"The Matchmaker" by Catherine Walsh is a heartwarming and delightful small-town romcom that immerses readers in the charming Irish village of Ennisbawn, where tradition meets modernity, and love blooms in the most unexpected places. With its picturesque setting, endearing characters, and a touch of humor, this book is a perfect escape into a world of community, romance, and rediscovery.

The story revolves around Katie Collins, a woman deeply connected to her tiny Irish village and its traditions. When Callum Dempsey arrives with plans to build a hotel that threatens the village's character, including the demolition of the beloved local pub, Katie is spurred into action. Her determination to save the pub, and by extension, her community, leads her to revive the village's once-famous matchmaking festival.

Katie is a relatable and strong-willed protagonist who embodies the spirit of her village. Her determination to preserve her hometown and its traditions is inspiring, and her fiery personality makes her a character readers can't help but root for. The book explores her journey of self-discovery and her efforts to bring love and happiness back to Ennisbawn.

The chemistry between Katie and Callum is palpable, and their dynamic evolves from initial animosity to a charming and genuine connection. The author skillfully develops their relationship, infusing it with humor and tender moments that keep readers engaged and invested in their love story.

Ennisbawn itself becomes a character in the story, with its picturesque landscapes, tight-knit community, and the rich history of the matchmaking festival. Catherine Walsh's descriptive prose brings the village to life, making it a place readers will wish they could visit in person. The setting adds depth and authenticity to the narrative, making it feel like a character-driven tour of Irish culture and tradition.

The book's humor is a standout element, with witty banter and comedic moments that provide a perfect balance to the emotional depth of the story. The author's ability to infuse humor into both the character interactions and the village's quirky traditions adds to the overall charm of the book.

"The Matchmaker" is a heartwarming reminder of the power of community, love, and embracing change while preserving the past. It's a story that celebrates the beauty of small towns and the resilience of individuals who are willing to fight for what they believe in.

In conclusion, Catherine Walsh's "The Matchmaker" is a delightful and escapist romance that transports readers to the enchanting world of Ennisbawn. With its lovable characters, picturesque setting, and a dash of humor, this book is a perfect read for fans of small-town romcoms. It's a story that captures the essence of love, tradition, and the magic of unexpected connections.

The Matchmaker by Catherine Walsh was exactly what I needed to drag me out of my reading slump.

Katie is a bartender at a small pub and she has never left her small Irish village of Ennisbawn. Callum Dampsey is a developer who is trying to build a big luxury hotel in her village. This leaves Katie sleep deprived. And to add to that, he wants to demolish the pub she is working in! But why does he have to be so hot?!

Katie loves her village and she has a plan for saving it! Ennisbawn's residents are coming to her aid. But will this be enough? Will they manage to save their village from this big construction company? And what about Callum? Is he really the bad guy? What happens when Katie needs to choose between her home and her heart?

A cozy rom-com, full of laughter and big surprises! Small town romance, enemies to lovers. What else should I say? Grab it now!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to write an honest review about this book.

Ahhh I loved this book! I loved the small Irish town as well as the tension between Katie and Callum when he shows up into town with the intention of building a hotel that will uproot locals and make Katie lose her family pub. I absolutely loved her showing up in pajamas and loved the slow burn between Katie and Callum. The banter also was so good and did an excellent job at keeping you laughing the entire book.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The book delves into the world of matchmaking, and Walsh's storytelling had me hooked from the start. The characters felt real and relatable, making it easy to become invested in their journeys.

While the story was engaging, I did find some parts of the plot to be a bit predictable. However, this didn't detract significantly from my overall enjoyment of the book.

The Matchmaker is a light-hearted and entertaining read, perfect for anyone who appreciates a good romance and the intricacies of bringing people together.

Stories of a small town girl living in a small town are always endearing. It was hard not to like the characters in this book. They were all so genuine. Definitely a group that you would want to be friends with. Then when the villians are introduced, you wanted to fight along with them. Then fall in love with them too. Definitely a cute, quick story about believing in yourself.

I LOVED at this book so much!! One of my favourites that I’ve read over the summer. The authors Christmas book was my favourite from last year too so I’d kinda put off reading this one as I was scared it wouldn’t live up to my own expectations but it absolutely did!!

Set in a beautiful cute and cozy small village in Ireland, with a really special crew of found family, a nod to enemies to lovers and then friends to lovers, it is so fun and heartwarming!

I actually think it’s perfect to read at this time of year too as it gave me all the rainy, curled up cozy vibes you want from a book right now!!

Can not recommend this enough and the author has more books than these 2 so I’m gonna read them all, I’m so excited!! I just love her voice and writing style and the stunning setting of Ireland too!

From the Blurb -

Katie has barely ever left her tiny Irish village of Ennisbawn. Why would she? With its tightknit community, friendly local pub, and gorgeous countryside, it has everything that Katie needs. That is, until hot-shot Callum turns up.

Though she’d rather not admit it, hot is the perfect way to describe Callum. With his deep green eyes, strong jaw and (tattooed) arm-full of plans for a new hotel just outside the village, his arrival causes uproar in the village.

But when Katie discovers that the pub will need to be demolished as part of the plans, any feelings of attraction vanish in an instant. The pub is the last connection to her parents who met at Ennisbawn’s once-famous matchmaking festival.

So, after being laughed off the building site in her best flannel pyjamas for demanding the developers leave, Katie decides enough is enough and hatches a plan. She’s going to revive the matchmaking festival, save the pub, and single-handedly bring the town back to life again.

But as the plans for the festival escalate to brilliant, if terrifying, heights, Katie sees another side to Callum, and she’s forced to question where her feelings really lie. Callum is promising not just a new start for the village but potentially for Katie too.

*ARC from NetGalley
Also this is on KU too ✨

This is the cutest small town romance, although towards the end it felt like the romance had diminished. The banter was great and chemistry was okay.

I delayed reading this book for a while as I wasn't sure how I would feel about it, but I loved it! The humour was bang on, the side stories were engaging and the main characters were not only likeable but felt familiar!

Really enjoyed reading this and will certainly be on the look out for any new books from Walsh!

I love Catherine Walsh writting with my whole heart and to prove that, I figured the best way to travel to Dublin is through England, Wales and a ferry, so to say I was excited for that read is an understatement.

As much it was an enjoyable, cute, and very well-written story it will not become my favourite by the author. I had a hard time relating to the FC motivations and in a consequence to understanding the MC. I wish I could just get a glimpse into his brain to understand his world.

But if you like small-town romance it’s still a very strong recommendation.

A book set in Ireland with some enemies to lovers vibes? Count me in! There were bits of the story that moved a little slow for me, but overall I really enjoyed this book. I love small towns, I love any kind of festival/big event planning, and I love sassy characters. I really wish we had seen more banter between Katie and Callum. I also wish we had seen more of Granny. Really, I wish we had learned more about the side characters, but I'm not sure that would've been possible in this story without it getting clunky, so I'd definitely enjoy seeing this be a series.

This had all the ingredients of a book that would be a 5 star read for me -- Irish setting, comedic dynamic, and small town vibes, but overall it just didn't quite hit for me. The chemistry between Callum and Katie just didn't quite spark for me, and the pacing felt a little off. It was still a fun and enjoyable read, but didn't quite wow me as much as I had hoped.

Really enjoyed the book!!!



"Thank you so much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Cute story, predictable, but in a good way. A fun read that makes me want to find a little Irish village to visit.

This was a decent read and had Walsh's cute writing style but I didn't love this plot as much as her others. I liked the romance but the evil corporation and small town feel was very Hallmarky. If that's up your ally then I definitely recommend!

All of Catherine's books hit the mark on being a cute, feel-good romance story. They always have the best main and side characters, along with just being an overall well rounded book. This book was like that for me. Katie and Callum were very fun and also had depth to their own storylines. But we also got that with Adam, Gemma, and even Jack! I love a small-town romance where the small-town is rallying against a big corporation. It really brings out those small-town feelings of community, generosity, and kindness. Callum and Katie were also a bit of a slow burn but it worked really well alongside the main plot. I thought that they were super fun together and also had fun banter.

I love Courtney’s writing. The only thing I wish we had a little more of was a tension between Callum and Katie. But I did like that they were pretty communicative with each other.

Catherine Walsh is officially one of my autobuy authors. I have loved everything she has put out and The Matchmaker was no exception. I loved the enemies to lovers aspect and the banter was so great. I fell in love with all of the characters in this book and just had a fun time reading it. Would absolutely recommend.

4 stars!

I will read literally anything Catherine Walsh writes. I adored "The Matchmaker" so, so much. I have a feeling that a large portion of readers may not buy into main characters Katie and Callum's insta-love... and I don't really know what to say about that, I just swooned so hard reading this! I was rapt by their sizzling chemistry. From the very first page, I was drawn into this entire story. I woke up early and stayed up late reading it. I loved the setting and could visualize it in my mind as if I were there. I greatly enjoyed the side characters, especially Gran, Gemma, Adam, and Nush. I was addicted to the banter, and the humor in this story kept me laughing until the very last page. I was transfixed with Katie's David and Goliath story versus Glenmill, a company that has come into Katie's hometown of Ennisbaum, Ireland that has its sights on bulldozing a majority of the town to build a golf course. I appreciate how the romance between Katie and Callum was not the focal point of the story. I just loved this book so much! Please read it ASAP!

Catherine, if you're reading this, PLEASE stay in the world of Ennisbaum, Ireland. I would love to read Adam, Gemma, and Anushka's stories!

Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Walsh, and Bookouture for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

We love an emotionally available man 🫶

But seriously, I loved Callum. And Katie. And the whole cast of characters from this book. It felt more like a friends and family story than an exclusive romance, and that was really fun too.

I did wish that we had gotten more Callum and Katie interactions in the beginning because I felt like the story only picked up after 35%. It was a lot of setting up and getting people together in the beginning.

But once it did pick up, god, was it delicious. Callum was the most stable and emotionally mature man ever. What I love about Catherine Walsh heroes are that they always read people SO WELL. He knew when Katie was freaking out, confused, upset, happy, everything. And it brought me back to One Night Only, which is my favorite romance ever.

I was also pleasantly surprised at the lack of miscommunication and third act breakup. It was refreshing and my anxiety thanks Ms. Walsh for it. I kept waiting for some kind of conflict to occur that breaks them up, but it never came, and suddenly it was epilogue time, and I was like, “hey, this is really nice.”

Anyways, as always, every Catherine Walsh book is a banger and a delicacy, and I can’t wait for her next Christmas book… hehe.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

The Matchmaker is a very sweet, small Irish town novel about a women trying to save her village from changing when a big hotel opens nearby. It’s a very cute story of the townspeople and how they band together to support each other, find love and save what’s important to them. It was a little predictable but nothing wrong with that in a rom-com.