I love this story idea but in practice found the plot confusing and hard to follow, and struggled to get into the story. I ultimately did not finish this story. Thank you for the chance to review in exchange for an honest review.

I loooovedd this. It’s joyful with great characters who are not annoying. There’s also a dreamy male lead and a very fun supporting cast (I need some follow-up novels please).

It’s also a story about the importance of community and a celebration of those who care and fight for those they love.

I was honestly weepy towards the end. Bring on Book 5!

This was one was really cute. Catherine Walsh came on my radar after I read Holiday Romance. She is extremely talented and has risen to the top of my favorite authors. In a romcom I need witty banter and she delivers. The reason its not a 5 star for me is because it is a little "hallmark-y" where I prefer more real life scenarios/characters but it was good for escapism. I will be on the look out for more book from Walsh.

Catherine's books seem to get better and better for me.

I absolutely adore her writing, having left Ireland it's a wonderful reminder of home when I get a little homesick. What made this even better is that this book, unlike her others, didn't involve someone who had left Ireland coming back. So, I got to experience my country in all its glory. Ripping rainstorm included.

The chemistry between Katie and Callum was great, and I really enjoyed the enemies (rivals?) to lovers aspect of their relationship.

I did however have my guard up about one of Katie's friends and didn't really love reading about her.

Something I will note is, I found this book to be rather slow to get into at times.

This story showed great promise but ultimately just wasn’t for me.
I could appreciate the main character, and loved her drive to save her home town. This storyline in the book was super cozy which I loved.
Unfortunately, the romance missed the mark for me which was obviously the main reason I wanted to read this one in the first place.
It felt really rushed, and I didn’t really know Callum so I wasn’t rooting for them at all.
I struggled to finish this one.

This was a cute read, but I didn’t feel the connection between Katie and Callum.

I definitely smiled and enjoyed it but I’d rate it 3 stars.

This story was cute and an easy read. While the overall plot and pacing of the book were decent, I couldn't quite get on board with the romantic storyline. As much as I wanted to root for the two main characters to fall in love, I found myself struggling to understand why they even liked each other in the first place.

This book made me smile more times than I can count!

Katie Collins, local of Irish town Ennisbawn, is not going to let construction of a new hotel (that many townspeople are NOT happy about) take her and the town down without a fight. Working at the local pub, Katie often returns home late, and no sooner she falls asleep, the construction noise starts.
She has well and truly had enough.
Callum Dempsey, one of the construction workers, working at the site, faces the wrath of Katie and the passion she has for her home town.
Little does she know, the same construction company building the hotel has bought the pub she works at.
When she finds out she decides to pull out all the stops and bring back the annual Matchmaking Festival to bring some money into the town to and bring some support for the locals to earn back their town.

This book was amazing. It has easily become one of my favourite reads of the year so far!
The Irish, small town feel was cute, and the characters were extremely likeable and witty.

I loved every part of it, not only because the story line was amazing, but because the writing was impeccable. It was engaging, funny, and had so much depth to it.

I would 100% recommend it to anyone!

This was a fun a cute story! I definitely didn’t feel like I personally related with the characters but I can see why people loved this!

I absolutely loved this book, it was so good. The story was so cute and wholesome. I loved every part of this book, this will definitely be a re-read.
I love that Katie fought so hard for the bar and for her little town. The different relationships throughout the book were so cute, between the friendships and romances, I don’t know what I liked better, they were so heartwarming. Katie’s friends are so amazing, they are so supportive and real with her, they make known their own opinions without hurting Katie or being mean, they are the best best friends. With Katie and Callum, the anticipation was intense, I was screaming at the book! My absolute favourite character was the granny, she was hilarious.

The authors writing style is absolutely loveable, it made me feel like I was right there with them. I felt like I was right among everyone. Her world building was amazing too. I could see the streets in my head, the fields, the lake. It was amazing.

I really wanted to love this because I loved Holiday Romance by this author but it just didn’t quite do it for me. It felt like there weren’t too many scenes between Callum and Katie that would justify them falling in love so hard so fast. Callum was ready to give up everything less than half way into the book after like 3 conversations with Katie. Would recommend as a cute fluffy read, but personally I won’t be reading it again

“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 is my first book from this author. It was really cute and fresh. I really adore the small-town setting, the banter, and the community. It was so heartwarming to see them working out together for the matchmaking festival. While I did enjoy it, I still wish there would have been more depth between Katie and Callum.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

Such a cute book and I was thrilled when I got a copy of this book. I love this authors work and dove right in. It did not disappoint. I loved it from start to finish. It kept me wanting to know more.

I love books with hallmark-style romance, and 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒓 absolutely delivered on that front. Ennisbawn, the small Irish town where the story takes place, might not be the fanciest place around, but it's full of charm and character. Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse when a big development company moves in and threatens to tear down everything in its path, including the local pub, to build a fancy new resort. But never fear community, sweetheart; Katie steps up to the plate and decides to fight for the quirky town. Katie starts by confronting the handsome project manager, Callum, clad only in her pajamas, and things only get better from there. Things definitely heat up, and comedy ensues! I totally adored this story! This rom-com is hilarious and had me hooked from beginning to end. Catherine Walsh did a fantastic job of creating the perfect characters and plot, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The townspeople were so likable, and I wanted the Matchmaking festival to be a success! I found myself so invested in the characters and storyline. Please do yourself a favor a grab a copy of this one!! It was such a fantastic read!⁠
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Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the opportunity to read an eARC of this adorable book!

I think i can say that Catherine Walsh's books have become my favorite go-to comfort books. Easy to read. Funny, romantic and heartwarming. The characters are relatable. Sometimes a little predictable, but you really don't care because they are such a fun read. The Matchmaker is the third book I've read from her and it does not disappoint. Enemies to lovers. Great banter. Quirky characters. Highly recommend!

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This books is one of the best books I have read on 2023. It keeps you engaged from start to end. I loved the main characters as well as all of the side characters. It has romance, determination , forklore. Definitely recomended 10/10

This books was really cute! It makes me want to travel to a small town in Ireland and enjoy a week with the locals. I loved the romance between Callum and Katie, they seemed to have a genuine connection despite Katie trying to fight it at first.

Katie is a strong FMC that knows what she wants, what she loves, and despite everyone else thinking she could do better she's happy with her life and the people in it. Callum was really sweet and strong at the same time, always doing whatever he could to help and take care of Katie. The way he supported her endeavor of saving pub really surprised me, I knew he wasn't going to be trouble like his brother but the fact he changed his life for it was shocking. I love how his life and Katie's intertwined seamlessly and they both got a HEA.

I love Catherine's writing, the story had a great pace, I was never bored. Her characters are always very likable and have good banter.

Summary
Katie has lived in her small Irish village since her grandmother took her in as a child. Her friends are there, she has a job she loves and the beautiful countryside. Then a developer buys some land up to build a hotel and resort, and Katie's pub will be torn down as part of the price. To stall, she tells the developers about the Ennisbawn Matchmaking Festival, and how they couldn't tear down the pub as it is part of the history of the town and the festival. Problem is, the festival hasn't happened in years and Katie has months to make it a huge moneymaker. Another problem for her, Callum, the head of construction, who is staying in Ennisbawn, who is handsome and keeps showing up everywhere and flirting with her. Is he really interested in her or using her to get information on the town's plans? And will he stick around after the build is done?

Review
I was introduced to Catherine Walsh when I got a Netgalley of The Rebound last year. I adored the small-town romance and quirky characters, so I was thrilled to get my hands on another. The Matchmaker did not disappoint. She hit the jackpot with another small Irish town, the tightknit community, and found family. Katie has such passion for her town, her friends, her grandmother and the pub. The slow-burn chemistry between her and Callum was perfection. And it made me laugh out load, many times. Katie marching down to the worksite in her pajamas just kick started off the story perfectly. Catherine Walsh has become a must read author for me. This is the book to read if you want to feel warm and fuzzy and just happy when you are finished.

Who doesn't like an underdog story? This was such an adorable cozy read. I've always had a soft spot for small, close-knit communities and this story reinforces what can be accomplished when people work together for a common goal. Having a swoony love interest helps the case for this book too.

Katie Collins has lived in her quaint Irish village of Ennisbawn her entire life and has no desire to change that. She has everything she needs: her grandmother, her friends, her dog, a job she loves at Kelly's, the last remaining local pub in town and Katie's last connection to her parents, and the wishing well that sits in the pub garden.

Her peaceful life starts to unravel when the big construction company determined to "revitalize" her little haven with a large hotel project underway interrupts her sleep and daily routine. Finally fed up with the noise and interruptions in the day-to-day life of the town, Katie marches straight into the work site in her pajamas to get some answers only to meet Callum Dempsey, the hotshot development site manager whose attractiveness strikes Katie nearly speechless, until she finds out that not only is the hotel here to change her precious Ennisbawn, but Callum and his boss, Jack Doyle, also plan take her beloved bar away to make room for a "good view" from a new golf course.

Not on her watch. Attraction squashed, this is the last straw for Katie. In order to protect her town, she needs to show everyone why it's so special, which means reviving Ennisbawn’s once-famous matchmaking festival and getting enough publicity to save the pub and her town simultaneously.

With her best friends by her side, she takes on the corporate giant and Doyle to show the small town is home to its residents, where they grow and laugh together. And for Katie and her single friends, the reinvigorated matchmaking festival might also be the place where they find love.

After reading and loving Holiday Romance and The Rebound, Catherine Walsh became an auto-buy author for me. So, I was over the moon at the opportunity to read the ARC for her newest release.

When Katie marched onto the construction site of a future resort in her PJs and a face mask to give the developer a piece of her mind, I knew she was my kind of heroine. Who she encounters is the handsome project coordinator, Callum, who has to escort her off the premise. I was absolutely laughing at their ridiculous meet-cute and also paused reading to put on an eye mask to fight my own fatigue. That’s some inspiration!

This book was a cute and funny light-hearted read. It did feel a little more like women’s fiction with a side of romance than some of her other books, but the side characters were so loveable it was impossible not to get invested in their story too. I adored the way Katie loved her town, her pub, and her people. She was passionate, bold, and loyal. Callum made quite the hunky hero. The things he said and the ways he showed up for Katie were absolutely swoon-worthy.

READ IF YOU LIKE
Small town vibes
Enemies to lovers
Forbidden romance
Strong + spunky friend group
No third-act breakup

This review was posted on publication day.