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How to Write a Love Story
Catherine Walsh
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Penguin Random House Canada | Viking
352 Pages
Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org
Genre: Romance | Women’s Fiction
I am not a big romance reader, but I do enjoy Catherine Walsh’s books; I especially enjoyed her Fitzpatrick Christmas Series. This book is a humorous take on the enemies-to-lovers trope. It was a comfort read, like those cheesy paperbacks my grandmother used to enjoy. There is nothing wrong with that if the time is right and the mood strikes me.
The book is about Ciara. Her father has passed away, and she wants to finish his last novel, but she is suffering from writer’s block. Editor Sam is a fan of her dad’s fantasy series, and he joins her on her dad’s huge estate to help with the book. Ciara thought Sam was going to be a lot older than he is, and a lot less handsome. Sam is also in for a shock because Ciara has written zilch. They are going to spend two weeks together this summer trying to get something done. Can they do it?
I really liked our female lead, Ciara, who is a struggling writer who is easy to root for. I understood her apprehension toward “fans.” Her having to write a sex scene for the book was eye-opening. I loved the setting of the Irish village and the small-town feel of the place. The chemistry between the leads was very slow-moving, but at least they were both mature, which was mixed with witty banter. The best part of the book was how it showed the creative process. It proves that no matter what the genre, it takes real talent to perfect the craft.
Overall, while the plot follows familiar tropes of the romance genre, the dialogue and emotional depth of losing a loved one elevated this read for me. The realistic characters trying to do their jobs in difficult circumstances and learning to like each other felt realistic and true to life. It’s clever and comforting, and it reminded this reader why I fell in love with books and reading in the first place. Thanks to Catherine Walsh for that, she certainly knows how to write a love story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
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