I liked it. It's a friends to lovers slow burn romantic comedy. It was funny at times. I did enjoy the characters. Good character development. I thought Abby and Luke were good together though they fought a lot. My biggest issue is too much unnecessary drama with the couple. I'm starting to really hate miscommunication tropes. One book does not need like 4 miscommunications. Their drama was over the smallest, dumbest things. It really dragged with the repetition. I did like the book and would try more from the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC!

3.5-4 Stars

I think this was a lovely and deep story that can resonate with many people. I loved the setting, the characters (mainly Abby) and the ending was a wonderful surprise.

In my opinion, I felt like this was more like a contemporary romance than a romantic comedy.

Abby is on a quest of finding herself after she endures some life altering events. She finds herself at a crossroad and in the midst of that she reconnects with herself, her sibling, a childhood friend and making a new friend. They all have an impact on her decisions and builds a bond with each of them that she will forever cherish. Each character had their own HEA which I don't see often in other stories and I loved it.

Abby has just lost everything back in New York - her job, her apartment and her fiancé.
Now broke and single, she's returned to Ireland stay with her sister, who she doesn't really get on with, while she makes a plan and finds a new job back in NY.

Stuck at the bus station, a gorgeous hot guy saves her by giving her a lift to the rural village.
Hot guy Luke could be exactly the rebound she needs!
Only the next day she realises Luke is the boy-next-door that she grew up with and he knew who she was instantly.

The Rebound is a cute rom-com set in rural Ireland.
Its told from just Abby's point of view but I would have loved to have read it from Luke's side too.

There are some funny and cringey moments. tThere are also some sexy scenes.

I love how the relationships grow during the story, especially with Abby and her sister Louise.

Overall, if you like rom-com's its a great book to pick up.

The Rebound
by Catherine Walsh
4.5 stars

Abby got dumped by her fiancé, lost her job, and had nowhere to live. She returns to her hometown in Ireland with her sister whom she is not close with at all. When she first gets there, she meets an attractive guy with all that she lies to her sister because she has too much pride and feels embarrassed.
Abby grows she slowly learns that she is a hard ass and doesn't like to back down or have anyone see her as weak, which can be a downfall. It is nice to see her learn she can open up to her sister and how their relationship grows stronger. The attractive guy turns out to be Luke a kid she grew up with and he's just as stubborn as she is but a little better at letting people in. You get to see her struggle to find a job and how it can take months which is wonderful. I love how you saw the struggle with Abby trying to find a job, Luke trying to go to college to do what he wants in life, her sister trying to get pregnant, and a new friend Abby meets Beth how she struggles to keep her doors open. All the characters have a detail of their lives, and you can see each personality I love it. This is a fun quick read, a little drama, a little romance, and some family struggles. This is an author I will need to keep my eye out for.

Thank you, Net Galley and Bookouture for the Advanced copy for an honest review

A feel good, romantic, real and wonderful read, perfectly in time for Valentine’s Day!

I loved Abby and Luke’s story; their relationship journey was a joy to read. I also loved Abby’s relationship with her sister, so real and frank.

The Rebound by Catherine Walsh

4/5

*A special thanks to the author and publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review*
Pub Day: 2/14/22

This will be one of my new comfort reads. I loved the sisters relationship with each other, all the bickering. It felt like my own relationship with my sister, made me feel connected to the story. I immediately fell for Luke, I mean how could you not?!? He was so refreshingly good hearted. Abby was confident and strong, I want her confidence. The story does have the miscommunication trope in it which was a little frustrating but I think it was done in a way that flowed well and made sense. I couldn't put this down and finished it in one day!

This book was so cute! After getting dumped by her fiancé and losing her job, Abby reluctantly moves back home to try to get herself back on her feet. What she finds there ends up being exactly what she always needed. This book focuses on Abby’s relationships with her family, her friends and most importantly…her childhood friend and next door neighbour Luke. Oh and did I mention the whole story is set in a small town in Ireland?? You can’t get much cuter than that!

I enjoyed reading about Abby and Luke’s growing relationship because it was ALL OVER THE PLACE. It was a complete roller coaster ride. One second they’re friends, then enemies, then friends, then lovers, back to enemies and so on. Communication seemed to be a weakness for them but it made for some funny moments to read about. I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen with their relationship in the end which made it even more exciting!

The whole story is told from Abby’s perspective and while I typically prefer multiple POV in romances, I thought this one was done perfectly. Having only Abby’s perspective made it much more interesting and kept me guessing. I felt like I was along for the ride with Abby…not knowing what her sister was thinking or what Luke was going to do next.

Thank you Net Galley, Bookouture and Catherine Walsh for the digital ARC!

Another cozy, adorable, feel-good romantic comedy perfect for Valentine's Day read!

Meet Abby - born and raised in a small town in Ireland, left for college at eighteen, lived and worked in New York, had high maintenance fiance, now about to be thirty, sitting alone in the middle of nowhere waiting for a bus that will come next Wednesday.

Meet Luke - the knight in the shiny car that will take Abby to her childhood home where her sister lives, good looking stranger - a perfect candidate for a rebound.

Back to Abby - so lost in current disasters that do not recognize Luke - her next-door neighbor/childhood friend.

Meet Louise - Abby's older sister, badass activist, good soul, and absolutely best side character I have had a chance to read about in a while.

Back to Luke - absolutely charming, sweet, and perfect book boyfriend you will want more of.

That is all you need to know about this funny, sweet, and romantic page-turner. If romance will not melt your heart, then the sisterly bond these two stubborn ladies create for sure will!

I’ve suddenly gotten the urge to move to Ireland…
The Rebound was such a sweet story of a woman at a crossroads in her life. While this is a romance, I think the journey Abbey goes on through is the highlight to the story.
The supporting characters were A+, Tomasz was literally my favorite and I REALLY want a story about Rory and Sinead!
I do wish Abby and Luke had more interactions in the first half of the book, but I appreciated that their relationship was more slow burn, seeing as she had just gotten out of an engagement. I think that really helped the story feel more realistic and didn’t make the romance feel too rushed.

This was such a heartwarming and fun read. I literally felt as if I traveled around the globe to Ireland. Not only did it have me smiling from ear to ear, but it also made me laugh and even cry a bit. I really enjoyed the chemistry and the romance build up between the MC. I was not a huge fan of the miscommunication between them. At times I literally felt like screaming at both at them, (to make them realize what they have in front of them) but it definitely kept things interesting for me. Although the main focus is on Abby & Luke, there is also a focus on Abby & her relationship with her estranged sister. Abby is such a strong and ambitious woman, so I really enjoyed seeing her rediscover & love herself again.

Abby goes back home to Ireland, after breaking up with her fiancé & losing her job in NYC. She is at a point in her life where things just aren’t going her way, and she is not where she envisioned she would be at her age. Yet, she is trying to move forward with her life and not think about love. That is until she reconnects with her childhood friend & crush, Luke and she is faced with having to decide if she’s willing to let go of her life back in NYC for a fresh new start. Is the life she’s making in Ireland worth it? & Will she accept the new career opportunities coming her way, as well as a second chance at love?

You can expect:

* Based in Ireland
* Big City Girl & Small Town Romance
* Sister Relationships
* Self Discovery
* Laugh Out Loud Romcom
* Childhood Friend to Lovers
* Second Chance Romance

I really wanted to love this book.

I found the description and title didn't match what the book is.

I never got the impression she was looking for just a rebound in Luke.
It become complicated to quickly and miscommunication was very frustrating.
I didn't feel Luke and Abby had a real connection.
Sometimes I felt we were just going over the same problems.

It was enjoyable enough for a break between books, though frustrating at times.

Special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review

My first Romance Read for February, The Rebound by Catherine Walsh.

Life has decided to kick Abby while she’s down – her fiancé decided he wasn’t in love with her anymore and her employer filed for bankruptcy, leaving her broke. Abby is left with no choice but to leave New York and head back home to Ireland to crash in her sister’s spare bedroom.
Back home Abby runs into Luke, the boy next door. Luke, whose mother watched her every day after school; Luke who is all grown up now. Perhaps Luke could be exactly what Abby needs to get over her rough patch…

This book is great for someone looking for a quick and light read. I enjoyed getting to know Abby and Luke and the cast of side characters, and while I enjoyed the small-town setting and the comfort of the book’s easy-going nature, I didn’t get swept up into this book. It was good, but it wasn’t great.

If you like sweet, closed-door romances then this might just be the book for you and it comes out just in time for Valentine’s Day. The Rebound hits bookshelves on Feb. 14.

Thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Abby wasn't living her best life. She lost her job, broke up with her fiancé and had nowhere to live. It was one of those moments where we just pause and ask ourselves, "What now?".

So, she decides to go back to her childhood home and spend some time with her sister. That's when she's reunited with Luke, an old friend and neighbor who used to have a crush on her.

You can see where this is going, right? It's a bit cliché, but a very sweet and fun story. I had a good time reading it and I'm looking forward to read more from Catherine Walsh.

* I received this book from BooksGoSocial in exchange for an honest review

The Rebound is a fun, light-hearted romcom about Abby's unexpected journey in her hometown after losing her job and breaking up with her fiance. I really enjoyed the romance but also all of the other relationships and characters that make up the story.

The Rebound has everything I look for in a romance - packed full of humour, flirting, chemistry and a little bit of drama. I couldn’t put it down and feel a little bit lost now I’ve finished, but the ending was so sweet and perfect that I shouldn’t complain. I’ve definitely found a new favourite romance author here - Catherine Walsh’s other novel, One Night Only, immediately made it onto my wishlist!

It’s rare to find a book with such a wonderfully written group of characters. Despite the number of characters, nobody felt like a side character and they were each bursting with life and personality. It was addictive watching the relationship between Luke and Abby unfold but I was equally charmed by her new and old relationships - whether that’s with friends, family, or past lovers. The tale was embedded in the Irish setting in a way that had me picturing those sandy beaches and somewhat absent but notorious heron. Walsh took the time to craft both wonderful scenery and interesting characters and whilst the book had me laughing, it didn’t shy away from the hard truths of life. This is a book I would definitely read again!

3 stars.

This was a really enoyable romcom, but dragged a bit in the middle. Abby is a strong willed individual that does not know what she wants in life. As she has to move back to her hometown to temporarily live with her sister, considering she lost her job and her fiance she does not want to be there. I loved the fact that we finally had a main character that did not know what she wanted in life. Generally romance main characters have everything in order and they find a highly sucessfull man or woman. This was truly enlightening to read.

The middle was quite slow and the reasoning behind why the main characters couldn't be together was pretty stupid. There were quite a few things in this book that could have been used better. Overall an interesting book and highly enjoyable.

Abby Reynolds came back to her
rural hometown in Ireland with many issues. She is newly jobless, her fiance broke their engagement and she no longer has a Manhattan apartment to live in. What's worth it all is she hasn't told her family about it yet. She is devastated, but luck turns in her favour. She meets a hot guy who happened to be her childhood friend/neighbour. Will the romance blossom while she has a handful of issues?
💚
It's a cute romantic comedy with friends to lovers trophy❤ While I completely love the friend's circle, I struggle to like Abby and Luke in some parts. Luke is being childish sometimes and I can't see why Abby fell for him other than his good looks (probably it's enough reason lol)🙈
💚
I enjoyed the story so much. Especially the relationship development between Abby and her sister and how Abby and Luke pursue happiness to live their lives for themselves.
💚
This was a fun romance book that had me laughing a couple of times. It has good banter, cute scenes and humour😊
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoture for the change to read and review this ARC. I am sharing my review voluntarily. I want to start by gushing about what a lovely book this is! The characters were so authentic and interesting and the dialogue was zippy and funny. Luke was such a sweetheart and I loved the humor between he and Abby. I also loved Abby’s character development and how she changed over time. Abby and Louise’s relationship was important and I felt the tension and could relate to it so much from my sister relationships.

In spite of all the elements I loved, I felt like the story progressed too slowly. There was very little conflict and it felt light on plot. I did enjoy getting to know the characters and their stories but it dragged a bit at times. I didn’t quite see the ending coming and I was really happy with how it wrapped up.

After losing her job and fiancee in New York, Abby heads back to her childhood home in Ireland. Upon landing, she meets handsome stranger Luke, who she instantly knows will make the perfect rebound to get her back on her feet again. But the plan is thrown out the window when Abby discovers that Luke is in fact the boy next door - the same boy she grew up with. ⁣
⁣
And cue the "Awwww's" because yes, you do know where this book is going to go. Yes, it is predictable. Yes, it is cute. But seeing Abby grow as a person, improve relations with her sister, make new friends and resolve what happened with her fiancee, you can only wish her a happy ending. And Luke is so sweet too! This was a quick read and is perfect if you're looking for that Valentine's romcom to put a smile on your face.

Childhood estranged friends to lovers is such an enticing trope and Catherine Walsh does a fabulous job of making this a wonderful and heart warming romance. The small town Ireland setting really added to the cozy vibe of the book. I loved the family dynamics and how relevant the family was in the story. So fun and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by Catherine Walsh.