With vibrant characters and vivid descriptions, The Matchmaker by Catherine Walsh talks about a community of people fighting against an organisation that seeks to take them down (while pretending that they want to keep the locals happy). This story also shows that love is more than fulfilling checkboxes.

Summary: Katie Collins revives an old tradition to save her village from getting destroyed by the construction of a hotel, meanwhile falling for someone who works at the site – Callum Dempsey, who also happens to be an enemy of the community by default because of who he works for.

Tropes/Genres:
• enemies to lovers
• forbidden love (a bit of the vibe)
• small town
• wholesome community
• culture and tradition
• contemporary rom-com
• chick lit

Review: Such a sweet book! I enjoyed it a lot. Not only did our beloved Katie Collins and Callum Dempsey have so much chemistry, but every character in the story was lovable! Yes, even Jack Doyle, the guy nobody liked at the start. He was so funny, and I think he got his redemption arc. He's just an ambitious city boy who doesn't understand things beyond economic value – such a shame, but I would LOVE to see him have his own book where he falls for someone who HUMBLES HIM and TEACHES HIM about sentimental value.

The point is that none of the characters in the book is bland. They all have their own place to shine. Anyway, here's a shoutout to Nush, Gemma, Adam and Noah! You are all amazing. AND FINALLY, GRANNY. Granny is the best. I love her wicked and dark sense of humour – maybe a bit too dark. I love her anyway.

I really loved the world in this book, with the references to fairy myths and all. It really got me absorbed in this book. It was like a whole other world. The story is set in Ireland, and I really loved how the author brought Ennisbawn to life with all the myths, culture and tradition seamlessly being inserted into the story. I really loved the world in this book, with the references to fairy myths and all. It really got me absorbed in this book. I felt like I was part of this world.

I recommend this book to people who love light-hearted enemies-to-lovers rom-com books with a bit of the forbidden-love vibe. I love the dynamic between Katie and Callum – it's really Callum vs Katie and the rest of Ennisbawn. Nothing better than falling for the enemy of the community! It's also sweet that the situation was written humorously, and no one really had the pitchforks up, so it was good to laugh about.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the book!

A sweet, laugh-out-loud rom-com that will leave you loving the characters and wanting to move immediately to a small town!

The Matchmaker by Catherine Walsh is a light, fun novel about friendship, family, and the love of your community. Katie Collins lives in Ennisbawn and loves her quaint Irish village, working at the local Pub Kelly’s since she was able to get a job. However, when land developers from Glenmill come to town to put in a huge Hotel, they also find a way to take over the pub to extend their hotel amenities. Katie decides to show Glenmill that the pub, and the people who work there, won’t go away that easy – and decides to bring back the local Matchmaking Festival to raise money and support to keep Kelly’s Pub right where it is! Unfortunately, Glenmill worker Callum Dempsey – is good looking, charming, and has his eye on Katie. The only thing left is for tension between Glenmill and Katie . . . oh, and chemistry between Katie and Callum!

This book will deliver exactly what you are expecting – cute, endearing, and yes, predictable. However, its charming and delightful qualities will win you over. This is not the novel that you need to think about, connecting plot lines, remembering important details, or left to solve a mystery – it is fun and engaging and sometimes that is all you need from a novel! You will laugh and roll your eyes, but overall it’s an easy read worth reading.

Did I possibly want more? Yes! More steam. More romance. More depth. More intricate plot lines. (But some of Callum’s lines were pretty good – though cheesy, and I will take it.) A Shakespearean masterpiece? No. But a quick, enjoyable break – absolutely! The characters all meshed well, and some of the underlying themes were what this world needs more of now: community, coming together for what you believe in, love, and kindness.

This heartwarming story is the feel-good read that will give you a break from crazy thriller novels and just let you slow down and escape to Ireland for a little bit! I give this 3.7 stars rounded up to 4 for giving me what I wanted and not disappointing me in the process. Walsh makes you smile!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC on this cute, easy, loving novel – all opinions are my own!

The Matchmaker by Catherine Walsh

Published: April 18, 2023
Bookouture
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Pages: 382
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Catherine Walsh was born and raised in Ireland. She lived in London for a few years before returning to Dublin, where she now lives between the mountains and the sea. When not writing, she is trying and failing to not kill her houseplants.

“To believe in a little bit of magic.”

Katie is a hardworking bartender in her small village. She is just as furious as the other residents about the big construction company that has come in to destroy their waning life to build a fancy resort. Callum was unprepared for the sassy woman who came barging into his construction site in her pajamas to scold him about the noise. But he is captivated.

This was such a sweet story. I loved the scenery and how the village was described. The village was a character, and I loved how that was incorporated.

Katie was fantastic. Bold, vibrant, and fun. I love that she was not afraid to speak her mind, even if it got her into trouble. I loved Callum’s calm and steady presence. He was the perfect balance for Katie.

I loved how this story was a generational tale of love and romance. The concept of a matchmaking festival seems so fun, and I enjoyed it being executed throughout this story.

Catherine Walsh is such a brilliant storyteller. She creates characters you love and love to hate but end up loving. All of these characters added something so unique to this book.

The humor was spot on. You fall into this story and can’t stop reading. The shenanigans are all so comical but so relatable. Everything about this book was beautiful.

I’m really a fan of Catherine Walsh! I loved Romantic Holiday and was super excited to get this arc. Lots of wit- a very sweet town to fall in love with- excellent characters- swoony grumpy love interest- all the things I love in a good romantic comedy.

Katie Collins is a fun main character with lots of personality and her relationship with Callum is a sweet one. Really appreciate no 3rd act breakup. Adults talking and communicating like adults should do. I didn’t feel frustrated with lack of communication or feeling like things weren’t reality….Catherine Walsh did an excellent job just purely writing a sweet love story of people supporting one another. Loved it.

Main character, Katies, whole world is her small village, Ennisbawn. Everything she possibly could want or need is right here in her village. When a new developer arrives and wants to build a golf course, Katie and the villagers are up in arms about it.
This story was a cozy, cute, fun and somewhat steamy/spicy read that I enjoyed very much.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
@shortbookthyme
@catwalshwriter
#irishromcom #catwalshwriter #bookouture

This book… I loved it! It is a definite page turner in the best ways. I loved the main character Katie. Sometimes quirky female leads can lean toward annoying but Katie’s quirks were just enough to make her so endearing. I laughed out loud so many times from Katie and Callum’s banter. You guys know my love for small town romances with interesting towns people and this is another one that does this perfectly. I loved every character in this book (even Jack! eventually…). I rarely include quotes in my reviews but this book had so many quotable moments that I was highlighting in my Kindle. Swipe to see some of my favorites. I loved Catherine Walsh’s book Holiday Romance so I was hoping this one would live up to that for me and it definitely did. If you are a romcom fan…you have to read this one!

Thanks to @netgalley and @bookouture for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

📆This book releases on April 18, 2023.

Read if you like:
▫️quirky female leads
▫️zany townspeople
▫️swoon worthy quotes

3,5 stars!

This book is set in Ennisbawn, a little Irish village that has been selected by a company (Glenmill properties) as the perfect place to build a new and exclusive five star resort.

Katie is a 29 years old woman who works at the only one bar of the village and, like all of her fellow citizens, hate the idea of a project that will ruin the beauty and calm of her town.

When Katie meets Callum, one of the most important supervisors of the construction site, she confronts him and his boss about their project and the consequences that will have. When the debate doesn't end well, Katie decides to fight back and bring again the matchmaker festival that in the past made the village famous.

This is the perfect book for the lovers of the small town trope, the vibes are amazing and the fact that it's set in Ireland made the setting even more intriguing. I enjoyed the story, Katie and Callum were really cute but they didn't catch me completely. However, I loved a secondary couple: Gemma and Adam! I appreciated their storyline a lot. All things considered, it's a funny and quick read.


ARC provided by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.

Love this book it was so good she does good work all the time and can't wait for the next one thanks netgalley for letting me review this book

thank you to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

for this review I'm going to keep it short and sweet. I loved it. I don't care to know anyone's rating or opinion, I really f*cking loved it. Catherine Walsh puts something so personal to me in these books. I was kicking my feet, giggling while listening to One Direction at three in the morning. What an experience.

Catherine, babe, you've made onto the instant buy/request list. Cannot wait to see what else you do xx

LOVED IT! I'm a big fan of Catherine Walsh since her first book "One night only" and even this time she didn't disappoint.

The main character, Katie, lives in a small village in Ireland. She loves it and she has never left her hometown, but then a hotel firm decides to replace the local pub where she works to build an hotel. To try to save the pub she organises a "matchmaking festival" where she will meet Callum Dempsey who works for the hotel firm.

I loved the pace of the story, how well the characters were written and also the focus on Katie's friends who have their own side stories with happy endings. Loved the chemistry between Katie and Callum and THE BANTER!

Super recommended!

I love love LOVE this book! My first Catherine Walsh read and I'm one of those manic people who finds her person and then doesn't stop until she has read everything they care to put out there. Interested by the blurb and the fact that it's set in Ireland, because who doesn't swoon at the irish accent or thought of a hunky Irishman whispering things in it...
The banter and sense of humour had me absolutely hooked from page one. It is not often you find a book with such likable characters that don't turn Hallmark-y at the end. I am in love with Katie and her quirks, foibles and flaws. The writing was just brilliant and its definitely a 5 stars from me. A thoroughly enjoyable, humourous read. Many thanks to Catherine Walsh, her publishers and Netgalley for a temporary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Matchmaker by Catherine Walsh is a clever, quick book. Katie Collins lives in a small town in Ireland where she has barely left. A big town developer is building a hotel with more plans to knock down the local pub where Katie's parents met and where she works. She decides to revive the local matchmaking festival to save the pub and town from further destruction. Callum Dempsey works for the company and Katie considers him to be the big, bad wolf.

The characters were so well written and fleshed out. Not just the MCs but everyone. Katie's friends, who I was happy to see have their own happy endings. Callum and Katie as the MCs were the best. Callum is so intense and invested in Katie. Katie is very proud of her town and very determined. They have such a great spark between them and I loved it.

The story was sweet and told in such a unique way. You root for the town the whole time. I would highly recommend this book. I am off to read more by Catherine Walsh.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Catherine Walsh for the e-ARC. This review is my own opinion.

I couldn’t get enough of this book! The setting was fantastic, and the whole plot was fun. It made me want to visit a small Irish town for a festival. I love enemies to lovers, and this was no exception. I think it missed the slow burn I craved, but it was still a fantastic and quick read that had a lot of fun.

This was such a charming romantic comedy. The banter between the two main characters {and other side characters} was amazing from start to finish! I really enjoyed the side plot that was happening along side the romance. I really felt like I was in this small town through-out the book. The only thing that would have made this book better, in my opinion, would have been to have Callum’s point of view. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

A cute enemies to lovers with plenty of conflict.
When a new business threatens to upend the traditions of Katie’s home village, she goes in the war path.
There’s plenty of controversy, funny encounters and an endearing grandmother who is feisty yet sage.
Katie eventually comes to the realization that change isn’t always bad, in fact it can be one of the best things.

This was a cute read about an old Irish town that is trying to bring back a traditional Matchmaking festival in order to help save a pub from destruction. Have you ever dropped a penny and a wish into a wishing well? You can come do that here at the match maker festival. This book took me a minute to get into honestly, just with gettingto the main part of the story, but then the characters were fun with a cute story and an easy read.
*arc provided by netgalley for honest review

The Matchmaker is a delight- such a gem of a book! The characters, plot, setting...everything weaves together to create a read that is so satisfyingly joyful. Be ready to fall in love with Katie and Callum and the village of Ennisbawn.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read before pub day on April 18th!

This was such a fun Irish romcom in which the main character has to save her village pub from developers by resurrecting the town’s old matchmaking festival. It made me want to move to an Irish village in the countryside! I loved Katie’s quirkiness and her incredible, hilarious friends, and I loved the family she built for herself. Calvin was so sweet (and his grand gesture?? 🥹😭). Even the villain grew on me by the end of the book, so I kind of want a sequel where he finds his own love story! This is my first book by this author, and I will definitely be picking up more in the future!

I love a story set in Ireland! Small town, Irish romance should be its own specific trope! This is a David and Goliath story about saving a small town pub from a giant golf course developer. The pubs bartender, Katie and the golf course developer Callum have to overcome a lot to get their HEA. I really like the two main characters but I didn’t connect with their Insta love. I wish there had been a little bit more build up for that. I loved all the side characters (very Irish). Overall, this is a perfect easy, beach read! Thank you #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I've only read two of Catherine Walsh's books but she has never failed to make me swoon! I love the matchmaker trope (is that even a real trope? idc) because the matchmaker is always to be the oblivious one when it comes to love matches for themselves. This book had the perfect amount of swoon, comedy, spice, etc. I've been disappointed by the romance novels I've recently read and I was just finally glad to be reading a good one. It was good. I love Katie and Callum. Callum was already head over heels in love with Katie in the beginning it was so endearing to watch how their relationship grew. I'm definitely going to read more of Catherine Walsh's books after this.