Catch & Keep By Erin Hahn 🎣🌲

Tropes:
Single Dad
Small Town
Brothers Best Friend
Autism Rep
Lake Resort
Childhood Crush

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars
🌶️.5 on the spice scale (IMO)

Synopsis:

Maren just turned down her boyfriend’s proposal, walking away from her current job, and returned to her childhood playground in Northern Wisconsin to accept her inheritance: a decrepit waterfront bait shop. Here she had run in’s with her childhood crush and older brother’s bff Josiah.
Josiah has made some missteps in his life, but he’s proud of what he has: two awesome kids. After his marriage dissolved, leaving him a single dad, he feels he’s the last person to judge Maren for her recent transformation. Besides, he genuinely likes having her around. She’s a breath of fresh air, his kids adore her, and it doesn’t hurt that she’s beautiful.

I just wanted to start with how I absolutely loved how Maren treating Joe’s children, she was so calm and loving and the author really made her an easy fit to this “ready made” family.

Joe was the green flag of all green flags, he was the picture of acceptance and actually paid attention to Maren. No weird miscommunication, no assumptions, they had actual conversations when they sensed something was off and planned TOGETHER how to handle it moving forward.

I don’t know who I dislike more… Kiley or Liam… Kiley is the absolute worst, her shaming of Lucy literally boiled my blood… but also Joe shouldn’t have let he have both children when he knows she can’t handle them… anyways Liam is also a complete douche and literally hold a double standard when it comes to his sister that goes way beyond “protective”.

I was a little put off the more I read this book as I feel like a lot of “hot button” topics were kind of just thrown in the mix just for the sake of it. Kiley comes of homophobic when her son decided he likes the color pink, and sees her daughter’s autism as her being spoiled with a bad attitude. Liam comes off a tad misogynistic, literally pinning his sister to the lowest standard and always putting her down for not understanding that SHE not good enough for HIS friend. They’re also is random one time mention of Liam not being aware that his young daughter is gay but everyone else knows. Which has literally zero to do with any plot.

I really enjoyed the book. A great fall-vibes feel-good romance and I can’t wait to read the stories of Marens two best friends!

I really enjoyed this slow burn, single dad, brother’s best friend trope! I enjoyed reading Maren & Joe’s relationship grow organically vs insta love. It felt mature & realistic especially everything both of them were enduring. I loved Lucy and how she was represented. We don’t get many books on how it is to deal with an autistic child.

3.5 Stars

This book initially caught my interest because the premise sounded like a very low-angst romance. And indeed, that's exactly what I got! I truly appreciated how even aspects that I expected to escalate, never quite reached a point where the underlying tone of the book moved from calm and quiet to tense and dramatic. That being said, there are still quite a bit of plot points going on in this novel. They're just paced and plotted in a natural way.

As for the romance itself, while I always rooted for Maren and Joe to get together, I never quite felt the depth of their relationship. But nonetheless I enjoyed reading about them spending time together and watching as each small moment built into something bigger.

The real stars of the show for me, however, were Joe's kids, Anders and Lucy. Those two were quite possibly my favorite characters. I love the amount of page time they received, and deeply appreciated their influence on the plot, and their relationships with both main characters.

All that being said, I don't know if this is the most memorable book, with the strongest romance. So while I had a pretty good time reading it, and would definitely recommend this book for people looking for a romance that's low angst, I settled on a 3.5 star rating for this one!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC, and Erin Hahn for continuing to write solid 4 stars for me.

Did I think I’d like a book about a retired YouTube fisherman and former Marine single dad? Not particularly, but now I’m going to go rent a cabin and take a fishing boat tour in Michigan. I love the way Erin Hahn writes, it just sucks you in. I do wish I had known this was a series, so I feel out of order, but I will be sure to read the book about Lorelei next so I can get more glimpses of Maren.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Maren is walking away from everything at 33 because nothing felt right. She decides to go back to place she felt the happiest Northen Wisconsin where she inherited a rundown baitshop. Maren has decicded this is her chance to take control and start the life she wants. She meets Josiah Cole and he becomes one of the only people who supports her new dream. She quicking falls for him and his two children because things with them is so easy. I loved this story so much. Josiah was such a supportive leading man and it was a treat to read.

Erin did it again! I didn't expect much from Maren: she was more of a forgettable side character in the rest of the series. Holy moly- I was very wrong. Maren is amazing and showed so much heart and I'm obsessed. Josiah (I will not call him Joe!) is such an understanding and outstanding person. His relationship with his children is every parents' dream. I love the way the parental roles switched, and how usually the father figure is not able to handle tantrums and children and schedules. The way it's portrayed is so good. And the tension between them and her brother was so perfect and exactly how it is!

I need another epilogue!!!!!

Catch & Release by Erin Hahn is an absolute gem—emotional, swoon-worthy, and beautifully written. The characters felt so real, their chemistry was perfect, and the themes of healing and second chances were woven in seamlessly. Hahn’s writing is effortlessly engaging, balancing humor, heartache, and hope in a way that sticks with you. If you love contemporary romance with depth and charm, this one is a must-read!

4.5 stars! I really enjoyed this. Maren and Joe were such a delight. So wholesome, and although the book dealt with some heavier topics, it really was the perfect blend. Maren was independent and strong and always stood up for what she believed. And Joe. Our cinnamon roll. I loved how he showed up and owned his past. Can I just say I loveeeee when there’s no this act breakup?! I loved watching their relationship develop. Their communication and love.

This book had so many of the tropes I love and did them so well that I absolutely loved it. The MCs were well developed and I really appreciated how the FMC was following a traditionally masculine career but it felt so authentic to her that I couldn't imagine a world in which she didn't pursue that career. I thought the kids read as pretty realistic and I loved the way our MCs worked together to tackle anything child related. This is the cozy, romantic read that I just fell into and loved every page.

I'm just going to start by saying I loved this book. The most perfect friends to lovers, slow burn romance, with families who all love each other...ugh. I mean, other than Kylie and Bryce, all the characters in this book are absolutely golden.

Can things ever be "too easy"? Or does it just mean that they're exactly right? Maren and Joe have known each other since they were kids, with intertwined families growing up at the lake. Life blows up in Maren's face and she flees to her happy place. And guess who she finds? Joe, his family and the lake that made her happier than anything growing up. What a fun, heartwarming read. Plus, Shelby and Cameron and Lorelai and Craig all make appearances. What more could you want?!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn was one of my favorite romance reads of 2024. It is heartfelt, heartwarming, and oh so swoony. Maren and Josiah are such a wonderful couple.

I truly appreciated Hahn's representation of autism (and even more so, Maren's care for Josiah's two children for who they are). I particularly enjoyed seeing Josiah as a father. His children came first, but it was clear how Maren fit so well into the family.

Perhaps it is because I'm a romance reader in my 30s, but I absolutely love reading about older characters who are finding love later in life or finding their second love.

Because of Catch and Keep, I am going back to read Hahn's other two books in this series.

I think this is the first romance that I've read in which the two people involved don't realize their in a relationship. As they don't realize when they've gone from friends to more. And for Maren and Josiah it works and it works for the reader.

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.

Catch and Keep was my first fishing romance and there were some good and some not so good like in all fishing trips. I really enjoyed the autism representation in this story and wish Hahn focused more in the challenges that are faced with having a child with autism. She did great at some parts and others seemed really sugar coated.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for me to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

this was a very middle of the road romance. I didn't love it but it was a good time. the brother drove me nuts and I dont think they were hard enough on him.

Well these characters were so easy to fall in love with. Josiah and Maren yes but Anders and especially Lucy. This was a single dad, brother’s best friend romance with a little spice sprinkled throughout. It was a heartwarming story and the autism representation was very well done. Lucy is such a special little girl and the way the author had Maren seamlessly fit into that motherly role was very sweet. A very quick read with dual narration on the audio.

The cover is what attracted me to this book. It is heartwarming and a sweet story. You will have "aww" moments and you will catch yourself smiling cheesy while reading it. The romance between these two made me want more. I truly enjoyed it!

This was my first book from this author, and it will not be my last! I loved the two main characters, I loved the setting, and I loved the romance. The fact that the FMC was a fisherwoman, was such an added bonus! Thank you so much for the chance to read this cute story!

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

As a Midwest gal myself, this hit home for me. I loved the scenery and the way Joe and Maren didn’t beat around the bush. Sometimes the build-up is too much or too long, but this was *chef’s kiss*. It was a bit too spicy and cheesy for me at times, but overall, a pretty decent and quick read.