The Rebound by Catherine Walsh

A newly single girl. A tall dark handsome stranger. What could go wrong?

It’s 7 a.m. on a Monday and Abby Reynolds isn’t where she wants to be. She wants to be in her beautiful loft apartment in Manhattan, drinking a coffee with her fiancé.

Instead, she’s heading back to the childhood home in rural Ireland she swore she’d never return to, with some big old secrets. Namely that she’s suddenly found herself unemployed, homeless, and absolutely 100% single.

She’s feeling all out of luck. Until the first person she meets after she touches down is an absurdly hot guy called Luke, who offers her a lift home. Gazing deep into his sparkling emerald-green eyes, Abby knows instantly that he’s exactly what she needs to take her mind off everything. The perfect rebound.

It’s a flawless plan. Until the next day, when Abby realizes who he actually is. Not just a stranger. He is, in fact, Luke Bailey, aka the boy next door. Luke Bailey who—so help her God—she’s pretty sure she once shared baths with, back when they were kids. Not that she can allow herself to imagine him in a bath now, not without blushing from head to foot.

And judging by the smirk on his face, the same Luke Bailey who’s known exactly who she was the whole time… And who, like everyone in the village, still thinks she’s a high-flying New Yorker… who’s getting married next year.

Abby is certain getting under Luke will help her get over her ex. But the truth is stopping her. Can she admit to everyone back home that she’s single and has lost everything? Because, if she wants the boy next door, she may just have to…

My Review

This romance story is a slow burn with a friends to lovers romance. It is advertised as a romantic comedy, but it reads like a contemporary romance. Abby and Luke have hearts, stubborn sides, and confidence. Abby’s circumstances aren’t the best, but she pulls through and finds her footing. Luke is genuinely a sweet guy, and you can’t help but love him. This book is set in a small Irish town but doesn’t give you all the feels. I did like that the characters were somewhat independent and older.

Abby is traveling home and somehow gets lost along the way, even though she is from Ireland. She meets Luke, a lovely man who offers a ride. Abby is jobless, dumped, and now home in her old house visiting her sister. But she hasn’t told them all the details. Oh, twisted Luke the Adonis is her neighbor’s son. Of course, she grew up with him but didn’t recognize him, and things get complicated as her lies pile up.

Abbys’ big life crisis affects the people she meets; it pushes them away or makes up for a lost time. However, she is in denial still of the changes and breakdown of her life. This book is as much about Abby’s self-discovery as Luke’s heart. I do like that they finally get steamy with each other. Wow, Abby finally makes decisions for herself, and I’m proud of her. Even better, Luke doesn’t just let her run away.

The epilogue of this story was sweet and had a great ending to this book.

If you would like to read The Rebound by Catherine Walsh you can find this book on Amazon . As an Amazon Assocaite I earn on qualifying purchases.

If you like this book you may also like books with these tags and categories Irish, Small Town and Contemporary Romance.