What a fun read this was! I have to say, I'm not a person who goes fishing in my daily life, but it was such fun to read this book and it certainly made me wish I was sitting on a porch by a lake reading a book though!

Maren finds herself back in her hometown to accept her inheritance, which happens to be an adorable bait shop. Josiah is Maren's brother's best friend. He is also a divorced father of two, and his children are wonderful.

When Maren and Josiah find themselves reconnecting, is there something there that wasn't there before? I do believe there is! Their connection was great and I loved seeing how Maren connected with Josiah's children as well. It gave me warm fuzzies for sure!

This is a fantastic read if you are a fan of brother's best friend, single dad stories. You won't be disappointed!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Maren Laughlin’s life has hit a few obstacles. Not only did her so-called boyfriend steal her long awaited work promotion, he then had the gall to propose to her in a very public, very over the top manner. So Maren does the only sensible thing and runs away to her happy place, Bryant Lake in Northern Wisconsin. Maren’s family vacationed there every year as she was growing up and it’s where she earned the nickname “Musky Maren”, which eventually led to a popular YouTube channel. Maren holes up in the cabin and bait shop she inherited from her mentor and former fishing buddy as she tries to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Then Josiah “Joe” Cole throws another wrench into her plans. Maren’s big brother’s best friend and a former Marine, Joe has returned to Wisconsin to help run his family’s resort. Joe is recently divorced with two young kids and is trying to settle into his new life as a civilian and single dad. When Maren accepts a part-time job at the resort, Maren and Joe find themselves spending more and more time together. As they get to know each other as adults, they start to fill in the missing pieces they have in their lives and in their hearts. Can Maren’s temporary escape from her former life turn into forever for Maren and Joe?

Erin Hahn’s novels are always a must for me. I can always depend on her for a soft, sensitive, emotionally fulfilling read. And Catch and Keep is absolutely that. It is a warm, soft sweater in book form. Maren and Joe are beautiful together, supportive sources of strength. They lift and lighten each other’s loads and are a safe harbor for each other’s emotional needs. Hahn really knows how to write strong families and strong family bonds, whether biological or found. They bring a richness to her stories. Maren and Joe’s families have a tremendous influence on them as people and it’s nice to see these deep connections. Catch and Keep soothes the heart, a beautifully tender love story.

I adored this! Maren is such an awesome main character and I loved the take on Joe being the dad with kids (instead of the other way around for once). Their story was great and despite knowing what was going to happen, I was really into it all the way through.

This book was beyond perfect. Five Stars. No notes.

This book has everything going for it; perfect title, and the cover matches the excellent fall vibes.

I personally have family that live in the area where this book is set, and the author did an amazing job of describing it.

This is a friends to lovers, brothers best friend, and it just felt ‘right’. I love single dad romances and this one was written with acceptance, especially surrounding Joe’s kids.

So many times I had a smile on my face, and laughed out loud. Hahn has a way of writing characters that are perfect in their own way.

The pace was great, and the story unfolded naturally. Both main characters come to the story with their experiences that shape who they are.

This book may be my new favorite in this series!

Catch and Keep is an homage to lake life, clearly stated in the introduction, and author Hahn really follows through with her rich setting of lakeside Wisconsin. On leave from her job with the National Park Service and newly single, Maren has returned to Cole’s family resort, the place she summered throughout her childhood, the place where she learned to catch fish; the place where her crush awakened her to the possibility of romance when she witnessed him fooling around with his girlfriend in the boat shed; the place that her friend and mentor left her in his will. It’s the place she retreats to and the place she calls home, when, on the heels of a terrible proposal from the man who essentially stole her promotion out from under her, she retreats. Maren needs clean out the cabin and bait shop, anyway and it’s the perfect hideaway and distraction to lick her wounds and decide what she’s going to do next.

Enter single father and resort inheritor, Josiah Cole, who does everything from bartend to set up fishing tours to simple repairs. A former marine, he’s a single dad to two adorable children, including Lucy, a his daughter with autism. It’s a struggle for him to manage her sensitivities, but he’s doing it with grace and a healthy dose of concern for his son, Anders, who understands his younger sister’s condition perfectly and is beautifully accepting and forgiving, but still sometimes gets the short end of the stick.

Joe offers to help Maren fix and clean up the bait shop and apartment, and in return, she starts showing up to help him at home, connecting with the kids, letting her dog Roger bond with them, and so quickly becoming a part of his life that Cole doesn’t know what he did without her. The catch, no pun intended, is that Liam, Maren‘s oldest brother, is Liam’s closest friend. Liam doesn’t think either Cole or Maren is good enough for one another but has a hard time articulating that in any way except an unkind, mean-spirited and disparaging one. He perceives Maren to be immature, unfocused, and lacking direction, a liability for Joe and his family, not an asset.

Alongside the dual point of view romance, there are beautiful descriptions of the lake region, and interesting characters that people the story, including Maren‘s best girlfriends from two other books in the unnamed series: one a Hollywood star; the other, a popstar. The support from their significant others for Liam is a warm and delightful addition. There is also a stalking subplot: a super fan from Maren’s past who was overly enamored of her now-archived YouTube fishing how channel, who feels the need to be creepy whenever they bump into each other in town. Joe wants her to take it seriously, but Maren is dismissive even though the interactions are discomforting. The central conflict is neither Joe or Maren believes themselves to be a catch.

This was a fast-paced, cozy read. The illusions to Maren‘s girlfriend stories made me feel out of the loop and there was a lot a lot a lot of telling, particularly around Lucy‘s quirks, instead of revealing or showing through action, or dialogue. Overall, I found the novel a bit of a slog, and not particularly well written. And at times, it was just wholly unbelievable–I mean, spoiler alert: who gives a guy a blow job and then just walks away and doesn’t get hers???

Characters were kind of one-dimensional, from Joe’s villainous ex-wife who doesn’t seem to want, or understand, or want to understand her own children. Creepy slobbering stalker Bryce, heart of gold Joe, and jealous Liam are one-note. Only Maren is complex: confident and insecure by turns, and both of the beauty queen pageant winner and fisher grubbing for nightcrawlers in the dirt. Still, I rooted for her to get the happy ending she deserved, and she did put together a future on her own terms.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #CatchAndKeep via #NetGalley, courtesy of #StMartins.

I’m a big Hahn fan! Like obsessed with her writing, her characters, her storytelling is just off the chain!
Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn is a swoony friends-to-lovers romance that captivated me like nothing before.
This was a fun, unique and tender friends to lovers romance! I loved Maren and Joe.
Per usual Erin did an amazing job of weaving tender moments, angst and witty banter together to create a captivating and fast paced read.

Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn, is a delightful friends-to-lovers novel showing that the one you were searching to find may have been right there for you all along.

I’ll always read whatever Erin Hahn creates because it’s always the perfect read!

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

A romance book where the female main character is a fisherwoman??? When I started the book, I will admit I was skeptical. It seemed very untraditional…

…and it was, and I actually ended up really loving that about “Catch and Keep”! It was different and unique in a lot of ways, which I appreciated! Why not switch things up a little sometimes?!

My one critique for this book is that it felt like there too many issues being addressed (from Joe’s kids to family dynamics to Maren’s past now present situation), and sometimes it was a bit much. That being said, at the end of the day, I do applaud the author for taking on subjects that are tough and often controversial! So, thank you Erin Hahn for this emotional, romantic, and overall enjoyable read!

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for the advanced copy!

I am totally smitten! Maren finds herself back at her fishing hole after the loss of someone significant to her. Erin Hahn has a way of crafting relatable characters and beautifully capturing friendship and love. Josiah has his life encroached on by Maren in a good way. Maren falls in love with his children and admires his devotion to his kids. Side character Rogers, Maren's adorable dog, reminds me so much of my own pup and put a smile on my face. The bond Josiah has with Maren feels genuine and sweet, especially because she showed up without him asking. If you're looking for a heartwarming read that'll leave you smiling, give this one a try! Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Instagram post going live 16-Oct-2024.

🎣CATCH•&•KEEP🎣
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If @erinhahn_author writes it, I’m gonna read it! She deserves all the hype. I’ve loved every single one of her books, Catch and Keep is no exception!
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Maren returns to Northern Wisconsin, her favorite childhood fishing spot, after a disastrous proposal. She’s hoping the time away will clear her head and help her decide what she wants her future to look like. She just never expected Josiah Cole and his kids to become such an important part of that future.
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🎣Single dad
🎣Brothers best friend
🎣Midwestern setting
🎣Slow burn
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This book is technically a standalone, but we get character cameos from Shelby from Built to Last and Lorelai from Friends Don’t Fall in Love. I’m so glad that I’d already read these two books.
I loved that there is no third act breakup like in so many romance books. I adored Joe’s children, the realistic autism rep, and how Joe loves and supports his children’s uniqueness.
Another great contemporary romance from Erin Hahn!
THIS BOOK RELEASES TOMORROW 10/15!!
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Thank you @netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read this book!

4.25 ⭐

Tropes:
🎣age gap
🎣rom com
🎣small town
🎣romantic suspense
🎣disability rep
🎣single dad
🎣brother's best friend
🎣found family

I learned a lot of....fishing terminology in this book lol. But regardless, I thought it was such a cute and feel good read, with a whole heck of found family. I ADORE the little family that Maren and Josiah create for themselves with his kids. You can see how much she loves them, despite the distance that she tries to put with them. And how easy it was for her to integrate into the family. It's a great representation of the "family is not just by blood" metaphor. My heart broke for those two kids not being able to have a good connection with their mom, and her inability and disinterest in getting to know Lucy and learn how to best support her and be a caring parent. As someone who works with people with disabilities, it was just disheartening to see and i hate that woman.

This was my first read by Erin Hahn, but it definitely will not be my last! I feel like I keep seeing her books at the bookstore so I'll need to pick one up the next time I'm there! I'm excited to go back and read about Maren's bff's HEAs :).

Erin Hahn’s latest cozy, swoony romance is out now!

Catch and Keep was honestly a breath of fresh air as many before me have stated. It is the first book that I have read by author Erin Hahn and I enjoyed it so much more than I had expected to because let’s be honest, I know nothing about fishing.


The FMC Maren aka ‘Musky Maren’ which is her childhood nickname due to love of fishing and catching Musky. In this book we learn about Marens childhood, her relationship with Fost, and her return to her small town where Maren finds herself again.

The MMC Joe is a single dad who dealt with a divorce and is the primary caregiver of his two children, one of which is Autistic. Joe also runs his parents resort. The last thing he expects is for his best friends little sister to show up and turn his life upside down.

If you enjoy:

✨ Single dad
✨ Small town
✨ Brothers best friend
✨ Friends to lovers
✨ Ready made family
✨ Found family
✨ Autistic rep
✨ Slow burn


Catch and Keep explores the themes of love, loss and complexities of friendship. The ending had me in tears. The dynamic between the main characters was authentic truly making the journey of self-discovery and their connection truly engaging.

🎣🩵Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn

5⭐️

I’m fine. 😭😭😭

Ugh I cried so much with this one. It’s so sweet and cute and cozy and wholesome. 🥹

I loved it. Maren leaves her job, apt and boyfriend after a proposal gone wrong. She goes to fix up an old bait shop & apt her old fishing partner left for her. And of course she runs into Joe. I loved them so much. The character are so well done. The writing had me bingeing it.

I loved the kids in this book. Lucy and Anders have my heart.

By the time I made it to the epilogue tears were streaming down my face. 5⭐️s all around.

When Maren's relationship ends with a bang (or a barf), she flees to her favorite place: the lake she grew up going to in Northern Wisconsin. Her old fishing buddy, Fost, left her his home and bait store, and unfortunately, the place is a mess. However, it's just the thing to keep her mind off of her traitorous almost-fiancée. It doesn't hurt that Fost's place is right next to Josiah Cole's home; Joe is her brother's best friend, recently divorced, and dad to two amazing kids, so the feelings she has for him need to stay in the box. The two grow closer and it's clear the feelings are mutual, but there are a lot of things that make their relationship complicated.

I absolutely adored this book. Maren was a girl's girl despite her obsession with fishing, and Joe was such a good dad. I love that there was never any miscommunication between the two of them and that they stood by each other and really stepped in without the other asking. The setting was perfect, and the plot was on point. I will definitely be going back and reading the first two books in the series, despite the fact that this was easily read as a stand alone.

This was so good and has all the fall vibes! Catch and Keep is the third book in Erin Hahn's adult romance series, but it reads like a standalone. Maren, currently unemployed and newly single, returns to her family's vacation spot in the Northwoods of Wisconsin to figure out what to do with her life. Her childhood mentor left her his bait shop and apartment, and she welcomes the chance to get back to her fishing roots at the lake. While she's renovating her inheritance, she reconnects with Joe, her brother's best friend. Joe is an ex-Marine who has sole custody of his two young children, and he manages his parents' lake resort. There are so many heart-warming scenes with Joe and Maren, and scenes with Maren getting to know Joe's children. I loved the cozy lakeside setting, and the wholesome storyline with a heavy sprinkling of spice (don't be fooled by the cute cover). I listened to most of the book on audio, and I really enjoyed both narrators. The audiobook was a wonderful companion over a weekend of chores, and I highly recommend both the audiobook and print versions! Thanks to Netgalley, Spotify, St. Martin's Press, and the author for the librarian preview copy.

Maren has just broken up with her boyfriend, who tried to propose after he stole her job promotion, and ran away to her old stomping grounds, the Northwoods in Wisconsin, to relax and re-group. She is the beneficiary of an old tackle shop and apartment left to her by an old fishing mentor she had as a child and this place reminds her of her love for fishing and nature. As she starts the reno on the decrepit building, she runs into Joe, her brother Liam’s BFF and the owner of the cozy lodge and cabins on the waterfront.

Joe is a divorced father of two, and while they knew each other growing up, she was always seen as Liam's little sister but now he can't help but see Maren as a beautiful woman she is and there is an attraction between them neither of them can ignore. Joe knows it's foolish to start things with Maren because she is only here temporarily and Maren doesn't want to complicate Joe’s life with his family situation since he is still newly divorced. This story is about the two of them navigating new things and finding where home really is.

I loved Maren’s friends and the support system she had with them. They were fun and exciting and always wanted what was best for Maren without coddling her. However, Maren’s brother Liam was THE worst. He always degraded and belittled her. He treated her like a kid when she was a grown woman and I did not like him at all, even after he apologized.

This was a cute and simple slow burn romance without any crazy drama that wrapped up nicely and had a HEA.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this book’s digital advanced review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book through a digital ARC from NetGalley
Author: Erin Hahn
Genre: Romance
Troupe: Friends to Lovers, Best Friend's Sister, Found Family, Slow Burn Romance

This book was absolute perfection!!! I adored every single second of it and am devastated that I will never have the opportunity to read this for the first time again.

I adored Maren and Joe so much. They were so real and raw. From Joe being there for Maren and believing in her when everyone was putting her down and making her feel like a kid to Maren stepping up in the morning to help with the kids. Lucy being her baby. The way Anders confided in her. The way Anders protected Maren. The way Joe adapted his parenting to accommodate Lucy was absolutely beautiful. Kiley can step on her step kids legos.

I adored every single second of this book. Infinite thanks for the early copy of this in exchange for my honest review!

I finally got a chance to read this book and could not put it down, finishing it way past midnight. Maren and Joe have amazing chemistry and Joe’s 2 kids pulled my heartstrings.

Wow, I’m not even sure where to start with the review, but I FREAKIN’ ADORED IT seems like an appropriate beginning. I’m in love with the Cole family. All of them!! I want to be friends with them. Josiah is a true romantic lead - strong, but vulnerable. Real. Lucy was such a respectful depiction of autism and how sometimes you have to meet people where they are. And Anders, he’s the true MVP. As a mom who has a son who tends to enjoy things that are considered “feminine,” in a world that isn’t always kind to that, I connected with him and his precious heart. And Maren. Girl, you are a force! I loved her character growth - the path to finding herself. And it was never “I’m a stronger person because he saved me” but “I’m a stronger person by paving the path that was right for me, even if not everyone agreed.” Man, I will recommend this book all day long.

I enjoyed this one a lot. Maren and Josiah were amazing together and I absolutely loved Anders and Lucy. I just about swooned every time Lucy said she was Maren’s baby and her relationship with Anders was special and a joy to read. I loved seeing Josiah with his kids too. Karen’s brother and Josiah’s ex wife were pieces of work and really worked my nerves. I was glad when Maren finally put Liam in his place. The romance was perfect and getting to see Lorelei and Huck and the other friends was a lot of fun!

The third book for the trio of best friends. Maren runs out on a proposal when she realizes it's not what she wants, and she heads back to her happy place. Joe is her older brother's best friend, and he's running the resort now. It quickly becomes apparent that a friendship between the two of them can exist as adults, and as they help each other, they fall for each other.
Joe's adorable kids were highlights, as was Marens's dog, and multiple cameos from Shelby and Cameron and Lorelei and Craig.
I highly recommend reading the other two books first, but this one is great on its own.