ARC Review of Catch The Sun by Jennifer Hartmann
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A second chance at a childhood first love as our female lead faces struggles from the actions of someone she trusted most in the world, and opens up to possibly finding happiness again.

Ella's world was spun violently out of control when her beloved brother Jonah did the unthinkable.
Now she is back in a place she never through she would be, looking at the boy she once agreed to marry over popsicles.
He's handsome. He's popular. He's the catch of the school next to his twin.
She's the reject. She's the freak. She's everyone's new thing to torment.
Becoming friends was not something she planned on, but it appears neither she nor Max could hold back the past. Even as Max struggles with his own home life, he finds himmself pulled towards the girl in orange.
Happiness is possible for them in this dreary little town that holds them both back.
However, things are never as simple as finding the sunlight.

A great read that comes with a few twists you were not expecting.
Our lovers both struggle with the actions of loved ones: abandonment, break-downs, lies, and worse. Overwhelming challenges and horrors that tie them together, and have them question their own union.
Their romance is not easy or as simple as they appear. Even with Ella's trust issues constantly creating guarded walls, they eventually start to crumble only to be faced with another unpredictable surprise. Happiness is found for others who deserve it, the same with those who must face consequences to their actions.
Thumbs up on this read!

‘Catch the Sun’ has thrown me over board. I’m facing withdrawal symptoms after finishing the novel in one go. Elle and Max are two very well written characters with many layers to them. Both navigate through difficult and complex relationships and events through the story and every damn word I read stopped me from closing the book. You’ve been warned.

At one point Max (MMC) says “Forgiveness is a complicated beast, but love has a way of lingering, despite it all” and well that line alone sums up the novel in a way I can’t entirely explain. To be clear Elle and Max don’t actually do anything like cheating to each other or anything, so no worries about that if you plan on reading Catch the Sun. The novel is more focused on how the outside parties affected their relationship and how life got in their way.

My favorite part was Max and Elle both accepting and understanding eachother for who they are and how they feel about the people in their lives who are deemed as bad.

Friendship, love, acceptance, betrayal, and growth. I got way more from this novel than I thought I’d get. It was a complicated emotional roller coaster and I enjoyed every second of it. The novel was incredibly well written with exceptional characters. I came for the romance but stayed for everything else. There’s so much more I could talk about but then this would be an essay of a review. So I’ll end it with this. The novel is nothing less than 5 star in my eyes.

5/5 stars!

Btw yes it’s an HEA

**Please read the ⚠️ Trigger Warnings ⚠️ before reading Catch the Sun!**

*I was given this book in form of an advanced review copy in return for an honest review.

OK - Just so we’re clear, 5 stars is absolutely not enough. ♾️ stars is more accurate.

I really didn’t see how Jennifer Hartmann could top my love for Still Beating. BUT then this book slid onto my kindle.

I am obsessed with every aspect of this book. It’s raw, emotional, heartbreaking, hard to read at times, suspenseful at times, loving, heartwarming, absolutely will make you sob but will also make you laugh and smile as well.

I don’t even know where to even begin - but if you’re thinking of picking up this book & you have triggers, please check trigger warnings first. There’s a lot in this book & protecting your mental health is most important. 🫶🏼

Ella & Max’s banter at the beginning is actually book is actually the best - the sarcasm is hilarious and i was loling at some of Ella’s remarks back to Max.

I adored the way Max just knew she was it. He protected her, stood up for her, loved her, and was the constant she needed in such a hard time in her life.

I hated McKay from the first page, i’m not going to lie - his character arc was….. just downhill from there.

Brynn & Kai are just wonderful. I’d like them to have their own book next - JUST SAYING.

i will actually probably never recover from this book. It was utter perfection & I will absolutely be running to the bookstore on Tuesday to buy a physical copy & probably reading it again. It’s one of those books you wish you could read again for the first time. 🫶🏼

👏🏼 STANDING O FOR JENNIFER HARTMANN. THE QUEEN OF WRECKING MY HEART BUT MAKING SURE SHE GLUES IT BACK TOGETHER BEFORE SHE LEAVES. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

I swear, Jennifer Hartmann can’t write a bad book. I love the emotional aspects to her books! They may rip your heart out for a minute but she always puts it back together. I feel like I remember the plots to all of her books so easily because she makes them so emotional & I feel it in my bones.
I fell in love with our MMC, Max & the FMC, Ella.
Max & Ella were childhood best friends until Ella has to move away unexpectedly. 10 years later she moves back & has to struggle living in her older brother’s shadow as he is a convicted murderer on death row. Max is instantly drawn to her again & they attempt to resume their friendship BUT not without difficulty OR more feelings & emotions.
I could really feel their pull to one another through the pages and broke down when they broke down.
This book was amazing!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I just felt happy and sad throughout the whole thing. I loved the vibes.

“Progress is inevitable when you put in the work” 🥰

“Wrapping herself up like a mortified burrito” 🌯 😂

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

So many tears throughout. But smiles too 🥰

5 ⭐ 2.5 🌶️

That's going to take a bit to recover from... Gahhhh, so freaking good. This one was angsty in ways I never expected, and spicier than I thought it'd be. Watching these two break and heal and break again, only to find the happiest ever after, was a journey I'll never forget.

A friend said to me the other day "I remember the real reason YA books are not my favorites. THEY MAKE ME FEEL. ON PURPOSE. SO RUDE." and while she's not wrong, I absolutely love it 😂 And it's something Catch the Sun does so dang well. I felt SO. FREAKING. MUCH. My heart was hurting so bad during some moments and soaring during others. It got me all teary eyed in the end. Just so many feels and I lived every single one.

There was a good portion of this book where I wasn't sure how Max and Ella were going to come out okay. Heck, at one point I wasn't sure they were going to come out alive, let alone thriving... The had so many hurdles to overcome... But Jennifer's mind is an amazing place and this story was written so beautifully. It not only ended up okay, it ended perfectly and better than I ever could have imagined.

I had to take a few days and sit with my feelings on this one. Jennifer Hartmann NEVER ceases to amaze me. As do all of her books, this book made me run the emotional gambit. I felt ALL THE THINGS! I actually took longer than usual to read it because I annotated so many quotes in the book. There’s just plain wisdom in this one, y’all. Life lessons!

Ella and Max’s story begins as children. They know they love each other at the age of seven, as much as their own young hearts and minds can comprehend. Time and distance separate them for several years and they are reunited after tragic circumstances. Their love story is full of twists and turns…not all of them pleasant. 😕 Ella reminds Max of the sun and their story certainly brightened my life. It’s SUCH a good one, y’all! Add this one to your TBR ASAP!

<b>“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.”</b>

what a tragic but sweet book! From the start, you are drawn into Ella's story, and this continues throughout the book.

<b>“I’ve carried you with me all this time. You rise and fall with every sun. You’re between the pages of every book I read. You’re with me on every bridge, and you’re in the verses of every song that plays,”</b>


A lot happens in this book, and little by little, you get to know everyone and their life stories.
There are a lot of sad things in this book, but also very beautiful things.

Many parts are written almost poetically about love, mourning, and letting go of ideals.

<b>“I’ll never lie and say it’s easy. I’ll never pretend like it doesn’t suck your soul straight out of you sometimes… but I will tell you that it’s still possible to find the light. The loss is permanent, but the darkness isn’t.”</b>

How two young people can find real love together and, despite all the setbacks, not just give up. That loving sometimes also means letting go.

I was making notes about the Brynn with an ! After her name every time. I thought it was a spelling error until i read this part:

<b>While Brynn has been a notable source of warmth and solace, I’ve noticed that, somewhere along the way… I stopped adding the exclamation point to the end of her name. </b>



What can you expect?
❤️brother in jail
❤️murder
❤️very sweet mmc
❤️Great side characters
❤️Virgin main characters
❤️school setting
❤️bullies
❤️twin brothers
❤️a sick father
❤️trauma
❤️healing
❤️slipping through her window

Ohhh. This book shattered my heart and put it back together only to shatter it more. What a rollercoaster of a ride filled with the hardest tragedies, please check trigger warnings before reading but if you’ve ever read a Jennifer Hartmann book you know to be on your toes with your box of tissues ready. I absolutely devour all the books written by this author and was so excited to be able to read this one before it was released. It did not disappoint and her music choices are top notch so don’t forget to listen to the playlist in the book cause it fits so perfectly for the story.

Catch the Sun
By: Jennifer Hartmann

“You’re Ella and I’m Max.”

This story is absolutely all consuming. While it is a young adult story, the content and the characters certainly do not make it feel YA with the level of trauma these 2 experience.

“You can’t change anything. There’s no changing the past. If you believe you can, you’ll never move forward.”

In true Jennifer Hartmann fashion, she does an incredible job putting your heart through all of the pain and heartache as these two grow through trials and tragedy while slowly putting the bandaid on all of the cracks the story created at the end for a beautiful heartwarming HEA. The book unfolds so beautifully removing layer after layer keeping you gripped to find out how they’ll make it through. Ultimate forgiveness and heartache wrapped in a perfect bow with the most purest form of love.

My absolute favorite part of a romance book is the first kiss. It’s such an important pivotal point in a great romance. Max and Ella definitely get the award for the best first kiss! What a scene!!

“Kissing you feels like catching the sun,”

Stay, he says. Just a single word. I feel it more than I hear it.

No, you can’t go back to the beginning… But you can always create a new one.

There are stories you finish and you just know this is one that will stay with you. This is one that will make you tear up a little when you see Winnie the Pooh or a little round skipping stone. I knew when I finished with my face covered in tears that my heart was forever changed with this compelling story.

This was a beautifully, heart shattering, amazing book. Childhood best friends are torn apart and reunited 10 years later but events in their lives have altered their outlook on life. They pull each other from the edge only to thrown over it again and again.

Such a well written and wonderful story. Please read the trigger warnings before hand ❤️

This is my first book by this author and it certainly will not be my last. Max and Ella took me on an emotional rollercoaster that spanned 10+ years and I loved every moment of it. From reading reviews of her other books, I knew to expect some twists and turns but I NEVER could have predicted what life had in store for Max and Ella.

Max & Ella are such an amazing take on childhood friends to strangers to friends to first and only love. I love that their connection was immediate and begun in the school playground when they were in elementary school. Max was heartbroken when his friend left town. So when Ella is back ten years later you can feel their pull back to each other. She’s back under less than ideal circumstances and really needs his friendship and their relationship continues to progress. But secrets and tragedy threaten to destroy everything and everyone around them.

I feel so emotional after reading this!! I don’t even know what to say except I absolutely loved it! If you enjoy reading books that take you on an emotional roller coaster ride then definitely read this book. Actually you should read all of Jennifer Hartmann’s books. I’m definitely going to be thinking about this story for a long while.

Thank you Netgalley and Bloom Books for the ARC.

This book was an absolute roller coaster for me but to be honest all of her books make me feel this way but like in a really good way. It ripped my heart out and stomped on it a few times and my heart was put back in my chest repaired. Emotional, dark, but so so much love in this book. It also had to be one of the most romantic books I have ever read even with it being so dark. There was a twist in there that I really didn’t expect but really made the story that much better. There were parts that made me mad, sad, and wtf moments where I was screaming at my kindle. So worth the read though.

Finally caught the sun and he never let go.

To share your soul with someone, to break, to be allowed to heal----to have all of the above woven into a story rife with trauma but also with hope. With both heaviness and light. To be able to rise above the waters you found yourself drowning in. Magic.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC-

this story was so beautiful, i can’t even express how much. I was so invested in the two main characters, Ella and Max. Both MCs have so much personal baggage, family issues that they struggle with and watching them cope, lean on each other, and grow this relationship was so emotionally beautiful. Max was so sweet and i LOVED their “lists” they made for each other and just watching them navigate each other omg.

I will never look at the color orange or winnie the pooh again without thinking of this book! I loved the angst, the plot twists, all of the emotions you go through reading this book. The book also took a turn i didn’t expect but it kept me invested the entire time, especially once you reach the halfway point WHEWWWW.

Check trigger warnings! This is YA, and a little open door spice which i thought was the perfect amount!

“Kissing you is like catching the sun.” AAAAAHHHHH! Can Ella and I trade places?! AHHHHHH I love max so muchhhhhhhhhh

this is your typical emotional Jennifer Hartmann book. Max and Ella both share a lot of trauma. This book was roller coaster of emotions. I’m not gonna lie it took me a while to get into the book but once I did it was so hard to put down. Max and Ella were so cute together & his nickname for her OMG SO CUTE.

Max and Ella story was a sad beautiful tragic story. So much happened around them that will connect them forever. I cried so much in that last 20%. Max must be protected at all costs he was so perfect.

“Kissing you is like catching the sun”

This book is for the girlies like me who love the color orange and Dr. Pepper. But it’s also for those who love messy, complex, first love, upper YA coming of age stories.

Like I mentioned I love the color orange and that is what drew me to this book, and the sprayed orange edges the first print run has are just beautiful.

Ella and Max were best friends at 7 years of age and declared they would marry one day. Her family moved away and 10 years later she moved back for her senior year of HS, but with her brother on death row and Max’s unstable father he takes care of and an aloof twin brother, they are different than they were as kids but in many ways the same.

Books like this remind me of why I love reading. All the stars for this one. It was beautiful, tragic, (full of TW) and I could not put this down after a quarter way in. This was my first Jennifer Hartman book but will not be my last!

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for an eARC of this book.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Catch the Sun by Jennifer Hartmann. Having heard much about Jennifer’s previous works, I approached this book with high expectations but no prior experience with her writing style. While the story didn't immediately grip me, I found myself deeply invested in the characters and their journey by the time I reached the 60% mark.

Catch the Sun is a poignant coming-of-age tale that beautifully captures the essence of first love amidst adversity. Max and Ella, the protagonists, both come from traumatic home environments, and their story is interwoven with dark and challenging themes. I must emphasize the importance of checking trigger warnings before diving into this book, as it addresses bullying, sexual assault, and gun violence.

Despite the slow start, the narrative's emotional depth and the characters' growth pulled me in. I was particularly moved by how Max supported Ella, giving her the space and time she needed to heal and discover herself. Their love story is both heartbreaking and uplifting, showcasing their resilience and the healthy ways they found to cope with their past traumas.

By the end of the book, I was fully captivated by Max and Ella’s journey. Catch the Sun is a compelling read, especially for older teens/early 20s, given its mature content. Jennifer Hartmann has crafted a touching and realistic portrayal of young love and healing, making this a memorable read that I would certainly recommend.

Posted to my Goodreads, and will be posted tonight to my instagram. instagram.com/kissandtalewithpattie
Thank you to Bloom Books, NetGalley, and Jennifer Hartmann for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for my honest review.