Not a huge fan tbh. This was a pretty mediocre slow burn for me and the end just didn't hit hard enough for how long the book built it up - 2.5/5

Dnf'd it unfortunately 60% in

I absolutely loved the first half of the book, it's got angst and awkwardness between two people seeing one another after a long time and it has my fav trope- friends to lovers

But tge second half unfortunately felt flat to me and I just wasn't that interested and intrigued what was going to happen

This book was well written and cute but I felt a disconnect from the characters. It started off strong, but as I read more, I felt that the male main character was not as present as he should have been, and it was more of a story about the heroine’s relationship with her sister. I would have appreciated more of a focus on the main couple and their relationship.

I did enjoy that it took place in Ireland and that the story included many relatable life problems, but it just didn’t do it for me.

THE REBOUND is a heart felt contemporary romantic comedy that will warm every facet of your heart. Walsh gives Abby, the main character, a drive rarely seen in the heroines of romance which was refreshing.

Honestly, I'm sad this book didn't work out for me. I liked it enough in the beginning to keep reading and that's how i got to 35%. You don't wanna know the pressure I put myself through to keep reading after that.

The heroine was annoying from the very beginning, lying for no reason, and putting the blame on everyone but herself. Too high maintenance, as she kept saying for herself.
The love interest was too good for this world, giving me Luke Danes vibes from Gilmore Girls, only younger. It was love at first sight, not gonna lie.
And just when things were finally getting somewhere between the two of them, the author just had to go and do that completely unnecessary thing where the fmc's friend is in love with the mmc. I don't like that trope, I hate it almost as much as I hate love triangles, and that was the breaking point for me.

The writing was really good, and I loved the fact that the book is set in Ireland. But unfortunately, the love story didn't work out for me.

3.5-4 stars.

Abby, after losing everything - fiance, home, job, returns to her hometown in rural Ireland. She gets to know her old friends again (and of course, the boy next door). Very predictable story, but that's fine. Good story, good rom-com. Not overly memorable - you wouldn't be disappointed reading it, but it probably won't blow your mind - light-hearted, quick, easy read!

Abby leaves New York having lost her job and her fiance to go back to her home country of Ireland. She intends for this to just be a visit until she gets a new job and figures out her life. Abby is on her way to her sister's house (who she doesn't get along with) when she gets a ride from a stranger. The stranger turns out to be her childhood neighbor, Luke. Abby and Luke rekindle their childhood friendship, Abby starts to repair her relationship with her sister and learns to appreciate her small hometown. Will Abby return to New York or will she stay in Ireland?

The Rebound was a great story and a quick read. This one wasn't over the top cheesy like it could have been. Just a good story about a girl who loses her job and her boyfriend, who goes back home again and has to deal with some uncomfortable feelings and relationships she left behind. Definitely recommend.

The Rebound is a very funny romantic comedy book based in Ireland. Abby was made redundant in her job in New York City when the whole company declared bankruptcy and lost her apartment and fiancé in the process, so she's forced to move back to Ireland with her sister, whom she doesn't always see eye to eye with. As soon as she returns she bumps into a guy called Luke who she, straight away, has an affinity to it. What she doesn't remember is that he used to be her friend and next door neighbour when they were both children.
The whole book revolves around Abby trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life but her feelings for Luke get in the way of that, and the unexpected visit from her ex fiancé does not help.
This book was an easy and pleasant read, one thing that left me a bit frustrated is the slow burn romance between the two characters. I'm pretty sure I was between 70%-80% of the book when something actually happened between them.
Apart from that it was a very good story and I recommend it!

This was a cute romcom! I think the only bummer was I knew exactly how it was going to end, from the relationship with the sister to the relationship with Luke to where they go. I wish there had been a little less predictability.

This one reminded me of makeup break up (the cover and colors) so obviously I had to dive in right away and I really enjoyed it! Not my favorite but still happy I read it

The rebound was a super cute story about a girl from Ireland coming back home from NY and seeing her next door neighbor for the first time since they were children. Think boy next door who used to be a dorky scrawny nerd, is now a brawn handsome man. The book kept me hooked from the get go, as i loved abby and lukes characters as well as the growth of the sister relationship between abby and louise.

Imagine losing your fiancé, job and apartment all at the same time…well that is what happened to Abby in The Rebound by Catherine Walsh! On top of that she had to move from New York and leave the life she loved and head home to Ireland. Once in Ireland Abby needed to stay with her sister Louise and her husband. Abby and Louise are not exactly close so that just added one more thing to Abby’s list of struggles. This adorable rom com tells how Abby rebuilds her life and along the way learns what is really important and what type of life she really wants. I loved the characters who played a role in Abby’s self discovery and found myself cheering for all of them! The Rebound does not disappoint.

The are Ku d

📚Book review📚

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc in exchange for a review!

The Rebound was a cute rom-com about Abby, who moves back home to her small town in Ireland after losing her job and breaking up with her fiance.
It’s a frustratingly pleasant romcom if you can believe it. You won’t want to put it down. I would declare a certified page turner.

I gave it 3 and a half stars.

Set a book in Ireland and I am immediately intrigued. While I think the synopsis is definitely less than accurate, the book was as cute as I hoped for. I like how realistic, down to earth, and relatable the main character Abby is. She doesn’t ever come across as over dramatic or whiny but suitably upset about her situation. She doesn’t move back to her small town and everything falls into place. Instead, she still has struggles and time is spent reacquainting herself with the town, family and old friends. I wasn’t sure about the sister’s relationship at first but if anything, it is realistic. Not everyone is best friends with their siblings. I also really appreciated showing that choices are different for everyone but that doesn’t make any of them wrong. Some people are content to settle down in their hometown and some feel the need to get out and explore. One is not better than the other, it should just be about what is right for each individual. It was also refreshing that the plot wasn’t as cliché as I was expecting. There were parts that were predictable of course, but the way things played out before the end were more novel than previous books I’ve read. This could have been another Hallmark-esque story, but thankfully it stayed more true to real life. I wasn’t positive what decision Abby would make until I read the words and truly, she didn’t take the easy “tie it up with a bow” path.

I love this book is coming out on Valentine’s Day. It’s a perfect gift for a girlfriend, partner or yourself. Grab it for spring break or as an entertaining, light read in the dreariness of February. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced reader copy.

Fun. Flirty. Complex. Exciting. Challenging. The Rebound is pretty much everything you could want from a rom com! It’s. A great option for a vacation read, or even just a stay at home cozy read. Navigating both Abby’s familial and romantic relationships was thoroughly enjoyable. And quite honestly, if something happens….I’ll willingly jump a flight to Ireland to meet Luke!

"Maybe we were together because it was the easiest thing to do, because neither of us thought we had to pay attention to the other and maybe...maybe that used to work for me before but for now."

To be fair, I have not read Marian Kyes, Sophie Kinsella, or Emily Henry before as this book has been compared to in the blurb; I solely picked up The Rebound for the childhood-friends-to-lovers trope (because I may be experiencing the same in my life right now xD) and some Irish sceneries. Albeit the book didn't fail to deliver in these aspects, I expected it to be a bit more satisfying.

The premise of Abby returning to her hometown after losing her job and fiancé is constructed well. While her chemistry with Luke starts off slow, it develops as the novel moves ahead and was pretty much the only thing that kept me reading. This, and Abby's relationship with her sister were two aspects I found were well-written and made up for the underwhelming presence of Irish sceneries and the childhood-friends-to-lovers trope.

I also loved Louise as an environmentalist. and that one scene when Luke awaits Abby after she gets back from the job interview. There was something about the latter which was very warm!

The writing was alright and it was pretty much a general, cute, romance read you can pick up for some light reading in between heavy stuff.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed Abby's story of picking herself back up and moving on after her entire life falls apart and she returns home to Ireland.

Every character had a distinct voice and characterisation that I could easily picture in my head, and the problems Abby had through the story all made sense.

I look forward to trying other books by Catherine Walsh.

This was such a good book, I read it in one sitting and couldn't put i down. And Luke was such an interesting love interest fell in love with him, in the first chapter, when he offered the car ride. And the love only grew.

Rating: 4,5/5

After her life has fallen down in New York, Abby goes back to her hometown in Ireland. On the first night, she is helped by a gorgeous man who gives her a lift.
But the next morning she finds out he was not a stranger. He is Luke Bailey, her next door neighbor. The one she used to play with. The one she used to take baths with.
Little by little, Abby remembers what being at home feels like and she starts to think about Luke all the time. But being with him would be a terrible idea, right? At the end of the day, her life is in New York...
I liked this book. It's sweet, easy to read and perfect for this time of the year. I also liked the descriptions of the Irish landscape. They helped me to created my own images in my mind.