3.5 stars rounded up.

What happens when you lose your fiancé, your home, your job, and have nowhere to go but the village you grew up in in rural Ireland, with the family you don’t particularly care for?

The Rebound, Catherine Walsh’s sophomore novel, tells the story of Abby, who after losing everything, begrudgingly returns home to stay with her sister until she is able to get back on her feet again. As she becomes reacquainted with old friends (including the boy next door who has now become the town hottie) and discovers new ones, Abby realizes coming home again is not all bad. And the family she thought she hated might be the one to put her back together.

This felt like a very typical rom com to me. Enjoyable? Definitely! Memorable? Not quite so much. Fairly predictable plotline, which I do enjoy sometimes, especially when I just want a cute, fun book to read. As for the characters, I have mixed feelings. Luke, the aforementioned town hottie, was very charming, although I don’t feel like he’s as developed as he could have been. Beth and Jess, Abby’s friends, were both adorable (can there please be a sequel?) Abby had her moments as did her sister Louise. However, Luke and Abby had a way of frustrating me immensely during huge portions of the book. Miscommunication runs rampant throughout and I found myself getting so annoyed with the various characters at times.

If you are looking for a cute rom com set in the quaint Irish countryside, I would definitely recommend this one. It’s a light-hearted, quick and easy read, perfect for a weekend afternoon. Just don’t expect it to blow your mind or you will be disappointed.

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

This was a super cute book! It was an easy read and I loved seeing Abby’s journey after she returned home after losing her job, her house, and her breaking up with fiancé. Abby meets her childhood friend and neighbor but he’s all grown up now and she starts to have feeling for him fast.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4382190260

The Rebound follows Abby Reynolds, a woman who has lost her apartment in NYC, her job as a high-powered associate at an investment firm, and her wealthy fiancé within the span of a month. Broke and humiliated after these losses, Abby decides to move back to her childhood home in Clonard, a small town in Ireland where she grew up, to regroup. There, she re-ecounters Luke, her childhood next-door neighbor and friend, who has become a hot and charming adult. While Abby initially tries to hide the full extent of her situation, her adventures (and misadventures) with Luke, her older sister Louise, and her new friend Beth help Abby figure out what she wants, who she is, and who she truly loves.

I really enjoyed several aspects of The Rebound. First, I was impressed with its realism, which the genre of chick-lit is not well-known for. While there are a few typical, difficult-to-believe scenarios that Abby and her love interest, Luke, find themselves in — including an eye-rolling scene where Abby ends up falling on top of Luke as a result of a wetsuit-removal mishap — the setup of the novel, the vast majority of the situations Abby finds herself in, and the characters in The Rebound feel much more believable than other novels in it genre. Second, I loved watching the relationship between Abby and her sister, Louise, unfold. The older-younger sibling dynamic really resonated. Their dynamic doesn’t feel like simply a side-show — it feels just as important as Abby’s relationship with Luke. I find it rare to see an exploration of intricacies of difficult family relationships in romance novels; often those relationships are either wonderful and tight-knit or comically atrocious. I admire that Walsh was able to treat family dynamics with subtlety. Third, I liked that the female protagonist’s career played such an important role in the novel. This is not unheard-of in contemporary romance novels, but it is often the case in these novels that the female protagonist’s career goals end up perfectly aligning with her future with her love interest. That is not the case in this novel, and it felt much more realistic that Abby had to navigate that fact. Finally, The Rebound is eminently readable. This is probably my #1 requirement for this genre, and Walsh delivers. I finished the novel in less than 24 hours.

On the other hand, there were some aspects of the novel that I didn’t enjoy. First, I had a harder time connecting with the protagonist, which made the novel less pleasurable to read than others like it. Abby does become less self-centered over the course of the novel, and her flaws did make her a more realistic character. However, it’s hard for me to cheer for a person who does not seem to consider the feelings of others in many of her interactions. There were several points in the novel where I wondered why anyone continued to give Abby the time of day. Second, I had high hopes for the relationship between Abby and Luke, but their romantic connection ultimately fell a bit flat for me. The initial interactions between the two of them checked all the boxes: witty banter, clear sexual chemistry, scenarios that offer tension and promise future interactions. But midway through the novel, as the pace of their interactions slowed, my interest in their relationship lessened. I was surprised by the lack of attention to their interactions when they finally “got together,” and I found the all-important sex scene a bit lackluster. Third, and relatedly, I felt like we never really got to know Luke well. He had a clear backstory, but readers didn’t get much of his experience/feelings about his backstory. There was a lot of potential for development — for example, exploration of Luke’s feelings as a teenager, his experience in Dublin, what it was really like to stay in Clonard for so long after his dad had recovered, etc. — but most of it was glossed over quite quickly. As romance novels are often judged by how compelling the two “in love” characters are, this felt like a missed opportunity.

Overall, The Rebound is an enjoyable read. Walsh’s novel is more nuanced realistic than many of its counterparts, without sacrificing the genre’s readability. While The Rebound does not make my list of top-ten romance novels given the at-times lackluster connection between Abby and Luke, it is a lovely escape for a long plane ride or a vacation day.

The Rebound was a cute romcom that was super easy to read. I think I read half of it in just one sitting. Abby's life is falling apart. She lost her job, fiancé, and savings, and home all within a matter of weeks. Feeling sorry for herself (and having no where else to go) she returns home to the small village in Ireland where she grew up. She is instantly attracted to the cute man who offers her a ride to the village. The next day she realizes its her childhood best friend who lived next door, Luke. Abby needs to find herself and figure out what she wants to do with the rest of her life. Hopefully, Luke can fit into that new plan.

I just adored the meet cute in this book. I loved the small town feel and secondary characters. It was easy to see the charm of the village with all of their themed town events. Abby spends the book deciding what she really wants in life. I liked seeing her relationship with her sister evolve. Luke just seemed like a nice guy. He always tried to be the one to help everyone out. I wish the book had a little more in the romance department. They didn't spend a whole lot of the book actually together. Some of the conflicts could have been easily resolved with Abby being honest from the beginning.

I really liked this book and will definitely pick up Catherine Walsh's other book in the future. Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Walsh, and Bookouture for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

<b>Genre: </b> contemporary romance, humor
<b>Tropes: </b> slow burn romance, coming home, childhood friend turned hot
<b>Series: </b> No, it's a stand-alone
<b>Cliffhanger: </b> No
<b>Spice: </b> little to none (0.5/5🌶)
<b>Rating: </b> 4.5 ⭐

<i>I have received an ARC through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and left voluntarily. Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy. </i>

I honestly liked this surprisingly much, because at the beginning I didn't feel very drawn by it, but by the third chapter, I was all in. It was easy and cute, with enough funny moments to make it a humorous romance. The general vibe was very "Gilmore Girls"-ish, so I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes that TV show.

<b>"There should be an automatic report when you visit home, some kind of newsletter detailing all the changes you need to know about. All the marriages and all the glow-ups, so situations like this don't happen."</b>

<b>》》<u>The Plot</u>《《</b>

Abby Reynolds has lost everything: her fiancé, her home, her job and her fancy life in New York. The only option left? Going back to Clonard, her Irish hometown and stay with her sister and her husband. Something she dreaded doing for a long time for a number of reasons — for starters, she and Louise don't get along. And then there's the suffocating feeling she gets there.
But what she didn't anticipate was discovering that when you've hit rock-bottom there's no other way to go but up. And that her childhood friend and boy next door, Luke Bayley, got hot. Like illegally so. So maybe picking up the pieces and starting over isn't all that bad. And it's definitely helpful to find out what wonderful people you actually have around you along the way.

<b>》》<u>Characters and Relationships</u>《《</b>

<b>"Luke and I are going to hang out."
"Hang out?"
"We're going to watch a movie."
"Aha!" Sinead beams at me before turning to her husband. "I win! Gimme."
"We had a bet on whether you two were secretly hooking up," Rory explains, pulling his wallet from his pocket. "I didn't think he had the guts."</b>

First of all, we have <b>Abby Reynolds</b>, the MC from whose perspective we get to see the whole story. She's extremely smart and hard-working and it's easy to get drawn into her narrative. Then we get <b>Luke Bayley</b>, the winner of the best glow-up of the century, who is exactly that sweet but manly sort of guy ( — and again, he gave me really strong "Gilmore Girls" vibe).

Their relationship is sweet and funny, with flirting moments and grumpy setbacks that build a pretty slow burn romance. Although the title is suggesting a rebound, Abby seems okay and definitely not heartbroken over her fiancé, which is definitely not what I was expecting when I started reading this, but it didn’t let my expectations down; I was misleaded but not disappointed.

<b>"It wasn't the best night's sleep I've had."
"You should try my bed," I say without thinking.</b>

The banter was great, the flirting got me smiling like a chipmunk and it was overall that really cute love story you'd like to binge on Netflix for a nice evening and a cozy, hopeful vibe.

A relationship I really enjoyd following throughout this book was the one between Abby and her older sister, <b>Louise</b>. It had something very real and totally understandable and I found it hard to not like the two of them. Especially towards the end, when they were both so supportive and I guess it painted a pretty nice picture of family bonds.

<b>"Her husband used to be a taxi driver. If we play nice, he might do us a favor. Can you cry on command?"
"I can for this."</b>

And if we are talking about side characters, they were really great. Starting with <b>Beth</b>, the bubbly and overly optimistic new friend Abby gets when she returns to Clonard, continuing with <b>Jess</b>, her best friend from New York who unexpectedly shows up for a visit and proves how real friendships should go with some tough love and ending with <b>Tyler</b>, yes, that ex-fiancé who should be a total ass but somehow is just the perfect portrait of mansplaining. He's not really the bad guy, even though he clearly needs some relationship advice and I can in no way defend him, but he's just sooo much of that innocent toxic masculinity - and I'm saying innocent because he really doesn't see why behavior like his is not okay. Ah, and <b>Rory</b>! I almost forgot about Rory, Abby's first boyfriend and former adolescent best friend, who's a total laugh and has somehow managed to turn each scene with him and his wife into a humorous one, making me grin constantly.

<b>》》<u>Favorite Scenes</u>《《</b>

⭐Abby getting drunk and wanting explanations from Luke
⭐The egg hunt

<b>"I said don't move," he says, exasperated. "You might have broken something."
"Besides my pride?"</b>

⭐Abby and Louise clicking - I loved their relationship
⭐Abby being stuck in her wetsuit and Luke helping
⭐Jess visiting
⭐Rory - and the beach night
⭐Thar random cow on the road that lead to a backseat streaptease
⭐Tyler coming to Ireland

<b>"What if he is going to beat him up?"
"Please don't tell me you find that attractive."
"Of course not. That's so unhealthy. "
"Right."
"I mean, I guess a little part of me wouldn't mind if — "
"Abby!"
"Well, don't put the idea in my head then!"</b>

⭐Tyler meeting Luke
⭐ Abby and Louise following Luke's car to Tyler's hotel

<b>》》<u>Conclusion</u>《《</b>

It's a very nice romance that will both fascinate and humor its readers. It's sprinkled with cute scenes, it has banter and relatable characters and well, for me it was a total page-turner. And some situations described here are so real and usually not mentioned in books, that you really have to appreciate it as it definitely showed some originality.

<b>"If you don't want me to be with anyone else, why is it so easy to just let me go?"
"Because it's what you want."
"But I also want you!"
"Then ask me to come with you!"</b>

After enduring a few duds, it was with great trepidation that I dared to read another rom-com and I must say that I am positively thrilled for having chosen 'The Rebound' in my foray back to this genre.

Following a spate of bad luck wherein she lost her home, job, savings and fiance, Abby Reynolds is left with no choice but to return home to Clonard, Ireland. A far cry from her high flying life at New York, Abby has to now rebuild her life up from scratch. While her progress is slow, on the way, she mends a few relationships, makes some new ones, and finally accepts that maybe home may not be such a bad place after all. 

This was such a heartwarming story with all the feels of a Hallmark movie. While the romance itself is a slow-burn, thanks to the interesting side characters and the simply hilarious dialogues/conversations, there are no dull moments throughout.

The plot explores not only the budding romance between the protagonists, but other relationship dynamics too - like the love-hate relationship between Abby and her sister, Louise, Abby's new-found friendship with Beth; and not to forget, Abby's American friend, Jess who was my favourite character of all and who had some of the best dialogues in the book. ('I have decided I am too old to make new friends.')

Overall, a book that had me grinning like a loon from start to end, this was the perfect break I didn't know that I needed after a steady diet of thrillers for the past few months. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to NeGgalley and the Bookouture for giving me an ARC of this book for an honest review.

This book has Ireland, Old Friends, a Sister relationship and Love! What's not to love about it?

Abby had everything she thought she dreamed of in NYC. Then it fell apart. First her fiance calls off the engagement and then her job and all her savings goes down the drain. She heads home to small town Ireland to live with her sister.

The meet cute is very fun in a bus station. Luke offers a ride to Abby. Funny enough, he knew her the whole time. She finds out the next door; he was the boy next door.

I really enjoyed the writing of this book. More than the love story that develops in this book, I love the story of the sisters and how their dynamic changes over time. They go from being nearly hostile to sharing their deepest secrets(You must read to learn them!)

I like books that make the characters seem real as they have other friends than just the love interest and they take TIME. This doesn't develop in 1 week, it's a slow burn.

I definitely recommend this book. This was my first book to read by Catherine Walsh and I'm so excited to go read her other book now!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The rebound follows Abby, whose life is falling apart around her. After losing her job and her fiancé breaking up with her, she flees to visit her sister in her hometown in Ireland. Back there, she meets a handsome stranger, who turns out to be an old childhood neighbor. Managing a growing crush on him and trying to figure out her life, Abby has to decide which path she will take next.


This was a really sweet story about falling in love and sister relationships. Whilst I couldn't relate to anything Abby did or thought, I still enjoyed seeing life from her perspective. This is perfect for anyone going through tough times and needing a story to cheer them up.

I blitzed through this book over the weekend as I just could not get enough. Light and witty I enjoyed every second. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Abby Reynolds is having a doozy of a time. Her fiancé broke up with her, then her company was shut down and with it, her investments, savings and home disappeared overnight. She decides the best idea is to hightail it home to Clonard, in West Ireland, to stay with her big sister whom she doesn't get along with. Enter the gorgeous green-eyed Luke, who gives Abby a ride home when she arrives. Unfortunately for Abby, she doesn't recognize him until Luke and his parents, Louise's neighbors, come for lunch the next day. Their flirtation takes a hit when Louise brings up Tyler, the man she thinks Abby is still engaged to -- because admitting the engagement has been called off is too much humiliation for Abby to bear.

I don't think I have had the pleasure of reading a romantic comedy before. The Rebound had me laughing with each page. My favorite relationship was between Abby and Louise; the understanding that grew between them warmed my heart. Family isn't always easy and two strong willed people truly have to work hard to communicate well. I think their relationship was the real focus for me. Even though I enjoyed all the tension between Abby and Luke, it was Abby and Louise I was rooting for. The setting of The Rebound being in West Ireland was the cherry on top, I could clearly picture the places described and hear the accents as I read. Abby is strong willed and ambitious and I love that her time home didn't change that about her; she grew to realize she could still be herself while being in Clonard and the appreciation for her home and her country grew.

I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys childhood friends (to strangers) to lovers, laughing until you cry, and anything set in Ireland.

Thank you to Bookouture and Net Galley for this arc. This is my honest review.
I will post my review on other sites closer to the publication date.

Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the ARC. It’s 2:30 am and I just binge read the shit out of this book. I absolutely loved loved loved it. The banter and character dynamics were so funny and cute. But I think what really made it more special for me was that it was more than just a rom com where boy meets girl. The familial relationships were a huge focus, especially between the mc and her sister, which I loved, because often times I think that’s pretty rare. And, the love interest was really well balanced imo. He didn’t really play into any specific trope and neither did the mc. They just felt like real normal people with real normal problems.

3.5/5 This was a nice read, the writing is good. I really wish we had more in our initial MC interaction, it felt lacking- especially Abby getting into a car with a ~stranger~. Personally i would've needed a little more convincing. Much of the book felt like that for me, just a little disconnected. I didn't quite relate to Abby like i wanted too either, I wish Luke had a little more depth. I loved the relationship between Louise and Abby, it really captured how difficult navigating adult sibling relationships can be. I also thought the romance was cute, but sometimes i just wanted to shake Abby. Wake up girl!!! I didn't really find myself rooting for her like I wanted to. Overall I liked the book, it's a bundle-up-by-the-fire-while-looking-out-the-window-at-your-snow-covered-lawn-with-a-cup-of-tea type of book. If you like romance books, you'll like this one!

This was on okay read.
I came to the realization that I am not a fan of romances narrated from just one POV because I feel like I am missing part of the story.
This was even more true for this book, where I felt like every other character in the book was more flashed out than the love interest, Luke.
Abby was an interesting character and I really enjoyed her personal growth trough the relationship with the people around her. I just would have liked for the romantic relationship to have a bit more depth and space.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

This book was a solid 4 stars for me! I love the childhood friends to strangers to lovers trope, and Luke and Abby were SO cute together. This book kind of reminds me of the movie Leap Year — big corporate job girl goes to small town & meets hot, swoon worthy guy. I wish that there was a bit more “oomf” to the romance in this book… I think it would have really made this a stellar 5 star read for me. There was just something missing between Luke & Abby for me, maybe not quite enough written connection for the reader to grasp onto & really hang onto throughout the book. Overall, I liked it and will be recommending it to all my fellow romance lovers. So thankful that I got to read this ARC!

The Rebound is a charming, swoony and really sweet story.

With engaging and relatable characters, Abby and Luke are two unique characters you can’t help but love and need to see them united.
The passion between them was undeniable.
I loved watching their relationship evolve.
most well-written books I’ve read in a long time.
From start to finish, it was a delightful read.
Smart and witty, this story is consistently funny and genuinely affecting.
The plot is exceptionally clever and imaginative.
Catherine Walshtransports the reader to Manhattan with two lovable characters, humor, angst, and the power of love.
This well written, and well paced story is a great summer read, whether you're on the beach, a plane, or a lunch hour at work.
I was hooked on your book from the very beginning and made my own predictions as to what I thought would happen.  
I could easily relate to both and that made the characters even more lovable.  
Your story turned out to be one filled with humor, sexy moments, a spectacular setting and a cast of characters that are an absolute joy to be around!

Bookouture and NetGalley,
Thank You for this eARC!
I will post and tag to my platforms closer to pub date!

The Rebound
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Catherine Walsh
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Clean Read: PG-13ish
Content Warning: fertility struggles

Well, I liked it. I enjoyed picturing small-town Ireland and the familial connections that a community of life-long residents creates. Watching the relationship evolve between Louise & Abby was heart warming and fun! I appreciated the female empowerment and friendships all throughout and I loved that Abby didn’t settle for the safe and predictable path.

That said, I found the romance part of it to be a bit lackluster. It was generally sweet but I felt like it was missing some of the passion and heat that makes the reader’s heart race as they’re experiencing the book. I also expected more humor? Sure, there was snark and banter but it never really hit me to be as “laugh out loud” as I guess I was expecting based on the cover blurb.

I decided on 3 stars because as I mentioned, the family and friends parts of the book were great, I just didn’t feel the pull for the story of Luke and Abby, as much. However, I hope people read it for themselves and make up their own minds!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Bookouture for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! The Rebound follows Abby after her company shuts down and her fiancé breaks up with her. She then moves in with her sister in their hometown of Clonard, Ireland and is reintroduced to Luke, her neighbor and childhood friend (plus the guy who gave her a ride home).

My favorite part of this story was the relationship between Abby and her sister Louise. It was great getting to read about a sibling relationship and the development that they both went through. I also really enjoyed the relationship between Abby and Luke. The ending surprised me, but I actually really enjoyed it as well.

I felt like the writing was good and I loved the descriptions of Ireland and small-town life. It was also refreshing having a main character who didn’t change what she wanted for the love interest.

This was a really sweet and simple read. I’m giving four stars and I recommend it to fans of romance.

A fun, easy read that has a lovely ending.
I love a good romance and this book certainly didn’t disappoint.
The characters are all relatable and likeable.
It’s one that I’d definitely recommend.

A sweet romance with a happy ending. The way the author portrayed the turmoil of Abby and her reactions to the changes happening in her life were relatable. Luke's character was good but not strong enough. Overall it's a good book. Giving 5 stars.

The Rebound follows Abby, now homeless, jobless and freshly dumped by her fiancé returning to her hometown of Clonard in Ireland. While wallowing in her own self pity she meets a handsome stranger who turns out not to be a stranger after all but Luke, the boy next door, the boy she grew up with.

Luke still looks at Abby like the successful New Yorker she no longer is. The longer she is home the harder it is to hide her failures. But the more she opens up the more she is able to get closer to Luke - but is sharing all of her failures worth the risk if this is only supposedly a fling?

This was a sweet rom-com that showed the power of moving on and facing ones setbacks head on.

This releases on Valentines Day and I think it is the perfect story to read for those looking for a second chance at love and life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cahterine Walsh for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.