4.5 ⭐️

The Catch is the third book in The Influencer series and as a huge fan of the previous two, I lost my s**t when I received an email giving me access to an early ARC of this book. And it is quite early, because there was six months to the release when I received my advanced copy. Oh, the excitment!

I tried making myself wait to read it closer to the release date but I couldn't. Not when the book was just chilling in my kindle, so here we come with the review!

The Catch follows the last influencer in our favorite girlie trio of badass women. In this book we follow Melanie, looking to refresh and rebirth her brand as the social media trends of pretty people change constantly. She receives a full pre-paid holiday from a hotel line and decides that its the perfect chance of giving life again to her brand.
So, she goes to the hotel, flies miles and miles away to Halifax, when the hotel lets her know that they mixed up the check in days and she has one more week before her holiday starts. She can't afford to go back with another flight and then return *again* so she finds out a beautiful B&B an chaos ensues.

B&B isn't actually open? Check!
The owner is hot and grumpy flannel wearer? Check.

What follows is a beautiful and giddy experience of nature, named spiders in showers, humor, some boat accidents or two, small town shenanigans and, of course, fake dating!
Evan is also a fisherman. A very hot fisherman with amazing knowledge of the female reproductive system.

If i got a nickel for every time I fell for a hot grumpy fisherman from a small town book, I'd get two nickles, which isn't much, but it's fun that it happened twice!

Ah, this book was amazing. I loved the family banter, the backstories of the Whalers, of Mel and of the inn. I loved how nature was used delicately to further thing along, the spice was incredible and the third-act breakup was resolved healthily and quickly enough that I can ignore it. Would've loved more cameos of our favorite babies from book 1 and 2, but this book was still a good send-off to this series.!

Thanks to Penguin Random House UK and Amy Lea with providing me with this glorious ARC of a book!

This book is solid! It's sweet and funny, entertaining and a hot contemporary romantic comedy. I loved how author combined both romance and humor in an engaging and fun story. Moreover, the chapters were charming enough to have me falling and rooting for them!

I absolutely ADORED this book! I am a huge fan of the influencer series by Amy Lea, but this instalment was my favourite.

Fashion influencer Melanie Karlsen accepts a collab with a luxury resort on the east coast of Canada, but on her arrival she discovers the hotel has gotten the date wrong, so she finds herself stuck in a rural fishing village in an inn that's under renovation. The owner, a bearded, burly, flannel-wearing grump named Evan Whaler, makes Melanie feel less than welcome, but with no other options in the area, she has to endure the bad energy.

When a boating accident lands Evan unconscious in the hospital, Mel is mistaken for his fiancée by the medical staff, and the charade continues when Evan's quirky family arrive on the scene. In an attempt to mend their family feud and keep the inn in the family, Melanie agrees to fake their engagement for one week in exchange for Evan’s help with her social media content.

I loved these characters! Lea has a knack for writing real, flawed and engaging leads, with plenty of chemistry and banter between them. Every trope I love is in here: grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, fake dating, AND city girl meets small-town! I couldn't get enough of the story and absolutely inhaled it. If you liked the film The Proposal, you'll love this!

A fun romantic book with all the classic will they, won't they elements. There are some surprises along the way but thoroughly enjoyed this and how easy it was to engage with the characters.

I’m sad to see the end of this series! I loved the different personalities and loved being in the hallmark film at the inn! I wish I could really go!

The catch is the third and final instalment in the influencer series by Amy Lea and while Evan and Mel did not have as big an impact on me as Tara and Trevor from exes and o’s, I’m so glad we finally get to find more about Mel in her own book.
This book teaches the importance of people, not possessions and the way you present yourself via your online imagine. In the beginning we learn that Mel is an influencer who leads the ‘perfect’ lifestyle, but throughout the book we learn that this may not be the case and as she meets Evan she starts to realise that there is more to life beyond what is portrayed on social media. Evan helps her come out of shell and accept that it’s okay to not be perfect and to let people in.
This is an easy and quick read and this book was a lovely way to end the series and I’m sad that it’s over.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC of this book.

Amy Lea quickly became an auto-read romance author for me, and each book of hers is more enjoyable than the last. It took me a little while to get into this one, but once I did I fell hard for Mel and Evan, their enemies to lovers story, the small seaside town of Cora's Cove in Canada. I wanted to live there myself. I loved the rundown inn, Evan's family – especially Nana – and could really immerse myself in the story.

Evan and Mel were as infuriating and frustrating as each other at the beginning, and I loved the progress of their relationship which didn't feel hurried or implausible – I was completely sold, and loved the way they softened towards each other over time. The romance was so swoony, and Evan was a great hero. I loved how strong they both were, how they competed and then compromised, and how Mel couldn't deny her growing attraction to Evan forever. The ending was amazing, and there was one bit I didn't see coming at all.

A fun, sweet and completely swoony romcom that had me wanting to book a flight to Cora's Cove immediately.

This Grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, city life meets rural romance is a total delight, everything you would expect from a fluffy small town romance.
Closed off make up and fashion Influencer meets grumpy small town fisherman in a chance meeting that starts off with a bang. A clash of stubborn personalities and insecurities are the basis of this enemies to lovers romance but the biggest and best surprise was the element of found family to the story. The warmth and love of the Whaler family is endearing and wraps you up in a cosy blanket beside a campfire on a warm autumn evening, that’s the overall feel this book gave.

This series has been a real hit for me but I’m not blinded by the timescales of this head over heels romance so it’s a romantic lover must in terms of tastes, you need to be open to the idea of whirlwind romance and fast developing feelings.

The plot kept me reading fast and the conclusion was everything I expected and hoped for without being overly cheesy in the epilogue. It’s witty and kind to it’s characters.

If you want a big squishy hug, some nice character development where they learn, grow and act on the their self evaluation then your safe with Amy Lea.

🎣 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 - 𝑨𝒎𝒚 𝑳𝒆𝒂 🎣

Amy Lea is back with another banger! Being a fan of her previous two adult books I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this and she didn’t disappoint in the slightest.
The Catch follows Melanie Karlsen as she heads to Canada for her latest business venture in the world of social media only to find herself there too early with nowhere to stay except for a profitless inn a few miles away in the quaint town of Cora’s Cove. Queue a run in with the snarky owner of the B&B Evan and his quirky but lovable family.

If you’re a fan of fake engagement, good banter between the MCs and the city meets small town trope then this one’s for you! Evan has been my favourite of all the men in the influencer series so far and I loved his story and how it progressed. My only qualm with this book was the pacing which felt a bit disjointed at times but overall didn’t affect my liking for the storyline.

Amy Lea’s The Catch will be available to buy from 15th February 2024 but you can preorder now!

Thank you so much to @netgalleyuk and @penguingeneraluk for my copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
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🏷️ #romancereads #bookstagram #bookstagramireland #amylea #thecactch #romancetropes #grumpyxsunshine

After loving Amy Lea’s last book, I had high hopes for The Catch. The story follows fashion influencer Melanie who finds herself in a remote fishing village to kill time ahead of a stay at a luxury resort to promote on her social channels. She hopes the trip will help give her a boost in engagement as she’s petering on the brink of becoming irrelevant. While there she encounters fisherman Evan Whaler, who just so happens to be her Airbnb host, and he’d be charming if it wasn’t for his grumpy demeanour.

After a boating incident lands Evan in the hospital, Mel lies to the doctors and says she’s his fiancee so she can stay with him, but soon the lie gets out of hand with even his family thinking the pair are lovebirds. Mel agrees to uphold the fake engagement for a week in order to ease the tension of an old feud in Evan’s family, if he agrees to help her with her social media. What could go wrong?

The premise is a little sketchy and far fetched. It doesn’t feel as believable or warm as Amy’s previous books in the influencer series. I didn’t particularly warm to Mel’s character, and felt her backstory was a little too convenient for the plot. I also found the ending a little sudden and unrealistic.

If you like enemies to lovers, and fake dating and even the movie The Proposal then you’ll enjoy this, but for me, it fell a little flat. While saying that, I did love the descriptions of Canada, and there were moments of Evan and Mel’s relationship that charmed me.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

When Mel ends up stranded for a week in rural Canada, she stumbled across the only B&B with any room ... and before long is fake engaged to Evan, the grumpy fisherman owner.

This is a sweet romance with fun characters and a cute plot. Not quite as good as the other two in the series, but still worth a read!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed Amy Lea’s first two books, but this one - the third in her influencer trilogy - was by far my favourite. I LOVED it! It had so many of my favourite things : small town romance, fish-out-of-water city girl heroine, surly bearded love interest, fake engagement, oh-no-I’m-falling-in-love-not-only-with-him-but-with-his-whole-big-eccentric-family vibes. It was a joy! I laughed, I teared up, I swooned when the While You Were Sleeping references started popping up. It’s funny and thoughtful and touches on grief in a sensitive way. @amyleabooks just keeps getting better and I can’t wait to see what she does next. Out in February so pre-order now! (FYI: It is the third in a series but can also be read as a stand alone)

Another great romance read from Amy Lea! Very cute setting (I’d move to Cora’s Cove tomorrow if I could), fab supporting characters (Nana is a total star) and the most perfect pair of protagonists in Mel & Ethan. Hopeful, funny, heartwarming, ever so slightly cheesy and with just a hint of spice, what more do you need?

I ate this up. It has all my favourite tropes: Fake dating, grumpy/sunshine (ish), small town romance. There was some insta-love which I'm not really a fan of but Amy did address this in the book so I can overlook that.

We had sassy and sarcastic Mel and grumpy but soft Evan. Both characters, while similar, brought something different to the story and I loved how Amy managed that.

Mel and Evans too and fro really made this book. I loved how they bounced off each other with their sarcastic banter and once they started to fake date and relax around each other, It only got better.

You can read this as a standalone. Obviously reading the previous two helps with understanding certain character dynamics but it no way hinders your enjoyment if you haven't.

Thank you netgalley/Berkley for my early copy !

Thank you Penguin Randomhouse and Amy Lea for this ARC!! It genuinely was one of the easiest and most addictive books I have read in a while. The humour is TOPTIER

"The Catch" by Amy Lea sounds like a delightful and engaging contemporary romance novel that explores themes of love, authenticity, and the clash of urban and rural lifestyles.

The premise of a fashionable city influencer colliding with a rugged fisherman in a quaint Canadian fishing village is both charming and humorous. This setup promises a fish-out-of-water scenario that can lead to a wealth of comedic and heartwarming moments.

The idea of a fake engagement turning into genuine feelings is a classic trope in romance literature, and it's one that many readers find appealing. It adds depth to the characters as they grapple with their emotions and navigate the complexities of their budding relationship.

Moreover, the contrast between Melanie's urban, fast-paced life and Evan's more laid-back, rural existence provides an interesting backdrop for exploring themes of personal growth and transformation. Readers can anticipate a story that not only delivers on the promise of romance but also offers insight into the characters' journeys of self-discovery.

Overall, "The Catch" appears to be a captivating love story set in a picturesque coastal setting, offering readers a mix of humor, romance, and personal development. Fans of contemporary romance with a touch of fish-out-of-water charm are likely to find this book an enjoyable read.

2.5/5⭐️
2/5🌶️

I don't know where to start this review. It's taken me a few days to gather my thoughts because it took me weeks to finish it. I started reading other books in between because it just couldn't hold my interest enough.
I didn't really connect with the character enough to feel invested, and the plot was nothing original.
Evan's character changed his attitude very quickly, and the inconsistency of his actions made me annoyed. Unfortunately, he was giving me the ick.

This is the second book I've read from Amy, and both times nothing has clicked for me, so I probably won't be reading more of her work.

TROPES:
- grumpy x sunshine
- small town
- opposites attract
- fake dating
- single POV

Thank you Penguin & Netgalley for this ARC.

This is my first Amy Lea book and I wasn't disappointed. With this being book three in the influencers series I did wonder if I was going to be spoilt for this book but I am safe to say that even though this is part of a series this can be read as a standalone and the characters from the first two books do make an appearance.

The Catch is about Melanie a fashion Influencer who is having a bit of a career crisis, she is losing followers hand over fist and she is not getting the collaborations from companies like she used to. She is starting to panic that all her hard work is now worth nothing. She is then offered an opportunity to stay in a beautiful hotel in Nova Scotia and she jumps at the chance to go.

Like with anything there is a mix up and Melanie arrives a week early for her stay at the Hotel and finds herself in a bind. Now this is where we come to the enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine part of the book. Mel arrives at a rundown Ait B&B in a small fishing village and is immediately turned away by Grumpy Evan owner of said B&B.

Evan is the typical grumpy male character who you know is like an M&M - a hard shell but is soft underneath (not the peanut one). He has gone through a lot already with the loss of a family member that he takes the blame for, he wants his family to be happy and one unit again but Mel comes in like a whirlwind and messes up his quiet life.

The tension between the characters certainly builds up and we do get some spice in this book which I was pleasantly surprised by. I would definitely say it was at least 2.5 on the spice meter (don't forget everyone else has their own spice levels).

I really enjoyed the laugh out loud moments, the secondary characters that is Evan's family - Nana is my favourite and the sense of the characters growing and becoming who they are meant to be. There is some roll your eyes moments but I kinda expect that in a romance book. This one definitely has a few trop0es thrown in as well, from Grumpy x Sunshine, enemies to lovers, dare I say love at first sight? As well as found family.

I would definitely say give this book a read if you are fans of Tessa Bailey's It Happened One Summer as it definitely gave me those vibes.

A Small Town, Forced Proximity, Fake Dating, Grumpy x Sunshine book

This is the 3rd book in the Influencers series, I was a big fan of Set On You so was very excited to receive this arc.

I love a small town romance and thought that the setting of Cora's Cove was described really well and felt authentic. I also loved the family dynamic of Evans family.

I'm always a little apprehensive when the main character is an influencer because they are quite often written as a bit dense and vain but I think Mel was written really well. Evan is a perfect book boyfriend, he did so many little acts for Mel that were totally adorable. The book takes place over a two ish week period, I wish it was longer so we could see Mel and Evans relationship develop a bit slower.

Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Books and Amy Lea for the arc of this book.

3.75 stars (rounded up)

There may be slight spoilers within this review, but I’ve tried to keep it as vague as possible.

To start, I absolutely loved Exes and O’s. It was my favourite of the series and after reading this one, it still is.

I enjoyed the overall story, the descriptions of the scenery is just perfect and I felt like I was there. Sadly, the rest didn’t work for me. There are similarities to other small town fisherman novels out there and I liked Evan, but I didn’t love him. I think that a dual pov would have solved that for me.

I did love Mel, she wasn’t irritating and she felt like a friend, which I liked as a reader. I wasn’t keen on the set up or the reason behind the fake dating and felt that there wasn’t much chemistry between them before they got serious.

I adored the family. Well written, funny, a great set up, when they were interrupted so many times, it just worked. Great addition.

Overall, it was a fun read. There were things I loved and other things that just didn’t add up for me in the long run. I don’t regret reading it at all.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.