RATING: 3.5/5

Thank you @netgalley and @bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Abby Reynolds heads back to her hometown in rural Ireland after losing her job and fiancé. There, she met a hot stranger named Luke. Abby knows instantly that he’s exactly what she needs to take her mind off everything. The perfect rebound. But later on, she realizes that he's her childhood neighbor.

This story is a typical rom-com that you often see in movies, so I wouldn't doubt it if this book would hit the big screen one day! As I read along, I could see the vibe of the Kdrama Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha in this story--small town setting, the often empty cafe, and the intimate relationship with the neighborhood. This made me want to include Ireland on my travel bucketlist!

There are a lot of conflicts between the characters that really frustrate me, like their misunderstandings and stuff that almost covered the whole book. I was a little bit disappointed because I was really excited to read this and had high hopes. Turns out, it's kinda monotonous for me.

Still, I had a good time reading this. I love how the story is very well-written and how Abby and and her sister become naturally close. This is a good read to light up and cheer anyone who's going through hardships in life. If you're into childhood friends to lovers, slow burn, and small town romance tropes, then this is for you.

4⭐️ First i would love to say a big thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for providing me this eARC! This story follows Abby Reynolds who has just lost her job and is dumped by her fiancé. She decides to head back to her home town to try and come back from what has happened. She then proceeds to see luke, who was her childhood neighbor. I loved luke so much because he was there for Abby and was truly good to her. There was so much chemistry between them that the dialogue was even better. The dialogue resembled real casual conversations which in some cases in other book that’s no always met. Another thing i enjoyed seeing was that relationship Abby was trying to rebuild with her sister, it was very special to me. My only complain is that at times Abby could be a bit selfish but i feel like we saw her work through that as she grew with the story. Overall i really enjoyed The Rebound!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. "The Rebound" is my surprise read for this month. Abby feels lost when she suddenly loses her apartment, her job and her fiancé breaks up with her. She finds herself in her hometown in Ireland, living with her sister, with whom she does not have a very good relationship. While reconnecting with her Irish roots, meeting old friends, making new ones, figuring out how to deal with everything that has happened to her and how to find what is truly vital for her, she grows as a character and mends her relationships, one of which being with Luke, a childhood friend and guy next-door.
I absolutely love Abby, probably because I am currently in a situation close to hers, but she truly is an awesome character, who grew so much and gave herself the chance to actually do what she desires and build herself up once again. As inspiring and motivational as it gets.
The dialogue and the banter were super realistic and well-written, but the writing style at times was shallow and it felt like the author is making an effort to keep the readers an arm length away from the book. The side characters simply existed and their storylines were created in a way which only benefited Abby, which is something I strongly dislike. I don't believe that everything that happens to a side characters has to be for the sake of the main character's development and storyline, had this not happened here the book would've been much more immersive. The end of the book was nice but it felt as if the author is simply rushing to have it done. The relationship between Luke and Abby had a very strange storyline, everything felt rushed at the beginning. On the other hand the relationship between Louise and Abby was well-built and it made me feel so happy to see them get closer to each other.
Overall, "The Rebound" was an enjoyable read with a very relatable main character, who gives you the inspiration to find what's truly important for you.

OMG I LOVED IT.

It's maybe a 4.5 tho.
I got the arc for this through Netgalley!

Once I started I couldn't put it down. I was expecting some kind of love triangle where the characters suffer a lot haha because well... It is called THE REBOUND, but it was nothing like that and still had the perfect amount of angst. But my favorite part was the sense of humor, I laughed out loud so many times, all the characters where endearing and I felt like I was watching a movie. I really love the trope where the city girl ends up in the middle of nowhere (at least the middle of nowhere in her eyes) and find a new meaning, but I also loved that Abby didn't lose that part of herself, that she grew to find love for her roots but didn't felt like having ambition and wanting more was a bad thing. I loved that she didn't left behind her dreams not even once.

I also enjoy small town stories, the way everyone knows everyone, it sounds like hell but it's also perfect to build so many amazing friendships and I was glad that that was part of the story. I loved Rory and her wife Sinead, actually they both made me laugh the most and their relationship was so funny and so cute, I loved Beth, Jess and specially Tomasz and Louise. At first I was hesitant with Louise (even when I'm an older sister and can understand where she was coming from) but the surprise of it all was the development of her relationship with Abby. The way they both were so different and at the same time could find common ground to stood over.

And I loved that Abby was Luke's childhood crush, that man was winning at life finally haha. I was grinning like an idiot everytime they flirted. And I loved that their relationship even with the misunderstandings and lack of communication sometimes, was easy. They were perfect for each other.

I also was glad to read about the timing of everyone in life and how every person has a different rythm and that doesn't mean you're stuck or losing something, it only means you're at a different pace and that's perfectly fine. I'm serious I didn't expect anything of this when I read the synopsis or the title or even the cute as hell cover, it felt like watching a very warm, very cute, very endearing movie. Loved every second of it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC! This book was such a fun read! The story follows Abby Reynolds, who has just hit the rock bottom of her adult life. She has lost her job in New York, her fiancé dumped her, and she's forced to give up her apartment. With nowhere else to go, she heads home to her small Irish town to stay with her sister while she tries to get back on her feet. On her first night back in town, she meets a very intriguing man, but VERY quickly finds out that he wasn't some rando, it is her childhood neighbor all grown up! As Abby navigates what she wants out of life, trying to get along with her sister, and figuring out what she's feeling for Luke, she starts to reexamine her priorities.

I found the dialogue to be so realistic, and I could see myself talking in the same casual cadence the characters do. Sometimes this was to a fault for me, as the characters fumbled through awkward conversations with one another, but overall I appreciated it. The secondary focus of Abby's relationship with her sister was sweet and felt as important to me as her relationship with Luke.

My only real fault with this book is that I found Abby to be thoughtless with the other characters' feelings (especially Luke's), and sometimes very selfish. I know that is part of the story of her learning to be okay with her new life, but I will almost never love a lying storyline.

Overall I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something sweet that reads fun and fast.

Thanks Netgalley for my review copy!

This was a sweet story in a lovely setting. Abby has it all until she doesn’t and is forced to return to the small Irish village she grew up in.

I enjoyed the characters in this book and how they all had fully fleshed out perspectives. I thought this story felt very realistic and I really enjoyed how it ended. And now I need to visit Ireland!

Sadly this book fell flat for me. I think it had loads of potential but I just couldn't connect with the writing or characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.
Abby was living the dream, with a successful career and a fiance in her life. Her life, however, comes crashing down when the company she works for files bankruptcy. Her fiancé then breaks up with her.
Abby finds herself on her sister's doorstep at her childhood home in Ireland, with nowhere to stay and heartbroken. Abby intends to spend only a few days with her sister. However, as she explores the streets of the little hamlet where she grew up, she reconnects with her Irish origins and meets old and new friends. Along the way, she discovers that the thin shy boy who used to live next door is no longer so skinny and shy.

To me, this felt like a conventional rom-com. Entertaining? Definitely! Memorable? Not so much. The narrative is somewhat predictable, which I appreciate on sometimes, especially when I simply want to read a charming, pleasant novel. I have conflicting thoughts about the characters. Luke, the aforementioned local hottie, was extremely endearing, though I don't think he's as well developed as he could be. Abby's pals Beth and Jess were both lovely (PLEASE GIVE US A SEQUEL) Abby, like her sister Louise, had her moments. Luke and Abby, on the other hand, were a significant source of frustration for me throughout the novel. Throughout the book, there is a lot of miscommunication, and I found myself growing irritated with the various characters at moments.

It was a cute story and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a cute light romance.

This was my first book by Catherine Walsh and I really enjoyed it! I really enjoyed the banter between Abby and Louise and found myself rooting for Abby.

3 out of 5 steam level- slightly descriptive sex scenes

Trigger warning- infertility, broken engagement

Abby Reynolds has lost it all: her job, her apartment, and her fiance. Now she's headed home to Ireland to stay with her sister and figure out what is next. Along the way she meets Luke Bailey, the boy next door who is cute and flirty. Will Abby get her life in order and find love? Or will she end up single and living with her sister for the rest of her thirties?

I really enjoyed this book. I do think it toes the line between women's fiction and romance, since there's just as much time spent addressing Abby's job and family as her romantic life. I personally enjoyed seeing how things played out in all areas of Abby's life, and I was a little surprised by where she ended up. I really loved Luke and Abby together and felt their chemistry was natural and really sweet. Their first meeting had me wanting more, and I was really satisfied with the ending. I also enjoyed the setting and imagined the Irish accents as I was reading. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Follow me on Instagram @readwithsuzie for more reviews!

Abby Reynolds is a go-getter. Deciding that she can’t leave the little Irish village she grew up in fast enough, her hard work and ambition takes her to New York City, where she joins the cut-throat investment banking scene. When her new extravagant life comes crashing down, she returns home heartbroken and desperate. Reconnecting with the family and boy-next-door that she left behind, Abby gets a chance to mend some old wounds, ignite an old flame, and decide what direction her life needs to take to truly make her happy.

This is a light, easy, fun read. I didn’t love Abby; I thought she could be abrupt and a little mean at times. Her sister also has an abrasive personality, and it took me quite a bit to not be annoyed by her. However, I appreciated that not all the main characters were effortlessly charming and friendly. The world is full of different personalities and I thought the author did a great job of making them different and layered. Even though Louise was a piece of work, my heart did break for her at one point (bathtub scene!). I liked Luke and how he wasn’t perfect either, and Beth is the type of friend everyone would like to have.

My two main issues with the story were the title, and Abby’s financial ruin.

First, it’s never a good idea to say in the title that your story is hilarious. Comedy is subjective, and you shoot yourself in the foot when you make promises that aren’t delivered. I found a few parts humorous and overall it has a light touch, but I would not describe this book as hilarious by any stretch. So I would just leave it as “The Rebound”.

Second, Abby would not loose all her money just because the bank she had it in went bankrupt. It’s a fictional financial institution, but it’s described as being the ninth largest globally. Certainly they would be FDIC insured, and as someone who works in finance, Abby would know not to put all her eggs in one basket and exceed those FDIC limits. She says she lost all her savings. That would not happen - the FDIC would write her a check. There are so many feasible ways for her to lose everything. Even having a “friend” who manipulates her into rashly putting almost everything into an investment that turns out to be a shady ponzi scheme would be more believable.

This book is being marketed as a romance, but I think it’s more of a “finding yourself” story. There is romance, and it was sweet, but it’s a supporting player instead of the star of the show. Her relationship with her sister, and Abby learning how to connect with people in general, is really what “The Rebound” is about; rebounding from life and all it’s twists and turns. Overall I enjoyed it and would be interested in reading other titles by this author.

“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.… 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.”

REVIEW: The Rebound by Catherine Walsh

As a romance novel about a rebound? ⭐️⭐️ 2 stars

As a feel good novel about a woman who loses her entire life and takes a journey to find herself and what’s important to her? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars

In my opinion, The Rebound was woefully mis-marketed. Yes, there is romance in this book but I would not consider this a romance novel. Especially when most of the first half of the book, Abby and Luke barely interact.

What this book does have is wonderful, supportive female friendships, two sisters at odds coming together, and discovering what is truly important in life - a high powered job or family and love?

You see Abby grow from the girl who left Ireland so fast she gave everyone whiplash to the woman who actually calls Ireland “home”. To me, that’s where the story lies.

And the adorable and hilarious moments between Abby and Luke are just a wonderful addition to an already adorable story! Their relationship is sweet and confusing and they have this ability to poke fun at each other that is just so endearing.

You also get to meet my highlight of the story—Beth! Abby’s adorkable, sweet new best friend. Who gives us tidbits like:

“To be clear, I brought you here so I could get you drunk and pry into your life. You are falling for my plan perfectly.”

I was so hoping her story would be open ended so we could get an entire novel for just her!

Read if you enjoy: contemporary, discovering one self, humor, heartwarming stories, a side of romance

Note that this does include some mature content (very light steam).

📖 Stand-alone

****
Thank you so much to @netgalley and Catherine Walsh for this ARC!

<b>Ireland-set slow burn romance is a pleasurable read</b>

3.5 Stars rounded up

What you need to know about “The Rebound”:
✔ Small town romance
✔ First Person Narration only from Abby’s p.o.v.
✔ Childhood friends
✔ Abby, newly unemployed, homeless and broken up
✔ Luke Bailey, studying to be a physiotherapist, Abby’s childhood neighbor
✔ Slow burn romance
✔ Takes place in Ireland
✔ Complete Standalone

Abby has just lost her job, fiancé, and all of her savings. Out of options, she’s gone back home to Ireland to stay with her sister (with whom she constantly clashes) when she meets Luke who gives her a lift to her hometown village of Clonard.

Luke, who she first thought was a kind (and hot) stranger, turns out to be her former neighbor and friend from childhood. They grew up together and Abby becomes embarrassed that she didn’t recognize him and flirted with him on the drive.

In this slow burn romance there is a slight misunderstanding regarding Abby’s fiancé, a funny Easter egg hunt and a lovely day at the beach.

The relationships between Abby and her sister Louise, her hometown and herself are carefully unfurled and it’s lovely. This book moves slowly through these relationships but the pacing is very good and it wrapped me up so much that I didn’t put it down once.

This is a “gentle and unhurried” romance that lets the connections within occur organically. The Rebound is a low spice, low angst, slow burn romance that is a pleasure to read.

I received a review copy of this easygoing, Irish romance and this is my honest review.

I went into The Rebound thinking it was going to be a fun romcom, but instead it is a story of growth, love, family, and going for what you want. Abby is down on her luck—she’s lost her job (and her apartment with that) and her fiancé has broken up with her. Needing an escape from NYC, she goes back to her home in Ireland to stay with her sister, and the first person she meets is an attractive stranger, except turns out he’s not a stranger; he’s the boy who grew up next door, Luke. I feel like the title is misleading for this book. Abby never really looks at Luke to be her rebound—the flirt from the start but it’s not a plan for her to use him. This is much more about Abby coming to terms with what’s next for herself with some romance sprinkled in along the way. I immediate felt some of Amy Adams’ Leap Year vibes and not just because it was also set in Ireland. Abby is fierce and smart and kind of lost, but I loved her getting introduced back to her home. She is so determined and I loved watching her really go for what she wants on her own terms. Her sister Louise is such a strong and stiff, and I loved watching the growth in their strained relationship. There were definitely times with them that I wish they would just communicate, but I really enjoyed where they ended up. The town in this too was so cute, the townspeople felt so alive, and there was a Stars Hollow (from Gilmore Girls) feel to the closeness of the people. I adored Beth, the first new friend Abby meets in town. She’s so vivacious and fun, and she just felt like a good friend to have! Plus I loved Abby’s friend Jess from NYC. The characters were so well done all throughout! Plus Luke, he’s so kind and giving. I love he felt a little more shy and I loved the playfulness of him. Abby and him have such great banter and chemistry!! I really enjoyed their story. I feel like the ending had moments where it felt a little rushed but overall this is a light, fun read. It’s perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella I think, and I really enjoyed reading it.

I am sorry to say this was totally not my cup of tea. I did not like the heroine and the way she kept her secrets. It annoyed me to the point I stopped reading. But it could be this is just not the right book for me at this moment.

I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

Abby was happy working in New York until her fiancee broke up with her and lost the job. Now she is homeless and she needed to go back to Ireland where she doesn't want to go back to. She couldn't believe she is back and meets stranger who would give her a lift. She is fascinated to find a stranger who is willing to give her a lift except she didn't know until he showed up at her house next day with her neighbors. He was her next door neighbor and childhood friend Luke Bailey. He is not a scrawny kid she remembered anymore, he was handsome and witty.
This is suppose to be short time off in Ireland and find a new job for Abby, but everything is not working the way she planned. Abby didn't have best relationship with her sister and it seems they are not getting any better. All Abby wanted to do was to get out of this small-town and now she is back and she has to stay longer. She can't decide if she wants to go back.
While Abby is looking for a job, Luke and Abby's relationship is on a rollercoaster ride. It continues to be will they or won't they. They couldn't decide what they wanted even though they are attracted to each other.
This book is more of Abby's journey to find her happiness and rebound in her life. I did enjoy the ending for Abby and Luke but it wasn't so easy in the middle. It wasn't a laugh out loud book but there were some moments that made me laugh and smile.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for ARC.

I could go on and on about this book because it was so perfect. There’s childhood friends to lovers, humor, spice ;), family drama, crazy exes, and pretty much everything else you love in a book. By the time I got to the middle of the book I couldn’t put it down. Like literally. I was reading in school, in the car, in my free time, and everywhere else pretty much. I cannot thank NetGalley and Catherine Walsh’s team enough for this arc. If you haven’t preordered this yet, what are you doing? Preorder it now!

The story
Abby has lost her job working in a global bank after it closed suddenly. She returns back to Ireland to her childhood home where her eco-warrior sister Louise now lives with her husband Tomasz. When the bus home isn’t coming for a few days, a stranger gives her a lift to the village. But the stranger is actually her childhood friend and neighbour Luke. Homeless, jobless and at a loss after the recent breakup with her fiancé, will Abby be able to stay in the village and Ireland or will she be able to return to her former life in NYC?

My thoughts
Catherine Walsh’s debut novel One Night Only with its gorgeous pink cover was one of the first books I was approved for on NetGalley, and I loved reading it. I have been so keen to read her second story The Rebound, and it didn’t disappoint in the least! I love the way that this is a romance but that the relationship between Abby and Luke is only one part of this story. Abby’s self image / relationship with herself and her confidence in her own strength has been knocked down. It’s only when she is able to be honest with her parents, Louise and Luke that she is able to start healing herself. I loved the visit from Jess and how that friend-mirror allowed Abby to view her relationship with her sister Louise differently. Beth, a new friend, doesn’t judge and allows Abby to be herself. And then the cherry on the top is that Luke is a total. sweetheart 😉 ❤️ it’s a “Highly recommend” read from me!

This is actually the first romance book I've ever read and it's a very lighthearted read compared to my usual books. Though this isn't my preferred genre, I thought it was pretty good. I feel this book would definitely be a hit for those who love light funny romance books. The characters are likable, especially Abby and Luke. Very uplifting book during this time.

This book got me hooked from the very first page.

The Rebound is about Abby Reynolds who worked at a bank in New York. Turns out the bank she worked for had been doing illegal stuff so she loses her job and basically everything. She moves back to Ireland to stay with her sister and meets up with old friends again. One of those old friends is Luke Bailey. Luke Bailey who was her childhood best friend who turned into a stranger.

You don’t know how much I loved this book. Like, hear me out; childhood best friends to strangers to lovers?? AHH. Who doesn’t love that? I loved every single interaction Abby and Luke had, they were so cute oh my god. I loved how Abby and her sister Louise got closer and started trusting each other more.

A thing I disliked was that every time something got fixed another problem would pop up which was kind of tiresome but other than that I adored this book.