Did I put Christmas PJs on in August?? Why yes I did. Why is that you ask?! Well I wanted to get into the festive spirit for my first Christmas read of 2022!

Molly and Andrew are friends...best friends in many ways. Although they only see each other once a year, at the airport where they share a journey home from Chicago to Ireland together. This has been their routine for years until their tenth anniversary flying home together when a freak snowstorm grounds all flights. As the two work on finding a way to get home and save Christmas, Molly starts to realise just how deep her feelings for Andrew run.

I'm not normally a massive fan of the friends to lovers trope but this was utterly adorable - I couldn't help but root for Molly and Andrew. I found myself smiling along to their witty banter and I chuckled to myself a good few times at the humour laced through the book (the suggestion of asking gluten intolerant uncle Kevin for advice being one of those moments 😂). It's a festive rom com - there's no major surprise as to what way the story's going to go - but as with my hallmark movies, that's what I want from a Christmas romance novel. A funny, heartwarming festive read that ticked all the boxes!

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for approving me for this arc!

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.
Molly isn’t that bothered by Christmas, but in yet another way they’re total opposites Andrew is a full on fanatic for the festive season and she knows how much getting back to Ireland means to him. So, instead of doing the sane thing and just celebrating the holidays together in America, she does the stupid thing. The irrational thing. She vows to get him home. And in time for his mam’s famous Christmas dinner.
The clock is ticking. But Molly always has a plan. And as long as the highly-specific combination of taxis, planes, boats, and trains all run on time it can’t possibly go wrong.
What she doesn’t know is that, as the snow falls over the city and over the heads of two friends who are sure they’re not meant to be together, the universe might just have a plan of its own.
Couldn’t put it down really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture
I just reviewed Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh. #HolidayRomance #NetGalley

This is the first book of Catherine Walsh’s that I’ve read and I’ll now definitely read her others ASAP!

This was such a lovely, festive read. So many romantic novels are dual narrative just now and I actually found it refreshing to have only the one point of view in this.

Characters were all so likeable and believably developed, even minor ones!

Definitely recommend for a Christmas read 🎄