The Art of Catching Feelings is a heartwarming and witty romance that explores the unexpected ways love can take form. Fresh from a divorce, Daphne Brink finds herself heckling baseball star Chris Kepler at a game, causing him to have a nervous breakdown. Feeling remorse, she reaches out anonymously to apologize for her terrible heckling. Chris, nursing his own emotional wounds, is captivated by Daphne's online persona, sparking a hilarious online exchange.

The majority of the story revolves around Daphney's hidden identity as her being a heckler. She's worried about the reveal but truly feels for Chris as the two become closer. The plot may seem a bit dreary, but I enjoyed it, especially the inclusion of baseball. I love a good sports romance, and this love story is scorching. The slow burn was torture but so worth it. The emotional turmoil and added drama fueled a bit of frustration on my part, but nonetheless, I enjoyed it. Overall, this is a charming and emotional read with layers of forgiveness and understanding that will make you smile.

Baseball metaphors and pining and secret identity (that didn’t make me throw my hands up because it was really well done) and tenderness and romance and swooning.

(of course a baseball book got me out of my slump!)

Alicia Thompson’s books just keep getting better and better.

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

The Art of Catching Feelings is a sweet and emotional romance following Chris, a struggling baseball player, and Daphne his one-time heckler. The story is full of charm with so much humor, tension, and emotion laced throughout the engaging plot and writing. Daphne and Chris were beautiful together and separately, their conversations led to so much charged chemistry, and the slow buildup to them coming together was perfect. I loved how they were so soft with each other yet willing to share all of their raw and gritty sides; the deep topics never got too heavy but added a needed layer of dimension. I absolutely recommend this warm and vulnerable romance and cannot wait to explore more from Alicia Thompson!

Read If You Like:
⚾Sports Romance⚾
⚾Friends w Benefits⚾
⚾Slow Burn⚾
⚾Hidden Identity⚾
⚾Mental Health Rep⚾
⚾Dual POV⚾
⚾Workplace Romance⚾

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

I am so torn on this book.

On one hand, I absolutely loved the story and the characters. I loved how they were both so fragile and helped each other find their strength. I loved how their relationship blossomed into something amazing.

On the other hand, I really, really had a hard time with the fact that Daphne never identified herself. Like really hard. I understand the reasoning provided in the book. I understand how truly complicated and convoluted it all was. But I still cannot, for the life of me, understand why she didn't just say "oops I left out key information" in the the very beginning. And that misunderstanding was the sole conflict of this book.

The writing was excellent, the characters were excellent, the conflict was just not what I wanted or needed it to be. But I know plenty of people that will absolutely eat this book up (and I'll probably end up rereading it regardless).

Daphne is just newly divorced and in order to prevent her ex from getting baseball tickets from her brother she decided to go to the game with her best friend. Daphne gets too drunk and yells an insult that hurts Chris (one of the players)’s feelings and makes him tear up. Feeling bad about her behavior she decides to slide into his DMs to apologize, except she forgets to mention she is his heckler and an unlikely friendship starts.

This book is so much fun! I could not put it down! I read the whole thing in one sitting. There were some parts that made me cringe so hard but it was what the author intended. I thought the love story was incredibly fun but I love a cinnamon roll MMC.

This book does have some really serious topics so protect yourself if the mention of depression and unaliving is too much for you.

Overall the book was so fantastic! I highly recommended!

Tropes: cinnamon roll mmc, miscommunication, rivals to lovers, work place romance

Thank you to netgalley, Berkley publishing, Berkley romance, and Alicia Thompson for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I haven’t read many sports romances, but of the ones I have read, I’m thinking ones involving baseball players are my favorites! It makes sense since it’s my favorite sport! I really enjoyed Daphne/Duckie and her quirkiness. I found her flawed yet endearing. Chris was adorable and oh so swoony! I liked that they both had real life issues that they were going through which made them more relatable. Thompson did a great job handling the anxiety and depression rep. The text conversations between Chris and Duckie were delightful, and I enjoyed the banter between him and Daphne as well.

I struggle with the miscommunication trope though, and that’s really what this book focuses on so I wasn’t sure that I’d like it at first. Well, leave it to Thompson to make this trope work for me! Daphne had many chances to come clean, yet, I was able to understand she didn’t sooner. Yea it was frustrating, but it kind of worked for this story.

I listened to the audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed Kristen Sieh’s narration. She was perfect for Daphne and I enjoyed how the emotions were portrayed for both characters. I would have loved a dual perspective/narrator situation for this one so we could have gotten more of Chris’s feelings portrayed.

While this wasn’t my favorite by the author, I highly enjoyed it. You should definitely check this out if you want an out of the park romance!

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the digital ARC and PRH Audio for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review!

📣 a You’ve Got Mail-ish contemporary romance with📱 ⚾️ 👄.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 what’s one of your Tuesday numbers? 1, dog I’m pet sitting, infinite, number of cups of coffee I need, 1, burnt orange romper I’m wearing.

Alicia Thompson is one of my fave contemporary romance authors. She crafts these compelling stories that are a riveting balance of emotional and physical.

The Art of Catching Feelings is another striking, winsome romance. It even features some plot details that stressed me out—& still, I really liked this book. I think that’s the mark of a great writer.

(✍️ I’d also like to state for the record that I think this is the first time I’ve ever crushed on a Chris.)

Baseball player Chris is a sweetheart grappling with the recent loss of his brother by suicide, a loss he’s kept secret from almost everyone.

Recently divorced Daphne (though not really recently separated) heckles him at a game, hitting a sensitive spot & devastating Chris & setting everything else about the plot in motion.

Daphne & Chris have a semi-anonymous online relationship (she knows who he is but not vice versa) & then a real life one, & that stress got to me as their story unfolds. Part of the reason for that stress was that I knew how much they belonged together 🥹, another mark in Thompson’s favor as a writer.

Though I wish that that truth had come out earlier, I still felt invested in both leads & in their romance, pulled along by their want for each other.

So while this isn’t my fave Alicia Thompson romance (shout-out to Cold World!), it’s still another really great book & I’m already excited about the author’s next release.

4.5 ⭐️. Out today!

Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.

[ID: Jess holds the ebook in front of green & pink plants.]

Thoughts: Daphne and Chris have great chemistry together, both via text as Duckie and Chris, and in person. There were plenty of cute scenes, Chris was total #boyfriendgoals, and Daphne was likable and relatable. I loved the baseball setting and author Alicia Thompson realistically portrays on-the-field action and the art of sportscasting. So why the three stars? It was too much of a retelling, in my opinion. Thompson puts her own spin on it, but essentially it felt like the movie You've Got Mail with baseball and sex. I'm probably being too harsh because there are a lot of differences -- like Chris' family issues and Daphne's very recent divorce, among other unique tidbits -- but the premise itself felt too familiar, which kept me from getting really into it. I didn't dislike it at all, but Thompson's latest isn't my favorite of her works. But I really do appreciate a baseball romance that's perfect for binge-reading this time of year.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

First of all, look at that cover. Oh my, is it beautiful.

Wow, I love this book. This is sports romance done right. I loved the tension. I loved that Chris fell in love with Daphne twice. It was the cutest thing to watch. I just loved this so much.

I also very much loved the discussions about mental health. It was done with so much respect and love and it really resonated with me. So thank you to the author for that.

Another thing I loved were the side characters. They were all so supportive and fun people. I loved reading about them, too.

Overall, this book was such a joy to read and I neeeeeeed to own a copy.

After a terrible divorce, Daphne Brink decides to go a baseball game (despite not knowing anything about the sport) and heckle one of the professional players... what she doesn't expect is to make him cry and then become so guilt ridden that she begins messaging him... but she forgot to tell him who she is and as they fall for one another her secret might just destroy her second chance at romance. Daphne Brink is newly divorced and decides to go to the baseball game she was meant to go to with her ex, the only thing is Daphne knows nothing about the sport and isn't exactly a fan. So a few days after signing her divorce paper she goes to the game and decides to heckle one of the professional players, Chris Kepler. Her heckle was just meant to be a joke (she said it when she was super drunk) what she didn't expect was that it would make Chris cry and it would become a widely televised moment. Daphne is riddled with guilt and messages him to apologize... except she never actually says who she is and to her surprise he begins to talk to her and confide in her. Chris doesn't normally respond to random fan messages on social media, but he's still grieving and dealing with a lot, from his older brother's suicide to the strain of the game and his relationship with his own father. Yet when a DM from a "Duckie" catches his eye, he impulsively answers and so begins a sweet and romantic relationship. Daphne is falling for Chris but the more she talks to him the ore afraid she gets of revealing who she is and to make matters worse because of her nationalized moment as his heckler she is actually hired to do the team interviews... so now she has to pretend to not know Chris while also keeping her secret. Can she keep lying to Chris or will her online and in person worlds collide and the truth spill out and destroy the relationship between them? This started off really cute but got kind of annoying because honestly Daphne was straight up catfishing this poor dude for so so long and it really felt like she would have absolutely never ever told him. Daphne had so many opportunities, had so many chances, especially as the relationship was getting more real, that it felt a bit weird and maddening that she just refused to tell the poor guy. Chris is better than me, if I found out someone who not only heckled me, but used what I told them about myself in my vulnerable moments and threw it in my face, and then also would have never told me the truth if I didn't find out, I would have never turned back and couldn't even be in the same room as them. I can understand Daphne's fear but it just didn't feel right to me. I thought the romance was sweet at first but then the whole third act breakup happened and honestly, I kind of wanted better for Chris. Overall, it's a great book if you are a fan of hidden identity relationship stories.

Release Date: June 18,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own. @BerkleyPub @BerkleyRomance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley #BerkleyBookstagram #BerkleyBookTok
I loved this book. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE romance and I LOVE baseball (especially the Red Sox), so this book was the best of both worlds for me! I loved the chemistry between Daphne and Chris and I also loved all the 80s movie references featured in this book. Out of Alicia Thompson's novels, this is probably my second favorite of her novels (My first is Love in the Time of Serial Killers), but this is now a very very close second! I can't wait for Alicia Thompson's next book! I highly recommend you go pick up this book RIGHT NOW!!!

5+ Stars!!!!


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

********


If you are interested in seeing more of my reviews and other content feel free to connect with me here <3:

https://linktr.ee/bookreviewsbyjules (links to my Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, Storygraph, My blog and Substack newsletter, etc)

If you are a publisher or author who has questions about my reviews (as well as questions about my stats, reach or engagement), please free to email me. I am also open to requests for book reviews from authors or publishers. Thank you again for taking time to read my review, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson
Narrator: Kristen Sieh
Rating: 4 stars
Steam: 2 chilis
Pub date: 6/18

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing for my advanced copy and PRH Audio for my complimentary audiobook.

When newly divorced Daphne Brink heckles Carolina Battery player Chris Kepler after a few too many beers, she inadvertently sets off a chain of events that neither could have anticipated. What begins as a drunken outburst turns into an online connection when Daphne, under the pseudonym "Duckie," reaches out to apologize to Chris without revealing her identity.

I loved Alicia Thompson’s other novels, and this one is no different! It’s full of humor and heart, and the interactions between Daphne and Chris sizzle with chemistry.

As a baseball fan, I loved all the references to the game and the team's found family aspect. The central plot device—Daphne's concealed identity—casts a shadow over the story, and while the miscommunication adds drama and excitement, it also brings a sense of impending doom that stressed me out.

Despite the reliance on deception, the story's charm and the characters' depth make it a worthwhile read. Chris's vulnerability and Daphne's growth are beautifully portrayed, adding an emotional element to their romance. Their journey from strangers to lovers is heartwarming, and I was rooting for them to get their HEA. I went back and forth between the ebook and the audiobook, and the narrator, Kristen Sieh, did an amazing job bringing all of the characters to life.

I think the secret identity piece will divide readers, but I hope people will give this adorable rom-com a chance! The genuine connection between Daphne and Chris shines through, making it a story worth rooting for.

Read if you like:
*sports romance (baseball)
*secret identity
*miscommunication
*dual POV
*open-door romance

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Imagine this - you heckle a major league baseball player and move him to tears. Then, you develop an anonymous friendship via DMs, and finally, you have to work with him in real life without revealing your online alter ego. Yep, Daphne definitely was spinning a web here, and she could only hope to untangle it when she catches feelings for Chris.

It's not a secret that I adore Thompson's books and this was another great one. From the rather amusing meet-cute to the meaningful discussions they shared, I loved how Chris and Daphne interacted and how their bond grew. Yes, poor Chris was left in the dark that Duckie and Daphne were the same person, and I know so many people hate deception and miscommunication, but Thompson made it work. She was able to help me understand why Daphne made these choices, and though I grew frustrated at times, I was able to forgive Daphne as I rooted for this union.

Both Daphne and Chris had some demons to slay. Daphne was finally free of a rather toxic relationship. She was a bit gun shy given that she had bought into the fantasy and not the reality of her past relationship. This made her doubt herself and her feelings for Chris.

Chris was still reeling from his bother's death by suicide. He was brought up burying his emotions and it was taking a toll on him and his game. It was very touching the way he opened up to Duckie and eventually, Daphne. And they were there for each other and provided support as each worked through their issues.

Funny, sweet, sexy - this book had it all. I loved the romance, the drama, and the baseball, and was impressed with how Thompson blended it all together. Overall, this was another home run from Thompson.

This was a cute, fun time. I love Alicia Thompson's characters and her dialogue. I liked how detailed this got in a way that made it feel like it was really happening. I didn't love the main conflict, which was that the MC becomes embroiled in A Situation where she is one person to her love interest online and another in person. (This involves her drunk heckling said man while he plays professional baseball, and she makes him cry!)

Unfortunately, this did suffer a bit from my reading it side by side The Rom-Commers, which I could not put down, whereas I found this one easier to put down. The stakes just seemed much lower here emotionally (I don't mind lack of plot stakes but the emotional ones still need to be there).

I will very much continue to read this author's books! In fact, reading her second one starting tomorrow.

[3.5 stars, rounded up]

I love baseball and I loved this book. I'm a big fan of Alicia's and I was really looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint. I especially loved the text messages, they were so fun and insightful. Another winner from Alicia!

Thank you to Berkley for the e-ARC and @prhaudio for the ALC of this book.

What’s it about?
Chris plays for the MLB Battery in Charleston. Daphne, who ended up with a pair of amazing tickets to the game as a byproduct of her divorce, attends and gets drunk. And then she starts heckling. One of her heckles is aimed at Chris, and, unexpectedly, he hears it and it rattles him to the point of tears. The exchange goes viral on sports networks.

Feeling awful, Daphne (@ duckysbooks) reaches out to Chris via Instagram DMs to apologize. Only when she copy and pastes her apology from her notes, she forgets the part where she says she’s the heckler. Soon the two are chatting anonymously and regularly, and feelings develop between them.

Then Daphne gets a gig as a sideline reporter for the Battery. And, despite the fact that Chris doesn’t know that Daphne is also Ducky, their chemistry is undeniable. How can their relationship ever work with such a big secret between them?

My thoughts?

While I was reading and listening to this one, I messaged my book pals and told them this is my favorite Alicia book yet.

Let’s break it down:

Immaculate tension and chemistry between Chris and Daphne. I pined for them together the whole book. So good.

Chris is a perfect book boyfriend. When Daphne talks about her flaws, he turns it into positive traits. He is all about consent and going at her pace. He’s a MLB player without an ego. He’s hurting and trusts her before he truly even knows what she looks like.

Daphne is an awkward, adorable, hot mess. Really she’s all of us. She’s nervous about pursuing her impossible dreams, has a bookstagram account, and gets awkward even when things get heated.

I had trouble putting this one down, which is always a sign of a fabulous book.

to be perfectly transparent, this is one of the most confounding books I have ever read. as a lifetime lover of baseball (go mets, even though they stink this year), it was so exciting to gain access to a sports romance centered around the sport. as we know, hockey romances are all the rage, it's nice to see other athletes get their due now and then.

3.5 ★

however, this is my warning to future readers: much of the plot of the art of catching feelings centers around a major miscommunication-slash-catfishing situation, one that is consciously continued by daphne and supported by some in her life. this presented a real moral dilemma for me as someone who hoped to root for chris and daphne. while the pair did share nice moments and I found the book engaging overall, it felt wrong to support their romance for much of the story because the foundation of it was a lie. though her intention was not to do wrong or harm chris, the length of time she allowed him to believe something negated that for me.

since this is the third alicia title I have read, I do believe to be a talented writer. it just feels unfortunate that this was the story chosen for this couple. when you are asked to turn a blind eye to the actions of one character to support a romance, it's tough to feel a true investment in their journey. having said all of that, the book was readable and well-written, so it didn't feel right to drop my rating too much.

thanks to berkley and alicia thompson for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the perfect read at the ballpark on a sunny afternoon book. If you like fish out of water stories and stories about women finding where they belong this is the perfect novel for you. Add in some strong mental health rep and I was hooked from the start. Though there is a fundamental lie within Chris and Daphne’s relationship I thought was handled well and to me it fell easily within a mistaken identity or disguise trope. YMMV
4.5 stars

Thank you for the free book Berkley!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Daphne is still reeling from her divorce when she drunkenly heckles professional baseball player Chris Kepler at a game…and makes him cry. But when she reaches out to apologize and forgets to identify herself, they begin an inexplicable friendship that just might turn into more.

After reading this book, I might be a fan of baseball, but I’m DEFINITELY a fan of baseball players. The way the happiness of an entirely fictional person was briefly integral to my well-being is probably unhealthy but that’s what it means to be a fan of literature honestly. Chris Kepler, wherever you are I just hope you’re smiling sweetie.

This book was everything a rom-com should be: adorably ridiculous meet-cute, fantastic tension (comedic, dramatic, sexual, etc), a really realistic third act conflict, and multiple moments of emotional growth for multiple characters. Truly, this is a masterpiece and sure to be one of my favorites of the summer. I can’t recommend it enough.

CW: Suicide of loved one; divorce; panic attacks

I absolutely loved The Art Of Catching Feelings. It has everything I love about a romance. Swoony moments, amazing characters who are flawed, so real, and a little broken and off the chart chemistry. 


There was are a few spicy scenes, doors are wide open and sizzling hot 🔥


This is definitely my favorite by Alicia Thompson. It's so impressive that she keeps getting better and better.