First, thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC of The Rebound by Catherine Walsh.

Overall, I found The Rebound to be an entertaining read. However, I found Abby to be frustrating and wishy-washy, which required me to put the book down in a huff in more than one place. I do feel that the title of this one "The Rebound" is a bit of a misnomer, and I was confused by it because the description led me to believe there was an initial hook-up or something, but that didn't happen. Luke being mentioned as a rebound didn't even happen until the end of the book. So while it was a good, light read, the title and book description do not do this book any favors.

This is a cute, quick read. The book is marketed as a rom-com but I think that's misleading. Yes, there is a romance, but I would not say that is the focal point of the book. The story is more about how a woman rebuilds her life after losing her fiance and her job. How she finds herself, independent of a man/relationship. I honestly thought her relationship with her sister was a stronger storyline than the romance with Luke. The chemistry between Abby and Luke was lacking for me and felt a bit forced. But I still enjoyed the book. I loved that it was set in Ireland, a country that I have traveled to before and could picture as the story unfolded.

I liked the book. It was refreshing, different and everything nice.
The protagonist is well defined, a round character, undergoing positive changes and developing her almost broken relationships.
The character arc is well presented and it's safe for me to say that it is a plot and character driven novel. A lighthearted rom-com with only one flaw, Luke Bailey whose character was flawless and difficult to get through. His character is glossed over, securely. I think his character would have been more developed and not so perfectly shown.

A good book otherwise.

I was initially drawn to this by the lovely front cover and the blurb. It sounded exactly what I needed for an easy read and I love anything set in Ireland so I was onto a winner.

I really enjoyed the scene setting and I thought some of the relationships were really well portrayed such as Abby’s relationships with Louise and Beth. However, I found the underlying romance a little bit dull and felt this could have been developed further and with a bit more depth.

The plot was okay, nothing particularly wild but I felt it could have had a bit more oomph as it was very slow paced.

Overall, not quite as good as I had hoped but I did still enjoy it and would recommend if someone was looking for a very light hearted read.

This book was one of those that you just can’t put down, the perfectly funny and addictive romance.

Abby Reynolds is just a little down her luck; as in she is down a fiancé, her upscale apartment in Manhattan, and her job. Due to all of the unfortunate events in her life Abby is making a trip back to her childhood home in Ireland. Luke Bailey, the boy next door, who has made a life in Ireland is surprised to see Abby back, especially when she doesn’t recognize him. Sparks fly the between Abby and Luke, but Abby has no interest in staying in this small town.

This story shows us the growth of our main character as she learns to accept who she is and what she wants in her life. The family bonds that grow in this story are so sweet and made me like our main character even more. The romance between Abby and Luke was perfect, lots of steamy flirting and the grumpy attitude Luke had made the romance even sweeter in the end. This is the kind of book you will curl up with and unapologetically finish in one sitting.

The Rebound follows Abby, a down on her luck Irish gal who had been a high flying New Yorker until, within a month, her fiance' dumped her and she loses her big deal business job after the company is embroiled in scandal. She heads to the only place she can, back to the small town in Ireland that she grew up in, to the family house she grew up in, with her tail between her legs. When she arrives to find out the bus doesn't go to her town the night she arrives, she accepts a ride from a handsome stranger, who takes Abby's mind off all her problems. But the next day she finds out it was her childhood neighbor, Luke, and he knew who she was the entire time. Now Abby is living with her sister she can't get along with, and everyone thinks she is still engaged because she is too embarrassed to tell everyone that not only is she jobless, but she was dumped. And she is super attracted to Luke but he thinks she is engaged and angry at her for flirting with him while having a fiance'.

The book synopsis makes it sound like the book is about Abby and Luke's rebound fling and will it turn into more. To be honest, it took a large chunk of the book for them to get to any sort of relationship, so it wasn't so much about The Rebound, but more about Abby's journey. She is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life and how to navigate the relationship with her sister. She is also coming to terms with her feelings about the town she grew up in and fled as soon as she could. Abby has spent her adult life running from home, but maybe home isn't actually so bad after all.

It was a cute story, but I just think the summary was a little misleading. A nice, easy read for anyone who likes a good rom-com with a little more depth.

The Rebound is a delightful read, oozing with a beautiful slow-burn romance between two childhood friends (Abby and Luke). This book explores more about going back to your roots, new beginnings and human communication and expression. Abby Reynolds worked exceptionally hard to escape her small Irish town to excel at her job in New York. She ticked all the boxes of a successful young woman - having an apartment, a boyfriend along with financial independence and being in a position to help her parents. All of this suddenly crashes down, and Abby is left with nothing but herself. She flees New York for Clonard, her rural Irish town, and has to build her bond with Louise, who is the complete opposite of her. The instant attraction and chemistry with Luke is unmissable and wonderful to read. I'd love to read the background of their childhood story and wish the steamy scenes to be more steamier. The pacing of this book is impressive, and I was hooked right from page one. There's also an outstanding balance between dialogue and narration. Catherine's vivid description of the Irish landscapes mentally deported me to the beautiful country. It's a perfect Valentine's Day read. I can't wait to read more of Catherine's books.

A big thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for providing me with the E-ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet, lighthearted romantic comedy about what it feels like to lose it all but discover you are exactly where you need to be. Abby has lost her job, her fiance, her apartment and life savings in NYC and heads back to her hometown in Ireland to hide out at her sister's house. Enter hot, childhood best friend/neighbor. Is it just a rebound or could ir be more? Through the course of the story, she finds that running away from NYC helps her find herself and what (and who) she truly wants.

The Rebound is a funny, sweet, rom-com about coming home after losing everything you thought you wanted and finding a new dream.

This as you can guess by the title is about Abby coming back to her hometown in Ireland and crossing paths with a hottie who happens to be her former childhood best friend Luke. A little misunderstanding in the beginning because of Abby not telling her real reasons for coming back leads to what ends up being a really sweet and heartfelt romance.

This has:
•childhood friend turned hot
•slow burn romance
•rebound leading to more

My favorite scenes were when Abby tries to prove Luke wrong and then ends up embarrassing herself like when she shows up drunk to his place and the egg hunt where she tries to prove she can climb a tree. There really were many funny moments and I felt like Abby and Luke clicked really well together. I enjoyed this a lot and it was a page turner which for me in a book that has little spice was a big pleasant surprise for me.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @bookouture for the eARC to read and give my honest opinion.

This was a fun and easy contemporary romance. I loved the friends to lovers twist but I wish we could’ve seen more about their past to really see it blossom! I found by the end it all seemed to go from love hate back to love very quickly! I did love that it wasn’t all love centred though but had a lot of female power and family focus, With big chapters focused on our character repairing her relationship with her older sister, Louise, and her differing friendships across the world, it was a good, easy book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This book was really cute - I was able to finish it in basically one sitting because it was such an easy read. This is a lovely story of a person reconnecting with their roots, reconnecting with old friends, realizing that it is not too late to go after what you want, and figuring out family bonds. I loved how this book didn't gloss over the fact that you can be in your thirties and still feel like you are figuring everything out; it felt really relatable to me right now. The only thing that is a little bit disconnected for me is that the blurb/teaser makes it seem like the rebound aspect is a big factor of this book, but I feel like that is not as big of part of this book as the blurb makes it seem. This book is a romance, sure, but I think the connections between people is a stronger factor. I did enjoy this book a lot, and its a nice comforting read. 4/5

Abby Reynolds just lost everything. Her fiancé broke up with her after 3 years, the company where she worked in NY filed for bankruptcy and the place she was staying at was also from that company and it’s now gone. She just had the worst luck possible and to add to it, she feels the only way is going back to her hometown in rural Ireland. After 5 years of not going back there, while thriving at work, this feels like the worst thing ever – and she is not in any way excited to see her sister and live with her and her husband in their childhood home.

But having to do so, she arranges to go back, but finds herself in a run down station waiting for a ride to her small town. That’s when a stranger offers to take her there, after she notices she read the schedule wrong and there’s no buses for days.

Surprise, surprise, the day after, she finds out that handsome man that gave her a lift is none other than her old childhood friend, Luke Bailey, not gangly and tiny anymore but a grown-up beautiful man.

This was just what I needed. It was incredibly gripping and I read it in two sittings. I just loved the writing and how it just flowed. I really felt for Abby and all the bad luck that came her way. But sometimes things happen for a reason and this bad luck ended up bringing her a lot of good things too.

I absolutely loved the romance in this book. I loved their interactions and at times I just felt frustrated because they wouldn’t just talk to each other and arguments come where they could be avoided. You could say I was truly invested in this one.

Another thing I always tend to love is rural settings where everyone knows everyone. They just feel so special and heart-warming! I love it. And this was no different!

Another difference with this book was that I am generally used to sisters being best friends in books, but this time we have two sisters that don’t get along because they couldn’t be more different if they tried. But they do learn to see that and get closer together as the story unfolds. I really loved seeing that and it was different from what I normally read.

This is the second book I read by the author and I’m definitely nicely interested in reading more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an eARC of The Rebound by Catherine Walsh in exchange for an honest review. This was a fun, quick read! For a contemporary romance, I just wish there would have been a little more interaction between Luke and Abby, our two romantic leads. Their childhood-friends-to-enemies-to-lovers dynamic was so fun, and I just wish I could have read more about their past and seen more of how their relationship progressed into full blown love. (I also would have loved more spice! This was a 1-chili pepper out of 5 on my spice scale, most spicy scenes lacked detail or were fade to black.) However, what this book lacked in focus on the romance, it gained in its female friendships. A large portion of the book is dedicated to Abby reconnected and repairing her relationship with her older sister, Louise, which was so heartwarming and genuine. We also get to see Abby interact with and support her female friends, Jess and Beth.

This was a story with a lot more to it than "just" romance. The strong female characters in this book are driven and independent. They consistent in supporting each other in pursuing their dreams for their careers and their romantic lives. The friendships were the star of the show in this fun, romantic comedy abroad.

I really struggled to write my review of this book because I just enjoyed it so much and when I enjoy a book I find it really difficult to just not type OMG IT WAS AMAZING over and over again, which to be honest The Rebound was amazing!

The entire book was set in Ireland, so immediately I was sold and knew I would adore this story, and thanks to the authors ability to perfectly set the scene I felt as if I was there, alongside our characters.

I completely fell in love with our characters, they were possibly the highlight of this story for me. Not only were they interesting to read, had really likeable qualities and were just generally awesome, there was real character development and growth throughout the story from them.

Specifically, with Abby and her sister Louise, and I'm really glad the author allowed that to also be a focus of the story and how they came together through the book. It helped me not only feel more endeared to the characters but also made the story feel more realistic.

Oh and I'm also obsessed with Luke, sorry not sorry.

Whilst the story wasn't exactly anything new, it just had this refreshing feel to it. I think the location and the scene setting really played a part in making this love story feel different. And with the authors ability to write a story that just draws you in and is easy to read, it was the perfect recipe for a book.

My only major criticism is the lack of spice in this book, like ya girl is obsessed with Luke we could have done with some more smut, PLEASE.

Overall, I adored this book, it had almost everything I could have wanted from a romance book and I would definitely recommend it!

Abby returned to her hometown in Ireland when she lost her job at McFarlane’s and didn’t have anywhere to go. Couple this with the fact that her fiance broke up with her weeks before the lay off. Driven to leave Clonard aince she was young, she was not happy to be back, especially since she is not in good terms with her sister. It was here she met Luke again, her childhood friend whom she instantly has an attraction to.

When I read this book, I was expecting this to be focused on romance, but as I progressed through the book, Abby’s journey focused more on her relationship with her sister and in maintaining and making new friends in her hometown. I liked how the relationship between Abby and Luke was explored here with the right pacing in the story. Even though this book is titled The Rebound, this felt more Women’s Fiction than Romance.

I treasured the moments between Abby and Louise and how they worked on strengthening their relationship. Overall, this is a story of love, friendship and going back to your roots at a time when you least expect it.

This is my second Catherine Walsh reading and I think it's safe to say that I will probably read anything she writes. The Rebound was an easy and very enjoyable read. The typical romance book you are looking for, with enough character development to make you stick with it to the end. This book comes out on February 14th so if you are looking for a good Valentine's Day recommendation, this is it.

3.7

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc. I was actually enjoying it!! Not until my most hated trope comes along, the miscommunication trope. But all in all I love it.

I really enjoyed this book :)

Abby finds herself back in a little village in Ireland, which she left without a backwards glance some years earlier. Difficult, staying with your critical sister, all the more so because all the "things" that Abby had accomplished - a stellar career, a fiance, a fancy life in New York -all gone. How to tell your loved ones all of these things?

Luke is the boy next door who grew up and got handsome in the years that Abby was away. The spark between them is hard to ignore, but ignore they must because of a whole lot of misunderstanding and an attempt to guard their hearts.

I liked both Abby and Luke. Telling your overprotective family bad news is never easy. And both of these characters really loved their parents and had sacrificed a great deal over the years. They were very endearing, especially Luke.

This was a good story with lots of lovely characters.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"The whole draw of the rest of the world was anonymity. Some people love knowing everyone else, but it's not for me."

"Everyone worth anything thinks they're too old or too young or too whatever at some point but they're not."

"Look, if you had an epiphany and realized you hated your life and everything in it and decided to move home to renovate a cottage and start an organic-honey business I would support you. You know I would. I would place you on a pedestal and point at you and say that's my friend and this is her choice. But this? As pretty as it all is, it isn't a choice. This was something you were forced to do because of a series of shitty circumstances. And what I don't want to happen is for you to settle and think this is all you are worth and be miserable."


OKAY! WOW! This book was so good, I can't even begin to describe it. The pace was perfect and the story was more than what I would have expected.

I LOVED all the relationships in the book, yes, including the one with the ex. The conversations were amazing.

I loved each and every character. I loved the subtle representations. I loved how this did NOT end with Abby moving back to her home town, just as much as I loved when she fell in love with it. It is so important to tell the world that you can love the small town you come from while still wanting to move away.

I loved Abby, I thought she would be this conceited, self-centred person but she is so lovely. Yes, she loves expensive things but that does not make her a bad person! She is kind, she is loyal, she is hard-working, she knows what she wants and she is not afraid to voice it, she's not afraid to work for it. She's opportunistic which is not as bad a thing as people make it out to be.

I loved this a bit more than other romance novels because of how less explicit the scenes there were and it was STILL super spicy (for me). The angst almost killed me, every time they *almost* kissed but didn't or *almost* did something more but did not, I screamed so loud I'm SURE the author heard it till their room.

I give this one 3.25 ⭐️. It was a quick read and I enjoyed most of it. I liked the flow of it and I enjoyed the wittiness and humor. I’m not even sure how to review because l still don’t know what I think. The story had a lot going on, multiple moving parts, and several side stories. I think that is probably the only thing I had a problem with. It was hard to know what I was supposed to focus on. Was is her job hunting? Her relationship with her sister? Her parents? Her friendships with Beth? Jess? Saving the beach? Infertility? Failed relationships? I think fewer situations would have allowed this book to captivate me more. I didn’t dislike the story it’s just not one that will stick with me. I would definitely read this author again because I like her style and the humor.

Thank you Bookouture for the ARC.