The Catch by Amy Lea features the fake dating and enemies-to-lovers tropes, which usally intrigue me. This one, however, didn't meet my expectations. Melanie Karlsen's highly curated online persona is becoming irrelevant and as a last-ditch effort to save her brand, Mel heads to a quaint little fishing village in Canada. Evan Whaler is a grumpy B&B owner and local fisherman who isn't impressed by Mel in the least. But after an accident leaves Evan unconscious, Mel is mistaken for his fiancee by Evan's family (who are in a feud with Evan about the B&B). Of course Melanie decides to fake the engagement to help Evan out, in exchange for his help with her social media content.

While the premise of this book sounds great, it just fell flat for me. I didn't connect with either of the main characters. I didn't feel any chemistry between the two and thought that there was more tension/annoyance/bickering between the two than actual romantic feelings. I also feel like this one would have benefitted from a dual POV instead of lots of inner monologue from just Mel.

This is my first book in this series and my first by this author and I think that there are other romance authors that I connect with better. I'm sure if you're a die hard romance reader or loved the others in this Influencer series that you will enjoy The Catch - there are a TON of great reviews. So go into with an open mind!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was such a delight read! Amy Lea has done it again. Her entire Influencers Series is such a breath of fresh air, and Mel's story wouldn't be different.

City girl meets small town boy. She's a lifestyle influencer. He's a fisherman. The tension and banter between these two is off the charts. From the get go, when Mel stumbles upon Evan's inn, we know we're in for a ride!

Evan's family was another delight. All of them have such unique personalities, and getting to know them felt like being welcomed in the family just like Mel was.

I highly recommend this one!

I was able to read an ebook arc of this thanks to NetGalley. I also had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. A fun romance. Great read. Would read more by this author.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This grumpy/sunshine fake dating story had so much heart! Polar opposites, city girl falls for country boy but can they make it work despite all their differences? Seriously cute - I loved both our main characters. This author has me loving each of her books and I can't wait for more.

I was very excited for this book, as Amy Lea’s last novel still lives rent-free in my brain, but unfortunately, it didn’t hit the same. While it was a cute story, it felt a bit like an amalgamation of multiple other romances I’ve read. Additionally, I didn’t feel attached to any of the characters, and I felt the main couple was lacking in chemistry and banter. Overall, 3.5 stars because I still enjoyed it and was interested but had a fair few critiques.

Honestly, Evan made the whole book for me. The Whalers in general did. Melanie reminds me of book 1, where I just didn’t vibe with the FMC, but can’t ever bring myself to DNF a book.

We get enemies to lovers due to a fake engagement. Melanie finds herself in Canada for an all paid spa week to help promote a hotel, but there’s a booking issue. She ends up an hour away because it’s tourist season at an air b&b that’s technically not even open.

They agree to let her stay, but enter Evan: the grumpy lobster fisherman who also is helping his family renovate the inn. After a boating incident gone wrong with Mel the influencer, he ends up in a coma-like state from a seizure caused by a concussion that knocked him out and sent him overboard into the cold sea. She lies to the hospital and says they’re engaged because she can’t leave him alone in his state. And when the rest of his family gets there, his cousin convinces them to keep it going to promote peace in their family.

Mel was very stubborn, her way or the highway, and a total know at all. She deliberately went against Evan and lowkey caused him to hit his head, which then sent him overboard. She had me clenching my jaw so much throughout the book - but I think that was the point?? To show extensive character growth maybe??

This book was cute, I enjoyed the characters. Really liked the Whaler family dynamics. But I'm from Nova Scotia (where the book is set) and the kitschy and over-the-top stereotypical descriptions made me cringe and gave me a hard time reading and enjoying this book.

The Catch by Amy Lea

Thank you @netgalley @berkleyromance and @berkleypub for the free digital copy!

Welp, here I am 4 months later finally writing a review for this gem. Book 3 in the influencer series came out in February, and was one of my most anticipated reads for 2024. It did not disappoint.

I’ve been waiting for Mel’s story since I read Exes and O’s back in 2023. I’ve always loved her energy and she was my favorite of the FMCs. This story finds her trying to take a break from life, books an AirBnB in Canada that ends up not being open, and runs smack dab into the Evan, grumpiest man who partially owns it. Chaos ensues, and Mel and Evan find themselves in a fake engagement scenario, so Mel has a place to stay and Evan can save his families run down inn. If you love grumpy/sunshine, this checks that box!

There were a few too many instalove moments for me at times, but overall I loved this book. It’s a perfect beachside read, or really near any body of water!

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠...
🎣 grumpy/sunshine
🎣 fake dating/engagement
🎣 inspo from the proposal/while you were sleeping
🎣 small town romance
🎣 moments it reminded me of It Happens One Summer, with less spice and more relatable characters
🎣 chaotic, family drama
🎣 lots of plaid and will make you want a lobster roll REEL BAD (see what I did there?)

Amy Lea's "The Catch" is an absolute delight! 🌟 A grumpy lobster fisherman, Evan Whaler, completely upends the life of Boston fashion influencer Melanie Karlsen, who’s desperately trying to save her brand in a quaint Canadian fishing village. 🇨🇦🦞 After a boating accident, Mel is mistaken for Evan’s fiancée by his quirky, feuding family. To help each other, they fake an engagement for a week, leading to a heartwarming and hilarious journey. 💍❤️ Amid long hikes and campfire chats, their feelings blossom, making it impossible not to root for them. 🌲🔥 Mel is faced with a tough choice between her picture-perfect city life and a genuine, unfiltered love in the wild.

This book is a perfect blend of humor, romance, and emotional depth. Amy Lea has crafted endearing characters and a story that’s impossible to put down. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a feel-good romance! 📖💕

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This was a cute and quick read. If you enjoy steamy romcoms this would be something I’d recommend. Plus the cover is so cute.

The Catch by Amy Lea had well-developed characters and a plot that was engaging. This book was a great read. I highly recommend!

**Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the e-ARC. All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own.**

in this book you follow Melanie, a fashion and travel blogger who has had to make the most out of the crappy cards dealt to her. she had been adopted when she was very young, then her adoptive parents had another child, and they lived well above their means, so when the 2008 recession hit, their mom left their dad and moved across country so their father had to raise Melanie and her brother himself. after their dad passed, Melanie took it upon herself to help support her brother in any way she could, even smothering him. then she gets an offer to go to a resort in Canada to create content, and when she arrives, the resort isn’t ready for her so she has to stay at an AirBNB with a grumpy fisherman and his cousin running it. i wouldn’t consider this grumpy sunshine as Mel definitely had her moments of also being grumpy, but this fake dating story was so sweet. you get to see grumpy Mr. Evan open up with Mel, his family slowly healing, and such a terrific rekindling and a bit of how they made their lives work in the epilogue. it did have a third act breakup, but i wasn’t too upset because everything blew up in their faces, so of course, in the heat of the moment, everything in their relationship went south. i’m giving it 4 stars because yes, it was sweet, it had a nice slow burn, but it was just missing something, but i’m not sure what.

I love an opposites attract story especially when they have to work together for a common goal. Then this one took one of my favorite tropes and upped the fake dating to a fake engagement and I was all in.

The off screen mental health issues piqued my interest and I thought it was a novel way to add depth without having it be a trait of the main characters.

This gave me vibes of While You Were Sleeping when Melanie pretended to be Evan's fiancée to visit him while he was in a coma that she felt responsible for. But he wakes up and their ruse continues. I enjoyed as the two that didn't understand each other grew to see what made the other one tick. Believable growth, likable characters and a rootable attraction are my must haves in any romance, even a rom com and this one had all three.

Kelsey Navarro Foster narrates this one and does a great job with the enthusiasm of the story. I will always prefer a dual narration for a romance, but I enjoyed this one.

I've seen some mixed reviews but this one worked for me. Of course they had me at lumberjack.

DNF @46%

I'm honestly not sure what it was about this one, but I was just not vibing with the writing or the characters at all.

I picked it up because the blurb was giving It Happened One Summer vibes, and I adore that book, but I just wasn't feeling it. It's an easy enough read, but I couldn't really be bothered with it.

After 46% not much has happened, and the mmc was just a bit too much of a boring grump without any explanation as to why.

Thank you PRH International for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Just finished my third adult rom-com by Amy, and she never disappoints! 🌟 She's such a talented writer who crafts amazing characters and fun tropes. 💖 This book was packed with grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, and fake engagement goodness! ☀️🌧️

The fake engagement storyline, combined with the heartwarming family dynamics, gave me all the "While You Were Sleeping" vibes—one of my all-time favorite movies! 🎬❤️

The third act conflict was super realistic and resolved in the sweetest way possible. 🥰 Such a cute and delightful read! 📖💕

I have to say, this book, the 3rd in Lea's "The Influencer" series is the best. I didn't really dig or connect with books 1 and 2 like I did with this one. I'm so glad I gave the author another chance.

"The Catch", an enemies-to-lovers trope, treats readers to Melanie and Evan, with a blend of small-town charm, grumpy/sunshine romance, and fake relationship antics. Both characters grew, bringing them together in a way that was not only beautiful to see but made each better for it in the end. I love when a character has a meddling family and Evan's meddles in the very best ways possible. His grandma? BE STILL MY HEART.

If you liked Tessa Bailey's "It Happened One Summer", I think you will LOVE this one!

The Catch by Amy Lea is a cute, easy to read romance that felt like a quick summer vacation.

This is book #3 in The Influencer series, but this is the first book I’ve read by the author & it can easily be read as a standalone.

The Catch is great for fans of…
🐟 Fake Dating
🐟 Small Town Romance
🐟 Grumpy Fishermen x Sunshine Influencer
🐟 Saving the Family Inn
🐟 Canada

I really enjoyed the family aspect & appreciated the small town & their vibes. I loved learning more about Canada & all the town’s activities. I wasn’t super connected to the characters however. I liked this, but I didn’t love it.

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Because I only gave this 3 stars, I will not be posting this anywhere else.

This was so cute! I loved the cozy vibes at a bed and breakfast that was struggling to stay afloat. She's an influencer and he is a fisherman whose family owns the bed and breakfast. It's immediately hate to love, but they end up having to fake date and he's trying to hold his family together. I had fun with the story and would recommend the audiobook!

A quick fun read. Totally had some "While You Were Sleeping" vibes. But cute overall. Fun banter between characters and the family was interesting and fleshed out as well. Another winner for Lea.