I really enjoy this author’s writing style. I loved the setting of this one in a little Irish village and really liked both the main characters and the full cast of supporting characters. Despite the right components all being there this book didn’t grip me in quite the same way her other books have but I still enjoyed it.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4

I really loved other books by this author. I was not drawn into the romance with this one. Maybe it was the trope or that too much was going on but it was just okay for me.

3 STARS

The plot is very cliche and predictable, but that was what I expected and wanted from this book. It is the type of book where you can just relax and read without having to actually think about what you are reading. It's a great book to read as a palate cleanser between harder books (or at least it was for me).

I really enjoyed the descriptions of how peaceful the village and the nature is, and the contrast of the destruction and chaos that the construction brought. I think the descriptions of the village were my favorite part of this book, and it made me want to visit it.

The writing style is simple and easy to read, but a bit too repetitive for my taste. It is...okay, just not my personal preference. There are parts that are very very well written - the portrayal of trauma was amazing, and it made me love the writing a lot more.

The characters are too much for me, and most of the falling for each other part of the MCs just wasn't there. We got the attraction, and the fallen in love part, but not the falling, and for me that is the most important part of a romance novel. Thatis the main reason why, for me, this book is just an okay, 3 star rating book.


CONCLUSION

This is an okay, fun, simple and cringy rom com. It is a cute story perfect for the lovers of Hallmark movies, or for someone who just needs an easy and simple guilty pleasure type of book.
This is definitely not my favorite romance, but it is an all in all okay read that I did have fun with.




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

This book was so cute!! I do wish the main relationship had developed a bit slower and that we got to know Jack better as a character, along with a few other characters. Overall very enjoyable!

This book was so cute. I wish we would’ve been able to see Callum and Katie’s relationship grow a little more. It did seem rushed a little. I loved the premise of the story and the sense of community I got. It made me want to live in a little village with a bar that was just four walls and a roof. I loved the dynamic of Katie’s friends and family and their personalities. I also loved seeing the growth in Jack. Will definitely recommend this book to my book reading friends!

The setting of this book was really cute - I loved the idea of a small Irish village fighting back from a big developer to save their town. It was giving a lot of Gilmore Girl vibes. The matchmaking festival was cute and a perfect backdrop for a romance plot.

However, I didn’t really feel any chemistry between Katie and Callum. They got together so quickly and Callum is instantly in love and willing to quit his job for a woman he just met. It just didn’t seem realistic - even for a romance novel.

There was the big buildup of the matchmaking festival but by the time it happens in the book, Katie and Callum have already gotten together and had the third act break up - so there isn’t really that emotional build up and “FINALLY!” moment.

Unfortunately this one was just a miss for me.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Bookouture for a digital ARC of this book.

the book was so cute and sweet - definite hallmark vibes and i loved every second of it! she was determined to do whatever it took to save her cute little small town and boy did she! i love how katie and callum were so perfect together, no communication and they were amazing together! and the grand gesture oh my gosh 🥲🥲😍😍😍

Decided to DNF at 63%.

I just don’t care enough about how it ends to keep going? Walsh’s writing is fantastic, but I found the romance to be incredibly abrupt and lacking the build-up/tension I need. I am more invested in Gemma and Adam’s relationship, tbh.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I ended up not finishing the book - the beginning seems promising, with the quaint small town Irish setting, but I lost steam as the matchmaking festival was introduced.

3.5 stars

The Matchmaker is a love letter to small towns and rural life. I loved the friendships, the unique characters, and the deep emotion running through this story, particularly between Katie and her grandmother. But, unfortunately, I never really bought the romance the entire book is supposed to be about.

Not only is Katie basically a raving lunatic the first time she meets Callum, she never really improves. They constantly run into each other in awkward situations and have stilted conversations. And while I came to appreciate how incredibly devoted he was to her, it never really made sense. There was nothing that could justify the steps he chooses to make when the range he’s gotten from her is ‘yelling and blurting out non-sequiturs while wearing my PJs and you’re trying to work’, ‘being rude in public places when you’ve been stood up on a date’ and ‘assuming the worst of you and pushing you away because I like to make superficial judgments’.

On the other hand, the relationships between Katie, Gemma, Nush, and Adam were pretty great. They cared for each other without having to be sentimental about it; sarcasm and banter were much more prevalent than anything emotional or supportive. And I have to admit there was something about Katie and Noah’s relationship that was sweet and hopeful and had me looking forward to their strange interactions.

If you read the blurb, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what you're getting from The Matchmaker. There’s nothing genre-shattering or life-changing, but it is a sweet and enjoyable read.

I love this story idea but in practice found the plot confusing and hard to follow, and struggled to get into the story. I ultimately did not finish this story. Thank you for the chance to review in exchange for an honest review.

I loooovedd this. It’s joyful with great characters who are not annoying. There’s also a dreamy male lead and a very fun supporting cast (I need some follow-up novels please).

It’s also a story about the importance of community and a celebration of those who care and fight for those they love.

I was honestly weepy towards the end. Bring on Book 5!

This was one was really cute. Catherine Walsh came on my radar after I read Holiday Romance. She is extremely talented and has risen to the top of my favorite authors. In a romcom I need witty banter and she delivers. The reason its not a 5 star for me is because it is a little "hallmark-y" where I prefer more real life scenarios/characters but it was good for escapism. I will be on the look out for more book from Walsh.

Catherine's books seem to get better and better for me.

I absolutely adore her writing, having left Ireland it's a wonderful reminder of home when I get a little homesick. What made this even better is that this book, unlike her others, didn't involve someone who had left Ireland coming back. So, I got to experience my country in all its glory. Ripping rainstorm included.

The chemistry between Katie and Callum was great, and I really enjoyed the enemies (rivals?) to lovers aspect of their relationship.

I did however have my guard up about one of Katie's friends and didn't really love reading about her.

Something I will note is, I found this book to be rather slow to get into at times.

This story showed great promise but ultimately just wasn’t for me.
I could appreciate the main character, and loved her drive to save her home town. This storyline in the book was super cozy which I loved.
Unfortunately, the romance missed the mark for me which was obviously the main reason I wanted to read this one in the first place.
It felt really rushed, and I didn’t really know Callum so I wasn’t rooting for them at all.
I struggled to finish this one.

This was a cute read, but I didn’t feel the connection between Katie and Callum.

I definitely smiled and enjoyed it but I’d rate it 3 stars.

This story was cute and an easy read. While the overall plot and pacing of the book were decent, I couldn't quite get on board with the romantic storyline. As much as I wanted to root for the two main characters to fall in love, I found myself struggling to understand why they even liked each other in the first place.

This book made me smile more times than I can count!

Katie Collins, local of Irish town Ennisbawn, is not going to let construction of a new hotel (that many townspeople are NOT happy about) take her and the town down without a fight. Working at the local pub, Katie often returns home late, and no sooner she falls asleep, the construction noise starts.
She has well and truly had enough.
Callum Dempsey, one of the construction workers, working at the site, faces the wrath of Katie and the passion she has for her home town.
Little does she know, the same construction company building the hotel has bought the pub she works at.
When she finds out she decides to pull out all the stops and bring back the annual Matchmaking Festival to bring some money into the town to and bring some support for the locals to earn back their town.

This book was amazing. It has easily become one of my favourite reads of the year so far!
The Irish, small town feel was cute, and the characters were extremely likeable and witty.

I loved every part of it, not only because the story line was amazing, but because the writing was impeccable. It was engaging, funny, and had so much depth to it.

I would 100% recommend it to anyone!

This was a fun a cute story! I definitely didn’t feel like I personally related with the characters but I can see why people loved this!

I absolutely loved this book, it was so good. The story was so cute and wholesome. I loved every part of this book, this will definitely be a re-read.
I love that Katie fought so hard for the bar and for her little town. The different relationships throughout the book were so cute, between the friendships and romances, I don’t know what I liked better, they were so heartwarming. Katie’s friends are so amazing, they are so supportive and real with her, they make known their own opinions without hurting Katie or being mean, they are the best best friends. With Katie and Callum, the anticipation was intense, I was screaming at the book! My absolute favourite character was the granny, she was hilarious.

The authors writing style is absolutely loveable, it made me feel like I was right there with them. I felt like I was right among everyone. Her world building was amazing too. I could see the streets in my head, the fields, the lake. It was amazing.