3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up because Irish men are 🔥)

I was absolutely hooked from page one. Ireland + Bridget Jones-esque hot mess girl?! I’m there! The chemistry between Abby & Luke is awesome. I could hear their accents in my mind and I couldn’t get enough of him simply saying “Abby” in a warning tone to make her stop rambling. Major heart eyes! Having said that- Abby annoyed the crud out of me. As is true with a lot of books I’ve read recently, everything could have been avoided with an honest conversation. A text. Come on! I hit a wall in the middle where I almost stopped reading. She was that annoying to me. All her issues were so immature and full of self doubt which didn’t match up to her playful brazenness with Luke. I just couldn’t relate. BUT, then some old friends came into the picture (Rory et. all) and the book picked up again. Sadly, the book ending was expected and not what I wanted to read. But that’s me just being extra picky I suppose?! Who would want to ever leave Ireland?! Craziness.

Finding herself stuck waiting for a bus back to her hometown, Abby can't believe the news that the bus only runs on a Wednesday. Lucky for her a handsome stranger offers to drive her as he is headed in the same direction. With fourteen hours of travelling under her belt, she is both keen and reluctant to get to her sister's house. Having lost her job, savings, investments and home when the financial company she worked for filed for bankruptcy. Not to mention her engagement to Tyler being broken off just weeks before everything happened with her job.

Flirting with the stranger she relaxes into the journey and reluctantly heads into her sister's house for the third degree and why she is late, her job, life etc. However, when the neighbours pop round for dinner the next day, the ones she grew up with as they were friends of her parents. She is in for a shock when it suddenly clicks that the handsome stranger is their son Luke, who she used to play with as a child - but he has changed somewhat since then. Flirting continues until her sister mentions Abby's fiance who she has told anyone that they have broken up with and Luke backs away.

Their paths crossed around the quaint Irish town, friendships overlapping and their feelings charging. Abby needs to come clean about Tyler to everyone but when she learns that someone else jas their heart set on Luke it is time for her to back away. Can they evet work things out between then? But being home is a short term solution, so this can only ever be a rebound thing - right?

Definitely will recommend this book to anyone looking for a good book to read. Well done, Ms. Walsh, will definitely purchase! Full review linked!

Slow burn romantic comedy with lots of feel good moments.

Abby seemed to have it all.... until she didn't. A top job and apartment in New York and a rich fiance. All of which she lost in a matter of weeks.

We meet her with her tail between her legs returning home to her childhood town in Ireland.

Abby was a really likeable character, you were rooting for her to pick herself up and find happiness. The relationships she had with the other characters really made the story. Mending bridges with her sister, meeting Beth & holding onto Jess. And of course loveable Luke.

This was a real ferl-good story.

Highly recommend.

I loved this book! The setting, characters, and pacing were spot on. A wonderful Romance! I want to read more by Walsh.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read The Rebound early.

This book is so perfect for Valentine’s Day time. It’s lighthearted, fun and enjoyable romance. I’ve never read this author, but I will definitely go back and read One Night Only.. If you are looking for a book that will make your heart happy, this will definitely be a winner!

It was a very nice read, with a cool plot. Not groundbreaking but I wasn’t expecting that from this book. The characters were enjoyable and overall it made me feel good which is what I’m mainly looking for while reading this kind of book.

One of the best Rom-Coms I've read in a while! Perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and lovers of contemporary romance with a good sprinkle of funny thrown in.

The main character, Abby, was perfectly imperfect and super relatable. And besides the romantic relationship with Luke, which was full of misunderstandings, fun banter, hurt feelings, eye-opening realizations, hot chemistry and super sweet moments, I also very much loved the developed relationships between Abby and her somewhat estranged older sister, Louise, and free-spirited, over-eager ray of sunshine, new BFF, Beth.

The romance side of the book was phenomenal (Luke was great and I like a couple that has to face some turbulence before getting their HEA), but the thing that made this book all the better for me was Abby's own journey. She definitely went though some huge emotional growing up throughout the book, and each of her relationships to the other characters contributed in that journey. She learned to open up, not judge others so harshly, and above everything else, to go easier and be kinder to herself. And I thought that was a fantastic message. Pushing yourself and striving for greatness is all well and good, but sometimes we need to slow down a little.

I honestly can't praise this book enough and very much look forward to reading more from Ms. Catherine..I think she has a brilliant future ahead of her, and am definitely gonna be checking out her other novel and any other future work she publishes!

Full review on Goodreads (www.goodreads.com/multicoloredbookreviews) and Blog (multicoloredbookreviews.home.blog)

**I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture**

I enjoyed this book; the characters, the plot and especially the ending (there was no shocking twist, it just ended differently than I had expected and I was quite pleased with that). It was nice to see Abby’s character growth as the plot progressed and I’m glad miscommunication wasn’t the main plot point of the book. Luke was charming and I enjoyed the banter between him and Abby. The secondary characters were great and Abby’s relationship with her sister was almost better than the romance. Overall, this is a solid book for those looking for a nice contemporary romance about coming home, love, and life. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved this book. It was fun, exciting and full of love. I loved the main leads Luke and Abby and obviously the childhood to lovers trope can never go wrong.
I also really like how the side characters were involved in the story and loved them all. Be it the best friend, sister or the ex boyfriend, lol. These characters were really light and even interesting and didn’t seem to be out of the plot.

I really loved this one, I liked that the romance storyline was secondary to Abby finding herself as well as getting along with her sister.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, this book was so cute! This was the first book I read by Catherine Walsh and with how much I enjoyed it, I will definitely be checking out her first book - One Night Only.

Abby leaves New York and returns to her hometown in Ireland after her fiancé breaks of their engagement and she loses her job. She ends up meeting Luke Bailey her first night home who she thought was a cute stranger, but ends up being the boy next door who she grew up with.

I really enjoyed the romance and chemistry between Abby and Luke and also liked getting to see Abby reconnect and develop a stronger relationship with her sister. The chemistry between the two MC's felt real and authentic. They had a lot of banter, but I could feel the connection they had throughout the entire book.

I liked how this book was set up - with short, sweet chapters that made me say "just one more chapter" until I ultimately ended up finishing the book in less than 48 hours.

This was such a sweet romance novel and is the perfect Valentine's Day read!

This book is the perfect Valentine’s Day rom-com release. I picked this one out originally because of how cute the cover was (it will look great on a bookshelf!) and I thoroughly enjoyed the book itself. It follows the usual ‘will they/won’t they’ trope while dealing with a few big life events (loss of job, ending of a relationship, infertility, and so on) in a lighthearted yet heartfelt way. In Ireland! The author did a great job of setting the scene in Ireland - and the stage - for a fun, flirty romance. I especially enjoyed how the author framed various relationships (specifically the sisterly bond, as well as Abby and Luke’s relationship) in the book; they all felt so real and genuine. And the humour woven throughout elevated the story. The only drawback for me was that I felt that a few of the chapters ended or started abruptly and I had to flip back a few pages because I wondered if I missed something/shot ahead a chapter by mistake. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of rom-com reads!
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

4 ⭐️ A charming rom-com that will have you daydreaming about living a small-town life in Ireland

I adored this story. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I read it in one sitting. It’s simple, light-hearted, and fun. An instant comfort read and one I’ll be recommending. ❤️


All the characters are lovable in their own way.

-Abby is a go-getter whose fast-paced life has abruptly come to a halt and flipped inside down. While this change isn’t easy, if anyone can figure out how to keep moving forward, it’s Abby.

-Luke is the definition of a cinnamon roll. He was the awkward boy next door who grew into an absolute hottie. But beyond his good looks, he had a heart of gold. Luke puts everyone else’s needs before his own - the definition of a small-town gentleman.

-Louise is Abby’s older sister who puts up walls to protect her gentle heart. And after years of hardly speaking to each other, these two sisters end up living under the same roof and only time will break down whatever barriers keep them apart.

-Beth is the kindest person in the history of fictional characters. She’s a wonderful friend and a brave businesswoman. I love how she focuses on the positive and always knows how to make someone feel better. I hope Beth gets her own book!


The romance is sweet. I love the whole ‘We used to be childhood best friends but drifted apart” trope. It always makes me feel butterflies when they see each other for the first time in years and there’s that instant spark. Abby and Luke did have some miscommunication issues, which made me roll my eyes, but the conflicts were resolved relatively quickly, so it didn’t drag on.


FYI, the sex scenes are basically a non-descriptive highlight reel. These scenes were very tasteful and well-done, but I’m not going to lie, I was hoping things would get a little dirty. If I’m reading an adult romance, especially if the characters are over the age of 25, I expect some explicit sexual content. I understand that’s not always the case but it is my preference.


The setting - a quaint Irish countryside town - filled me with wanderlust. From the descriptions of the small-town life to the beautiful landscape, it painted such a visor picture! I’ve never been to Ireland but this story makes my heart ache to visit.


The pacing is perfect. Everything about this story just flowed so perfectly. From beginning to the middle to the end, you’ll find yourself captivated and eager to see where the story takes you next!


Overall, The Rebound is a lovely rom-com with an emphasis on family, friendship, and love. It’s nothing that will blow your mind, but it’ll make you feel butterflies and warmth.

I LOVED this story and couldn't put it down! It was funny, smart, and romantic without feeling like it was trying too hard. I love all the characters and the way the story played out. It's refreshing to read an ending where the heroine doesn't have to give up her intense and smart job to get the happy ending she wanted. Loved this.

Thankyou to Netgalley for an ARC and the chance to review this book.

The Rebound is a slow burn rom com that was a perfect summer read, in fact I read it in a day. It had a great amount of cutesy romance and fluff as well as personal growth from the character. That being said it was a very easy to consume book with not too much to think about. A perfect rom com. A little too slow burn for my liking, but that characters made up for that. Abby made me laugh out loud, her tendency to blurt things out added a relatable element to the story. Luke was a swoon worthy character who I can see many others falling for. Each side character was so vastly different and all added a little bit of complexity to the story which I loved.

Fun and flirty, The Rebound is the perfect 'will they, won't they' love story.

Main character Abby suddenly finds herself with no job, no fiancé, and no money. She has no choice but to leave the luxuries of New York for the sleepy Irish village where she grew up. Sharing a home with her sister is daunting enough, but faced with the prospect of rebuilding her life again from scratch? It's clear that Abby needs a lucky break - and fast.

Enter Luke Bailey. Handsome, charming, and hard-working; Abby can easily see that Luke is the complete package. There's just one problem - Luke and Abby were once best friends. With the memory of a shared childhood and the space left by years apart hanging between them, can Abby risk giving her heart away again so quickly?

Although she evidently has her faults, Abby is a likeable character and you can't help willing her to succeed. This is a romance novel but at its heart, all Abby wants is to find her place in the world. She's learned the hard way that all the money and career success in the world mean nothing when the chips are down. With a heart battered and bruised by her ex, she can only hope that her childhood home might just hold the answers.

A sweet and slow-burning romance story, The Rebound is an enjoyable read.

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC.

Once again, a homerun for Catherine Walsh! The Rebound is a great romcom, absolutely funny and realistic.

Abby goes back to her hometown in rural Ireland after getting dumped by her fiancé, losing her job at a big bank in a huge scandal where herself and everyone lost their savings and investments and losing her new appartement owned by her former employer. Obviously, she feels pretty down and going to stay with her sister with whom she has a strained relationship feels like a failure for this high achiever. The first person she sees is her childhood friend and neighbor Luke who she doesn’t recognize at first (major glow-up).

Abby makes things complicated for herself by not telling the truth about her stay with her sister, so everyone thinks she is engaged (making her kind of an a-hole to flirt with Luke), that she is there just for a couple weeks. Obviously, things with Luke get complicated, hot and cold…

This book has an amazing balance between the romance and everything else she is living. I loved reading the slow evolution of her relationship with her sister, it was absolutely beautiful. It was totally human, it shows how life is messy and how easily we interpret words, actions or expressions for something totally wrong from someone else, how we make things more complicated for no good reason. It depicts a young strong and unapologetically ambitious woman, the kind of character I prefer. So, this is not only a cute and funny romance, it’s a book about relationships with family, friends and herself. How you get back on your feet after getting knocked down.

Absolutely great book, I strongly recommend this author, her first book was great as well!

The Rebound by Catherine Walsh

Synopsis: Abby had everything. The job, the apartment in the city, and an amazing fiance. That was until her fiance broke up with her, and then the company she was working for went bankrupt. Abby finds herself back in her hometown of Clonard, Ireland. She is living with her sister who gets on her nerves, in a town she ran away from. Jobless, homeless, and loveless, Abby finds out that maybe the town she was so quick to get out of has more to offer. Especially, when she is reunited with the boy next door, Luke Bailey. Abby senses her priorities start to shift.

You all know I LOVE a good RomCom book and this one truly delivered! I absolutely fell in love with Luke Bailey. He will definitely become everyone's most desired book boyfriend! I adored Abby so so much. She was a brazen, driven, and ambitious main character. She did not settle for what she wanted, which I really liked. She was able to have the life she wanted, and share it with the guy she fell for. There was only one part where the characters were not communicating fully that bothered me, but I understood. Miscommunication usually isn’t my favorite, but I feel like the characters actually needed it. Catherine Walsh has an amazing knack for giving each character a unique voice, and she truly made me laugh out loud quite a few times!

This one gets a 4.5/5 ⭐️

If you want a feel good RomCom book that will make you fall in love with the characters and Ireland, pick up this book! It is coming February 14, 2022. You can pre-order it on Barnes and Noble today, or on Amazon for your Kindle.

I love anything set in Ireland! I had the privilege of visiting the country in 2014 with my family and it was 11 of the best days of my life!

We traversed the entire country by car - my Dad was the REAL MVP for navigating the wrong side of the car and road with not a stop light in sight but too many round-a-bouts for our liking! The people are some of the kindest, the culture was beautiful, the food was amazing and the vistas were breathtaking. So set a book in Ireland and I'll be the first to sign up to read it!

This was a great surprise to receive the approval on Netgalley - I was immediately sucked into the story and cheering Abby on after her life was turned upside down. It was a really quick read until about 40% of the way through when it started to stall, sub plots were introduced that, upon finishing the book, just added pages without adding depth.

The save the beach element felt a bit contrived and the story started to lose its luster for me. This was a fairly predictable romcom - but don't get me wrong, that isn't a bad thing! I read romcoms for their predictability - so this didn't disappoint.

All in all, I enjoyed this, but I don't think it will be a lasting or memorable read.

3.5 final rating