Rating: 4
Laughing Score: 3
Crying Score: 0

I had high expectations going into this book because there is already a buzz around booksta about it, and I have to say it did not disappoint! I’ve only read a few holiday books so far and this one was probably the best one.

I love to travel, so I definitely loved that aspect of this book. I loved the two main characters, they were very sweet. I do feel like they felt young though and I’m not sure if the age fit the way they acted and felt. I think their friends-to-lovers storyline was great, well developed, and cute. I think the story just started to feel a bit long to me towards the end. It left me feeling like I wanted a bit more, which isn’t a bad thing.

This story captures the spirit of Christmas, the craziness of traveling during the holiday season, it’ll make you laugh and it’s an all-around feel-good read.

I requested this book mainly because of the author as I loved her 'One Night Only'. Also, the reviews are fabulous, so it seems like an unpopular opinion. But this book didn't work for me.
Mainly because of the pace. I liked the characters (however Andrew's character seemed a bit dull, and Molly was a little annoying) their conversation as well, but it was too slow for my liking.

It's about Molly and Andrew, just friends, flying together for 10 years, and now when they are celebrating their 10th anniversary of flying together, they're stuck due to a storm. The story oscillates between past and present, but to be honest, I didn't want to know what happened in the past. The prologue was enough, in my opinion. This nine years ago, eight years ago, seven years ago…and so on didn't interest me. I was more interested in the present, but it kept going on and on.

The situations are unexciting and quite mundane. Chapter after chapter, and it seemed to be going nowhere. Sadly, I didn't enjoy reading this book.

Who doesn’t love a good holiday romance novel?!? It’s hard to believe that Christmas is only 93 days away!!!! I can’t believe that 2022 is coming to an end and we will be ringing in 2023 in no time! If the holidays get you a little stressed out, this is a great book to read because it will make you smile, laugh and maybe even shed a tear all the while escaping into the land of Molly and Andrew!!!

If you enjoy a clean, friends-to-lovers story that gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling of a Hallmark Christmas story, you will fall in love with this book.

Over the last ten years, Molly and Andrew become friends as they both fly from Chicago to Dublin each year for Christmas. The story spans the last ten years, with flashbacks of previous flights they shared together. It is entertaining to watch their bond grow over the years.

I really relished the ten-year span of flashback stories and each one made me fall more in love with both Molly and Andrew.

The story is light, fun and filled with witty banter. The chemistry between the two is delightful to watch and the current flight brings many challenges with it which uncovers the love that is felt between the two MCs.

It is a joyful read and will definitely give you all the Christmas vibes!! If it’s not on your list of Christmas books to read, I would highly recommend adding it!!

I haven’t read any other books by this author, but I am looking forward to picking up her debut book, One Night Only and her second book, The Rebound very soon!

Christmas in September? Yes, please! I don’t read tons of Rom-Coms but once in a while I like to mix things up, and <b>Holiday Romance</b> was exactly what I was hoping it would be.

Molly and Andrew are friends who for the past 10 years have both taken the same flight home from Chicago to Ireland for Christmas. At the airport and on the flight they catch up on their lives including jobs and significant others. Being home with his family for Christmas means the world to Andrew. This year, their flight gets canceled due to a storm in the Atlantic and Molly vows to do whatever it takes to get him home for Christmas. It it primary told in present day with a brief glimpse into each flight starting from the first one, but those snapshots of the previous plane trips are just enough.

This book checked so many boxes for me. I love the friends-to-lovers trope when it is done right and Catherine Walsh nailed it. The banter, the evolution of their friendship, their conversations all flowed so well and felt very natural. I can honestly say this book made me laugh, gave me warm fuzzies, addressed some serious topics, and I absolutely loved it. Do yourself a favor and snatch this one up when it becomes available. 5 stars.

I got to read this book via #netgalley and it was honestly such a good festive read. The storyline was absolutely adorable, following two main characters and slowly getting to be introduced to their families and how different they are. One is full of Christmas spirit and the other isn't they don't even put up a Christmas tree!

Oh goodness this book was seriously the cutest thing ever. We meet Molly and Andrew, they knew each other because Andrew was dating one her friends who was also her roommate from college, they were on the same flight heading back home to Ireland for the holidays and the rest is history. This is 10 years of flying together and their little friendship banter and humor had me loving this book more and more. Molly knows how important Christmas with the family is to Andrew that when they got stranded at the airport she wanted to work twice as hard to try. And she did just THAT, but the journey they went through together was the cutest and the funniest, even when it came to meeting the family. This book was just EVERYTHING!!!!! I felt like I was celebrating Christmas in September, and Christmas is my fave holiday so this book is a WIN.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

While I found this book very predictable, I still couldn't put it down! It was such a cute and sweet story and I loved the alternating timeline of "now" vs. all of the previous years. I really loved the holiday angle, and although I was able to read this as an advanced reader copy in September, it makes me look forward to Christmas even more than I normally do. Definitely pick this one up!

4.5 ⭐️
Thank you so much NetGalley & Catherine Walsh for this ARC!
Who doesn’t love a good holiday romance?! If you don’t, then that’s a YOU problem. Andrew & Molly are friends who happen to both be from Ireland and travel home for Christmas every year. What better way to make a long flight go by faster than to have someone to talk to. When a major storm derails them, Molly makes it her mission to get Andrew (who’s obsessed with Christmas) back home to his family. Of course it wouldn’t be a friends to lovers romance without a few obstacles. I won’t spoil too much, but I love how Catherine has them fall in love and come to realization. Neither Molly or Andrew had found their perfect person and deep down knew there might be something between them, but is it worth risking their friendship over?

Super cute story about a couple who meets at the airport and keep meeting every year when they both go home for Christmas in Ireland from Chicago.

The story is told from Molly's POV and I liked her honest voice. As we're told their story from the first time to the last, it's clear to see Andrew feels something more and Molly finally catches up. It's a lovely (not easy) as they go from friends to being in love and admitting it to each other. Loved their respective families and how normal they all are.

As someone who goes home to visit her family from Utah to Portugal semi-regularly, what a nightmare trip Molly and Andrew had!

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Although early in the season to be picking up a Christmas book, I was thrilled to get my hands on this one! Meet Molly and Andrew who become friends flying back and forth from Chicago to Dublin. The story follows their friendship over 10 years as we read flashbacks to flights they’ve paired on years prior. We feel the presence of Christmas, but this is a book that can be swooned over any time of year.

The story is light, fun and chaotic as year 10 brings new obstacles to getting back to their home country. Low spice level.

A lovely sweet, funny, adorable Christmas themed romcom.

The story spans 10 years and flits between past and present , meaning the characters develop as the book progresses and I really grew to love them. Andrew in particular is a gorgeous leading man; dare I say he reminds me of my husband , not just because he loves Christmas jumpers 🤣

This book has all the warm and fuzzy vibes of a Hallmark Christmas movie ( actually even better because of the laugh out loud moments throughout) so if you're a fan of them, like I am, you will love this book. Perfect to curl up with in front of a christmas tree 🎄

I will definitely be popping this one in a few friends stockings

Andrew and Molly are best friends both Irish and living in Chicago. Their friendship started in an airplane over the holidays and has been going on ever since.
Now after 10 years, when they are traveling back again to Dublin to see their families over Christmas a storm strikes canceling all flights living them stranded in the airport with no solution. However, Molly refuses to give up, especially since Christmas is important to Andrew and him being together with his family. So, a B plan is activated for a flight to Buenos Aires, Paris, London, then through the ferry to Dublin.
Together they embark on a hilarious adventure full of love, Christmas vibes, exploration, laughter, and most importantly discovering their feelings toward each other.

I can't say enough how much I enjoyed reading this book😍😍. It's funny and romantic with amazing and lovable characters. Andrew and Molly's chemistry was off the roof they were so special and beautiful. Their adventure was amazing to read it's something I wished that happens to me it's tiring but full of surprises. Their romance was written beautifully it felt like a Hallmark movie reading this novel.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I can't recommend it enough, it's the perfect Christmas read, and you don't want to miss it.
Read this book if you like:
Friends to lovers troop
Past and present timelines
Traveling
Christmas vibes.

This book is such a treat! Molly & Andrew have 3 things in common:

1) They are both from Ireland
2) They both are going to college in Chicago
3) They have a mutual terrible friend/girlfriend

On their first Christmas flight home, Molly ends up seated next to Andrew as he is in the process of being dumped by their mutual friend. We follow this unlikely pairing over the next 10 Christmas breaks while alternating with their present day situation. This year, however, a major storm hits and threatens to ruin Andrew's Christmas with his family. Molly makes it her mission to get Andrew home on time and while it takes days, their friendship deepens and they start to realize what's been right in front of them this whole time. Sparks fly and I'm going to leave it at that. The rest is for you to discover in this absolutely hilarious and adorable "opposites attract" rom-com.

The story
For the past ten years, Molly has flown home from Chicago to her her family in Dublin for Christmas. Andrew, the boyfriend of a former friend has flown at the same time. Initially by co-incidence but then as friends. This year, when the flights over the Atlantic are cancelled because of a storm, the two pull out all the stops by flying for three days to get home. The trip brings them closer together in so many ways that neither expected.

My thoughts
I adored Catherine Walsh’s debut One Night Only, and second book The Rebound, and sat smiling throughout the sheer joy that is Holiday Romance. This story feels like a “classic”, charming Irish characters and setting, it’s Christmas and there is newfound attraction pumping. I love the two slightly imperfect people that Molly and Andrew are, and the way that they care deeply for each other, even as friends. There is a mad travel dash interspersed with flashbacks, but the story remains fast paced and the lows are easily overcome by the love story. It’s a must read ❤️

4.5 ⭐

• Friends to lovers
• Two friends desperate to get home for Christmas
• Great banter and chemistry

Like a Hallmark movie, and in the best possible way. Perfectly wholesome, easy on the tropes.

These guys had great chemistry, friendship-based bonds and the best banter ever. I really enjoyed their story, they were perfect for each other and so easy to like and root for.

However, the book was steamier than I expected. There were only a couple of scenes and they weren’t too bad, but I do get easily uncomfortable. And especially for a sweet holiday read, I expected it to be as clean as they get.

Other than that, this book was fun, entertaining, romantic, emotional, full of character growth, and I really liked it.

A huge thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh in exchange for an honest review.

Holiday Romance is a true heartwarming story. Catherine Walsh had me excited to turn every page in this friends-to-lovers romance.

Holiday Romance follows Molly and Andrew over ten years of friendship in a then and now format showing all the moments they felt and all of those they missed. Read this one when you want a light, makes you smile while reading, love story.


Posted to Goodreads 9/22/2022

Well that was ADORABLE! Molly and Andrew have shared ten flights home to Ireland for Christmas with the 10th flight being a crazy and fun ADVENTURE!
I loved this! It was sweet and the build up of their relationship had me a giddy mess!
The flash back to each flight was perfectly sprinkled into the story and I appreciated that the flashbacks were quick and to the point and weren’t overly dragged out. Instead the focus being on the current! Molly and Andrews days long trek to get back to Ireland was so much fun and watching them figure out their MORE was for me perfection!
Friends to lovers is not my favorite trope but this one was done so well for me! There wasn’t a lot of angst which I appreciated! And Andrews confession (IYKYK) was probably one of my favorite love confessions I have EVER READ! Like I was tearing up and squealing like a school girl!
This to me was a perfectly sweet adorable Christmas romcom!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book for my honest opinion! Releases 10/4

What a freaking adorable story.

This was the friends to lovers holiday romance I didn’t realize I needed already here in September.

Molly and Andrew live in Chicago, but are both from Dublin. They first meet on a plane ride home one Christmas, where Molly takes his phone in order to protect him for a holiday breakup.

Every year they spend their 7.5 hour Christmas flight home together, talking, eating and drinking. But, they rarely ever see each other in Chicago besides this yearly flight together.

This story flashes forward and back to the present day flight, year ten, too important milestones building up to this.

Flight ten is a disastrous snow storm, in which Molly will go through great lengths to make sure Andrew gets home for Christmas because it means so much to him.

The adventures they take together bring them closer and ultimately obviously it’s a romance so friends to lovers commence.

The ending is perfect and I loved this, my first holiday romance of the upcoming Christmas season!

I really wanted to wait until the holidays to really take this romance in but honestly it got too tempting to wait. In the first few chapters, I wasn't finding myself very drawn into the storyline and the characters but it really did switch around for me. I really enjoyed this book, it even made me tear up a little. The travel issues were actually realistic, I can also relate to the living abroad and the nightmare of travelling home at peak holiday times.. I unfortunately have never had a plane buddy that falls madly in love with me...!! I will definitely be recommending this book as the perfect holiday read this winter!

Did you love cute rom-coms? Do you love the holidays? Do you want to read a book that will make you swoon and squeal because of the adorableness? Then you will ADORE this one!

For 10 years, Molly and Andrew flew home to Ireland for the holidays. Molly hates the holidays, and only goes to see her family once a year. Andrew loves Christmas, so much so that he wears cheesy holiday sweaters.

They have built a strong friendship over those 10 years, both growing to understand each other on a deep level. But this Christmas, on their “tenth anniversary,” a huge snowstorm grounds their flight home.

Molly and Andrew then go on a crazy journey, trying to get home for Christmas while also exploring new romantic feelings that have come up after being caught under the mistletoe.

This is a book that I cannot wait to reread during the holiday season. It was absolutely adorable, the sexual tension was TENSE, and I have never been so obsessed with two characters. They were the cutest couple I have ever read. They gave me all the feels and by the end I felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

And I loved how real this was too. Molly hates her job, but feels lost on what she should do instead. And Andrew is newly sober and trying to keep it that way. They both supported each other without a moment of hesitation, so they are a couple that I know are for forever.

Seriously. READ THIS BOOK. You won’t regret it.