The Rebound
Catherine Walsh
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Abby Reynolds is a success story… until, she isn’t. Reeling from the loss of her job and her fiancé, she flees the big lights of New York City and heads back to the one place she never wanted to return…. her hometown of Clonard in Ireland. While there, she struggles to repair relationships with family and old friends, including her old neighbor, Luke. Will Abby ever make it back out of Clonard… and does she even want to?

This book was very cute and, as someone of Irish descent, I really enjoyed the setting of the novel. This book was a veryyyyy slow burn and some of the miscommunication/lack of communication between Abby and Luke was frustrating - you just want to shake them and say just make out already! I loved the banter between Abby and Luke; it was laugh-out-loud funny and just really endearing…I just wanted more of it! To me, this book felt more like a general fiction story of Abby and her growth/relationships with a small romantic side plot than a full-out romance novel. The ending felt a little rushed in terms of their emotional relationship to me, but I did enjoy the epilogue.

Overall, a very cute, solid three stars!

I was so excited to receive an arc as I loved this authors previous book. Sadly I was a bit disappointed. There was so much drama and so many issues (although they all get resolved neatly and pretty quickly) I would not consider this a “hilarious rom-com. Towards the end, I was like “ugh what now”. I love the writing style and the general idea of the book and will absolutely read future books by this author. I really appreciate this opportunity and my thanks to the publisher and author for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc.

Unfortunately for me this booked missed the mark. It was overall a light and easy read but I felt that the connection between our two main characters just wasn't there. I thought the idea of this book held so much promise but in the end each chapter read more like a short story. The writing was really good though and I loved the relationship between Abby and her sister Beth. I look forward to reading other books by this author.

Typical chick lit, didn't hate it didn't love it. Might consider reading other books by the author.

I think this is a wonderful book full of small town nuisances that make you feel as if you are visiting. The main character is going through a tough time and unexpectedly catches feelings for a childhood friend. The story that unfolds is sweet and lovely and a great weekend read!

"𝙅𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙄'𝙢 𝙖𝙣 𝙪𝙜𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙧," 𝙄 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙞𝙢.
"𝙔𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙧."
"𝙇𝙞𝙖𝙧."
𝙃𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙧𝙠𝙨, 𝙙𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙡𝙮. "𝙔𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡," 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨.

Abby and Luke, wherever do we begin? I'm utterly OBSESSED with them, they're absolutely adorable. Their friendship, their love, their flirting and their scene together were heart fluttering, melting and cute.

The story completely sucks you in from the beginning, Abby's lack of emotional communication felt relatable, she goes from being a tolerable protagonist for the first two chapter to owning my heart by the end.
The rest of the characters all felt like family to me, they welcome you with an open heart, make you swoon and of course add a tad bit of drama and tension to  add some spice to the plot. But most importantly they mane you laugh out loud. Just look at this scene among many others:

"𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙙," 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙨𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨. "𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙮."
𝙍𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙛. "𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮?"
"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧."
"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚... 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩." 𝙃𝙚 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚. "𝙎𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮."

Also can we appreciate the well developed sister dynamics portrayed, like the sibling banter between Abby and her sister felt so genuine.

𝙇𝙤𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚. "𝙋𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚."
"𝙊𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩," 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮. "𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙪𝙣𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝𝙮."
"𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩."
𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. "𝙄 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣, 𝙄 𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙛-"
"𝘼𝙗𝙗𝙮!"

Overall a great read with light humour, which I highly recommend checking out :)

5/5✩

A big thanks to Bookouture & Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this book, which I voluntarily read & reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

The Rebound Catherine Walsh Publication: February 14, 2022

This was such a fun, poignantly sweet book! This is the story of Abby who goes from having it all (fiancée, big New York city living, high paying job…) to losing it all in a matter of weeks. Without having many options now that she is homeless, dumped by fiancé and jobless, she travels back to her small Irish hometown to stay with her sister, Louise, and her husband. Abby unknowingly runs into the “neighbor boy” (Luke) who has done a 180 in the looks department and is now extremely attractive.

The relationship growth in the book was just brilliant. Abby and Louise go from contentious sisters to building bridges and supporting one another. Abby’s friendships old and new were cemented so solidly. I also loved her quirky parents, hilarious. Honestly, all the side characters were just as interesting as the main couple. The relationship with Luke made me smile so big and warmed my heart. And while technically Abby rebounds with Luke from Tyler, the bigger rebound is how she rebounds back in living her life to its fullest.

Such a feel good book. Catherine Walsh needs to be applauded!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC.

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from this! I admit I was maybe even a little judgey, thinking ofc she goes home and jumps the hottest guy...

While that is true, it also isn't! Abbey and Luke are just one part of this lovely story. Story of childhood friends, of coming home, finding your balance getting up when life is hard and you are down in the rabbit hole 🕳
Story of sisters and sisterly love! This will not be your typical, out of the factory line romcom but it will satisfy any and all romcom desire you might have.

Well except spice, there is some but mild and scarce, so if spice is what you need, maybe not this one.

What I loved:
- Going home idea, home to rebalance yourself
- Characters that are very humanly flawed, not typical men written by a woman
- Sister love ❤
- Small Irish Town setting
- Funny banter
- Misunderstanding done well
- Satisfying end

This was a sweet book overall. The characters were mostly unlikable for the first ~50% of the book. The second half was significantly better- the characters were more likable then and great banter. The ending, while predictable, was cute but very abrupt.

A fun romance with some real giggles! Don't believe the title though as I am not sure where the rebound fit in, Abbey isn't really all that sad about the end of her relationship and certainly not rebounding. Maybe looking at some of her life choices and I get that wouldnt be a catchy title at all!
Luke and Abbey are cute together and I like the way the book ends for them, it seems like the right story arc for them. The supporting characters and their stories added depth to this romcom that I found to be quite liberating in it's reality and truth, without being too heavy or bringing the lightheardness of the book down.

The "keeping a secret from everybody who loves me" trope always stresses me out to read. I think this book does it in a great way, and while I didn't totally buy being immediately in love with each other upon return home, it was definitely able to scratch my itch for angst.

3.75 stars rounded up. I looooooved the Irish scenery in this book! It was unique and lovely. The characters are sympathetic and relatable. Nice rom-com with a bit more seriousness to it than some. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

“The Rebound” by Catherine Walsh was such an adorable read, perfect for reading in one sitting. It is a romance following the story of Abby, who just lost her job and fiancé, and is coming back home to Ireland to stay with her sister. The story starts with Abb getting a ride with a handsome stranger called Luke.
The book was really cute and easy to read. I read it in one sitting and before I knew it the book was ending. “The Rebound” had lots of funny moments and jokes which brought a smile to my face. I liked the characters, especially the minor ones – Rory was definitely my favourite one. Abby and Luke were great together, but I wish we got a bit more of an insight into their characters because the only thing I know about them is that Abby was a workaholic and Luke was nice.

I also liked how the book normalised certain aspects of life, such as periods or difficulties getting pregnant. Fiction books usually don’t mention periods or peeing, but this book did in a subtle, normal way. Also, the relationship between Louise and Abby was so similar to my relationship with my sister – it was complicated, and not idealised as it is often in the books. The way the relationships were described made me like the book even more.

Overall, I enjoyed it and it is a perfect book for relaxing.

I’m so happy to say that I read this book in only one day! It freed me from a really bad reading slump and for that I’m so thankful! The writing and pacing were great, the romance was so sweet and Luke was so hot! I loved the first few chapters soooo much!

Unfortunately, the main character could’ve been better. Abby annoyed me in many scenes and I couldn’t relate to her. She made some bad decisions (lied a lot and for no good reason) but I understand that it was for the good of the plot (because if she hadn’t the book could have ended in less than one hundred pagens), but the thing that bothered me the most was the miscommunication trope. Listen, I could’ve ignore one miscommunication in a book, and I did!, but this one had several. The plot was driven by it.

But lastly, the thing I loved the most about this book was Abby’s relationship with her sister. Their development was so beautiful to read! It was my favorite part for sure.

Thank you to Catherine Walsh, Bookouture and Netgalley for sending me an uncorrected ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Returning to her childhood home after leaving her fiance, Abby keeps the news of her breakup from everyone - except Luke, a local Irishman she has come to feel attracted to. Deciding he may help her mind and body get over her ex, Abby jumps onto a rebound with this sexy but kind man. Luke wants her for keeps yet she has not told anyone she is free of her fiance, While I like he storyline, I did feel Abby strung him along a but much and was wishy washy too much.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

This would be a great summer, pool time/beach read! Abby Reynolds life is flipped upside down and she finds herself on a plane home to Ireland, her hometown, a place she has not been in years. She goes to stay with her sister and brother in law, but keeps her personal life secret. She doesn't share she is now single, homeless and looking for a new job with no return flight in sight. Abby is faced with people from her past as well as some new faces who are locals. We follow Abby as she navigates the next steps of her life, applying for jobs, feelings for her childhood friend, a difficult relationship with her sister, people from her past who keep popping up for better or for worse. A fun little rom com read!

A sweet story about returning home to find yourself after losing everything. Abby has lost her job, fiance, and apartment in NYC and decides to return home to her Ireland and her not-so-close sister, Louise. Of course, she discovers herself (and love) along the way!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I loved this book. This book gives me Gilmore Girl vibes, so highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the show.

The reader follows Abby Reynolds who has lost everything: her fiancé, her home, her job and her fancy life in New York. The only option left? Going back to Clonard, her Irish hometown, and stay with her sister and her husband. Something she dreaded doing for a long time for several reasons. In Abby’s case, the saying “when you've hit rock-bottom there's no other way to go but up” holds true. When Abby gets back to Ireland she finds her childhood best friend, Luke, has gotten HOT!

Abby and Luke’s relationship is sweet and funny, with flirty moments. This is definitely a slow burn romance. One of the things that confused me about this book is the title. As it suggests Abby goes through a “rebound” but Abby comes across as strong, and ok. She is not heartbroken over her fiancé, which honestly surprised me. It was surprising, that in no ways means I was let down. I highly recommend this book!

I read this book as part of a promotional book tour and am grateful for the opportunity to do so.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced edition of this book.

Where do I even start?! I read this book in one sitting without so much as looking up from my kindle. I got completely sucked in by the character that Catherine Walsh has created.

This is a fun, cute romcom novel with relatable and super likeable characters. I especially enjoyed the relationship development between the sisters and of course between Abby and Luke.

An all round 5 stars with great plot twists and a super cute happy ending!

An absolute delight!

The Rebound is a heart-warming tale of drive and ambition and the sacrifices we make to reach those goals, sometimes without even realizing it. On top of that, it is a hilariously adorable romance with a cast of characters that will have you falling in love with them in no time.

Those of us who have left home in search of "Bigger and Better" or a clean slate will find much to relate to when Abby escapes to her hometown after a humiliating series of events that leaves the life she spent so long building in shambles. We get to follow as she navigates her feelings of failure and reconnects with people from the life she left behind.

In addition to exploring themes that many of us are familiar with, The Rebound is a hilarious read. Not only is the banter between Abby and her Tall Stranger excellent, but I found myself laughing out loud or grinning at the pages at many-a-turn of events. The romance is swoon-worthy and even the occasional, often hated miscommunication between the couple gets quickly resolved, offering just the right amount of suspense/frustration and deep satisfaction to the reader.

If anything, I would've liked to read more at the end of the book and not have the story end where it did. But as that is the only critique I can come up with, I can constate that The Rebound will make you re-examine your priorities and remind you to live life instead of just collecting achievements, all the while leaving you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.