Member Reviews
4 ⭐️
Okay, if you haven’t read a book by Catherine Walsh yet what are you doing?
This is my third by her ( plus a little novella in between Holiday Romance and Snowed In) and I loved them all.
I don’t even love romance. But I love her banter, her characters and the Irish settings. I will just keep reading whatever books she writes.
I had such a blast with this one!
This delivered on exactly what it said it would: a banter-y winter romcom with fake dating and forced proximity. I loved Megan like I love all of Walsh's quirky, funny protagonists, and Christian just might be my favorite of her male characters. I also loved the blend of trickier family/relationship themes, with the lightheartedness.
This winter read is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Emily Henry!
So grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc--I can't wait to get a hardcopy!
4.25 🌟
I love Catherine Walsh and her holiday books. After reading (+ loving) Holiday Romance, I couldn't wait to get my hands on Snowed In.
This book is everything you'd expect a Walsh book to be. Characters you fall in love with, perfect winter setting in Ireland and no random miscommunication. WIN-WIN-WIN
While this is a stand alone book, I suggest reading Holiday Romance first.
Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!
This is a solid 3.5/5, but I couldn't bring myself to round up to 4 stars on my rating. This is my first Catherine Walsh book and I wasn't disappointed! Although you do not need to read Holiday Romance in order to jump into this book, I couldn't help but feel like maybe if I had read it first, I would be more attached to some of these side characters already.
What to Expect
✨Fake dating
✨Holiday romance
✨Small town
✨Runaway bride
✨Protective MMC
What I Liked
It was a great cozy, winter romance. I could see myself curling up with this book on a snowy day in December with hot chocolate and reading it in one sitting. Not easy to get into the Christmas spirit in the middle of October, but it did a very good job.
I liked Christian as an MMC. He was romantic and protective. Going back to their small town, there was a lot to protect Megan from and it made me happy to see Christian jumping into the middle of it, not knowing that it was because he was developing real feelings for his fake girlfriend. It's the best part of any fake-dating trope.
No third-act misunderstanding! Instead, there was a stead climb throughout the book of Megan and Christian's feelings for each other. Even though they fell in love in approx. a week and a half, it seemed natural. Usually, I am opposed to week long insta-love, but I have come to expect it out of holiday books/movies. They can't start their romance any earlier than December and it can't end any later than New Years, so I get it.
What I Didn't Like
I was waiting the whole time for them to actually get "Snowed In" and for some forced proximity to take this romance to a new level. It eventually does, but not until you're 70% through the book and the main characters have already fallen for each other. It does result in some good spicy scenes, but really wasn't what I was expecting with the title of this book.
I do feel like I missed out a little bit by not having read Holiday Romance. The side characters were focused on more than I expected. Not knowing who they were already, I wasn't attached to them, nor did I have a feel for their humor/sarcasm. It threw me off a few times where I felt like they were coming off as kind of mean and uptight (Andrew) because I haven't seen the other side of them or understood their type of banter.
Overall, I would recommend this if you're looking for a quick holiday read. It was fun and cozy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with the early copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.
This review will be posted to Goodreads and Barnes & Noble on 10/17. Review content will also be shared to my Instagram @_bookish.brittany. The review will be posted to Amazon and re-shared on Instagram on release day, 11/1, to remind followers that it is available to read.
I LITERALLY FINISHED THIS WITHIN 12HRS. It is SO good! I have two small toddlers so I couldn’t knock it out in one session, but I STRUGGLED to put it down. 5 stars for sure
I totally LOVED Snowed In! If you want the most romantic Christmas story with absolutely gorgeous characters, read this! I was so sad when I came to the end, I may have to read it again at Christmas.
WOWWW this was such an amazing read 😍
I laughed, I swooned, I felt deep empathy for the characters and wholeheartedly rooted for them. "Snowed in" was the perfect holiday romance to start the season with (a bit early perhaps, but I was so glad to have found this gem that I didn't mind).
Megan and Christian were wonderful protagonists, both with fully developed personalities and individual hopes and struggles that had nothing to do with the romantic plot. I adored them both alone, but together they were something else entirely. The chemistry was off the charts, with laugh-out-loud funny banter, the open and emotional communication of my dreams and spicy scenes that were equally hot and vulnerable.
"Snowed in" contains some popular tropes such as fake dating and forced proximity, but Catherine Walsh's take on them felt like a breath of fresh air in the romance genre.
I highly recommend that you read this book and fall in love with Megan and Christian yourself!
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an arc!
A sweet Christmas book, starting when Megan skips out on her wedding to Isaac.
Meeting up with an old school friend, Christian, in Dublin he convinces her to have a 'fake relationship' with him, making returning to her village at Christmas a little easier.
The storyline is predictable, but it's a pleasant journey to get there.
A perfect story for a cold winter afternoon.
What a breath of fresh air! What I loved:
~A main character who has had relationship trauma in the past, but who has DONE THE WORK, with the help of time and a good therapist. She has become able to stand up for herself and be an equal partner in all of her relationships!
~No ridiculous, contrived conflicts to manipulate the drama. There is normal, real-life drama, mainly centered around family relationships.
~The main characters COMMUNICATE with each other, and don’t play mind games. It is SO refreshing to see healthy relationships represented!
~These two main characters are FUNNY! They are dry and sarcastic…so much, that a few times I had to go back and reread to make sure I was “getting it.” They played SO WELL off each other, without missing a beat! This is my favorite kind of humor!!
This is maybe a weird image, but while I was reading it, I felt like I was floating peacefully in a lazy river. The story flowed at a great pace, and the twist and turns were graceful, not jarring. It was just such a satisfying read!
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that I could simply say I loved. There was nothing I *didn’t* like, and I would change nothing! I highly recommend! This is my first time reading this author, but I will NOT be the last!! And I will definitely reread this one!
A cute story with some of my favorite tropes. I loved the setting. I loved the families. I didn’t feel the connection between the main characters like I wanted to but enjoyed the story.
this was such a fun, sweet, awesome Holiday Romance sequel!!! Megan and Christian are so freaking cute together, I love their connection from the very beginning. They seem to really get each other, or be able to have the patience, time, and care to give the other as they figure themselves out. I love a good fake dating trope, and they’re something about a holiday fake dating story that is just so fun and festive. I love how both Megan and Christians families love them in their own round-about, messy family way (feels very authentic). And I especially loved how Megan’s family protects her and defends her past decisions to their small local town where everyone gossips about everything.
I loved seeing Megan and Christian find such trust, patience, kindness, acceptance and love with each other, especially when they’re snowed in a romantic holiday cabin, to be able to find their happiness with each other.
thank you for the arc!!!
I have received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. So thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!
I mean how can one not love fake dating and forced proximity? Come on!
This help me get into the winter/Christmas spirit even though it’s a little early for it.
I always love fake dating romances and this was no exception.
4/5
I thoroughly enjoyed Snowed In. It had great chemistry between Megan and Christian, excellent banter, well developed relationships and I loved the sibling banter/relationships too.
I smiled throughout and have already downloaded another book by the author..
What a lovely book! It keeps you engaged, entertained and hooked to the story! It is full of depth, fun (because the characters have a great sense of humor, I love the puns) and it is very authentic and realistic. Megan is a really sweet girl, and you just can’t help falling in love with Christian yourself (Christian at the fundraiser - swoon!).
I like that Megan and Christian don’t just decide to be each other’s fake date after five minutes, but that there’s serious thinking involved. It makes the story realistic. I like them discussing it at length. The pace of the book is just right. Megan and Christian have great chemistry. Their romance is not forced or rushed but develops beautifully.
The secondary characters are also fun and interesting. I just didn’t get why Aidan was grumpy so often. I really like Zoe and her sense of humor!
I love Christian’s talk with his brother Andrew. This book just makes you smile!
Megan and Christian texting about random thoughts - hilarious!
I love the many puns and that sometimes they get back to a specific inside joke. But at the same time the book is also serious and handles trust issues, growth, insecurity, how you can be tagging along on a life journey when you suddenly realize that that’s not what you want. It is a very honest story, very real, funny, serious but not heavy. I can highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I have no doubt you will, too!
Thank you Netgalley, Catherine Walsh and Bookouture for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I will read anything Catherine Walsh writes. Give me the phone book, penned by Catherine Walsh, and I guarantee I'll be kicking up my legs and giggling. The banter! The tension!! The complete LACK of a third act break up! Inject these Irish romcoms straight into my veins.
This novel is standalone-ish - you could totally read it on its own, but you will be happier if you also read Holiday Romance, as many characters appear in both. Read this first, read it second, who cares - just read them both! Megan is such a badass character, letting herself be vulnerable but not completely bowled over by other peoples bad behavior. And Christian is giving non-toxic masculinity to the extreme. These two could not be lovelier. I believe in love again!!! JK but I believe in love for Megan O'Sullivan and Christian Fitzpatrick specifically.
5 stars. Read this on literally any day of the year but especially on a cold winter day, curled up with a cuppa and snuggled into a blanket. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.
Shouldn’t expect anything but perfection from Catherine Walsh! Another Holiday Romance to rival all the others out there!! Fake dating?!? Sign me up! Absolutely recommend to anyone looking for a laugh out loud rom-com with a touch of poignancy.
I loved this book. A easy read fake dating romance. I have read a few of her books and all of them have been brilliant. The way she writes her books make it easy to follow the story. Amazing book. The two main characters are very different and I really enjoyed them.
This is going to be the holiday book of the season! A friends to romance book! So so sooooo good! I couldn't put it down!
Over the last couple of years, I've become such a huge fan of Catherine Walsh's writing. It started with Holiday Romance and from there I gobbled up every single book she had out. It feels fitting that the book that I would be given an ARC of through NetGalley would be her latest holiday book. What an absolute literary treat it is to read a rom-com novel done so incredibly well. I will be a fan forever! This "fake" relationship that honestly never felt "forced or faked" was pure gold. I don't always think the faking it trope works because not all writers can spell out the chemistry quite right. In Snowed In, Megan and Christian simmer from their first meeting in the book (although they have known each other nearly all their life). Banter, Banter, Banter... its another absolute plus in this book... the innuendo and the teasing coupled with the sarcasm feels like what a real couple would do. At least in my world... sarcasm is MY love language! I cannot wait until the audiobook version comes out so I can hear the gorgeous Irish brogue. There are layers of pain in this story from both main characters and I loved how the layers get revealed slowly over the course of the story to explain so many of the motivations of our MMC and FMC. It's a holiday novel but it really is a love story that I will cherish over an over!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
Steam Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (very descriptive open door scene)
Trigger Warning: controlling relationship recounted
Megan O'Sullivan became the town pariah when she ran from her wedding to Isaac Quinn five years ago. Now she's about to head home for the holidays for the first time since her ruined nuptials, and it's something she'd love to avoid. That's where Christian Fitzpatrick comes in. When these former schoolmates run into each other one night, Christian proposes a perfect plan. They'll go home together as a fake couple so that he won't be the only single person at his house, and so Megan has someone to defend her when Isaac's friends come around. But when the line between real and fake begins to blur, these two will be forced to confront their growing feelings and decide if they want to make this thing between them real.
Another excellent romance from Catherine Walsh! After briefly meeting the mischievous flirt Christian in Holiday Romance, we got to see his romantic, protective side in this story. I absolutely loved him! Watching him convince Megan to be his fake girlfriend and then taking care of her on multiple occasions was so swoony. These two had instant chemistry right from the start, and I loved how Megan surprised Christian with her flirty, playful side. This was definitely the spiciest book from Catherine Walsh, but it did match the characters and didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. Be aware, though, that despite the name of the book, the snowed in portion of the story is very minimal. I promise you won't even be upset since there's so much goodness packed into the rest of the story. If you enjoyed Holiday Romance, then definitely pick this one up to continue the story and fall in love with another Fitzpatrick man!
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.