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.
**
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.

I am in love with Walsh's books, I read her previous book of 'One night only' and loved it and I loved this too.
this book follows a girl whose life has crumbled around her and returns to her home town in Ireland.
I love the eventual character development, purposefully done to allow the other characters to form an attachment.
For once a realistic relationship between siblings is present. Not all siblings are best friends who share clothing and possessions and this author seems to truly understand this and has been able to clearly display this.

Abby Reynolds loses her fiancé, home, and job, with nowhere to go but the village she grew up in in rural Ireland, with the the sister she can't stand, what else is she supposed to do?

The Rebound, tells the story of Abby, who after losing everything, begrudgingly returns home to stay with her sister and brother in law until she is able to find a new job.. Abby becomes reacquainted with old friends and discovers new ones, Abby realizes coming home again is not as bad as she initially thought.

The Rebound is a typical rom com. predictable plot lines, and quirky side characters. As for the main characters, I have mixed feelings. Luke, the boy next door Abby grew up was very charming, although I don’t feel like he’s as developed as he could have been. Abby had her moments as did her sister Louise. But Luke and Abby together frustrated me immensely during several parts of the book. Miscommunication runs rampant throughout the story and I found myself getting so annoyed with the various characters at times.

If you are looking for a easy to read cute rom com set in the quaint Irish countryside, I would definitely recommend this one.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Rebound tells the story of Abby Reynolds - unemployed, homeless, recently dumped. With nowhere to go, she heads home to rural Ireland, which she hates and swore she'd never return to live with her sister, Louise, who she never got along with.

The Rebound is one of my favorite books I read this year. I honestly could not stop reading. It was an easy read and cute with so many funny moments. The relationship between Abby and kind driving stranger, but actually childhood boy-next door who got super super hot, Luke, was so sweet. Luke was absolutely my favorite character.

My favorite part of the book was when Abby's New York friend visits Ireland and helps Abby reconnect with her sister Louise. Also really enjoyed when Abby told off her ex-fiance, Tyler, who only sees her as a damsel in distress.

Read this book if you're looking for a fun romance, enjoy friends to lovers romances, travel books - specifically Ireland.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book! It was by far the cutest of all my reads this year.
If you are looking for a nice, chill read that captivates you and makes you fall in love with yet another bookish couple, then this is for you.

What’s better than a city girl and country boy romance?
Nothing.

I absolutely love The Rebound by Catherine Walsh. It is a great, chill and cute read for the holidays and it gives me a sense of love when I read about Luke.
We need more books in the genre to be honest!
So far the best romance read and I am so happy to have taken my time to read and review this wonder of words!

I thought this was a cute, typical chick lit book. After reading it, the title doesn’t quite make sense to me, because Luke wasn’t treated like a rebound at all. I also think so of the minor characters could have been better developed/included in the plot in a different way.

Overall the story of Abby and Luke was super cute and definitely worth a read if you enjoy rom-coms.

"For the first time in years, I have no plans..."
*
Everything that can go wrong has went wrong in Abby Reynolds' life as she finds herself back on Irish soil once more but this time she's jobless, fiancéless and homeless. And to top things off she's missed the bus. But things start to look up when she's rescued by a handsome stranger, Luke, who offers to drive her to her childhood town of Clonard. Abby knows that Luke would be the perfect rebound to take her mind off of everything. That is until the next day when she realises he's no stranger but Luke Bailey, the boy next door, all grown up. The same boy who knew exactly who she was the entire time! The attraction continues to grow but in order to pursue Luke she needs to come clean to her family about everything else. Because the whole of Clonard still thinks she's a high-flying New Yorker. What's a girl to do?
*
"You have to live your life for you, not for anyone else..."
*
A refreshing and comforting read, The Rebound had me addicted from page one! I was laughing, crying and swooning from start to finish! I absolutely adored reading a story from an Irish main character's POV as I felt connected to the characters, their mannerisms and colloquialisms, because it's how I speak. It's not often you lift a book and feel that familiarity with the story from the first page but I loved the glimpses of our Irish culture that it provides both to people who have not been here before and those of us born and raised on the island. All conveyed in a beautiful little romance story. l loved Abby, and I think a lot of Irish people can relate to her need to get away at a young age. But in this book she not only falls for the guy but she also finds herself falling back in love with her country and finding her feet within her own family dynamic - her relationship with her sister Louise was so well developed.
This book has something for everyone - great friendships, family reconciliations and a romance to sweep you off your feet! Perfect for Valentine's Day! Honestly, if Catherine Walsh wrote a menu I'd still read it and rate it five stars I love her storytelling that much!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC!
*
"Some families you’re born with and some you find..."

The main characters Abby and Luke we childhood friends who slowly drifted apart during their teenage years. Abby had always felt like she didn't belong in her home town of Clonard Ireland so as soon as she could she left to go to London and then finally New York where she had an amazing career, apartment and fiance, until it all came crashing down when her fiance broke up with her and then the company she worked for closed taking everything that Abby had saved and worked for with it. The only thing left for her to do was to return to Clonard to her sister who she has a very fractured relationship still lives with her husband Tomasz. When she get back home she is stranded at the airport when a handsome stranger offers to take her back to Clonard as he is heading there anyway and Abby accepts. It isn't until the next day when the next door neighbours are coming round that the handsome stranger appears again where he is introduced as her old skinny nerdy friend Luke, and Abby didn't recognise him as Luke was a 'late developer' with his handsome face, his muscular frame and charming sense of humour, Abby is floored!
Throughout the story we are hit with the fact that Abby is still intent on leaving Clonard she has never felt like she belongs there and this is a factor in her relationship with Luke, as she is certain that he will remain there forever. She is continually searching for a new job where she can lead the life she was before, it is nice to see a female character career focused and know exactly what she wants and isn't afraid to get it.
This is a slow burn where you are constantly hit with 'will they, won't they', the supporting characters in her friends and family also have their own side stories and are heavily involved. We only get Abby's point of view so it would have been nice to see how Luke was feeling inside his head, but I still found the story endearing and enjoyable, it was definitely an easy read.

This is my second book by Catherine Walsh and I was so excited to get into it. Just like her debut this was a beauty!

Abby returns home to her small town with a secret she wants no one to be a part of. She is embarrassed and feels lost but has no where else to go. Her plan is to move back in with her sister who she can't stand and live the lie for as long as possible. But along the way she is thrown off by and old friend who she hasn't been in contact with for years.

Luke Bailey, the boy next door, but suddenly he has Abby blushing and stumbling over her words. But after all these years is it possible they are the same people they once knew.

Catherine's second book is another sweet, swoon worthy story. I lapped up every minute of it. She has the ability to include just enough romance into her stories to keep its believable and not turn it into a sop fest. Her writing style flows seamlessly and the character development reaches just enough complexity. Even though the main story followed Luke and Abby I was taken by surprise the impact of Louise, Abbys sister. I thoroughly enjoyed the love hate relationship they shared. I fell she played a very important role in the overall story, adding a more complex story line rather than just a regular romance. Walsh's ability to do this makes her stand out from other romance writers, adding another layer to her books.

The chemistry between Luke and Abby is believable and I loved the relationship they developed throughout the story. It was a slow burn romance with plenty of bumps along the way, making it so much more realistic.

Catherine is simply going from strength to strength and is quickly becoming one of my favourite romance authors. I can not wait to see what she write next!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

What happens when you lose your fiancé, your home, your job, and have nowhere to go but the village you grew up in in rural Ireland, with the family you don’t particularly care for?

The Rebound, Catherine Walsh’s sophomore novel, tells the story of Abby, who after losing everything, begrudgingly returns home to stay with her sister until she is able to get back on her feet again. As she becomes reacquainted with old friends (including the boy next door who has now become the town hottie) and discovers new ones, Abby realizes coming home again is not all bad. And the family she thought she hated might be the one to put her back together.

This felt like a very typical rom com to me. Enjoyable? Definitely! Memorable? Not quite so much. Fairly predictable plotline, which I do enjoy sometimes, especially when I just want a cute, fun book to read. As for the characters, I have mixed feelings. Luke, the aforementioned town hottie, was very charming, although I don’t feel like he’s as developed as he could have been. Beth and Jess, Abby’s friends, were both adorable (can there please be a sequel?) Abby had her moments as did her sister Louise. However, Luke and Abby had a way of frustrating me immensely during huge portions of the book. Miscommunication runs rampant throughout and I found myself getting so annoyed with the various characters at times.

If you are looking for a cute rom com set in the quaint Irish countryside, I would definitely recommend this one. It’s a light-hearted, quick and easy read, perfect for a weekend afternoon. Just don’t expect it to blow your mind or you will be disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn't totally what I thought it was going to be, but I enjoyed it none the less.

Given its name, I went into this thinking it was about a rebound story, but it didn't feel that way at all. Nothing even happened between the two characters until like 80% of the book, apart from one little scene nearer the beginning. It was more your typical love story, and she never actually mentioned him as being a rebound. it was still cute and enjoyable so I wasn't too bothered.

I love the development with Abby and her sister also, thought that was really well done and interesting to read about.

The story was nicely paced and the writing was easy to read, so would definitely recommend this book. Just maybe the title is a little misleading.

This was a delightful read! I absolutely adore small town romances, and the fact that it is set in Ireland made it only better. I loved the characters as well as the plot, though it was all quite predictable. The romance was swoon-worthy, and I loved reading it overall. Can highly recommend!

When Abby's life falls apart, driven by the end of her engagement and the loss of her job in a Lehman Brothers-type scandal, she's suddenly alone and has nowhere to live. Her only option is to flee back to her sister's home in a tiny tourist town in Ireland, a prospect she doesn't relish. It turns out, however, that she, her family, and the town might have much more to offer than she realized.

Ostensibly a romance, this is actually a story about rebuilding one's self from the ground up. Abby is pushed out of her comfort zone and forced to reconsider almost everything she thought she knew. In opening herself up, she finds lots of wonderful things she'd missed. The romance is sweet, but only a part of her journey. Pick this up for an uplifting, low-angst tale about coming into yourself!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!