This is my second Catherine Walsh holiday romance and I am completely sold. These characters immediately enamored me, their silly little plan to fake date (and their acknowledging the absurdity of fake dating - ingenious writing right there), and their entirely too much but best-intentioned families.

Last year I threw myself in the deep end of the holiday romance books and came out of it feeling... underwhelmed. Many were cute but overall OK reads. So this year I decided only to pick a select few to read that I felt truly excited about. Snowed In was at the top of my list and if there is a single holiday book I'd recommend to anyone this year it is THIS ONE. It is not overly saccharinely ~*~CHRISTMAS*~* but still distinctly pulls in the magic, the coziness, the ups and downs of family time over the holidays, and the traditions. Megan is nervous about going back to her small hometown after being the runaway bride and breaking the heart of the "town golden boy" and Christian is the high school heartthrob who is tired of being the single sibling and wants to make his dad proud.

The chemistry and attraction between Megan and Christian are immediate which makes the idea of fake dating ridiculous from the beginning but they both need an anchor, a lifeboat, to help them through Christmas back home. The two things about their fake dating that sold this book for me: they call out the silliness of pretending to be a couple and that level of meta/awareness of the trope made me giggle AND the ultimate SUPPORT they offer each other through the whole book just melted my heart. Call me a romantic, but a guy just having your back with family is swoon-worthy.

The story also focuses on Megan's past with her childhood sweetheart turned abandoned groom. This added a more sober tone to the story and I liked how the past and rationale for Megan's actions were unfolded. And AGAIN the SUPPORT from both Christian and, eventually, Megan's family. We just love to see it.

And the best part? NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP. I've realized this is my favorite thing in romances. I want the drama/climax to be external and bring the couple closer together by supporting each other through it and Walsh DELIVERS. I think this is even more important in a holiday romance where we are looking for a little bit more magic, a little bit more romantic escapism.

Catherine, please keep writing more holiday romances and I will keep reading them forever and ever.

Another fabulous holiday romance book by Catherine Walsh! The characters are lovable and the fake dating for the holidays is written perfectly.

We first meet Megan and Christian when Megan runs out of her wedding and runs into Christian as she is fleeing. They then awkwardly meet again in a bar 5 years later. Though they were never close growing up they are from the same town. Neither one of them is looking forward to returning home for the holidays alone so they decide to go back as a fake couple. From there we are taken on a wonderful journey of friends to lovers with these sweet characters. Their growing relationship is fun and easy to read.

I enjoyed this book from the very beginning to the very last word. It was the perfect book to get into the holiday spirit but is can be enjoyed any time of the year. Though it is technically the sequel to Holiday Romance it can easily be read as a stand alone book.

I am extremely grateful to Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderfully adorable and cozy book in exchange for an honest review.

I loooooved this. I wish it was steamier but it was so good! Cute and swoony, it was the perfect holiday read!

Snowed In is in the same universe as Holiday Romance but can totally be read as a standalone.

It was a cute holiday read. Not quite a hallmark but not super steamy either. I definitely would recommend if you’re looking for a holiday read!

My favorite part was the big gesture at the end. Trust me it’s worth it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of Snowed In in exchange of an honest review

A charming Christmas rom-com that I couldn't put down. The characters (main and supporting) are relatable and likable, with the exception of one character who we shall not name. You laugh with (or at) them during the funny situations, want to scream at them during the misunderstandings, and give them a big hug during the drama. Romantic, funny, sexy, and with a sprinkle of Christmas magic. The perfect festive read!

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Catherine Walsh strikes again! I loved the Dublin settling — an added perk given that I just visited!

The main characters are relatable and it’s a perfect cozy holiday read. I love a good fake dating romance! Though book 2 of a series, can definitely be read alone — but her others aren’t to be missed!

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC!!

This was absolutely perfect. There wasn't a dull moment in sight. The characters were likable, the drama was great and there was no third act break-up, which made me like this all the more. It had a very wintery setting and the romance was lovely. Definitely a must read if you enjoy christmas romcoms.

Last Christmas, I gave my heart to Catherine Walsh's Holiday Romance - easily one of my favorite reads of the season. Snowed In is the follow-up to Holiday Romance, but it is not necessary to read Holiday Romance first as its protagonists - Andrew and Molly - only play supporting roles in this book.

It seems like fake romances run amok during the Christmas season, as many people seem to not want to face their families as singlets during the holidays. Such is the case with Snowed In, in which runaway bride Megan needs someone by her side on her first trip back home after leaving her groom at the altar many years before. Happily single Christian, on the other hand, is tired of his family looking at him with pity every time he returns home alone for the holidays. Being from the same hometown, childhood friends Megan and Christian decide to fake date for the holidays. They draw up a pact, attempting to cover all bases to make it seem believable, but one thing they didn't count on is actually falling in love ... with each other.

As is typical of Catherine Walsh, she has written another engaging Christmas romance complete with agreeable characters and a well-developed plot. Whether or not they can see it, Megan and Christian make an adorable match and are a breath of fresh air as a (fake) couple. As good as they are at faking it, Megan and Christian still find themselves caught up in several hilarious holiday hijinks as they attempt to convince everyone that their love runs deep and true. As a bonus, I also quite enjoyed the comfy, cozy "I'll Be Home for Christmas" vibes that this novel gives off. In all, another winner from Catherine Walsh!

A fun, light christmas read. The author has a good style, I enjoyed the witty MC and the romcom setting.

Full disclosure: I received this book on NetGalley in October when I was still figuring out how the app worked. Well, I might’ve … forgotten about the app, and then remembered yesterday morning that I could check there for ARCS. You can imagine my horror when I saw my shelves had books that were expiring soon. This one was the soonest. I started it yesterday morning and swallowed it whole (while also managing to go house-hunting, decorating a Christmas tree, & hanging out with my hubby on his day off). I’m SO glad I did. This book was SO cute, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Every time I opened it to read, I dropped back effortlessly into their world.

So yeah, I read this one in less than 24 hours🫡 I. Ate. It. Up. It was a hallmark movie wrapped in juicy layers of some of my favorite tropes (fake dating, friends-to-lovers), but not overplayed or done in a way that felt overly predictable. It felt like ~~real life~~ in a homey, relatable way, and the characters, once you got to know them, were so non-problematic, that it felt like they deserved this story to be told. It was a quieter romance, if you will, but the softness was appreciated.

I rated it 4/5, only because 5/5 to me is almost impossible (English major imperfection perfection brain).

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me receive this book in exchange for a review. (Can’t wait to post this one to my booksta).

Really loved this holiday romance read!

It was a really cute, kind of second chance romance with a runaway bride and hometown vibes!
Meg is afraid to go home since she has not been back since the failed wedding and Christian has some daddy issues. They come up with a pact to fake date for the holidays and support one another.

Christian was SO good at being a pretend boyfriend even before the feelings, what a natural. Meg grey throughout the book at a great pace.

My favorite part was after the car scene and how fast it flipped around. Obviously the cabin was also amazing. Would have loved more smut, however, this was so cute and gave holiday so well I will let it slide!

Need to read Holiday Romance now!

I have to say this is one of the best books I’ve read in a while. I felt it was slow the first couple chapters but after that I couldn’t wait to pick it up again. The ending was predictable but it’s a romance novel so what do you expect. Wonderful book.

This book was cute. It was super easy to read and get through, and I really enjoyed it.

However, I was wishing the entire time for more of the 'snowed in' aspect of the plot. It felt like it took awhile to get to it, and once we did, it was come and gone so quickly.

But the world building and character development was well done. I even might pick up another book by the author I enjoyed the writing style a lot.

Megan and Christian are old acquaintances from the same small town. When they run into each other in Dublin, they make a pack to be a pretend couple to support each other over the holidays when they return home. Christian is tired of being the single guy in his family and Megan is tired of her reputation as the runaway bride. But when sparks fly, their pretend relationship will become real.

This is the second holiday rom com by Catherine Walsh that I've read, and I find her books to be a good balance of character driven and have propulsive plots. I get invested in her characters and I don't find them annoying (like I do in some other holiday themed books.) I would highly recommend her books as a nice read for the winter months.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

I loved this book! This wasn't my first book by Catherine Walsh and she has very quickly cemented herself a an auto buy author for me. Her books are always so good and this one was no exception!
This book was so cosy and so Christmassy ! if it isn't on your TBR yet it needs to be. The fake dating trope worked so well and was written brilliantly. I also really enjoyed the different friends and family members in the book that helped to develop the story. There were plenty of events in the story that kept it moving well without it feeling overwhelming.

I loved Megan's character traits, Particularly her love of knitting, and she knits in the car! Which lots of knitters know is one of the best places to knit!

This book linked to one of Catherine's previous books and the guest appearance from molly and Andrew was lovely- but don't worry you dint have to have read holiday romance to enjoy this book.

The ending was just beautiful and the perfect way to tie everythign together. It felt like a big warm Christmassy hug.

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

• holiday rom-com
• fake dating
• the 👏 growth 👏

This book is funny and festive with a little spice for good measure. And such likable characters! I really enjoyed all of the holiday vibes! 🎄🎁❤️ Psst it's available on KU.

🗣️ Thank you to @netgalley and @bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

I liked this! It had just the right amount of fake relationship/will-they, won't-they, holiday schmoop, and Christmas magic that I adore this time of year. Cozy & adorable! Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this book - I'll definitely revisit it again each holiday season.

The banter in this book is so fun and realistic and as soon as I started reading the exchange between Christian and and Zoe in the bar I was hooked. Fake dating is probably my favorite trope in romances. This had that as well as a little forced proximity. Family drama and a runaway bride all add to the story and make it a fun holiday read. I had not read Holiday Romance before picking this book up and I don't think it was necessary. You didn't feel like you were missing anything. But because of how much I loved Snowed In Holiday Romance has been added to my TBR.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Megan is known in her home town as the "runaway bride" having ditched her childhood sweetheart at the altar to find her feet (and herself!) in Dublin. She is planning to go home again, after 5 years, for Christmas, but is dreading the talk and ire of the townsfolk. When she bumps into Christian, a former classmate, in a bar they hatch a crazy plan - to pretend to be in a relationship to get the gossips and their families off their backs.

This was a fun, cosy seasonal romance. Full of self deprecating humour, Irish charm and romance trapped in a secluded cabin. Told from the POV of both Megan and Christian in seamless switches (no rehashing the same even from a different viewpoint), the book also explores familial relationships, the traps of small towns and teenage romances , and the darker side of why Megan left her ex.

I really enjoyed this. It's a book very much about being true to one's self, and at the same time a fun, escapist, rom-com style seasonal romance. We have the guys squabbling over a girl, we have the posh family v the wholesome down-to-earth one, we have the "omg she's gorgeous" reveal, we have the slowburn romance. Everything was just spot on romcom perfect.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of Snowed In by Catherine Walsh. I absolutely absolutely loved this book. I binged it in one day. I literally could not put it down. This was my favorite Christmas book that I read this year.