Review: Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn
Thank you St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffith for my copy. All thoughts are my own.
Me: sees book is set at a lakeside resort
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I’ve read the other books in this Interconnected romance world of three best friends and their lives and I think this has to be my favorite. It’s a single dad, second chance, brother’s best friend romance aka chock full of juicy tropes, spice, tension, and adorable kids. There were some lines and statements that made me a little weary, but overall, I found this book to be very entertaining and it kept me reading. It also is a great Fall book that features the major holidays of the ‘Ber Months but isn’t a Christmas book.
Synopsis:
“At thirty-three, Maren Laughlin's just turned down her boyfriend’s proposal, walked away from her decade-long position as a park ranger, and returned to her childhood playground in Northern Wisconsin to accept her inheritance: a decrepit waterfront bait shop. After a lifetime of letting things happen to her, she’s ready to start making her own moves, even if everyone else thinks she’s making the wrong ones. Well, not everyone—at least the local heartstopper and resort owner is on her side.
Josiah Cole has made some missteps in his life, but he’s proud of what he has: two awesome kids and the keys to the kind of getaway spot that has families coming back every summer– their up north home away from home. After his marriage dissolved, leaving him a single dad, he feels he’s the last person to judge Maren for her recent transformation (even if his best friend, her brother, wants him to feel otherwise). Besides, he genuinely likes having her around. She’s a breath of fresh air, his kids adore her (not to mention her dog, Rogers), and it doesn’t hurt that she’s beautiful.
Things between Maren and Joe are easy. So easy, they’re fully immersed in the middle before they even decide to begin. It’s not a question of should they, but rather can they make it last? Are things too easy, or is this just how real love works? In Erin Hahn’s heartwarmingly sexy Catch and Keep, Maren and Joe have to be brave enough to find out.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Tropes and Setting—Brother’s best friend, second chance, and single dad? A reading cocktail for the ages. Plus, a lakeside resort town! So many of my favorite things in one delicious book.
The Pacing/Structure—Everything felt like it flowed well and felt natural to the characters. I love that with second chance, especially childhood friends second chance, is that it’s okay to sprinkle in epic pining early on because they already know each other.
The Chemistry—This characters made sense and I loved watching them discover their feelings for each other.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
A few lines that felt unnecessary regarding the military. Minor enough that I can’t recall them but enough that I took pause while reading.
POTENTIAL SPOILER; I felt like there was going to be a stalking/kidnaping plotline and maybe I’ve read a few too many romance suspenses, but I was disappointed a certain plot line didn’t have more weight. i’m glad Maren was able to stand up for herself at the end, and I do think it’s valuable to see female creators create boundaries with male audience members. But I felt like Bryce was too creepy to only watch from afar, if that makes sense. It doesn’t invalidate the fear surrounding sexual harassment online, I just felt like as a plot point, it felt unfinished.
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 3/5 Overall Rating: 4/5
Content Warnings:
sexual harassment, toxic relationship, ableism, child abuse, bullying