In book 3 of The Influencer series, fashion and lifestyle influencer Melanie Karlsen heads to Canada for what is supposed to be a weeklong stay at a luxury resort and spa. When those plans for pampering plus content-making go awry, she finds herself at a bed-and-breakfast in a small fishing town. The condition of the bed-and-breakfast leaves much to be desired as does the company. Owner Evan Whaler does not want her there and has no qualms about unleashing his surliness upon her.

It’s the story of a city girl meeting a small town, a fake engagement, and family drama. It’s the tale of an influencer learning to strip off the filters and be real. Filled with grumpy-sunshine, While You Were Sleeping, and The Proposal vibes, half smiles and bared forearms, this one ultimately ended up being a delight for me, but I wasn’t hooked—see how I used a fishing pun there?—until around the 30% mark. I recommend sticking with it to see Melanie grow, Evan open up, and their love blossom.

I received an advance copy from Berkley and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own

I am not usually a fan of InstaLove, but this book was really sweet!

This book concludes the Influencers series, but you can read it without having read the others (although you should!). I really liked that it dove a bit into themes of grief and loss as well as responsibility and feeling as though you have to be the caretaker. I took on that role for YEARS and the burden it leaves you with is hard to explain. Melanie lives this and surrounds herself with superficial things to not let anyone in. One week with the Whaler family, though, and she realizes just how much she's been holding herself back from.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I’m genuinely speechless (first time for everything) realizing we’ve come to the end of the Influencer series. Melanie, Tara, and Crystal have carved such a special place in my heart that I truly will miss their recurring presence in subsequent stories. And while I might be slightly bias as Exes and Os is my favorite in the series (I mean, it stars a Romance Bookstagrammer, come on!), Melanie’s tale really resonates with me. Her story is one of acceptance, trust, embracing the unknown, and challenging logical reasoning (no matter how sound it may be).

As a lifestyle influencer, Melanie Karlsen has worked to curate the perfect brand for her audience. The look, the luxury, the embodiment of perfection, she is the bar that others only wish they could reach. Yet, behind this well-crafted exterior lies a cost not everyone sees. To maintain this image, she distances herself from others, with the exception of controlled peeks she allows by close friends Tara and Crystal – and, of course, her brother Julian. Melanie has constructed barriers to protect the less confident person she conceals. And while this defense has served her well, it begins to fracture. After her split from Ronan and the subsequent loss of sponsorships, Melanie’s past fears threaten to resurface. Fear driven and running out of options, Melanie seizes an unexpected offer of a week-long, all-inclusive trip to a Nova Scotia resort for social media promotion. What seems like the perfect escape quickly turns into a nightmare when the arrival dates are misaligned, leaving Melanie stranded. Quick on her feet, Melanie finds a room at a bed and breakfast an hour out of town. Unfortunately, it is ran by Evan, a temperamental, yet intriguing innkeeper. Their initial clash, including a reservation refusal and an unwanted eight legged visitor, sets the stage for an unexpected adventure. Melanie’s determination to navigate this rough spot grows when she signs up for a whale-watching tour, captained by none other than Evan himself. Fate seems to have it in for her when an accident puts Evan in the hospital, propelling Melanie into a whirlwind of guilt and a desperate charade as his fiancée to circumvent hospital policy and keep him company until Lucy arrives. Her little controllable white lie goes up in smoke when Evan’s suddenly appears with questions. As the only other person that could save her, Lucy convinces her to keep up the lie so she can help end a family feud and save the inn. Melanie has no idea how she gets herself into these situations but understanding the importance of family (she would do anything for Julius), she is determined to do what she can – as long as her and Evan don’t kill each other first!

While troupes have a tendency to repeat themselves (if it’s not broke, don’t fix it), the characters manifested within these troupes are what make a world of difference. Amy does a brilliant job creating deep contrasts with Melanie’s and Evan’s backgrounds... Mel and Evan’s interaction, driven by their differences and a battle of wills, is the rocket fuel of this story, keeping readers guessing if they will ever find common ground. It was a creative twist to use the basis of the fake relationship for the collective benefit of reuniting a fragmented family and rescuing the inn versus selfish/personal needs. It adds a heartfelt spin to the troupe while allowing more angles to play out between the two characters.

As always, I love it when I am reading a series and get to check in with characters. We get an update on Crystal and Scott as well as Trevor and Tara.

The humor woven throughout the series remains as strong as ever, with Melanie and Evan’s lively exchanges and memorable moments.

As we have come to expect from Amy, where there is humor, there is heat. Masterfully balancing the lighthearted moments with the sensual tension between the characters, Amy adds just enough heat to spice up the narrative without overwhelming it.

While the close of the Influencer Series brings a sense of loss, the anticipation for Amy Lea’s future work is undeniably exciting. Who knows? Perhaps we’ll run into Melanie, Crystal, and Tara again somehow, much like Sophie Kinsella has revisited beloved characters. In either case, Amy definitely saved the best for last.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

The Catch is the third book in Amy Lea's influencer series. With this book, we wrap up the trilogy by focusing on Mel, a fashion and lifestyle influencer. She takes an opportunity to travel to Nova Scotia to stay at a resort for her week and get new content to shake up her social media. But everything goes wrong, the resort had the wrong dates, and the only AirBNB she can find to stay at is Evan's run-down family inn.

This is a set-up for a great enemies-to-lovers story. Their animosity is intense right from the start, with both disliking so much about each other and their lifestyles. As they start a fake engagement, they have hot chemistry and a constant fight for being the more dominant one in the relationship. I had no idea how this could conclude with a romance-style happily ever after.

I loved getting to know Evan's family and the whole Coral Cove community in Canada. There were great scenes of fishing, whale watching, waterfalls, and lighthouses. It may not be the lifestyle influencer aesthetic Mel prefers, but the scenery sounded amazing and exactly to my tastes.

Kelsey Navarro Foster narrated with absolutely phenomenal voices. I was especially impressed how well she voiced Evan's perspective and had to double check it was all just her.

The Catch can be read alone, especially since so much of it is while Mel is traveling. It didn't really feature her friends from the previous books as much as I would have liked, but it still provided a nice conclusion to the series.

Rounded up to 4 stars

Reel in this February release and mount it on your wall, because "The Catch" by Amy Lea gets five stars from this reader! Thank you to Berkley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Melanie, a Boston influencer, dives headfirst into a quirky Canadian fishing village to rescue her brand after a scheduling mix-up. A boat mishap with the rugged fisherman Evan sets the stage for a hilarious fake engagement, complete with family feuds and wild chemistry in the charming chaos of Cora's Cove.

Amy Lea's storytelling skillfully balances humor, family dynamics, and unexpected romance. Mel and Evan’s chemistry is hotter than a fresh order of poutine, and while their need to take charge may seem immature, their deep talks with one another show how the sexiest trait in a partner is communication. I won’t give away the ending, but it’s the most realistic conclusion I’ve read in a while! I also love how the East Coast backdrop adds an extra layer of charm to the narrative, making it a perfect choice for anyone who loves a small-town romance.

If you're into romantic comedies that deliver laughs, swoon-worthy moments, and a dose of joy, this one's a winner. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley publishing for my complimentary eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Catch is the last in The Influencers series and I think it was the best one. I enjoyed the Canadian setting and all the shout outs to what makes Canada a truly wonderful country.
Timbits
Slow easy lifestyle
Poutin

While insta love is not my favorite troupe, the fake engagement and forced proximity helped pave the way for a truly enjoyable romance.


Perfect if you like:
Grumpy Sunshine
Forced Proximity
Fake Engagement

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Amy Lea for an advance copy of The Catch in exchange for an honest review. The Catch is the third installment in "The Influencer Series" but I believe it completely reads as a standalone, as I have not read the first two in the series. The Catch follows influencer Melanie as she travels to a small town on the coast in Canada to essentially get some new content for her social media sites. Mel ends up staying in an old inn and meets Evan. Evan is a fisherman and a boating accident ends up with him in the hospital. Mel pretends to be his fiancee in order to stay with him at the hospital. Low & behold, she doesnt realize that his entire immediate family would come to the hospital and believe that she is his fiancee. The two keeps up this facade and we see them navigate through many trials, tribulations, and a whole lot of "fun" throughout the story. The ending was absolutely **chefs kiss** and I cannot wait to read the other two books in this series. You can pick up The Catch on Feb 13th and it would be the perfect Valetines gift for the romance reader in your life.

The Catch by Amy Lea is book number three in her The Influencer series, and can stand alone. Melanie Karlsen has lived a hard life, and decided that she would never be in that place again. She has built an Instagram influencer page that pays well and takes care of her brother. She is now feeling she is not as relevant and has decided to visit the East Coast of Canada for a gig. Evan Wheeler runs the inn where Melanie ends up, but is not her biggest fan. But, after their families mistake them for being engaged things shift.

I enjoyed laughing along with Melanie and Evan as they navigated their relationship. Evan’s family was so funny and you could not help but love them. I enjoyed the small-town setting of the Canadian Fishing Village with the village festivals, townspeople, and local places.

The Catch is a great story with laugh out loud funny scenes, an interesting family, and good chemistry. I recommend The Catch by Amy Lea.
This is open door with mature themes.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

“I want to be your rock. The one at your side, always”

This book was pretty cute. I liked the story and the characters a lot and I remain firm at loving the fact that this series is about influencers and they mention every day things in it. I loved the body diversity but this is classic of this series.

It’s not my favorite of the series, I think there was something lacking a little. Maybe I needed some more chemistry between them. I get that he was captured from the beginning but the turn from “dislike” to love was so quick it gave me a bit of whiplash. It felt too instalovey for my taste and personal preference. The family showing up at the end was also kind of crazy because it’s just a little too unreal for me. Yes yes it’s a fictional book and fictional characters but it’s very unrealistic that 6 family members can just drop everything to travel to another country with the MMC to get her back. With that said, it also felt nice because one of the main tropes here is found family but still.

The pacing was good, I was entertained. I know this series won’t be for everyone but it’s worth living them a shot for sure. Book two remains my fav!

Mel, a fashion influencer from Boston winds up in a rural town in Canada and stays at the bed and breakfast of a surly fisherman named Evan. Evan takes Mel out whale watching, but while rescuing her from falling off the ship, he has an accident that sends him to the hospital. When Evan is unconscious, Mel tells the doctors that she's his fiancee, so that they let her stay with him. (It reminds me of While You Were Sleeping with Sandra Bullock!) They decide to keep up the fake fiancee charade when they realize it might have a positive impact on the rift in Evan's family.

• I'm a sucker for fake dating!
• Cozy, friendly, rural town setting.
• Characters with some hefty family baggage. I do like it when romance novels explore this!
• The quirky family and their fued was okay... but the drama didn't quite pull me in the way I think it could have... I didn't really care too much about them, but it turned out to be a large part of the fake dating plot!
• I felt like Evan was a night and day different person from the grumpy, surly way he behaved at the beginning of the book to the lovey-dovey end of the book, and Mel didn't really have enough of a growth arc to me.
• Mel's online haters and her ex boyfriend criticize her for being fake. . .but unfortunately, I also felt like she wasn't a very authentic person and didn't love the influencer aspect. It felt as shallow in fiction as I think it often is in real life. I really like when i can connect with the heroine in a novel, bur other than our spider phobia...I couldn't relate to Mel at all, unfortunately.
• Overall, I just didn't connect with this one. The last book I read by this author was 5 stars for me, so the disconnect was a bit if a surprise!

The Proposal meets While You Were Sleeping

Need we really say any more? If you like both or either of those movies, you will enjoy The Catch

4⭐️
Read if you enjoy:
-fake dating
-small town romance
-grumpy sunshine
-stories with big families
-discussions on grief and mental health
-following influencers on social media
-outdoorsy vibes
-one POV

I loved the setting for this one and it makes me want to book a trip to Canada!! Although I didn’t connect with the main character a ton, it didn’t stop me from enjoying the story! The romance was cute. I love an enemies to lover and grump sunshine trope. Fake dating usually isn’t my favorite, but I liked it mixed in with the other tropes. The falling in love was pretty quick, so if that’s not your thing, you may not love this one. This was my second book I’ve read by this author, and I look forward to reading more!

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I liked the characters in The Catch, eventually. At first, they felt like caricatures which were ridiculous, rather than real people, playing roles instead of feeling like banter. As they connected more as people, and talked to each other, it felt less like a performance and more like real life.

It also seemed like even though they stressed they didn't have money, both Evan and Melanie were able to take plenty of time off and spend money on things. Melanie passed on a paying job, using her own money for airfares and hotel, when she is out of money. It did not make sense to me.

There was also a bit of the "if only they talked about their concerns they could have avoided any difficulties." Communication is key in a relationship and they weren't always willing to do it, which does make sense for emotional reasons. Both characters seemed set on ideas initially which were not realistic long-term. I could have done with less of that part.

Evan's family was also not exactly realistic, again who can decide on a moments notice to just leave their jobs for a couple weeks. But I enjoyed them and how they gave Melanie the family she always wanted. In the end, the choices the couple made and their lifestyle made sense and was charming.

I struggled to get invested in this one. It had a few elements that I usually love - small town, fake dating - but then it also was very insta love with the whole story taking place in less than 2 weeks. It wasn’t enough time for me to be convinced. Plus I didn’t feel there were enough moments between them that felt romantic.

It didn’t help that I kind of compared it to It Happened One Summer. Admittedly not fair to compare the two books but there were some basic similarities(him a fisherman in a small town, her an influencer) where I couldn’t help it.

😊 strangers to lovers
💕 insta love
🏡 small town romance
💍 fake fiancés

single POV
3/5 stars ⭐️
1.5/5 spice level 🌶️

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Oh, this was so so cute! I think it was exactly the pick-me-up I needed after a really heavy read. It wasn’t super deep or intense but that was what was so charming about it. This is going to be a popular one and I love how it’s releasing around Valentine’s Day!

I really loved this enemies to lovers, opposites attract, grumpy sunshine story! I loved the setting in Nova Scotia. Mel and Evan had great banter and great chemistry. There was a little bit of spice. I liked that the secondary story was about family, it gave it a second layer. Loved the writing and looking forward to more stories from this author!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC.

THE CATCH – Book review!

This was such a fun conclusion to this little series and world! Mel Karlsen is a fashion/ lifestyle influencer who feels like she has hit a wall creativity wise. After a miscommunication of a sponsored trip to a Nova Scotia resort, Mel finds herself in the small fishing town of Cora’s Cove and staying at a quaint little B&B currently occupied by Evan Whaler. The two get off to a rocky start, but when an idea hatches to settle a long standing Whaler family feud, Mel and Evan agree to continue their unplanned fake-dating charade.

There were quite a few things that I enjoyed about this book. Firstly, I adored the small town setting of Cora’s Cove. It felt so cozy and homey and absolutely like a place I’d want to visit someday! Plus the Canadian setting made it extra special because all the references to poutine, Timbits, etc. made for some entertainment! Aside from that, I did also appreciate the mentions and discussions of grief and how it is different for everyone.

As for our two characters, there were also things about them that I liked. With Mel, I did like how realistic she felt and her vulnerabilities particularly when it came to her influencer lifestyle. As for Evan, he did come off as that very typical gruff and grumpy behemoth of a man, but he did have some layers to him and really was just another sweet love interest. While I did like following their stories and romance, there were some moments where I wished for just a little more from them.

The family aspect was also a nice touch too. While I didn’t necessarily get behind the ultimate reason for the fake dating, I think the element of a slightly dysfunctional but loving family who has dealt with tragedies did create some more complexity and made for an entertaining supporting cast.

Overall though, this was a fun read that had it’s fair share of hilarious moments. Plus I loved seeing some of our favorite couples from the previous books in this series and part of me is sad its over. However, I am very curious to see what will be next for this author! Perhaps more stories around Cora’s Cove?

A solid 3.5 stars- but I'm rounding up to 4.

Amy Lea's third and final installment in her "Influencer" series is fine. Solid use of tropes that seem to be universally enjoyed: enemies to lovers, fake dating/engagement, one bed, opposites attract. MCs are, for the most part, likeable enough, but I found it difficult to be emotionally invested, Protagonist Melanie keeps everyone at arm's length and, honestly, it felt like Lea was doing that with the reader as well. Her love interest, Evan, never quite evolves enough to be book boyfriend material for the reader. Appearances by other characters in the series- Crystal and Tara- are all too brief.

The book is engaging enough and interesting enough (and, for the most part, well written enough) to keep a reader's interest but only *just* enough. To be perfectly honest, neither "The Catch" nor it's predecessor, "Exes and Ohs" meet the bar established by the first in the series, "The Set Up."

A grumpy lobster fisherman tosses a fashion influencer’s impeccably curated life overboard in the next romantic comedy from international bestselling author Amy Lea.

This was a cute and light rom-com. I didn't find Melanie that compelling of a main character. Esp when she came in hot with the 30's being the end of your life in the influencer world. I liked Evan as the main hero, especially after he shed his prickly exterior and was very upfront with his feelings towards Melanie. I loved that both main characters had a struggling backstory. It made them more authentic main characters. I loved Evan's family. I found them upstaging the main characters at some point. They were so quirky and cute. I felt like this book was trying to hit too many secondary tropes. We get Opposites Attract, Grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, and small-town romance.

Lastly, I think I am just over the influencer heroine. This felt very similar to Love Naturally By Sophie Sullivan, except this adding some fake finance subplot. I didn't live either of them. What I think bothers me about it, is they end up feeling very one-dimensional or don't really understand what an influencer does. They also come in fixing all the hero's problems by being an influencer. For instance, she suggests getting on social media and advertising the hotel. Like that is marketing 101, it's not some genius cure-all. This was my first Amy Lea book. I will be going back to check out the first two books because I have heard great things about her other books.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 2/13

Fashion influencer Melanie gets thrown for a loop when she is forced to stay at a shabby B&B after unintentionally arriving a week early in Nova Scotia to promote a luxury resort. When the grumpy B&B owner and lobster fisherman Evan sustains an injury whilst taking Melanie whale watching, Melanie poses as Evan’s fiancé in order to be permitted into the ICU. The next day, Evan’s family, who are feuding over the fate of the B&B, arrive at the hospital excited to meet Melanie, whom they are told is Evan’s fiancé. With the hopes of easing this family conflict, Melanie agrees to pretend to be fake engaged to Evan for the remainder of the week in exchange for help with her social media content.

The Catch is the third installment of Amy Lea’s Influencer series but can be read as a standalone. The Catch is a contemporary small town rom-com featuring the grumpy x sunshine, opposites attract, forced proximity, and fake engagement tropes. It’s reminiscent of The Proposal movie, and it would be perfect for fans of small town or fake dating romances like In the Weeds by B.K. Borison, Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey, Hopeless by Elsie Silver, Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez, The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, or With You Forever by Chloe Liese. Themes and topics present include found family, vulnerability, abandonment, adoption, love and sacrifice, mental health, grief, appearance versus reality, confidence and self love, loneliness and isolation, conflict, vulnerability, and social media. Some potential trigger warnings include death of family members (off page), abandonment, and depression.

Out of all three books in Amy Lea’s The Influencer series, I think that The Catch was my favourite as it had a good mix of humour (including an embarrassing case of poison ivy), heartwarming family moments, and swoon-worthy romance. Even though the romance in The Catch was very much a slow burn (with a few spicy moments), the plot was relatively fast paced and engaging. Lastly, being Canadian myself, I appreciated the Nova Scotia setting and the Canadian references (like Timbits) as those aren’t things that I see in romance novels very often.

Some may think that The Catch may be too similar to Tessa Bailey’s It Happened One Summer (one of my all-time favourites) since the covers and descriptions seemed so alike, they do have some noticeable differences in the plots, whilst featuring the coastal small town and grumpy x sunshine vibes.

Overall, The Catch was enjoyable and perfect for fans of small town romances, grumpy x sunshine couples, and the fake engagement trope.