Holiday Romance

by Catherine Walsh

[The Romantic Comedy Book Club]

This is the first book I have ever read by Catherine Walsh and I will say she has a new dedicated reader on her hands. I couldn't get ENOUGH of this book. The dialogue, the banter, the realistic conversations, and just the slow-burn swoon worthy story made this a book I couldn't put down.

What I liked: I swear Walsh sat in a cafe somewhere and just wrote what she heard. The conversation between her characters was so realistic, you felt like you were eavesdropping. The reactions mid sentence, the interruption in thought, it was simply true to form. Think about it - when two people are going back and forth, especially if facial expressions are present or an argument is heated - there are interruptions. In most books, the characters speak in complete sentences but with Walsh, I LOVED how her characters would be mid rant and completely break train of thought to acknowledge the reaction of the person they were speaking with.

The slow burn of the romance just made you fall in love with the characters as they fell in love with each other. You grew with them, you changed with them, and you saw how they fit together - even when they couldn’t. The excitement of the possibilities flourished with each page and the way she described each interaction just made you heart flutter. Even her steamy scenes were beautifully written with so much feeling, so much heart that you couldn’t be more happy with two people coming together if you tried.

What I didn’t like: Honestly I really can’t give you anything I didn’t like about this book. Even going back and forth between past and present, you were able to follow the time jump. When she brought it all together through Andrew’s declaration, it made it clear why those were necessary, to see things in that moment from his perspective instead of just Molly’s. I do wish she dove a little more into Andrew's struggle with alcohol. but I really don't think it was pertinent to the story and if she did, it may have taken away from it rather than added to it. She gave you just enough to show Andrew's vulnerability and how he leaned on Molly as much as Molly leaned on him.

Walsh did a fantastic job with this holiday romance. You felt like you were a part of the ride every step of the way. You will laugh, you will cheer, and you heart will swell all throughout the book and burst with joy when you get to the last page.

I had the pleasure of receiving this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.