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.

I adored this sweet and swoony sports romance! I love a book with humor and baseball!

“I’m running up against client confidentiality here, but let’s just say that men love their dicks until they’re in court against an expert witness who’s holding up items for scale.”

Chris is the Sweetest Hero and I’m head over heels for him. I did want to knock some sense into Daphne when she kept putting off telling him the truth… But.. I Kinda did understand her position.
The Art of Catching Feelings was my first book by this author but it definitely won’t be the last! I’m completely hooked and can’t wait to read more of her books!!
-5 Stars-

A cute story, but I'm not sure if this was the right one for me with the pacing. Writing was super cute and a great sports romance for anyone looking for those! I will be sure to recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

Great sports romance novel. I looved it.

Not my favorite Alicia Thompson story.

Daphne Brinks doesn't know much about baseball. The only reason she is at the game is because her ex-husband all but insisted she give him her ticket. That’s how she ends up drunk and joining her neighbor in heckling the players, except it probably isn’t in good taste to heckle the home team. Worst of all, her ridiculous statement makes the next batter cry.

Daphne tries to apologize and after a brief but pleasant text conversation with Chris Kepler, she realizes that she accidentally deleted the part where she told him that she was the heckler. It should be fine, at least she apologized but when Chris texts again and again, they start to build a texting friendship. Two lonely people, Daphne and Chris are building a comfortable relationship and again, it shouldn’t hurt anyone to keep her identity a secret, right?

When her sister in law, the Battery's sideline reporter, ends up on a medical leave, she wants Daphne to take her place. Daphne agrees. At first, her IRL interactions with Chris are tainted by their first failed interaction but after apologizing to his face, Chris agrees to move on from that day.

Chris also feels, after his text interactions with his mystery friend, that he needs to stop hiding from the world.  When she doesn't agree to meet with him in person, he is disappointed but then Chris start spending more and time with Daphe.   This leaves Chris conflicted about his growing feelings both for Daphne and for his texting friend, never knowing they were one and the same.

THOUGHTS:
I found my whole experience with this story overshadowed by dread as the more we get to know Chris the more we know he is not going to react well when he finds out that Daphne and his friend are one and the same person. There were things he confessed to his texting friend that he wasn't ready to tell Daphne, including the death of his brother which as caused his spiraling and his crying when she taunted him.  Chris wants to meet his friend in real life but she says no and she starts withdrawing from their friendship, which again makes Chris pretty sad.  Of course, this is because Daphne and Chris are spending so much time together at this point. 

I was frustrated every time there was that perfect opening where she should confess that she is the text friend and she passes it up. Then there would be a perfect bonding moment between them and instead of being happy, the dread would grow because I knew the hurt would be that much greater when the betrayal finally hit.

I enjoyed the other stories by Alicia Thompson but these were not my favorite characters.

This is lighthearted romance that brings a bit of charm to the workplace romance genre. The characters are likable, and the storyline is engaging, but it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. The chemistry between the protagonists is enjoyable, but there are moments when the pacing feels uneven, which affects the flow of the story.

While there are several funny and heartwarming scenes, some of the plot points feel predictable, and the character development could have been deeper. Despite these minor issues, Its still enjoyable read for anyone looking for a feel-good romance with a few laughs along the way.

Rating: 3/5

Another baseball romance I love. I just adored these two so much. Daphne messing up the message is something i've done, just not on her level 😂 & I adored that she has a bookstagram & all the bookish & pop culture things! Anxious driver, overthinking ... this book is for me! I adore you Daphne Brink!
Chris iso sweet when he wants to talk. & hot & hurting & I just wanted to hug the poor guy! I loved watching these 2 get to know each other through messages & working together & falling for each other. And oh man the spice!!! These 2 are so hot together!! I did have to stop reading for a bit when Chris found out, his reaction broke my heart but he redeems himself eventually. I don't know shit about baseball but still enjoyed that aspect & all the talk about other teams & stats, go Mariners!! & of course The Prospects mention made me cry lol IYKYK! This was my first from Alicia & I can't wait to read her other books!! This book has good mental health rep and dealing with the loss of a loved one. Just an overall great story.

The Art of Catching Feelings was my third book by Alicia Thompson and it may just be my favorite yet! I loved this fun twist on a sports romance and found myself laughing out loud multiple times, Although I felt like the middle dragged on a little, the ending made up for it. I enjoyed reading this one partly in print and partly in audio!

i really wanted to love this one!!! i mean, it opens with a girl reading a book at a baseball game, which is very me coded! she gets drunk and heckles a batter who hears her and has a breakdown... she later DMs him to apologize (and spill her feels) but forgets to paste over the actual apology part, so when they start messaging back and forth (an unlikely thing from jump) he doesn't know she's the heckler... and ofc she never tells him!!!

THEN she gets a job as a sideline reporter and has to interview him IRL all the time but he doesn't know she's the same girl he's messaging/falling for...

it's just so silly and unrealistic but in a way that didn't even feel very escapist or fun? it just seemed half-baked tbh and it took me out of the enjoyment of the storyline. bummer!!!

I actually started reading this as I was getting back into enjoying baseball, so this made the story a little more fun to read. The huge explosion of sports romance makes me nervous because I'm always worried the author will get something important about the sport culture wrong.

I do admit, I got a lot of secondhand embarrassment when Daphne kept lying, especially when she had so many different opportunities to come clean. Chris, the mmc, however was well done, sweet, yet sensitive guy who definitely made me cry.

This probably wasn't the author's best, but I loved the mmc enough to overcome the issues I had with the fmc.

I love a sports romance, though baseball was never one that I actively looked for. However, this did make me enjoy the sport, and I loved Chris. He's sweet, sensitive, caring and truly made me swoon.

Such a cute, sweet emotional read. Loved the hidden identity and friends with benefits thing that Clearly almost always turns into something more 😂 I love it when books have real deep issues in it so they are more relatable.

Thank you to @netgalley @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson is a charming and heartfelt romance that brings together a professional baseball player and his unexpected admirer in a delightful twist on the “You’ve Got Mail” trope. This novel follows Daphne Brink, who, after a few too many beers, heckles Carolina Battery player Chris Kepler at a game. Horrified by her actions, she reaches out to apologize on social media, sparking an unexpected connection.

What I Loved:
Character Chemistry: The dynamic between Daphne and Chris is electric. Their interactions, both online and in person, are filled with witty banter and genuine emotion, making their romance both engaging and heartfelt.
Humor and Heart: Thompson’s ability to blend humor with tender moments shines through. The story is peppered with laugh-out-loud scenes, especially during their initial exchanges, while also delving into deeper emotional territory.
Unique Premise: The concept of a heckler and a professional athlete forming a connection adds a fresh twist to the romance genre. The backdrop of professional baseball and the challenges they face together make for an engaging and entertaining read.
Overall, The Art of Catching Feelings is a delightful and spirited romance that will leave you smiling. Alicia Thompson delivers a story full of love, laughter, and unexpected connections, making it a perfect read for fans of contemporary romance.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

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I had midlevel expectations going into this book seeing as I didn't super care for this author's first book, but was very pleasantly surprised!

I am a big baseball fan so a romance set against the backdrop of MLB felt like it was right up my alley. The main relationship issue in this book was just a MASSIVE miscommunication which normally I don't love, but I found myself not caring as much as I thought. Both main characters had their flaws and were pretty aware of them. The pacing of the book and relationship were pretty good as well!

Definitley would recommend to romance readers!

Daphne is attending a baseball game that she was SUPPOSED to go to with her husband, now ex husband. She gets drunk and “heckles” a player from the home team, (who does that??) at the game. She unknowingly mentions something that upsets him, and he cries at bat.

Chris is struggling since he lost his brother, and his playing is being affected. He has no one to talk to about his grief, his dad won’t talk about it and Chris keeps it all bottled up from his coaches and teammates. One night after the disaster of a game where that woman really hit a nerve, he opens his DMs him on IG to find a message from someone named duckiesbooks. They apologize for what he went through and connect with him on a level he hasn’t had in ages.

Daphne is the anon. account, but forgets to mention she was the heckler. So Chris unknowingly makes friends with his heckler, and Daphne feels forced to keep her identity hidden. They continue to connect over Dms and eventually text.

Daphne has family who works for the baseball team, and somehow ends up with a temporary position til the end of the season. She is working alongside Chris, and she has no idea how to handle an online anon. Friendship and a real life working relationship.

I have never been so invested in the “when will she get caught in her lie” trope before. It was so wonderfully done I can’t believe it. I was anxious for Daphne the entire time she was living her double life and felt sorry for Chris as he developed feelings for both women, and didn’t know what to do.

I resonated with the heartbreaking aspect where Chris is trying to handle his grief and panic attacks but failing, and Daphne encouraging him to see someone to talk to about it. Men have anxiety and grief just as much as women do. Chris being a pro athlete really hit the nail on the head that anyone can struggle mentally and emotionally, even the rich/athletic/famous/masculine ones.

The third act break up was exactly where I knew it would be, but really enjoyed reading how they both got through their heartache and worked on themselves as a result. It truly resonated with me that someone isn’t going to ask for help, no matter what someone close to them says, until they realize they actually need it.

I wanted to love this one, but I just couldn't get into it at all. I didn't buy into the romance and never felt connected to the characters. Way too insta-lovey for me!

Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Is it really even summer without a little baseball?! In this one Daphne needs to escape her heartbreak and what better way than at the ballpark? However, after a few too many ballpark beers she starts heckling a player and doesn’t expect to actually hit a nerve. When she reaches out after to apologize via social media she fails to acknowledge the fact that she is the heckler. This was a fun one!

This was the perfect book to get me out of a reading slump!

I quickly became invested in the characters and their dynamic after Daphne heckles Chris at his baseball game. Daphne DM’s Chris to apologize for what he went through, but accidentally leaves out the part where she admits that she was the heckler 🙈

Their secret correspondence through DMs and text messages were super fun and I loved how vulnerable Chris was with Daphne. Chris was really such a gem ❤️

I love how Alicia Thompson creates characters that are real and relatable. If you’re looking for a sports romance, I’d definitely recommend this one!

Very cute and fun. I enjoyed both main characters and their relationship. I also liked that it was a baseball themed sports romance since those aren't as common as hockey or football books.

The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson is a charming romantic comedy that cleverly explores themes of connection and deception. The story revolves around Daphne, who, after a tough divorce, finds herself heckling baseball player Chris Kepler, only to later apologize to him online without revealing her identity. Their budding relationship takes a complex turn as Daphne's initial deception complicates their growing feelings for each other. This playful yet poignant tale offers a fresh take on romance, reminiscent of classic rom-coms, and showcases Thompson's knack for creating relatable characters and engaging dialogue​.