I am so excited that it is finally the season for fun holiday books like this! I was seeking a sweet wintery romance book and this one did not disappoint.
First, it has one of my favorite romance book tropes... FAKE DATING!!! This trope always makes for such an entertaining story. The two main characters Megan and Christian have known each other for years, and when they both need to go home for the holidays, they decide fake dating is the best way to get through it.
The banter between these two was utterly hilarious and I found myself laughing out loud many many many times during the story. Their characters are both super funny and I loved their chemistry. It is also a pretty fast-paced book which makes it an easy read.
I would definitely recommend this book and I think you should read it if you like: holiday romances, fake dating, forced proximity, and witty banter.

"Snowed In" by Catherine Walsh is everything I want for a cozy Christmas romance. It has the big city and a small town, it has fake dating and real romance, and it I wanted to spend another hundred pages with the characters.

I read Catherine Walsh's other Christmas book ("Christmas Holiday"), and loved it, so I knew that I couldn't sleep on starting my holiday reads with another by her. (She is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me!) This book did not disappoint. The characters felt relatable and I connected with them, cameos from her previous holiday novel brought me back to the sweetness of the MMC's family and the characters I loved from before, and the setting kept me firmly in the holiday mindset--- a must for a cozy Christmas romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Catherine Walsh for the early release copy of this book in exchange for my review.

It was a cute and predictable Christmas themed love story. I personally could have done without the sex scenes...that's just my personal opinion. I don't think it added anything to the story.

Overall it was a fun Christmas read!

Catherine Walsh's Holiday Romance was one of my favorite holiday books in recent memory, so I was very excited to get my hands on Snowed In which follows Andrew's brother Christian. I absolutely flew through this book -- it read very similarly to Holiday Romance where I just could not put it down once I got into it. If you love fake dating and forced proximity, you'll definitely enjoy Snowed In!

The book opens with Megan leaving her fiancé at the altar of their wedding and escaping through the window of the venue where Christian Fitzpatrick catches her but swears to secrecy. Flash forward five years late, Megan runs into Christian at a pub after she's been stood up and they start catching up. Realizing that they're both heading back to their hometown for the first time in years for the holidays, they agree to a fake dating scheme to help the other navigate the trickiness of returning home. Naturally, they start to feel real feelings for each other which only escalate when they get trapped in a freak snow storm at a remote cabin that Christian booked for his brother to stage a romantic proposal before finding out his brother's fiancé hates the woods. It's convoluted but it works!

I enjoyed the banter between Megan and Christian from the start and the genuine friendship they formed throughout the book. I also loved getting to spend more time with the Fitzpatrick family, including Andrew and Molly from Holiday Romance. I wished some of the background for both characters had been explored a bit further, but overall this was very enjoyable!

Content flags: Christian and his dad have a strained relationship at the beginning of the book; some on page smoking/cigarette use in the very beginning; some on page drinking

Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own!

Snowed in by Catherine Walsh
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Stop trying to make me feel better.” “Never.”

The vibes:
- former classmates
- Connected to Holiday Romance
- Runaway bride
- Fake dating
- dual POV

My thoughts:
Well that was the loveliest book I’ve read in a long time. Catherine Walsh has become an instant read for me and this book continues her winning streak. I loved Christian and Megan so much. The chemistry was so spot on that I was grinning the entire time Christian and Megan were in a room together.

The dancing. The knitting. The red coat. The grand gesture. Chef kiss.

Alsoooo. When I read Holiday Romance last year I felt like the Fitzpatricks were the Weasleys. And I felt like that once again reading this one!

Released November 1, 2023.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing this advanced reader copy to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Note- posted on all pages listed in links. Also posted on Amazon and it’s pending.

A very anusing read from Catherine. Megan who flees her small hometown in Ireland on the day of her wedding has to deal with the prospect of going home for Christmas. She meet up again wit a guy she knows from home and they decide to have a fake relationship while they are home to get their families off their backs.

Thank You NetGalley, Bookouture, and Catherine Walsh for sending me this ARC! I can’t believe this is my first Catherine Walsh book but I’m definitely going to read more! This book instantly had me laughing, “awwing”, and even tearing up on the romantic gestures.

Snowed In was such the perfect holiday read and it included one of my favorite tropes “fake dating”. I loved the banter between Christian and Megan! Christian is such the perfect gentleman because of the way he looks out for Megan constantly and is always concerned with making sure she is comfortable. I loved each main characters relationship with their families. The closeness, traditions, and banter reminded me of mine!

After starting this book I found out Holiday Romance was about Andrew and Molly’s relationship so I can’t wait to read it now!

Megan was the runaway bride who had not shown her face in her village since that horrible day.

Christian grew up in the same village and avoids going home because he is the only single one in his family.

These two make a pact to be each other's fake boy/girlfriend. Which works fairly well, until it doesn't.

Make no mistake, this is no light and fluffy romantic tale. There is a much-appreciated heads-up about an aspect of the storyline that could be triggering for some. More authors should do this. The number of times I have gotten a third of the way through an interesting book, only to be completely floored by a storyline that was very triggering indeed.

Anyway, Megan and Christian are very relatable characters and I like that they are very human indeed. Their families are lovely (but a little clueless) and they provide a lovely bit of texture and layering to the storyline. The setting in Ireland adds to the enjoyment of the story too.

It is a bit of a steamy tome, this :)

4.5 stars from me, I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

Catherine's writing - once again - has knocked me down and lifted me up. I can't help but devouring and she keeps writing my least favorite tropes and yet I still love it?? It's fine. Everything is fiiiine.
Megan and Christian run into each other in Dublin right before the holidays. The chemistry is unexpectedly lovely but then they discover a mutual need to return home for the holidays. A plus one would make everything so much easier. They decide to put on the breaks for their actual attraction and ramp up a fake relationship to lean on in any and all circumstances back home.
I loved this book and the way it transported me straight to Ireland in the winter. The imagery is enchanting and the dialogue wrapped me up in the best of ways. Megan's reasoning for becoming a runaway bride was so solid and unexpected. Both MCs came full circle and I hope that Catherine takes us back to this small town again on another romantic adventure. Molly's sister, maybe?? I did so love seeing Molly and Andrew again in all their hilarious glory.
Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

This was the cutest cozy holiday romance. Once I got through a few chapters, it was hard to put down. Warm and fuzzy and just a great book as the holiday season begins!

this was really cute and it put me in the holiday spirit. i love fake dating, and i thought it was done well in this book.

This book has just yet again proved to me how much of an exceptionally talented author Catherine Walsh is - her books just hit exactly the right note every single time!

Snowed In features Megan, who we first meet a few years prior to when the books place, as she is running away from her wedding, leaving her groom to be standing at the altar, and Christian who is the brother Andrew (from Holiday Romance), who has a bit of a bad boy rep going on. Megan and Christian know each other from their childhood, and when they have a chance meeting at the pub all these years later, they end up being a much bigger part of each other’s lives than they ever would have guessed. Both heading back to their hometown for Christmas and wanting to keep the gossip mongers at bay, they agree to fake date each other to get through the season. And we alllllll know what happens when two people who are very attracted to each other start to fake date 😉

This book has the magical, Christmassy feels. All the snow ⛄️ and a lovely, cosy, festive atmosphere. But for me, the best part was the chemistry between Megan and Christian. It literally sizzled off the page 🔥 the wit and banter between them was just spot on. Their spicy moments were 🔥🔥🔥 I think I am also in love with Christian too!!! 😍 Snowed In really is romantic comedy at its very, very best. Genuine laugh out loud moments, and romance that makes you swoon. Also, Megan finally standing up to Isaac towards the end and telling him she didn’t want to hear his 💩 was a punch the air moment - YES GIRL!!! 🙌🏻

It was also just so lovely to be reunited with the fabulous cast of characters we all fell in love with in Holiday Romance. Please can we have a book about Zoe next??? 👀👀

Snowed In was one of my favorites so far. It was the cutest romcom about a man and a woman in a fake dating situation to keep their families at bay over the holidays when they get snowed in during a blizzard. Fake dating, forced proximity, what other tropes can we throw into this adorable mix? It was full of witty banter, swoonworthy moments, laugh out loud situations and just perfect holiday frothy and fluffy fun . If you read Holiday Romance last year, this book is about Andrew’s brother. We need more holiday books like this one!

Snowed In is a heartwarming and entertaining romantic comedy that takes you on a journey through the tumultuous world of family, love, and holiday chaos. The story centres around Megan and Christian, two individuals facing their own holiday-related dilemmas. Megan is the village pariah, struggling with the weight of her past actions, while Christian is tired of being the singleton during family gatherings. When they meet by chance in a Dublin pub, they hatch a plan to be each other's fake holiday dates to avoid the judgement and pity of their families.

The chemistry between Megan and Christian is undeniably one of the highlights of the book. Christian's unwavering support for Megan in the face of local gossip and judgement is genuinely heartwarming, and his character is, indeed, a swoon-worthy addition to the story.

The book cleverly explores themes of forgiveness, redemption, and the power of friendship, making it a delightful read for those who appreciate character-driven romance novels. Although the plot is predictable, it doesn’t take away from the heartwarming feeling you get when you finish this book!

Walsh's previous Christmas offering 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 was a five star read for me, so I couldn't wait to get stuck into this one. Turns out getting stuck in was exactly what happened to the characters in 𝗦𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻 too, when they find themselves trapped in a snowed in cabin.

I love a good wintery read, especially when it's combined with Christmas, couple that with the fake dating trope and we have a winner!

How adorable were the characters of Megan and Christian? They were made for each other, it just seemed to take forever for them to realise. Theres also a great cast of supporting characters.

A very cute and sweet fake dating romance. I love how Irish Catherine's books feel - even though I'm living abroad now it kind of soothes the ache of homesickness. And it's made me excited for Christmas!

I don't have loads to say about this - it was a cute and fluffy read with some likeable characters. Particularly I enjoyed the supporting cast, the siblings. It was heartwarming and cute and I enjoyed it thoroughly! I'm like one step away from taking out the Christmas tree now!!

4.3 Stars
One Liner: Adorable

Megan is the black sheep of the family and the village when she ran away from her wedding to Issac five years ago. However, she has to attend the family Christmas dinner that year. With Issac being engaged and Megan’s love life nowhere in sight, she isn’t sure if going home would do her any good.
Christian likes Christmas and his family, but he is fed up with being the odd one out while everyone has a partner to love. Well, he is fine, but maybe he is not fine, either.
Megan and Christian bump into each other (literally) in a pub in Dublin. As childhood school friends, they recognize each other and chat up. Of course, this gives them a plan to solve their Christmas problem – why not fake-date each other for a while and make both families happy?
But then, we all know how risky this is! And with the festive magic in the air, the duo might find what they want.
The story comes in the first-person POV of Megan and Christian in alternate chapters. Though standalone, it should be read after Holiday Romance.

My Thoughts:
After enjoying the author’s previous two books (Holiday Romance and Matchmaker), I was excited to read this one. And the book doesn’t disappoint. It occurs a couple of years after Holiday Romance and has the couple (Molly and Andrew) play an active part. Zoe also waltzes in and out, adding her trademark sparkle to the story.
The first-person POV for both characters makes it a little hard to track in some scenes. Though their voices are distinct, things get confusing at times.
Christian is such a darling. Undoubtedly the best book boyfriend if you want one (or more). He is compassionate, understanding, patient, caring, attentive, supportive, thoughtful… the list goes on (and oh, those washboard abs).
Megan stands equal, though it seems like he is the one giving more than her. Since she is the ‘villain’ in the town for breaking Issac’s heart, she does have more to deal with than him. Her actions/ reactions make sense and align with her character arc.
No third-act breakup or miscommunication. Both are mature enough to acknowledge their feelings when the time comes. They communicate well, too. It’s endearing to see them trusting each other and sharing their vulnerabilities. Their relationship progresses and strengthens as they get to know each other more.
As always, the book has a healthy dose of humor – some chuckles, some laugh-out-loud moments, and some ‘silly’ smiles. Even the scenes with high drama have a touch of humor to lighten the situation without taking the focus away from it. I love how easy and natural the humor reads.
It feels good to revisit characters from Holiday Romance. This can easily be a longer series. After all, we have at least two more potential candidates to find their true love. Let’s hope there will be one next year.
The Christmas theme seamlessly blends with the plot, and the setting is a flavor enhancer. The snow, family, food, last-minute rushing, gifts, music, and whatnot decorate the story.
Megan’s love for knitting is more than just a character quirk. It is a part of her and is integral to the plot throughout. Angry knitting is indeed a thing. ;)
Ignore the title, though. That event doesn’t occur until the last quarter of the book.

To summarize, Snowed In is a delightful Christmas book about love, acceptance, standing up for oneself, family bonding, and food. The pacing is quite slow, but it never gets dull.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I read this one in one day. This is a stand-alone, but I highly recommend reading Holiday Romance by Catharine Walsh. It's available on Kindle Unlimited, btw. It's one of the best holiday books in my opinion because some of these characters are in Holiday Romance, and this is Christian's story.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this cute, cosy festive title ahead of release

4 stars

Another triumph from Catherine Walsh, 'Snowed In' has all the same sharp wit, banter and well-rounded characters that had me hooked from the opening chapter.

Christian Fitzpatrick (brother of Andrew from 'Holiday Romance') teams up with Megan to act as a couple so they can survive the Christmas holidays back in their home town with their family. Andrew doesn't want the pitying comments for being single, while Megan is facing a return to their hometown after jilting the village golden boy at the alter five years previously.

I adored 'Holiday Romance' and this was a worthy successor. Walsh is talented at creating well-rounded and relatable characters while also tackling some serious issues. Christian and Megan's banter and chemistry leapt off the page and this book sparkled with the same snappy dialogue and all-out funny scenes. I really appreciated that once Christian and Megan realise their feelings, they communicate like adults about it. This is where Walsh really shines in her writing - she eschews the same, tired cliches I read all too often in romance, where I can predict what will happen. Instead she lets us see her characters grow and work together as a team.

This book has everything you want in a Christmas rom com. Best read with a cup of hot chocolate and a dash of whiskey.

I also highly recommend the audiobook - Roisin Rankin is the perfect narrator.

Thanks to Bookoutre and NetGalley for the ARC.

Santa should hire Catherine Walsh, because this woman knows how to deliver holiday cheer!

Five years ago Megan pulled a runner from her own wedding and left her village for Dublin. Christian, an old schoolmate and the only witness to her nuptial no-show, watched her go.

Fast forward five years to a Dublin pub where a jostling crowd and one wrong turn result in a messy reunion for Christian and Megan. Shocked to see one another, they commiserate about their anticipated miserable trips back home for holiday visits after years away. Megan is now a pariah in their small village and misunderstood by family and friends as the one who broke “poor” Isaac’s heart. Christian’s string of broken relationships have his family doubtful that he’s capable of true love.

The solution? Christian proposes that he and Megan fake date and be each other’s backup for all events during the two-week visit. It takes some convincing and one ratty cocktail napkin of agreed upon “dating” rules, but Megan agrees. What follows is a two-week visit home that will take the reader through ALL the emotions and fully entertain in the process!

After loving Holiday Romance last year, I was delighted to find myself back in that world with characters I’d already grown to love. I didn’t know they’d be in this book, so that was a great surprise! For those who loved Molly and Andrew’s story in that book and enjoyed meeting Molly’s sarcastic sister, Zoe, and Andrew’s family, the Fitzpatricks, you’ll be happy to catch up with them while Andrew’s brother Christian takes center stage.

The flirty and playful banter between Christian and Megan was hilarious, and their chemistry was off the charts! I LOVED that Christian was portrayed as thoughtful, supportive and attentive to Megan. Why aren’t more male MCs written like this?! Please authors … many of us want this! The spice factor isn’t overly frequent, but it does get very descriptive in a couple spots, so skim those if you don’t like details! These two are easily one of my favorite book couples ever.

This was so much fun, with many laugh out loud moments, but also some truly touching and sweet moments between Christian and Megan with their respective families, but also with each other as they become more trusting and vulnerable with each other. This felt like a story that could have happened this way and the icing on the cake is that there was no third act break-up for a welcome change!

I hope we’ll see more books in this world … perhaps Christian and Andrew’s sister, Hannah, Megan’s brother, Aidan, or Molly’s sister, Zoe? I’d take any or all of them! I highly recommend you make this book and Holiday Romance part of your holiday line-up!

★★★★★ ❤