Set in a remote Irish Village, we meet Katie that works in and loves the local pub. When hot shot Callum turns up chatting all things redevelopment and a potential threat on the pub closing. Katie is dragged in to setting up a ‘renowned’ village festival to prove their worth to the developers.

A great book about tiny village life and the close bonds that gives. The romance storyline between our too main character is the icing on the cake.

Loved Katie and Callum!
Quick Fall romance full of laughs and sweet moments!
I really enjoyed the premise and had a blast reading these fun characters build their relationship!
Katie was adorable, relatabl and hilarious! Great read!

I love Catherine Walsh’s books. This one, though, was one of my least favorites. I would give it 3.5/5 stars. It was a cute and easy read but it fell a little short for me.

Big thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and Catherine Walsh for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love Catherine Walsh books! Such cute characters and a really fun read. Definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Catherine Walsh!

I’m a sucker for quaint small towns, so the setting and overall premise of this story was super cute and definitely brimming with potential. The main character, Katie, was quirky and cute but also driven and devoted to those she loves. Early on, I thought the romance was going to have just the right simmer (gotta love that slow burn). It ended up flopping a bit more than I’d hoped, but it was still a sweet little story. 3.5⭐️

This review is being posted after publication. Thank you tovNetGalley for a copy of this arc!

Thank you #Netgalley

Fun rom com type of read following a long time young local, Katie, who is upset with the changes occurring to her small town. A large corporation is building a resort and slowly interrupting the town and taking over more and more. Katie is reactive and combative to this corporation and fights them on many things. But when they come to the pub she works at to buy it, she loses it! She crafts the idea to reinvigorate a town matchmaking event. During this time she ends up connecting with one of the construction workers and unites the town with the same goal of keeping the pub.

Received ARC through netgalley. A bit slow of a start, but it was a nice romcom! The main characters had good chemistry.

I really liked the setting of the book and found the descriptions of the town and all the lore (like the wishing well) quite charming. Where it fell flat was the chemistry between the two main characters. Despite a rather rough beginning, the male protagonist, Callum, is unexplainingly head over heels for our female protagonist, Katie. It didn't feel like there was much depth or explanation to their relationship which made the story fall a little flat for me. Overall enjoyable read though.

Overall, this was a cute read. I love that it's set in a tiny Irish town and I love the concept of them reviving an old tradition to save the pub. The romance was cute and endering and love. The matchmaking festival. However, the big conflict between the hotel and the town was resolved by the midway point in the book and everything after just came across as filler and really messed with the pacing of the story

That, along with some grammatical errors is why I only gave this one 3 stars.

In The Matchmaker by Catherine Walsh, love takes centre stage in this delightful romantic comedy. The story follows the endearing and quirky matchmaker, Emma, as she navigates the tumultuous world of love and relationships. Walsh's writing is a breath of fresh air, blending humour and heart in a way that keeps you smiling throughout. Her ability to write witty banter is second to none! With its lovable characters and charming plot twists, The Matchmaker is a feel-good read that will warm your heart and leave you believing in the magic of love. Perfect for anyone in need of a pick-me-up or a charming escape into the world of romance.

I found this novel a delight to read, despite being slow to begin. Yet, once the plot sped up I was hooked and was rooting for the main characters! I would highly recommend to those who adore rom-coms ♡
Thank you to Netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've never met a catherine walsh book i didnt like!!! I seriously eat these types of books up. WHO DOESNT LOVE A ROMCOM that has you kicking and screaming and full belly laughing. ugh I loved it.

Anytime I feel the need to take a vacation, in a book, I look to Catherine Walsh. This time, we get swept away to a mountainous town in Ireland where we meet Katie Collins a local townie who is hell bent on fighting off the developers who are taking over Ennisbawn. Enter gorgeous Project Manager Callum, and his ruthless brother Jack and you’ve got the making of another perfect rom-com by Catherine Walsh. The Matchmaker is also filled with a wonderful ensemble cast that will have you laughing, crying, and rooting for the town of Ennisbawn!

Catherine Walsh is an auto-buy author for me, and The Matchmaker is another perfect story!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc of this book!

Callum is a construction worker who is working on the new hotel project in Ennisbawn, a small town in Ireland which Katie loves, adores and has lived with her Granny since she was younger. Katie’s world turns upside down when she thinks her town and the pub she works at are being destroyed. Katie refuses to let her town disappear and puts everything into creating the best festival for the town. But will it be enough?

This was such a cute story!! I devoured this in a couple of days. It was heartwarming and real and such an easy read! Yes it was predictable but I sometimes love that about a romance book, knowing there will be a happy ending! I loved Callum and Katie’s characters and adored how deep Callum fell. I really loved every second of it and I’m sad that it’s over!

I'm a sucker for Rom Com. I love a story either set in Ireland, or featuring Irish characters. This story hit both of those and I knew it was one I needed to read. It was a fun, quick read, that I read in one sitting.

"The Matchmaker" is a lovely story set in a small Irish village. Katie Collins, the main character, wants to save her village from big changes. She's determined to bring back the village's old traditions, like the matchmaking festival.

Katie's adventure is full of surprises and funny moments. She meets new friends and faces challenges along the way. The story shows how important it is to stick together and never give up, even when things seem tough.

With its sweet story and charming characters, "Ennisbawn's Matchmaker" is a heartwarming read that reminds us of the power of love and friendship. It's perfect for anyone who enjoys a good, feel-good story about community and following your heart.

Katie Collins has barely ever left her tiny Irish village of Ennisbawn. She loves where she lives, it’s a thing of beauty and would protect it for as long as it takes.
When a hot-shot developer named Callum with zero eye for beauty or charm turns up threatening to knock down the pub for a hotel and golf course, it’s the final blow to the village and the last straw for Katie, who refuses to see her home disappear. Not to mention that the pub is the last connection to her parents, who had met at Ennisbawn’s once-famous matchmaking festival, both throwing coins into the wishing well that sits in the pub garden.
In an instant, Katie knows what to do. She’s going to uncover the now disused wishing well, she’s going to revive the matchmaking festival, and she’s going to single-handedly bring the town back to life again.
But what Ireland’s newest matchmaker doesn’t know is that even when someone’s really not your type on paper, love might be a little bit more than just a formula…

This story is the first one I’ve read from Catherine Walsh but already I’m a fan. This story is funny and honest and shows the ups and downs of family and friends and protecting the place you love. She just wants others to see the value in her hometown and the value of its residents opinions and I think that is such an important trait and the way the character is written is really great.

The chemistry between the two main characters from the very beginning is fun and hot and the way you see Callum slowly falling for Katie is really endearing and special and I really fell in love with both characters. I wouldn’t change them for the world because they’re just so relatable and likeable. Katie is brash and says whatever comes to mind without thinking and it’s pretty refreshing to see a character written that way. She is unapologetically her. The other characters stories are mingled in amongst Katie and Callum’s and while its background, they are important too and are handled with care and shows just much thought was put into everyone’s story behind the scenes.
The story is so heartwarming and while it took me some time to initially get into it, the second half of it only took me one evening to consume and if I had started it that day then I would have easily finished it in one sitting. I fully recommend this one to anyone who loves a cute lil irish romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Catherine Walsh for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a cute book. I really liked that Katie was determined to save the bar she was working for. Callum’s employer is trying to build a golf course.

Read if you like:

💓 Enemies to lovers
💓 Small town in Ireland
💓 He falls first
💓 Great banter
💓 Single POV

Please check Trigger warnings: Death of parents and anxiety ⚠️

I could and would read every single one of Catherine Walsh’s books. I always find them highly enjoyable. I love the writing style and the humor throughout.

This one wasn’t my fav of hers though. It was going so well but I just felt like it was too long. It took me a really long time to finish this book and I definitely began to lose interest as it went on. But that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it because again, it’s Catherine Walsh. But I would’ve enjoyed it more had it been shorter and the pace was quicker.

Pretty cheesy and I didn’t love our main character, but I read it on my Kindle as I woke up each morning and it was light enough for my brain to read while waking up