Grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, fake dating and forced proximity all rolled into one!

Melanie is an influencer from Boston. She is scheduled to stay at and promote a luxury resort in Nova Scotia. However, she gets her dates mixed up and arrives a week early, and they are booked up.

Melanie locates a B&B and make a reservation. Upon arrival, it really isn't open. It's run by cousins, one of which is Evan, a grumpy fisherman who loathes her on first sight. However, his cousin takes pity on her and they allow her to stay.

The encounters with Mel and Evan were so funny, and when a strange series of events leads his family to think they are engaged, it gets even funnier.

It was fun to watch them fall in love.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

THE CATCH by Amy Lea is the third in the Influencer series. It can completely be read as a standalone RomCom.

I liked this one better than the first two! Evan and Melanie were such cute characters. And it totally helped that I was literally laughing out loud on my runs while listening to this- people had to literally think I was crazy!

Melanie comes unexpectedly to Evan’s small family resort in Nova Scotia from Boston, only there isn’t a reservation for her due to a booking snafu (haven’t we all experienced this in some way??).

The banter between Evan and Melanie while they carry out their forced proximity plan to be fake fiance to each other after an unfortunate fall from Evan’s boat.

I loved it, including whale watching- this is one of my favorite things to do.

The ending was just lovely and there’s minimal “miss communication”, which is a trope I despise.

If forced proximity, laugh out loud comedic moments, and found family are three things you gravitate towards, you will love this one! Watch out though, there is a dreaded 3rd act breakup.

this one was not my favorite - and maybe it was the relationship that bothered me the most. I’m usually all in on fake dating, but the circumstances and the “relationship” that came out of it just didn’t feel right to me. I do think melanie and evan, the couple in question, won’t make it long past the end of this book…

however, I did enjoy the canadian vibes, and I love a good small town setting. the family, on the other hand, was just too much for me - and perhaps I’m picturing my own family when I say this. if you have to lie to your own family in order to do what you love, and they’re not accepting of what you love in the first place, then they are not people who deserve to be a part of your life. and I think that is what bothered me the most when it came to evan - that he was so willing to craft a story with melanie just to save his relationship with people who only want to feud about his love of his B&B.

I do adore amy lea’s writing style, so I think the family issue just irked me a little too much to fully enjoy the rest of the story.

thank you to berkley and berkley romance for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!

rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: niagara on the lake cabernet franc

I highly recommend this for your Valentine’s romance reading list! (Also check out the others in this series if you haven’t already. You’re welcome!)

The third standalone in our author’s Influencer series, Melanie is arguably the biggest influencer, and the one I’ve been excited to read about for a while now!

And I would have never expected glamorous fashion influencer Melanie to leave Boston to have her book set in rural Canada, in a fishing village, where she fulfills the fake fiancé trope with outdoorsy Evan, who owns a B & B there.

It’s too funny. Rustic wasn’t a word I thought Melanie had in her vocabulary! But she has immediate chemistry with Evan, a mountain of a grumpy man with a deep, rumbling voice.

They’re fun because they want to gravitate toward each other, but are cautious, especially Mel. She’s scared, and that does nothing to stop her love for Evan and his sweet family.

I also loved the setting, and am not sure if I’ve ever read a book in Nova Scotia before. It was beautifully described here. I want to visit now!

If you want a sweet, funny, atmospheric and thoughtful romance where all of the characters are utterly loveable and the ending will leave you grinning, this has got to be on your list!

I mean, who doesn’t love a boating accident sparks fake fiance sparks love story?! I adored this.

absolutely adored this rom-com set in Nova Scotia. This is the story of Mel, a social media influencer, who has to stay in a run down b&b when her resort has a mix up in dates. There she meets Evan, a grumpy fisherman and a fake dating scheme begins. I loved Evan's quirky family and the opposites attract vibe!

Thanks to Berkeley and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy for my opinion.

I had no idea this was the third book in a series until I read the Author's Note, so it can totally be read as a standalone. This was a fun enemies to lovers/fake relationship plot with a grumpy, yet bighearted guy and a girl looking for home. There were a lot of moments that had me cracking up, especially with Evan's family. The pacing was great, and the emotional scenes were just right. Loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for access to this arc.

I was going back and forth between 3 and 4 stars, but I did really enjoy how Evan and Mel's relationship developed despite how familiar the plot is.

Content wise, the story is nothing new. It's a very overdone story of a fisherman from a small town falling in love with a city girl who seems shallow and high maintenance. Honestly, their relationship was rather quick and I would have preferred if the span of it all was for more than two weeks but outside of that, the author did a good job naturally developing their feelings for each other. Evan and Mel were definitely very cute together and it was obvious when their perspective of each other started to shift. There was a good balance of them sharing more about their struggles and I liked that they actually communicated pretty well with each other. Mel's relationship with Evan's family was also really cute and endearing. Though their worlds are very different, they're both so stubborn and headstrong and it made it a fun relationship. Overall, though the story was familiar and their relationship was very fast, I think the characters were written well and the banter was entertaining. There were some things that felt a bit unnecessary to me though, like Ian.

This was 4 star but the third act break up made me eyeroll and bump it down! Full review to come, but man I was enjoying this series and very much anticipating this one and I am done with it and just slightly disappointed.

For fans of It Happened One Summer & While You Were Sleeping! This book reminded me a lot of the book and movie but this has its own charm to it.
Melanie is a character a lot of people will relate to and root for. She’s down on her luck and takes an opportunity to turn her life around. Evan was a wonderful character too. I fell for him hard like Mel did! They had wonderful chemistry and I found a lot of their scenes to be sweet and romantic. The romance developed at a great pace and was believable.
I also loved all the side characters. Evan’s family was a lot of fun and brought heart to the story.
A fantastic romcom filled with humor and heart.

This enchanting story reveals a gradual and dazzling romance between Evan and Mel, who start off as enemies but eventually fall in love. It is a tale that is sure to capture the hearts of readers, just as it did mine.

A fashion influencer finds herself staying at an inn owned by a grumpy lobster fisherman and his family... and despite their polar opposite personalities, there might just be love on the line for these two. Melanie Karlsen is a fashion influencer and deciding to give her brand a boost, she decides to go visit a rural fishing village on the east coast of Canada to get content. Yet when a mixup with the dates at the hotel she's suppose to be stay in leaves her stranded she finds a room at a bed-and-breakfast owned by a burly and bearded grumpy fisherman, Evan Whaler. Evan and Mel don't exactly get off on the right foot but when an accident lands Evan in the hospital, and Mel in a panic to make sure he is okay, lies to the hospital and tells them she is his fiancee... only to have his entire family come down to see him and this new "fiancee" things are about to get complicated. Mel and Evan decide to pretend to be fake engaged because it's bringing his family closer, and because they are beginning to grow closer... yet can Mel stay? Will Mel sacrifice her picture perfect life in Boston to be with people who have welcome her into their home like she was family... or will is it too soon and too big of a change? This was a really cute book, and despite it being the third and last one in the series, you can read it as a standalone ( I did and didn't have any problems following it at all). It was a really charming read and there was some spice, but overall I loved how Hallmark-esque it was with the cute bed and breakfast, a grumpy male lead, and a very charming family. I loved how much Evan adored Mel and how they were so smitten for each other. I enjoyed reading this one and would absolutely recommend it for anyone looking for a sweet and fun read.

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group,

The Catch is Amy Lea's third book in The Influencer series. Melanie Karlsen is a Boston fashion influencer whose branded trip to a resort in Canada is mischeduled and ends up having to book alternate accommodations in a small fishing village B&B. When Melanie arrives, owner Evan Whaler is less than welcoming. Thankfully his cousin makes up for his grumpy attitude. With the story we get enemies to lovers, as well as fish out of water, and fake engagement tropes. I liked how as the story progressed the author slowly revealed to both Melanie and Evan the others true personality. As they learn to not judge each other by their first impressions and preconceptions, they grow closer. The story is very cute and I especially liked how the author wrapped up the story. The book can easily be read as a stand alone.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Books for the advanced copy. This is my honest review.

I really loved the setting of the book and how the connection between the characters formed. I wish that the time span of the book was longer but would definitely recommend.

I adored this entire series and The Catch was a perfect way to end it. In The Catch, we get to see Mel's story unfold as she heads to coastal Canada for a promo trip to a spa and when she arrives, she discovers they messed up the dates for the stay. She scrambles to find another place to stay and ends up at the Whaler Inn, where she meets Eric and Lucy.

When I tell you I couldn't put this story down, I mean it. I loved everything about this book. The topics it covers, the characters, the location - it's all pretty perfect.

If you haven't checked out this series, I highly recommend it. All the books work as standalones as well, but it helps to know all of the characters going into each one as they all make appearances.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A nice portrayal of Nova Scotia and a sweet East Coast town. I could really picture some of the places I've visited out there with the setting descriptions, and they helped to pull me into the romance.

my emotions while reading this book: 😂😫💕🥹🫶🏼
such a cozy romance about being vulnerable with the people you love and the unimportance fancy, material things

Amy Lea's books are just always so much fun! I can't say enough good things about The Catch - it is just thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. Melanie and Evan can't stand each other and it is so fun to watch them go from their awkward interactions to so much more. Loved it!!

Goodness this book is delightful in all the best possible ways. This is the last book in The Influencer series, and like most rom-coms, it can be read as a stand-alone. But Amy's storytelling abilities are outstanding, and I would highly recommend reading the other books in the series. You won't be disappointed. This book was a lot of fun to read. Melanie and Evan's journey to their HEA was full of fun (and funny) twists and turns and plenty of romantic moments. I really enjoyed watching these two different worlds coming together or clashing together. It creates plenty of opportunities for entertaining and hilarious moments. I adored that this book is set on the East Coast of Canada. It's an area in Canada that is often overlooked and forgotten, and it really shouldn't be. Amy did a fantastic job capturing the heart of East Coast Canada. The sense of community and belonging is such an important aspect of life out there, and Amy brought that to life in her book. All of the descriptions in her book were lush and vivid and transported me back to the time when I was out east. I also love all the wonderful nods to Canadian culture or experiences. It made my Canadian heart sing.

As I said, this story is a lot of fun. I am a huge fan of fish out of water and grumpy sunshine romances, and this book perfectly captures the essence of those tropes. Melanie's experiences out in the countryside were hilarious. She is a city girl, and her fear of creepy-crawly things often gets her into embarrassing situations. I soaked in all those funny moments and loved that this book made me laugh multiple times. I was surprised at how much was packed into this book. Amy takes her readers on this journey that is really delightful and engaging. It has all those things that make a rom-com great, but it also deals with tougher issues like grief and complicated family dynamics. She balances out the lighter, fluffy moments with these more serious, deeper ones and creates a delightful reading experience. I loved all the characters. Evan's family is delightful in the best possible way. They are all so quirky, and even though they spend a lot of time-fighting with each other, it's evident that they care for one another. All the townspeople added that extra charm to the story, and I enjoyed spending time with them.

Melanie and Evan were fabulous. Melanie is a city girl, and she is proud of it. There were definitely times when she could be a bit much, but her heart was always in the right place. Melanie's character struggles with letting people in. Her childhood was filled with financial hardship and grief. Her family didn't have a lot, and that need to be financially secure is a huge stressor and motivator for how she lives her life. She wants to make sure that she has enough money to live. Not only that, but she also feels pressure to take care of her brother. There are a lot of walls around her heart, and it will take a gorgeous, grumpy lobster farmer to break them down. At the beginning of this book, Evan's character is grumpy, and I mean incredibly grumpy. He really dislikes Melanie and isn't afraid to show that dislike. I will admit his grumpiness towards Melanie even surprised me. I didn't understand why he was so mean to her. It just didn't seem to make sense. But it turns out Evan's grumpiness is just a cover for his growing attraction for Melanie. I enjoyed the fake engagement twist Amy threw into the story. It was the perfect way to ensure these two characters spent more time together.

The romance between Melanie and Evan happens fast and furious. It is a vacation romance so that pacing is to be expected. I did find myself at times questioning how these two characters would fall madly in love with each other in four days. Amy does a job developing their relationship in a way that mostly makes sense. There are things that happen between these two that would only happen in romance land, which is fine for me. I really don't need my romances to be realistic. For me, it's all about those feelings that the story gives me, and this book gave me so many fabulous feelings. There were so many delicious moments between Melanie and Evan. Their real and fake relationship has plenty of bumps in it. Amy would build us up to a spicy moment, and then something would happen to stop that moment. It was torture in the best possible way. I loved these two together and really loved their ending.

The Catch is a warm and enjoyable romantic comedy perfect for bookworms who love fish-out-of-water and grumpy-sunshine romances.

The Catch was an "enemies" to lovers, small town vacation romance between Mel, an influencer from a big city, and Evan, a fisherman from a sleepy small town. At first I couldn't see how they could possibly ever find some common ground but I ended up finding their love story to touching and sweet. This was my first Amy Lea book and although I know this was part of a series, I didn't find it confusing at all to read as a standalone. Even though they fall in love rather fast, I didn't find it to be that unrealistic and I really enjoyed the side characters and how they all were part of Mel and Evan's love story. The comedic parts of this book definitely hit right in my opinion and didn't take away from the story or the serious nature of some of both of their struggles and feelings. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🔥🔥
 
Quick Breakdown:

Vacation Romance
Disklike to Love
Opposites Attract
Fake Fiance
Small Town
Single POV
Open Door – Mild Details
 
Thank you so much @berkleyromace for the gifted eARC and finished copy & @PRHaudio for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinion #berkleypartner
 
Mel travels to Nova Scotia for work as a lifestyle social media influencer. But when there is a reservation  mix up with the resort she’s been hired to work for, she’s stuck for an extra unexpected week without a place to stay. It’s fishing season & everything is booked. The only thing available is The Whaler Inn, a run down Airbnb an hour away where she meets the grumpiest of fishermen.
 
I’ve been a lover of Amy Lea’s influencer series from the beginning & that love continues with The Catch. One of the biggest things that worked for me was the pacing. It’s a vacation setting, insta love romance set over the course of 2-3 weeks, BUT nothing about it felt rushed to me. Insta love that doesn’t feel instant? That alone should be applauded!
 
Mel & Evan are total opposites who butt heads from the get go, but watching the pair slowly work from strong dislike to mutual respect to so much more was truly heartwarming. There was this P&P vibe where both MC’s were judging each other by the personas they chose to show the world when deep down they are so much more similar that they realized. Amy did such a good job intertwining a more serious conversation about how we use social media into a romance.
 
The fake fiancé twist to the story was enjoyable, too. Evan’s family were so endearing with their kookiness. Her family baggage & desire to find a home made this insta love all the more believable.
 
I read most of The Catch on audio & I’d recommend the same. It’s narrated by one of my favorites, Kelsey Navarro Foster. Her voice really got me hooked into the story. Once I started listening I had a hard time reading anything else, finishing in less than two days!
 
Make sure to add this one to your TBRs, romance lovers. The Catch releases Tuesday February 13th!