The Rebound by Catherine Walsh
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to netgalley for this e-Arc copy for my honest review.

Imagine you lose your fiancé, your home, your job all within two weeks.. stressful right!? This book tells the story of Abby & how she navigates through all of that & ends up going home to her little town in Ireland. (Which reminds me of Stars Hollow) there she runs into one of her old best friends & doesn’t even realize it’s him because he’s not that goofy young boy anymore but a hot & steamy man.

This was a fun romance book full of humor, aww moments, family, & friends.
I really enjoyed the characters and the setting. It was so fun to see that little town in Ireland.

This releases on Feb 14th, definitely check it out.

An interesting story that fits with the times. However I felt like there could have been so much more to this story than what we got. I really wanted to know what happened with the beach and if the development got built. I felt like there could have been much more character development as well. Over all it wasn't horrible it just left me wanting more.

Abby's world has fallen apart - her fiancée dumped her; her intense job with a finical monolith crumbles, taking the employees' financial everything. Finding herself single, homeless and jobless - Abby returns to her childhood home. A small rural town Abby couldn't wait to ditch - losing touch with her friends, maintaining a precarious relationship with her family. Though Abby and Louise never got along - and now Abby is living her in old bedroom, her childhood home now belonging to Louise and her husband.
Abby struggles to put herself back together - finding Beth, a cool new friend; and of course her old best friend from pre-teen days, Luke. Gorgeous, sexy, kind Luke.
How can Abby pull her life together, find a new job and get herself kicked out of her sister's house?
Sweet romcom, enjoyable read.

A newly single girl. A tall dark handsome stranger. What could go wrong?

Abby Reynolds had it all, a high flying job, a loft apartment in Manhattan and she was engaged to be married. Now she's lost it all, and she's heading back to her childhood home in Ireland, a place she always said she'd never return to, and a sister that she doesn't really get on with, who thinks she's just here for a visit. She has no clear plan as to what she's going to do next, that is until, just after leaving arrivals, she meets a guy called Luke, who offers her a lift home, maybe her luck is about to change and he's the rebound she needs to take her mind off things, what could possibly go wrong? Then she discovers he's Luke Bailey, the boy next door that she grew up with and he knows exactly who she is, but if she wants to move on with her life, and for Luke to be part of that, she has to come clean.

This book has everything you need in a romantic comedy, there's romance, fun, laughter, tears and a whole lot more besides. It's not just about romance though, it delves into friendships past and present, family members who haven't seen each other for years and struggle when they're faced with being in each other's company again, and how Abby is determined that she's not going to lose everything this time round. I adored Abby and was so invested in her journey, plus I'm a sucker for a happy ending so I was really rooting for her and Luke, and many times I just wanted to bang their heads together! I loved the whole premise of this story, it's the first I've read by this author but it certainly won't be the last.

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.

The Rebound, by Catherine Walsh, is just what you need to get you in the mood for love and romance this Valentine’s Day! It will have you laughing and crying and shouting at the characters!

Abby has had no choice but to return home to Ireland from New York, where she has been living and working for the past few years. Her entire life was there, her home, her job, her fiance and her friends. Now she is left with nothing. Staying with her sister, who she doesn’t really get on with, and having to face familiar faces in the village who all know why she’s had to come back, Abby sets about rebuilding her life.

Most of the characters in The Rebound are lovable in their own way. Abby and her sister Louise are very different people and have never really got on with each other, but this changes as the story progresses and in their own way, each of them is there for the other, because who can you rely on, if you can’t rely on family. I loved Beth, Abby’s newfound friend, and they often tried to put the world to rights over a glass (or three) of wine!

The Rebound is just a lovely, happy, flirty, sexy read and will leave you with a warm feeling inside when you’ve finished it. Settle back in front of the fire on a cold winter’s evening and disappear into the Irish countryside with Abby and her friends.

I was lucky enough to be part of Books on Tour for this, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Rebound by Catherine Walsh.

*Updated and posted*
I got to read as an ARC, courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review… Initially I forgot about the February 14th publish date, and kept pushing reading off. And alas, I was only at page 30 this morning when I started binge reading. Binge reading in between doing other activities, and watching the Super Bowl. So here I am at 2:20 am writing another sleep hazed review. Sit back for a wild ride, and ignore my improper grammar. Now that I’ve disclaimed let’s dive in.

Minor spoilers ahead?

The ReBound features a slow burn romance. It starts out a little slow as well, but just keep reading. The character development/relationships are worthwhile. Plus who doesn’t love a foreign country romance?

Abby Reynolds has hit rock bottom. She lost her job, her home, and her fiancé all within the matter of a month. It was in that moment that she decided to visit her sister in her childhood home in Ireland. She and her sister have a rocky relationship at best, but Abby has no other options. Things continued going poorly when she got stranded at a bus stop, with a practically dead phone. It was luck, or maybe fate, that landed her with a hot stranger, who offered to take her home.

Fast forward, it was no stranger at the bus stop. It was her childhood friend, and neighbor, Luke Bailey. While Abby was away, Luke hit puberty and turned into a sexy manly man. He’s the perfect hero, always helping others. There’s a small problem, Luke (and Abby’s entire family), thinks that she’s engaged. This puts a damper on things. They go from strangers, to friends, to anger, to ?

Abby discovers herself in her small hometown over the course of the novel. Reevaluates her life, as she hunts for a new job. Abby and her sister work on their relationship. She reunites with old friends, makes new friends, and even joins her sisters “Save the Ocean” project. She gets her job offer, and her ex Tyler shows up just in time to ruin the day. Now she just needs to decide what and who she wants in her future.

Happy publish day! This romance was rompy and fun, and everything I have ever wanted from a rural small-town Ireland boy-next-door romance. Coming to shelves just in time for Valentine's Day, this is not one to miss.

I was really looking forward to reading this. It had so much potential and sounded like the perfect chick-lit, but, alas, I was left feeling a little meh at the end.

Now don’t get me wrong, this is a cute romcom and definitely great for Valentine’s Day or any day you are looking for an escape, I just didn’t connect that well with the mc.

It started off brilliantly, easy to read, an mc I thought I’d like (I did at first), supporting characters that were fun and/or interesting. Great relationships beginning/renewing, as well as an “I-carried-a-watermelon” vibe to it, so I was enjoying it.

However, as the book went on, I started to get annoyed with Abby (the mc). There was a particular moment at which she talks about her relationship with her sister stating they weren’t friends, but getting along better! For me, I was gutted for the sister, Louise especially after the news she shared. It felt like a sweet bonding moment, but Abby’s response was cold. She came across as very selfish & self-centred.

I’m starting to think I prefer multiple POVs as I wanted to hear more from/about Luke. The relationship between Abby & Luke was more a footnote than a focal point. I don’t know, I just found it lacking.

There are plenty of adorable moments (the tree being one), loveable characters and the cute, idyllic Irish village setting that make it a good read. I just wish Abby was a little more likeable and we had more Luke.

Thank you NetGalley & Bookouture for the arc ebook in return for my honest review.

What a wonderful read this was. The reader will know from the beginning how it is going to end but the journey there is wonderfully written, sometimes funny, sometimes sad but very enjoyable. My favourite aspect of the story is Abby's relationship with her sister Louise and how over the course of the book they find each other again.

Thank you Catherine Walsh, the publishers and Netgalley for the chance to read this lighthearted story that is perfect escapism.

As a lover of romance books, this was right up my street. I enjoyed how the book was set up, with the descriptions of Ireland, the family dynamics and the kindness of strangers. Abby did annoy me at some points (especially during the lies!) but I think that shows how involved you become into the characters so quickly and how you can relate - or not - to them. This book is a love story that also follows difficult family relationships including fertility issues. Difficult issues were raised in a sensitive way that again, you felt like you were there with the characters in real life. A great book from Catherine - perfect to read quickly and dip in and out of. Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Abby’s company crashed, so did her job and her engagement. From being a happening New Yorker she was reduced to a homeless, jobless, and friendless person.

She did the only thing possible for her. Go back home to a sister whom she did not like, to a small inconsequent town in Ireland.

But then fate has other plans for her. Maybe that job and that guy were never meant for her.
It’s a very cute story. And the Irish background with sea and mountains just add to the overall charm of the story.

The story was fast-paced with interesting events happening all the time. Although Abby eventually found love, I liked that she was strong-minded and independent enough to not keep clinging to it and running behind that love.

She essentially got so many things done, met up with old friends, made new friends, sorted her relationship with her sister, and of course found another great job.

Overall this story and its characters set me in the right mood for Valentine ’s Day and I immensely enjoyed this unraveling of Abby to her roots and family.

Romance story lovers are in for a treat, especially those looking for a happily ever after ending.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC and happy publishing day to Catherine Walsh and the publishing team for The Rebound.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Rebound by Catherine Walsh was a really fun light-hearted romance full of funny moments that had me laughing time and time again. The characters were likable and I really loved that the story was set in small town Ireland. The whole town of people were honestly so lovely and it was so lovely to read about the community supporting each other. I really loved reading about Abby and Luke's relationship blossoming as they got to know each other again. This was definitely a slow burn romance, and I really enjoyed it! I will definitely be looking out for anything else that this author writes in the future.

Oh, my heart! I adored this book. It was darling! It had me laughing and swooning. Catherine Walsh is a new favorite! Having a pub date on Valentine's Day is perfect for this book. I'd reread this book over and over again. If you love romantic comedies, do yourself a favor and do not miss this one!

I have mixed feelings about this one. I needed a romcom. I just came off a string of back to back to back deadlines (with one left to go) at work and I was looking for some fun and romance in Ireland.

<img src="https://howwelead.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/bigstock-206564650.jpg"/>

Escape to the romantic emerald isle of Ireland!

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Luke and Abby were adorable together in the first chapter, and I loved the sizzle between Beth and Jess! But what gives with the bounding rubber ball that was Abby and Luke? I literally groaned and turned off my ereader when I got to that second "Oh no, we can't have sex because...." epiphany (no spoilers here!)

Abby is definitely one messed up heroine! Will they or won't they is the question you keep asking yourself throughout this story.... kind of like a few famous couples we all know and loved:

<img src="https://goldenageoftelevision.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/sitcom-couples.jpg"/>

Catherine Walsh does write well, but this story was a tad unstructured. It was as if the author had pieced together a bunch of different stories and events to make one incoherent book. It took me a while to get through this one because despite the odd interesting character popping up, and the decent dialogue, the action kept getting interrupted or postponed. I have to say that the blurb made this story sound so much more intriguing than it actually was. I'm giving this a 3 out of 5 because there were a few interesting sections, and Catherine Walsh can write quite the juicy make out scene!

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My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really cute read! It had me smiling throughout the book, I loved it! I enjoyed the setting and it really made me want to go to Ireland. All the characters were loveable as well! I also loved that it didn't simply focus on the relationship between Luke and Abby, but it also focused on Abby's relationship with her sister too. I definitely would recommend this if you want a quick, fun read!

Abby’s life is a mess so she is just looking for a break. She isn’t looking for love but when she meets Luke that all could change. Maybe he isn’t just a rebound?
I adored this book filled with both laughs and tears. I just really liked seeing the characters change and grow and figure out what they want and what they need and how they’re willing to get it.

The cutest page turner, perfect for this month of February!

Ok, so the first thing I thought when I started reading this book was.. “NO, don’t get into a car with a stranger! What if he’s a murderer ?” Then I remembered I wasn’t reading that kind of book. 😂
But seriously, ladies.. don’t be taking rides home with people you don’t know.
The sweetest characters, the sweetest romance..
I loved the writing, the story, the character development. Cannot wait to read more from this author!!

I honestly really enjoyed this book.
The relationship didn’t feel forced and I actually liked the protagonist! That doesn’t happen too often.
Have to admit, though, I’m not a fan of her sister. Or how everyone was like ‘Golly goo, you were the golden child and now you are nothing.’ Good lord. Boo Hoo. Sometimes people make mistakes.
I really enjoyed the way she seemed to have found herself or a way for herself to actually be happy and live! Abby totally deserved that.

I would totally recommend you read it if you’re an NA contemp fan!

A big city girl returns to her small town after losing everything with her tail between her legs, only to be met by a handsome stranger offering to drive her home. Only is he a stranger?…😏

As if I needed more reason to cement Catherine Walsh onto my auto-read list! This was such an easy and enjoyable read for me, which ticked all my boxes.

The cast was bursting with amazing characters and each one was memorable and well developed. Everyone had their own individuality and place in a way that felt purposeful and not just that it was for filler. Beth I related to on a spiritual level I too can talk for England 😂 I also really loved seeing the development of the sibling relationship as Abby and Louise learn to be in one another’s company again, it was an unexpected storyline that was really heartwarming. 🥺

The pacing of the romance in my opinion was perfect and I didn’t find myself bored at any point which is hard to do! Luke was obviously perfection I think I will just be in love with anyone written by Ms Walsh from now on if this is anything to go by 😍 Just keeps getting better!

Go buy now!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC ❤️

This was a fun light romance about a woman who returns to her hometown in Ireland after losing her job in New York. She needs to figure out her relationships with the people from her past and decide what to do with her future, while also having met a handsome stranger who turns out to be a friend from her childhood.

While this was not my favourite novel of the genre and the characters definitely lacked in personality, I did like the general feel of the book and especially how close to me Abby's issues felt - sometimes in romantic books the main problem which pushes the plot is so farfetched, but I found myself nodding along to some of the feelings Abby was describing, rational or not, all the same, very human.

I enjoyed spending a couple of hours with the book, so I would recommend it to fans of the romance genre!