this was such an enjoyable, well-paced romcom that was the perfect mix between realistic and unrealistic!! LOVED katie, she was such a strong main character. also loved all the side characters (even though i struggled to keep up with them at first), the sense of community in this book was so good. gemma, adam and noah particularly have my heart, i would definitely read a book focused on them! katie and callum had great chemistry and a perfect love story <3

This was my first ARC book that Ive read and reviewed, and it exceeded expectations. The first page had me hooked and I binged the entire book with every chance I had.

The storyline of a small-town pub being bulldozed by a developer and the MC’s Katie saving the day with the festival was delightful, entertaining, and emotional. The backstory of MC’s parents and her closeness to the village and pub added plenty of depth to the plot.

Callum was my favourite character he is charming, helpful and so thoughtful, Catherine brings all her characters to life and she didn’t disappoint on the hero. The chemistry and the spice between the two main characters was what had me hooked the most.

A sign of a future bestselling book – I was left wanting more when I got to the end. This book has the potential of a Netflix film for sure. I absolutely recommend The Matchmaker to fellow romance book lovers. I give this book 5 stars without hesitation and I can’t wait to read more novels by Catherine Walsh.

Loved:
Relationships between friends
MC’s bold grandma
Callum

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my review.

What a fun book! I really enjoyed reading this, all the characters were great even the one you were supposed to dislike wasn’t that unpleasant! The main character Katie was exactly the right mix of fun, a bit sassy, vulnerable and deserved all the good things that came her way. I would definitely look out for this author again, it was a great read xx

Small town girl is trying to save her town from the big bad developers.
This is my first time reading anything my Catherine Walsh and she is hilarious. I found myself binging the first half of this book. The MC’s grandma was everything. Unfortunately, for me, somewhere after that first half it just fell kind of flat.
I definitely will be checking out her other books though!
3.5 stars rounded up
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my review!!

A great read! Was hooked by the romance but I didn’t expect to like ALL the characters and also find myself laughing out loud. Catherine Walsh really knows how to set up a relationship, the scenery, and the growth our MC goes through. Would definitely recommend this one to any fellow romance lovers.

This book is a delight. I loved it so much!
The humor, realistic dialog, banter, and characters you want to be friends with - it’s all so good.
I wouldn’t have complained about a bit more between the main characters, but this one leans more towards Women's Fiction than Romance. And what we do get is excellent. Also, I loved the character development.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5

This is the first ARC (advanced readers copy) of a book I’ve received for review and my expectations were weary. Well, I’m sorry to all future reviews for how high the bar now is but really you should blame Catherine Walsh for writing the freaking cutest, most loveliest, book that feels like the equivalent of a warm hug from the-friend-that-isn’t-a-hugger-but-when-they-give-you-one-you-know-it’s-real-and-then-they-make-a-joke-to-break-the-moment… just me? Point is, this story in all its banter, small-town vibes, sweet romance, and realistic conflict was exactly what I’ve been needing. I was actually truly loling… like actually out loud; that’s not easy to accomplish and she did it.

The hardest part about reading this book was not being able to force my friends to buy it right now since it wasn’t out yet. And you can bet I’ll be buying the audiobook on the 18th so I can experience it all again but this time in an actual Irish accent and not the terrible one in my head.

Go read this story.

Highlights
- The banter - the banter!
- Grumpy MMC on the outside, absolute simp on the inside
- Incredibly relatable and likable FMC
- Sassy Irish grandma
- Amazing supporting characters
- Realistic conflict!

You should read it if
- You love an ensemble of characters with depth
- Your eyes hurt from rolling them so hard every time a character has a dramatic stupid argument over something that could have been solved incredibly easily
- You like the idea of Rowan in Heir of Fire turning into Cassian in Silver Flame once he finds love
- You are alive

You shouldn’t read it if
- You want every book to make you feel awful. It will make you so happy and sounds like that would make you sad… which might make you happy again? Actually, you should probably read it just to be safe.
- You own a hotel conglomerate and love bulldozing tiny towns to fill your pockets with dirty, dirty money
- You have given up on love and would firmly like it to stay that way

Read this book if you’re in the mood for
- A low-stakes, high-reward cozy romantic comedy that will actually have you laughing out loud and falling in love with everyone.

If you like _ you’ll like this
- Book Lovers
- Derry Girls (maybe just cause Gemma reminds me of Erin’s mom)
- The small town from Part of Your World
- When Harry Met Sally (did I mention the banter yet? Cause, the banter)

Where to Buy
- Pre-Order now for the digital copy and post pub-date, physical and audiobook will be available
- Also Kindle Unlimited!

More from this author
- Holiday Romance
- The Rebound
- One Night Only - this one was supposed to show up today but is delayed, come on Amazon!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

I absolutely loved the idea behind this book! So cute, frustrating, endearing, nerve wracking, and just so many emotions.

First of all, I love Callum! He is so kind and caring and he tries hard! Plus, he's good with his hands 😏

I wish his brother had a bit more in depth development at the end. I love that he did develop a bit and helped with driving Granny to the hospital and all that, but I feel like there could have been more.

The small town vibes and characters were spot on and I love the fierce portrayal of these individuals! Mixed with their own real life struggles! Loved it!

World building was detailed and descriptive.

Engaging and entertaining!

There were a few grammar issues where words were wrong or missing - for example chapter 23 it says "you should the blue dress" it should probably say you should wear the blue dress. And a few pages later in the same chapter it says "the village teeming with guess" when I think it meant to say Guests. There were a few of those throughout the book. But it was still a really enjoyable story!

This was really cute. I missed CW's books and characters, her descriptions of small Irish towns and her grumpy but lovely characters. The romance was good, I loved how there's little smut and it's not based just on it. My favorite character has to be Granny Maeve. Somehow, CW's side characters are really interesting and wonderful!

The Matchmaker by Catherine Walsh is a delightful, heartwarming read that will have you laughing, cheering, and swooning from the very first page. Set in the charming Irish village of Ennisbawn, it's the perfect escape from reality.

The story revolves around Katie Collins, a feisty young woman who's determined to save her village from the clutches of a hot-shot developer, Callum Dempsey. He's got plans to build a hideous hotel and knock down Ennisbawn's only remaining pub, which happens to be the last connection to Katie's parents, who met at the village's famous matchmaking festival.

In an effort to save the pub and her village, Katie decides to revive the matchmaking festival and become Ireland's newest matchmaker. Along the way, she discovers that love might be more than just a formula, and that even when someone's not your type on paper, they might just be the perfect match for you.

The chemistry between Katie and Callum is electric, and I couldn't get enough of their banter and witty comebacks. But Granny Maeve stole the show for me with her spunk and sarcasm. She had me laughing out loud and rooting for her from the very beginning.

I also loved that Walsh left us wanting more with the other two couples in the book. I would love to read a spin-off about them and see how their relationships develop.

Overall, I give The Matchmaker 4 stars. It's a fun, heartwarming read that will leave you feeling good and wanting more. So grab a cup of tea, curl up in your favorite chair, and get ready to fall in love with Ennisbawn and its charming residents.

At this point Catherine Walsh’s books are must reads, and I recommend them to anyone I talk to. The Matchmaker is no exception! You will fall in love with each and every character and root for not only the main love story but for the side love stories as well. 10/10 would recommend!

Cute, witty and entertaining! I liked the authors use of story telling and symbolism. The book was formatted great and I could not put it down!
This book was gifted to me by NetGallery, all opinions are my own.

What a fantastic read, I absolutely loved the style of writing from Walsh, and found myself laughing out loud at certain parts, while still maintaining a strong storyline and plot.

Dialogue between the characters was witty and fun, with depth that meant I fell in love with all the characters.

I can’t wait to read more from Catherine Walsh!

Highly recommend for a light, easy and thoroughly enjoyable read.

It's been two days since I finished this book, and I'm still thinking about it. It was so much fun! Granted, I finished reading it after finally doing my taxes but the prospect of it got me to deal with them in record time!

It's a delightful romantic comedy that will get you laughing, swooning, and wishing for more. It's my first book by the author, but it will certainly not be my last because what a gem! So happy I got to discover Catherine Walsh through The Matchmaker. The romance was pretty sweet, and I was pleasantly surprised by the last bit of the book! There are relatable side characters that add life and fullness to the story, and the small Irish village where it takes place is charming and cozy, which creates the perfect atmosphere to want to stay there forever.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC!</i>

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Overall, a super cute and fun read! I have a soft spot for Ireland so was very excited for a romantic read based in a tiny Irish village and I’ve even visited the real village Ennisbrawn is based on. This story would make the perfect romantic comedy movie and is great for a pick me up read!

Katie lives in Ennisbrawn – a very small village where not much new happens. She lives with her grandmother since the loss of her parents in a car accident and works at Kelly’s, a bar run by her friend Adam. Kelly’s used to be famous for its Matchmaker Festival, made extra special as her parents met there. Enter Glenmill. They plan to knock down large portions of the village, including Kelly’s, to build a luxury resort. Callum works as part of this team as security. When backed into a corner, Katie and her friends make a last minute plan to revive the festival to save Kelly’s. As a result, hilarious and sweet antics occur!

The initial meet-cute of Katie and Callum was hilarious. One of the best I’ve read in a while. Their growing relationship felt real and had me swooning so many times. Callum is serious and gruff, but his loves for Katie is evident in his actions and grand gestures. It’s obvious he would do anything for her! “Anywhere you want to go. If you want me to, I’ll follow.” My heart!

While the love story stood out strong to me, many other pieces of the story worked well. The author included some delightful Irish lore mixed in such as the wishing well and fairy circles. These elements added to the charm of Ennisbrawn. Granny (Maeve) was an absolute gem of a character. I aspire to be as spunky when I’m her age. Katie’s friend group were a joy as well. The really defined the found family trope. I enjoyed reading about their relationships and cheered for two in particular (don’t want to spoil)!

Such a cute rom com. At the beginning, Katie reminded me so much of myself. NO ONE WAKES A GIRL FROM HER PRECIOUS SLEEP and gets away with it!! I loved the growth we saw inKatie, Adam, Callum and Gemma. You also can't help but fall in love with Callum. Each character brought a distinct personality that made this a page turner for me. Definitely a cute, small town romance.

Catherine Walsh is officially an auto-buy author for me. I will absolutely devour anything she puts out into the world. Please. Just take all my money.

I absolutely adored everything about this book. It made me feel all the feels. I loved Katie with a passion. She was unapologetically herself and willing to fight for what she loved. She was content for everything to stay the same but of course all things must change. And with that change came Callum. Callum was just yummy. I wanted to gobble him up and he must be protected at all costs. All of the side characters added so much. I loved Nush, Adam, Granny, Gemma, and in the end I even loved (kinda) Jack. I can’t wait to read whatever Catherine Walsh writes next and force all of my friends to read it too.

I couldn't wait to read Catherine Walsh's new story, so much so, I didn't have any ideas about it beforehand. I no longer bother to read the synopsis of her work. It isn't necessary for me. She's produced some amazing stuff, which I have previously read. I LOVED this newest release!

This author adds comedy to Rom-Coms. Her humour and writing style are delightfully entertaining and you can't help but crack a smile as you read the story. She is on my auto-read list for this very reason. As per her other reads, I read this within 24 hours.

Katie and Callum were terrific leads, and I could totally relate to Katie's use of humour to dissolve any issues. I'm totally feeling the strong community vibe here in this Irish setting. It's making me want to visit Ireland even more! Is 'Kelly's' a legit pub? If it is, I'm all in!

This new release is amazing and highly recommended. I'd suggest it to any fan of this genre or someone trying out this author.

‘The Matchmaker’ has to be a must-read for April ‘23

3.5

good, but not my favorite walsh. something just didn’t really click for me. i liked the characters, though, and the strongest moments were those in which the characters shined - noah’s party, for example. i really liked any longer moments between katie & callum. pretty typical conflict in the third act, but i’m glad walsh circumvented the usual couple-fight-misunderstanding, choosing rather to go with a different type of climactic moment.

#netgalley

I have to start by saying this book made me smile so big! It is a perfect small town romance with emphasis on small town because even though the romance is there and done so so well it is Ennisbawn you fall in love with or better yet the people of Ennisbawn. First of all our unlikely heroine! Katie is a waitress in a beloved pub Kelly's, she lives with her grandma in Ennisbawn, Ireland where she's lived her whole life and in the street where a new shiny hotel is being built. Small town and its pub are in crisis and Katie seems to be the only one stubborn enough to fight for it. I don't like writing the entire plot in my reviews so I'll stop here. I loved where the story took me, I loved her friends and her town, I loved the romance and I loved her love interest! It reads like a movie, a really good romcom, but it has a deeper feel of being real. I can imagine these characters existing irl, they lead normal, simple lives and we got a glimpse of that. Romance books very often make me fall in love with the MMC or the love interest more and while Callum was the dreamiest(!!!) It's Katie who carries the whole story as she should. It's her you love and root for and it's her you wish you could spend more time with. I loved that! Giving it 5 stars here and 4 on Goodreads to balance it out because it is 4.5 which is still great!