This is such a sweet and wholesome slow burn romance. I loved the banter and would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a quick and cozy read.

Abby Reynolds has lost her impressive job in New York, her beautiful apartment and her new fiancé so heads back to her childhood home of Clonard in Ireland. Completely out of luck and transport options, she accepts a lift from a stranger only to learn that he's Luke Bailey, the real-life boy-next-door from her school days.

To her hometown, Abby was always the one that made it, her intelligence and determination carrying her to bigger and better things. So to have to break the news that that's all gone is a challenge she'll have to face if she wants to see how things can go with Luke and re-build her relationship with her family.

This is a nice story of one woman finding her way again and includes some funny dialogue making for likeable characters. There's a good balance between them all, which establishes these as healthy, believable relationships, such as Abby delivering the supportive pep talk to Luke, not just the other way around. Abby is needy but she isn't irritating in it; you understand most of her difficulties and root for her. Although, I was initially bothered by how long it takes for her to admit her separation from Tyler as she has so many opportunities to tell them all the truth.

Walsh uses the first person narrative well, regularly using the format of Abby's thoughts running away and her being interrupted by the other person just continuing the conversation. Again, this added to the humour, making this a compelling and easy read.

I feel the synopsis focuses too much on the romance element in this story. While it certainly is a key point, it is, by no means, the only one. Abby's relationship with her sister, Louise, as they try not to argue constantly, her new friendship with Beth who shows her not to dwell on the negative, and getting to know her brother-in-law, Tomasz, all have a profound impact on Abby.

There is a lovely discussion that takes place at the conclusion but it did feel slightly rushed, rather like it wasn't sure how to conclude and felt the epilogue would deliver the satisfying ending. However, this is an example of an epilogue being a nice addition of seeing the characters again but not adding to the main story and, in this case, making for a flat ending to the whole book.

The Rebound is such a fun read! It's positive, there is story, I really enjoyed it! I can't wait to get a physical copy

When Abby Reynolds loses her job, her apartment, and her fiancé, she has no choice but to go back to her small, rural Irish hometown. Seeing as how she left with all intentions of never looking back, this isn't exactly ideal for Abby. On her first night back, she runs into a handsome stranger who offers her a lift, and being desperate, Abby reluctantly agrees. Abby can't deny the instant attraction between her and her mystery savior and decides the perfect solution for her predicament is a good old-fashioned rebound fling. The only problem is that it turns out her rescuer isn't a stranger after all, but Luke Bailey, her dorky next-door neighbor who she hasn't seen in years. The more time Abby spends in Ireland and with Luke, the more she realizes coming home isn't as bad as she thought it'd be.

I'm a sucker for a rom-com set in Ireland, so I had a feeling I was going to enjoy this. I thought Walsh's writing was so easy to fall into, and I basically read this all in one sitting without even realizing it. The setting was my favorite part, and I loved all the depictions of Ireland and the countryside. Aside from that, everything else was pretty much average. I thought the characters were okay. I found Abby a little annoying at times, but she did have quite a lot going on. I liked her relationship with Luke and thought they bounced off one another nicely. They're both trying to find their places in the world, and I thought their journey together was sweet. I also liked watching Abby grow closer with her sister and make new friends. There is a lot of miscommunication in this that lessened my enjoyment, but if you're looking for a charming, quick read, I'd still recommend it.

This is a story when life chews you up and spits you out and the refuge that you find is your hometown. Abby is doing going through her own personal renaissance. And Luke is caught upon. It is a great life story because that can happen to everyone. I loved the characters, the story is full of family drama, finding yourself, and love. I enjoyed reading it.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

Really cute book. I loved the chemistry between Abby and Luke.. As someone that has always wanted to live in Ireland, I loved the setting of the sleepy little town. I loved seeing Abby figure out what she wanted out of life compared to what she had in New York. Overall, a great book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC of this novel

The Rebound is an easy going, comfort read. Perfect for lazy summer days or cold winter nights where you want to chill with a book that doesn’t involve too much concentration or deep thought.

There was character development in the main character which I really love to see, especially when it’s positive and shows a woman standing up for herself.

I would recommend this book for those late teen to young adult aged

This book gave me big Sophie Kinsella vibes! After Abby loses her job and her apartment in New York, she goes home to Ireland to stay with her sister. She runs into a childhood friend and realizes he got HOT. The book follows Abby trying to get her life back into some kind of order. It was a good book, my only complaint is when Abby finally ends up with Luke it feels extremely abrupt, I wish there was more banter and lead up!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. 3.5* This is a enjoyable romantic comedy that is set in Ireland that follows Abby as she goes home after losing her job and her fiancé. This is a beautiful story about belonging and finding out that home isn’t always where you expect it to be. It’s about rekindling friendships with old friends after you have changed and grown. It’s also discusses how no one is ever too old to find and go for a new passion or change of life style. Once I got into the novel I could hardly put it down, as I needed to see what the next chapter was. I really enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it.

3.5 stars.
The Rebound is actually a genre-bending, innovative splash in the romance community: instead of the over-used, exhausting third act breakup due to miscommunication, the miscommunication happens right at the start, at the 10% mark. And then again at 50%. And then one more time at the usual 80%. But I still enjoyed it.
To be honest, a lot of the time it didn't really feel like a romance. It starts off strong, then it seems to take a step back to focus on Abby's relationships with other people than her love interest, which I actually loved. I usually don't care about minor characters, but Beth, Louise, Jess and especially Tomasz charmed me instantly. Getting to read about Abby and Louise mending their relationship was especially heartwarming.
But as it happens with all romances, at one point I was just done with it. The climaxes are usually unsatisfying and the resolutions never really pay off. This isn't a fault of this book necessarily, just a quirk I have with the genre.
Netherless, I really enjoyed this. The writing style was simple but not bland, some funny moments happened and it has that typical Irish humor I love.

4.5 stars!!! It’s so refreshing to find books that surprise me!!

The Rebound is the story of a girl who loses her job, her fiancé and her home in NY, and has to go back to the small town in Ireland where she’s from to pick up the pieces.

Here’s why I loved it:
- The female characters: They were amazing. Complex. Their dynamics and friendships were incredible. Specially Louise and Abby, they were the stars.
- The humor: there’s something so special about European-like romcoms. That quick fire banter that feels crazy and sharp and just makes you laugh out of the blue.
- The romance: This was very particular. I loved how the characters both were going through an “I’m stuck” phase of their own and how they slowly figured it out. Their ending felt just right.
- The human emotion: It’s so rare authors can evoke feelings as well as this author did. The writing helped to feel as though we were inside Abby’s brain, experiencing her heartaches and confusion.
- The resolution. No spoilers here, but it was so satisfying to see what the characters chose for themselves. Felt mature and very in-character. They grew but they stayed true to themselves.

This was so sweet and wholesome. Has the vibes from Two Oruguitas (Encanto, my latest obsession). Fans of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez, this book is just for you. ❤️

You know what? I really liked this.

It's a super-breezy summery kind of read (took me ~2.5 hours). Nothing about it can be considered heavy, but it does give a fair amount of depth to the characters compared to other contemporary books in its genre.

I'll keep an eye out for Catherine Walsh! I like the way she reads and formats her sentences, makes the story very accessible. The dialogue between characters is very natural and witty.

This was a lovely, feel good read set in Ireland. Abby has just lost her job, home and fiance so she decided to return home to piece her life back together. In some ways this is a typical happily-ever-after novel but to me the highlight was the relationship with her sister Louise.

The Rebound by Catherine Walsh

From the beginning, I loved Abbys character. She was an independent, determined, ambitious woman who had lost everything and was starting at the bottom again. It was very refreshing reading from her point of view, compared to what I’m used to reading.

And Luke was a sweetheart of course. No complaints from my end as he’s the perfect example of the boy next door, charming, kind complex.

The writing and its flow was perfect. It wasn’t overwhelming amounts of description and nothing felt forced. All the characters whether major or minor were original and developed beautifully to the last detail which I loved.

There were cute scenes in the book between Abby and Luke, but my favourite part of the whole book was watching Abby’s character development which was phenomenal. From losing everything to gaining things you never knew you needed was definitely a journey.
Watching Abby fox her relationship with Louise, take initiative and learn to branch out to discover more about herself was written perfectly.

The reason why I haven’t rated it higher is because I felt as if the book fell kind of flat in a way? I would have loved to see more passion in individual personalities and between the characters and the chemistry definitely could have been improved between Luke and Abby.

It’s definitely an interesting, fun read which I would recommend to anyone looking for an easy relaxing book. I will definitely be purchasing when it comes out!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing this eARC!

The Rebound is a quick and easy read with likable characters and a great ending! I enjoyed this way more than expected.

Abby Reynolds is newly single with no job or place to live. She has no choice but to take a break from her NYC life and head back home to Ireland’s countryside. A trip initially just planning to be a few weeks turns into much more as Abby reconnects with her sister after years of not getting along, runs into her former childhood best friend who is not the nerdy, lanky 12 year boy old anymore, and has time to think about what she wants in life.

I loved how the book not only focuses on romantic relationships but also relationships with siblings and friends. The characters were really easy to fall in love with and relate to.

I do have to say that I did find the way Abby approached some of her relationships in the beginning a bit immature/ annoying, especially because she was lying to so many people and hiding her feelings. Also just a me thing, but I hate it when couples get interrupted by others during important conversations and then avoid the topic at hand.

Read if you like:
🍀Ireland
💕Childhood friends to lovers
🏘Small town romance
👩🏼‍💻Women in finance
👯‍♀️Sibling rivalry—> friendship
🐣Easter/ holidays

Thanks Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC. Pub date 2/14/22

alright here’s the thing i know what i want from a romance book and none of them have been able to give it to me
what’s the thing i want? no miscommunication trope
what’s the thing i get? miscommunication trope
also there’s 0 chemistry between the two leads - i felt absolutely nothing with luke and he wasn’t even there half the time
they were “childhood friends” but it felt like they had never known each other
i liked the dynamic with abby’s sister louise and i felt that their conflict was more interesting than the actual romance
the first half of the book felt fine and then the second half felt entirely unnecessary and way too drawn out
i was getting way too much “i’m not gonna tell him this thing and just ruin the relationship!” from abby and i was over it

This was cute read! A romcom in all the best ways. It was light and fun. A great read for when you want something easy and nothing too serious to help pass the time.

I really enjoyed the main character, Abby, and following along with her journey as she returns home to Ireland jobless, homeless, and fiance-less. This is my first book by the author and I'm pleased see she has another one already out because I thought she tells a story well and I'm looking forward to reading more by her.

TW: infertility

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

I was insanely drawn to this book from the synopsis and the actual content did not disappoint. It’s a fun rom com with fun characters that can be, at times, frustrating. I found it an extremely slow burn which is not my favorite but may work for some people. I did enjoy the chemistry between the two and it had a good ending. I don’t think it’s particularly memorable but it was definitely enjoyable enough.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Catherine Walsh for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

When Abby was dumped by her fiance weeks before she loses her high-paying job (along with most of her life savings and investment) at a prestigious bank, she has no choice but to say goodbye to glamorous New York and fly back to her rural Irish hometown.

It is late and Abby is alone and stranded at a bus stop in the middle of nowhere when suddenly a stranger offers her a ride home. She doesnt always take rides from strangers but she's desperate and the guy named Luke is gorgeous so accepting his offer is harmless right?

It is and she's home (well, her sister's house) safe and certain she'll never see Luke again when the next day he turns up for lunch at the doorstep. Luke is actually Luke Bailey, the boy next door she grew up (and shared baths) with. Her crush for Luke gets bigger by the day but like everyone in the village, he still thinks she’s a high-flying New Yorker.. who’s getting married next year. Can she risk her career-girl reputation and admit to everyone back home that she’s single and has lost everything? Or does she risk losing her chance at love?

* * *
The Rebound is a feel good romcom, perfect for the first few days of the new year where you are still in a daze after the holidays.
What strikes me the most in The Rebound is the relatable characters. Abby is the overly ambitious girl who kept her head low in school focusing on getting great grades to make it in the big world. While Luke is a major hottie now (and funny and sweet omg! 😍) he was an awkward boy in school. The way they approach their growing crush for each other is realistic and easily imaginable. Above all, i especially dig the relationship development between Abby and her sister Beth; they weren't close when they were little but learned more about each other the whole time Abby was there. Overall, the characters are likable and the plot is easy to follow. While the ending is predictable, it didnt take the joy of reading away from me. Sometimes a feel-good book with a straight forward plot is all you need!

This was a very easy read. I finished all I one day. I really like the relationship between Luke and Abby and how they interact together. Tomasz is my absolute favorite. This book takes place in a pretty unique location, I haven’t read many books that take place in Ireland (usually they take place in the UK). I do feel that a bit of this story did feel a bit generic.