This book has been one of my favorites so far!

Thanks to netgalley for letting me read this book in advance.

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

Nothing romantic has ever happened between them: they’re friends and that’s all. But once a year, for the last ten years, Molly has spent seven hours and fifteen minutes sitting next to Andrew on the last flight before Christmas from Chicago to Dublin, drinking terrible airplane wine and catching up on each other’s lives. In spite of all the ways the two friends are different, it’s the holiday tradition neither of them has ever wanted to give up.

I don't usually prefer friends to lovers trope but I loved it so much, and it's an adorable christmas novel.

The story is not the most unique one, but it was fun and a quick read. I would like to read it again on christmas! :)

Holy. Shit.

This is the cutest story I have read. I was hooked from the prologue and have been reading it every moment I could while I was at work.
Ten years, they have been flying home together from the US to Dublin. One a Christmas fanatic the other borderline a grinch.
The first year flying home together was accidental and it wasn’t an ideal scenario. Throughout time they have had ups and down, sometimes they were single other times they weren’t, some times they would talk constantly other years they wouldn’t. But without a doubt they both turned up to that flight together and fly home together.
Now it’s the tenth anniversary and everything and I mean everything is going wrong. There was cancelled, delayed and missed flights, there were lost baggage and crazy cousins. But Molly is DETERMINED to get Andrew home for Christmas.
But not only is she determined to make it home before Christmas. She is also determined to understand the shift in their relationship. A little bit of mistletoe and a stubborn competitive Molly who kisses Andrew and she did not hate it. Maybe even enjoyed it. But now it’s all in her head. And it doesn’t want to ruin their relationships.


This book.
It’s so unique.
It’s so cute.
It’s everything and even more.
Just thank you, it’s an amazing book. An adorable cover and it’s really well written. Anybody who picks it up, you will not regret it I swear.

4.3 Stars
One Liner: A Delightful read

Molly and Andrew have been flying home to Ireland for Christmas on the same flight for ten years. When the flight is canceled at the last minute, Molly is determined to ensure Andrew gets home to his family. She may not like Christmas the way he does, but she will do everything she can to help him.
They race across the continents to get home on time. At the same time, they also seem to discover something more about their friendship. Maybe it’s time they examined their feelings for each other? Will this Christmas bring them happy-ever-after?
The story comes in the first-person narrative by Molly.

My Observations:
This is such a cute and sweet story! It’s what we call Hallmark sweet, which I love reading once in a while. Christmas and heartwarming romance go hand in hand. I’m glad that my first Christmas book of the year worked well (touchwood).
Despite being a first-person narration, the story has a good pace. It flatters only in the last quarter but gains some pace to settle down at a medium speed.
The banter between the characters was fun, lively, and enjoyable. I liked Molly’s interactions with Gabriela, Zoe, and Andrew. It’s easy to like Molly. Her character is balanced to be sweet and a little annoying. Bonus points because she likes food.
Andrew is just as good, a bit more assertive and confident but vulnerable enough to feel relatable. Hannah had a small role but makes her presence strongly felt. I like that kid.
I like that the characters don’t drag issues or have communication issues. Sure, they don’t just blurt things out but aren’t afraid to talk about important issues (with good people around them to provide the necessary nudging).
There isn’t much to dislike in the book. It handles a few themes with a light touch and sustains the lightheartedness throughout. It was almost a 5-star read for me. But I felt that the slow pacing towards the end dimmed the impact a little. The epilogue is cool, though.

To Summarize, Holiday Romance is a heartwarming Christmas story about friendships, family, love, and being courageous to do what makes us happy.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Having been on a Christmas book roll recently and this book did not disappoint. This book is a festive rom-com and keeps you engaged through out and gave me one day vibes!! I loved the characters, plot and especially the Christmas day flashbacks and well written. I would definately add this book to your TBR list, you won't regret it
Huge thank you to Netgalley & Bookouture for approving my request in exchange for my honest review

Holiday Romance is about two travelers who keep meeting through the years and eventually fall in love.

This would make a good Hallmark movie, but unfortunately the book does go downhill about half way through.

The main characters were very like able however.

3/5 stars

This is my new holiday comfort read. I loved Catherine Walsh's The Rebound, but this book thoroughly outshines it.

Molly and Andrew have been unconventionally friends for 10 years. It all started with him dating her friend and her subsequently trying to protect him after learning her friend cheated on him. The convenience of this is that they're both Irish living in Chicago meeting every Christmas to fly home, at first it was unplanned, but as their friendship grew they planned their voyage home together.

But year 10 is different, nothing goes as planned, but it allows for Molly to realize that she is in love with Andrew. Andrew has been in love with her for years.

This is a great story about love, holiday spirit, and family.

After I saw @girlwiththepinkskimask give this book a whopping 5 stars during her live laff luv month, I had to request this even though it is not my go-to genres.

Verdict is - I liked it a lot!

I liked the chaos of traveling, I liked Andrew, I loved his cousin in London (I wanted more story about how his Christmas Day went), I loved the Ireland setting for Christmas day, I liked so much of this book.

But I really disliked one aspect - Molly.

That girl was too stuck in her own head & unable to read context clues that I wanted to smack her and tell Andrew to get with someone else.

Plus she was surprised her parents were happy to see her? Really?? My family isn't particularly, but even I know my parents wanna see their kids at Christmas. Molly’s sister Zoe texted her saying Christmas is the time of year that their parents fawn over Molly & ignore Zoe. Come on man.

Rating: 4 stars! Writing had a nice, even pace and I enjoyed the multiple timelines.

Thank you to @Bookouture & @Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Couldn't put it down!

Molly and Andrew are accidental friends who end up traveling home to Ireland together - every year for the last nine years. But this year, a snowstorm descends and they set out on a long convoluted series of flights, trains, buses, ferries, etc. to reach home in time. On the way they find out their annual trek may mean more to both of them than they thought.

Loved this book from start to finish. Characters were likable, engaging, and the banter was enjoyable. Reminiscent of Emily Henry's People We Meet On Vacation.

I absolutely adored this! Andrew and Molly are just the cutest
The flashback scenes were perfect, and added to the story enough without overpowering it.
It's the perfect friends to lovers Christmas book 🥰
The chemistry, the plotline and the writing is an instant 5 stars. 🤍
Definitely worth the read, thankyou for the ARC NetGalley and Bookouture

I loved the concept of this story so much. Acquaintances and then friends, who made a commitment to always fly home for Christmas together. 10 years of flights later and FINALLY they both admit to each other that there might be more than friendship going on here… this was such a fabulously written story, I loved their relationship with each other and their friends and family. There was plenty of humour and other stories going on- from their London escapades to a new nephew on Christmas Day, and it was generally a lovely festive read.

First Christmas book of the season read - and what a book it was! I was so not ready for it to be over but at the same time I couldn't put it down. Catherine Walsh has such a wonderful way of writing and she is so good at creating real, lovable characters that you can't help getting swept away by the story. I laughed out loud many times and reading the book felt like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket by the fireplace drinking a cup of hot chocolate with Christmas carols playing in the background. Absolute bliss.

Molly and Andrew are trying to get home to Ireland for Christmas, just like they have done for the past ten years. They both live in Chicago and have become good friends, nothing romantic has ever happened between them. Andrew is really into Christmas whereas Molly is not a Christmas person at all and couldn't care less about the holidays - but when a huge snowstorm ends up cancelling their flight Molly is determined to do anything she can to get Andrew home for the holidays.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Bookouture and Catherine Walsh for the chance to read this gem of a novel in advance!

Holiday Romance is a delightful, open door rom-com that kept me engaged until the very end. I loved the main characters, Molly and Andrew, and really enjoyed how the author told their story both in the present and also year by year through their past flights. I didn't feel the typical tension in a romance with the characters, wondering if they will or will not get together, it felt pretty certain from the first few chapters. There were, however, plenty of twists throughout their travels with all of the delays and obstacles, so even without that romantic tension, it still kept me interested the entire time. All of that aside, the characters and the setting are wonderful, it's the perfect holiday romantic read!

If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good friends to lovers story so this book was right up my alley. There are some books that I can tell very early on that I’m going to absolutely love and that was the case for Holiday Romance. I liked Molly and Andrew and their dynamic very early on and that stayed true until the end. This book was everything I hoped it would be and I will definitely be recommending it to my friends!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me access to this book!

Molly and Andrew are friends that have spent the past 10 years taking the last flight home to Ireland for Christmas. The story alternates from the past flights to the present year where a storm cancels their flight home and Molly promises to get Andrew home, and what an adventure it is!

This was the CUTEST story. I ate up every single second of this book! I loved the main characters, I loved the complete disaster of their travels, and completely adored their families and relationships. This book has me in the full Christmas spirit in September, and will definitely be added to my collection to reread for the holidays. It gave me “People we meet on vacation” vibes with the full Christmas spirit added in.

Thank you NetGalley and bookouture for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

"When this man became my weakness, I do not know."

A festive rom-com that was a surprise 5 star read for me! I liked the concept of the book but the flow and writing throughout the book kept me hooked the entire way through and the characters, I loved them.

I liked how this story didn't follow the very common tropes of a rom-com, and I found the flashbacks in the books fun and that they added to the present story.

Both of the main leads were enjoyable to follow along. I liked how we saw glimpses of their journeys together and their choices leading to where they are today. Overall, I really liked the personalities of the main leads. I enjoyed the humour between the two but I also liked the scenes of them not getting along and how they dealt with their emotions. The build up of romance was a satisfying development and all their scenes flowed quite naturally.

Overall, a festive fun rom-com!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the eARC, I am voluntarily leaving a review.

3+

A delightful holiday friends-to-lovers romance, a little too loose in structure and light on plot.

Molly and Andrew have been friends for 10 years, and always take the same flight home from Chicago to Dublin each Christmas. But this year a storm throws a spanner in the works and they have to improvise.

The story jumps back and forth between previous flights and the now timeline, as we see their friendship begin, and gradually deepen. I thought this was a cute, slightly WHMS-esque format, and enjoyed the flashbacks, though I wish they'd been a little longer. Since they were so short it contributed to the story feeling choppy.

The book lost me a little in the second half. I feel like the first half was building up towards a climax, and then that came (no pun intended...) and then we got half a book of "this is what happened after", which was still kind of nice, but it lost the drive and structure it had in the first half. It was still a sweet story though, and definitely worth a read if you want a festive pick-me-up.

A writer overusing the word "smirk" is a pet peeve of mine, and this book was no exception. Off the top of my head, here are some alternatives: smiled (just like there's nothing wrong with using "said" there's also nothing wrong with using "smiled" once in a while), chuckled, grinned, laughed.... I know they don't denote the exact same expression, but honestly if these characters smirked as much as was indicated, that seems to be the main expression anybody had. OK, I'm done now.

Overall the writing was decent, though it didn't feel particularly Irish to me. That's not really a complaint, more of an observation. Compared to say, Marian Keyes or OMGWACA. There were maybe 3 times in the entire book that someone used what I'd call an Irish expression or turn of phrase (except for using "mam" for "mum"). Walsh is Irish, so maybe it was a conscious choice to not go down that road.

My favourite bits were the flashbacks and Christmas day.

This was the Rom-Com I needed in my life. It was SO good and SO funny. There are a few lines that I related with so hard and that made them even funnier. Thank you, thank you to @netgalley and the publisher @bookouture for my advanced e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Molly and Andrew are headed from Chicago to their homes in Ireland for the Holiday. Andrew was dating a friend of Molly’s, and he got dumped on their first flight. They became fast friends over the course of the 7hr flight. They reconnect each year at Christmas on their flight home, however they are currently on the tenth year they have done this flight, they find themselves delayed due to a big storm that has grounded all flights. Desperate to get Andrew home for his big family Christmas, Molly’s best friend books them a flight…that sends them on a multi day trip spanning continents, airplanes, ferry’s and finally a car. Along the way, exhausted and at the end of their rope, they discover that maybe they were destined to be more than friends.

This book features blips of the past, but is mainly focused on the now. I wish there was a little more of the past to give some more details and context for how good of friends they have become over the years. It just left me longing for more. I loved all the characters, but Zoe, Molly’s identical twin was probably my favorite. I really enjoyed the story overall and gave this one a strong 4 out of 5. Make sure to add this to your holiday romance reading list, out October 4th, you will not be disappointed.

This was the perfect friends to lovers book!! 10 years of flying back home to Ireland with these two friends. One small moment changes the course for these friends. I liked how we were along for the entire disaster that was getting Andrew home for Christmas. One small twist at the end has you question how will this will end but it was the perfect ending. I need another one year later chapter😍

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the advance reader’s copy of Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh. We meet Molly and Andrew as Irish friends with a tradition of flying home together each Christmas. This year, plans become complicated as a storm cancels their flight. As the story unfolds in the present, the author also gives flashbacks to the prior ten years of Molly and Andrew’s flights.


This was a sweet Christmas romcom that will appeal to readers who enjoyed Emily Henry’s The People We Meet on Vacation. The best part of the book takes place when the main characters are united with their families. It would have been a five star read for me if less time was spend on the travel nightmare / airport hustle. Regardless, it was well-written, clever, and entertaining. I look forward to widely recommending this heartwarming holiday read upon its release.

I don’t understand how I like holiday romances so much when I am not the least bit inclined to get in the festive spirit. Some may say I'm a grinch, and I would not disagree, but apparently, this grinch loves a Christmas love story.

Molly and Andrew have been taking the same flight home for Christmas for the past ten years. For that seven and a half hours, they update each other on their lives and what they haven’t spoken about during their calls or emails. This flight is the highlight of Molly’s year. It’s the one time she can escape her work's stress and just be herself with Andrew. Except for this year, her stress level is about to fly off the charts.

After their flight was delayed for several hours, it finally got cancelled because of a massive storm over the Atlantic, meaning there was no way for them to get from Chicago to Dublin in time for Christmas. Andrew is crushed, his disappointment palpable, and that’s all it takes for Molly to pull the rabbit out of the hat and arrange a solid three days of travel, multiple flights, a train ride, and a ferry, to get Andrew back to his family in time for the holiday.

Only as they leave the airport do they happen to walk under a spring of mistletoe, and not one to be seen as anything but a winner, Molly refuses to let anyone call her a grinch (even when she is) and kissed Andrew to the applause of the airport crowd. Only there was nothing friendly about the way that kiss made Molly feel. Queue the panic.

Holiday Romance is a wonderful book. I love the frantic pace and tension of Molly and Andrew travelling all over the place to try and make it home for Christmas. Molly’s pessimism is hilarious because I see so much of myself in her, but the way Andrew contacts that with his charm and his smiles is swoony. The transition from friends to more was, again, swoony, and I enjoyed every moment of it.

If you want a holiday romance to read this year to get you in the festive spirit, or purely because you love love, then pick this book up. You won't regret it.