3.75 stars
This second book by Catherine Walsh is a childhood friends, meet after years, instant connection kinda thing.

The Plot

So, our protagonist is Abby, who moved out of her small Irish town to work in New York. She was climbing the career ladder, had a perfectly nice fiancé and life was good. Until the big business she was working at went down. Big. For bad reasons. Then, she got dumped by the fiancé, had no money and was forced to move into her sister’s house in the tiny town she worked so hard to get out of. But when she gets there, she has totally forgotten about the very unreliable public transport she was relying on. Luckily, there’s a nice (hot) man who offers her a ride. Hehe. The perfect rebound right? Not when she realises who he is, a childhood friend she’s pretty sure she shared a bath with at some point. And, to make it worse, he knew who she was the whole time. Oh, it’s just too funny. Add to that the fact that he (and everyone else) thinks she’s still engaged and on the way to the Promised Land of the Rich. Yeah, she may have forgotten to mention some details.

To be honest, this wasn’t as much a romance as a women’s fic with a side romance. It was more about Abby finding herself, figuring out what she wanted from life and navigating some turbulent relationships in her life. The romance wasn’t a main focus of that, it was only half of an amazing story. Secondly, I don’t know if it was just me but the blurb gave the impression that she used him as a rebound and then realised who he was, but apparently not. They only actually get together afterwards.

Oh well, misconceptions aside, it was a pretty good plot.

The Romance.

Ughhh Luke has just been added to my fictional boyfriends list. Hot, adorable, and IRISH, seriously what more could you want? I love how he was always trying to protect her and it was such a slowburn romance, I was screaming at them to get on with it already. But slow burns are the best for a reason obviously, because they lead to more believable feelings. Like, you’re not really going to believe that a character who’s just had a one night stand is suddenly in LOvE with the one night stand. Anyways, off topic, but the romance was amazing. I do have my one constant complaint though, which is the conflict/turbulence. Needed to be a little bit more developed and could have been a bit more of a plot twist or something instead of just carrying on from the tension in the rest of the book.

Ok, so overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐.75- Yup I went into .05’s! A fun, cute read with underlying imporaant and deeper messages. Not as funny as her debut but still laugh out loud. Would definitely recommend to rom com lovers with slow burn, angst, and smut.

Spice rating: 🌶🌶🌶- a few intense make out scenes, one in detail but not super graphic sex scene.

See my full review and more random rambles on my blog: https://mochasandmadness.wordpress.com/2021/12/25/the-rebound-arc-review/

6 stars!

What a lovely romantic novel and it should definitely be published in paper.

I have enjoyed it so much that I went and looked for other Catherine Walsh's books. Unfortunately she only wrote two so far but I was more than happy to purchase her first book because I found both of them quite excellent romantic novels with all the right tension and chemistry and the beautiful background of Ireland. Now Walsh is my new favorite author and I cannot wait for her to publish more.

Thanks NetGalley for introducing me to this author and for a free copy in exchange of the honest review

I really love this book, and I really just love Cat Walsh's writing. I am on Erasmus this year from Ireland in America, so this book really presented itself with a lot of nostalgia this year. The being away from Ireland in America element really hit close to home. I love that this book of being a love for Ireland while also not romanticizing it is incredible.

One of my favourite things about the Rebound, and Cat Walsh's writing in general, is the HUMOUR!!! The perfect amount of sarcasm, and wit, and darkness. Genuinely laughing out loud while reading.

Also, the balance of developing the romantic plot, personal character arcs, and familial relationships is perfect. This is often an issue for me with a lot of romance books is finding this balance, and The Rebound really nails it.

Honestly, I just love this book. New instant fav — and the perfect read!

4 ⭐️ // The Rebound is a quick read, and I would classify it as a rom-com mixed with chick-lit story. At first, I was attracted to the book cover, and once I read the description, I was very intrigued!

Newly jobless, single, and homeless Abby travels back to her childhood home in Ireland to visit her sister and brother-in-law, and with a transportation mix-up, she catches a ride with a handsome stranger. After a flirty car ride, she is surprised she has forgotten about her struggles, but soon afterwards, she realizes that’s not the only thing she’s forgotten. Turns out the mysterious stranger was her childhood friend!

I adored the first half of the book, and I could not stop reading! I was convinced I could read the book in one sitting. However, there were a few chapters right in the middle that annoyed me, so I read the story over a few days instead. The miscommunication parts were necessary for the storyline, but sometimes, I just wanted to shake main character and say, “Just communicate, please!!!” Or “Choose better friends!” The story picked back up in a few chapters though, and I could not wait to see how it ended!

Read this book if …
👯‍♀️ You didn’t always get along with your sibling
☕️ Coffee is an everyday necessity
✈️ You wish you grew up in a small town in Ireland
💗 You enjoy the “friends to lovers” trope
🌊 Skinny dipping in the ocean sounds like a good time

TW: infertility, broken engagement

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture, for providing me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Rebound by Catherine Walsh is a heart-warming rom-com that will appeal to fans of traveling and Ireland. The story revolves around Abby Reynolds, who has just returned to her hometown in rural Ireland after years working for a fancy business in Manhattan. While there, she meets a handsome stranger who gives her a lift to her destination. She realizes that Luke can be her "rebound.". Unknown to her, Luke isn't just a handsome stranger...

Here is a humorous excerpt from the beginning of Chapter 1:

"I listen to it ring as I watch the remaining stragglers board the bus to Galway. I landed in Dublin this afternoon, naively thinking once I did it would be relatively easy to get to where I needed to be. But what should have been two to three hours on the road has turned into half a day trying to navigate the Irish public transport system. Or rather the lack of it. And now after managing to make it all the way across the country, I have a feeling that if I’m not careful, I’m going to have to walk the rest of the night.
I get to my feet, brushing away crumbs as I look around. In the tourist brochures, the west of Ireland is usually portrayed as a lush, windswept vista. Full of rugged cliffs and green fields. They do not show places like this. And for good reason. When I arrived, the small crossroads town had been full of people making their way home for the weekend. Now it’s quiet, the surrounding businesses closed, leaving the streets eerily empty, and I’m left staring enviously as the final bus pulls away, leaving just me and a girl in a bright orange vest talking to another customer."

Overall, The Rebound is a fun rom-com that will appeal to anyone looking for a quick, feel-good read. One highlight of this book is the exotic location. As someone who has never been to Ireland, it was interesting to read about this country and the local setting. I did take off 1 star, because I found that the two main characters are slightly boring, and there wasn't much action in this plot. I'm sure that many rom-com fans will love this one though. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of rom-coms in general, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in February!

The best book to read on any occasion, an easy read that will have you hooked from the very beginning. A different kind of Rom-Com (if you love Ireland, this is a read for you!)

Abby lived in NY, but after loosing her job and her boyfriend, she comes back to her childhood town in Clonard, Ireland. There she meets again her long-lost childhood friend, Luke, which will make her think about her future in a totally different way.
What will she choose? A new live with her childhood friend or a perfect job in another country?
Maybe she gets to have it all, or maybe she ends up losing everything. You’ll have to read it to find out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!
I've enjoyed every bit of it.

so cute!! honestly i was cheering for abby this whole book, and like was so swoon worthy! a cute read i really enjoyed :)

I very much enjoyed this book but I don't really think it should be advertised as a romcom. It's a bit more women's fiction than rom com. Most of the book is about her journey and what she wants to do next in her career while the romance with Luke is happening.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I really liked this book. It follows Abby who has just lost her job, her housing and her fiancé has dumped her. She travels back home to come face to face with a man that she finds attractive and also is an old friend, but she doesn’t Recognize him. While she’s at home she mends the relationship with her sister, reconnects with some old friends and makes new ones. She also learns how to live life for her. It takes her some bumps to get there but she eventually comes full circle.
I would recommend this book to friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

I was really hoping I would love this book. We follow Abby who was living the perfect life; engaged, had a great job, and living in New York. That’s until her company goes into bankruptcy, the engagement is broken off and she has to move back to her small hometown where everyone knows everyone. When she arrives she comes across Luke Bailey, her very hot-looking neighbor who was her best friend when they were young. We get to see how Abby goes from thinking her life is over to slowly finding where she needs to be.

I really loved Luke Bailey’s character but I felt like there was not a lot of interaction between Abby and Luke. They went long periods of time not talking to each other which made me lose connection with their relationship. I did love Louise’s character too and it was nice to see a lot of dialogue between Abby and her.

Overall, I did enjoy this story, I just wish there was a bit more romance. I would also LOVE to read more about Jess and her life in New York!

Abby returns home to her small town in Ireland after losing her job, her apartment, and her fiance in New York City.

The first person she comes across is Luke, her old neighbor and quasi-friend. Except she doesn't recognize him because the glow-up since high school is r e a l.

I was looking forward to character development, a sizzling relationship, and some funny dialogue between these characters and this --- wasn't that. It was hard to relate to either Abby or Luke, or their relationship. The plot felt slow and anti-climatic by the conclusion. I wasn't really invested in them or their success as a couple by the end of the book.

Such a great, lighthearted, return-to-hometown book!

Abby goes back to her small hometown in Ireland after losing her fiancé and job in quick succession. This is a return-to-origin mindset of where she gets to rediscover who she is, what she wants, and the important relationships in her life - including reconnecting with a hot childhood friend, Luke.

This is a slow-build romance story that has you rooting for the miscommunication and missed opportunities to clear up. I particularly liked how the author drew in Abby's NYC life into her Irish one, so you get a chance to see what kept her there originally. While I enjoyed the romance aspect, I must say that the relationship I was rooting most for was between Abby and Louise, her somewhat-estranged sister. That was a wonderful aspect to see, and definitely loved that opportunity to reconnect with a loved one (though Luke was great, too!).

Enjoyed the book overall, but wish it had either more spice or banter between Abby and Luke. The relationships between Abby and the side characters - Beth, Rory and Louise - are what bumped up my level of enjoyment.

This book follows Abby Reynolds, who has recently lost her job in New York and regrettably moved back to her small hometown Clonard in rural Ireland. We watch Abby grow and settle back into her old life all whilst juggling her baggage from New York.

This book was so lovely to read, I really enjoyed it and finished it in one sitting. I really liked Abby as she was head-strong if not a little stubborn and really knew what she stood for. One of my favourite scenes was Abby realising that she could not hurt her new friend Beth after everything she has done for her recently and I think that really portrayed Abby in a lovely light.
Luke was a great love interest, the perfect amount of stubborn and sweet. He melted my heart in so many ways.
I also really enjoyed the growth in the friendship between Louise and Abby, especially when they finally talked it out and realised they were both hiding their feelings the whole time and just pretending to hate each-other.

I gave this book 4 stars and would definitely recommend to my friends and family. Congratulations to the author for producing such a lovely and cosy book.

Thank you for providing me with an e-arc :)

For the first time in years, Abby is heading back home to Ireland. Unfortunately, she's returning home job-less, and fiance-less to stay with her sister who hates her. Over the ensuing weeks, she realizes maybe there is something for her back home (particularly an attractive neighbour named Luke) and finds comfort in being around people who are there for you no matter what.
**
I devoured this book over the course of a day. The Rebound is a quick read with the right amount of twists, steam, and humour.

First of all, LOVED Luke's character. I love the gangly childhood friend who glows up after some time apart who finally gets his shot with his former crush. Not to mention he was unequivocally always there for Abby. Loved him and his Luke Danes from Gilmore Girls vibes (coincidence?!?).

Over everything else, I adored the trajectory of Louise and Abby's sister relationship. These girls are much more similar than either would like to admit, and finally find common ground through proximity and expressing feelings for the first time in their relationship.

One odd observation, however, was the lack of physical descriptions for the characters. I do enjoy dialogue-dominant texts but I had a hard time imagining what the characters looked like. Just a small spot that missed the mark for me.

I am in love with Walsh's books, I read her previous book of 'One night only' and loved it and I loved this too.
this book follows a girl whose life has crumbled around her and returns to her home town in Ireland.
I love the eventual character development, purposefully done to allow the other characters to form an attachment.
For once a realistic relationship between siblings is present. Not all siblings are best friends who share clothing and possessions and this author seems to truly understand this and has been able to clearly display this.

Abby Reynolds loses her fiancé, home, and job, with nowhere to go but the village she grew up in in rural Ireland, with the the sister she can't stand, what else is she supposed to do?

The Rebound, tells the story of Abby, who after losing everything, begrudgingly returns home to stay with her sister and brother in law until she is able to find a new job.. Abby becomes reacquainted with old friends and discovers new ones, Abby realizes coming home again is not as bad as she initially thought.

The Rebound is a typical rom com. predictable plot lines, and quirky side characters. As for the main characters, I have mixed feelings. Luke, the boy next door Abby grew up was very charming, although I don’t feel like he’s as developed as he could have been. Abby had her moments as did her sister Louise. But Luke and Abby together frustrated me immensely during several parts of the book. Miscommunication runs rampant throughout the story and I found myself getting so annoyed with the various characters at times.

If you are looking for a easy to read cute rom com set in the quaint Irish countryside, I would definitely recommend this one.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

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

The Rebound tells the story of Abby Reynolds - unemployed, homeless, recently dumped. With nowhere to go, she heads home to rural Ireland, which she hates and swore she'd never return to live with her sister, Louise, who she never got along with.

The Rebound is one of my favorite books I read this year. I honestly could not stop reading. It was an easy read and cute with so many funny moments. The relationship between Abby and kind driving stranger, but actually childhood boy-next door who got super super hot, Luke, was so sweet. Luke was absolutely my favorite character.

My favorite part of the book was when Abby's New York friend visits Ireland and helps Abby reconnect with her sister Louise. Also really enjoyed when Abby told off her ex-fiance, Tyler, who only sees her as a damsel in distress.

Read this book if you're looking for a fun romance, enjoy friends to lovers romances, travel books - specifically Ireland.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book! It was by far the cutest of all my reads this year.
If you are looking for a nice, chill read that captivates you and makes you fall in love with yet another bookish couple, then this is for you.

What’s better than a city girl and country boy romance?
Nothing.

I absolutely love The Rebound by Catherine Walsh. It is a great, chill and cute read for the holidays and it gives me a sense of love when I read about Luke.
We need more books in the genre to be honest!
So far the best romance read and I am so happy to have taken my time to read and review this wonder of words!

I thought this was a cute, typical chick lit book. After reading it, the title doesn’t quite make sense to me, because Luke wasn’t treated like a rebound at all. I also think so of the minor characters could have been better developed/included in the plot in a different way.

Overall the story of Abby and Luke was super cute and definitely worth a read if you enjoy rom-coms.

"For the first time in years, I have no plans..."
*
Everything that can go wrong has went wrong in Abby Reynolds' life as she finds herself back on Irish soil once more but this time she's jobless, fiancéless and homeless. And to top things off she's missed the bus. But things start to look up when she's rescued by a handsome stranger, Luke, who offers to drive her to her childhood town of Clonard. Abby knows that Luke would be the perfect rebound to take her mind off of everything. That is until the next day when she realises he's no stranger but Luke Bailey, the boy next door, all grown up. The same boy who knew exactly who she was the entire time! The attraction continues to grow but in order to pursue Luke she needs to come clean to her family about everything else. Because the whole of Clonard still thinks she's a high-flying New Yorker. What's a girl to do?
*
"You have to live your life for you, not for anyone else..."
*
A refreshing and comforting read, The Rebound had me addicted from page one! I was laughing, crying and swooning from start to finish! I absolutely adored reading a story from an Irish main character's POV as I felt connected to the characters, their mannerisms and colloquialisms, because it's how I speak. It's not often you lift a book and feel that familiarity with the story from the first page but I loved the glimpses of our Irish culture that it provides both to people who have not been here before and those of us born and raised on the island. All conveyed in a beautiful little romance story. l loved Abby, and I think a lot of Irish people can relate to her need to get away at a young age. But in this book she not only falls for the guy but she also finds herself falling back in love with her country and finding her feet within her own family dynamic - her relationship with her sister Louise was so well developed.
This book has something for everyone - great friendships, family reconciliations and a romance to sweep you off your feet! Perfect for Valentine's Day! Honestly, if Catherine Walsh wrote a menu I'd still read it and rate it five stars I love her storytelling that much!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC!
*
"Some families you’re born with and some you find..."