I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


4 ⭐️ .5🌶

This was as cute as it gets, folks. Two friends from Ireland, but they don't meet until they live in Chicago? One's a Scrooge & the other is Tiny Tim?? Come on!

I will say, however, that I don't think Molly was actually a Scrooge or a Grinch, I think she was just more stoic about the holiday than everyone around her. She never hated on Christmas, she just didn't wanna wear the jumper. Let. It. Go.

That being said, while there is a mildly spicy scene, it's really not that descriptive. I'd say it's more PG-13. I loved the chemistry, every plot twist was believable, and I think you should read it.

"At first you don't succeed, try try again."

At first I thought this book was NOT going to succeed in keeping me interested and entertained. By the end, I could not have been more wrong.

This short, cute, romance novel becomes harder and harder to put down as the characters evolve and interact with each other. Throw in some drama, comedy, the Christmas spirit, and FAMILY (we hate 'em and love 'em), and you've got yourself a binge-worthy, lighthearted, happy-ending story :)

Very enjoyable.

Genuinely a fantastic romcom, I had the best time reading it. It didn't take me long to get completely swept up with these two and from there, I couldn't put it down. Absolutely recommend if you need a warm and fuzzy kind of read.

I want to start out by saying thank you to NetGalley for giving me this book as an ARC in return for an honest review. This is not my first book by Catherine Walsh, and I am sure it will not be my last. I have absolutely loved the two books I have read by this author, The Rebound and now Holiday Romance. I love the way she writes her characters and the romances she creates.

Holiday Romance is a book about friends to lovers but it is written in such a way that you can not help but be invested in their story. I love that it is about two characters from Ireland who venture to the States for school and work and have decided to stay and reside in Chicago. I love how one character is basically obsessed with Christmas and the other one sees it as just another day. I loved the banter and how different the main characters were from one another. This book isn't just about friendship and romance because, in my opinion, it is so much more. It is also about courage, self-confidence, taking chances. family and discovering what is important in life. I have to say that I very much enjoyed getting to know their families and I felt it just added another layer of depth to the story.

If you are looking for a fun holiday rom-com with loads of travel, family, and chaos then this may be the book for you. I found it to be an absolutely lovely read that I just flew through because I didn't want to put it down. Thanks again to NetGalley for the ARC I very much enjoyed the book.

A feel-good Holiday romance!

Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh is the Christmas book of 2022. The friendship to lovers trope is brought to life through Andrew and Molly. The two start out as mere acquaintances, but quickly forge a deep friendship.

The forced proximity of traveling in an airplane for an extended period of time creates a bond that cannot be broken. Over the course of a decade, the two have been there for big moments in each other’s lives. What was once a flight friendship, quickly becomes much more.

Walsh does a fantastic job of laying the foundation of friendship before advancing into a romantic relationship. This book is the definition of a slow burn. It takes a decade before either character ever makes a move. However, once Pandora’s box is open, there is no going back.

If you are a fan of romance and Christmas/ holidays this is the book for you. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and will be recommending it to everyone I know!

Special thanks to NetGalley.com and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was a super sweet romance between Molly and Andrew, two friends from Ireland who fly home together every year from Chicago.

I wasn’t sure I’d like the back and forth with the previous flights and now, but it was effective storytelling! I also thought their progression was natural. Truthfully, I do tire of the “break them up at 75-80% through the book” writing (and this one was a bit lazy to me), but they solved it pretty quickly and everything tied up in a nice bow. The characters seemed relatable and I am on the same journey as Andrew (1 month alcohol free)!

I’d recommend this one, it’s a quick, sweet read with a happily ever after.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.25

Holiday Romance was such a delightful and charming read. I absolutely loved the friendship and romance in this book.

It is in the heroine’s POV only and has a slow burn and friends to lovers romance, which I loved. I do wish we would had gotten the hero’s POV though. I would recommend checking the content and trigger warnings before reading as well.

The overall premise of traveling home for Christmas was so entertaining and quite fast paced. I loved all the hurdles the main characters, Molly and Andrew had to go through to reach their homes in Ireland. The story does go back and forth in time showcasing the history of their friendship as well, which I really liked.

The romance between Molly and Andrew was so sweet. I loved their buildup, chemistry and banter. Surprisingly there was low angst between them, as their friendship came first and their romantic feelings slowly developed. There was also a bit of spice but it was quite low and until the end.

All the side characters were amazing. They all had some laugh out loud, heartwarming and meaningful moments with Molly and Andrew.

I will say though, there were a few subplots that definitely could have been more expanded on like: Andrew’s alcoholism and Molly’s career.

While, there really wasn’t a third act conflict there was a bit of an issue between them at the end but was quickly resolved, which I appreciated. The ending and epilogue were also quite heartwarming.

Overall, just a lighthearted and sweet friends to lovers romance book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved this feel good Christmas love story. The ending made me cry and then smile. I loved the development of Molly and Andrew's relationship from the beginning to the end. I really loved the ending.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

feelings…

Molly and Andrew are just trying to get home to Ireland for the holidays, when a freak snowstorm grounds their flight.

I loved this book! Really enjoyed the back and forth between different flights, the characters, the quick wit and the ordinariness of the whole story.
Love isn’t always big loud and showy, sometimes it’s a slow burning friendship ❤️ thank you to @catwalshwriter and @netgalley for the advance copy, I’m glad I have it in preorder as I’m looking forward to reading it again

I absolutely adored this book it would make a great feel good Christmas movie. If you agree with this please watch Love Hard on Netflix in November you can thank me later 🎄

Molly and Andrew meet once a year on their flight home to Ireland for Christmas. However this year is slightly different a storm has struck over the Atlantic so looks like they will be stuck in Chicago for the holidays or will they?

This book contains one of my favourite ever scenes in a book ⛴️🇮🇪

Thank you to netgalley and bookouture and the lovely Catherine Walsh for this ARC copy

🎄 ARC Book Review 🎄

Title: Holiday Romance
Author: Catherine Walsh
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Pub Date: Oct 4, 2022

Holiday Romance should be at the top of your Christmas TBR! It is NOT to be missed! 🎅

When a winter storm cancels every flight from Chicago to Ireland, Andrew and Molly find themselves in desperate need of a Christmas miracle. A race around the world ensues with quite a few bumps along the way! Will these two make it home for Christmas?! ✈️

Andrew & Molly have such an easy banter and their often dry humour had me laughing out loud. I fell in love with them instantly and was rooting for them so hard! I've said it before, and I'll say it again - friends to lovers is my favourite. 😍

Holiday Romance was light and fun but also had some added depth with Molly in a battle between her stable career and pursuing a life she loves and Andrew's recent journey into sobriety. Not just your average rom com!

A must read if you enjoyed People We Meet On Vacation. Very similar vibe, but holiday edition. I LOVED IT! I want more Molly & Andrew in my life! ❤️

Thank you @netgalley @bookouture @catwalshwriter for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest review. It was an absolute pleasure!

I thought it might be too early for holiday reading but so glad I picked this up! This one is a heartwarming friends to lovers story. I really liked the characters and the story, The banter was great. I think it'll be a perfect pick if you're looking for a seasonal romcom. Thank you Bookouture for the ARC of this one!

Oh my god where do I start?! This book serves the friends to lovers trope amazingly! I didn’t mind the present - past - present thing going on at all (which I am usually sceptical about) it made complete sense that way and boy I love how Andrew told Molly about his feelings because oh my god!

This was such a cute story, a perfect holiday treat! I loved getting to know Molly and Andrew through their yearly flights from Chicago back home to Dublin. He was totally crazy over Christmas, complete with Christmas sweaters, and she was not really into it at all. So of course he needs to convert her to his way of thinking about the holidays. Then on year 10, there is a huge snow storm which totally throws off their travel plans. They go on quite the adventure to make their way back home. This was the perfect trope of friends to will they won't they!

I had not heard of this author or book before. Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy this Holiday Gem!

Thank you @netgalley and @bookouture for an arc of Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh in exchange for an honest review. 🤍

It's the end of September and I'm already feeling the Christmas vibes with Holiday Romance. 🎅🏽 This is such a cute and light friends to lovers read. I really love how we get glimpses of Molly and Andrew's friendship throughout all those years of them coming home for the holidays and everything in-between. Their banter is what I loved the most - it just felt so natural and real. *swoon* 😊

If you're looking for a book to get you into the holiday spirit + bonus kilig, pick this one up on October 4th, 2022! 😍

Rating Holiday Romance ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Have you ever watched Plane, Trains, and Automobiles? If you liked that but wanted a romance story line to go with it, this is he book! Such a cute concept. I love the relationship between Molly and Andrew and the fact you get to see how it evolved over 10 years. I really enjoyed how real they both were with each other. They could be moody and grumpy, it wasn’t all rainbows and lollipops between the two, which made me love them even more. I thought Molly could be a little annoying and repetitive but other than that, this is a great slow burn holiday read!

A joyful and cheery Christmas romance with all the feels. A little too sweet for my taste, but because it’s set at Christmas, I’m more forgiving when it comes to light and fluffy. Packed with amusement and fun, and many an adventurous obstacle for this pair to make it home, and amp up the romance. I thought Molly and Andrew’s first real encounter on flight one was very unique and memorable - but talk about awkward! I enjoyed the side characters, and am wondering whether this is going to be the first in a series, as there were a couple of characters that stood out for me as needing romance in their lives. And to top it all off there was an open door bedroom scene - yes! I’d definitely read more by this author.

The Holiday Romance was such a good read! I loved that we got flashbacks to Molly and Andrew's previous flights. I really enjoyed seeing so many phases of their friendship. I loved the adventure of them racing all over Chicago to catch a flight back home, and then Andrew literally being attached to Molly's hip even when they do get home. I was also IN LOVE with Andrew shamelessly flirting and messing with Molly. UGH and him admitting how he has always had something for her and explaining EVERY flight and how he was feeling UGH, SO GOOD.

Catherine Walsh is the perfect writer of the best feel good, cozy Romance stories
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This is the third book I've read of her, and each one is unique. With the same magic of Ireland, in each book its characters find love on a very well traced path
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Molly and Andrew have known each other for ten years and have been on the same flight home for ten years to see their families for the holidays
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From Chicago to Dublin, sometimes late but always together, sharing chocolate and conversation during those seven hours of flight
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On this tenth anniversary of flights together, a storm prevents them from boarding the plane. Molly knows that Christmas with his family is the most important thing for Andrew and she is willing to do anything to bring him home. From flying to Buenos Aires, Paris, London and taking any means of transport possible
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In three days they both travel kilometers and go through a thousand unexpected situations and in each journey new edges arise from both of them that leave them exposed and open to a new possibility between them
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As I read it I kept thinking that this is the movie that I would re-watch every Christmas without fail or in this case, the book that I would definitely re-read every December
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Cozy vibes and heart warning situations in this Friends to lovers that brings the best things about Christmas parties, friendship, love and family
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I loved this book as het previous books and I can't wait to read more of her stories
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Thanks to Catherine Walsh and Bookouture for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion

If you want a feel-good, friends to lovers, and pretty conflict-free book this is the one! Because there wasn’t a lot of conflict I unfortunately got a little bit bored and I didn’t feel like the flashbacks added a lot of additional value but it got me in the mood for Christmas and it was a quick and easy read which I enjoyed!