This book gave me the film the holiday vibes….Mary hasn’t told her family that she’s coming home for Christmas. After breaking up with her boyfriend just before the holidays, she decides to surprise them and get a last-minute flight home. But when she arrives in Ireland after a long journey, she discovers her family have had the same idea, and gone to New York to surprise her.
I so enjoyed reading this! It’s so fun, it’s funny, it’s poignant and true at points, and it has been the most welcome escape during a mad time in life!!! If you’re looking for something light and a laugh, this is the one. Gave me all the Xmas feels.

I enjoyed this holiday romance by Clodagh Murphy! Molly and Evan have a natural chemistry once they get past the house swap mix up. It was a book that was easy to read and you could have a few laughs. The overall story did seem like it was almost to easy, but I think there are times when these easy romances are a nice break from excessive drama and suspense.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for giving me this ARC of A Merry Irish Christmas! 🎄

Have been telling anyone who will listen that I'm done with summer & ready for winter.. enter Mary & Evan ❄️🤍 Gave me Hallmark/The Holiday vibes!!

Being a Christmas obsessed Irish book girl I read this book in 2 days! Uplifting holiday read which was so easy to get lost in.. the Irish humour was everything ☘️

Very cute, closed door romance! Mary's sense of humour & Evan's dry wit made it such a feel good story.. warm, inviting & super sweet! 📖🩷

Will be giving this to family & friends as part of their Christmas gift this year 🫶✨️

Think The Holiday Swap meets Notting Hill and make it Ireland .
A quick and cute holiday romance that is Hallmark-esque and a little 🌶️ on the side.

I just simply ADORED this book from start to finish.
I loved the surprise guest element. The setting.
everything. pick this up when you want a cozy Christmas read.

Loved this book. It was a very cute romance. Romance is usually not for me. But this one was great! 5 stars.

🎄 Another new author for me & another delightful read. I absolutely got swept up in Clodagh's writing right from the start.

🕸 This story had everything, romance, swoon worthy characters, humor, laugh out loud moments & relatable characters.

🎄 Mary was super easy to like. She was down to earth, funny & genuinely a good person. I adored her family & found the way Clodagh wrote Mary's mum to be so real. She was literally like my mum. She didn't come across as overbearing or annoying, she was written so well & just lovely.

🕸 Evan was gorgeous inside and out. I loved him. He made me smile & swoon & I simply adored his & Mary's chemistry & banter & interactions.

🎄 If you're starting on the festive reads early or are collecting a pile ready for the holiday season, then I highly, highly recommend this book!

Kelly

I went into this book completely in the dark. I didn't know anything about the plot. However, it really surprised me. The whole plot is hilarious, and I laughed out loud when she went to visit her family and no one was there. Actually, there was a hot Irish guy. It was interesting to see his grumpiness slowly leave him as the characters grew closer.
I'm not reading this for Christmas, but I definitely want to reread it when it's Christmas. I loved it.
Thank you NetGalley and the author for the eARC.

This gorgeous rom com is an Irish version of The Holiday and it works!

When Mary's boyfriend breaks up with her right before Christmas she books a flight to Ireland to be with her family, however when she gets there she finds out that they've flown to New York to surprise her!

Not only that but they've done a house swap with an equally lovelorn film star and he's not delighted about her being there.

Delicious slow burn, flirty banter, found family, and stunning scenery, this is a great festive read

A cute and quick holiday rom com. Mary and Evan are both likable main characters. Their romance is sweet falling into each other. I loved all of the aid characters, particularly Mary’s mom. Thank you to netgalley and boldwood books for a complimentary earc in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars! Cozy Irish Christmas read? Sign. Me. UP.
This was like a warm hug, but in book form! I LOVED IT.

Mary has recently had rough breakup and decides to do the only thing she knows will make her feel better- travelling back to Ireland to surprise her family for Christmas.
The problem? She arrives to find their family home empty- except for a complete stranger who informs her that they’ve done a house swap.
This stranger, Evan, turns out to be American celebrity- who has also gone through a recent split. He wants to be alone, and he wants absolutely nothing to do with this holiday season.
It is up to Mary to change that by giving him a proper Irish Christmas, and they may just heal both of their hearts in the process.

Perfect if you like:
- Hallmark style stories
- Cozy Christmas romance
- Celebrity romance
- Forced proximity

This was just great. It is cute, sweet, wholesome romance. What more could I ask for?

I love Mary and Evan together.
I think they are SO cute, and I loved how much they bonded.
Their individual stories were both interesting and heartbreaking at the same time. I felt so bad for them, but It was so healing to see them bring each other so much comfort and healing.

I also have to mention how beautifully this was written!
I was able to read this with so much ease, as it flows perfectly. I can always appreciate a story that is simple- without being too basic. This is that exactly.

Really gorgeous book overall! I will be re-reading this closer to Christmas, and it is certainly one of my new favorite holiday romances.

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and author Clodagh Murphy for providing me with the eARC of “A Merry Irish Christmas”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: September 4th, 2025
Reviewed on Goodreads: August 4th, 2025

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love Christmas reads, and this one was so fun and cozy.

Mary goes to Ireland to surprise her family for Christmas, but her family has the same idea. they go to Mary's to surprise her. sweet Christmas story

I enjoyed the premise of this book - Mary wants to surprise her family by flying to Ireland from her home in New York for Christmas. The only problem is her family had the same idea and Mary faces a Christmas on her own in her family home. That is until she discovers her parents have done a house swap with New Yorker Evan.

This story is suitably Christmassy with some interesting key moments. The main characters were likeable, and Sheena, the mum, was particularly well-drawn. Whilst I'm not personally a fan of instalove stories, I think the romance here was believable because it was hopeful for the future, rather than trying to convince the reader the characters were desperately in love after mere days of knowing each other. The characters had good chemistry.

A few of things I wasn't a fan of: how the dual narrative was handled. I'm quite open-minded about dual narrative - I don't think it necessarily needs to be alternate chapters or a strictly even balance between characters, but we heard from Evan briefly only three or four times in the whole story and it felt jarring. Also, his narrative viewpoint didn't really add anything. The other major thing for me was that the attraction wasn't very subtly done - I know slow-burn and instalove are pretty mutually exclusive but it felt a bit clunky. Also some of the chapters added nothing to the story - they didn't move the plot on or develop the characters at all.

There was a potential secondary plot point introduced with Abbie, Ryan, Owen and Katie, but it didn't go anywhere, which was a shame. Maybe the author has it in mind for another story. I wasn't keen on the shorthand characterisation of Katie - false lashes and nails = unpleasant woman. I don't like that stereotype and I'm personally the furthest from well-groomed you can get. It just feels a bit clumsy. I get that it can be a metaphor for a fake personality but it needs to be more subtly done to be successful and this wasn't, I'm afraid.

All in all, a lighthearted, enjoyable read which nudges towards three and a half stars for me.

Out September 6th, 2025
A Merry Irish Christmas is pure holiday magic wrapped in emerald green and tied with a bow of romantic mischief. Clodagh Murphy delivers a story brimming with warmth, wit, and the kind of cozy chaos only an Irish Christmas can bring. Think crackling fires, family feuds, and a second-chance romance that glows brighter than fairy lights on Grafton Street. It’s the kind of book that makes you laugh out loud one moment and clutch your heart the next.

Why should this be your seasonal read? Because Murphy knows how to blend humor and heart like mulled wine and cinnamon. Her characters are delightfully flawed, her dialogue sparkles, and the setting is so vivid you’ll swear you hear the clink of glasses and the rustle of wrapping paper. Whether you’re curled up solo or dodging relatives at a holiday gathering, A Merry Irish Christmas is the perfect escape into festive joy and romantic possibility.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and BoldWood Books for this festive ARC!

A Merry Irish Christmas- Clodagh Murphy

Yes! I just typed the word CHRISTMAS in August and I am not one little bit sorry.

I got sent this wonderful ARC by @theboldbookclub @boldwoodeverafter and I absolutely loved it. It was a cosy, Christmassy hug that I didn't know I needed this week.
I had just finished a murdery thriller that I didn't love and I needed a palate cleanser and just a lovely, easy romance read and this delivered that and more.
Enemies to lovers, forced proximity and a bit of "The Holiday" type nostalgia sprinkled on top.
I read this book easily in one sitting. Grab a cosy blanket, light and candle or 2, snuggle up and enjoy.

Mary has a wonderful life in New York City, a good job, a great boyfriend and a tiny but wonderful little apartment. In the run up to Christmas she is preparing to meet her boyfriends parents and spend the festive season with them. She is missing home fiercely and is sad to be missing out on her Christmas traditions with her family. But it's worth it right? This trip will reaffirm how right she and Greg are for each other and is a real step in the right direction.
When things don't go to plan, Mary books a last minute ticket home for Christmas only to find a handsome albeit grumpy stranger there instead of her family. How has this happened? Where are her family? Will Mary have a Merry Christmas??

This book filled me joy. It was a beautifully written piece of utter escapism. I loved the characters, Mary's mom in particular. It was funny and cute and Hallmark style romance at it's best. It also quite accurately reflects how a lot of us Irish spend Christmas and some of our lovely Christmas traditions that make Christmas in Ireland unlike anywhere else in the world. I was sad when the book ended but keen to seek out more gorgeous books from this author in the future.
Thank you as always to @netgalley for keeping me supplied with wonderful ARCs to read and review and to @theboldbookclub for approving me for this one. You know me too well at this stage and always send me fantastic reads. @clodaghmurphybooks thank u for the much needed heart and soul food this weekend ❤️

Fans of "The Holiday" will love this cute rom-com set in Ireland! The book opens in New York with Mary stunned as her boyfriend gets back together with his ex killing not only their relationship, but also Christmas plans with his family. She decides to surprise her family by returning to Ireland for Christmas. Not long after she arrives to an unexpected empty house, she learns her family has done a house swap and is in New York to surprise Mary. Given it's the holiday season and no great options to find another place to stay, Mary and a grumpy (HOT!!) actor decide share her family home. Thankfully it doesn't take too long for Evan's grumpy façade to fade and the snappy clapbacks between them morph to a sweet friendship that straddles something more. This book has it all: holiday traditions, forced proximity, friends to lovers, grumpy-sunshine, a little spice, humor and with etc. You get the idea! I also LOVED Sheena McBride's role in the story (Mary's mom). It's on the shorter side for a novel, which meant it could be enjoyed in a couple sittings.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review .

Mary vive en Nueva York y está a punto de pasar la Navidad con la familia de su novio Greg en Maine, aunque eso signifique perderse las fiestas en su querida Dingle, Irlanda. Pero todo se viene abajo cuando, justo antes del viaje, aparece la ex de Greg declarándole su amor… y él la elige a ella. Desolada, Mary decide regresar a Irlanda para pasar las fiestas con su familia, solo para descubrir que ellos han viajado a Nueva York para sorprenderla. Para colmo, un atractivo y arisco actor de Hollywood, Evan Prentice, está alojado en su casa como parte de un intercambio… ¡y no parece muy feliz de compartir el espacio! Así, dos completos desconocidos se ven forzados a convivir en plena Navidad.

____

Mary es una protagonista fácil de empatizar: decidida, dolida y con un gran corazón. Evan, por su parte, es el típico gruñón con un pasado que lo persigue y que poco a poco se va ablandando. Su convivencia forzada está llena de diálogos agudos, momentos divertidos y una tensión creciente que desemboca en un romance tierno y reparador.

Lo único que no me gusto es que lo exes se fueran como si nada. Ojala hubieran recibido su merecido.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

An ace feel good read. Loved it so much. The Christmas swim brought back so many memories. It is a lovely love story with some laugh out bits. The Irish mother was ace . Read in one sitting . Moved between New York and Ireland . Can’t recommend it enough. Read and escape. Perfect ending.