Member Reviews
This wasn't a second-chance romance or a friends-to-lovers trope... it was more like childhood crush gets reintroduced to best friend's sister...
Maren walks away from her boyfriend's proposal and returns to her childhood stomping grounds to inherit a decrepit bait shack. Her love of fishing is what brought her to a job as a park ranger but through the years, she has lost her spark. Maren’s journey of personal reinvention felt bold and empowering, and I admired her for taking control of her future.
Everyone thinks Maren is making a huge mistake, except for Josiah, Maren's brother's best friend. The romance between Maren and Josiah was natural and heartfelt, with their easy connection standing out from typical love stories as it involved their shared childhood memories and Josiah's daughter whose mom is not in the picture.
This book was about embracing change, taking risks, and finding the right people to support you.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Griffin for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion
*Catch and Keep* by Erin Hahn is a delightful small-town romance that brings together heart and charm. Maren returns to her hometown after a broken engagement and reconnects with Joe, her brother’s childhood friend and now a single dad. Their slow-burn romance is filled with sweet moments, and when the chemistry finally kicks in, it’s worth the wait.
The book isn’t just about romance though—it’s about finding yourself and navigating the complexities of family life. The lakeside setting adds a cozy, inviting feel that makes the story even more enjoyable.
Overall, *Catch and Keep* is a heartfelt, enjoyable read that blends relatable characters with a touching, slow-burn love story. A solid four stars!
Thanks for the advanced review copy.
Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn is a heartwarming, emotional, older brother’s best friend, single dad, friends-to-lovers romance. Maren Laughlin had her life turned upside down. Her boyfriend received the promotion she wanted and he decided on a very public proposal; her worst nightmare. She quickly escapes to the one place that brings her peace and a chance to be alone: Northern Wisconsin; where she spent summer with her family. It is there she runs into Josiah Cole, her brother’s best friend and single dad whose life has also had its bumps. Joe finished his military career and is running the resort his parents have owned as well as being the full time parent to his two children, the younger being autistic. Joe and Maren together fit like puzzle pieces. She’s the outdoors fishing expert and he’s part-time bartender and maintenance guy and together they make the family resort a place to relax and enjoy. As the two work overcoming their pasts and figure out how to handle the new chapters in their life, they must figure out if a future together is in the cards.
Joe’s adorable children added so many additional layers to the story, making me fall in love with them just as much as Maren found herself falling for them too. I also enjoyed the support and banter between Maren and her friends during the few text messages where they discuss their life and relationships. Though this book is not listed as a series this book takes place after Maren’s best friends’ stories: Built to Last and Friends Don’t Fall in Love. To avoid spoilers I would recommend reading those rom coms first.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #StMartinsPress
Catch & Keep is one of the most perfect romantic comedies I’ve read this year. I loved the two books that preceded this one, with Shelby and Lorelei’s stories, and this one wraps everything up so beautifully. You don’t have to read the other books first, because the backstory is completely explained and doesn’t make you feel lost or like you missed something , but why wouldn’t you want to read those first? Maren and Joe have such fantastic, spicy chemistry and they are so mature, real, and relatable, I want to be a part of their family or friend group. I loved being able to see what the other couples are up to as well. Highly recommend!
I really enjoyed this book! I loved Maren and how seamlessly she fit in with Joe and the kids. Maren has known Joe all her life since he’s her older brother’s best friend but this is the first time she’s getting to know this Joe- the single dad, business owner and former marine. The bond Maren forms with each of Joe’s kids is truly special and unique because she took the time to know them and didn’t try to impose herself on them making Joe fall for her even harder. I like how they just seemed to start in the middle and it was like they had always been together even though they hadn’t.
I’ve read Maren’s best friend Shelby’s book ( Built to Last) but I need to go back and read Lorelei’s book (Friends Don’t Fall in Love) because these three are great friends and super supportive of each other especially when one is having a crisis moment.
Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback
This book really felt like a Hallmark Movie and I kinda hope they make it into one one day. It was super cute! I related to Maren's character so much, and I think there should be more single dad's in books! I also love that Erin Hahn included disabilities and really focused on making that character lovable and it just added more to their depth. I loved this and found myself wanting to read more and more. I also loved the setting and really felt like I was back in Wisconsin, with its thousand lakes. I will definately be looking for more Erin Hahn novels!
This is a good book. The two main characters are Maren and Joe. They have known each other for all their lives. Joe is Maren’s brother best friend. Mare turns down her boyfriend’s surprise proposal. She leaves everything to go back to the fishing town which feels like home. One of the first people she runs into is Joe and his kids. Maren had inherited a bait shop and an apartment. It was a mess but she was fixing it up. Joe and his family run a resort. His parents ask Maren while she is here to be a fishing guide for the resort, she says yes. Maren and Joe start dating and fall in love.
I didn’t think this series could get any better but this story (Book 3) is the cherry on top of a perfect series. Maren and Jo are epic. I loved them. I loved that their past wasn’t this creepy twisted thing but a beautiful, beautiful way to explain their interwoven family-friends dynamic and how her YouTube channel wasn’t something he lusted after, but used to remind him of home. The glimpses of characters from books 1+2 was cute but explained enough that this could be read as a total standalone novel.
It’s 300-ish pages and I could not get enough of the audiobook. Buy now, library request, do all the things and read this book.
3.75 ⭐️
the romance in this book was so sweet and soft. i love how attentive and in tune maren and joe were with each other. i could feel their pure love and true care. the trust and chemistry came easy for them.
my favorite part of the book was joe’s children. it truly warmed my heart to read how he felt about anders and lucy. the way maren became a comfort and safe space for them almost immediately tugged at all my heart strings. (kiley on the other hand is forever on my shit list.)
i loved the autism representation in this book. i can’t stress enough how important it is to have these stories.
i am a sucker for a midwest setting! i loved this town and the whole outdoorsy vibe— it made me feel right at home.
liam’s character kind of tainted my reading experience. i just can’t get over how mean he was to maren. he belittled her all the time and had no respect for her. the way he was nice to everyone except her just makes me angry. he might be the worst fictional brother ever. reading him almost hurt my own feelings. i can’t get past it.
overall, there were a lot of things i loved about this story. the pros def outweigh the cons!
I absolutely adored this book. I laughed, I swooned, I cried. Ugh, so good.
And that's coming from someone that doesn't like single parent tropes because I would rather not have kids in my books but THESE KIDS???? These kids are perfect.
All the stars. I loved it. Maren and Joe are everything. I need more 30-40 something year old main characters, because the maturity is just top notch.
I received this as an e-arc from NetGalley and bought the audio version on my own. Audio was SUPERB. So good.
This was sooo cute! A swoony romance with maturity and kindness and no third act breakup? Yes please! I loved the setting and Josiah was so dreamy! But the best part? Sweet Anders and Lucy! This romance will fill you with all the butterflies and have you tearing up at the end. So so good!
Erin Hahn called this her "Lake Girl" book. I couldn't have been more honored to share that feeling with her. Hahn's writing skill increases with every subsequent book she writes. Her talent clearly shows in the care she takes to write characters who feel true to the world they inhabit. The romance is also crazy swoon worthy. Overwhlmingly fantastic read!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.
I loved this friends-to-lovers romance set in the lakes of northern Wisconsin. It was fun to be back in the orbit of the characters in Erin Hahn's last two books, with appearances from some of the characters. Maren and Joe both have things to deal with (failed romances, careers, children (including one who is autistic), and blending their lives together), and they go through it all well, with no dramatic breakups or miscommunications. I look forward to her next novel! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy!
I thought this book was very cute! The cover of it is amazing and hooked me before really started to read it. The main characters had a sweet romance. I wasn’t 100% invested in their connection though as it went from friends to spicy times so fast. I also could not stand a few of the secondary characters as they were terrible people. Some things happen with them at the end that overshadows the HEA. Even though I had these concerns I still overall enjoyed it and would recommend. I will posted a review on my Bookstagram that I have linked down below.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in this series but Maren’s book was my absolute favorite! I adored everything about this from her outdoorsy cool girl personality to Josiah Cole and his adorable kids! The characters are mature and could easily be real people — it felt like I was spending time with friends. That’s so comforting when so many romances can be completely unrealistic scenarios and not always what I want to read! I’m also a sucker for a cameo by previous characters, especially since I loved Shelby and Lorelei’s stories (books 1&2). The only negative I had about this book was the weird “admirer” and I feel like the story would have been juuust fine without that subplot.
This book was adorable!! Just leaves you feeling happy.
Maren was a very likeable character in my opinion. She stepped up to help Josiah without being to pushy. I just loved her interactions with the kids, especially Lucy. She really tried to understand her and easily forgave her when she had tough moments.
Josiah was also a very likeable character. It was sad what he had to go through with his ex, but seeing him with his kids, the way he defends them and loves them unconditionally, was sooo sweet. Even acknowledging that Maren can handle her own, but offering to help or be there for her, was perfect.
All in all, a very sweet book. Makes me want to take up fishing 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you Netgally and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this ebook for an honest review.
Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn was a surprising "catch" for me! I really enjoyed the simplistic backdrop of Wisconsin and this tranquil sounding fishing resort where Maren and Josiah meet up years after seeing each other. I know nothing about fishing, but I felt the calmness and peace that Maren felt when she was out on the boat and talking about fishing. What really got me was the depth behind the characters - Josiah and his kids, his life story, Maren and her brother Liam and her best friends Shelby and Lorelai, even old man Fost. I enjoyed every single moment of this book! Did I mention it also has my all time favorite romance trope - brothers best friend!? *wink wink*
Thank you to Netgalley, Author Erin Hahn and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!
After blowing up her relationship, Maren returns to her family’s lake in Wisconsin to fix up the waterfront bait shop she inherited. She immediately runs into Joe, her brother’s best friend who she grew up alongside, and his two kids.
I LOVED this book. As a lake girl (and perpetually in search of a boat daddy), the setting was an immediate draw, but also I love the friends to lovers/brother’s best friend tropes. This book is full of heart as Maren grows closer with Joe, and the moments with his children Anders and Lucy truly stole the show. I loved that our leads were characters in their 30s who acted like adults with healthy and open communication — it was a breath of fresh air.
I adored the characters and highly recommend picking this one up this fall!
What a delightful story. Maren Laughlin was dissatisfied with her boyfriend of a year and when he surprised her with a proposal in front of family and friends, she ended up throwing up on his shoes and running away. She didn’t stop running until she got to Northern Wisconsin where she had inherited a decrepit bait shop with an apartment from an old man Foss that she spent as much time with as she could. She loved being on the lake as much as he did and he taught her everything he knew about fishing. She also saw Josiah Cole, her brother’s best friend and his two children. I fell in love with all of them, especially the interactions with Lucy. The story had you laughing, crying and sometimes calling someone a jerk. You can figure out who when you read the story. You will not be disappointed in this story.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a complimentary copy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this delightful romance.I am definitely going to be on the lookout for more books by Erin Hahn in the future. Pick this book up if you are looking for a swoon-worthy romance. I absolutely loved this book!
Many thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.
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