It was a little bit slow for me, but overall it was an enjoyable read. I can see fans of Kate Claybourn enjoying this one as it's definitely more of a character-driven romance.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

This book was incredibly cute and funny. I loved the main characters and all of the side characters too. The small-town setting in Ireland made the story even more cute and lighthearted. The only thing was that I felt like there was a lot of miscommunication, which I tend to dislike in books. If it weren't for the miscommunication, the main characters would have gotten together much sooner.

In the end, it was a super cute and funny read! Would definitely recommend.

A five-star read that will have you nibbling your knuckles right to the last page. This was my first read by this author, but it won’t be the last, as I loved the writing style. Abby was annoying at times; she was so focused and felt like the world was on her shoulders, but as the story progressed, she became someone I would love to have coffee with, hike with them all up the hill and sit by the lake, I would even carry the water as the change was so pronounced and needed. There are so many great characters I would love to hear more from, I do plan on reading what else this author has written and will certainly be stalking them to see what comes next.

I am such a sucker for a good romcom! I just love love, but this? The Rebound? It was so much more than just love and a good portion of Irish humour. Let me explain.

Abby is presented as this force of nature - pushing herself to the end of her capabilities just so she could flee the small town she grew up in, Clonard - for her to eventually lose her fiancé and then her job. So she decides to move back to Clonard, broke, beat down and not sure what comes next.

But this isn't a sob story. Yes, Abby is confused about what to do with her life when she can't get an interview to save her life and has to put up with her annoying sister with whom she bickers all the time. But this story quickly becomes about Abby learning to explore what her roots mean to her, going from recognizing the beauty of her country, feeling at home in Clonard and not needing to flee anymore, to letting her relationship with her sister evolve to a mature sibling relationship. Really, what made The Rebound so great is that it is much more about Abby's personal growth in communication and learning about who she is, how she feels about things and what she wants in life to feel fulfilled. Like our good friend Maslow would say, self actualization at its finest!

But of course, there's Luke. *grins* That's it. That's all there is to say about him. *grins again* Okay, okay, let me elaborate. I fell in love with Luke from the moment Abby laid eyes on him. Their flirting 🔥, his confused expressions (there were a lot of confusion going around, poor guy), him being affectionate and attentive to Abby's needs and just an all around great good guy. Him being hot is just a major plus. I felt bad for him, though, when Abby couldn't seem to make up her mind and he was clearly paying the price for that, in doubts, in self-deprecating thoughts, in being at the receiving end of hot and cold behavior and thus being in pretty much a permanent state of confusion, etc. But that ending... I had this warm feeling in my chest I always get at the end of a good romcom movie (or book this time). I'd elaborate but I want to avoid spoiling anything.

So, to wrap this up. I giggled, I snorted, I snickered, I sighed, I "awwww"-ed, I cheered, I felt bad, I wanted them to "JUST MAKE UP ALREADY"... You know, all the romcom feelings a girl can get! A great 4 out of 5 stars from me for a romcom dealing with all the major stuff - losing direction in life, making new friends and keeping onto old ones, working in your family ties, exploring your roots and accepting them, figuring out new love in the midst of figuring out what you want in life... Now all I need is the Hallmark movie Abby doesn't seem to think she's living in, and I'll be here, patiently waiting until that happens so those snarky little comments become comments breaking the fourth wall, which I live for in movies. So, Hallmark, you there? I need to you get the ball rolling here!

It was okay i guess we got a little bit more to get it out from a lot of the hype about the next door 🚪 is a good day to come here and we get a lot going to go out and do they

The Rebound was a cute, fun rom-com set in beautiful Ireland. It was well written with likeable characters (except for one 😉) and it reminded me how much I would love to visit Ireland. I enjoyed all of the relationships, but I think my favorite was the Abby and Louise. It was heartwarming to watch the sisters developed and grow closer.
If you’re in the mood for a feel-good romance, add the Rebound to your list.

3.5-4/5⭐️
What I enjoyed;
🍀 Slow-burn
🍀 Coming home
🍀 Childhood friends to lovers
🍀 Ireland

If you’re in the mood for a feel-good romance, add the Rebound to your list. Pub Date: 2/14/2022

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. My review will be posted on Instagram and Goodreads.

This was really cute and a nice spin on the trope of someone coming home to their small town from life in the big city and staying. I liked the main characters and I enjoyed the relationship with the sisters as a side plot.

I absolutely loved Abby and Luke’s story! They were such a dynamic pairing that I was rooting for the whole time! I was nervous about how likable Abby would be as a character because of all the lies she began the story with, but was happy to see her development by the end. I loved the honestly she displayed with Luke at the end of the story, and how she avoided the common trap of going back to a failed relationship because you think it’s all you have. I was proud of her for telling Tyler the truth when he came to Ireland, and for confronting the situation directly so Luke was protected. I also really enjoyed the fact that Luke offered to go with Abby to follow her dreams; it would have been easy to end it with Abby staying in Clonard for Luke, but the story was infinitely more interesting having them go away together for Abby! I really enjoyed this one!

When Abby goes to stay with her sister Louise after losing her job and her engagement being broken off, she's not sure what to expect. She and her sister have never been close, but she's desperate and there's nowhere else to go. And then a handsome stranger gives her a ride-- and Abby only finds out later that he's her childhood friend, Luke. Immediately, sparks fly between them, but things are complicated; the small-town life creates some problems for them, as does the fact that Luke thinks she's still engaged while she's flirting with him.
The Rebound is a really sweet examination of what it's like to start over-- in life, and with people you once knew-- and everything that comes along with that, both the good and the bad.
I loved every moment of this book, and can't wait to read more by Catherine Walsh.

Abby is happily living the life her high school self dreamed about (and that was a girl with unapologetic ambition). She got out of her little Irish town, has a well paying job in New York and is engaged to her boyfriend of three years. Until everything goes crashing down in the span of a few weeks and she's left with no fiancé, no job, no apartment and nowhere else to go than back to Ireland.

Now Abby is back in square one. She's living in her sister's house, even though they don't really like each other, and desperately trying to find a job that will take her back to New York. But then she meets Luke, makes friends, starts getting on with her sister and maybe, just maybe, starts thinking that little Irish town isn't so bad after all.

This was an entertaining and quick read. I loved Luke and Beth and liked the book as a whole, but it wasn't anything special, nothing stood out to me. It was a cute rom-com in book format. I just happen to like One Night Only better.

"The Rebound" by Catherine Walsh is a fast-paced, light-hearted, romantic comedy that is sure to leave a smile on your face.

"The Rebound" follows heroine Abby Reynolds as she returns home after losing everything from her job, apartment, and fiancee in a matter of weeks.

14 hours. New York to Ireland.

Running late, she arrives at the station, one stop from Clonard. Unfortunately, with no way home. It isn't until a mysteriously handsome stranger named Luke offers her a ride. Allowing her newly found knight and shining armor to whisk her away from the abandoned station to her sister's, he soon becomes subject to her shameless flirting. Just like that, tomorrow arrives in a matter of hours to reveal Luke; the irresistibly handsome stranger is none other than Luke Bailey…her childhood best friend. And although she didn't recognize him at first, he's known who she was the entire time…

I finished this ARC in a few hours, and I just couldn't get enough. It left me with tears of joy, heartache, and many moments of uncontrollable giggling. From the friendships and sibling bonds to the childhood best friends-to-lovers and boy-next door romance. This book was indescribably beautiful.

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

Thank you Bookotoure and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this ARC.
I really enjoyed the Rebound, and was pleasantly surprised to not read what I was expecting. The romance was entirely overshadowed by the main character and her relationship with her sister. Everything between them felt so genuine and real. Both sisters were dealing with issues the other was unaware of. I LOVED it. It was messy but real and relatable.

Honestly, the romance I could have lived without. Some things didn't come across very genuine, and there was so little interaction between the two that it was hard to buy the attraction. I was bored with their scenes and ready to get back to the sisters.

Thank you again.

3.5 stars rounded up.

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 and Bookouture for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a super cute book! It was an easy read and I loved seeing Abby’s journey after she returned home after losing her job, her house, and her breaking up with fiancé. Abby meets her childhood friend and neighbor but he’s all grown up now and she starts to have feeling for him fast.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4382190260

The Rebound follows Abby Reynolds, a woman who has lost her apartment in NYC, her job as a high-powered associate at an investment firm, and her wealthy fiancé within the span of a month. Broke and humiliated after these losses, Abby decides to move back to her childhood home in Clonard, a small town in Ireland where she grew up, to regroup. There, she re-ecounters Luke, her childhood next-door neighbor and friend, who has become a hot and charming adult. While Abby initially tries to hide the full extent of her situation, her adventures (and misadventures) with Luke, her older sister Louise, and her new friend Beth help Abby figure out what she wants, who she is, and who she truly loves.

I really enjoyed several aspects of The Rebound. First, I was impressed with its realism, which the genre of chick-lit is not well-known for. While there are a few typical, difficult-to-believe scenarios that Abby and her love interest, Luke, find themselves in — including an eye-rolling scene where Abby ends up falling on top of Luke as a result of a wetsuit-removal mishap — the setup of the novel, the vast majority of the situations Abby finds herself in, and the characters in The Rebound feel much more believable than other novels in it genre. Second, I loved watching the relationship between Abby and her sister, Louise, unfold. The older-younger sibling dynamic really resonated. Their dynamic doesn’t feel like simply a side-show — it feels just as important as Abby’s relationship with Luke. I find it rare to see an exploration of intricacies of difficult family relationships in romance novels; often those relationships are either wonderful and tight-knit or comically atrocious. I admire that Walsh was able to treat family dynamics with subtlety. Third, I liked that the female protagonist’s career played such an important role in the novel. This is not unheard-of in contemporary romance novels, but it is often the case in these novels that the female protagonist’s career goals end up perfectly aligning with her future with her love interest. That is not the case in this novel, and it felt much more realistic that Abby had to navigate that fact. Finally, The Rebound is eminently readable. This is probably my #1 requirement for this genre, and Walsh delivers. I finished the novel in less than 24 hours.

On the other hand, there were some aspects of the novel that I didn’t enjoy. First, I had a harder time connecting with the protagonist, which made the novel less pleasurable to read than others like it. Abby does become less self-centered over the course of the novel, and her flaws did make her a more realistic character. However, it’s hard for me to cheer for a person who does not seem to consider the feelings of others in many of her interactions. There were several points in the novel where I wondered why anyone continued to give Abby the time of day. Second, I had high hopes for the relationship between Abby and Luke, but their romantic connection ultimately fell a bit flat for me. The initial interactions between the two of them checked all the boxes: witty banter, clear sexual chemistry, scenarios that offer tension and promise future interactions. But midway through the novel, as the pace of their interactions slowed, my interest in their relationship lessened. I was surprised by the lack of attention to their interactions when they finally “got together,” and I found the all-important sex scene a bit lackluster. Third, and relatedly, I felt like we never really got to know Luke well. He had a clear backstory, but readers didn’t get much of his experience/feelings about his backstory. There was a lot of potential for development — for example, exploration of Luke’s feelings as a teenager, his experience in Dublin, what it was really like to stay in Clonard for so long after his dad had recovered, etc. — but most of it was glossed over quite quickly. As romance novels are often judged by how compelling the two “in love” characters are, this felt like a missed opportunity.

Overall, The Rebound is an enjoyable read. Walsh’s novel is more nuanced realistic than many of its counterparts, without sacrificing the genre’s readability. While The Rebound does not make my list of top-ten romance novels given the at-times lackluster connection between Abby and Luke, it is a lovely escape for a long plane ride or a vacation day.

The Rebound was a cute romcom that was super easy to read. I think I read half of it in just one sitting. Abby's life is falling apart. She lost her job, fiancé, and savings, and home all within a matter of weeks. Feeling sorry for herself (and having no where else to go) she returns home to the small village in Ireland where she grew up. She is instantly attracted to the cute man who offers her a ride to the village. The next day she realizes its her childhood best friend who lived next door, Luke. Abby needs to find herself and figure out what she wants to do with the rest of her life. Hopefully, Luke can fit into that new plan.

I just adored the meet cute in this book. I loved the small town feel and secondary characters. It was easy to see the charm of the village with all of their themed town events. Abby spends the book deciding what she really wants in life. I liked seeing her relationship with her sister evolve. Luke just seemed like a nice guy. He always tried to be the one to help everyone out. I wish the book had a little more in the romance department. They didn't spend a whole lot of the book actually together. Some of the conflicts could have been easily resolved with Abby being honest from the beginning.

I really liked this book and will definitely pick up Catherine Walsh's other book in the future. Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Walsh, and Bookouture for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

<b>Genre: </b> contemporary romance, humor
<b>Tropes: </b> slow burn romance, coming home, childhood friend turned hot
<b>Series: </b> No, it's a stand-alone
<b>Cliffhanger: </b> No
<b>Spice: </b> little to none (0.5/5🌶)
<b>Rating: </b> 4.5 ⭐

<i>I have received an ARC through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and left voluntarily. Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy. </i>

I honestly liked this surprisingly much, because at the beginning I didn't feel very drawn by it, but by the third chapter, I was all in. It was easy and cute, with enough funny moments to make it a humorous romance. The general vibe was very "Gilmore Girls"-ish, so I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes that TV show.

<b>"There should be an automatic report when you visit home, some kind of newsletter detailing all the changes you need to know about. All the marriages and all the glow-ups, so situations like this don't happen."</b>

<b>》》<u>The Plot</u>《《</b>

Abby Reynolds 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 a number of reasons — for starters, she and Louise don't get along. And then there's the suffocating feeling she gets there.
But what she didn't anticipate was discovering that when you've hit rock-bottom there's no other way to go but up. And that her childhood friend and boy next door, Luke Bayley, got hot. Like illegally so. So maybe picking up the pieces and starting over isn't all that bad. And it's definitely helpful to find out what wonderful people you actually have around you along the way.

<b>》》<u>Characters and Relationships</u>《《</b>

<b>"Luke and I are going to hang out."
"Hang out?"
"We're going to watch a movie."
"Aha!" Sinead beams at me before turning to her husband. "I win! Gimme."
"We had a bet on whether you two were secretly hooking up," Rory explains, pulling his wallet from his pocket. "I didn't think he had the guts."</b>

First of all, we have <b>Abby Reynolds</b>, the MC from whose perspective we get to see the whole story. She's extremely smart and hard-working and it's easy to get drawn into her narrative. Then we get <b>Luke Bayley</b>, the winner of the best glow-up of the century, who is exactly that sweet but manly sort of guy ( — and again, he gave me really strong "Gilmore Girls" vibe).

Their relationship is sweet and funny, with flirting moments and grumpy setbacks that build a pretty slow burn romance. Although the title is suggesting a rebound, Abby seems okay and definitely not heartbroken over her fiancé, which is definitely not what I was expecting when I started reading this, but it didn’t let my expectations down; I was misleaded but not disappointed.

<b>"It wasn't the best night's sleep I've had."
"You should try my bed," I say without thinking.</b>

The banter was great, the flirting got me smiling like a chipmunk and it was overall that really cute love story you'd like to binge on Netflix for a nice evening and a cozy, hopeful vibe.

A relationship I really enjoyd following throughout this book was the one between Abby and her older sister, <b>Louise</b>. It had something very real and totally understandable and I found it hard to not like the two of them. Especially towards the end, when they were both so supportive and I guess it painted a pretty nice picture of family bonds.

<b>"Her husband used to be a taxi driver. If we play nice, he might do us a favor. Can you cry on command?"
"I can for this."</b>

And if we are talking about side characters, they were really great. Starting with <b>Beth</b>, the bubbly and overly optimistic new friend Abby gets when she returns to Clonard, continuing with <b>Jess</b>, her best friend from New York who unexpectedly shows up for a visit and proves how real friendships should go with some tough love and ending with <b>Tyler</b>, yes, that ex-fiancé who should be a total ass but somehow is just the perfect portrait of mansplaining. He's not really the bad guy, even though he clearly needs some relationship advice and I can in no way defend him, but he's just sooo much of that innocent toxic masculinity - and I'm saying innocent because he really doesn't see why behavior like his is not okay. Ah, and <b>Rory</b>! I almost forgot about Rory, Abby's first boyfriend and former adolescent best friend, who's a total laugh and has somehow managed to turn each scene with him and his wife into a humorous one, making me grin constantly.

<b>》》<u>Favorite Scenes</u>《《</b>

⭐Abby getting drunk and wanting explanations from Luke
⭐The egg hunt

<b>"I said don't move," he says, exasperated. "You might have broken something."
"Besides my pride?"</b>

⭐Abby and Louise clicking - I loved their relationship
⭐Abby being stuck in her wetsuit and Luke helping
⭐Jess visiting
⭐Rory - and the beach night
⭐Thar random cow on the road that lead to a backseat streaptease
⭐Tyler coming to Ireland

<b>"What if he is going to beat him up?"
"Please don't tell me you find that attractive."
"Of course not. That's so unhealthy. "
"Right."
"I mean, I guess a little part of me wouldn't mind if — "
"Abby!"
"Well, don't put the idea in my head then!"</b>

⭐Tyler meeting Luke
⭐ Abby and Louise following Luke's car to Tyler's hotel

<b>》》<u>Conclusion</u>《《</b>

It's a very nice romance that will both fascinate and humor its readers. It's sprinkled with cute scenes, it has banter and relatable characters and well, for me it was a total page-turner. And some situations described here are so real and usually not mentioned in books, that you really have to appreciate it as it definitely showed some originality.

<b>"If you don't want me to be with anyone else, why is it so easy to just let me go?"
"Because it's what you want."
"But I also want you!"
"Then ask me to come with you!"</b>

After enduring a few duds, it was with great trepidation that I dared to read another rom-com and I must say that I am positively thrilled for having chosen 'The Rebound' in my foray back to this genre.

Following a spate of bad luck wherein she lost her home, job, savings and fiance, Abby Reynolds is left with no choice but to return home to Clonard, Ireland. A far cry from her high flying life at New York, Abby has to now rebuild her life up from scratch. While her progress is slow, on the way, she mends a few relationships, makes some new ones, and finally accepts that maybe home may not be such a bad place after all. 

This was such a heartwarming story with all the feels of a Hallmark movie. While the romance itself is a slow-burn, thanks to the interesting side characters and the simply hilarious dialogues/conversations, there are no dull moments throughout.

The plot explores not only the budding romance between the protagonists, but other relationship dynamics too - like the love-hate relationship between Abby and her sister, Louise, Abby's new-found friendship with Beth; and not to forget, Abby's American friend, Jess who was my favourite character of all and who had some of the best dialogues in the book. ('I have decided I am too old to make new friends.')

Overall, a book that had me grinning like a loon from start to end, this was the perfect break I didn't know that I needed after a steady diet of thrillers for the past few months. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to NeGgalley and the Bookouture for giving me an ARC of this book for an honest review.

This book has Ireland, Old Friends, a Sister relationship and Love! What's not to love about it?

Abby had everything she thought she dreamed of in NYC. Then it fell apart. First her fiance calls off the engagement and then her job and all her savings goes down the drain. She heads home to small town Ireland to live with her sister.

The meet cute is very fun in a bus station. Luke offers a ride to Abby. Funny enough, he knew her the whole time. She finds out the next door; he was the boy next door.

I really enjoyed the writing of this book. More than the love story that develops in this book, I love the story of the sisters and how their dynamic changes over time. They go from being nearly hostile to sharing their deepest secrets(You must read to learn them!)

I like books that make the characters seem real as they have other friends than just the love interest and they take TIME. This doesn't develop in 1 week, it's a slow burn.

I definitely recommend this book. This was my first book to read by Catherine Walsh and I'm so excited to go read her other book now!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The rebound follows Abby, whose life is falling apart around her. After losing her job and her fiancé breaking up with her, she flees to visit her sister in her hometown in Ireland. Back there, she meets a handsome stranger, who turns out to be an old childhood neighbor. Managing a growing crush on him and trying to figure out her life, Abby has to decide which path she will take next.


This was a really sweet story about falling in love and sister relationships. Whilst I couldn't relate to anything Abby did or thought, I still enjoyed seeing life from her perspective. This is perfect for anyone going through tough times and needing a story to cheer them up.