Giggling and kicking my feet 🤭

This was such a fun and cozy holiday romance!! I loved all of the side characters relationships and the character development between Christian and Megan. Christian was supposed to be awful but is actually a big fluffy teddy bear🥰. I do wish we got more closure with their family issues - it was kind of just assumed that everything would go okay after they all talked? ALSO I WAS WAITING FOR THE SWEATER REVEAL AND WE NEVER GOT IT.

If you enjoy friends/acquaintances to lovers with a little bit of holiday sprinkled in there then I would definitely recommend reading this. I will be reading more of Walsh’s work 😊. Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for this arc🫶🏽

Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh was my favorite Christmas book last year, so I was SO excited to have Christian's story in Snowed In! I think Christmas family time sets up the perfect recipe for fake dating, and I love how Christian approaches it with Megan. I absolutely love their dynamic. The banter is fresh and hilarious, and I love their personalities and how they fit together.

I think there is some good depth to this book too, with Christian's growth with his expectations for his life and his relationship with his dad, and Megan confronting her past and learning to stand up for herself. They both have strong individual growth that parallels nicely with their relationship growth. I'm so happy that there's no third-act breakup either. Their relationship is organic all the way through.

I'd recommend reading Holiday Romance before Snowed In, since there is significant page time and plot events surrounding Andrew and Molly from Holiday Romance. I loved seeing a lot more of them in this one, but I think people going in blind will either be annoyed or confused by how much page time they get.

The title implies that the characters are "snowed in," and I was surprised that this plot point didn't happen for a looong time. At the same time, I think there was a good amount of time spent being snowed in, but I'm surprised that that's the title and the focus. Also, as a fellow knitter, the fact she made two colorwork sweaters, even with bulky yarn, in two days (even two weeks) is insanity.

Overall, a fantastic Christmas romance! I'll be recommending this series for all my fellow romance lovers!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 3.5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 4

Thank you, NetGalley, for the arc!

Trigger/Content Warnings: recounted controlling relationship, mild physical fight, multiple open door (3 I think?)

I absolutely adored the latest book by Catherine Walsh. I love a good Irish romance.
Christian and Megan have known each other for years, in fact, he witnessed her running out on her wedding. Fast forward to years later Christian and Megan bump into each other in a pub in Dublin. Both are headed home to their village for the holiday, but neither are keen on going "alone".

This was such a cute book from almost friends to lovers. I found myself rooting for the couple early on.

One of my favorite tropes in a romance novel is the concept of fake dating and in her latest novel, Catherine Walsh has used the concept of fake dating as the theme of her latest book.

Meet Megan--who broke of an engagement four years ago and then hustled off to the city. Now her ex-fiancé is getting married and Megan who didn't want to go back to the village. At a pub in Dublin, Megan meets Christian, who is tired of spending lonely Christmas and the two hatch up a plan to become a fake couple so they could go back to the village and pretend that they are dating each other. But what they didn't realize is that soon, they start developing feelings for one another.

This was an entertaining and funny read. The story is told in Megan and Christian's POV and through the story, we the family background of both Megan and Christian and the strain in the relationship between some of their family members. We also see that there's a chemistry brewing between Megan and Christian, the fact that they both have feelings for each other, yet they are too shy to express their feelings to each other. I like how the author has crafted out those emotions well. There were some funny parts in the book that makes you laugh out loud while you are reading out the novel as well as some emotional ones. Not only that, but the background of this story is also Christmas which makes it all perfect to read this romance novel set during Christmas time! Catherine Walsh is a great romance author and from all the books I have read from her, this book is one of my favorites of hers.

Get your hot chocolates and get ready to snuggle up a good romance book to read during the Christmas holidays! Worth a solid five star reading.

Thanks you Bookouture for making me a part of this blog tour. Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Let’s preface this review with the fact that I absolutely adored Holiday Romance last winter because I can NEVER get enough of Ireland during the Christmastime. I loved the setting, the plot, the time of year…PERFECTION. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Catherine Walsh did her thing and gave us MORE.

Snowed In was epically fantastic. It had true love, it had humor, it gave you alllll the feels. The characters were amazing. I loved Megan and Christian and how their relationship came to be. If you like fake dating, you will LOVE this book. Christian and Megan were destined to be together and I loved seeing them and their families together during the holidays.

Essentially, Megan (runaway bride) was making her escape when she ran into her childhood friend, Christian. Christian vowed to never tell anyone he saw her. Five years later, Megan was (stood up) on a date and ran into Christian again by chance, spilling her wine all over him. With the holidays coming up, they both had obligations that they didn’t want to show up to alone and single. Thus, the faking dating began and the rest was history.

Please keep the Christmas books coming!!! This little series has become one of my favorite holiday reads! If you’re a Christmas gal, love Ireland, fake dating and a fantastically written romantic comedy — this is your book.

Another fantastic holiday read by Catherine Walsh! Fake dating is my jam and this one did not disappoint. If you read Holiday Romance and loved in then you’ll need to read this one. There’s a little bit of Andrew and Molly in it. I really did enjoy all of this book…the writing, the humor, the banter, the setting, the plot and my favorite, no third act break up!! If you’re looking for a holiday rom com then definitely pick this one up.

4.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the E-Book. Christian's was the story I did not know I needed from the Fitzpatrick Family. This is the 3rd book I read from the author and it did not disappoint. This can be read as a standalone but I Highly Recommend also reading Holiday Romance because it was sooo good. I loved seeing the relationship grow between Christian and Megan and seeing them both grow individually. I loved the Fitzpatrick Family just like I did in Holiday Romance. We need Zoe's story next.

I love everything Catherine Walsh does and this book brought me full speed into the holiday spirit. After Megan and Christian reconnect with an adorable meet cute that involved a charming blood donation fainting mishap. They set up a fake dating situation to deal with their hometowns/families for the holidays. If you’ve read any of Walsh’s previous work and enjoyed it then this is a great book for you, I can already picture it as a Christmas movie!

Snowed In tells the story of Megan and Christian. They are from the same village and last saw each other a few years ago when Megan was a runaway bride. Both single and kinda-sorta dreading going home for the holidays because of it, they decide to show up in big ways for each other with a fake dating contract.

This was a fun holiday read with plenty of tropes. I enjoyed living vicariously through a cozy Irish Christmas, and I liked the way the characters supported each other. I loved this as a work of women's fiction but the romance left me wanting more.

Thank you to Bookouture via NetGalley for gifting me with an ARC to review! I enjoyed it.

5/5 - Delightful!! I’m not a big holiday romance gal but this book may turn me into one!

This had some new-to-me and all-time-favorite tropes - runaway bride, fake dating, forced proximity, protective MMC (but in a thoughtful, appealing way not an annoying misogynistic way) - plus small town drama, all in a dual POV single timeline format that worked SO well. I also loved that this takes place in Ireland (Dublin, but mostly a smaller village outside of it) - it made the dialogue so much more fun! Between Megan and Christian’s smart banter and the interactions with their quirky families (the Fitzpatricks - love ‘em!) I audibly laughed a LOT.

Megan and Christian were super likable and realistic MCs - they had a pretty magnetic connection and *excellent* chemistry. I was rooting for them from the beginning! There is tension, steam and some epic (open door) spicy scenes! While there is reference to an abusive relationship (Walsh provides a TW before the book begins), there aren’t any explosive upsetting scenes or themes. Emotion, yes! But overall this is a feel good book that gets better and better as you read. I loved that the story was heartfelt and encouraging. Also Christian’s ending monologue was 👌🏻 - we love a grand gesture!

This is technically a sequel to one of Walsh’s earlier books, Holiday Romance, so I’m starting that now! Thank you to @netgalley @bookouture and @catwalshwriter for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. OUT YESTERDAY so you can snatch it up now!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC of Snowed In in exchange for this honest review!

5/5 stars, 1.5/5 spice

Snowed In is a fantastic Christmas romance perfect for people who enjoy runaway bride, fake dating, small town romance, and (best of all) NO 3rd Act Breakup!!

The chemistry between Megan and Christian is palpable right from the start. I absolutely adored their messy family dynamics and Megan learning how to take control of her image again.

Snowed In is a Must Have book for the holiday season, or really any time of year for those that want a sweet and cozy romance.

Another Catherine Walsh holiday masterpiece! I remember reading “Holiday Romance,” and I loved it so much that it baffled me that I don’t see enough people talking about it. I’m so happy to find out that Molly and Andrew are back in this book! And engaged! I loved this book just as much. I love how Christian is secretly a big romantic and I love how Megan tries so hard to not be immune to his whims. Fake-dating is always fun especially on holidays. What could go wrong? You catch feelings that’s always been there even before you come up with the fake-dating plan? That’s great! Megan and Christian’s chemistry is so fun and heartwarming. Catherine Walsh’s books have a specific kind of humour I can’t explain but I always love. I love that it was in here too. I hope we get Zoe’s story too.

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

This is how you do holiday romance! Fun, flirty and just adorable, I couldn’t get enough of Megan and Christian! It’s a cute fake dating, friends to lovers story that will leave you smiling from ear to ear especially when you add in all the holiday festivities as well. It’s going to be one I re read to every year for sure.
When Megan called off her wedding to her high school sweetheart by literally running away from the altar, she upended her life completely. She moved away from her hometown and started over and didn’t look back. She hasn’t been back home since. Now it’s four years later and her parents want her to finally come back for the holidays as her brother is coming in from New Zealand.
Christian was in Megan’s class in school and he too is dreading going back home for the holidays because all his family are loved up and he is single and they are always onto him about when he’s going to get married and he has no prospects at the moment because he’s married to his job. So when he bumps into Megan in a pub in Ireland they come up with a plan to be each others dates for the holidays so they set up some rules to “fake date” each other in front of their families. However, as they spend more time together, it gets harder and harder to see the line between what’s fake and what their real feelings are. Can they pull this off? After all it’s just for two weeks, how hard can it be?
This is the perfect holiday read to cozy up with a cup of cocoa and get lost for a few hours and if it doesn’t leave you feeling festive then you need to check your Grinch heart because this checks all the boxes.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

If you love:
🩵Cosy holiday romance (realistic one)
🩵Dual POV
🩵Just the right amount of spice
🩵Fake dating
🩵Forced proximity
Then this is definitely for you!

This is the second book I read from Catherine Walsh. My first one was "Holiday Romance", and "Snowed In" was equally fun and well written.
I was hooked by Megan and Christian from the very beginning. And if you know me, you know I looooove a well executed dual POV! The chemistry between Megan and Christian is electric and the spicy scenes were *chef's kiss*

I also really enjoyed all the side characters. The story is about the two MC's going back to their family for Christmas. And the family vibes is relatable, and so funny!
Catherine, maybe a little novella about Adrian could be interesting?? 😍

The story has excellent cosy vibes, and perfect for curling up with a blanket.
However, I wished that the pace was a bit quicker in the beginning because the actual "snowed in" part came quite late into the story. Which is a pity given the title of the book.
I also wished we would have had a bit more of our main couple at the end too. Not that if felt rushed, but I just wanted more!

One side note, which is absolutely not contributing to my rating of this book, but I feel the need to say it.... knitting a sweater in real life takes MUCH longer than what was described/happening in the book 😂 You can't just knit 3 sweaters with a snap of your fingers 😅

✔️childhood classmates
✔️runaway bride
✔️forced proximity
✔️fake dating
✔️Ireland
✔️heartwarming family
✔️opposites attract
✔️dual pov


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5

I loved this one so much! Meg and Christian's story is fun, cute, and romantic, with all the Christmas vibes I hoped for.

This is the third book I have read by Catherine Walsh, and I can say she's definitely one of my favourite romance authors. I love her humour. She always writes fun inner dialogues and scenes. Also, I love the men she writes. They are still fictional (obvs), but they also have a touch of realism. They're definitely someone you can find. They're not so unrealistic, and I love that.

I read Holiday Romance when it came out, and I had no idea this was a sequel. But what a wonderful surprise it was! I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was so wholesome to return to his little Irish village in Christmas again. And to read about this heartwarming family again and see what happened to the other characters.

Megan, our FMC, was such a marvellous character. I loved her growth during this book, how strong she became from the girl she was five years ago and how brave she was to stand up to her ex and return to the village where everyone seems to hate her.

Christian, our MMC, is driven, ambitious, hard-working, successful, thoughtful and kindhearted. Still, something is missing in his life. I loved Christian. He was such a great guy. He's not blinded by material stuff, even though he sees its importance in everyday life. I especially loved how he acknowledged his feelings and talked about them as an emotionally mature adult.

Meg and Christian's love story was so fun to read. It was the perfect mix of romantic, fun, cute, and real. They worked through their feelings like mature adults and didn't make a big ridiculous fuss over them, as sometimes we find in rom-coms. I loved that.

If you're looking for that warm and cosy Christmas romance for this Season, look no further. This book right here it's the perfect fit.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

My thoughts





Narrative and Plot



When I picked this companion novel to Holiday Romance, I expected a cozy romance with a whole lot of Irish Christmas vibes (lots of food and family). That is exactly what it turned out to be.

The story is told from both Megan and Christian's perspectives. The plot is pretty much a straightforward fake dating trope. It was evenly paced and entertaining throughout. 





Characters and Conflicts


There are a lot of returning characters in this book. While I enjoyed reading about the Fitzpatrick clan and the romance between Andrew and Molly, it was Christian who stood out in this one, too. I knew he was a fun character from the last book itself and it's just nice to see that I am proven right. Especially when I read that he liked to carry a pen around like a civilized person. I carry one too, if you haven't guessed that already. The chemistry between Megan and Christian was electric from the start.

I loved how this whole relationship didn't boil down to that one single conflict. Sometimes it is just our own demons that hold us back. It was entertaining to see both Megan and Christian grow into better versions of themself around each other. Also, the sibling dynamics in the book are on point. Always love those tropes.







Conclusion


Overall, I enjoyed reading Snowed In. It was warm, fuzzy, and cozy, like freshly baked cinnamon-dusted bread. Is that a thing? I hope so because that is how I felt about this one. Great way to start your holiday reading.

I have been in such a mood for Christmas romance books and BOY did this one hit the spot! It really is the perfect holiday cozy read. There wasn’t a character that I didn’t like, and all of the characters seemed very realistic. No one was perfect, as happens in a lot of books, including the families. This book takes fake dating trope and does it very well! I loved reading the growing relationship between Megan and Christian. It didn’t happen too fast, and it wasn’t forced. I also loved the little mystery of what happened with Issac and when we learned the truth, I was so happy that Megan stood up for herself, even if it was on her wedding day.

I didn’t know that this was part of a series until I got to the end of the book and the author put something there about two of the other characters with a snippet of the other book. I’ll have to get the first book so that I can read about those two! I really enjoyed this author’s writing style.

Oh! And for those that are looking for a little spice in their rom-coms, this one has it!

Overall, I highly recommend this book.

Catherine Walsh has done it again! Snowed In is the perfect blend of Rom and Com that we all associate with Catherine's books. I stand by the title I gave her in my last review - the Irish Queen of Rom-Coms 💚

Megan hasn't been home since she jilted the town's poster boy, Isaac. Christian dreads going home and dodging the endless questions about why he hasn't settled down yet. The two bump into each other, literally, in Dublin and agree to a fake dating arrangement that will get them through the holidays. But what happens when sparks fly despite the snowy weather?

When I finished Holiday Romance last year one of the first questions I had for Catherine was, "Will Christian get a book?" Once the blurb for Snowed In was announced I was on countdown! Let me tell you, Christian delivers! I think I may actually prefer Snowed In to Holiday Romance 🤭

The dual POV highlights how well rounded Catherine makes her characters. I loved that the fake dating was his idea and who doesn't wish they were a knitting goddess like Megan? The book sums up small town rural Irish life in a nutshell, especially the rumour mill surrounding Megan's departure. And it was fab seeing Andrew and Molly all loved up.

I think the world and its cat should read this book. The tension between these two will keep you warm on the chilly winter nights 😏

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC 😘

I am definitely a seasonal reader so it was a little hard to get into the thought process of reading a book about winter, snow, and the holidays at the beginning of the fall season. But Snowed In captured my attention right away and I instantly felt as if I was right there in the winter wonderland with the Megan and Christian.

It is a holiday romance so we can all guess the ending, but I loved how the book actually gave us some suspense as to what really happened between Megan and Isaac. The author was able to create a realistic relationship development between Megan and Christian that really had me routing for them. They had just the right amount of chemistry too.

What I really enjoyed about the book is towards the ending where it is actually not written like every other book with a big revealing truth scene (trying to not spoil too much). This gave the book a more natural and refreshing take to not be like the million other books we have all read given that it is a holiday romance.

I absolutely adore Walsh’s writing style, which is delightful, funny, and heartwarming. She always impresses with her ability to create likeable and relatable characters, and her latest release is no exception.

Megan and Christian are the perfect main characters and the supporting characters add depth and bring the story to life effortlessly. Although the storyline may not break any boundaries for this genre and may seem a bit predictable at times, it does not detract from the overall enjoyment of the story. I highly recommend this novel, just like any other book by Walsh.

This book would make an excellent festive read or a thoughtful gift for any book lovers.