I loved this one so much!! Molly and Andrew were so great and I loved the alternate timelines showing how their relationship progressed. I loved the everything about this book and can’t wait to read more by this author!

I want to thank NetGalley, Bookotoure, and the author Catherine for the opportunity of reading this book in exchange for my honest review.

I can proudly say that I've read all of Catherine's books and none of them has been a disappointment.

I loved this book with all my heart, it came to me at the perfect moment (I was traveling) and I felt every word, fell in love with the characters and their adventures, and swooned over every little romantic gesture.

I definitely recommend this book if you:
a) Love Christmas romances
b) Are traveling, traveled, or will travel during these holidays
c) Are looking for a light and fun read that will help you disconnect

I will surely be reading whatever Catherine writes next!

Tired of your feed overflowing with holiday romcoms? No? Neither am I. So here’s another one for you. 😘 The flu derailed my pre-holiday posting plans and I’m still playing catch-up.

Holiday Romance took me by surprise in the absolute BEST way. My heart was not prepared! It also probably did not help that I was slightly delirious with fever and bedridden while reading. Or maybe that just facilitated my emotional investment in Molly and Andrew’s slow burn of a spark? It certainly didn’t hurt that I finally had time to fully lose myself in a story without being rudely interrupted by obligatory adult things. But I digress.

If you enjoyed People We Meet On Vacation, you will love Holiday Romance. I am admittedly such a sucker for the whole “friends to lovers” bit, but especially when one of said friends is a Christmas-loving, tacky sweater-wearing, witty bantering gent who adores his little sister and has no qualms about being emotionally vulnerable with his bestie. *swoon* And we get to explore Dublin at Christmas which has officially landed on my bucket list.

Catherine Walsh won me over earlier this year with The Rebound, and Holiday Romance did not disappoint. Keep an eye out for The Matchmaker, publishing in April 2023!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Catherine Walsh for the complimentary advance copy of this work! My opinions are my own.

One of the best holiday reads of the year! I loved Molly and Andrew and how their relationship evolved over shared flights back home and how we got a flashback to all their shared flights of the past. I loved the look into Ireland for the holidays as I've always wanted to travel toe Europe for Christmas.

Molly and Andrew were both going through some things but even with them fighting against the odds, they managed to create a really good relationship. I was waiting for that Act 3 breakup and I thought it would never come but am glad it resolved quickly into a happy ever after!

So cute and wonderful banter. Heartwarming, festive and a dose of steam. Loved it. I’d recommend for fans of People We Meet on Vacation.

Holiday Romance is the perfect holiday read for 2022!

SUMMARY: Molly and Andrew are Irish ex-pats who live in Chicago. After the first two years of ending up on the same flight home for the holidays, they make it a tradition; until their tenth year, when bad weather makes it seem like they won’t make it back by Christmas.

If you read one holiday romance this year, this is it! It’s friends to lovers, but there’s almost zero angst; just warm fuzzies. The only drama is like Home Alone-style running through the airport.

I was going to wait until next week to post, but the Kindle copy is currently $0.99! If you are even low key interested in a feel good seasonal read, this is the one. Get. It.

I did get an ARC of this one (thank you @netgalley @bookouture and @catwalshwriter), but honestly I would be singing its praises either way! 🙌 This book is a new seasonal fave!

Perfect friends to lovers!

Molly and Andrew take the same flight home every year. They have been doing so for ten years, and a lot happens in ten years. In the tenth year, upon delays and cancellations in flights, Molly realizes she may have feelings for Andrew.
I loved the time jumps in the book. I feel it gives depth to their relationship. The writing is simple but good, and the story is also a simple but fun one.

I loved the interactions between Molly and Andrew, They felt like a real couple rather than an overly dramatic melodrama. Instead of letting things blow out of proportion, they are open and talkative. None of that misunderstanding stress.

Definitely recommend it for a cozy December night in.

I expected this to be different but it was still an interesting read. I expected it to be less predictable. I still had fun reading it.

Great Christmas romance classic read. Great writing from this author. Loved the storyline. Thank you from netgalley to giving me the opportunity to read this.

Friends to lovers, the sweetest of the romance tropes. And sweet this was. Molly and Andrew have been taking the same flight home for ten years and have grown closer and closer over the years, seeing each other at their best and their worst. On year 10, delays and cancellations make getting home nearly impossible, but Molly makes it happen for Andrew. After a run in with mistletoe, Molly realizes she may have feelings for Andrew.

I appreciated both characters being very adult and talking about their feelings throughout the book. There was never a real conflict, other than the weather. They just talked through everything rather than blowing up and leaving. I loved that Molly got to see what Christmas is about for other families.

I also really enjoyed seeing each of their previous flights and how they went and how they ended up here.

BOOK REVIEW // HOLIDAY ROMANCE

3/5

“Because I know in my soul there will only be him. There’s only ever been him.”

Ok friends, in the words of my bff @taylorswift “it isn’t love, it isn’t hate…it’s just indifferent” — and that is EXACTLY how I feel about this book…indifferent.

There was nothing problematic about it, I just personally didn’t connect with Molly or Andrew. There was also a lack of “romance” for me…so much so that I couldn’t form a playlist.

I did enjoy how sobriety was talked about and handled with care - it can be a very touchy subject and I loved how Andrew didn’t feel like he needed to explain himself in order to live the life he wanted.

The slow burn in this one was WAY too much of a sloth pace, and I found myself getting really bored and wanted SOMETHING to happen…BUT unfortunately NOTHING happened until the last few chapters.

Some of the conversations between Andrew and Molly were SUPER cringy…absolutely NO ONE in their 30’s rates their kisses on a scale of 1-10.

Overall, this read just wasn’t for me, the witty banter during the first half had some promise, but then it lost me during the second part of the book.

SIMONE SAYS READ THIS IF YOU LIKE

past/present timelines
slow burns
friends to lovers
reverse grumpy/sunshine
disastrous flight situations

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was so adorable and gave me all the holiday feels. Molly and Andrew were the cutest of friends but made such a perfect couple. This story was so charming.

I cannot believe I'm writing this, but FRIENDS TO LOVERS is my new favorite trope. This book has what every love story (in my opinion) should have: great characters, a good plot, and a fitting ending. This book starts with two people who barely know each other and progressively become friends thanks to their coincidental Christmas travel plans. I liked how the author played with the timeline, mixing scenes of the "present" trip with their past trips, because it kept me interested in the story. Another thing I believe the author did very well is the portrait of the friendship between the main characters; it felt natural. However, what I loved the most about this book is that it wasn't an instant-love/fairytale type of story; you can actually believe the development of their relationship.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a realistic romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture, I had the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first Catherine Walsh book, but it will definitely not be my last. This book was completely binge-able...following best friends as they journey home together (internationally) for Christmas. This was everything you'd hope for in a Christmas romance: witty banter, family antics, sexual tension, and a swoonworthy MC. I will definitely be checking out other books by this author!

The perfect holiday read! If you loved People We Meet on Vacation I feel like this book is the perfect book for you! We get to watch these friends fall for each other over various holiday trips that they take every year and it was so swoon worthy.

Thank you #netgalley for an early read of #holidayromance

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book! I finished Holiday Romance on Christmas Day and it was the perfect read leading up to the holiday. Holiday Romance follows Molly and Andrew as they attempt to fly home to Ireland from Chicago for Christmas to see their families. This flight has become a ten year tradition, only this year their flight has been canceled and so begins a wild adventure to get home. Along the way, Molly realizes she may have been missing what was right in front of her all along.

This was such a cute read. I loved all the travel components and their mini adventure in each place. It was even better because it was Christmas themed. I loved our two main characters and their witty banter. I laughed out loud so many times. I thought the author did a great job with the side characters as well. The sisters, Zoe and Hannah were my favorite. One tiny criticism is the author’s use of the word smirked. All Andrew did was smirk! Nothing wrong with that, but one of those funny things you notice during the read.

Overall, this was a really sweet Christmas read all about family, friends, and finding love.

Absolutely loved this tale of Andrew and Molly. The different time line is great. A true festive romance!

Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh

‘She’s meant to be catching flights, not catching feelings…’

Our December #TiredMammyBookClub choice was this delightful romantic comedy by Irish author, Catherine Walsh.

First of all, let me just say, I would watch the hell out of this if it was made into a movie! Hint hint @hallmarkmovie ✍🏻

After a less than auspicious start, Molly and Andrew become friends and every year they fly home together, from Chicago to Ireland, for Christmas.

It is Andrew’s favourite time of the year, and he wouldn’t miss being at home with his family for anything. Whereas, for Molly, it is out of feelings of obligation, not festivity, that she makes the trip home every year.

However when their flight is grounded due to a snow storm, Molly is determined to get Andrew home for Christmas. So follows a planes, trains and automobiles style journey across the globe, while the narrative travels back to each of their journeys home over the past ten years.

At one point - possibly around Holyhead - I wondered how the story would manage another 100 or so pages, but then an earlier subplot pops up to save the day, and the rest of the journey is perfect if not plain sailing (pun very much intended).

Holiday Romance would definitely make me pick up Catherine Walsh’s other books (One Night Only and The Rebound, with The Matchmaker out next year, all of which are currently €1.99 on Kindle) and more festive romance novels.

As I’ve said many times, one of the joys of a book club is reading a book or genre you wouldn’t normally choose, and everyone seemed to enjoy this month’s pick.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to the publishers @bookouture for the e-ARC via @netgalley; I also bought my own paperback copy because I like to keep the #TiredMammyBookClub picks for my permanent collection.

#HolidayRomance #CatherineWalsh #IrishAuthors #IrishBookstagram #TiredMammyBookClub #TiredMammy30minutes #RomanceNovels #ChristmasBooks

A sweet, holiday themed contemporary romance with a HEA developing over the course of ten years of Molly and Andrew sharing flights from Chicago to Ireland at Christmastime. Equal parts cute and funny. This one was published in October of this year but I waited until closer to the holidays to read and I breezed right through it!

I love the cover of this book and the quote “she’s meant to be catching flights, not catching feelings” on the front.

4/5 stars

I’d definitely be interesting in reading more from Catherine in the future!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bookoutre, and Catherine for the advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I ADORED this festive novel - it had everything you could possibly want in a story set at Christmas. The premise of two friends who meet at the airport every Christmas to fly home together was so brilliant. I loved seeing how they caught up and wondering if they were going to get together. The back and forth of their lives and seeing how they each felt was so good. I adored it when they get home the last time and seeing how everything plays out. This is just a gorgeous Christmas novel. I've already bought myself a copy of this book to keep and will definitely be re-reading it over future Christmases!