This was cute, nothing really memorable happened but I still enjoyed it. I did wish it had a more emotional factor, there was something missing from me fully connecting to the characters and their story.

The Matchmaker was a very cute read and a great first book for me from this author!

I always enjoy a HEA, and this one was no different. I also loved how Katie, our FMC, got to see all of her friends fall in love at the same time that she was. It was very sweet!

Katie & Callum have great banter and I really enjoyed the build of their relationship. The only thing I had a hard time with was the predictability between them. I was able to know how their relationship, and this book, was going to go before it even happened. While that was a little bit of a bummer, it didn't take away from them as a book couple. They were still super cute, and a little spicy, which was perfect!

If you need a quick little cloud of love to escape into, this is the book for you!

In 'The Matchmaker', Catherine Walsh turns her attentions to an Irish lass who is not part of the gallivanting Irish diaspora like her previous characters.

Katie Collins is firmly ensconced in her village Ennisbawn, living with her grandmother and working in the local pub. But this tiny community is about to change, with developers rolling in to threaten the sleep community and, worst of all, the pub.

Katie and her friends band together to revive an old Matchmaking festival in order to save the pub, and along the way she finds herself attracted like a moth to a flame to Callum Dempsey, the project manager of the development.

I'm a huge fan of Catherine Walsh. She writes such well-rounded characters, they have foibles, they get grumpy AND sunshiney. They're sex positive and they're fun. They're the sorts of women you'd love to sit in a pub and have a good craic. I also love her supporting characters - her boss Adam, and her besties Gemma and Nush.

Unfortunately this story, just didn't quite gel for me. I found it a bit slow to get into and and then festival itself seemed like it had some easy resolutions for a huge event like that to be pulled off. BUT it was still a fun book full of Walsh's trademark banter (I loved the banter with Callum and Katie). I also really loved Adam's lines.

Walsh is still an auto-buy for me though I am dismayed to find that I can't buy this book because it's been released exclusively to Amazon Kindle Unlimited. I understand authors get paid more via how many pages are read (and yay i do want authors to be paid well), but it seems very shortsighted for the publisher to do a first release and not sell via other e-tailers first at least for the first couple of weeks before exclusive KU.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture.

What a fun, lighthearted story about finding true love. I especially loved the friendships throughout the book, it was almost as if the romance was just added in. Katie was a fun, spunky character who I enjoyed seeing get put in funny situations. Makes me want to go to Ireland and have a drink at Kelly's!

I’ve needed a pick me up and this book did the trick. I’m always a fan of small towns and opposites attract. The story, the setting and the characters are all charming. On top of rooting for the main characters, I also loved the side characters. Maybe they can have their own book in the cozy little town.

The plot isn’t new, but how often is it in a romance? I was so besotted with Holiday Romance that it is hard to live up to that, but this is a really good book that I read at just the right moment. Who wouldn’t want to fall in love in Ireland? Am I right? With a matchmaking festival, nonetheless. I devoured this one in a day.

I think anyone liking sweet romances, small town charm and enemies to lovers will root for Callum and Katie. And after you finish it, write a review to also beg for another book in the series featuring others in the town.

Very sweet pleasant read. Got a few laughs out of it also. Loved the characters they were very charming, for me the book was a bit slow going. I enjoy fast pace books this one seemed to drag a bit until the ending. The ending was a goodie though :)

This is my first book from this author. I enjoyed it and read it really fast. It had charming side characters that also had a compelling story. Would recommend

This was my second Catherine Walsh book and I can’t wait to read more! I usually don’t laugh a lot reading books, but this was so so funny and cute.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for letting me read an advanced copy.

What a delightful and charming book! This was a first read for me by Catherine Walsh and I enjoyed every minute of it. I always enjoy a good enemy's to lover's book. I found this to be fast paced and I couldn't wait to see how it was going to coming together. Highly recommended .


Thanks NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

This was my first Catherine Walsh book but I will definitely be reading more of her books. I found the story really fun and it made me laugh out loud several times including while reading it out in public.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read an advanced copy

I adored this book from start to finish, although there were moments that I felt tired with it - no idea why! - and had to put it away for a few days, but then it was a real pleaseure to get back to it. To its characters, the original plot and the humour that never felt too much - and it's not so easy to write a humorous book, with so many brilliant one - liners and situations without it going a bit tiring. Catherine Walsh has managed it all right.

The story starts with a kick, or, let's say, our main character Katie Collins starts with a kick. I loved Katie right from the beginning, she's a girl after my own heart, she doesn't need feel, she only wants a night full of sleep, her job that she loves, her gran and her best friends. And her dog. Uncomplicated, loyal, no - nonsense girl with brilliant sense of humour.

There is a lovely romance in this book, a great sense of community and this overwhelming feeling of good vibes. It will make you smile, I guarantee it. A cute story with a lot of charm, delightful and with some poignant moments.

💘 long overdue review of the matchmaker by catherine walsh!

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
spice: 🌶️/🚪it’s basically closed door

💬 what is your favourite romcom-trope? or trope in general?

Katie Collins has lived her whole life in the tiny irish village of Ennisbawn. with its tightknit community, friendly local pub and beautiful nature surrounding it, Katie finds herself content there. That is until Callum Dempsey shows up. a hot-shot developer without any sense of beauty or charm. to Katies horror she finds out that they plan to tear down her favourite pub to build a hotel. in an effort to stop the destruction Katie plans to revive an old tradition - a matchmaking festival. but as the planning commences Katie and Callum grows closer…

this was a cute and easy read, but a bit bland. the plot had good promise and I loved the small irish town-vibes and festival element. it’s marketed as enemies to lovers, but it was very short lived. also Callums character was extremely 2D. I could not tell you one thing about the man, except that he is handsome. and as a result, I didn’t care much about the relationship between him and Katie. to be honest I liked the two side characters blooming lovestory much more!

if you want an easy, quick read and to escape to a cute irish town this definitely is for you! if you want deep character building and good chemestry - skip this one.

The Matchmaker has charming characters and a lovely country setting. Katie has spunk, passion and a quick wit. Combined with the personalities of her friends and family (dear Grandma), there are plenty of quirky moments and entertaining dialogue. Katie's romance with Callum is delightful, though a little bit rushed (yes, quite the insta-love).

I enjoyed the lightheartedness of the book. There's every opportunity for a spin-off to deepen Gemma and Adam's story.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to review.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC. I absolutely loved Catherine Walsh's "Holiday Romance" so I was super excited to read her newest book. She's extremely funny and writes very natural dialogue.

This is my third Catherine Walsh book and they never fail to make me laugh out loud and fall in love with the main characters - great level of spice.

I loved this book. It was fairly predictable and borderline cheesy but full of warmth and it made me smile. I’ll always have a soft spot for books based in Ireland considering it’s my home country, but The Matchmaker made me want to find the smallest village and go live there. The author did a great job of capturing the sense of community in Ireland. I also appreciated how the characters weren’t stereotypical. Some books based in Ireland can be quite outdated, especially in terms of stereotypes. The Matchmaker showed that even the smallest of places can be full of diversity and different personalities.

It was hard not to like Katie. Her love for her friends and grandmother, plus her dedication in saving the pub was admirable. However, it was her level of self-awareness that sold me. We live in a society that always has us pushing for more; more money, more success, more possessions. We forget that a truly fulfilled life means not being afraid to live according to your values – and shamelessly so. Katie is happy with her life in the village and it was great to see that celebrated rather than frowned upon.

Of course, The Matchmaker wouldn’t be complete without a bit of romance. I won’t give any spoilers but the romance in this book is beautiful and realistic. Just try not to smile as relationships develop.

Summary: Katie Collins is perfectly content in her small town Irish village of Ennisbawn. That’s is until hot shot developer Callum Dempsey strolls into town, intent on knocking down the last remaining pub. Determined to save the pub and rejuvenate the town’s spirit, Katie decides to revive the local matchmaking festival.

Thoughts: This book is chock full of small town charm and quirky characters. I loved the deep familial roots in the town and how connected Katie was to her village and it’s traditions. I also loved her tight knit group of friends and getting to see their relationships blossom throughout the course of the novel, as well as Katie’s.

While I did enjoy the story overall, it began to drag for me towards the half way point and I struggled to connect to the romance. That said, I still think this was a cute read and would recommend it to those who love small town romance. Catherine Walsh is an auto-buy author for me, so I am very much looking forward to her next one.

Thank you Bookouture for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

ahh i loved this book soo much! it was hilarious and super entertaining! i really liked katie and her determination. her character was so fun to read about and i just loved her soo much. i’m also a huge fan of enemies to lovers which made this book even better. i also really loved the side characters and felt they added so much to the story. i do wish we could’ve seen more depth into katie and callums relationship because i felt like there was not a lot of chemistry between them.
thank you to netgalley and Bookouture for sending me this ARC. all opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this heartwarming book which is centred around Katie who is desperate to stop a large company changing her beloved small town filled o memories and traditions. As such in her quest she reinvents a matchmaking festival to out the town firmly on the map and deter the developers from wiping away more of her childhood and adult memories. A love story thrown in making it a great feel good book

The Matchmaker is my second Catherine Walsh book and definitely not my last. I love that her books take place in her home country of Ireland. I only wish I had the audiobook for this one so I could have heard the Irish accents. Katy loves her little town and the pub where she works. When a developer comes in to build a new fancy hotel and plans on ruining her small town, Katy storms into the construction zone (in her PJs) and speaks her mind. I loved this funny story about passionate Katy who has so much pride in her hometown that also seems to mask her fear of venturing on her own somewhere else. Callum is the one who gets yelled at by PJ-wearing Katy, even though he isn't the one in charge of the big decisions. When Katy needs publicity and money in order to save the pub where she works, she decides to bring back the Matchmaking Festival. Of course, things don't go smoothly. Callum slowly begins to understand why everyone in this little town loves it so much and the rest, well you'll have to read it. The friends and family in this story are wonderful. The romance is a slow burn but worth it because I just adored Callum. This was a fun read and I can't wait to read another Catherine Walsh book!

Thank you @Bookouture for a digital copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.