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.

this was such a cute read! i love the grumpy sunshine trope and amy lea always nails it! i'm so sad to see the influencer series end but this was such a fun ride!

Final book in the Influencer's series by Amy Lea.

This one was kind of fun, with Melanie the fashion influencer trying to get her follower count up and needing a boost to her brand. When she's invited to a Nova Scotian resort in exchange for a positive social media review the timing gets messed up she ends up at the only place that has room, a run down, under reconstruction family inn. Small town meets big city. Definitely some funny moments, and a good ending to this series.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this so much but it also annoyed me??

I loved the beginning - the tension and general annoyance between our FMC and MMC was amazing. 5/5 stars there. I loved the setting and the fake dating situation.

The annoyance came from the conflict. It fit the characters and we knew it was coming, but I was hoping they'd come to their senses beforehand.

You had me at grumpy lobsterman! A great opposites attract, fake dating romantic comedy that takes place in an atmospheric remote fisherman village on Canada's east coast. Evan is a fisherman and bed and breakfast owner who mostly keeps to himself and enjoys the peaceful life he lives. Then along comes fashion influencer Melanie to shake things up for Evan in a major way. When they are mistaken for each other's fiance after a boating accident leaves Evan in the hospital with Melanie there as "family," they decide to run with it and find themselves falling for each other the more time they spend together. Great banter, spicy romance, and hard to put down.

The Catch was a lot of fun! Melanie, a fashion influencer, has to stay for a week in a Canadian bed & breakfast to save her career. There she is roped into a fake engagement with a grumpy fisherman, Evan.

The tropes in the Catch include:
✨fake dating (engagement)
✨grumpy x sunshine
✨opposites attract
✨one-bed trope

Melanie was a relatable main character, but she was a bit annoying at times. She acted like I would if I had to share a bathroom with a spider. Her dedication to her social media platform too often overrode common sense, and that was the frustrating part for me! However, I liked how the book showed that not every influencer’s life is glamorous. Melanie had a tough childhood, and therefore I can understand some of her actions. Evan, on the other hand, is a grumpy fisherman, which is one of the best love interest tropes. I love Evan and Melanie’s dynamic, and I love how there was no miscommunication trope. They were both very mature and understanding of each other’s lives and I love that. And of course, Evan’s family was AMAZING!

The Catch was enjoyable and quick to read! But it lacked something magical for me since it was predictable, and the relationship felt too rushed!

*4.5 stars

I adore Amy Lea's books and The Catch is no different. I loved the setting, the grumpy sunshine trope, and the swoon-worthy romance. From the first page she had me hooked, and it was a great continuation of the Influencer series. With addicting banter, sweet shared moments and adorable characters, I definitely recommend picking it up.

Another adorable story by Amy Lea. Not my favorite in the series, but still so much fun! If you liked Exes and O’s you’ll enjoy this one.

Amy Lea's writing -- *especially* in this series -- is so fun and swoony. I'm really sad to see this series end! This one had all of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, opposites attract, fake dating, city vs. small town, grumpy/sunshine...all the hits, truly!