I LOVED THIS. I’m a Christmas fanatic and this book put me in the holiday spirit, even though we’re only halfway through August. I normally hate the friends to lovers trope but Catherine Walsh wrote this book so amazingly that this trope didn’t even bother me.

"He grins up at me with those hazel eyes as if I’m the best thing that’s happened to his day. I know he’s the best thing that’s happened to mine."

This one was such an entertaining, heartwarming, lovely and feel-good holiday romance book! I enjoyed it through and through, there was never a dull moment and Andrew & Molly's chemistry just won me over. Molly & Andrew have been friends for over ten years and they somehow develop a tradition of going home to Ireland by a flight together during the Christmas holiday. Although this year, an unforeseen storm disrupts their plans but seeing the disappointment in Andrew's eyes, Molly is determined to somehow get him home so that he could spend the holiday with his family. Throughout the journey, they go through some entertaining situations and we also get to see their equation being slowly developed in the past in some chapters which made me connect with their story even more. Seriously the things they did for each other were so cute and adorable. Andrew was the funny one and Molly was equally his match. Their banter was top-notch and in addition, the side characters were hilarious and well constructed. Especially the back and forth bickerings between the Fitzpatrick siblings and also between Molly and her sister Zoe were very amusing. If you want to pick up a light-hearted, hilarious, friends to lovers book with a magical touch of the holiday feels, this book is undoubtedly the best choice!

“You’re a good friend, you know that?” He eyes me suspiciously. “You need a kidney or something?”

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

I absolutely loved this book. I am a sucker for a good Christmas time romance and this was a great one. The relationship buildup between Molly and Andrew over the last 10 years on their travels home gave such a good understanding of these characters and you can really see just how perfect these two are for each other. Loved the adventure these two went on getting home for Christmas on their 10th year and the stress to making their flight on time, not going to lie I felt a bit stressed out myself that they weren’t going to make it in time. Really enjoyed reading this and will be checking out Catherine’s other books next!

Thank you NetGalley & Bookouture for giving me an ARC copy of this book to read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Holiday Romance' by Catherine Walsh.

I wish I could tell you what happened in this book but sadly, I got no clue. All I can tell you is that the MC is called Zoe and she was a pretty lovely MC and I did enjoy the writing of the book but the story felt lost and empty to me personally. Not my cup of tea.

Ich hatte mir nich viel von diesem Weihnachtsliebesroman erwartet, die üblichen Klischees. Aber Cathrine Walsh hat mich mit ihrem heiteren und leichten Schreibstil vom Gegenteil überzeugt. Definitiv eine Autorin, die man sich merken kann! Für Fans von Sophia Kinsella, Jenny Colgan, Mharie Macfarlane, Beth O'Leary.

What a delightful read! I love LOVE friends to lovers and the added mix of traveling home to family AND Christmas made this book speak right to my heart. The characters' falling for each other felt so organic and realistic with just a touch of Christmas romance magic and I am here for it. I am very much looking forward to reading more by Catherine Walsh!

• Holiday Romance
• RomCom
• Friends to Lovers
• Travel
• Ireland

I honestly don’t even know where to start – this is my third Catherine Walsh book and they have all just been amazing. I absolutely loved this one – and I totally binged it in a day, I did not want to put this one down! I’m not usually one to read a holiday / Christmas book in August, but I honestly couldn’t wait to try another by Ms. Walsh – and it did not disappoint, it was everything I could have hoped for.

This book made me feel the holiday cheer (in summer no less!), it gave me all the warm fuzzy, holiday feelings and I found it heartwarming, charming and delightful. Get ready for some cozy blanket and curl up with a hot cocoa vibes when you read.

I loved both Molly and Andrew and I don’t think I can name another book where I enjoyed the whole past / present flashes more. I loved hearing about their annual tradition, and getting a glimpse to each year throughout the book. I thought they were so wonderful together, I’m not even a big fan of the friends to lovers trope really, but I was obsessed with this one. The book definitely brought back flashes of my own worst airport experiences / anxiety, but it was just so good.

A wonderful romcom filled with holiday cheer, that had me laughing, crying (happy tears) and left me smiling and wanting more…perhaps a story for Christian? I would love to see this one as a holiday film adaption too, it really hits all the right notes.

Thank you to Catherine Walsh (who has totally become an autobuy author for me) for this fantastic holiday read and to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read an early copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and freely offered.

I was so excited to get my hands on this book early and it did not disappoint! Catherine Walsh has become a new auto-buy author for me.

Molly and Andrew's annual tradition of flying home for the holidays together started on a sour note but grew increasingly cuter as the years progress. Not gonna lie, this book gave me some serious airport anxiety, but it was such a sweet relationship between the two main characters and I SWOONED when Andrew rattled off his summary of all of their flights over the past 10 years. I've come to expect top notch banter from Walsh's characters and Molly and Andrew certainly delivered.

A great holiday romcom read for anyone looking for a little cheer!

Ughhhhh I loved this book! Which does not shock me at all because I loved both of her other books so i knew before going into this book that it would already be a 5 star read and it was!

Literally everyone go read this book! It’s giving me friends to lovers and I am HERE FOR IT!!!

I will never stop recommending Catherine Walsh’s books. They are ridiculously underrated and deserve all the love in the world <3

There aren’t many writers who would have me reading a Christmas story in August, but Cat Walsh pulled it off. Her third novel focuses on Molly and Andrew, two Irish emigrants who forge a friendship over the course of ten flights home to Ireland for Christmas. This is, without a doubt, the author’s swooniest and most compelling novel yet.

We first meet Molly and Andrew on the eve of their tenth flight together - which has just been cancelled due to a massive storm. And so begins a massively entertaining (and slightly stressful) jaunt across the world to get home for Christmas - think Catherine O’Hara’s odyssey in Home Alone. Over the course of the trip, Molly and Andrew’s close friendship begins to develop into something more… cue the fireworks.

I could not put this one down. Molly is a hugely relatable and warm character to have as a point-of-view - she’s a hotshot lawyer who is sick of the grind, and this thread of career frustration adds a compelling richness to the character. I found her hilarious; too often I find romantic comedy novels lean too far one way or another, but Walsh has cracked the blend of the two so that it’s equal parts hilarious and hot. Molly does a great job of bringing the humour, and, well, Andrew brings the spice.

Let’s be real here. Andrew Fitzpatrick is HOT - to the point that I wanted to yell at Molly for being so hung up on their friendship. He’s beautiful! He loves his family! He’s obsessed with you! Get it together!

But when they do get it together - spoiler alert, I guess? - it’s so satisfying, the culmination of ten years of close friendship becoming something new. It’s such a gorgeous romance to watch blossom, despite Molly’s own worries and overthinking patterns, it just works. You know when you meet someone in real life and you just click? Holiday Romance is a novel that allows you to immerse yourself in two people doing that exact same thing.

The romance is - obviously - the meat of this story - but the side characters are deeply enjoyable, too. I loved spiky Zoe, Molly’s twin sister, and would read a full length novel about Hannah, Andrew’s younger sister. What an icon. Credit, too, to Walsh for handling a tricky topic - recovery from alcoholism - with a light touch, never feeling heavy handed.

Catherine Walsh has released three books since 2020, and she just keeps getting better - Holiday Romance is her best yet, a fantastically cosy, surprisingly hot, Christmassy romance that I’ll be adding to a lot of stockings come December.

Loved this book!! I couldn’t put it down. It was sweet, funny, and charming! It gave me all the holiday feels! I loved the chemistry between Andrew and Molly! Definitely add this to your holiday tbr list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this arc!

Molly met Andrew Fitzpatrick nine years ago at Chicago airport. They were both headed home to the Emerald Isle for the holidays.
Here started a yearly tradition, they would fly home on the same day together each year sitting beside each other and catching up on the previous twelve months.

When they both reach the airport this year, having allowed time for delays of course. Molly and Andrew are hit by some awful luck and a terrible storm. Molly comes up with a plan to get the home, come hell or high water.

Told all from the perspective of Molly, high flying lawyer that met Andrew all those years ago when he was going out with her ‘friend’ Zoe. Having been dumped by text on Christmas Eve this sets in motion Molly and Andrew’s yearly tradition.

This is Walsh’s third novel and my new firm favourite. I loved the friends to lovers trope and the unique spin on it. I also adored the airport setting, it would make an amazing on screen adaptation.

From the start and throughout I got major One Day vibes. I loved the fact that they only had the flight home each year to catch up on each other’s previous twelve months.

To be aware before starting Holiday Romance there is a brief content warning for alcoholism.

Catherine Walsh simply never misses.

This was my first ever ARC and I can’t believe it’s Catherine Walsh’s new book. I am probably her biggest fan ever and I love everything she writes, Holiday Romance is no exception. This book was just SO MUCH FUN. It’s a feel good holiday rom com that hits all the right spots.

Molly and Andrew have been friends for ten years, always traveling back to Ireland for Christmas together. This year, when a freak snowstorm hits, they’re forced to find alternative traveling methods, including but not limited to, trains, taxis, flights, and ferries. But as Molly figures out the odd combination of transportation to get them home, she just might also realize her own unique feelings for Andrew.

I fell in love with Molly and Andrew as they fell for each other, and watching them come to the same realization was just incredible. The chemistry and tension was off the charts and I was screaming “just kiss you guys” at several points of the book. I loved Andrew’s flirting and Molly’s internal panic and stressing out. They were perfect for each other and I’m honestly jealous of what they have.

I also loved all the side characters and family members, especially Zoe and Hannah, who are just the best sisters ever, and how loving and supportive they all were. The banter and dialogue was also top notch (as to be expected from Ms. Catherine Walsh). I was actually cackling at every chapter and wondering how they can be so funny and witty on the spot. Seriously, it’s a talent I wish I had.

This book was the best thing I could’ve read and just pure fun and escapism. My only problem with this book is that I wish I could have more of it. And that I want an Andrew for myself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC (my first one yet) and please do yourself a favor and read this when it comes out on October 4th to have the absolute best time. And get into an early Christmas spirit.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an ARC for free, in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so-so much, I'll definitely buy it upon publishing it. I think I've just read my new favorite Christmas story, it was such a cute read!
It immediately got me in the festive spirit, even though it's summer right now. It sure has just the good amount of feelgood vibes you need on Christmas, cuddling with it under a blanket with hot chocolate in the other hand.

This is a sunshine x grumpy trope, but with the twist of the FMC being the grumpy one! Finally someone took the courage to write this division of roles and it worked fantastic. Our FMC is sarcastic, cranky, grumpy - but all in a lovable way. It's a slowburn romance of friends who turn to be lovers.

The MC & FMC have such a strong bond which is hard to write, I think, so I really appreciate this duo we get in this Christmas read, appreciate how truly wonderful their dynamics is. In addition they have unique quirks which I adored, and they have very funny banters going on all the time. It was very refreshing to read about a non-clichéd couple.

To mention some negative aspects of the book as well, the structure of it reminded me a lot of Emily Henry's PWMOV book, which would basically be okay, but unfortunately it wasn't as smoothly executed when it came to jumping in time.
It missed the opportunity to introduce the very beginnings of their relationship, to meet the characters in their early phase, to discover how they became such good friends, or how their tradition formed exactly - which was a huge potential, so it is too bad we didn't get to know it.
When we jumped to past memories, although I very much enjoyed what I've read, it wasn't really clear to me as a reader, why I get that particular memory or happening from the past. As if it served no purpose connecting the past with the present, made no sense how it fits into the story. Because of that, all jumping in the past felt lashed together.

Nonetheless, overall it's a feelgood romance which has believable characters and the story itself feels honest and real together with the dialogues and banters (fortunately the Christmas related stuff in the book wasn't too overdoing, it was just the right amount for a lovely Christmas read).
This was my first time reading anything from Catherine Walsh but it definitely won't be the last.

I absolutely loved this book. It made me miss Christmas season even more and I just can't wait to reread it during winter. I found the story very interesting and the characters really likeable. The writing was good too. I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy of this novel

Molly and Andrew are friends that for the last 10 years and have traveled home for Christmas to Ireland from Chicago. The story goes back and forth from past to present on how their friendship has built up over time. This year there is a bad snowstorm that grounds all of the flights. She knows how important Christmas is to him, and tries to help get him home for the holidays. Will they make it in time?

This was my first book by Catherine Walsh and it won't be my last. If you like a sweet, funny romance, this is for you. I really liked both of these characters and loved the friends to lovers trope. Highly recommend for your holiday enjoyment!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Honestly, as soon as I saw the title and cover of this book, I started wanting to read it immediately. It is so cute with such a cute story. I also love a travel story and friends-to-lovers trope! This book ticked almost all of my boxes for what makes a great cozy Christmas read. I literally read it in just a few hours, I could not put it down. I will definitely be buying a copy to put on myself to read this Christmas again.

Thank you for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh is a delightful read. Andrew and Molly have been flying to Ireland together for 10 years but their relationship has never gone beyond friendship. This year’s trip turns into a marathon of cancellations, plan changes and side excursions as they struggle to get to Dublin for Christmas with their respective families. This book is a keeper! Most highly recommend.

I got that warm fuzzy Christmas glow in August. This book is so cute. The friendship is gorgeous between the 2 main characters and the banter with the family members. I couldn't put this book down read it in 24 hours!! This is my first Catherine Walsh book but I will most certainly be picking up more of her work.

This was such a cute Christmas romance! I loved that I got to read it so early, it just put me in a huge Christmas mood. I love a good friends to lovers romance, and what I liked the most about this were the small flashbacks. I really enjoy getting to see the history behind relationships and friendships, especially when it comes to friends to lovers situations. It made their romance more believable and show their chemistry! I also thought the main characters were really likable, they were so cute as friends so I knew they’d be good together. While it didn’t blow me away, as it was pretty simple and predictable, I still had a fun time reading it! Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC!