This felt a bit light on the romance to me, but I liked it a lot more than I usually would with similar books to this. It was fun reading about Abby and Luke along with her friendships. Fun setting in Ireland as well.

Well now….. what a fantastic read, I thoroughly enjoyed it, I read the last half in one sitting, a totally heart felt, feel good read.

I will recommend this book to all of my friends

5 stars from me 😊

I'm saddened to say this was a bit of a letdown.
I was so charmed by the blurb, Abby returning to Ireland after her posh New Yorker life comes crumbling down and reconnecting with her childhood friend Luke Bailey had me creating lots o expectations.

Unfortunately, although there are bits that are funny and interesting the overall abuse of miscommunication in Abby and Luke's relationship is just infuriating. Their conflict drags on and on based on inexistent drama.

The side characters had potential and the Irish scenery was delightful, but the plot just didn't have enough meat in it.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in return for an honest review!

A small-town Ireland setting, a mysterious stranger, a girl who is down and out and feels like her life is over. This book was the perfect, light romance read to settle down with on a dark evening. It's got a sweetness to it that was unexpected, and the romance itself is very lovely and wholesome (eventually).

It felt a little slow to start with, but a few chapters in and you end up hooked! Not only are the interactions between MC Abby and love-interest Luke funny, charming and cute, the dynamics between Abby and her sister are a nice added bonus to the story as well.

It will be great for people to read on Valentine's Day, which is the publish date!

I've given it three stars as while I enjoyed the book, it probably isn't one I would read again.

Where do you go when your fiancé breaks off your engagement and then the company you are working files for bankruptcy? You go back to your childhood home. Leaving New York to return to Ireland.
Parents living in Portugal means that you arrive on your sister and her husband doorstep. A fractious and combative sibling relationship is unravelled by your brother in law whilst still trying to find a new job.
Love, friendship, family, loyalty abound with all the complex characters. I felt invested in all the characters and would love a follow-up book.

Ireland. Crisis. Second Chance Love.

Yes please!

Abby finds herself back in her in rural Ireland after the company she works for falls to pieces. Her first day back and she gets offered a ride to her small hometown by a tall, dark, and handsome guy named Luke. What a way to get over your ex-fiance Tyler.

The next day however she finds that Luke is none other than her childhood neighbor who was a dear friend.

I really enjoyed that this book was not just a fluffy romance. Abby is able to truly connect to the place that she fled. As someone who is about to go back to my own home state after being away for fourteen year I could greatly relate. Abby reconnecting with her family and fellow townspeople was very endearing.

Luke is of course swoon worthy and an epic addition to this story. I really quite liked this story. I felt like I was traveling back to Ireland with Abby and finding new meanings to a new normal.

Thank you Bookoture and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy for my honest feedback.

This Book is for every bookworm who loves Ireland , coffee addicts, fan of small town and second chance for first love. The Rebound is the second book in a series set in Ireland.
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A contemporary Romance that reflects how difficult it is to make your own path at your own pace and without feeling that you are in lack of something.
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Abby had a great life in Manhattan, working in a major banking firm and with a bright future but everything fell apart since her boyfriend decided to break off the engagement and a few weeks later her company went bankrupt
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With nowhere to go, she decides to call her sister with whom she has a difficult relationship and return to her hometown in Ireland. With no money, and no one to ask for help, she finds an attractive stranger who offers a ride
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Luke can't believe that Abby, his first crush and neighbor is back, that she doesn't recognize him and flirt with him. The attraction between the two is very strong and neither can avoid running into the other even though they believe the timing is wrong and many misunderstandings arise between them
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I really liked the story of Luke and Abby, I like how Catherine Walsh writes, although a long time passes between each meeting and it is from a single pov. The transition of the characters, the pace and the beautiful landscapes of Ireland make this book something very beautiful that I really enjoyed reading
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Thanks to Catherine Walsh and Booktoure for give me this great book in exchange for my honest opinion

3.75 stars
This second book by Catherine Walsh is a childhood friends, meet after years, instant connection kinda thing.

The Plot

So, our protagonist is Abby, who moved out of her small Irish town to work in New York. She was climbing the career ladder, had a perfectly nice fiancé and life was good. Until the big business she was working at went down. Big. For bad reasons. Then, she got dumped by the fiancé, had no money and was forced to move into her sister’s house in the tiny town she worked so hard to get out of. But when she gets there, she has totally forgotten about the very unreliable public transport she was relying on. Luckily, there’s a nice (hot) man who offers her a ride. Hehe. The perfect rebound right? Not when she realises who he is, a childhood friend she’s pretty sure she shared a bath with at some point. And, to make it worse, he knew who she was the whole time. Oh, it’s just too funny. Add to that the fact that he (and everyone else) thinks she’s still engaged and on the way to the Promised Land of the Rich. Yeah, she may have forgotten to mention some details.

To be honest, this wasn’t as much a romance as a women’s fic with a side romance. It was more about Abby finding herself, figuring out what she wanted from life and navigating some turbulent relationships in her life. The romance wasn’t a main focus of that, it was only half of an amazing story. Secondly, I don’t know if it was just me but the blurb gave the impression that she used him as a rebound and then realised who he was, but apparently not. They only actually get together afterwards.

Oh well, misconceptions aside, it was a pretty good plot.

The Romance.

Ughhh Luke has just been added to my fictional boyfriends list. Hot, adorable, and IRISH, seriously what more could you want? I love how he was always trying to protect her and it was such a slowburn romance, I was screaming at them to get on with it already. But slow burns are the best for a reason obviously, because they lead to more believable feelings. Like, you’re not really going to believe that a character who’s just had a one night stand is suddenly in LOvE with the one night stand. Anyways, off topic, but the romance was amazing. I do have my one constant complaint though, which is the conflict/turbulence. Needed to be a little bit more developed and could have been a bit more of a plot twist or something instead of just carrying on from the tension in the rest of the book.

Ok, so overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐.75- Yup I went into .05’s! A fun, cute read with underlying imporaant and deeper messages. Not as funny as her debut but still laugh out loud. Would definitely recommend to rom com lovers with slow burn, angst, and smut.

Spice rating: 🌶🌶🌶- a few intense make out scenes, one in detail but not super graphic sex scene.

See my full review and more random rambles on my blog: https://mochasandmadness.wordpress.com/2021/12/25/the-rebound-arc-review/

6 stars!

What a lovely romantic novel and it should definitely be published in paper.

I have enjoyed it so much that I went and looked for other Catherine Walsh's books. Unfortunately she only wrote two so far but I was more than happy to purchase her first book because I found both of them quite excellent romantic novels with all the right tension and chemistry and the beautiful background of Ireland. Now Walsh is my new favorite author and I cannot wait for her to publish more.

Thanks NetGalley for introducing me to this author and for a free copy in exchange of the honest review

I really love this book, and I really just love Cat Walsh's writing. I am on Erasmus this year from Ireland in America, so this book really presented itself with a lot of nostalgia this year. The being away from Ireland in America element really hit close to home. I love that this book of being a love for Ireland while also not romanticizing it is incredible.

One of my favourite things about the Rebound, and Cat Walsh's writing in general, is the HUMOUR!!! The perfect amount of sarcasm, and wit, and darkness. Genuinely laughing out loud while reading.

Also, the balance of developing the romantic plot, personal character arcs, and familial relationships is perfect. This is often an issue for me with a lot of romance books is finding this balance, and The Rebound really nails it.

Honestly, I just love this book. New instant fav — and the perfect read!

4 ⭐️ // The Rebound is a quick read, and I would classify it as a rom-com mixed with chick-lit story. At first, I was attracted to the book cover, and once I read the description, I was very intrigued!

Newly jobless, single, and homeless Abby travels back to her childhood home in Ireland to visit her sister and brother-in-law, and with a transportation mix-up, she catches a ride with a handsome stranger. After a flirty car ride, she is surprised she has forgotten about her struggles, but soon afterwards, she realizes that’s not the only thing she’s forgotten. Turns out the mysterious stranger was her childhood friend!

I adored the first half of the book, and I could not stop reading! I was convinced I could read the book in one sitting. However, there were a few chapters right in the middle that annoyed me, so I read the story over a few days instead. The miscommunication parts were necessary for the storyline, but sometimes, I just wanted to shake main character and say, “Just communicate, please!!!” Or “Choose better friends!” The story picked back up in a few chapters though, and I could not wait to see how it ended!

Read this book if …
👯‍♀️ You didn’t always get along with your sibling
☕️ Coffee is an everyday necessity
✈️ You wish you grew up in a small town in Ireland
💗 You enjoy the “friends to lovers” trope
🌊 Skinny dipping in the ocean sounds like a good time

TW: infertility, broken engagement

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture, for providing me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Rebound by Catherine Walsh is a heart-warming rom-com that will appeal to fans of traveling and Ireland. The story revolves around Abby Reynolds, who has just returned to her hometown in rural Ireland after years working for a fancy business in Manhattan. While there, she meets a handsome stranger who gives her a lift to her destination. She realizes that Luke can be her "rebound.". Unknown to her, Luke isn't just a handsome stranger...

Here is a humorous excerpt from the beginning of Chapter 1:

"I listen to it ring as I watch the remaining stragglers board the bus to Galway. I landed in Dublin this afternoon, naively thinking once I did it would be relatively easy to get to where I needed to be. But what should have been two to three hours on the road has turned into half a day trying to navigate the Irish public transport system. Or rather the lack of it. And now after managing to make it all the way across the country, I have a feeling that if I’m not careful, I’m going to have to walk the rest of the night.
I get to my feet, brushing away crumbs as I look around. In the tourist brochures, the west of Ireland is usually portrayed as a lush, windswept vista. Full of rugged cliffs and green fields. They do not show places like this. And for good reason. When I arrived, the small crossroads town had been full of people making their way home for the weekend. Now it’s quiet, the surrounding businesses closed, leaving the streets eerily empty, and I’m left staring enviously as the final bus pulls away, leaving just me and a girl in a bright orange vest talking to another customer."

Overall, The Rebound is a fun rom-com that will appeal to anyone looking for a quick, feel-good read. One highlight of this book is the exotic location. As someone who has never been to Ireland, it was interesting to read about this country and the local setting. I did take off 1 star, because I found that the two main characters are slightly boring, and there wasn't much action in this plot. I'm sure that many rom-com fans will love this one though. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of rom-coms in general, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in February!

The best book to read on any occasion, an easy read that will have you hooked from the very beginning. A different kind of Rom-Com (if you love Ireland, this is a read for you!)

Abby lived in NY, but after loosing her job and her boyfriend, she comes back to her childhood town in Clonard, Ireland. There she meets again her long-lost childhood friend, Luke, which will make her think about her future in a totally different way.
What will she choose? A new live with her childhood friend or a perfect job in another country?
Maybe she gets to have it all, or maybe she ends up losing everything. You’ll have to read it to find out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!
I've enjoyed every bit of it.

I very much enjoyed this book but I don't really think it should be advertised as a romcom. It's a bit more women's fiction than rom com. Most of the book is about her journey and what she wants to do next in her career while the romance with Luke is happening.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I really liked this book. It follows Abby who has just lost her job, her housing and her fiancé has dumped her. She travels back home to come face to face with a man that she finds attractive and also is an old friend, but she doesn’t Recognize him. While she’s at home she mends the relationship with her sister, reconnects with some old friends and makes new ones. She also learns how to live life for her. It takes her some bumps to get there but she eventually comes full circle.
I would recommend this book to friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

I was really hoping I would love this book. We follow Abby who was living the perfect life; engaged, had a great job, and living in New York. That’s until her company goes into bankruptcy, the engagement is broken off and she has to move back to her small hometown where everyone knows everyone. When she arrives she comes across Luke Bailey, her very hot-looking neighbor who was her best friend when they were young. We get to see how Abby goes from thinking her life is over to slowly finding where she needs to be.

I really loved Luke Bailey’s character but I felt like there was not a lot of interaction between Abby and Luke. They went long periods of time not talking to each other which made me lose connection with their relationship. I did love Louise’s character too and it was nice to see a lot of dialogue between Abby and her.

Overall, I did enjoy this story, I just wish there was a bit more romance. I would also LOVE to read more about Jess and her life in New York!

Abby returns home to her small town in Ireland after losing her job, her apartment, and her fiance in New York City.

The first person she comes across is Luke, her old neighbor and quasi-friend. Except she doesn't recognize him because the glow-up since high school is r e a l.

I was looking forward to character development, a sizzling relationship, and some funny dialogue between these characters and this --- wasn't that. It was hard to relate to either Abby or Luke, or their relationship. The plot felt slow and anti-climatic by the conclusion. I wasn't really invested in them or their success as a couple by the end of the book.

Such a great, lighthearted, return-to-hometown book!

Abby goes back to her small hometown in Ireland after losing her fiancé and job in quick succession. This is a return-to-origin mindset of where she gets to rediscover who she is, what she wants, and the important relationships in her life - including reconnecting with a hot childhood friend, Luke.

This is a slow-build romance story that has you rooting for the miscommunication and missed opportunities to clear up. I particularly liked how the author drew in Abby's NYC life into her Irish one, so you get a chance to see what kept her there originally. While I enjoyed the romance aspect, I must say that the relationship I was rooting most for was between Abby and Louise, her somewhat-estranged sister. That was a wonderful aspect to see, and definitely loved that opportunity to reconnect with a loved one (though Luke was great, too!).

Enjoyed the book overall, but wish it had either more spice or banter between Abby and Luke. The relationships between Abby and the side characters - Beth, Rory and Louise - are what bumped up my level of enjoyment.

This book follows Abby Reynolds, who has recently lost her job in New York and regrettably moved back to her small hometown Clonard in rural Ireland. We watch Abby grow and settle back into her old life all whilst juggling her baggage from New York.

This book was so lovely to read, I really enjoyed it and finished it in one sitting. I really liked Abby as she was head-strong if not a little stubborn and really knew what she stood for. One of my favourite scenes was Abby realising that she could not hurt her new friend Beth after everything she has done for her recently and I think that really portrayed Abby in a lovely light.
Luke was a great love interest, the perfect amount of stubborn and sweet. He melted my heart in so many ways.
I also really enjoyed the growth in the friendship between Louise and Abby, especially when they finally talked it out and realised they were both hiding their feelings the whole time and just pretending to hate each-other.

I gave this book 4 stars and would definitely recommend to my friends and family. Congratulations to the author for producing such a lovely and cosy book.

Thank you for providing me with an e-arc :)

For the first time in years, Abby is heading back home to Ireland. Unfortunately, she's returning home job-less, and fiance-less to stay with her sister who hates her. Over the ensuing weeks, she realizes maybe there is something for her back home (particularly an attractive neighbour named Luke) and finds comfort in being around people who are there for you no matter what.
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I devoured this book over the course of a day. The Rebound is a quick read with the right amount of twists, steam, and humour.

First of all, LOVED Luke's character. I love the gangly childhood friend who glows up after some time apart who finally gets his shot with his former crush. Not to mention he was unequivocally always there for Abby. Loved him and his Luke Danes from Gilmore Girls vibes (coincidence?!?).

Over everything else, I adored the trajectory of Louise and Abby's sister relationship. These girls are much more similar than either would like to admit, and finally find common ground through proximity and expressing feelings for the first time in their relationship.

One odd observation, however, was the lack of physical descriptions for the characters. I do enjoy dialogue-dominant texts but I had a hard time imagining what the characters looked like. Just a small spot that missed the mark for me.