*I received an Copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair, unbiased review*

This would be the first book, I have read by Catherine Walsh, and can I just say that this book had a great plot, the small town romance was to die for and it being set in Ireland is just amazing, the Sweet quotes that are in this book made me want to start highlighting and tabbing every thing when i order the physical copy!!!

When Katie Collins's tiny Irish village pub, as well are her job, are threatened by the construction of a huge hotel and golf course, she sets about reviving the old matchmaking festival to prove the pub is of historical importance. Callum Dempsey is the frustrating (but hot) developer, always seeking Katie out. But is he spying, or genuinely wanting to get closer to her.
Catherine Walsh has quickly become a one-click author for me. I really enjoy her writing, and her characters always feel well-rounded and relatable. I loved Katie immediately. She felt like someone I'd want as a friend, and I absolutely loved her self-deprecating humour as well as her friendships with Gemma and Nush. Watching her confidence bloom was wonderful and I loved the development of her relationship with Callum. I don't want to spoil it, but I appreciated that the main romance was relatively easy, and not bogged down by lots of conflict. Callum was absolutely adorable, and they were so sweet together. I particularly liked how he treated Katie.
Alongside the romance in the blurb there's plenty of hilarious banter between many of the supporting characters. I really enjoyed the narrative on community, and the all too common reality of small villages being wiped out. I think the subplot that resonated most with me was the one surrounding Gemma and her son Noah. I really understood her as a single parent, and loved the found family aspect.
The actual matchmaking was so fun. I won't spoil anything, but I saw a certain match coming, and let me tell you, I am here for every second of it.
This wasn't quite what I expected from the blurb, but I really enjoyed it.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating: 🔥🔥
Emotional Rating: 😢😂🥰💓🙈😬😂🙈😂💓🥰👏🏻💓😬💔😢🥰😍💔😢💓😭🥰

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review. The Matchmaker is published today in the UK*

Favourite Quote:

"...I don’t know how I’m going to tear down your favorite place in the world when I can barely stand the thought of you getting caught in the rain.”

I have uploaded the same review to Amazon UK but am awaiting moderation

The book was enjoyable and I cared about the main characters. It was also a cute concept with a fun grandmother character. My only negative feedback was that there wasn't a lot of conflict in the book, especially for the main couple. I had expected some obstacle or turning point, but none came up.

There were a lot of things I enjoyd with this books, the banter, the humour... However, it just didnt stratch the itch? It was an easy read, I liked it. But didnt love it unfortunately. So I read it quite slowly.

Banter-filled and playful, this was super cute. After seriously enjoying Holiday Romance over the winter, I was excited to check out Walsh's next book. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I figured it'd be similar in vibes to the rom com that stole everyone's hearts during the holiday season. And while the two do share some similarities in terms of the banter and lighthearted feel, this one spins in an entirely different direction. This couple falls for each other hard and fast - 100% instalove - which is SO different from the slow-burning friends to lovers vibes of Holiday Romance. They also don't share as much time on the page together, and there's more of a community feel to the story. So it took a little bit for me to acclimate to the tone, but I ended up really enjoying the story. Callum is such a sweetheart, and it is clear that he is gone for his girl (almost) from the moment they meet. Their chemistry was apparent right away, and this ended up feeling so wholesome and light. Not quite what I was expecting, but a fun read for sure.

The story follows Katie, a woman who has not been getting any sleep recently. A big corporation has come to her small town, and the construction crew has been seriously messing with her sleep schedule. Overtired and irritable, Katie stomps onto the construction site and demands to speak with someone. She ends up voicing her complaints to Callum, one of the crew members. He thinks she's ridiculous(ly adorable), and it's clear that Callum is amused by Katie's chaotic personality. After several more run-ins, Katie realizes that Callum might not be as terrible as the company he works for, but that doesn't change the fact that it's his job to tear apart the community she's loved for her whole life.

You'll notice that I didn't mention the matchmaking element, and that's because I honestly couldn't care less about it, lol. Sorry. Katie and Callum stole the show here, and I was living for the moments when they were on the page together. There's a whole subplot revolving around the matchmaking festival, and I ended up skimming a lot of that. I can see why some readers were disappointed that the sole focus is not on the romance, but there are still plenty of great moments between Katie and Callum. I loved their banter, and every interaction made me smile. Sure, Callum is smitten almost from the start, but that was a big part of the appeal for me. It was exceedingly low angst and lighthearted, with plenty of humor and some swoony situations. So maybe not as memorable or as all-around great as Holiday Romance, but certainly worthy of a 4-star rating from me.

Sometimes (or most of the time if you're me) all you want is a romance that's easy to read, gives you those warm fuzzies, and takes you on a journey with plenty of humour & enjoyable characters.

The Matchmaker totally ticked every box for me!

We follow barmaid Katie's life in the small Irish town of Ennisbawn, which is sadly being destroyed bit-by-bit by a hotel developer, costing her possibly her job, community, as well as her sleep! When she marches onto the site to complain about noise, she meets the (very handsome) construction manager, Callum. The book follows her attempts to save the pub she works at, alongside her and Callum's romance.

As someone who lives in a remote Highland village and loves her community, peaceful surroundings, and local inn, I totally connected with Katie from the get-go. While my village isn't under threat from a hotel developer, I was rooting for Katie the whole way through, and really liked her dedication to what she loves most.

I also really enjoyed the connection and humour between her and Callum, as well as his clear love for her. There was no messing around with this couple's feelings for each other, which was executed really well. If you're a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope where they spend 75% of the book hating each other, you might not enjoy it the same.

As a whole, the plot, characters, and settings were well thought out and developed. I recommend you pick this up if you're looking for an easy, fun, enjoyable romance!

4 Stars

#TheMatchmaker #NetGalley #CatherineWalsh

Thanks to Bookouture, NetGalley, and author Catherine Walsh for this digital ARC to honestly review.

Irish romances are always adorable and “The Matchmaker” by Catherine Walsh was no different!

This was my first read by the author and i’ve got to say I’m pleasantly surprised. The premise for this book was cute to begin with but for the story to actually come through and be more of the same? Consider me happy.

Katie and Callum were both loveable main characters in their own ways. Though, of course the MCs usually make or break a good book, for me it was the quaint little village with heaps of personality, steeped in Irish folklore and peppered with its inhabitants (read: side characters) and their own stories that really elevated this strangers to “enemies” to lovers for me.

Overall, this was a refreshingly cute, funny and quick read! Would definitely recommend picking it up.

I definitely enjoyed this book! It was a pretty standard rom-com. I found some of the actions/dialogue of the characters to be a bit weird, and cringy, especially in the beginning of the book, but it didn't stop me from reading it. It definitely had the small town charm that is quite popular in these books, just the small town was in Ireland which was a nice change of pace. I am a sucker for a "save the town/pub/something of emotional importance" trope, especially when it involves putting on a festival, so this hit all of that for me. A great, quick read.

“Or maybe,” he continues. “It’s because I don’t know how I’m going to tear down your favorite place in the world when I can barely stand the thought of you getting caught in the rain.”

This story was very cute! It felt like the textbook rom-com that we all know and love.

I personally felt like the personalities of the characters, specifically the main love interest felt a little bit underdeveloped and therefore a little bit lacking.

Overall a great beach read with some squeal-worthy rom-com moments!

I received this book as an advanced reader copy with no incentive, all thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fun read! I enjoyed the cozy vibes and also the enemies-to-lovers aspect of the plot.
Catherine's writing is amazing and really puts you in the middle of the story, among with the characters.
It was the first book I have read from this author and I am excited to buy a physical copy of it. I will so be reading more of her, because the writing is divine.

This book is not so spicy, I would say 2.5/5 🌶

Overall, it was a great read and I recommend it to everyone who enjoys a good rom-com book.




Tw: anxiety, car accident, talking of death of the loved ones.

The tiny Irish village of Ennisbawn has always been home to Katie. Even as shops closed and people moved away, she was content working at the local pub Kelly's whilst caring for her grandmother Maeve.

So when large areas of land surrounding the village are sold off to developers and a hotel is announced, the once quiet village becomes a hub of construction. This is hard enough, but when Katie learns that Kelly's may also be demolished, she knows she must take a stand. On a whim whilst arguing with the developer, she dedicates to reinstate the Ennisbawn Matchmaking Festival, where her parents fell in love 30 years before.

Hit with opposition every step of the way, Katie and the village are determined to see the festival through and find a way to stop the demolition. So when Katie begins to develop feelings for Callum, a worker from the development, there are mixed opinions. Is Callum genuine or is he there to sabotage them? Will Katie be able to pull off the festival & save Kelly's?

This was a lovely read and I enjoyed the closeness of the community of Ennisbawn. The Author did a great job at bringing forth the spirit of the village and I loved the close friendships of Katie, Anushka, Gemma & Adam. The passion they have for their home is inspiring and I wish all communities could come together like this.

As expected with a Matchmaking festival, there are many romantic scenes in the book (including spicy scenes 🔥) and we witness several romances bloom. I thought the concept was a lot of fun and made for some great reading.

Thank you to Author @catwalshwriter @bookouture & @netgalley for providing this ARC. All opinions within this review are my own

💕The MATCHMAKER 💕
By : @catwalshwriter

After reading Holiday Romance, I just HAD to pick this up!

Katie is in love with her small Irish town. Living with her grandma and working at a local pup, she thrives in her little nook in the Irish countryside with her family and friends. Unfortunately, some big construction company decides to purchase land and start moving toward making her town into the modern world. Katie puts in her all to prove that this town is worth saving...which includes reviving a "matchmaking" festival. Is she up for the task?

Katie is quirky, fun and so compassionate. I love her heart for the town and family. She does everything for them. I can see why this certain project manager falls for her.

Callum is this tall, dark and handsome hunk that interrupts everything. The chemistry is SO SO good! He falls first. The kisses are just 😍

Loved the small town Irish setting. Her friends are hilarious. The little side character romance was super sweet. Oh and don't forget about her grandma!! She is delightful! 😂😍

Another fun read by Catherine Walsh!

Thank you to @netgalley and the author for the early copy!

*Romance- open door x2
*TW- car accident, grief, talk of death of loved ones

Another fantastic book by Catherine Walsh! She really knows how to write lovable characters, heartwarming storylines and make me laugh out loud. *Adds to auto buy list*

The Matchmaker had so many great scenes and dialogue. The dry, witty humour is exactly what I love, and I was smiling and laughing a lot. I think what I love most about Catherine’s books is that they are full picture snippets into the character’s lives. Not only do we get a great romance, but we get to explore the character’s friendships, family, careers, self growth, etc. I like how involved it is. Especially in the small town, Irish setting of the Matchmaker. I was wishing I lived there and could be a part of that friend group!

The chemistry between Katie & Callum was so good. I thought their relationship developed expertly - “I want to be where you are” SIGH! I don’t want to say too much, not because you can’t guess where it’s going, but because it’s special (and funny) to see it unfold for yourself.

And I’ll say it again, I appreciated that while Katie and Callum’s love story was amazing, I loved that this book didn’t serve up frustrating miscommunications and unnecessary breakups. It felt mature and more realistic in my opinion, which is what makes this book stand out to me.

Thank you Bookouture for the digital copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Grateful my physical copy arrived because I already miss this place and these characters.

3.5 ⭐️
Katie has lived in the small town of Ennisbawn, Ireland her whole life. Content with small town life, bartending, and living with her grandmother, Katie is happy. That is until Glenmiill Properties buys up tons of land and starts building a resort in their town. It definitely doesn’t go to plan. To stop the big corporation from destroying their small town, Katie and friends decide to fight back. They revive a matchmaking festival to help keep the town alive and the local bar in the right hands.
Complications happen when the man Katie develops a crush on, Callum, works for Glenmill. This puts them on opposite sides, but doesn’t stop their chemistry and feelings.

This is a cute, heart warming story that revolves around family and community. I really enjoyed the characters and the setting. I enjoyed that Katie knew what she wanted and was content with a more simple life. The pacing was a little off at times and I wish I had more time with Katie and Callum. I particularly liked the friends and Grandma Maeve. I would recommend for anyone who is a Hallmark movie fan.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. All opinions are my own.

Delightful and charming! Catherine Walsh has created another cute book that put a smile on my face.

Katie Collins loves her tiny Irish village of Ennisbawn. She loves that she knows everyone, she loves the pub, the beautiful surroundings and quiet. Yes, it is quiet that she loves most of all. But things are not quiet anymore, a hotel is being built not far from where she lives, and she has not been getting any sleep. She comes home late from working in the pub and when she falls asleep - construction begins! This prompts her to walk down and onto the construction site to give them a piece of her mind in her yellow duck pajamas and sleep mask.

Callum Dempsey is working at his brother Jack's construction site. His good looks don't get past Katie. Her good looks don't get past him either.

She is already hot under the collar when she learns that they are going to tear down the pub as well. Not on her watch they won’t! Katie makes a snap decision to bring back the matchmaking festival with those looking for matches, throwing coins into the wishing well.

I admired Katie's quest to save the pub and her wanting to keep her community as it has always been. She is equally creative and determined. With some help from her friends, she is convinced that she can save the day, I mean pub! Callum is a nice guy who helps her out and well, you guessed it, is successful in charming Katie. I enjoyed their banter and interactions.

I enjoyed this wonderful enemy to lovers’ story. It was entertaining, charming, endearing, and delightful. Romances to me are all about the journey and I enjoyed the journey that Katie and Callum went on in this book.

I have read several books by Catherine Walsh and never fail to create characters that I like and grow to care about. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

I picked up Holiday Romance this winter, and it was, hands down, the best Christmas love story I’ve read. I loved it so, so much. That said, I was *excited* to get my hands on this ARC (even though I took it down to the wire & finished on release day 😬). Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite measure up.

There were two story lines here—Katie & Callum’s story and Katie’s desire to save her small town’s pub. She’s fiery and fun, but she’s also frazzled and frantic. At times, she stressed me out a little. Callum, meanwhile, is a gem of a book boyfriend. He’s sweet, considerate, patient, and knows what he wants. Their pairing felt odd to me, and I never quite clicked with them. Their conflict was early in the book & I didn’t feel like they had enough time to establish their connection first. I also struggled with (spoiler alert) Callum giving up his job for her after one kiss and not a single date. It felt a little drastic & not quite in line with his character.

The town of Ennisbawn was adorable & Walsh wrote a beautiful setting. By the end of the book, I found myself wanting to visit this cute, little town in the Irish countryside. I also loved the subplot/side story of Gemma and Adam. They were a joy to read & could’ve easily been their own book.

Overall, it was a cute book, but it didn’t leave me with the same feelings as Holiday romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book was released today (April 18, 2023) & is worth reading if you love small towns in Ireland!

First of all ….. Callum. Is. HOT!! Annnnnnd that’s my review. That’s all you need. Haha! Kidding, but he’s definitely on my book boyfriend list!

I loved the setting of a small town in Ireland. I loved the idea of bringing it back to life and going head to head with a corporation to protect the history of the town. I loved all the characters and was very invested in each of their side stories. If we’re don’t get a full version of Adam and Gemma’s story I’m rioting!

Things to note:
- This is an open door romance.
- Trigger warning for the deaths of parents occurring off page in the past.
- Trigger warning for panic attacks that occur on page.

Overall, this was a quick and easy read! The heavy topics don’t weigh down the fun of the story. If this book isn’t on your TBR already, add it now, and dive in as soon as you can. I look forward to reading Catherine’s backlist as we wait for the release of whatever comes next.

The Matchmaker by Catherine Walsh
Rating: ★ ★ ★
Genre: contemporary romance
Format: ebook
Length: 382 pages
Trigger Warnings: panic attacks, death/grief

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Catherine Walsh for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

✨Read this if you enjoy: ✨
🏘️Small town setting
☺️Lighthearted reads
💖Instalove
🌶️Open door romance

I’m in my small town romance era. I swear I’ve read too many to count this year already and there’s no end in sight. So I easily fell right back in love with the town of Ennisbawn. I love Catherine Walsh’s writing; it’s fast paced and full of humor. This book will have you laughing out loud.

In a desperate attempt to save her town from being overrun by a developer, Katie finds herself in over her head. Suddenly she needs to revive an old matchmaking festival. But Katie doesn’t know the first thing about planning an event this size. Then there’s the issue about her growing friendship with Callum, one of the construction workers for the enemy.

Katie is a ball of chaotic energy and I am here for it. We both share an intense passion for uninterrupted sleep. My biggest complaints are that Katie came across really immature at times and the insta-love. Callum barely knows Katie and he makes some big decisions rather quickly. I didn’t believe their chemistry or the development of their relationship. I'm really hoping that Catherine might write a book about another couple that got together in this book, I would love to have more of their story!

Catherine Walsh is officially on my auto buy list. I loved Holiday Romoance and this book is on that same level for me. Katie made me giggle. "I struggle to find the words, so exhausted I might cry, which would be the embarrassed cherry on top of this crappy morning, to be honest."

Katie is adorably quirky and is passionate about the small Irish village of Ennisbawn, where she lives with her grandmother. She is equally passionate about preserving the only remaining pub in town from the development company that is building an enormous hotel in the village.

Callum works for the construction company and is amused by Katie's antics. What can he do though? He tries to be considerate with the noise, but he can't stop the work.

When the pub is in danger of being torn down, Katie rallies the village by bringing back a matchmaking festival the town used to hold. Will there be a happy ending for Ennisbawn, Katie or Callum?

If you’ve listened to the podcast you know how much I love the 1997 romantic comedy, The Matchmaker; even forcing friends (and future podcast co-host) to a viewing. When I read the description of Catherine Walsh’s newest Irish Romantic Comedy, aptly titled, The Matchmaker, it hit all the right notes with me and I knew it was going to be a knock outta the park - and I was not disappointed. While It held a very tangental similarity to the 97 film, I was intrigued for sure.

Hold onto your tatties, readers, and let's get into this.

A Little Bit Of Plot

Katie Collins loves life in her small Irish hometown of Ennisbawn; what she doesn’t love so much is the country club overtaking all that she holds dear. With the construction comes new persons to their small town, one being Callum Dempsey, handsome project manager for Glenmill construction. For Callum, being ambushed by a crazed but striking woman in a night cream facemask on a construction site might be a terror to any other man, for him, it’s like being struck on the head by love. From her duckie print pajamas and her need for sleep to grow her bones, he’s quite taken. When Glenmill threatens to bulldoze Kelly’s bar, the town’s community meeting spot and Katie’s place of employment, she finds the solution is the resurrection of the yearly Ennisbawn Matchmaking Festival. Will Katie's plan to foil Glenmill's destruction of the pub she holds dear keep these two apart, or is it the one thing that brings them closer?

The Compliment Sandwich
The Top Bun (The Pro)
The Love Story

The romance between Katie and Callum is subtle and lovely. The story doesn’t bash you over the head with how they’re fated to be together, or that it’s a raging enemies to lovers (I know, I know, I couldn’t believe it either), this is just a simple, "two people are instantly attracted and naturally fall in love" scenario. We have a pretty HUGE GG about halfway through the book, so the HEA is never really in question here. While this couple is securely ensconced with one another very early on in this book with the exception of a small speed bump at about the 30% mark, the love story doesn’t completely overwhelm the plot of the book.

Their relationship is important, sure, but it’s not central to the major plot points, like what any good rom com film of its ilk. What’s Bridget Jones without Bridget at some point gaining some confidence in herself or You’ve Got Mail without Kate discovering who she is outside of a bookstore owner? The same applies here. We discover that Katie is much more than her grandmother’s carer, a bartender, or a best friend. She’s never been challenged before and Callum steps up to help not rescue her. The story's progression feels so natural and immersive, the reader is charmed by the realness of the town - as if it were an actual place we can visit. Again one of the reasons that I was immediately attracted to the story was it's similarity to the movie the Matchmaker - an outsider coming into a town during a matchmaking festival and falling in love.

Although much less Dennis Leary… thank fuck for that. Weirdly, the same amount of Janeane Garofalo.

The Meat (The Con)

Honestly, I don’t have much to say. This is such a low stakes read and it moves quick - I don’t have any complaints.

The Bottom Bun (The Pro)
Slice of Life

If you are looking for a beautifully written slice of life irish comedy, with love and some sexy times thrown in, this is the book for you. Walsh’s writing is both witty and at times very resonant. I laughed quite a bit while reading this and some scenes I could feel in my bones as if I lived them. Walsh has a way of writing Katie that feels familiar, as if I know her or could even be her. So much so that when she’s broken at one point, it echos.. as if this were real life and happening to someone close to me.

Walsh also has the ability to voice characters in such a realistic manner that it doesn’t matter what the age of the person in question, their dialogue is believable and relatable. As readers, we know someone in our lives that we can imagine fitting into the Noah role, or Gemma, or Granny.

And while we’re on the subject of Granny Collins… if you don’t laugh at this exchange, we can never be friends:

“Is this you?” I ask, holding up a black and the picture of a grinning young woman.
“Should be,” Granny says, peering at it. “Ugly little thing, wasn’t I?”
“Would you stop!” I laugh, “You’re beautiful.”
“And you’re a liar. But that’s alright. It didn’t stop your grandfather from falling in love with me. I had other attributes.”
“Your charming personality?”
“That,” she says, “And I was very loose”.

Holy shit, that’s funny. And super relatable. In fact, I know I had the same or similar conversation with my own grandmother at some point in my life.

I also want to include the point in the book that Callum ruined me for other men. Maybe I’m going note that with every book I read going forward “this is where the H ruined me for IRL men”.

“So why are you telling me this?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I don’t like what we’re doing here. Or maybe I’m just bored and want to stir the pot.” Callum’s gaze snags on mine, and the feel of it is so intense that I almost look away. “Or maybe,” he continues, “It’s because I don’t know how I’m going to tear down your favorite place in the world when I can barely stand the thought of you getting caught in the rain”.
There’s a strange pang in my chest, one that hurts in the best kind of way. Green eyes, I decide. I like men with green eyes and men who look at me like that.

Get you a man that says that shit on the reg, bruv.

In summation, this book is brilliant, and I’m excited to delve into more Catherine Walsh.