I think i can say that Catherine Walsh's books have become my favorite go-to comfort books. Easy to read. Funny, romantic and heartwarming. The characters are relatable. Sometimes a little predictable, but you really don't care because they are such a fun read. The Matchmaker is the third book I've read from her and it does not disappoint. Enemies to lovers. Great banter. Quirky characters. Highly recommend!

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This books is one of the best books I have read on 2023. It keeps you engaged from start to end. I loved the main characters as well as all of the side characters. It has romance, determination , forklore. Definitely recomended 10/10

This books was really cute! It makes me want to travel to a small town in Ireland and enjoy a week with the locals. I loved the romance between Callum and Katie, they seemed to have a genuine connection despite Katie trying to fight it at first.

Katie is a strong FMC that knows what she wants, what she loves, and despite everyone else thinking she could do better she's happy with her life and the people in it. Callum was really sweet and strong at the same time, always doing whatever he could to help and take care of Katie. The way he supported her endeavor of saving pub really surprised me, I knew he wasn't going to be trouble like his brother but the fact he changed his life for it was shocking. I love how his life and Katie's intertwined seamlessly and they both got a HEA.

I love Catherine's writing, the story had a great pace, I was never bored. Her characters are always very likable and have good banter.

Summary
Katie has lived in her small Irish village since her grandmother took her in as a child. Her friends are there, she has a job she loves and the beautiful countryside. Then a developer buys some land up to build a hotel and resort, and Katie's pub will be torn down as part of the price. To stall, she tells the developers about the Ennisbawn Matchmaking Festival, and how they couldn't tear down the pub as it is part of the history of the town and the festival. Problem is, the festival hasn't happened in years and Katie has months to make it a huge moneymaker. Another problem for her, Callum, the head of construction, who is staying in Ennisbawn, who is handsome and keeps showing up everywhere and flirting with her. Is he really interested in her or using her to get information on the town's plans? And will he stick around after the build is done?

Review
I was introduced to Catherine Walsh when I got a Netgalley of The Rebound last year. I adored the small-town romance and quirky characters, so I was thrilled to get my hands on another. The Matchmaker did not disappoint. She hit the jackpot with another small Irish town, the tightknit community, and found family. Katie has such passion for her town, her friends, her grandmother and the pub. The slow-burn chemistry between her and Callum was perfection. And it made me laugh out load, many times. Katie marching down to the worksite in her pajamas just kick started off the story perfectly. Catherine Walsh has become a must read author for me. This is the book to read if you want to feel warm and fuzzy and just happy when you are finished.

Who doesn't like an underdog story? This was such an adorable cozy read. I've always had a soft spot for small, close-knit communities and this story reinforces what can be accomplished when people work together for a common goal. Having a swoony love interest helps the case for this book too.

Katie Collins has lived in her quaint Irish village of Ennisbawn her entire life and has no desire to change that. She has everything she needs: her grandmother, her friends, her dog, a job she loves at Kelly's, the last remaining local pub in town and Katie's last connection to her parents, and the wishing well that sits in the pub garden.

Her peaceful life starts to unravel when the big construction company determined to "revitalize" her little haven with a large hotel project underway interrupts her sleep and daily routine. Finally fed up with the noise and interruptions in the day-to-day life of the town, Katie marches straight into the work site in her pajamas to get some answers only to meet Callum Dempsey, the hotshot development site manager whose attractiveness strikes Katie nearly speechless, until she finds out that not only is the hotel here to change her precious Ennisbawn, but Callum and his boss, Jack Doyle, also plan take her beloved bar away to make room for a "good view" from a new golf course.

Not on her watch. Attraction squashed, this is the last straw for Katie. In order to protect her town, she needs to show everyone why it's so special, which means reviving Ennisbawn’s once-famous matchmaking festival and getting enough publicity to save the pub and her town simultaneously.

With her best friends by her side, she takes on the corporate giant and Doyle to show the small town is home to its residents, where they grow and laugh together. And for Katie and her single friends, the reinvigorated matchmaking festival might also be the place where they find love.

After reading and loving Holiday Romance and The Rebound, Catherine Walsh became an auto-buy author for me. So, I was over the moon at the opportunity to read the ARC for her newest release.

When Katie marched onto the construction site of a future resort in her PJs and a face mask to give the developer a piece of her mind, I knew she was my kind of heroine. Who she encounters is the handsome project coordinator, Callum, who has to escort her off the premise. I was absolutely laughing at their ridiculous meet-cute and also paused reading to put on an eye mask to fight my own fatigue. That’s some inspiration!

This book was a cute and funny light-hearted read. It did feel a little more like women’s fiction with a side of romance than some of her other books, but the side characters were so loveable it was impossible not to get invested in their story too. I adored the way Katie loved her town, her pub, and her people. She was passionate, bold, and loyal. Callum made quite the hunky hero. The things he said and the ways he showed up for Katie were absolutely swoon-worthy.

READ IF YOU LIKE
Small town vibes
Enemies to lovers
Forbidden romance
Strong + spunky friend group
No third-act breakup

This review was posted on publication day.

4⭐️

Cute adult romance read about the FMC trying to save the small town pub from city developers. The romance was adorable and glad there was no miscommunication trope or too much angst.

Would recommend and read again!

The Matchmaker by Catherine Walsh is a cute rom-com. Everything a Hallmark movie is made of! I didn't realize this was a series and wished I knew ahead of time as I think some characters and things would have made more sense. The small town setting here is perfect and the community she created with the side characters was just amazing. The opposites attract storyline is always a winner!

solid 4.75⭐️
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for a review.
I absolutely loved this! It's such a funny and lighthearted story that will make you smile, laugh, cringe, cry, and feel all the emotions!

In order to save her small town from being bulldozed by a multimillion company, Katie tries to bring back the "Matchmaking" festival that was very popular in the past but hasn't really worked in the last few years. But it doesn't matter because Katie isn't going down without a fight. She loves her hometown, its people, and its culture, and no city, suit-wearing corporate man can come in between that.

What happens when the project coordinator is also someone Katie always finds in her path one way or another and just so happens to be extremely handsome, polite, and just her type?

"Green eyes, I decide. I like men with green eyes and men who look at me like that. Like I'm the only person in the world."

Oh, he's also the type of guy who will put everything before her, who will do and does everything for her even though they're "enemies" (kind of):
"Why are you here?" "I figured this is where you'd be."

who chooses her, time and time again, without stealing her spotlight because this is her show!
"What you said yesterday about how it doesn't matter if I want to see you? You were right. It doesn't matter if my actions don't back it up. So I made a decision. And my decision is you. I chose you." !!!!!!
but also: "Callum shifts to my side, but he doesn't come to my rescue. Doesn't offer a magical solution. He just waits. Waits for me. Because I'm in charge."

You will swoon reading this I promise.
"Katie, you could tell me that your sole interest in life is snail migration, and I'd listen to every word you say so long as your eyes light up like that."

And laugh too.
"I jumped as she appears in the doorway, dressed all in black. "Entering your crone years, I see."

It was such a pick-me-up, it was exactly what I needed after many disappointing reads.

The only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars was because Callum felt a little flat but this is still one of my favorite reads so far.

It’s was cute. It had a few really relatable moments and while I found Katie pretty flat for most of the book, I liked her a lot by the end. It wasn’t funny, but it was definitely cute . 3.5

#TheMatchmaker #NetGalley

I love Catherine Walsh’s writing - it’s just too funny, I was laughing out loud by the first chapter. Katie is so relatable, witty and amusing. It’s also so easy to fall in love with the setting and secondary characters in this. It’s the epitome of a romantic comedy - swoony with lots of lols.

Basically - anything Catherine Walsh writes, I will read; and most likely laugh a lot in the process.

The Matchmaker was so good. It was a very cute romcom. I love small town stories where they compete with the evil mega conglomerates by showing the world how amazing a small town can be.

If you’re looking for a light and fun read this book is for you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of The Matchmaker in exchange of an honest review

I was such a fan of this book! I couldn't put it down - the build-up and timeline felt so believable (which isn't always the case with rom-coms). Every character was super realistic and lovable, a super fun read that I definitely recommend!!

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. 

I have read Catherine's 3 other books and really enjoyed her witty romantic style. I'm also a sucker for anything Irish! 

Katie Collins has quite the introduction in the book and it absolutely cracks me up. Katie is a girl after my own heart. She doesn't want much in life, a decent night's sleep and a job she enjoys. It's not too much to ask for is it? Katie is easy to identify with, you can easily see yourself being friends with her.

Callum is all things yummy. He's tall, handsome and Irish! He also works in construction so is good with his hands! 

This story has a cute rom-com vibe to it. It’s the perfect escapism book with a real community feel  that will leave you smiling.

This was a cute romcom that had a nice balance of quirky MC, standard supporting peeps and a unique storyline that kept my interest. The wishing well concept was cute and creative. Overall it was a fresh story that was made even better when I remembered to consider the characters’ Irish dialects. This book in one word: charming. <3

I really enjoyed this book, it made me smile and had so many funny moments, katie was a really cute and likeable character, this book totally captured the small town vibes and it was heartwarming to read abt them all coming together for the matchmaking festival (i wish it was real)
katie, callum and all the other characters were well developed and their relationships to each other didn’t feel unrealistic
this was just a feel good book it put on a good mood it’s the perfect light read to get out of a reading slump or just enjoy the perfect summer day with

This is my second book by the author and I love her writing! Her stories are fun, have depth, and are heartwarming with a great cast of characters.

This is the story of Katie, a bartender in a small town she never intends to leave. The only trouble is a new hotel is being built in town and now they want to tear down her beloved pub. In an attempt to save the pub, Katie sets out to revive the town’s matchmaker festival. Katie might just save the pub and find herself a match.

This was a really fun read! I enjoyed the characters, especially Katie’s friends. I could have seen this made into a trilogy and would have loved to read more about her friends, Gemma and Nush. I liked the love story. I thought Katie and Callum were really endearing together and while the feelings developed fast, I didn’t mind a bit! I like how the author creates character that have depth and relatable troubles, like being a single mom raising a pre-teen, wondering if you’re boring or pretty or good enough for xyz. This was a great story by Catherine Walsh and I can’t wait to read what she puts out next!

Fun storyline and great banter between the main character and her arch nemesis (aka love interest). I loved the battles between the two main characters and how the townspeople joined in on the fun. A great read for at the beach or lounging by the pool!

Katie is from a small town in Ireland where she lives with her grandmother and works in the local pub. Her parents died when she was younger so this town and its traditions are all that she knows. Now Callum Dempsey and his brother’s construction company come plowing through to develop Ennisbawn into a touristy vacation town. With her sleep schedule being disrupted by the loud construction, she stomps over to the job-site (in her pajamas) to put in her formal complaint.

Callum works with his brother on development projects, hopping from one location to the next but that all changes once he meets Katie and her love for this quaint little town. He is starting to see it as a place where he can call home possibly with this strong, fierce woman. He does what he can to smooth things over with her…until the town catches wind that the local pub and its wishing well are next on the list to be destroyed. The pub is where her parents met and it's her last connection to them. Katie is determined to show how important that wishing well is to the community so she goes all-in to revive the Matchmaking Festival! With a lot of bumps in the road she finds a way to put her little town on the map and maybe find her true love too!

I absolutely LOVE reading books that take place in Ireland! The Matchmaker is a super cute romance full of wonderful characters! I love the small town, tight knit community feel. This book has Hallmark movie written all over it! This sweet rom-com was a quick read. I would love to see more books with this bunch!

Catherine did an amazing job taking me to Ennisbawn and introducing me to this fun crowd! I found myself laughing at the bantering between the two MC’s. I love how passionate Katie is about saving her community. She is full of sass and has such a great sense of humor. Callum is such a sweetheart! He is so protective and supportive. Their chemistry is off the charts!

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐬…
Enemies to Lovers
Small Town Romance
Insta-Love
Opposites Attract

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture & Catherine Walsh for the ARC of this book for my honest review!

This was cute, nothing really memorable happened but I still enjoyed it. I did wish it had a more emotional factor, there was something missing from me fully connecting to the characters and their story.