This book is a must-read for the holiday season. The characters have real depth that is displayed over a ten year time frame. The timing, jumping back and forth between present-time and events over the past ten years is so well-done. Molly and Andrew have such chemistry and I love how they slowly figure things out. The slow-burn is real with this book, and I felt like these were truly adults and handled their relationship as such. I felt like I was in the holiday spirit with this book, even though I read it in September. Excellent read that I highly recommend. 2/5 for spice

I was really excited about this book and heard so many wonderful reviews, (there are endless 5 star reviews here and on Goodreads), so I was excited.

Fast forward, and this book was a big disappointed for me. Maybe the hype was too much? Maybe my expectations were too high? Whatever the case, this book was a big no for me. I didn’t much like Andrew or Molly. My full review will be up on Goodreads. This one just wasn’t for me at all.

I love Christmas, and I love romance, so you can imagine my excitement when I got to pick this one up. And it's just as enjoyable as it sounds! I love friends to lovers. LOVE. And I LOVE chapters that switch between then and now. And this book had both! Honestly, it's one of the best friends to lovers/then & now books I've ever read, like, I'm so serious. Not only did it have two of my favorite elements, it was soooooo funny. Like I giggled. A lot. Which is how all good romcoms are made!

It was also such a quick & easy read. I found myself waiting for work breaks & waiting to get home just so I could read more of it, that's how good it was. Like, I can't even explain how good it was, because it was just that good.

A million stars. 10/10.

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

My oh my did I catch some feelings!
Catherine captures the friendship between Molly and Andrew wonderfully, and draws you right in to their very real feeling fairytale.

This book really resonated with myself- my husband and I was co-workers/friends for 5 years before our relationship bloomed into something more - much like Molly I hadn't realised what, or should I say who, was waiting right in front of me the whole time. We're now almost a decade into being a couple.

I loved how the story flitted between the present and the previous nine flights, but kept in order and sense. There was never a confusing moment and the flow was very smooth.

Whilst intended to be a Christmas feel good romance, I can safely say that this book is a romance novel that can be read whenever the mood takes you.
The Christmas side of it all adds the the warm fuzzy love story unfolding between two friends destined to spend their lives together.

My new favourite story, I cannot wait to read more by Catherine Walsh

I went back and forth between 4/5 stars for this book. I wanted to give it 5, but there were a few moments in the book that felt dragged out to me so I ended up going with 4 stars. But that being said this was still a wonderful Christmas romance.

Every Christmas for the past 10 years, Molly spends her flight home with Andrew, the guy she met on the first flight where awkward circumstances had them ignoring each other. Andrew was dating Molly's frenemy at the time and this so called friend tells Molly she plans on breaking up with man that is currently sitting next to her.

The two eventually move past this encounter and begin an adorable friendship where they both look forward to their flight back home to Ireland. Until year 10 when there is a large snowstorm in Chicago and their flight gets cancelled. Molly, who isn't really into the whole Christmas thing, isn't overly sad about missing Christmas with her family, but Andrew lives for the holiday. Molly makes it her mission to get him home to his family for Christmas by any means necessary.

This was a cute friends to lovers romance and I did like both of the main characters. Andrew seems like a dream man. He's got the dimple and everything. They both have adorable, quirky families and the banter in this book is great. Some of the travel scenes felt a bit long to me, but seriously if you love Christmas and romance this book is for you.

Holiday Romance is a lovely read. I liked the main characters and really became invested in their story. The Christmas romance was everything you would want and who wouldn’t love to read about a big family Christmas in Ireland.

Molly and Andrew are best of friends
Being from the same country and living in a whole new world both of them find comfort and home in each other.
Granted their friendship is more of travelling back home only during Christmas 🎅
But the care concern and love they share remains the same.

It’s about time they realise that this is not a regular friendship and move forward with their relationship

🍟 Molly
- Molly is successful in her life and she has worked really hard to achieve all she set her mind to.
But off late she is feeling burnt out with her work.
While I agree there must be a work/ life balance, I do not subscribe to the idea that you should LOVE your work.

Your work should sustain you and help you with the other aspects of your life.
I honestly feel like loving what you do is overrated anyway!

But that’s my perspective, nevertheless, I do agree that your work should not consume your whole life.

Unfortunately, our FMC is a workaholic and it made me hate her. But I was still invested in knowing her story.
👏🏼Kudos👏🏼 to the author on that


📸Andrew

Andrew is a man written by a woman.
He is perfect - loves his family, feeds our FMC when she is Hangry, he is mature when he sees her with other love interests and yes ofc takes care of her when she is on her period.

I am glad that he was not a complete cliché with a brooding hero template 💆🏻‍♀️

I loved him!

It really was a cute love story!

Read this if you
- love friends to lovers trope
- love Christmas 🎄

This book gave me all the holiday feels! The plot being told in flashbacks reminded me of people we meet on vacation by emily henry. Watching our main characters go from friends to more was so enjoyable and i’ll definitely be rereading this holiday season.

Super cute holiday romcom! The beginning felt like a movie, like planes trains and automobiles but on a much smaller, manageable scale. I really enjoyed both characters, Andrew was dreamy and Molly was relatable. Their banter was excellent and I really enjoyed their families.

The plot moves between flashbacks of the past 10 years of Christmas flights and how their friendship progressed, and present day as Molly does her best to get Andrew back to Ireland for Christmas. Persistent flashbacks always sort of distract from the present day plot for me but if you enjoy this plot device I'm sure it's excellent.

It did stall out for me around the midway point and I lost interest a bit as the rush to get to Ireland ended, but it was still overall an enjoyable holiday read.

Two friends. Ten years. One very important flight.
8.5⭐️
Tropes | Friends to Lovers, Christmas/Holiday Romance, Road Trip
Heat Level | 🌤💕 sweet & steamy, no 🌶, open-ish door
______________
Holiday Romance is exactly what I want in an end-of-year read. Irish ex-pats Molly and Andrew have great chemistry and witty banter that keeps the story fresh. This is a deeply romantic story about the real nature of a relationship based in friendship that’s charming as heck.

Friends to Lovers romances can be a little anti-climatic. You meet two characters and ten pages later it’s like “Duh. Get on with it, dummies.” To fix that problem, many writers start throwing insane obstacles in their path. There’s only so many times a moat full of alligators and flaming arrows can make up for the lack of story and it gets exhausting.

Molly and Andrew have obstacles thrown at them in Holiday Romance too. However, I can attest as a native their travel troubles are a very realistic fact of life for Chicagoans in December. Even more important to the story, these issues are not used to keep two people apart as a cheap plot device.

All the obstacles serve the same goal: Molly and Andrew are able to demonstrate how deeply the other person’s happiness matters. What a lovely foundation on which to build a relationship.

The use of flashbacks is necessary, but very little time was spent in the past. Just the right amount to give an important fact and then back to the present day. There are some lines in here that were laugh out loud funny. Others that really hit the feels.

The pacing on this 318 page read feels quick like a novella. I polished it off in one night.
______________

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication Oct 4, 2022.

Although early to be reading Christmas novels, I’m gathering my favourites to share in December and this is one of them.

A funny, witty and heartwarming festive read, I really enjoyed this book. Both Andrew and Molly felt real and relatable, and Andrew was super charming - it’s a warm Christmassey romance. I also love the travel issues/hyjinks trope.

If you’re starting to make a list of books to read this upcoming holiday season, be sure to include Holiday Romance!

This book is the perfect holiday read! This is Catherine Walsh’s third novel, but the first one I’ve read by her. Her writing voice is warm and comforting but with a sharp wit that keeps the story fresh and engaging.

Molly is a driven, ambitious, hardworking lawyer who has somewhat detached herself from her deeper emotions to avoid confronting her self-doubt and more difficult things. Though her character could be a little frustrating and hard-headed at times, those came across as the realistic flaws of a well-rounded person. Andrew is a very fun, sarcastic, warm, and charming romantic interest. I enjoyed their interactions and seeing their dynamic change over time.

The travel hijinks and the constantly changing backdrop of this novel were so fun and unique. I also loved learning a little bit about Ireland!

This book will make you feel like you’re snuggled up under the coziest, softest blanket with a candle lit nearby while snow falls gently outside. And that’s really saying something, seeing as I read this book while wearing shorts in 85 degree weather!

I recommend this book to everyone — lover of the holiday season or not!

“Holiday Romance” will be out next month, on October 4th, 2022.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book has been one of my favorites so far!

Thanks to netgalley for letting me read this book in advance.

Molly and Andrew are just trying to get home to Ireland for the holidays, when a freak snowstorm grounds their flight.

Nothing romantic has ever happened between them: they’re friends and that’s all. But once a year, for the last ten years, Molly has spent seven hours and fifteen minutes sitting next to Andrew on the last flight before Christmas from Chicago to Dublin, drinking terrible airplane wine and catching up on each other’s lives. In spite of all the ways the two friends are different, it’s the holiday tradition neither of them has ever wanted to give up.

I don't usually prefer friends to lovers trope but I loved it so much, and it's an adorable christmas novel.

The story is not the most unique one, but it was fun and a quick read. I would like to read it again on christmas! :)

Holy. Shit.

This is the cutest story I have read. I was hooked from the prologue and have been reading it every moment I could while I was at work.
Ten years, they have been flying home together from the US to Dublin. One a Christmas fanatic the other borderline a grinch.
The first year flying home together was accidental and it wasn’t an ideal scenario. Throughout time they have had ups and down, sometimes they were single other times they weren’t, some times they would talk constantly other years they wouldn’t. But without a doubt they both turned up to that flight together and fly home together.
Now it’s the tenth anniversary and everything and I mean everything is going wrong. There was cancelled, delayed and missed flights, there were lost baggage and crazy cousins. But Molly is DETERMINED to get Andrew home for Christmas.
But not only is she determined to make it home before Christmas. She is also determined to understand the shift in their relationship. A little bit of mistletoe and a stubborn competitive Molly who kisses Andrew and she did not hate it. Maybe even enjoyed it. But now it’s all in her head. And it doesn’t want to ruin their relationships.


This book.
It’s so unique.
It’s so cute.
It’s everything and even more.
Just thank you, it’s an amazing book. An adorable cover and it’s really well written. Anybody who picks it up, you will not regret it I swear.

4.3 Stars
One Liner: A Delightful read

Molly and Andrew have been flying home to Ireland for Christmas on the same flight for ten years. When the flight is canceled at the last minute, Molly is determined to ensure Andrew gets home to his family. She may not like Christmas the way he does, but she will do everything she can to help him.
They race across the continents to get home on time. At the same time, they also seem to discover something more about their friendship. Maybe it’s time they examined their feelings for each other? Will this Christmas bring them happy-ever-after?
The story comes in the first-person narrative by Molly.

My Observations:
This is such a cute and sweet story! It’s what we call Hallmark sweet, which I love reading once in a while. Christmas and heartwarming romance go hand in hand. I’m glad that my first Christmas book of the year worked well (touchwood).
Despite being a first-person narration, the story has a good pace. It flatters only in the last quarter but gains some pace to settle down at a medium speed.
The banter between the characters was fun, lively, and enjoyable. I liked Molly’s interactions with Gabriela, Zoe, and Andrew. It’s easy to like Molly. Her character is balanced to be sweet and a little annoying. Bonus points because she likes food.
Andrew is just as good, a bit more assertive and confident but vulnerable enough to feel relatable. Hannah had a small role but makes her presence strongly felt. I like that kid.
I like that the characters don’t drag issues or have communication issues. Sure, they don’t just blurt things out but aren’t afraid to talk about important issues (with good people around them to provide the necessary nudging).
There isn’t much to dislike in the book. It handles a few themes with a light touch and sustains the lightheartedness throughout. It was almost a 5-star read for me. But I felt that the slow pacing towards the end dimmed the impact a little. The epilogue is cool, though.

To Summarize, Holiday Romance is a heartwarming Christmas story about friendships, family, love, and being courageous to do what makes us happy.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Having been on a Christmas book roll recently and this book did not disappoint. This book is a festive rom-com and keeps you engaged through out and gave me one day vibes!! I loved the characters, plot and especially the Christmas day flashbacks and well written. I would definately add this book to your TBR list, you won't regret it
Huge thank you to Netgalley & Bookouture for approving my request in exchange for my honest review

Holiday Romance is about two travelers who keep meeting through the years and eventually fall in love.

This would make a good Hallmark movie, but unfortunately the book does go downhill about half way through.

The main characters were very like able however.

3/5 stars

This is my new holiday comfort read. I loved Catherine Walsh's The Rebound, but this book thoroughly outshines it.

Molly and Andrew have been unconventionally friends for 10 years. It all started with him dating her friend and her subsequently trying to protect him after learning her friend cheated on him. The convenience of this is that they're both Irish living in Chicago meeting every Christmas to fly home, at first it was unplanned, but as their friendship grew they planned their voyage home together.

But year 10 is different, nothing goes as planned, but it allows for Molly to realize that she is in love with Andrew. Andrew has been in love with her for years.

This is a great story about love, holiday spirit, and family.

After I saw @girlwiththepinkskimask give this book a whopping 5 stars during her live laff luv month, I had to request this even though it is not my go-to genres.

Verdict is - I liked it a lot!

I liked the chaos of traveling, I liked Andrew, I loved his cousin in London (I wanted more story about how his Christmas Day went), I loved the Ireland setting for Christmas day, I liked so much of this book.

But I really disliked one aspect - Molly.

That girl was too stuck in her own head & unable to read context clues that I wanted to smack her and tell Andrew to get with someone else.

Plus she was surprised her parents were happy to see her? Really?? My family isn't particularly, but even I know my parents wanna see their kids at Christmas. Molly’s sister Zoe texted her saying Christmas is the time of year that their parents fawn over Molly & ignore Zoe. Come on man.

Rating: 4 stars! Writing had a nice, even pace and I enjoyed the multiple timelines.

Thank you to @Bookouture & @Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Couldn't put it down!

Molly and Andrew are accidental friends who end up traveling home to Ireland together - every year for the last nine years. But this year, a snowstorm descends and they set out on a long convoluted series of flights, trains, buses, ferries, etc. to reach home in time. On the way they find out their annual trek may mean more to both of them than they thought.

Loved this book from start to finish. Characters were likable, engaging, and the banter was enjoyable. Reminiscent of Emily Henry's People We Meet On Vacation.