The Rebound by Catherine Walsh
Published: February 14, 2022
Bookouture
Pages: 334
Genre: Humorous Fiction
KKECReads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Catherine Walsh was born and raised in Ireland. She lived in London for a few years before returning to Dublin, where she now lives between the mountains and the sea. When not writing, she is trying and failing to not kill her houseplants.
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…
“There’s something about recording my tasks in writing, with pen and paper and the occasional coffee stain, that helps cement things.”
Abby’s world has completely flipped upside down. The company she worked so hard for has gone under. Her fiancé of three years broke up with her. She lost her apartment- so Abby packs her bags and goes home. To Ireland.
This was such a sweet story. I loved meeting Abby, Louise, Luke, and Tomasz.
The descriptions in this novel are so lovely, and I could almost feel the chilly air on my cheeks. I loved reading about how Abby felt going home. It was nostalgic in the perfect way.
This is so much more than a romantic comedy, and it’s a coming into your own and finding your voice, and being true to your gut story.
This was the kind of story that sucks you in and holds you tight, it’s so difficult to put down. I found the plot endearing, and relevant to a challenge that many young adults deal with.
The main characters were all relatable in some way, and I think readers will find a bit of themselves in Abby.
It’s great that the MC is relatable to a wide range of readers.