Great Christmas romance classic read. Great writing from this author. Loved the storyline. Thank you from netgalley to giving me the opportunity to read this.

Friends to lovers, the sweetest of the romance tropes. And sweet this was. Molly and Andrew have been taking the same flight home for ten years and have grown closer and closer over the years, seeing each other at their best and their worst. On year 10, delays and cancellations make getting home nearly impossible, but Molly makes it happen for Andrew. After a run in with mistletoe, Molly realizes she may have feelings for Andrew.

I appreciated both characters being very adult and talking about their feelings throughout the book. There was never a real conflict, other than the weather. They just talked through everything rather than blowing up and leaving. I loved that Molly got to see what Christmas is about for other families.

I also really enjoyed seeing each of their previous flights and how they went and how they ended up here.

BOOK REVIEW // HOLIDAY ROMANCE

3/5

“Because I know in my soul there will only be him. There’s only ever been him.”

Ok friends, in the words of my bff @taylorswift “it isn’t love, it isn’t hate…it’s just indifferent” — and that is EXACTLY how I feel about this book…indifferent.

There was nothing problematic about it, I just personally didn’t connect with Molly or Andrew. There was also a lack of “romance” for me…so much so that I couldn’t form a playlist.

I did enjoy how sobriety was talked about and handled with care - it can be a very touchy subject and I loved how Andrew didn’t feel like he needed to explain himself in order to live the life he wanted.

The slow burn in this one was WAY too much of a sloth pace, and I found myself getting really bored and wanted SOMETHING to happen…BUT unfortunately NOTHING happened until the last few chapters.

Some of the conversations between Andrew and Molly were SUPER cringy…absolutely NO ONE in their 30’s rates their kisses on a scale of 1-10.

Overall, this read just wasn’t for me, the witty banter during the first half had some promise, but then it lost me during the second part of the book.

SIMONE SAYS READ THIS IF YOU LIKE

past/present timelines
slow burns
friends to lovers
reverse grumpy/sunshine
disastrous flight situations

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was so adorable and gave me all the holiday feels. Molly and Andrew were the cutest of friends but made such a perfect couple. This story was so charming.

I cannot believe I'm writing this, but FRIENDS TO LOVERS is my new favorite trope. This book has what every love story (in my opinion) should have: great characters, a good plot, and a fitting ending. This book starts with two people who barely know each other and progressively become friends thanks to their coincidental Christmas travel plans. I liked how the author played with the timeline, mixing scenes of the "present" trip with their past trips, because it kept me interested in the story. Another thing I believe the author did very well is the portrait of the friendship between the main characters; it felt natural. However, what I loved the most about this book is that it wasn't an instant-love/fairytale type of story; you can actually believe the development of their relationship.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a realistic romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture, I had the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first Catherine Walsh book, but it will definitely not be my last. This book was completely binge-able...following best friends as they journey home together (internationally) for Christmas. This was everything you'd hope for in a Christmas romance: witty banter, family antics, sexual tension, and a swoonworthy MC. I will definitely be checking out other books by this author!

The perfect holiday read! If you loved People We Meet on Vacation I feel like this book is the perfect book for you! We get to watch these friends fall for each other over various holiday trips that they take every year and it was so swoon worthy.

Thank you #netgalley for an early read of #holidayromance

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book! I finished Holiday Romance on Christmas Day and it was the perfect read leading up to the holiday. Holiday Romance follows Molly and Andrew as they attempt to fly home to Ireland from Chicago for Christmas to see their families. This flight has become a ten year tradition, only this year their flight has been canceled and so begins a wild adventure to get home. Along the way, Molly realizes she may have been missing what was right in front of her all along.

This was such a cute read. I loved all the travel components and their mini adventure in each place. It was even better because it was Christmas themed. I loved our two main characters and their witty banter. I laughed out loud so many times. I thought the author did a great job with the side characters as well. The sisters, Zoe and Hannah were my favorite. One tiny criticism is the author’s use of the word smirked. All Andrew did was smirk! Nothing wrong with that, but one of those funny things you notice during the read.

Overall, this was a really sweet Christmas read all about family, friends, and finding love.

Absolutely loved this tale of Andrew and Molly. The different time line is great. A true festive romance!

Absolutely loved this Christmas romance - I loved the way each chapter switched between past and present allowing us to see their reasons for their behaviour. A really sweet romance with a happily ever after

Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh

‘She’s meant to be catching flights, not catching feelings…’

Our December #TiredMammyBookClub choice was this delightful romantic comedy by Irish author, Catherine Walsh.

First of all, let me just say, I would watch the hell out of this if it was made into a movie! Hint hint @hallmarkmovie ✍🏻

After a less than auspicious start, Molly and Andrew become friends and every year they fly home together, from Chicago to Ireland, for Christmas.

It is Andrew’s favourite time of the year, and he wouldn’t miss being at home with his family for anything. Whereas, for Molly, it is out of feelings of obligation, not festivity, that she makes the trip home every year.

However when their flight is grounded due to a snow storm, Molly is determined to get Andrew home for Christmas. So follows a planes, trains and automobiles style journey across the globe, while the narrative travels back to each of their journeys home over the past ten years.

At one point - possibly around Holyhead - I wondered how the story would manage another 100 or so pages, but then an earlier subplot pops up to save the day, and the rest of the journey is perfect if not plain sailing (pun very much intended).

Holiday Romance would definitely make me pick up Catherine Walsh’s other books (One Night Only and The Rebound, with The Matchmaker out next year, all of which are currently €1.99 on Kindle) and more festive romance novels.

As I’ve said many times, one of the joys of a book club is reading a book or genre you wouldn’t normally choose, and everyone seemed to enjoy this month’s pick.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to the publishers @bookouture for the e-ARC via @netgalley; I also bought my own paperback copy because I like to keep the #TiredMammyBookClub picks for my permanent collection.

#HolidayRomance #CatherineWalsh #IrishAuthors #IrishBookstagram #TiredMammyBookClub #TiredMammy30minutes #RomanceNovels #ChristmasBooks

A sweet, holiday themed contemporary romance with a HEA developing over the course of ten years of Molly and Andrew sharing flights from Chicago to Ireland at Christmastime. Equal parts cute and funny. This one was published in October of this year but I waited until closer to the holidays to read and I breezed right through it!

I love the cover of this book and the quote “she’s meant to be catching flights, not catching feelings” on the front.

4/5 stars

I’d definitely be interesting in reading more from Catherine in the future!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bookoutre, and Catherine for the advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I ADORED this festive novel - it had everything you could possibly want in a story set at Christmas. The premise of two friends who meet at the airport every Christmas to fly home together was so brilliant. I loved seeing how they caught up and wondering if they were going to get together. The back and forth of their lives and seeing how they each felt was so good. I adored it when they get home the last time and seeing how everything plays out. This is just a gorgeous Christmas novel. I've already bought myself a copy of this book to keep and will definitely be re-reading it over future Christmases!

Holiday Romance was one of my most anticipated holiday reads of 2022. After reading and loving Catherine Walsh’s The Rebound earlier this year, plus hearing great things about Holiday Romance, I was excited to dive in, and it didn’t disappoint. It was laugh-out-loud funny, swoony, heartfelt, and it stirred up my wanderlust, all with a backdrop of festive fun.

This book reminded me why I love friends-to-lovers so much. I loved watching Molly and Andrew’s relationship evolve over the span of a decade. Their interactions ranged from cringeworthy to hilarious to sweet to romantic and everything in between. I loved their connection and chemistry, and it was so much fun watching their friendship progress and turn into something more. I also appreciated that within the whirlwind trip, flashbacks, and witty banter, Molly and Andrew dealt with some realistic, life-changing issues. I adored both of these characters and Andrew is officially my newest book boyfriend.

Holiday Romance is an absolute delight. I’ve read almost two dozen holiday romances this year, and this one is easily in my top three.

Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
Genre: Holiday, Romcom
Publisher: Bookouture

I recommend you read this book if you are looking for a unique take and setting for your festive reads.

~ Brief Synopsis~
Molly and Andrew have been catching flights home for the Christmas holidays for the last ten years. Each year they meet at the airport and catch a flight together from Chicago to Dublin. When a freak storm grounds their flight, Molly decides she will do anything and everything to get Andrew home in time for Christmas, including catching planes, trains, taxis and even boats.

~ Review ~
What an adorable holiday story, one of my favourites I have read this year. This one had me hooked from the beginning with its unique premise – what a fun idea for a Christmas novel (even if it would be my worst nightmare). The romance was everything I had hoped for and more. I loved the alternating past and present chapters and watching Molly and Andrew’s relationship grow and develop over their ten years of flights. This is another book just begging to become a movie! Because of the plot, this one wasn’t too heavy on the Christmas so perfect for those wanting a fun romance with only a dash of holiday season thrown in.

This was such a cute holiday romance. I read it so quickly and was engrossed the entire time by the plot and the chemistry. Loved it!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to review.

The best Christmas themed romance I've read this year by a country mile!

Imagine being the person that just has a "person" that you travel home with every year :( :(

This is an ADORABLE story, with a wonderful and whimsical background. Yes you have to kind of suspend life and jsut lean into it a bit but it's truly a love story for the ages :)

This was completely adorable. Like a sexy, romantic Planes, Trains & Automobiles. And, much like that movie, with properly charming and funny banter between the two main characters. It made me laugh out loud more than once and I was bereft when I finished it. Can't wait to read more from Catherine Walsh.

Such a cute holiday romance to get you in the Christmas spirit. I really enjoyed this one and would recommend.

I loved this one! Friends to lovers is my favorite. molly and Andrew don’t realize they like each other until they have no option to explore their feelings. Add in a little spice and it’s the perfect holiday rom com.