After reading and loving the author's previous book 'One Night Only', I had to pick this eARC and definitely I enjoyed the story of Luke and Abby.

Abby has just lost her job in New York and also has faced a breakup. WIth nothing remaining she comes back to her hometown in Ireland and she meets a stranger who gives her a ride home. To know who was the stranger and ow Abby spends her time in her little town, just go ahead and read the story.

Abby is the small town girl who manages to study and move away from her small town the first chance she gets. She has also not spoken to her sister in years. In her low phase of life she did not have a choice but to return home. The author has written the thoughts, the feelings and also outlined the changes she faces in her mindset very beautifully.
With secondary characters who are equally lovable and unique in their own way the reading of this story was fun. The character evolution of Abby and her internal change is very evident through the story. It is entertaining fun and romantic read. The chemistry between Luke and Abby was hot and cold in the right proportions. The sketches of the town people, the friends like Beth and Rory and Abby's sister and Brother in Law, Luke's parents .....all of these add to the fun and visual appeal of the story.

If you love to read romances that are fun entertaining with the right amount of drama then do pick this one up.

I thank the author, Bookouture and Netgalley for providing me the ARC and the thoughts and opinions expressed are all mine.
Waiting for the next book by the author.

Abby is the type of person you can't help but worry about. On an unfortunate losing streak in life she is forced to visit her sister in Ireland who she doesn't get along with in hopes of getting her life back on track. She doesn't plan or reconnecting with Luke the childhood neighbour who has definitely has grown up. It's a bumpy road back with some unexpected twists. Loved what Luke brought to the story and the relationship between the sisters that is finally addressed.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

Happy Publication Day to "The Rebound" by Catherine Walsh!
Thank you to @netgalley and @bookouture for the ARC.

Loved this book!
It's cute and funny and has a bunch of sweet characters.

When Abby'Reynolds finds herself back in her hometown of Clonard, Ireland with a bunch of suitcases and a jetlag she feels lost and ashamed.
Returning to her old life was never the plan. Abby was about to get married, she had a top job in New York and was living the high life. Untill it all came crashing down. When she suddenly ends up single, homeless and without a job Abby feels she has nowhere else to go then back home to her sister's place.

Stuck at an empty bus stop late at night after arriving in Ireland she is lucky to get offered a lift to Clonard by a stranger named Luke.
A pretty attractive guy actually.
A guy who turns out to be her former neighbour Luke Bailey. Who turned from a whimpy kid into an adonis.
And just like that her stay in Clonard might not be such a bad thing after all...

5 stars for this feel good, Irish romance story.

This book is the first I read by this author and it certainly won’t be the last!

The plot was really intriguing just as the characters. I absolutely loved Abby and Luke. The story was paced well and it was easier to get to know the characters and love them!

This was such a fun book to read!! There is something comforting in a book where the character loses everything, but doesn’t lose who she is and still manages to find love in the end.
I love the friendships that Abby found on the way of her love story, and I truly appreciate how Abby didn’t change herself to mesh with the guys she fell in love with.
Genuinely enjoyed this book and now I want to visit Ireland!

Abby Reynolds is heading back to her childhood home in Ireland, newly homeless, unemployed, and single. Everywhere she goes is Luke Bailey, literally the boy next door while growing up. Everyone in her old village still thinks she's getting married the next year and important in New York. In order to make things work with Luke, she's going to have to admit the truth.

Abby's engagement was a discussion of practical means, as was its termination weeks before the company she worked for imploded. Of course, it's embarrassing, so she doesn't say anything. Instead, she has something of a comedy of errors with Luke, who she doesn't recognize at first, and tense moments with her sister Louise. Ultimately, she does loosen up enough to tell people what's going on, make friends, and rekindle old friendships she lost track of when she left Ireland. Gradually, we find out Luke's story and why he's back in the village, and their misunderstandings about each other are cleared up. It's something that takes time to develop, but their relationship is a solid one. As much as there are still concerns in their outer lives with parents on both sides, Abby rekindling her relationship with Louise, and finding jobs, Abby is far more forthcoming with Luke than she had been with anyone else.

This book released yesterday and was a quick and easy read for me. I picked it up as my love story for Valentine’s Day. Abby and Luke’s story just made me happy. Who doesn’t want to see childhood friends fall in love after reuniting years later? It’s one of my favorite tropes.

I found myself getting super frustrated with Abby, but also understanding why she felt the need to hide things from the people around her. Luke was such an open and honest character, and it was very refreshing. I just adored him.

I loved the banter between Abby and her sister, Louise. Once they warmed up to each other, it was just hilarious to see their little joking barbs.

Thank you very much to @netgalley and @bookouture for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

I knew as soon as I started this one that I was going to like it. It was funny and light hearted but also real. I liked that Abby and her sister worked on their relationship throughout the book without just magically resolving everything. It was much more realistic that they made progress rather than fix the issues that had obviously developed over a lifetime.

Like was adorable. I pictured him as a Hemsworth brother and you can’t change my mind. Those looks and how dependable he was? Swooon.

Overall, super cute story with some substance. I would recommend it as a quick, light read.

This one fell a little short for me. Childhood friends turned lovers is a significant troop, but this one just didn't hit it home for me. Catherine Walsh's writing, of course, is always excellent, so of course, which made getting through the book even though I couldn't really love the characters much easier.

Abby leaves her home in Ireland to move to New York, where after a couple of years, she loses everything and then moves back home to see that her childhood friend grew up to be hot. I Just felt like this has been done more too many times, and I have read this type of story over and over again. I just couldn't relate to the fact that Abby just gives up and moves across the sea at the drop of a hat. Just felt like not someone I wanted to root for.

The way Catherine writes is just very intriguing, and that is what kept me reading and made me finish the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of The Rebound in exchange for my honest review. My full review with spoilers will be on my blog.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Catherine Walsh for this e-ARC.

I loved this book! It was such a light hearted, easy to read romance that kept me engaged throughout. The chapters were short and snappy which made me want to read more.

Abby was such a likeable character. I found Walsh’s narrative inviting and the way in which she developed the relationship between Abby and Luke was done brilliantly. The romance was a slow burn full of banter and chemistry.

I also enjoyed the exploration of Abby’s relationship with her sister Louise. It was realistic given what had unfolded prior to the beginning of the novel.

Walsh gave just the right amount of back story for me to be satisfied. There wasn’t any need for there to be any more detail as I feel it wouldn’t have added anything to the story.

This is my first read by Catherine Walsh and it won’t be my last. Please can we have a story about Jess and Beth!? Loved them both as side characters!

Funny, lighthearted, and well-written -- if I don't have a Luke Bailey on Valentine's Day, at least I get to read about him. The Rebound was what I needed on this February 14th. A badass, entertaining main character and a PT school-going, golden retriever (and flirty) love interest? Sign. Me Up.

Though advertised as and technically mainly a romantic comedy, the romance is not what I remember most from this book. The relationship development between the main character and her sister and the main character's self-development journey stand out more. (Don't get me wrong though. I love Luke.) As an oldest sister, Louise was extremely relatable, and she has my whole heart. All of the side characters were so well-developed which I consider highly impressive. I loved them all. (Can Rory and Sinead or Louise and Tomasz please adopt me??)

The miscommunication in the beginning did drag on a little longer than I would have liked, but I am just not a fan of the miscommunication trope in general. Objectively, it did end earlier than I've seen in some other novels, so if you also don't like the miscommunication trope, I think you'll still be fine with this.

The romance is great, and as soon as the miscommunication was cleared, I was all in with Abby and Luke's relationship. <spoiler>Do I, like Abby, also wish there was a Luke/Tyler fight scene? Mayyyyyybeeeeeee.</spoiler>

If you want a fast, cute rom-com of a book set in a small town in Ireland with lovable characters, I highly recommend The Rebound!

<i>ARC kindly provided by the publisher (Bookouture) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

#bookreview The Rebound by Catherine Walsh

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher (bookouture) for the eARC.

☺️ the good ☺️
- Set in Ireland. I love a little getaway via book form.
- Luke Bailey. I couldn’t help picturing Luke Danes from Gilmore Girls 😂 and I felt like his friendship with Abby had a lot of similarities to Luke and Lorelai.
- Abby Reynolds. Our main gal, she’s relatable and funny.


🤨 the bad 😒
- I don’t like the title after having read the book 🤷🏼‍♀️
- It’s a romance but it’s really about Abby finding herself at the same time and it was getting to the point of being no romance at all at one point which is not what I went into it thinking it was.
- It has its moments, but I wouldn’t say it’s hilarious by any means. It’s cute, but doesn’t scream romcom for me.


😍 the beautiful 😍
- Beth. I just love her. She’s so lovely. Everyone needs a friendly Beth in their town.
- Louise. Abby’s sister is the best. The friendship that develops between these two sisters is the best part of the book in my opinion. Louise is a badass.


rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
steam: 🔥
my face while reading: 🙂😃🙂

#bookstagram

The Rebound was such a fun rom-com read. And the setting in Ireland made it all the more dreamy!

Abby has been living in New York City for the past couple of years but after losing her job and a break up with her fiancé, she moves back home to her rural, small hometown in Ireland. Even though she grew up in a small town, it is a bit of a culture shock after living in the city for so long. It doesn’t help that Abby has a weird relationship with her sister and it definitely doesn’t help when Abby runs into her childhood friend, Luke and they have major chemistry. Abby is not looking for love, she is frantically looking for a new job that will get her out of her hometown. But her feelings for Luke get stronger and stronger and Abby is slowly repairing her relationship with her sister. When the time comes to leave, will Abby be ready after all?

If you love Gilmore Girls this is the book for you!
I'm sure I'm not the only reader stating this, but this is very strong Gilmore Girls vibes. Abby is basically Lorelei and Luke is well Luke haha. I would also say maybe Abby has a bit of Bridget Jones in here as well.
I loved how Walsh described Ireland and it definitely made me want to take a trip there someday.
Abby is such a relatable character. I loved how funny and sarcastic she was and also vulnerable at the same time. I can understand her resentment at returning to her hometown, especially after a cluster of unfortunate events of happened to you, which made me as a reader connect with her more. I wanted her to find her way and it was certainly fun watching her do it.
The surrounding cast of characters brighten the story. I loved all the silly situations and the dialogue here is A+!
My main complaint would be the nonexistent steam or spicy scenes. As a romance reader I have certain expectations (lol).
With that in mind, if you're looking for a book that has a great cast of characters, a beautiful setting and is hilarious I would recommend giving The Rebound a read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank-you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review this ARC.

The Rebound
4/5
This book was really fun to read. This is my second book by the author and I’m glad I gave this a chance.
I wasn’t a big fan of her previous book. But I feel like all the issues that I had with the other one was fixed here.
I really liked Abby’s character and it was nice to see her getting back on her own two feet after so many things gone wrong.
Luke was cool too. I really enjoyed hi interactions with Abby.
The setting for the story was a favorite of mine too.

This was so worth the read!

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!!! i didnt expect to like it as much as i did, but it was so so so great and i loved reading about everything and the relationship, the newfound home and family descriptions. everything. it was fab and the character development was great too

I don’t know why it has taken me this long to discover the romantic comedy genre but I am here for all the rom-com books. The Rebound takes a woman in a really crappy situation and tells her story of picking herself up, reconnecting with her old life and finding love.

Abby was living the dream in New York with a great job and her fiance. Until she wasn’t. Her employment falls through, she loses her apartment and her fiance breaks off their engagement. Without many options, Abby reluctantly moves in with her sister while she figures out her next steps. Abby isn’t a fan of her hometown and doesn’t have the best relationship with her sister but they make things work, especially when there’s Luke.

I love Abby. Her humour, aspirations and how hard she crushes on Luke - I loved it all. She’s a stellar character who kept me entertained. Her character flaws made her relatable - coming from a small town myself, I understand her need for something more than her small town can provide. Topped with building back her life and getting a job and trying to decipher her feelings for Luke, Abby is going through a lot but handles it with grace (and a lot of witty humour).

The evolution of Luke and Abby’s relationship was not a straight road - it was up and down, heading in the right diffraction before a misunderstanding became a road block. Luke was so lovable, as was Beth. I’d love to read more of Beth and I hope that The Rebound isn’t the end of her character.

Overall, this is my first Catherine Walsh book but it won’t be the last. This feel-good novel was a brilliant read and Abby’s journey of self-discovery was just as thrilling to read as her blooming relationship. The Rebound isn’t a book to be missed, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have.

The Rebound is a romantic comedy set in Ireland. The story follows our main character Abby Reynolds who grew up in rural Ireland but always dreamed of escaping the country. The story starts with Abby having to come back home after her life in New York seems to fall apart one blow after another. Once home she meets her childhood friend Luke Bailey who appears to have grown a lot since Abby last saw him. This book was fast fun romance to read which had me devouring the pages. The only downside to this book is I felt the main character was just a tad annoying but it wasn’t enough to put me off reading this and overall enjoying it. This is my first book by the author but I will definitely be checking out there other work.

Thanks to NetGalley for an e-arc.

Review of The Rebound by Catherine Walsh

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to review an eARC of this wonderful book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Rebound is a story about failure and coming home. It's not Abby's fault that her life has been falling apart for the past few months: first her fiance broke up with her and now her company is going under which leaves her without a job and without funds because workers were encouraged to put everything they had into the company bank. So now Abby is heading home to Ireland where she awkwardly interacts with her sister and her sister's husband who she hasn't had much of a chance to get to know.

Even though Abby's unfortunate situation is not really her fault, Abby feels like it is and that she has not rebounded fast enough. With friends new and old, Abby works through her feelings of failure and tries to bounce back, applying for every job she can. As Abby stretches herself to find work, she does the opposite when presented with an opportunity for love. An old friend re-enters her life leaving her wondering if she can have everything she realizes that she wants if she goes abroad again: a good job, a love story with someone who respects and cares about her, and a closer relationship with her sister. Or will she have to give one of those things up to find happiness?

What I like about this book is that readers get to meet an ambitious young woman who believes she has failed and must redeem herself around people who she believes find fault in her ambition. It’s interesting because Abby has expectations for everyone around her that aren’t always true. Additionally, I liked reading about the relationships romantic, familial, and platonic that build over the course of the novel. This book is full of surprises and the ending was wonderful.

(I’m giving it four stars out of five because the beginning felt a little slow, but I came to really love this book by the end.)

This amazing book has been published today, February 14, 2022!

4 out of 5 stars

Re-read it for Valentine's day and was liking this even more!

A good story in spite of it feeling a bit long at certain points.

Liked Luke a lot and would have loved to hear his POV too! Abby started growing on me as I read this again... The secondary characters - Louise, Tomasz, Beth and Jess were really good.

Overall a good read.