Katie has always cherished her tiny village of Ennisbawn, and has made herself a prominent member of the community. She’s ever the (over)eager volunteer, and when her beloved pub is under threat of being demolished to make way for a golf course resort- she takes matters into her own hands to save her town as she knows it. Enter Callum, the tatted-up construction site manager who’s instantly smitten with her and is basically a big sexy marshmallow. (As an American reader, I have to say that Callum is the epitome of ideal Irish man dreaminess and I could not get enough)
Katie is determined to resurrect an old town tradition in a last ditch effort to save the town as she knows it. Getting to this point of the story took a while. I’ll admit it was pretty slow on the intake and I would have liked maybe more backstory on the importance of the festival. We get a little, but I felt uncertain so that also may be lost on my American brain. Matchmaking festivals are traditional throughout Ireland?! Google says so?, but this was one part that I just hunkered down with and moved on.
Callum, though he’s technically the enemy, develops a connection to Katie and the charming town itself.

In the end, Katie has a lot of inner demons to overcome, and although the story has classic romance tropes like enemies to lovers and a little grumpy sunshine, it’s really a deeper book that heartwarmingly dives into the true meaning of community, family and comfort zones.
4 ⭐️

Without delving into spoiler land- I would REALLY like to appeal to the author that we need a sequel in which Jack’s icy heart is thawed. Pretty please 🥺

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this lovely book!

ROM COM PERFECTION!! The rom and com were so well balanced. There was found fam, small town vibes, and underdogs!! The pace of the story was great, and I liked how much we got to see Katie as a well rounded character. I wish we had gotten a linittle more Katie and Callum content, but honestly, Catherine Walsh doesn't miss!! I'm swooning, giggling, and kicking my feet through every page. If you love banter and a sweet couple you want to root for, ADD THIS TO YOUR LIST.

When Katie Collins is once again woke up by the construction crew for the new Glen Mill Hotel they’re putting in her tiny Irish Village she isn’t sensed it walks over to confront someone only to be confronted by Callum Doyle The gorgeous construction manager in charge of the site. Dressed in her pajama bottoms with bath tub yellow ducks and her eye mask she almost loses her nerve at the side of him but quickly recovers this is also when she meets the head of the whole operation and unknown to her Callum‘s brother Jack Who tries to blow her off with his professional spiel about how the hotel is going to help the community but Katie knows better and when she finds out they plan on tearing down the bar she is worked at since she was in high school not to mention owned by her good friend and proxy uncle Adam and it’s the last remaining bar in her tiny village. This is when she brings her friend Anishka Gemma and the rest of the villagers to the bar and tries to get them on board with saving Kelly’s after all it’s where her mom and dad met at the matchmaker festival that was once quite popular but has waned in recent years. The fellow residents don’t seem enthusiastic about accomplishing their goal of saving the bar and her growing attraction in relationship with Callum is already complicated and when he acts like he doesn’t get her compassion for the bar it only gets worse. Can Katie pull it off and save the only place she’s worked and her home away from home and wind up what the handsome Calum Doyle? I know this isn’t the best of summarise but trust me when I say this wasn’t an awesome book I loved dramas storyline or the end of her story rather but also love the whole book. Katie is kind of annoying but in a definite cute way and I love the Nischal and unhappy Adam I just love the whole book. I love Katie Walsh‘s books but I do think this is my favorite it’s not only funny especially Callum‘s responses to Kayde but it’s interesting and a definite page turner and five star read. If you love romantic comedies then you’ll definitely love The MatchMaker by Catherine Walsh I loved it and highly highly recommended! I received this book by Netgalley and Boldwood Books but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This is my third Catherine Walsh book and she's become an auto-buy author. Her books always cute, funny & charming, and this one was no exception! I loved the small-town Irish setting, the sense of community, the side characters, and of course the romance. A feel-good rom-com that's a perfect escape! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A laugh out loud romcom that will keep you happy on the beach this summer, it has shades of the Flat Share in readability

I could not say enough good things about Bookouture & Catherine Walsh. I believe this is my third book by her and I was not disappointed! She is such a descriptive author and her dialogue will keep readers engaged and in stitches!

In this book we meet Katie who reminds me a bit of Lou in Me Before You she is at peace in her community and content with not leaving her tiny village.

Side note: all Catherine’s books have a gorgeous Irish flair and absolutely gorgeous scenery.

Handsome Callum enters the picture although gorgeous in looks he creates quite a bit of trouble for Katie and her crew for wanting to build in the spot of the beloved pub Katie holds near and dear to her heart.

I’ve read a few books with similar things, but this one really stood out to me and was very well written. I loved the relationship between Katie and her grandmother and also her parents love story as well.

I laughed I cried and laughed again! It’s been awhile since a read really captured my attention and I didn’t want to out it down only when I had 2! The only reason it took me awhile to complete and leave this review is because I didn’t want it to end!

I loved her first book and how it was set around a wedding, the following around travel, and now this fun story involving developers. She always has a unique theme, beautiful cover, and a story that will stick with you long after completion of the book!

We are so thrilled and privileged to acquire this, promote it, and make it an upcoming book club selection. Thank you, Bookouture, Sarah , and especially Catherine for another smash hit! Always an honor to review these books and I look forward to Catherine’s next book as well as many more Bookouture titles! You all set the bar extra high and it shows.

I really enjoyed this book! This was my first book by Catherine Walsh and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed the strong community aspect in the village of Ennisbawn, and I found myself growing attached to a lot of the characters. The characters were all different but well-developed and formed a really endearing group. The FMC, Katie, suffers from anxiety when she's in cars and the author handled not only writing Katie's experience with anxiety but Callum and Jack's reactions to it. Additionally, I liked the plot-driven aspect of this book. I feel that sometimes romances can tend to seem relationship first, plot second, but that was not the case here. The plot of the Matchmaking festival was unique and fun to read about. I almost wish I got to read even more about it! While I enjoyed Callum and Katie's relationship, I felt at times that it got more developed/serious very in the time gaps between chapters and I wish I could have seen more of the development and progress of them falling for each other on the page. Overall, a really enjoyable read that is perfect for the spring/summer!

I really enjoyed this book. Walsh did a great job of making me fall in love with the village and pub, so when it was threatened, I was so immersed that I sat up straight and gasped.. The main character, Katie loves her town and her found family so much it is infectious. The love of the home town, and the romance with a man who is first positioned as someone working to destroy it really reminded me of Leslie Knope and Parks and Rec.

Obviously, there are differences as well, Katie is a bartender with no business or government experience, and though she volunteers a lot for things, which could have given her a bit more basis for competency for organizing an event, some of her choices did irritate me, especially when she was given some sage advice on paper about developing a business plan before seeking investment.

I found I probably was more invested in the village storyline than I was the romance. I mean it was fine, but some of the choices made didn't strike the emotional note for me that they were meant to, and I think it's because the in-text reasoning for some of the characters' choices felt a bit shallow and instal-love considering the time they had to develop an emotional connection. Which made it hard for me to connect emotionally with Callum and his motivations because I didn't understand them. The same plot could have happened, but if his choices had been more internal and value-based, maybe a reflection on points Katie had made, For me emotionally I think I would have felt I knew him more outside his romance with Katie.

Overall, it is a lovely read, beautifully set with some very endearing characters and side plots. I enjoyed the found family cast and the little village vs big corporation storyline, and the theme of valuing traditions.

Thank you Bookouture for providing me with an advanced reader copy through NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley for this e-ARC. Ihad a hard time getting into this. While the beginning introduction to the characters was sweet, it felt slow and the details about the matchmaking festival that dominated the middle of the book were a bit much for me. It did pick up in the second half and I found myself enj0ying it more. I will say the characters were great, and Katie's relationship with her Grandmother was so endearing. The relationship between Katie and Callum felt a bit like it jumped ahead too fast though, even if it was sweet.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC for my honest review! This was a 3.5-4 star read for me and a very cute small town romance that made me want to travel to Ireland ASAP.

The story begins with Katie Collins, who has always lived in her little town of Ennisbawn. She's living her best life, and going through her routine until change appears. There are drastic changes coming for Ennisbawn and it all begins with construction.

Construction and the instruction to our love interest,Callum Dempsey, a really hot guy who's planning to knock down Ennisbawn entirely and take away the pub....did I mention this is also the place where Katie works and has spent a lot of time in her life here? Oh yeah, that too. DRAMAAAA! tension. TENSION!

This was really cute little small town romance with a lot of tension and definitely recommend to my romance readers!

This is my first Catherine Walsh book and I am reading her others ASAP. This story was so sweet and cozy, I couldn’t put it down! I love when the side characters make a town even better and this sweet group is an example of that. I also loved learning about Irish folklore! I’ve never had an urge to travel there before but now I’m looking up plane tickets!

5/5 stars.

no one is going to be surprised when they open their goodreads and see me giving 5 stars to another book by catherine walsh as i've been plenty loud since i first had the chance to review an arc of her debut novel, but god, this book. i'm usually not big on small town romances but the matchmaker made me melt into a puddle of feelings.

there's just something about men named callum - whether they're a slightly sociopathic nova or a member of a pop-punk band or in this case a very serious construction developer. just something about them. katie and callum were the perfect story from start to finish, and katie's determination to save her pub truly made me respect her so much because girl i would've given up after the first 100 pages. like truly, her resilience is remarkable.

another thing i really love about catherine walsh's books is how funny they are, and not just the way you set a scene up for a punchline. i'm constantly amused or smiling at things the characters say and it's a present undercurrent throughout the entire book. this is not to say that the matchmaker doesn't have it's strongly emotional moments - both romantic and platonic.

i also very much liked how the side characters had mini plotlines of their own cute romances going on (i need a 500 page (minimum) book about adam and gemma asap) and the dynamic between katie and her friends is so personal to me.

this book is definitely going on my favourites shelf and to sum it up: katie loves pub. callum loves katie. i love fictional men who are willing to follow their girls to the ends of the earth just because.

if you like small town romances you'll love this book!


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

Catherine Walsh is a auto buy for me. I love the unconventional, funny band of characters she creates and the Irish humour that shines through perfectly in her stories.

The Matchmaker is no exception to that.

It is a wholesome, funny story that celebrates home and the people who make it.

The concept of this small Irish town hosting a matchmaking festival was so fun. There were plenty of antics as it all came together, and love blossomed all around.

I adored Callum as Katie’s match. He is so sweet and completely devoted to Katie - so devoted that at one point he says; “Katie you could tell me that your sole interest in life is snail migration, and I’d listen to every word you say so long as your eyes light up like that.”

They become each other’s home and it’s beautiful to read about. The only thing I would have liked a bit more of is a clearer understanding of why they were so drawn to each other and what that loved about each other - it felt like it happened in a bit of a blur!

There was also a side romance that I LOVED and could 100% read a whole other novel about…

If you haven’t already, pick up Catherine Walsh’s books - The Matchmaker is a great place to start!

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

The Matchmaker by Catherine Walsh

“How can I get tired of it when all you need to do is stand there breathing and you have my full attention?” 🥹

I. Am. Obsessed. With. This. - *in my David Rose voice*

This book blew me away. I really, really enjoyed Holiday Romance by this author but this one just has my heart.

Idk if I’ve ever genuinely laughed out loud as much as I did reading this one. The perfect kinda humor! Dry, witty, sarcastic, and unexpected.

I loved the main character, Katie. The way she loved others, loved her town, everything she’d been through, how hard she worked, the list could go on forever. It would be tough not to love her!

For people who don’t love a ton of spice in their romance, I think this one would be perfect!! It’s so romantic and the steam is limited/implied.

Read if you’re looking for:
💓 small town vibes
💓 women’s fiction + some romance
💓 a lovable, firecracker grandma Maeve
💓 the cutest, sassiest friend group
💓 heartthrob CALLUM DEMPSEY
💓 unlimited LOL moments
💓 emotional ending

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ all the stars!

Huge thank you to @netgalley & @bookouture for an eARC. This one is out on 4/18! All thoughts are my own.

This was a really cute story and quick read. I really enjoyed the setting of a small Irish town and the characters were all engaging. The love story was a bit too much of insta-love that lost me a little. It's still a sweet read. Catherine Walsh writes in a way that draws me in. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!

Charming is the best word I can think of to describe this book. I loved the small town feel and just felt the whole thing was a cute read.

Katie meets Callum she confronts him about the noise being made by the construction site he is supervising. Katie soon learns that the same developer plans to take over her beloved local bar and that. Is the last straw for her. She decides to fight back against the big bad developer and revive the town’s matchmaking festival so help give the developer a reason not to want to destroy such a culturally significant site.

I loved the townspeople and other bar workers in this one. I think one of the best parts of a small town romance is the hijinks from the other members of the town and this one definitely had that. I had a little bit of a struggle with the connection between Calum and Katie. I wished the story had focused a little less on the festival and town and more on their connection. But, overall this was a fun, charming read and I enjoyed it.

This is a solid 4 stars for me.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you firstly to Catherine Walsh and her publishers for letting me read this book! Thank you so very much.

The Matchmaker firstly starts out in Ennisbawn - a small town in Ireland that is going under renovations by a large hotel company. Katie is a resident of the local town and Callum is one of the workers on the hotel, and on two opposing sides, they manage to fall for each other, learning about each other's past as they are collided many times by what seems to be accidental, or may just be fate pushing them together.

The Matchmaker is an amazing, small town rom-com that is perfect for readers who also want a found family type of book. The almost Romeo and Juliet type of forbidden romance really pulled the story together with a modern and believable twist - as with this trope it is difficult to be realistic, but Walsh managed to capture that in this novel. I really did enjoy the element of small town and the cause that Katie devoted herself to, saving her town.

This was so cute and fun. I loved the setting, was really different from what I normally read. All the characters were adorable and charming. For sure recommending my boss to order this for our library.

I first stumbled upon Catherine Walsh's work when I read Holiday Romance from her last year. I fell in love with her sarcastic, relatable style of writing. This book, The Matchmaker, is no different. I found myself laughing out loud at the banter between characters in this story.

Nush is most definitely my favorite character in this book. The awkwardness of the female main character mixed with the patience and the devotion of the male main character gave The Matchmaker just the right amount of swoon to be cute but not cheesy. I loved how the romance wasn't the central focus, but only enhanced the story while Katie rushed to save her beloved pub.

Overall I really enjoyed this one, which is no surprise. Catherine Walsh is a talented writer. I look forward to reading more from her.

The Matchmaker by Catherine Walsh left me wanting to abandon my job and relocate my family to Ennisbaw, Ireland! The *entire* cast of characters were unique, fresh, and downright lovable. I am a sucker for a charming small town who takes on a huge capitalistic developer to save their traditions from the cold leveling of 'progress' and this read did not disappoint.

When the FMC marched right into the mega-resort construction site in her pajamas and face mask to tell off the Project Developer, I immediately connected with Katie and her need for sleep. This hilarious encounter led her to be escorted off the premises by the exceedingly handsome construction crew leader, Callum. When Callum later attempts to apologize to Katie, sparks fly and he is introduced to Kelly's Pub where Katie has worked her entire life and is at risk of being closed by the new resort. Katie, with the help of the town, attempt to bring back the well-loved Matchmaker festival centered around the towns historical wishing well.

The dialogue was wickedly witty and hilarious, and watching Callum with his quiet brooding seriousness worship the ground chaotic Katie walks on was so adorable. He shows up for her in so many ways that made my heart melt and made the spicy scenes worth the wait! If you love small-town romance books that read like a rom-com movie, add this to your TBR pile and visit Ireland!