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.

I really wanted to love this because I loved Holiday Romance by this author but it just didn’t quite do it for me. It felt like there weren’t too many scenes between Callum and Katie that would justify them falling in love so hard so fast. Callum was ready to give up everything less than half way into the book after like 3 conversations with Katie. Would recommend as a cute fluffy read, but personally I won’t be reading it again

“It's because I don't know how I'm going to tear down your favorite place in the world when I can barely stand the thought of you getting caught in the rain.”

This is my first book from this author. It was really cute and fresh. I really adore the small-town setting, the banter, and the community. It was so heartwarming to see them working out together for the matchmaking festival. While I did enjoy it, I still wish there would have been more depth between Katie and Callum.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

Such a cute book and I was thrilled when I got a copy of this book. I love this authors work and dove right in. It did not disappoint. I loved it from start to finish. It kept me wanting to know more.

I love books with hallmark-style romance, and 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒓 absolutely delivered on that front. Ennisbawn, the small Irish town where the story takes place, might not be the fanciest place around, but it's full of charm and character. Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse when a big development company moves in and threatens to tear down everything in its path, including the local pub, to build a fancy new resort. But never fear community, sweetheart; Katie steps up to the plate and decides to fight for the quirky town. Katie starts by confronting the handsome project manager, Callum, clad only in her pajamas, and things only get better from there. Things definitely heat up, and comedy ensues! I totally adored this story! This rom-com is hilarious and had me hooked from beginning to end. Catherine Walsh did a fantastic job of creating the perfect characters and plot, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The townspeople were so likable, and I wanted the Matchmaking festival to be a success! I found myself so invested in the characters and storyline. Please do yourself a favor a grab a copy of this one!! It was such a fantastic read!⁠
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Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the opportunity to read an eARC of this adorable book!