of reading in.

The Rebound tells the story of Abby, whose fast-paced life abruptly has come to a stop when she loses everything. With no other place to stay, she returns to her hometown where she doesn’t feel like she belongs and to a sister who she doesn’t get along with. But as she picks up the pieces of her life in a small Irish town, she might find more than she expected and wanted.

This was an easy read as well as very comforting! It was my first read from Catherine but not the last, I will definitely read One Night Only soon and follow her journey onwards!

My favourite character has to Abby, not only could I relate to the feeling of not knowing where life is going to take you, she also has this unapologetic trait about her. She knows what she wants and she goes for it. I don’t want to spoil too much but I very easily related to that feeling of pushing your identity away to fit in or to be someone else but as you grow up you recognise that you have a lot to be proud of.
The romance between her and Luke is sweet and not too spicy (if you’re looking for that!). The “we drifted apart” trope was executed very well and you feel the instant spark between them when they meet again.

The setting really reminded me of Gilmore Girls with the small town and quirky characters that you briefly get to know but don’t spend too much time with to form a bond with. Sometimes too many unnecessary characters can be annoying however to keep the small town vibe going it worked really well!

And thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Catherine Walsh for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! All these opinion are my own.

My heart is warm once again. Love has shown its way once more through these pages. It is funny how it hits you where you least expect it to be. But that is just how things work with love, through fate, coincidence, life, not by force or being pushed to happen.

Easy to read, multicultural experience, and smooth, a lovely piece of work

This is my second book by Catherine Walsh and I must say her books are cheerful, and I pretend to read the books to come.

📑This ARC was granted to me through NetGalley and approved by Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

In The Rebound, Abby finds herself down on her luck in every way possible. Home to rural Ireland is her only option while she figures out her next step. Enter Luke, childhood friend and neighbor, turned ridiculously handsome potential rebound. Abby learns that home isn't quite as she remembers it, and Luke might just mean more to her than she planned on,

I love this book, it makes me want to pack my bags and move to a small Irish town. When we meet Abby she's lost and feels like she's hit rock bottom. There's nothing quite like having to return home and sleep in your childhood bedroom. Seeing her realize that home isn't what she remembered it to be was lovely. Luke's kindness was so charming it made me fall for him immediately. While there is definitely a large element of romance between Luke and Abby, I really enjoyed watching Abby and Louise and their relationship. I adore Beth and Jess and I'm shipping them. Everything about it was spot on and so relatable. Overall I thought this was a fabulous read with witty banter and wonderful secondary characters.