f you read one holiday book this season, let it be this one. It’s like drinking a cup of hot chocolate, curled up on a snowy Christmas morning after opening up presents and sitting by a warm fire.

Holiday Romance delivers just that - a perfect holiday romance. Molly & Andrew both live in Chicago, and both are from Ireland. After meeting one year while in college and sitting next to each other on the plane, they develop a friendship and a yearly tradition of sitting next to each other on the plane while they travel back to Ireland for Christmas. The book flashes back and forth beginning with the first flight, to current time (now ten years later). After cancelled flights, stress trying to get home, and a little mistletoe, are Molly & Andrew starting to realize that they may be more than just friends? The best part is, it’s a Christmas book without being too much of a Christmas book. You could really enjoy this one any time of year!

Read Holiday romance to laugh, cry, and feel all the christmassy feels with this book. I HIGHLY recommend! 100/5 stars.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHER FOR THIS REVIEW COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

From where should I start?

This book is one the coziest book, I've read in a long time. It was like a cup of chocolate in freezing cold. I was expecting a cringy plus cheesy book but it turned out the opposite one.

Molly moved to Chigaco from Ireland to attend college, one degree converted into another one and days into years. Now, it is her home and she only visits her family on Christmas. Though her family is not the one to celebrate holidays but now it is a habit to visit them at end of the year.

Mathew also moved from Ireland and tried his hand at different creative fields. His family is big on Christmas and he never missed a chance to show off his holiday spirit.

They first met each other via a friend after that they met at the airport while traveling home. Now, it's been ten years and it becomes their tradition to travel together. They sometimes met between the visits and obviously are in contact. It is their tenth anniversary of traveling together, Molly has big plans for them but the storm has another. Molly is always a fixer, she has to fix this and take both of them home, doesn't matter what she has to do.

I love the story so much, the writing was great and I felt really connected with both of the characters and their plans. I traveled with them from Chicago to Dublin, I never thought that I'd enjoy a book about travel this much. Surprisingly, the story was not cringy at all, cheesy? yes, but not too much. The dynamics between both were so unique. I want to read more books that have MCs who know how to communicate. I also like that they both have their own life, unlike most of the books of this genre. It was a mix of "opposites attract each other" and "friends to lovers".

I'd totally recommend reading this book on a weekend while snuggling in a blanket.

A fun contemporary romance that feels like a warm hug!

Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh is the first book of the author that I read and will not be the last! This book is a delight and gives me happy, giddy feelings. I was smiling throughout the book. It’s such a sweet book that it feels like Christmas!

Molly and Andrew have known each other for ten years, with the first year of their encounter ending in such a dreadful turn up until the third year of their airport encounter, and from then on became a yearlong tradition to go home to Ireland for the holidays. For their tenth year, their flight was canceled due to bad weather and, from then on, became a tumultuous, more extended trip. Their journey forces them to discover more about themselves and each other - as they take a leap of courage to be honest, and brave.

I love Molly and Andrew! They are adorable separately and together. They are funny together, and their banter and togetherness don’t feel forced or lacking in chemistry. The time jumps work well for this plot; they give us a window into their connection and feelings. Their friends and family are just as charming, the type of people you definitely make an effort to spend your holidays with! I recommend this if you’re looking for a sweet, no angst, holiday-themed book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the eARC.

*** ARC REVIEW *** Thank you, NetGalley for this book!! ***

"It has always been you."

I believe this statement framed this entire book and I am still melting in puddles of love because that is in my opinion, the most romantic statement to be sending out - be it in this book or anywhere else. I must say I am absolutely in love with this one! Besides sending me right into the holiday mood, it filled my heart with overflowing love and got me humming Christmas songs right after finishing this book.

Molly and Andrew have been friends, or rather friends who take the same flight back to their respective homes in Ireland for Christmas every year. Seven hours and fifteen minutes time together on flight every year for the past ten years and not once had the thought of romance crossed them. Not until when a freak snowstorm grounds their flight and a bizarre adventure together with the aim of getting home by Christmas happened. But with Molly being practical and most of the time, hesitant, would she finally take the plunge and follow her heart?

Reading this book had me feeling like I, too, was on an adventure along with them. I appreciate how each scene and each character was so well-written, I could find myself literally sitting beside them in the cafe in Paris, or touring the grand house in London. Most of all, I loved the flashbacks to every previous flight that Molly and Andrew had been on. I loved every second spent together with them. Their banters made me laugh out loud even on the bus, or at the salon. Friends/lovers or not, they were simply the cutest!

Sigh, you simply have to get this book for a light-hearted, hilarious read and for you to jump right into Christmas mood!!

i just can't like friends to lovers, it feels wrong somehow 🤨 i didn't like and couldn't finish pwmov and this was similar to that. i give this one a chance because of christmas setting but still didn't like it


i hate when the couple has right-person-wrong-time thing because i don't want to know their other partners and the hero one time said <b> he felt like cheating his girlfriend when he looked at the heroine </b> 😡 if you have feelings for someone else don't lead other people

plus if i'm not wrong they see each other once a year regularly and two or three times extra?? their scheduled meetings for catch up feels weird 😐 and what's the point of andrew's soberty🤨 it showed us they're not as close as they seem she didn't even know he has a problem

another not so great christmas book for me i was so hopeful for this

Molly and Andrew take the flight from Chicago to Ireland every year at Christmas to see their families . This year happened to be a little different . With the snow storm coming plans have changed, emotions are large but some how they have to get through it . A great friends to lovers quick read .

Where are my Holiday Rom-Com book lovers at?! This is your book for the upcoming holiday season. It’s adorable, it’s funny, it’s sweet, and it’s filled with witty banter that will surely make you smile.

Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh is a friends-to-lovers Christmas adventure story. Molly and Andrew have been friends for the past 10 years. During the Christmas season, they develop a tradition to fly to their hometown in Ireland together. Unfortunately this year, their flight is cancelled due to a snowstorm. Molly wants to make it home in time because her sister is about to have a baby and Andrew is crushed he won’t be able to see his family this year. This is when Molly designs a plan to get them home. Let the wild adventure begin….

This book reminds me of the Christmas Hallmark movies I love to watch every year.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of Holiday Romance in exchange for my honest review.

An unusual Christmas romance in that the protagonists already know each other. A warm, well written story which is light hearted and full of Christmas spirit.

She's meant to be catching flights, not catching feelings.

I love a good holiday read and expected this to be your standard cute but slightly ridiculous Christmas read. I did not expect Molly to be so damn adorable (and relatable) and Andrew to be so loveable!

I devoured this book so quickly and will be purchasing this as a gift for my fellow reader friends this holiday season.

Would love love LOVE to see this story adapted to screen!

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Special thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Full of Christmas magic and glittering with holiday sparkles comes the perfect Christmas romcom that will make you feel bundled in love with marshmallows on top!

What a charming and original holiday romance! Andrew and Molly, who met through a common friend, find themselves on the same pre-Christmas flight from Chicago to Ireland. They bond on that flight and every year, for 10 years after, they meet at the airport and take the same flight together. This year, however, every manner of delay and obstacle gets in their way, along with their emerging feelings for one another! Full of humour, engaging characters, and slow burn romance, this is a sweet friends-to-lovers Christmas story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


4 ⭐️ .5🌶

This was as cute as it gets, folks. Two friends from Ireland, but they don't meet until they live in Chicago? One's a Scrooge & the other is Tiny Tim?? Come on!

I will say, however, that I don't think Molly was actually a Scrooge or a Grinch, I think she was just more stoic about the holiday than everyone around her. She never hated on Christmas, she just didn't wanna wear the jumper. Let. It. Go.

That being said, while there is a mildly spicy scene, it's really not that descriptive. I'd say it's more PG-13. I loved the chemistry, every plot twist was believable, and I think you should read it.

"At first you don't succeed, try try again."

At first I thought this book was NOT going to succeed in keeping me interested and entertained. By the end, I could not have been more wrong.

This short, cute, romance novel becomes harder and harder to put down as the characters evolve and interact with each other. Throw in some drama, comedy, the Christmas spirit, and FAMILY (we hate 'em and love 'em), and you've got yourself a binge-worthy, lighthearted, happy-ending story :)

Very enjoyable.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

Genuinely a fantastic romcom, I had the best time reading it. It didn't take me long to get completely swept up with these two and from there, I couldn't put it down. Absolutely recommend if you need a warm and fuzzy kind of read.

I want to start out by saying thank you to NetGalley for giving me this book as an ARC in return for an honest review. This is not my first book by Catherine Walsh, and I am sure it will not be my last. I have absolutely loved the two books I have read by this author, The Rebound and now Holiday Romance. I love the way she writes her characters and the romances she creates.

Holiday Romance is a book about friends to lovers but it is written in such a way that you can not help but be invested in their story. I love that it is about two characters from Ireland who venture to the States for school and work and have decided to stay and reside in Chicago. I love how one character is basically obsessed with Christmas and the other one sees it as just another day. I loved the banter and how different the main characters were from one another. This book isn't just about friendship and romance because, in my opinion, it is so much more. It is also about courage, self-confidence, taking chances. family and discovering what is important in life. I have to say that I very much enjoyed getting to know their families and I felt it just added another layer of depth to the story.

If you are looking for a fun holiday rom-com with loads of travel, family, and chaos then this may be the book for you. I found it to be an absolutely lovely read that I just flew through because I didn't want to put it down. Thanks again to NetGalley for the ARC I very much enjoyed the book.

A feel-good Holiday romance!

Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh is the Christmas book of 2022. The friendship to lovers trope is brought to life through Andrew and Molly. The two start out as mere acquaintances, but quickly forge a deep friendship.

The forced proximity of traveling in an airplane for an extended period of time creates a bond that cannot be broken. Over the course of a decade, the two have been there for big moments in each other’s lives. What was once a flight friendship, quickly becomes much more.

Walsh does a fantastic job of laying the foundation of friendship before advancing into a romantic relationship. This book is the definition of a slow burn. It takes a decade before either character ever makes a move. However, once Pandora’s box is open, there is no going back.

If you are a fan of romance and Christmas/ holidays this is the book for you. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and will be recommending it to everyone I know!

Special thanks to NetGalley.com and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was a super sweet romance between Molly and Andrew, two friends from Ireland who fly home together every year from Chicago.

I wasn’t sure I’d like the back and forth with the previous flights and now, but it was effective storytelling! I also thought their progression was natural. Truthfully, I do tire of the “break them up at 75-80% through the book” writing (and this one was a bit lazy to me), but they solved it pretty quickly and everything tied up in a nice bow. The characters seemed relatable and I am on the same journey as Andrew (1 month alcohol free)!

I’d recommend this one, it’s a quick, sweet read with a happily ever after.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.25

Holiday Romance was such a delightful and charming read. I absolutely loved the friendship and romance in this book.

It is in the heroine’s POV only and has a slow burn and friends to lovers romance, which I loved. I do wish we would had gotten the hero’s POV though. I would recommend checking the content and trigger warnings before reading as well.

The overall premise of traveling home for Christmas was so entertaining and quite fast paced. I loved all the hurdles the main characters, Molly and Andrew had to go through to reach their homes in Ireland. The story does go back and forth in time showcasing the history of their friendship as well, which I really liked.

The romance between Molly and Andrew was so sweet. I loved their buildup, chemistry and banter. Surprisingly there was low angst between them, as their friendship came first and their romantic feelings slowly developed. There was also a bit of spice but it was quite low and until the end.

All the side characters were amazing. They all had some laugh out loud, heartwarming and meaningful moments with Molly and Andrew.

I will say though, there were a few subplots that definitely could have been more expanded on like: Andrew’s alcoholism and Molly’s career.

While, there really wasn’t a third act conflict there was a bit of an issue between them at the end but was quickly resolved, which I appreciated. The ending and epilogue were also quite heartwarming.

Overall, just a lighthearted and sweet friends to lovers romance book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved this feel good Christmas love story. The ending made me cry and then smile. I loved the development of Molly and Andrew's relationship from the beginning to the end. I really loved the ending.