I am still thinking about this beautiful, tragic story. Jennifer has a way of telling the most painful stories that pulls you in and you can never truly let it go.

Our main characters endure so much pain and trauma separate and together. I was sobbing several times while reading because you could feel the raw emotion jumping off the page.

What I love most about this book is that we get to see a journey for several characters, not just our main couple. It was hard to read the trajectory of some, but incredibly rewarding for others.

Max is one of the best male characters I have read in a while. He has a huge burden to bear, but he does it with grace and humility. His unapologetic pursuit of Ella is incredible to see. He sees her and she sees him. They have this magnetic pull toward each other.

Ella burns bright in this book. She truly becomes the sun for Max as they grow and endure all their trials together. She faces several life defining moments and you see her slowly piece herself back together.

As I said before, Jennifer knows how to write pain and sorrow in a way that is very relatable. You don’t see all the plot twists coming. There were several that kept me guessing throughout.

I couldn’t put this one down. Review all the trigger warnings because there are several!

I absolutely love this author and everything she writes. This book....I devoured like all of her others. Thank you so much for the ARC! A million stars for this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5 stars

"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from."

Happy release day to Jennifer! I got the amazing opportunity to read this book as an ARC for NetGalley.

And I can tell you, Jennifer did it again! This book broke my heart and healed it again. Sad and happy tears were flood. 🧡

- Childhood friends to lovers
- Trauma / Healing
- First love
- Dual POV
- Emotional
- Angsty
- Small town
- Romance
- Spice
- Coming of age

Max and Ella have been inseparable since they were 7 years old, until Ella suddenly left town with her family, and she only returns to complete senior high school, but she is a shell of the girl she used to be.
This gifted author has done an incredible job in weaving this storyline which is revealed in dual POV’s.
This is a well written emotional roller coaster, with family, friendships, loss, grief, tragedy, bullying, resilience, healing, friends / lovers, romance, second chances, heartbreak, survival, humor, and love, which leads to an entertaining, tragic, unpredictable, haunting, spicy, and heartwarming addictive page turner.
Be aware of the trigger warning due to the sensitive content!
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

Man. When I tell you Jennifer Hartmann is one of my all-time favorite authors EVER, I mean it! Her books are always full of mystery, tension, and above all....love. I cried through the last 15% of the book, like a baby, and loved every minute of it. Max and Ella are endgame, and this book is going to stay with me for a long, long time. 5 suns, moons, and stars, and I can't wait to reread this one a few months from now. Well done, Jen!

“You…think I’m pretty?” made me giggle, the pure innocence in that question. This is my 4th Jennifer Hartmann book this month and I’ve fallen in love with the way she writes. I haven’t picked up a book by her yet that didn’t have me feeling a wide range of emotions. I cried, laughed and fell in love with the characters while they fell in love with each other. This was a rollercoaster filled with heartbreaking twists and turns.
When Max said “stay” ugh that whole scene just hit me and the lists he gives her. Max and Ella’s raw and emotional journey through growth and their friendship is just something that sticks with you long after you’ve turned the last page. Just all around an amazing read!!

4.5/5 stars

-first person POV
-dual POV
-YA/NA romance
-friends to lovers
-slow burn
-he falls first
-found family

“Nothing else exists. Just this song, this boy, and this look between us.”

I swear Jennifer has a way of writing a roller coaster of emotions book and she's always an auto read for me. This book is no different and tells Ella and Max's story. Catch the Sun is different than her usual books, meaning this is marked as a new adult novel. Max and Ella had gone through so much and my heart was with them. This story will have you feeling all the feels and I couldn't put this one down. Make sure to grab your tissues and also check out trigger warnings before reading.

Releasing July 16, 2024. I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Catch the Sun" is a poignant young adult romance that explores the rekindling of childhood friendship and the blossoming of first love against a backdrop of personal struggles and societal judgment.

Ella Sunbury returns to her hometown after a decade away, living across the street from her former best friend, Max Manning. But Ella is no longer the carefree child Max remembers. She's now the sister of a death row inmate, carrying the weight of her family's infamy and facing ostracism from her peers.

Max, dealing with his own challenges of caring for a disabled father and a distant twin brother, finds himself drawn to the girl he once knew. As they reconnect, their friendship evolves into something deeper, more complex.

However, just as their relationship begins to flourish, a new tragedy threatens to unravel everything. Ella and Max must navigate through darkness, confronting their past and present demons, to find their way back to the light and to each other.

"Catch the Sun" is an emotionally charged, beautifully crafted novel that leaves a lasting impact. Jennifer's masterful storytelling creates a rollercoaster of emotions, skilfully balancing moments of pure joy with heart-wrenching devastation.

The author's character development is exceptional. Both main and supporting characters are well-rounded and relatable, their struggles and growth feeling authentic and deeply moving. The complexity of Ella and Max's relationship, shaped by their past and present circumstances, is particularly well-executed.

Jennifer's prose is nothing short of spectacular. Her use of sun imagery throughout the novel is both poetic and powerful, adding depth and symbolism to the narrative. This attention to detail in her writing elevates the story, creating vivid scenes that resonate long after reading.

The pacing of the novel keeps readers engaged, with the right balance of tender moments and dramatic turns. The author doesn't shy away from difficult topics, handling them with sensitivity and realism.

While the novel is nearly flawless, I did wish for more assertiveness from Max in certain situations, particularly when Ella's actions could be seen as using him. However, this minor critique doesn't detract from the overall quality of the book.

"Catch the Sun" is a well-deserved five-star read, highly recommended for fans of young adult romance who appreciate depth, emotional complexity, and beautiful writing. It's a testament to Jennifer's talent as an author and her ability to create stories that touch the heart and linger in the mind.

What an emotional roller coaster ride! Ella Sunbury and Max Manning met for the first time at age 7. That began their love story. But it was not sunshine and roses for either one. Ella's lived through her parents' divorce and being separated from her mother and brother, her father's desertion, her brother's incarceration, her move back to Tennessee. Max is the brightest light in her corner. Max also has his share of trauma. His own mother's desertion, his father's work accident and spiral into alcoholism, his twin brother's devil may care attitude. He's barely hanging on by a thread to keep the roof over their heads. Ella doesn't want to date or fall in love; she's seen what love does to people and nothing turns out good. Horrific events taint Ella and Max's love story. It was painful to read through their separation, but heartwarming to see how much growing and healing they did while apart.

"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”

These characters transformed throughout the story. Dealing with grief and abandonment. It was any wonder if they'd come out the other side and end up together.

“My troubles are all over, and I am at home.”

The author has a penchant for ripping hearts to shreds throughout the course of the story and waits almost till the very end to give us resolution and a perfectly imperfect happily ever after.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

☀️Catch The Sun ARC Review🌤️

“𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭. 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭. 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜. 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧“


Synopsis

Ella and Max were inseparable friends when they were little kids until her parents divorce happened. 10 years later she is back but she is not the same. Her brother is on death row for brutally killing two people and she is now suffering the emotional consequences and the rejection of everyone around her.
Max lives with his twin brother and disabled father, he is struggling to keep all of them afloat but it’s really hard to do it alone. Ella and Max restart their friendship but it will be plagued by tragedy, loss and so much pain.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Thank you @netgalley and @author.jenniferhartmann for giving the opportunity of reading this book.
Jennifer Hartman is phenomenal, she gives you all the feelings and some more. If you are going to read this just be ready because the pain, angst and the juvenile uncertainty are profound. Max is such a beautiful soul, a golden retriever that compliments and balances Ella’s sulkiness. I loved every single moment of their relationship, especially all the beautiful details that Max gifts to Ella. I won’t spoil it, you have to experience it on your own.
This book taught me that you could meet your someone but not at the right moment, you have to be mature enough to let go, heal, and get in the right mind space with yourself so you can share your life with someone else. When love is real, it will always come back to you.

This was SUCH a good story! The whole plot had me intrigued and it was such an easy read, I didn’t want to put it down. Sunny and Max, love at first sight (when they were 7). This story gives it all… spice, tragedy, plot twists, happy ever after; gahhhh!

I loved Ella’s personality… she felt all alone and didn’t care what anyone thought about her. Then when her and Max reunite 🥹 He is so patient with her and makes her feel like she matters.

The plot will keep you guessing, and the love will keep you reading 🥰

Thank you Valentine PR and Jennifer Hartmann for this ARC read!

Holy WOW! Jennifer Hartmann was an author who has been recommended to me time and time again, and I am so angry with myself for not having read her books sooner! I absolutely LOVED Catch the Sun and how intentional Hartmann is with every word she writes (the English major in me was living for this!). Hartmann’s way to her writing makes the most subtle details carry huge meaning to her story, which shows just how thoughtful of an author she is.

As for our main characters, there’s no better feeling than having a person who makes you feel safe and loved when you have every reason to be angry with the world and at your life. Max is this person for Ella (and Ella for Max!), and Jennifer Hartmann captures the immense feelings and emotions between these two so perfectly it makes me giddy just thinking about it.

Catch the Sun has undoubtedly converted me to a major Jennifer Hartmann fan. I’m so excited to read her other books, and if they are anything like Catch the Sun, I have a feeling I’ll be rating them all 5 stars too!!

Another heartbreaking story from Jennifer Hartmann and I wouldn't have it any other way! I adore her writing so much. It's so beautiful and while you will hurt from her books, she has a way of healing you and making sure things end up the way they are supposed to. And that was exactly the case here.

I loved both Ella and Max so much! I loved how deep their connection ran from when they were kids to the present. When Ella comes back to town, she's so closed off from the world. She is hurting from everything that went down with her brother and isn't interested in friendship or love. But Max was able to pull her out of that dark place and help her through everything. He was perfect. He was so patient with her and turned out to be exactly what she needed and allowed her to be the strong woman she grew into.

This was definitely an emotional roller coaster and they both went on a journey that at many times I was not expecting. So much tragedy but yet they were so resilient and never gave up on each other. I thought the pacing of both the plot and their relationship was done very well, especially for them being younger. This is marketed as YA because the characters are young, but the story and the themes definitely aren't so don't let that fool you! And while not all aspects of the ending are happy, I think everything came together well and was as it should be.

There was nothing I didn't like about this book, but for some tiny, unknown reason, it didn't hit as hard for me as Still Beating and June First did. Like I teared up, but was not sobbing haha. But it was still an absolutely amazing book and one that everyone should pick up if you can!

**4.5 Stars

ARC Review:

Catch the Sun
By Jennifer Hartmann

5 stars

Tropes: Friends to lovers, small town, trauma and healing, found family

Alexa: Play Something in the Orange by Zach Bryan

"Kissing you feels like catching the sun…"

At seven years old, Ella Sunbury and Max Manning were inseparable—until life scattered them in different directions, forcing Ella to abruptly leave town. A decade later, she returns for their senior year of high school, moving in across the street from her childhood best friend.

But she's not the same girl Max once knew.

She now lives in the shadow of her brother: a notorious felon on death row, convicted of a crime that shook the nation. Reeling from the fallout and shunned by her peers, all Ella wants is to fade into the background.

Max has little room for distractions, juggling responsibilities for a disabled father and a distant twin brother. But Ella's return reignites something within him. He wants to be close to her again, to understand her…and to turn their friendship into more.

But as their relationship blossoms, new tragedy strikes, and darkness threatens to tip their delicate balance. In order to find the light, they'll have to navigate the shadows.

And to catch the sun…they must first endure the flames.


“Hey, Sunny. Stay.”

I not only fell in love with Max and Ella in this tragic story of heartbreak and healing, but also with Brynn!(the exclamation mark will always be needed), Kai, Chevy, Max’s dad, and Ella’s mom. The character development of all of them pulled at my heartstrings and made me believe in their bond of a found family.

“I’m absolutely petrified that you’re falling away from me, while I’m falling more and more in love with you. Every day. Every minute.”

I had tears in my eyes for most of this story while continuously turning the pages as quickly as possible. Jennifer’s writing was flawless as always. There may have been parts of the book where I wanted to throw it, but I am glad I continued and finished this well-written story.

I loved all of the quotes from the different books that Ella cherished. I loved the way Max was so patient with Ella, how he handled her with such care, love and attentiveness. I love all of the love that floated around in this story. Not just between the FMC and MMC, but between everyone in the story. The plot was plotting!

“I’d feel you in any lifetime, in any version of any reality. And I’d know, without a doubt, without a shred of hesitation…that your soul was meant for mine.” “Souls don’t see, Sunny. Souls feel.”

Catch the Sun broke me so many times. When I finished this book, I sobbed. I will leave it to you to figure out if they were happy or sad tears.

“My troubles are all over, and I am at home.”

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Jennifer Hartmann has been one of my auto-buy authors for a while now. This is her first YA novel and she knocked it out of the park. Hartmann's talent lies in tackling tough and dark topics with care, and while this novel is lighter than her adult ones, it still has some deeper themes that she handles beautifully. This was an emotional book, with twists I didn't see coming. Ella and Max's story is one to be remembered.

Jennifer Hartmann has done it to me again. Infinity stars. Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC, as I’m a huge fan of Jennifer’s writing. This book gave me SO MANY emotions. It kept me up all night reading. It gave me anxiety in multiple parts of the book(in a good way). One of my favorite reads of the year.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Today I fell in love with a boy
Who finally caught the sun, and he never let her go.’

Firstly thankyou so much to the queen herself Jennifer Hartmann, and Bloom publishing for allowing me an ARC copy of this incredible book, It was truly awe inspiring.

Ella sunbury. A girl whos led a lifetime of trauma packed into her teen years for so many different reasons, tries to navigate life today - but her peers pull her down, her demons attempt to pull her apart, and she’s ready to give up, until him. Max manning.

Now of course I am all about spoiler free reviews so what I will say is that the beautiful man that is max, needs protecting at all costs, because I’ve never met an MMC that didn’t deserve the world like he does.

This book had me laughing, crying, outright sobbing, and then happy cry snorting. Jennifer, never fails to reach new heights of trauma within her stories, and delivers it with such an inspiring finesse that it only confirms, she is without a doubt my favourite author today.

Ella + Max + Dr Pepper 4eva x

Wow. Just WOW! I am forever changed after reading this book. I laughed, I screamed, I cried tears of sadness and tears of joy! Jennifer really knows how to break your heart and put it back together again. This is my new favorite of hers.

Ella & Max both have not had easy childhoods. I was rooting for them the entire story. If I could reach into the book and hug Ella I would have. Her feelings about her brother were valid and proof of how Jennifer can make you feel what the characters are feeling. Max....sweet Max. He might be one of my favorite book boyfriends (If you love Noah from Say You Swear you will love Max).

Max & Ella hold a spot in my heart and orange is my new favorite color. I am so happy these two got their HEA.

P.S. F* you Dr. Pepper!

Thank you Netgalley and Bloom Books for the ARC.

My review might sound like I hated it. I did but not in the way people might think. The book deals with two different characters who have a connection to a traumatic event. Ella and Max. They both have a different connection but there trauma allows them to not only grow together but end up becoming better people. So why didn't I like it? Unfortunately for me. It felt very similar to If He Had been with me by Laura Nowlin. Which I hated with a burning passion. The characters also don't feel like High schoolers. They feel so much more mature than the setting they were setup with. I feel like this could've been a better book if it followed them in a more college era.

5⭐️

🧡 Ella + Max 🧡

There are many moments from this book that were so special. Quote worthy. I immediately connected with Ella and Max and their story. I didn’t want to put the book down. I can’t wait for everyone else to experience it.

“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮.”

Ella, the strongest girl. A true survivor. I loved everything about her character. From her dry humor to her resilient nature. Max, you really are a ten across the board. I really appreciated the slow and steady pace of their story. The friendship that blossomed to much more. It is a beautiful coming of age romance. I will be thinking of Ella and Max for a long time. This story

Ella returns to Juniper Falls a decade after leaving. She was 7 when she last saw her best friend, Max. The boy who gave her an orange flower. Now she’s back for her senior year and Max is all grown up. What starts as a rekindling of their friendship, slowly blossoms into much more. The path to their happily ever after isn’t an easy one though.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨.