I loved this romance read.

Everything flowed so well and the characters had legitimate chemistry, you just wanted to be them. There was something so enticing about their dry, sarcastic humor that kept me going. I genuinely found myself laughing countless times at their banter. It reminded me of Lorelai's quick wit in Gilmore Girls.

I've yet to come across a romance where the girl doesn't do something cringe (until now), so this read was truly refreshing. Megan had all the attributes of a woman written by a woman, which is so incredibly important. I tire of reading the, "oh, look at little me, i'm so small and petite and a thread of fabric is enough to fit around my whole body." Megan was none of this, and I appreciate Catherine Walsh for it.

Everyone's saying it's a great holiday read, but I will be enjoying this book all times of the year.

It was kinda hard to get into, honestly almost dnf. It's a slow burn, which i wasmt expecting. But still good once you get into it. Cute Christmas story to start the season. Absolutely loved Megan and seeing how she coped with returning home after running out on Isaac. Definitely recommend giving it a read!

catherine walsh has done it again!

walsh has such an excellent skill of writing her characters in a way you can so easily immerse yourself into their world. i have loved every single book of hers and this one is no different — an amazing read and so festive.

‘snowed in’ follows christian (brother of andrew in holiday romance) and megan. they grew up in the same town, bump into each other as she is fleeing her own wedding, and she spills a drink on him 5 years later in dublin. they agree, in order to avoid the awkwardness and pitying looks from their families, to fake a relationship as they head back home for christmas.

i absolutely adored megan and christian’s story. everything about the progression of the pair felt to authentic and this is something walsh consistently excels at.

this is the perfect read to get you into the festive mood and i can’t wait to read more from catherine walsh.

out november 1st !! 🩵

thank you to bookouture, netgalley, and catherine walsh for access to this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Snowed in follows the story of Christian and Megan on an old friends, fake dating venture - all in order to get their families off their backs. Something which most people will be able to relate to.

What makes this book a great read?

Pacing = on point
Writing = brilliant
Banter = amazing

Side characters don't feel like side characters, they feel fully fleshed out. I'm a sucker for dry humour and that's exactly what this book had.

Snowed In gives Christmas vibes without being too Christmassy, a perfect and easy read for this time of year.

Overall, this is a cute, cute, cute book with laugh out loud moments, loveable characters and believable story lines.

Thank you to Catherine Walsh and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really look forward to reading more Catherine Walsh books in the near future!

4.5/5 - Megan doesn't want to go home for Christmas. Ever since she was a runaway bride at her wedding five years ago, she has been the town pariah. Especially, since Isaac is the towns golden boy and no one understands why she left him at the alter. Christian is tired of his family questioning his relationships, and doesn't look forward to another holiday at home, being the only single one. Megan bumps into Christian in a Dublin pub and they agree to fake date through the holidays and the return to their small town. But with everyone home for the holidays and feelings working themselves in to the mix, things are about to get messy. Can this fake dating relationship turn into a real one?

This is a wonderful, Christmas rom-com, taking place in Ireland. I love Catherine Walsh's writing of small town Ireland, she is able to transport me there so easily. This book also made me laugh out loud so many times and the banter with Christian and Megan was wonderful. I loved how Christian was so supportive of Megan, recognizing how hard it was for her to return home, even though he didn't understand the reasons. I thought his protectiveness was fierce and really saw how much he cared for her. I thought Megan's perspective on things was very balanced and seemed to work for their relationship.

With the humour and fun, there was also some depth to the story that allowed us to look at the characters and what they had been through. I also loved all the side characters and getting to see some from previous books, and get to know new people.

This was a fun, sweet, holiday romance that I loved. I loved the holiday, Irish setting and the storyline itself. It would be perfect for picking up this holiday season! Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

Read if you like: fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, runaway bride, Christmas romance

This book is a delightful romantic comedy that takes place in Ireland. It's the perfect read for the holidays, offering readers a heartwarming tale of fake dating and forced proximity. Although "Snowed In" is a fantastic romantic comedy, there were a few instances where the plot felt a bit predictable, and I would have liked to see a few more surprises.

Thank you, NetGalley, and bookouture for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

I have always loved a good Christmas, rom-com, especially set in a little village, this one in Ireland. I love the winter wonderland feel of Christmas rom-coms, especially this one as they are literally snowed in to the cabin. Walsh did a really good job developing the characters to have their own personalities, not cookie cutter versions of each other like some books favor. I do also enjoy a good fake dating book as they usually bring some humor to the story. Christian was not a hard character to fall in love with.

I read this as a stand alone, not fully knowing when I started that it was part of the Holiday Romance book series. I have personally not read Holiday Romance however might because Catherine Walsh has a great writing style.

This book was amazing, however there was one thing that was hard for me. It almost felt as though half way through the book the story line was finished, and then a second one started. I had to take a break in the middle of the book and read another book before continuing.

thank you netgalley, bookouture and catherine walsh for sending me this arc!

You might think you're getting a run of the mill fake dating trope when you get into the book but it's done so well here; it's refreshing to see the FMC not jumping straight into the arrangement but there's a lot of thought, hesitancy and discomfort you get to see her go through - which is a very tangible emotion, making it feel as if you're seeing her experience it. I loved the peripheral characters, they are all very well flushed out. The emotions are all so justified, I loved the MCs navigating through what can only be described as awkward (bordering on cringe) situations and they come off as endearing, real and relatable. The chemistry is slow burn, and again, endearing, as you can them both fall for each other slowly as they discover each other more and more.

Not giving it out much without spoiling it, Megan and Christian are adorable MCs and this book will not disappoint! A really cozy, Chirstmas set up with beautifully well done characters. The writing is witty and crisp. Christian is such an amazing character, he is my favorite from the book! All in all, a great read!!

I really enjoyed Snowed In by catherine Walsh. I loved that not only did it tell the story of Megan and Christian but it continued the story in small parts for Molly and Andrew from her Holiday Romance book. I loved the characters growing themsevles and growing from friends to more than friends. I love the fake dating trope and this book delivered! The book left me wanting more from those who live in this small town in Ireland!

This book is SO CUTE!! I absolutely adore fake dating tropes and I think Catherine Walsh did it really well! From the beginning, this book had me laughing out loud at some moments and giggling/kicking my feet at others. I really enjoyed the banter between Megan and Christian (her making fun of him for always carrying a pen around - so cute! - "use your phone." "what, like an animal?"). And the sexy scenes were *chef's kiss* (though I wish there were a little more). But other than the banter and spicy scenes, I really enjoyed that Christian wasn't the typical overly protective/"touch her and I'll hurt you" kind (though I do like that), he instead let Megan sort things out herself which was good character development for her.
Overall, this book was so so cute and really enjoyed reading it! Feedback I'd give though is that I think it could've been longer so that we could've seen their relationship grow a bit more - it seemed rushed. Also, there were some spelling and grammatical errors which stood out to me, but no biggie.

4.25/5 stars for me!!

Snowed In by Catherine Walsh

A sweet holiday time fake-relationship turns into a full blown romance when Megan and Christian really get to know each other and their families.

I enjoyed how the story grew from Dublin to the small town where Meg and Christian were from. I totally appreciate the character development Megan had as the plot moved along. It was lovely watching them both mending their relationships with their families and friends, fighting their insecurities while at it.

I like the author's writing style and would love to read more of her novels.

❄️🍷🎄🩷🏔️

Thank you Bookouture and netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Super cute, super festive, holiday read! I know fall only just begun but this book has me really excited for Christmas!

I looooove dual POV books. Getting to see the perspectives of both Megan and Christian made the book very enjoyable! I really enjoyed the story from start to finish!

If you're looking for a Christmassy read, filled with lots of holiday fun and fake dating, this is the book for you!!

Snowed In: ★★★☆☆ (3) 🌶️🌶️ (2)

Pub date: Nov 1, 2023 - get your copy now!

*ARC Review*
The perfect holiday romance read! While there is usually that typical formula for romance novels, it's refreshing to read a book where the main characters, while having their flaws, have their life together and there's no need for some major drama to break them down before building them back up. Both main characters were easy to like and enjoyable to root for. The storyline was not over the top and their relationship growth felt believable. It also made me want to take up knitting! This should definitely be on everyone's winter TBR list!

If you know me, you know that romance isn’t necessarily my favorite genre, but dang do I love when it’s from Catherine Walsh. I truly enjoyed Holiday Romance, and I think I like Snowed In even more. Here, Christian gets his own story where he convinces a classmate he’s known since childhood, Megan, into fake dating over the holidays.

This book has the best characters that you love to root for, all of the good feels and laugh out loud moments, and handles heavy topics with care. I wouldn’t say that it’s required to read Holiday Romance in order to love this story (it’s just a requirement to read because it’s also great), but I preferred knowing some of the families and characters already.

Enough with my rambling, get your hands on this book for your winter reading and let me know that you loved it, too.

4.5⭐️

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC; I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

Snowed In is my first festive read of the year, and I couldn’t have started with a better book! I hadn’t read any book by Catherine Walsh yet, although Holiday Romance is really high on my tbr. I also didn’t know that Holiday Romance and Snowed In are interconnected standalones, so now I’m even more excited to pick HR up!

Snowed In is about Megan and Christian. They’ve known each other since they were children, and grew up in the same small town in Ireland. Megan ran away to Dublin from her wedding and relation five years ago, and hasn’t returned since. She bumps into Christian again after so many years, and they come up with a plan for the holidays. Enter the fake dating trope! One of my favourite tropes ever. This was a lovely take on this trope, mostly because there is no miscommunication. I love how Megan and Christian communicate and talk about their feelings when they want to change the ‘rules’ to their contract. You could feel the connection between them and I was rooting for them the entire time!

I also liked that there were important subplots. Snowed In is not just a holiday rom-com about Megan and Christian’s romantic relationship, but also both their relationship with their families, communication and about how to deal with a difficult relationship and breakup, about figuring out who you are on your own, and finding happiness. I really loved this and would absolutely recommend. 4,5 stars!

If you're looking for the Christmas romace of the year, this is it! Snowed In by Catherine Walsh is an absolute literary smash for holiday themed love, passion, drama, & witty humor. Christian & Megan's story is fun & their character really develop through the book. I believe Snowed In is a stand alone book, but it does spotlight a side character from Catherine Walsh's other book Holiday Romance that I also loved & recommend you read first just cause the back story is always nice to know. A Big Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC. Please do yourself a favor by reading anything from Catherine Walsh. She is an amazingly talented writer who I look forward to reading more from her soon.

5⭐️

I love Catherine Walsh's holiday romance books so much. She is absolutely incredible at writing loveable characters and fun dialogue. I just can't get enough of these two.

This is a Christmas themed fake dating book. Christian and Megan grew up in the same town and the last time they saw eachother was when Megan was running away from her own wedding. 5 years later they run into eachother at a bar weeks before going back going back home for Christmas. Their both dreading it so they decide to go back together as a fake couple.

I loved Christian and Megan so much, Christian was incredibly sweet and supportive to Megan. I love his matter of the fact attitude. Megan is also incredibly bubbly and a ray of sunshine in this book. She's just really lovely. Their interaction together is just a lot of fun and super easy to read.

I will continue to pick up any books by Catherine Walsh. I didn't love the one before this but Holiday Romance continues to be one of my favorite Christmas romance settings. She knocked it out of the park again with this one.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bookouture for this advanced readers copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

I will be posting my review to my Instagram page the.floofs.booknook and retail sites close or on publication.

3.75 stars rounded to 4.

This was a cute holiday romance book with likable characters and was easy to read. I did think it was dragging on in spots but if you like fake dating troupes with a Christmas vibe, this book is for you. Both main characters had good depth, but I also found there to be a lot of side characters that made it hard to keep everyone straight. I did really like the setting in Ireland during the holiday season.

In Snowed In, Megan is not looking forward to going home for Christmas because she left her fiancé at the alter years ago and hasn't been back since. It is a small town where people talk and people really liked her ex fiancé. Christian is annoyed that his family always hassles him and he is the only single one there. He also is from the same town and knows Megan. They bump into each other in a bar in Dublin and concoct a plan to fake date to help each other out while they are home for Christmas.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Snowed In" was an enjoyable contemporary, steamy romance.

The story takes place in Ireland (which is a nice change from the usual US/UK settings of many rom coms), between Dublin and the protagonists' home town. Megan hasn't come back to her home town after running away from her ex-fiancé on her wedding day four years ago, while Christian doesn't want to go home alone and show his family that he isn't able to maintain relationships. So when a chance meeting between them happens in Dublin, they decide to team up and pretend to be together for the holidays. They had pretty weak excuses to invent such a fake dating plot, but it did make a starting point for the book.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Megan, I don't why her character didn't click with me. Christian on the other hand, seemed like a great book boyfriend, if a little flat. His relationship with his father is what made him more human, otherwise he didn't have much of a personality—despite his kindness and consideration.
Past books from this author had more well-developed characters, but the fact that "Snowed In" is part of a series (whose first book, about Christian's brother, I haven't read) might be why the secondary characters were not so well-defined. However, I must say kudos also for the effortless diversity of the cast (LGBTQ+ characters) and the mentions about mental health/relationship issues (therapy, abusive relationships, strained family relationship), that are present without the author trying to make a point about it—it just felt very natural to have these secondary topics in the story.

The plot was ok, nothing really unexpected happened. The romance was fine, but I find that in steamy romances, too much is based on physical attraction and not enough on emotional connection, and that was the case for me here with Megan and Christian. I get that they're physically attracted to each other, but what about the mental connection? I don't feel that they knew each other well, that they shared inside jokes, that they had similar interests... So I do wonder if I can imagine them being together on the long term.

The cover and title are cute, and I look forward to reading the other book(s) in the series if they come out on Netgalley in the future.

Overall, a good, fun, light winter read. 4 stars.

*I received a free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion*

Snowed In by Catherine Walsh was my first book by her but it will definitely not be my last. I loved it so much. Some of the family dynamics with Christian’s family kind of gave me The Family Stone vibes which is my favorite Christmas movie.
Years after leaving her golden boy fiancé and the alter Megan has to go back to her home town for the first time. Christian the only single member of his big family is dreading going home and once again being the only single one.
After literally running into each other they go back home as a fake couple.

Such a cute book. It set a high bar for other Christmas books, which I love!