I LOVED this book! LOVED! This is the PERFECT holiday book. The banter, the chemistry, everything about this is absolutely perfect. Yes please!! 5 🌟

Megan hasn't been back home in 5 years- since she ran out on her wedding and moved to Dublin. She has been seen as the town pariah since and has no reason to show her face again until her mom insists she comes for Christmas since her brother Aiden will also be in town. Cue Christian- hometown bad boy who witnessed her running out on her wedding and happens to run into her in Dublin right before her trip home. They decide to take the pressure off both of them that they will accompany each other home as a "couple."

What I liked: Megan, Christian, Christmas setting and the banter- OH and the spice :)
What I disliked: the almost cheesy Hallmarky way that all the characters in her home town were snarky and holding onto grudges five years later and that her former fiance kept insisting they talk. And also the reasoning that she left him in the first place, as it seemed kinda anti-climatic and not sure why she even got dressed for the wedding anyway if was that resolute, ha!
All in all, cute holiday read and thankful I got to read it early!! Thanks Netgalley!

Megan has been hiding from her hometown for four years. She was a runaway bride, leaving the village golden boy at the alter unexpectedly. Now that she has to return to visit her family for the holidays, she is dreading the whispers and the questions. Luckily, she runs into Christian, an acquaintance from her hometown. The two of them cook up a fake dating scheme that will allow them to lean on each other for those tough moments at home. Only the fake dating starts to feel too good and they begin to fall for one another as they navigate their family and hometown drama.

I enjoyed this book from the start! This is the second book I've read by Catherine Walsh and I am looking forward to reading more of her work. There is such a delightful quality to her books and they have a true rom com quality to them.

Megan and Christian have great chemistry and it makes their fake dating ploy more believable. I was interested to see how Megan's past would affect them falling for one another. For a good portion of the first half of the book, the mystery surrounding Megan's runaway bride situation was in a cloud of mystery. When it was finally revealed, I felt sad that Megan had to isolate herself because of a decision that she made in the name of what was best for her. Christian was an sweet hero, taking care of Megan when she needed it most.

This book is as much about the relationships between the main characters and the supporting characters. All of the family and townspeople in the book played an important role of why Megan and Christian were so guarded towards others. I am glad that they went on a journey of healing and resolving their conflicts so they could be in a place to accept love.

Pick up this book for a fun, adorable, and sometimes steamy holiday romance!

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥
⚠️: toxic romantic relationship

💭 ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
A solid holiday read. This has all the feels and coziness you want in a holiday romance. I loved both Megan and Christian. I loved their banter. I'm a big fan of the fake dating trope; making this evil pact that never goes as planned. I was rooting for Megan from the start, I instantly felt there would be more to the runaway bride than met the eye. I did see most of the twists coming, but like the cliches of Christmas romance, I loved it. A bit deeper topics where added to make both MC more relatable. Such a heartwarming, quick and light read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Holiday Romance
Multiple POVs
Fake Dating
Close Proximity Romance

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘔𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴. 𝘚𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘩, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦-𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘐𝘴𝘢𝘢𝘤 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢. 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳.

𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘴. 𝘏𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 , 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺’𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘥 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱. 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦.

𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘔𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘋𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘶𝘣, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳.

I read this book because I enjoyed Holiday Romance. This book was very enjoyable, and I wish that Catherine Walsh would become a more popular author! :)

It follows the "fake relationship" trope with Megan asking former bad boy Christian to go to their hometown for Christmas as a couple. Megan hasn't been home for Christmas since being a runaway bride at her wedding and has been deemed the one at fault. The truth does eventually come out for Megan, and as predicted, sparks definitely fly between Megan and Christian.

The ending of this one was cute, and it does help to have previously read Holiday Romance but isn't necessarily. I definitely recommend this book!

Catherine Walsh can always be relied upon to provide an engrossing read and this book is no exception. Got to love a Christmas read!

This was one of the cutest book I’ve read this year!
Even though we’re still a bit away from Christmas I really can’t wait to feel the holiday spirit, and this book was just perfect to start putting me in the right mood.
The chemistry between the couple was obvious from the first pages and it was executed divinely. Also very appreciated was the fact that there wasn’t too much unnecessary drama.
All in all this was one of those books that you can’t put down and that leaves a stupid smile on your face.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved this story! It's such a fun read. Megan ran out on the hometown golden boy on their wedding day and hasn't returned since then. Christian is tired of his family feeling sorry for him being single during the holidays. Then Christian and Megan bump into each other at a pub in Dublin. They were classmates growing up and haven't seen each other since the day that Megan ran away from her wedding. Since they're both from the same hometown they agree to pretend to be dating so they can have support when they return for Christmas. Once they return they are dealing with friends, families, old flames and a bit of drama. This was a fun Christmas rom com. I loved everything about it from the characters, the friendships, and the story of them getting back together as they see their families and face Megan's friends who she hasn't seen since she ran out on her wedding. It was laugh out loud funny in several scenes. Also, Molly and Andrew were featured in a previous story of Catherine Walsh's so I need to go back and read that as well. This was a warm and cozy, fun Christmasy read.

Thanks to Bookouture, Catherine Walsh and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed reading this book! Definitely gets you in the Christmas spirit. After reading this I also want to be in a cabin while it is snowing outside ❄️
Thanks for my ARC!

I cannot stress enough how much I absolutely adored the quick, witty, smart dialogue in this book 🥲

The characters fly off the page. Their chemistry is written so well. Their relationship with each other, family, and friends is so relatable and refreshing 💯

If there is one holiday book you read this year, let it be this one ❣️

There’s some type of magic sauce Catherine Walsh puts in her books. BRB while I go read her entire backlist 🧐

Read if you like:

✏️Childhood classmates to lovers
💕Fake dating
😇Good girl falls for bad boy
👰‍♀️Runaway bride
🇮🇪Ireland
❄️Forced proximity
💧Hot tubs
🥗Vegetarians
👩‍👦Your siblings
❣️Grand gestures
👚Homemade knitted sweaters

Two-for-two for me reading [a:Catherine Walsh|21519231]. I don’t know why she doesn’t have more readers - I really liked [b:The Matchmaker|70239752] and, after similarly enjoying [b:Snowed In|195487194], I’m going to make a point to get through her older stuff.

Five years after leaving her fiancé at the altar (and after five years in exile, thanks to her new status as most-hated for breaking golden boy Isaac’s heart) Megan finally runs out of excuses not to visit her hometown for Christmas. She’s skeptical, nervous and maybe a little intrigued when she runs into Christian, who she grew up with and who can’t stand the pitying looks he gets from family as the only singleton at the table, and agrees to his proposal they go as a (fake) couple. Cue awkward run-ins with Megan’s ex, skepticism from Megan’s brother and Christian’s sister, and a growing attraction (or maybe more) they can’t keep ignoring.

Snowed In is a cozy, sexy holiday escape. Nobody has a terrible family, a reputation is rehabilitated, the ex gets what’s coming to him and there’s lots and lots of gorgeous snow for a white Christmas. We have fake dating, FWB, a cinnamon roll MMC, a snarky (but not mean) FMC.

CW: Controlling relationship (mostly in the past)

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Yikes this was far too steamy for my preference!! I can handle some steamy content, but the spice over shadowed the plot in certain aspects

Old friends. Fake dating. New flames?

rating: 4.5/5⭐️
genre: holiday romance
pages: 384
pub date: Nov 1, 2023

It may have been 70 degrees yesterday, but there’s potential snow in the forecast for next week so it seems to be the perfect time to review this holiday ARC!

This wintery rom-com follows Christian and Megan, both dreading returning home single for the holidays. This book is a fake-dating trope done right! The story is filled with adorable banter, undeniable chemistry, and a heartwarming storyline. I love it when I find myself invested in supporting characters, and this romance did just that. I have no doubt it will be the holiday read of 2023!

Thank you to netgalley, Catherine Walsh, and Bookouture for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is fake-dating done right! I LOVED THIS BOOK! Put it on your Christmas reading list now. You won't regret it.

Quick summary: Megan is going home for the first time since she left her fiancé at the altar 4 years ago. Christian is tired of being the only one solo for his family Christmas. Megan and Christian grew up in the same town and bump into each other in Dublin. There is instant chemistry. Then they decide to go back home as a couple for Christmas to help each other.

Now the good stuff. This is the best fake-dating book I've read. There was never a point where I was yelling "just tell her/him how you feel", and that usually happens in every fake-dating book. Christian and Megan are attracted to each other from the start, and the more time they spend together and learn about each other, they both realize that they are dealing with real feelings. And they both happily admit it, at the same time! And it's so beautiful.

"I've been searching for something my whole life, and nothing's ever clicked. And I think it's because I was looking for you."

SWOON

As mentioned, the characters have amazing chemistry. Their banter is fun. And their support for each other is so heartwarming. Christian promises to be there for Megan if she needs him in any situation while facing some not-so-friendly faces at home, and he does just that.

Catherine Walsh, thank you for writing this book for us to enjoy.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me an ARC of this book.

Disclaimer: there is an open door scene. If you prefer zero spice, you may want to pass on this one.

This is the holiday book I’ve been waiting for ALL YEAR and I was SO happy when Catherine announced she’d be writing Christians story.

Okay I knew I’d love it, because I love everything Catherine writes, and I would read her grocery list, but I can’t believe how polished and effortless the story felt. I sat down to start reading, giving myself about 30 mins of read tjme before bed and the next time I checked the time it was almost 1am and I’d devoured most of the book in one sitting. These days it RARELY happens that I literately can’t put a book down (being an overworked and tired mama) but I mean it when I say I couldn’t put it down, and I got lost in Megan and Christians sweet and romantic story.

It’s set in the same world as Holiday Romance which Catherine released in 2022, so I HIGHLY recommend picking that up first (it’s also on KU), but then run and pick up Snowed In because it’s just as magical if not more so. I loved how much more of Ireland we got to see and all the depth of the story including meeting his family again.

I laughed and I cried, and honestly I might try and squeeze in another read through closer to Christmas because I loved it. ❄️ all the stars.

Thanks so much for the arc - all thoughts and opinions are mine!

This holiday romance is a heartwarming story that perfectly captures the essence of the season. Megan and Christian are wonderfully flawed characters who, despite being strong individuals on their own, find solace and companionship in each other's company.

The fake dating trope is executed beautifully, and it adds a delightful layer of charm to the story. The pact they make to be there only for the season , sets the stage for a festive and heartwarming adventure.

The way Walsh weaves together family gatherings, old friends, old flames, and old feelings is both melancholic and relatable. The story beautifully highlights the societal and family pressures that many of us can relate to during the holiday season.

The setting of a snowed-in cabin adds an extra layer of enchantment to the narrative, making it a truly captivating read. "Snowed In" is like a Hallmark movie in book form, filled with warmth and holiday cheer.

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone with a romantic heart, looking for a feel-good story that's perfect for the holiday season. Catherine Walsh has created a gem that will surely warm your heart and leave you with a smile.

The cutest Christmas rom com! Fake dating is always one of my favorites. You definitely want to pick this up November 1st, it will start your holiday season off right!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Another winner from Catherine Walsh! Christian and Megan were absolutely adorable together- a gem of a pair. The backstory of Megan's was interesting and compelling. Family dynamics always fun. If you love the fake dating romance trope, you will LOVE this book! The transition from fake dating to real dating was believable and the chemistry...so good. It is open door, so keep that in mind when reading! I really want to check out the backstory as well, but this can definitely be read as a standalone! Just a fun wintertime read.
Thanks to #Netgalley and #Bookouture for the ARC.

I've loved every Catherine Walsh book I've read, but I think they just keep getting better and better.
A runaway bride to fake dating the hometown hottie from highschool, what is there not to love!
There were a few surprises, fun banter, anger knitting and a bit of steam amongst the snow.
Five stars on this Christmas tree!

𝙎𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙄𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝘾𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙝
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This was my first dab in holiday books for the season and it sure did not disappoint! I absolutely loved this rom-com and all it’s holiday feels 🥰

To start I was so excited that this took place in Ireland! The story initially starts in Dublin then moves back to a small village where the two main characters, Megan and Christian, grew up. It has the small town vibes, fake dating, dual POV, forced proximity, family conflict, spice and all the banter!

I loved every single one of the family members and their roles in challenging Megan and Christian’s relationship. I enjoyed the personal challenges each character had to overcome with themselves and others and the stronger bonds that were formed in the end due to them.

My absolute favorite part of the entire book is the time Megan and Christian had alone in the cabin and I could have read so many more chapters of more days spent there!

This truly was the perfect cozy holiday read and should be on anyone’s holiday TBR who loves a good Christmas romance 🎄❤️

Thank you Bookouture, Net Galley and Catherine Walsh for the ARC copy of this wonderful book!

*Will be posted on Instagram on release day (Nov. 1st)