I just could not finish this book. The story did not manage to suck me in. I kept waiting to like it 50% of the way and then just gave up. I really struggled with it. So it's safe to say this book was not meant for me. But am really sure many people will love this book, because it has potential.

This book is for those introverts who hate going out and would rather stick in and read (wink), it's to give you hope that the right person will find you regardless (ha ha! just kidding) but that was my first thought when i started it

Anyways.. i rate the book 3.89 stars because it's a good one and i loved the story, the characters, the community and the interactions
Here are my thoughts

Synopsis
The story is about a small old village that's recently been invaded by "developers" claiming to revive it with brand new hotels and make it a tourist destination, locals hate it but when their favorite pub is invaded no one can stand down
The story centres around the love story of Katie Collins (born & bred in the village, pub employee who dreams of finding love in the village at the matchmaker festival like her late parents, believer of wishing wells) and Callum (the hot guy from town who's the head supervisor and constructor at the new project)

what i loved:
1. Katie's personality - she was a fighter, strong and determined, outgoing, a lover of small things and a real embroider of fake it till you make it saying.
2. I loved that all the side characters were given a voice, a face, a life and active emotions that don't fall flat , each had their stories but my faves of course Adam and Gemma stole the show (need a whole book on that)
3. The presentation of the whole community, the unity, support and the whole my problem is the village's problem mentality (loved it)

what i didn't like:
1. Insta love - turns out i don't very much like love at first sight
Although it was the best way to approach this, it felt too soon for someone to drop their whole lives for you as soon as you fall in love

That's the only thing i didn't like
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this good book, i look forward for more

3.35⭐️

•••

I wished there was more romance in this book, which might be ridiculous to say since this is a romcom but I just wanted more of Katie and Callum. This book is very plot driven which was refreshing and because this book wasn’t too heavy on the romance, the romance felt effortless. Katie and Callum were the main characters but Adam and Gemma stole the spotlight. Every time Adam and Gemma had a scene together Katie and Callum became irrelevant to me sorry.

The Matchmaker had it all from relatable characters, to a heartthrob butterflies-in-my-stomach romances (the side couple was just as endearing), to strong friendships, to a sense of belonging. Plus it’s set in Ireland. Stories set in Ireland own my heart.

THE MATCHMAKER ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Katie was born and bred in her small town in Ireland. At 29, she’s a permanent figure in the small town and works at Kelly’s the bar where everyone knows your name. When a construction company buys up the majority of the land to build a resort, Katie will stop at nothing to stop construction on the place she calls home. She starts on reviving The Matchmaking Festival the town was known for many years ago. With signature Catherine Walsh charm, the characters are quirky and adorable. Unfortunately, compared to her other holiday rom-coms I’ve loved, this fell flat. For me, the rhythm of the book just felt off? A cute, easy read, but one I’ll forget.

While I did enjoy the story overall, it began to drag for me towards the half way point and I struggled to connect to the romance. That said, I still think this was a cute read and would recommend it to those who love small town romance. Catherine Walsh is an auto-buy author for me, so I am very much looking forward to her next one.

So hilariously funny and emotional. I laughed so much I had tears streaming down my face. Full of love and energy.

No one is quite as effortlessly funny as Cat Walsh in my opinion. She gives Emily Henry with Irish charm.

I love a good Irish romcom. There’s something about the Irish humour and being transported to the lush landscape of Ireland.

In The Matchmaker, we meet Katie, who lives in a small town with her grandmother and works in the town pub. Much to her dismay, a large corporation has purchased land and is building a large hotel, and has plans to take over the pub and knock it down. Katie has a strong family connection to the pub, and won’t let it go without a fight - and plans to raise funds to keep it going by reinvigorating the matchmaking festival that used to be held there.

I really enjoyed this book - a feel good book that was exactly what I needed. I love how feisty Katie is and her strong friendships. I also love the enemies to lovers trope!

Thanks to @netgalley and @bookouture for the review copy.

this was such a fun and surprising read. I honestly started the book with the same expectations as to all the other romcoms I have read this year but came out surprised! there is just something about enemies to lovers that does it for me every single time...

Catherine Walsh is always a go-to author for me. I have a blast reading anything she puts out and The Matchmaker did not disappoint. A quick read with her typical witty characters and fun storyline.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I would say this was a combination of Romance and Women's Fiction. For me this means that while there is definitely a romance, a lot of the story is about Katie's personal journey. Her own growth is just as critical to the story as the romance. Personally I love when main characters have their own story arc in addition to the romance arc, so this was a good fit for me.

Katie lives in a small Irish town with her gram. Sh works at the local pub and is content. Well, she's content until a bog resort is being built and is going to disrupt everything she knows, including her sleep. Sleep deprived, she stumbles to the construction site to make a complaint. This is where she meets Callum, the construction manager. This sets us up for a bit of an enemies to lovers trope as Katie fights for her town and what she believes in. She promises to bring back a matchmaking festival in an effort to slow down the construction. As she and Callum keep crossing paths, Katie works with her community to make a difference. This was a lovely story to read and left me satisfied.

Thanks to the author for a copy. All opinions are my own.

I truly adore everything Catherine Walsh writes! She’s such a spectacular story teller and I always have the most fun reading her work!

This was a sweet, albeit very predictable, story of community with the classic misunderstood grumpy male and hopeful female. The story is a nice diversion that could use an accelerated pace.

Katie Collins has lived in her small town, in rural Ireland and doesn’t plan to leave it behind, thank you very much. No matter how easier or trendier life could be somewhere else, the tight-knit community, her cunning grandma and the bar where she works is enough to make her happy.
Sadly, the corporate giant with luxury hotels in its portfolio thinks the town need a bit of sprucing up, which leaves the quiet promptly behind. Not only Katie wakes up to trucks carousing up and down her street, they want to uproot Kelly’s, the bar which is the heart of the community, and her livelihood. No matter how attractive the project – and those who work for it – is, how lucrative it could be, the principle of protecting what makes the town special, its people and values should be in focus. The story of Ennisbawn and its people is a charming tale about special people making wonders in order to secure happiness and fulfilment in their communities. An enjoyable read.

(I am so sorry this feedback is so late! I swore I filled this out months ago!)

Holiday Romance was the first book I read by Catherine Walsh and I absolutely adored that book! The Matchmaker was another charming story from Catherine Walsh! It had quite a hallmark movie feel to it, but I also love hallmark movies. I enjoyed the story taking place in Ireland, and as in her last book I read, I love Catherine’s writing style, sense of humor and the way she details and writes her love stories.

This was so sweet - I read this on holiday, and it really did feel like the perfect holiday book. Low stakes, quick read, and I loved the characters in the pub.
Honestly loses marks because of how insta-love K & C were.

Overall lovely, cute story, but I'd likely not pick this up again.

✔ small town
✔ Irish countryside
✔ opposites attract
✔ he falls first and hard
✔ HEA

This book was a delightful and lighthearted romance. Perfect for when you want to read something lovely, simple but fun, romantic, with great chemistry and lovable characters.

Katie, our FMC, was such a fun character. She had the funniest inner dialogue and, at times, quite relatable. Katie is so happy and content with her simple but lovely life in a small town and doesn't have huge ambitions to take over the world. I loved that so much because it is not something usual in books. It's absolutely wonderful if you like your life as it is.

Callum, our MMC, is such an easy, nice, and lovable man. He knows what he wants and shows it. I LOVE THAT! He makes it clear and doesn't beat around the bushes. He is definitely a keeper.

The plot about Katie fighting against a big construction company, because they'll destroy her small town was fun to read. The whole matchmaker festival was also so cute and entertaining.

If you're in the mood for a cute, lighthearted, and fun romcom, this is the one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A cute irish rom-com! It was an easy and charming read. It is a perfect feel good story about Katie and Callum, a bartender who is forced to fight for what she loves when a contractor for a hotel comes in to town. I’ll give it a 3.5 ⭐️

I've read some of Catherine Walsh's previous books and enjoyed them, but I could not get into this one. Not sure why. I will still purchase her books for my library because they are popular.