Catherine Walsh's Debut Novel
Book Summary:
Molly and Andrew are just trying to get home to Ireland for the holidays, when a freak snowstorm grounds their flight.
Nothing romantic has ever happened between them: they’re friends and that’s all. But once a year, for the last ten years, Molly has spent seven hours and fifteen minutes sitting next to Andrew on the last flight before Christmas from Chicago to Dublin, drinking terrible airplane wine and catching up on each other’s lives. In spite of all the ways the two friends are different, it’s the holiday tradition neither of them has ever wanted to give up.
Molly isn’t that bothered by Christmas, but—in yet another way they’re total opposites—Andrew is a full-on fanatic for the festive season and she knows how much getting back to Ireland means to him. So, instead of doing the sane thing and just celebrating the holidays together in America, she does the stupid thing. The irrational thing. She vows to get him home. And in time for his mam’s famous Christmas dinner.
The clock is ticking. But Molly always has a plan. And—as long as the highly-specific combination of taxis, planes, boats, and trains all run on time—it can’t possibly go wrong.
What she doesn’t know is that, as the snow falls over the city and over the heads of two friends who are sure they’re not meant to be together, the universe might just have a plan of its own…
Mini Review:
As a huge fan of Catherine Walsh, I wanted to love this book – I really did – but it just didn’t happen. The primary issue was the unlikability of Sarah Anderson. While you grow to understand why she is the way she is, she played too many games to be taken seriously. Yes, her rules were there to protect her heart, but they made her a hypocrite because she didn’t consider how she treated others. This was evident when she encountered her one-night stand again – Declan Murphy.
You couldn’t help but fall in love with Declan, the bright spot in the book. His charm, wit, and banter stole the scene whenever he was the focus. He was the underdog who everyone doubted and the black sheep most tried to avoid. As the story progresses, you learn about his past, present, and future, growing more protective of his character – which adversely affects how you connect with Sarah.
Her emotional immaturity was off-putting, and while the ending was sweet, I was just glad it was over. The book’s pace dragged, offering no pull to keep reading. Far too much time was spent in Ireland at the wedding, and the rest of the book felt like it took place in real time, fast-forwarding where it should have slowed down and lingering where it could have skipped again.
Usually, I can’t put Walsh’s books down, but with this one, I went days without thinking about it. Having read two other books by Catherine, I’ve seen her seasoned talent and love her work. As this was her debut novel, it was clear she hadn’t found her voice and stride yet.
She seemed to write what she thought readers wanted rather than what she was capable of. The humor was somewhat there, the banter emerging, but it wasn’t full Catherine – it lacked the genuine back-and-forth between characters she’s perfected.
While I can’t recommend this one (which is unfortunate because Sarah’s friend Will is a hoot!), it’s worth reading to see how much Catherine’s writing has evolved. The rest of her books (I’ve read them all except “The Matchmaker,” which I’m currently reading) are truly worth it!
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+ 398 Total Pages
Read it in All Devices
+ 4 Star Review
Book Features
Romance Category
One Night Stand, Forced Proximity, Chance Encounter
Spicy Factor
Medium
Formats Available
Paperback, Audiobook, and eBook
Part of Series?
At the time of this publishing, no.
About the Book Author
Catherine Walsh
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.
Connect with Catherine Walsh
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This page may or may not also include affiliate links for bookshop.org. The affiliates links in no way influence my reviews.
