"She’s my light and I’m hers. My sweet Sunny Girl. From that first glance in the schoolyard, her smile peeking out from behind a book in the golden afternoon light, I felt it deep inside my soul—she was, and always would be, my sun."

Rating: 4.25/5

- Small town
- YA romance
- High school setting
- Childhood friends to strangers to friends to lovers!
- Neighbours
- First love
- Check TWs
- Dual POV
- 🌶️.5/5

Premise: your brother is on death row, so your mum moves you back to the small town you lived in when you were seven… next door to your childhood friend. You become friends again, then more, until more trauma threatens to tear you apart.

What to expect in Catch the Sun:
- An FMC dealing with the fallout of her brother’s decision, which includes bullies and loving and hating him simultaneously. I really liked Ella as an FMC – she was sarcastic and strong but also vulnerable and tender.
- An MMC dealing with his own father’s issues and a distant twin. Max has my whole heart. He was so sweet with Ella (the crayon! the stone! the flowers! the playlist! the book! 😭) and incredibly selfless. I just wanted to hug him 🥺.
- A slow-burn romance with all those first-love, it's always been you feels. "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." Ella said that Max saw her when no one else did, which is so true 🥺. He cherished every part of her.
- Jennifer Hartmann plot twists (yes, plural!) you won’t see coming that’ll break your heart and hurt your stomach (your heart slowly gets put back together).
- Lots of emotions and conflicting feelings about certain side characters 👀.
- The perfect ending for them.

"Kissing you feels like catching the sun."

Thank you to Jennifer and Valentine PR for the early copy!

What can I say about a.book that I devoured in about 4 hours….I think it is safe to say that I adored it. I devoured it it in one sitting. I sat down and didn’t get up.
Ella has been through a lot. She found her brother covered in blood. He was accused, tried and found guilty of a crime you will later find out in the book so I will leave you to find that out yourself. Now her mother and her have pretty much sold everything and have moved back to a town that she lived in for about a year when she was younger. A year where she met Max. A boy she was best friends with.. A boy who was really her everything…did I mention they were like 7 years old.
Now they are 17 and 18 and everyone pretty much thinks that Ella is the outcast do to her brother conviction. She is bullied by multiple people, but one girl who is has befriended her who happens to also be Max’s twins brothers girlfriend.
I thought the character development in this book was amazing. I loved the plot I thought it was very well thought out and that Jennifer Hartmann writing style is the kind that flows very well and is easily read.
The only disagreement I have is that while the beginning of this is within the age range of YA this IMO should not be classified or categorized as a YA book as it has detailed SPICY scenes in it. The end of the book they are in their early 20’s. I am not one who believes that new adult is really a thing. I think it’s either YA or adult and I would classify this as more adult material. But overall, I absolutely adored this book. It’s going to be a top book of the year for me at the end of the year. And I can’t wait to see how it ends up p[acing!!!

Jennifer Hartmann has my whole heart.
This book is technically considered a YA novel, but… there’s so much trauma in this book!
I don’t know that I’d recommend it for anyone under 18 because it deals with some heavy stuff.
The main characters are teenagers for a majority of the story and their love does feel like that giddy, young love. But MAN do they get put through the ringer 😭

Max and Ella have a childhood friends to lovers that blossoms so beautifully but the plot twist in this threatens that bond in a way you couldn’t imagine. I was sick over the plot twist, and admittedly, quite mad about it at first. I kept thinking she could have gone about this some other way. But by the end, I couldn’t have imagined it differently. That’s what I love about Jennifer’s books/characters. They’re real, authentic and flawed, just like life. But her characters always find the silver lining and come out on top.

Jennifer truly knows how to rip your heart into pieces, just to sew it back together seamlessly by the end of her stories. She has a fan for life in me 🫡

Catch the Sun-a standalone

by Jennifer Hartmann- I read Still Beating and gave it 5*

Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publication 7/16/24 Read 7/5/24

Format: e-book, 457 pgs.

🌎Setting: Juniper Falls -Tellico Plains, TN

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks/Bloom Books for this ARC☀️ ! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

✔️ YA
✔️female/male friendship
✔️ coming of age
✔️ family drama
✔️tragedy

⚠️ murder, SA attempt, parental disability, parental abandonment

💭Summary: Ella and Max were once BFFs but ever since her brother Jonah "allegedly" murdered two people Ella has been a social pariah. Max is the caretaker for his alcoholic father while his twin brother McKay refuses to deal with any family drama. Ella and Max slowly reconnect but the odds are against them.

🤔My Thoughts: Ella and Max were tragic characters dealing with too much for a seventeen-year- old. Ella is conflicted about loving and hating Jonah, her mother Candice won't talk about what happened, and her father cheated with Ella's 1st grade teacher. Candice was a horseback guide on their equestrian farm in Nashville. Now she can't get a job because the gossip about Jonah. Ella was bullied at school and she kept to herself to avoid being hurt. She gradually opened her heart to Max, but it turned bad quickly. McKay's jealousy and complicated feelings with his father Chuck fuel his anger and withdrawal. Max cared for Chuck and wouldn't get up on him like McKay. I loved that regardless of the trauma(and it's a lot), Max and Ella do get their HEA.

Jennifer Hartmann has quickly become synonymous with “rip your heart out, tragic stories”. I’ve read quite a few of her books at this point, and believe me when I tell you, Catch the Sun ranks right up there with June First, Still Beating, and Lotus, just to name a few.

Ella Sunbury is only seventeen when this story begins but her life has already been turned upside down by several events that have happened over the past ten years. First, at seven years old, she’s ripped away from her best friend, Max. And now, ten years later, she’s dealing with the fallout and aftermath of her brother being sentenced to death row for a double homicide.

Enter Max Manning, the same boy she was best friends with when she was seven. But Max’s life has changed dramatically as well, and he and his twin brother McKay are just trying to survive their senior year of high school.

Jennifer really puts her readers through the wringer with this one. To say I felt despair multiple times while reading this book would be putting it mildly. The title, Catch the Sun, resonated with me, as Max constantly tells Ella that she is his sun. He even calls her Sunny and keeps telling her she is his light. But there is a lot of dark in this story too, and for me, I think the dark much outweighed the light and it didn’t quite feel balanced for me. I craved more light, which we eventually got at the end and I loved it, I just needed there to be a better balance of light to all the dark along the way.

There was quite a bit of teenage angst, with Max and Ella, and some with Brynn and McKay. But mostly Max and Ella, as he tried so hard to get her to open up, only for her to constantly run from him when it got too intense for her. There is a great supporting cast of characters that really go above and beyond to love and support both Max and Ella.

Readers, prepare for the emotional rollercoaster ride with this story. You will run the gamut, so hold on tight and get ready for the experience!

♾️⭐️ - I never expected a young adult trauma romance novel to have the power to move me to tears. Yet, this book did just that, leaving me in tears on five different occasions.

This novel is nothing short of extraordinary—perhaps one of the best I have ever encountered.

Jennifer Hartmann has firmly established herself as the unparalleled queen of trauma romance. Her ability to weave heartache, heartbreak, love, laughter, and healing into a single narrative is truly remarkable.

The story of Max and Ella is unique, achingly sad, and heart-wrenching, yet it also beautifully depicts growth, love, and acceptance.

SHE BROUGHT THE BRISKET YOU GUYS😭IYKYK. I’ve never had brisket bring me to tears, but I can confidently say that if anyone brings me a brisket, I’ll probably start crying on spot🫠

If you want a story that will leave you speechless & make you feel every emotion possible, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this book on July 16th.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔥

I knew.
Knew this would break my heart.
It did. In the best way.
Anything written by Jennifer will and we all go in knowingly.
This was absolutely beautiful. A journey of love and loss and grief.
Everything, every story and detail, weave perfectly.
There is just something about reading fictional healing from trauma.
Is this YA? I don’t know, it’s pretty hard hitting.
Please give me a Chevy story.

-Childhood friends
-Trauma / Healing
-First love
-Small town
-Neighbours

Where to start? First off, this book is considered a YA book. The only thing YA about this book is their young age the majority of the book but the things that happen in this book…. Don’t let YA fool you if you have any interest in reading this book. It is young love, it had me kicking my feet giggling from the true YA moments, but it was dramatic as heck. There was SO much drama. The plot twist had me sick to my stomach at the realization what was happening. So much TRAUMA. Lots of trauma bonding for sure. I remember before starting this book telling my friend I can’t wait for a cute little YA book, I need a cleansing break… WRONG!!!

In true Jennifer fashion, I was a crying mess throughout the thick of it. She legit had me emotional and tearing up over BRISKET at home point. I swear 😭🤣

I binged 60% of this book in one day because it was so good. I would say up until about 85% it was an easy 5✨ for me, however the ending felt unrealistic and fell flat. I had to sit back and actually remember these characters ages. They were SO mature for their age you kind of forgot they were still so young 🥹 overall, I love anything Jennifer puts out there, this included.

4✨
1.5🌶️

Tropes:
🧡small town
🧡bookworm x popular guy
🧡childhood friends to lovers
🧡neighbors
🧡first love
🧡angsty and emotional
🧡trauma healing

Catch the Sun by Jennifer Hartmann is a book you'll need time to recover from because it is so beautifully tragic and healing. It's hard to put into words just how amazing this book is to read. The emotional rollercoaster but in all the right ways. Max and Ella are too young to have been through everything they have on their own. And when life brings them back together as seniors in high school, things are good and yet different. The struggles surrounding them pull them in every direction leaving them to pick up the pieces. This author continues to write some of the best stories. I've learned to go into them open as you will experience all the feels and emotions through her writing. I highly recommend this book along with everything this author has written and continues to write!

I hope that I can put my feelings adequately into words and give this book the review that it deserves.

Wow. My poor heart is not going to recover anytime soon from reading Ella and Max’s story. I can’t think back over what they have gone through without tears.

I need to review this book in two halves. The first, I felt, was a very slow burn story. At times I wished for a quicker pace to the storyline, however, once events started happening, I realised not only just how much Max and Ella had worked their way into my heart, but by having a full understanding of what they both had been through and the effects this had on them, served to make certain events more tragic. The second part is where my attention was fully grabbed and my emotions were raw and real. The storyline went in directions that I never expected and I especially loved those heart stopping moments. I cannot help but love being put through an emotional wringer.

I absolutely adore Max and Ella, and their storyline is strengthened by incredible supporting characters. I’m not going to go into any details as I would love for you to experience this narrative without any prior knowledge of its content. If you should find the first part of the story a little too slow, there is a reward for persevering, and I am certain you’ll be thankful that you did.

I award Catch the Sun by Jennifer Hartmann 4.5 stars. Overall, for me, I feel this narrative is more New Adult genre than Young Adult. The characters do go through some dark and traumatic events - should you have any triggers. One thing I am certain of is that I wouldn’t have missed this story for the world.

5 stars

JH you ripped my heart clean out and then taped it back together.

The queen of trauma writing if there is 1 thing I could say is this book is definitely not YA there are some heavy subjects in this book and a considerable amount of spice.

Keep doing what your doing because your writing will touch alot of people's hearts in the best wsy possible

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Catch the Sun by Jennifer Hartmann

Welp, I’m a little saddened to have to write the review. I adore Jennifer’s books but this one just didn’t do it for me.

The story is broken into 3 or 4 parts (I can’t remember.) The first part and last part were terribly slow. Basically, I was bored at the beginning, invested in the middle, then bored with the end. I did not care for the resolution at all.

She had the trauma-drama romance down pat like she typically does, but the rest of the story felt flat, long-winded, and the ending felt forced. As I was reading I went from 2 stars, to 4 stars, to 2 stars. Additionally, her character development was a little spotty. I couldn’t quite get a grasp on Max. I couldn’t tell if he was weird, popular, outsider, insider, loner, well-liked…it was like she couldn’t quite decide where he fit either. The relationship between Ella and Brynn was sweet, but developed in an unnatural way. And Brynn’s reaction to something that happens later in the book was, well, it was just missing.

Hartmann is one of my automatic reads (no matter what she writes) author and that still stands. I am a high school librarian and unfortunately feel that this book was too sexually graphic for my library. It is marked as “young adult” but I feel like it should be marked as “new adult.”

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

eARC review of Catch the Sun by Jennifer Hartman

All the ⭐️'s

Reasons why I LOVE this book (IYKYK)
1) It caused "my heart to dribble out of me and leave a gooey puddle at my feet"
2) The quotes in this book are top tier!
3) Max is everything. Understanding. Patient. Attentive. Selfless. Amazing. Loving, and so much more. He also has really nice arms!
4) The emotional rollercoaster of a journey this book took me through was exhilarating, exciting, and heartbreaking - it hurt so bad and good at the same time.

“Love always hurts, honey. That’s the price we pay to experience it. Sometimes that hurt is on a smaller scale, and sometimes it’s big enough to move mountains. Either way, it hurts. You have to think of it as a cruel gift. Nothing good in life is ever free. There are always sacrifices and tough blows. And even if we never fully recover from those blows, we can appreciate the love while it was still sweet and untainted. After all, it was there first. It’s the conduit for every raw, passionate, ugly heartache we experience in this life.”

✨️✨️✨️

Thank you so much to @author.jenniferhartmann, NetGalley and @valentine_pr_ for the opportunity to ARC read Catch the Sun. I will carry this story with me forever, "with the rise and fall of every sun... and on every bridge."

4.5 ⭐️

Why is it that every time I read a Jennifer Hartmann book, my heart breaks into a million pieces, only to be glued back together again, then broken again, then glued back together again, and so on?

This book is beautiful, even magnificent, but it is also hard. It will undoubtedly stay with me for a long time. Ella’s pain is so intense that we feel it too, and the same goes for Max. But when they are together, the pain disappears and there is peace in the fragile cocoon they share.

Ella and Max are the kinds of characters I love at first sight. I think I have a special fondness for souls broken by life. Is it because we feel closer to characters who are like us? Who knows?

This book was so gripping that I couldn’t put it down until I’d finished it. It was 3 a.m. and I had to get up 3 hours later. There were also many, many tears. So, imagine the state of my ringed and puffy eyes the next morning 🥲

I do have a small reservation about the book being YA though. Would I have read it at 16 (the recommended age)? Yes, as I didn’t have parents monitoring my reading, but would I tell the parents of a 16-year-old that this book is appropriate for that age? Well, maybe not.

I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone, as the CWs are something you have to read and take very seriously, but if you feel able to read it despite the CWs, then I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Jennifer Hartmann and Valentine PR for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When you pick up a Jennifer Hartman novel, you know you will experience an emotional journey. This one did not disappoint. There was a lot happening in this book. I feel it is best to go in blind, like I did having received an ARC of this book. I think that even giving some hints to the plot takes away from the development. But if you have triggers, then look for a list as this story contains many.
Even though this book was more YA than some of her previous work, as Max and Ella are in high school for most of the story, it did not read YA to me. Difficult subjects were explored and you can feel the pain and triumph through the writing. I appreciated that healing and growth did not happen overnight, that true trauma takes time. Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for an advanced copy.

Catch the Sun was the most incredible rollercoaster ride! We follow angsty, tortured-spirit Ella, and broody, quiet Max in their journey through their senior year of high school. The kicker, the two were best friends in childhood before being unexpectedly ripped apart. I loved this pair endlessly and spent the entire book rooting for them. This story is a journey of true love, childhood trauma, and healing. I laughed, I cried, I stayed awake until 2am just to finish! ✨I could NOT put it down✨

This was absolutely a five star read for me and rivals my love for Still Beating. This story healed something in my heart and left me feeling more whole than I started. A beautiful tale indeed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I don't usually pick up YA books. They're not for me. I did, however, grab this one because I've recently found this author, and I've loved everything I've read so far. Catch the Sun is no different. This book deals with some dark and heavy topics, so please check the triggers.

Although I really enjoyed this book, it did feel like it dragged a little in the first half.

ARC Review
Catch The Sun by Jennifer Hartmann
Releases 7.16

♾️/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️

Jennifer does it again! She wrote a masterpiece of a story. This is another one that I will think about on repeat! Jennifer has a way of building you up, tearing you apart, and then putting the pieces back together again. She is just amazing! Do yourself a favor and pick this book up!

I have so many thoughts swirling in my head after finishing this. Ella and Max separately as characters great but together amazing. Each one has their own demons, have their own complex back stories, and yet when they are brought together they are the perfect puzzle.

I loved that Ella was a strong character with her own soft interior. And Max was trying to be the savior to everyone. Their lives intertwined so beautifully.

This book has everything and gives you all the feels. I am not a crier but Jennifer does it to me every time!

Thank you Jennifer and valentine pr for the opportunity to receive this ARC!

𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧 | 𝐽𝑒𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑓𝑒𝑟 𝐻𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑛 🧡

𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐬! 𝐈 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐱 & 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐚’𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐮𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭! 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲! 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐚! 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧. 𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧. 𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 & 𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬. 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐬 🖍️ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞! 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍! 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 & 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝. ℍ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕝𝕪 ℝ𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕! Infinity ♾️ ⭐️

JENNIFER HARTMANN CAN DO SOMETHING
THAT VERY FEW AUTHORS CAN... BLOW MY
ABSOLUTE SOCKS OFF. LIKE MANY OTHERS, THIS BOOK TOOK ME ON A JOURNEY OF GRIEF, TRIUMPH, & LOVE. YES, I GAVE IT 4 STARS BECAUSE THE BEGINNING WAS A BIT SLOW, BUT REGARDLESS, I THINK VERY HIGHLY OF THIS NOVEL. IT IS ABSOLUTELY GUT WRENCHING & WILL TEAR YOU TO PIECES. & WHILE THIS BOOK IS BEING MARKETED AS "YA" I DON'T THINK IT IS. THE CHARACTERS ARE YOUNG & IT HAS A HEAVY FOCUS ON TEENAGE LOVE, BUT THE TOPICS ARE HEAVY & THERE IS SPICE (I GAVE IT A 2.5 SPICY). THIS IS A FRIENDS TO LOVERS, SECOND CHANCE, SMALL TOWN, NEIGHBORS ROMANCE WITH FOUND FAMILY & A LOT OF HEAVY TOPICS. PLEASE CHECK THOSE OUT BEFORE READING. WHAT I LOVED MOST WAS THE VERY VULNERABLE, INTIMATE MOMENTS BETWEEN MCS. IT'S AN OTT STORY THAT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL ALL OF THE EMOTIONS.