The Rebound
Romance
Bookouture
February 14, 2022
Ebook
334
A newly single girl. A tall dark handsome stranger. What could go wrong? It’s 7 a.m. on a Monday morning 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…
Romance in Ireland? Sign me up!
Just the idea of the Emerald Isle fills me up with wanderlust. I’m definitely going to add any book with an Ireland setting to my TBR. That was the primary reason why I wanted to read “The Rebound” by Catherine Walsh.
Add in a little romance and I’m a goner.
We meet Abby after she’s done the Irish goodbye – you know, where you just up and leave an event when you don’t want to go through the anxiety and production of having to say goodbye to everyone. (What, your family doesn’t do this? My cousin Ashley and I could teach you a thing or two about it. We’re naturals.)
Abby is down on her luck. She’s lost her big time job in NYC and her fiancé un-proposed to her, leaving her homeless, jobless, and penniless. Pretty much nothing is going right at this point. Sucking it up, Abby crawls home to Ireland to visit her sister and regroup. Ireland is never where she wanted to stay, but Abby finds herself back with no plan for the future and not much to look forward to. Naturally Abby just so happens to meet a cute stranger who is heading back to her home town of Clonard while she’s been stranded and searching for transportation.
“How funny her son turned into a freaking Adonis.”
Is this really a Romantic Comedy?
While there are definitely moments of light and carefree excitement, I would market “The Rebound” more as a contemporary romance or women’s fiction. Initially this story is marketed as a romantic comedy – an ‘absolutely hilarious romantic comedy’ – which led me to believe that there would be a lot of jokes and situational comedy to keep the feel of the book light and breezy.
Walsh offers more vibes than just comedic love in this novel. Yes, there is definitely a love story and an adorable Irishman to swoon over. Luke Bailey is the ultimate boy next door. He’s reliable and charming and driven but beyond the romance is a story of determination, resiliency, and the view of a complex family dynamic. I feel like categorizing “The Rebound” as a romantic comedy would do the story and the author a disservice.
“The Rebound” made me want to run away to the Irish countryside. It made me want to save all the ocean animals (which would make Abby’s sister Louise very happy), to build a bonfire on the beach, and to open a small-town coffee shop where all my neighbors could come to enjoy a hot beverage. I can’t wait to hear what this book makes you feel.
Drop a comment when you’ve read it to let me know!
I’m Val, and I’m excited to share my love of books with you! I’m a sassy Sour Patch kid from New Jersey, dog mom to Chance the beagle, and much like the rest of the Hive, I’m a coffee lover (I think it’s a requirement to be here). The first book I remember reading voluntarily involved a boy wizard who lived in the cupboard under the stairs, and I’ve been chasing magic ever since. I love Happily Ever Afters, and I love love. My favorite genres are romance and rom-coms, fantasy, and young adult/new adult. If I’m not reading, I’m probably kayaking, watching the Great British Baking Show, or discovering a new craft beer.
