I am still on a quest to break out of my comfort zone. I tried another romance. That said, again the story was ok. It was entertaining. But it didn’t do it for me. I think someone who is into romance would like it. I believe when you try to read outside of your comfort zone, it’s a bit like Cinderella and the glass slipper; you have to keep searching for the right fit.



Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

Sweet rom-com set in Ireland. Abby Reynolds thought she had bid farewell to her small hometown in Ireland for the bright lights of New York City! But, then her fiance dumped her and her employer imploded. She has no choice but to head home to the town she thought she'd left forever. There she learns important lessons about family, love, and most importantly, herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

A lovely book again from Catherine. You get all the emotions in this one love, tears and laughter. It tells the story of the relationship between Abby and Luke and all the twists and turns it takes. Lovely imagery of a small seaside town in Ireland.

The setting in Ireland was new for me, interesting and fun. This is the first Catherine Walsh book I’ve read and it’s got me interested in visiting Ireland. And maybe it’s the name Luke, too…but this book gave me warm, cozy Gilmore Girls vibes with its small town, witty banter, and love for coffee. Definitely need to read more Catherine Walsh!

I enjoyed the instant attraction between Abby and Luke, but I still wanted more. I actually didn’t think they had that much chemistry in some parts of the novel. It felt like something was missing at times. I couldn’t connect with Luke much and would have liked more time with him on his own and with Abby. The evolving relationship between Abby and Louise, however, felt so real and relatable.

**4.5 stars**

I want to start by thanking NetGalley and Catherine Walsh for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Release date February 14 2022

The Rebound tells the story of Abby Reynolds returning to her childhood home Conrad in Ireland where she swore she would never return after she finds herself suddenly unemployed, homeless, and "fiancéless". As she is reintroduced to old childhood friends including her next-door neighbor, who doesn’t look at all like what she remembered she quickly realizes that maybe Ireland is not as bad as she thought!

Thoughts: This rom-com was my first book by Catherine Walsh and OMG I adored every single moment of it(finished it in a day)! I saw another reviewer compare it to Gilmore girls and I 100% agree with that(Conrad as Stars Hollow, the Easter fun day as the many festivities in Stars Hollow and Beth giving me a lot of Sookie vibes)! Catherine Walsh's writing was perfect, it felt like she was my best friend telling me a story(does that make sense?)She talked about all kinds of subjects, some more serious than others while adding the right amount of humor. The Characters were also very likable especially Luke, there’s no way to not fall in love with him! Finally, the pace was perfect, the plot easy to follow and somewhat predictable but didn’t make it any less enjoyable.

Overall, this was a cute, fun, and funny read and I highly recommend adding it to your TBR and saving the date for the release! Catherine Walsh and NetGalley thank you again!

This adorable romance is a childhood acquaintances(?) to lovers that is based in Ireland and I could not get enough of it!! I loved these characters from the moment I met each of them and there is just something so romantic about being in the Irish countryside! I was a bit concerned about possible cheating at first (a big no for me) but no worries here! The characters are completely in the clear!

Side note: the epilogue is one of my favorites I’ve read in awhile as while we see our main characters again and where they are (HEA) we also get some information on a supporting potential couple we get glimpses of through out the book!

I can already see myself pulling this book out again in the summer to read by the pool (or hopefully on a beach somewhere)! Highly recommend checking it out if you’re a sucker for an adorable romance when it comes out on Valentine’s Day (Feb 14th), 2022 - could the release date be any more perfect??

Thanks letting me read, it was difficult to get into but it wasn't to bad after you got a few chapters in I like Luke and Abbys relationship I was rooting for them the entire time and I'm glad they ended up together it was a super Irish story and I loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Romantic comedies can go either way for me-- I either love them or hate them. I loved this one!

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting too much from this book.  I was hoping for a light-hearted read, and that’s exactly what I got.  I read it very quickly once I got started.  

Abby has lost everything- her money, her job, her apartment, her fiance. She retreats to her hometown of Clonard, Ireland to regroup and hopefully bounce back. However, Abby can’t bring herself to be fully honest with her sister or her parents. The one person she was honest with she happened to forget who he was– her childhood friend, Luke.

Luke helped her get home when she arrived in Ireland, and she was so surprised when she saw him arrive for lunch at her sister’s home. Thus begins a renewed friendship and maybe something more. Abby spends the book figuring out what she really wants, both professionally and personally.

It was refreshing to see a female protagonist who is ambitious instead of waiting or settling. Abby loved her job. She was good at it, and she isn’t afraid of the work involved. I also appreciated the sibling dynamic between Abby and Louise. They both envied each other for different reasons, but in the end, they worked it out by communicating more clearly. I have to say I loved their sisterly relationship more than Abby’s romantic relationships.

This is a easy, quick read that makes you feel all fuzzy inside!

I absolutely loved this book, and I was invested from the very beginning.

What would you do if you lost your fiancé, job, home and money all in one day? Returning home to Ireland seems to be the only solution…

Childhood friends to lovers trope which I absolutely adore. It’s funny, witty and an enjoyable read from start to finish.

Abby Reynolds lost her fiancé, her fancy New York job, and her apartment all in a matter of weeks. She heads home to Ireland to stay with her sister and brother-in-law while she puts her life back together and figures out what she's doing next. When a handsome stranger drives her home, it seems like her luck is looking up. But as it turns out, he isn't a stranger at all. He's her next door neighbor/childhood best friend, Luke Bailey, and he is all grown up!

I loved all the characters in this book. The banter between not only Abby and Luke, but also Rory and Sinead, Rory and Abby, Abby and Louise, Abby & Luke's parents, etc. was so fun to read! The dialogue had me giggling out loud multiple times. It's not often that I enjoy the side characters just as much as the main characters, but I did in this book. I also really liked seeing Abby and Louise's relationship grow, and them learn to love each other for exactly who they are. I can't wait to read more by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read a free ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this story and read it in no time at all. Definitely an easy, fun and uplifting read.

Abby and Luke are both lovely characters, and although the story doesn't go too deep, there's enough detail to make a connection with the characters.

Abby's sister was brilliant too, and I loved the inclusion of her world-saving antics.

The only thing I would say is that the title and tagline don't really do it justice. They give the impression of it being quite a quick, heated and/or impulsive romance when in actual fact, this is quite a sweet slow burn between old friends. Despite not being what I expected, I liked the style and pace, and will definitely be reading more from this author.

I was really excited to read this because I loved Catherine Walsh’s previous book, one night only but sadly, this one didn’t live up. The romance felt very surface level and i didn’t feel the chemistry between Abby and Luke. Luke was hardly in the book, and I didn’t really know who he was which is why I felt disconnected to him and his relationship with Abby. I actually felt more invested in Abby’s relationship with her sister, and I enjoyed seeing them grow a little closer. I also loved the small, charming Irish town setting. I think that and the fact that Catherine Walsh’s writing style makes her books fun and very easy to read were what saved this book for me because the romance was a let down.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the arc.

Review I know it took a month for me to read this but really it was 2 days. You see I forget about reading(NetGalley) during finals.

While this is labeled as a one night stand it’s more of childhood friends to strangers to lovers.

Other than that, Catherine Walsh became my favorite author. The banter, choice of family vs self , and did I say the romance.

Abby was a easy character to get into and while she was annoying at times it seemed rational based on her story. While everything was nice the repetition of the miscommunication trope pissed me off a little.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

This was such a quick read and so, so cute. Abby and Luke are a funny couple, and the story was relatable and honestly just adorable. I recommend this to others, especially if they're looking for a heartwarming, quick book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC of this book in exchange for my opinion.

It's a known that I will read anything Catherine Walsh writes ever since she stunned me with her debut, One Night Only, but this book was one of my favourites to end my year on! Abby and Luke being childhood friends really got me excited for the rest of the book as childhood friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes. I look forward to more from the author!

The Rebound by Catherine Walsh
Tags: Romantic Comedy; Contemporary Romance; UK Romance; Small Town Romance; Ireland
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Great Read! I will definitely keep a copy to reread and recommend

Sometimes you have to go back to the beginning to find your way again.

Abby Reynolds was an Irish girl who had left home and made it big in NYC – fancy, high paid career, fiancé, apartment, and all the glam she could hope for. Until she finds herself out a job when her company goes down in a big way, and headed home to Ireland to stay with family. For a short break. Or so she tells them, failing to mention that in addition to her job – she’s also lost her apartment and fiancé. Now, she’s back where it all started, and reconnecting with old family, friends and acquaintances – including the old boy next door, who has turned into the local hometown hottie in her absence.

I am a big fan of UK RomComs – they just always seem to hit all the right notes for me and The Rebound was no exception (so happy to find another author to add to my list of auto-grabs!). This was a charming, delightful romcom – that leaves you smiling and feeling heart warmed. I really liked Abby as a RomCom heroine – down on her luck, looking to fix her life and forced to face the world she ran from far and fast. I thought she and Luke were really sweet together and enjoyed the banter they had as well. There ‘meet cute’ was fun, and I could definitely picture this as a romcom movie with the various situations they found themselves in.

As someone who loves small town and slow burn romance – this one really delivered. The setting in a small, Irish town just made me long to go visit one myself. I enjoyed the secondary characters as well, we didn’t get to know them as much, but I was intrigued and would read their stories too – especially Beth.

Another highlight for me was the family dynamics – I love books that show various dynamics within a family. I liked the relationship that was presented between Abby and her sister. I enjoyed seeing them come to understand each other better, and develop a better relationship, but that it felt real because they didn’t completely change or become bffs overnight. Overall, just a cozy fun read – reminded me of Gilmore Girls / Hart of Dixie vibes with the small town feel and one I’d recommend for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk, Jill Mansell and the like.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are freely given and my own.

LOVED THIS! Perfect escapism for the Christmas hols - it's nice to read a story where the characters admit they fancy each other from the get go! I must admit I didn't the title fitted with the story but this might have just been my intepretation. Would recommend!

Thank you to netgalley for sending me this ebook arc in exchange for my honest review.

To say i devoured this book is an understatement.

Picture this. Your life in New York falls apart. Your career come crashing down as the company you work for goes bankrupt. Your fiance leaves you. You have already used all your savings to buy your parents a house and now you are also officially homeless. What else is there to do but to go back home to the small town in Ireland you grew up in, with your tail between your legs to stay with your sister who you do not get along with at all and figure life out.

I mean you have me hooked there. I love a good life turns to shit trope and you need to find yourself again. I love love love that its set in a small town in Ireland. Give me small town settings all day everyday. Cute cafe as the go to place to hang for main character Abby is perfect especially with the hot landlord being her friend and neighbour from childhood. A perfect recipe for swooning.

I really loved all the different kinds of relationships this book portrayed. Romantic, friendship and family it really showed so well there is not a one sized fits all of love and friendship. I would 100% recommend this book for anyone who loves any of the aspects I have mentioned.

I read this book right after The hating game when I was looking for something to fill the void it left and this one did just that.

Loved this sweet Irish rom com read! After losing her high paying job, Abby Reynolds has to return home to her small Irish hometown, and luckily the handsome Luke lives there too now! Tons of spunky and hilarious scenarios ensue! These two are adorable together. Abby and Luke have sparks from the very beginning, and the cast of side characters are great! (Rory and Sinead! Andrew and his sabotage!)

The relationship Abby has with her sister Louise is one I really loved. It starts out so rocky but as they learn to be vulnerable and honest with each other, it morphs into something so sweet.

I loved this book, all of it.... 🤍 This book made me want to visit Ireland one day. The small town setting was wonderful.
Newly single, unemployed, homeless Abby Reynolds visiting her home town where her sister lives and they don't get along and a country she thought she would never come back to. But things start to take a turn when a tall, handsome stranger with emerald green eyes gives her a ride to home. Abby flirts with the stranger not knowing who he is. And when she finds out, it's a shock. Yess! The stranger is none other than her childhood friend, Luke Bailey.

PS: Abby hides the truth about being unemployed and people still think she's engaged.

Think Abby and Luke will be able to reconcile and explore the recent connections developed between them?
Well, go and read the book to know!

Catherine Walsh might be my new favourite author in the town!! 😍