Fantastic YA romance with all the feels.
I am a huge fan of this author's work so reading this was pure delight! Coming of age books just hit different.

This was unfortunately a DNF for me. I made it to chapter 15 and I found myself skimming through the dialogue uninterested. I hope to try another book by this author but this one was a miss for me.

Jennifer Hartmann truly has a gift to pull on your heart strings! This was such a beautiful story and I loved it. The characters make you want to hold their hands and make sure they’re okay.

2 Catch the Snore Stars
How is this book 450 pages but it felt like 1000? There is so much dead space in this.
The book starts off with 5 stars from me. Its a unique start, emotionally charged adn life altering.
and then NOTHING happens
and then we have rekindled a lost love
then NOTHING happens
Then something CRAZY Happens and I am hoping it redeems the book
and then NOTHING happens
and then a STUPID thing happens
and then I threw my kindle.

also this is very high school aged *in terms of character ages* and would have done better if the narrators were younger as well .. I didnt reduce stars for this but its just a thought I had.

This review is challenging to write because I truly love Jennifer Hartmann’s work. Her writing style is so distinctive and full of heart, and she handles angst like no one else. This book is no exception—it’s intense and heavy but still captivating, and Hartmann’s storytelling pulls you in from the first page.

The story follows Max and Ella, childhood friends who are torn apart when Ella’s father takes her away to live with him. Years later, Ella returns to their small town, though now marked as a "social outcast" because her brother is on death row. As the story unfolds, Max and Ella reconnect and rediscover their bond.

The plot is unique, deeply moving, and beautifully crafted. Yet, I found myself not quite as invested in the characters as I’d hoped. Perhaps the storyline felt a bit too bleak, and I kept wondering how much hardship one person could bear. Despite this, I loved the "found family" Max and Ella create—it’s sweet and adds a layer of warmth to the story.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, though it’s not one I’d reread. I’d recommend it to anyone in the mood for an emotionally heavy read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was such an emotional read which shattered my heart and mended it yet again.
Jennifer Hartmann always has such a unique way of writing, it makes me so emotional and I always feel with the characters.

Jennifer Hartmann truly knows how to get you in all the feels with her books. The writing is just remarkable and you can’t help but get so involved with her characters. This was considered YA I believe so a little out of my wheelhouse but she made the characters so mature and experience so much more at their age than they should ever have had to. There was such a surprise twist that had me SOBBING. So well done.

•Second chance romance
•Friends to lovers
•Close Proximity
•Slow burn

Such an emotional read. This one will break your heart and slowly put it back together. 4 stars.

INFINITY STARS!!!!


Beautifully tragic. Thats how I would describe this book. Just trying to write this review has me in tears. IT BROKE ME!!! I'm talking AN HOUR to read one chapter because I literally couldn't read the words through my tears and everytime I pulled my self together and attempted to carry on, I would start crying all over again. This is one of the most beautiful, heartwrenching stories i have EVER read.

I was invested in Max and Ella’s story from the get go and their journey and what they go through from childhood to young adult is one that will rip your heart from your chest, shatter it in a million pieces before slowly putting it back together again. I wanted to slip through the pages, wrap my arms around the pair of them and tell them everything will be ok in the end even though, I really didn't know if it would be.

This book is going to stay with me for a long time, and a little piece of my heart will always belong to these characters. I went in blind and would recommend that you do the same. Just make sure you have tissues by the truckload and check the trigger warnings as it deals with some sensitive topics.

Jennifer - my soul is destroyed and i will no longer be able to look at the following items without having a total breakdown. I will be sending you my therapy bill.

When I say nothing Jennifer writes is a skip I mean it and after reading this book I stand behind that statement 100%!

Now about the book itself! These characters made me feel every emotional possible. I would be giggling happy one second and absolutely in shock the next, especially towards the end of part 3, god come on I was in shock okay!

Ella and Max DESERVE every year they have together plus 15 more! I hope all of the guilt they share goes away in time and that they always come back to each other knowing that they love each other. Honestly I was a little nervous that it wasn’t gonna be an HEA but then you hit part four and just know it’s gotta be!!

Absolutely loved this book! Definitely check it out!!

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-nmIhcR-cn/?igsh=MWo0dzZpMWFycmU1Yg==

This YA novel explores the complicated dynamics of personal relationships, revolving around family conflicts and to what lengths one would be willing to go for true love. A tale that is both tragic yet also rewarding.
I did struggle with the pace of this book which did not keep me hooked. The self pity and lack of hopefulness from Ella drove me crazy but is true to how a teenage girl would react to the situations she was put in. The decet from family members was astonishing to me, however very realistic. It just made me want to rip the characters from the page for their own happy ending.

*Thank you to Elizabeth Lowham, SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books | Bloom Books and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

Emotional, captivating, and ALL THE FEELS. If you are a fan of Colleen Hoover and emotional romances that will destroy you and then put you back together again, this read is FOR YOU.

This is such a difficult review to write because firstly I love Jennifer Hartmann's books. Her writing technique is unique, heart felt and she writes angst like no other. This book is no different. It is HEAVY, yes but it is still entertaining and Jennifer's writing grips you from the very first page.

This book tells the story of Max and Ella, two childhood friends until the day that Ella's father takes her away to live with him, seperating these two friends. Years later, Ella returns to the small town, where Max still lives, however this time, Ella is the "social outcast" as her brother is on death row. Events unfold and Max and Ella find their way back to each other.

I loved the plot, it was unique, entertaining and beautifully written, however I don't know what it was, but I wasn't as engaged with the characters as I thought I would be. The storyline was a little too depressing for me, maybe. At times I thought, how much more bad luck can one person handle. I will admit though I did enjoy the found family Ella and Max made. It was very sweet and endearing.

Overall I did enjoy this book. Will I reread it? No, sorry. Overall though I do recommend it as long as you are in the mood for some sad content.

Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Hartmann's other work, but this one did not sit well with me. I think the ages of the main characters made me uncomfortable with the material.

*Sigh* I’m tired. Really, truly tired. Why why WHY are you marketing this as YA. As a parent I would not let my 12/14 year old read this. Full stop. THIS IS NOT YOUNG ADULT CONTENT. Why are you trying to push adult content onto CHILDREN?
Looking away from the fact that this is YA (which is hard to do), the book itself is fine. However I stopped and had to come back because honestly I wasn’t that interested. And then it felt like it was shock factor after shock factor. Really. We get it. They have trauma.
I was fully expecting to sob like many other readers and did not. Maybe I’m cold hearted, but I did cry at a commercial earlier so I don’t think that’s it. I might just be cutting my losses with this author.
So anyway, once more for the road… This is not YA.
Thank you NetGalley and sourcebooks bloom books for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Another great book by Jennifer Hartmann. I wasn't sure if I would like this story and well...I didn't...I LOVED IT!!!
It was heartbreaking and beautiful and I really enjoyed the characters in this one. Of course I cried...as I usually do when I read books by Jennifer Hartmann 😄

Jennifer Hartmann does it again🥹. YA is usually hit or miss for me. But I knew this would be fantastic because she wrote it! Jennifer is one author who can make you feel the whole range of emotions in one book! Catch the sun was another one of her books to do this.
Ella and Max have both gone through so much trauma, but neither of them give up on each other.
I loved their relationship so much so much🥹. He was so intent on making sure Ella was happy and taken care of, and she really did the same for him. They were the perfect balance through everything🧡.

🧡Second Chance
🧡Small town
🧡Childhood friends to Lovers
🧡Trauma Healing
🧡Angsty and Emotional

Wow! Where do I begin?? Let's start by saying, I thought this was 6 star read! 5 isn't enough! This book had everything in it! Dry humor, angst, depth, heartbreak, healing, love. It's honestly a phenomenal read and one of my top books ever! I will be thinking of this book for a really long time and recommending it to everyone.

And true to Hartmann's style, this deals with heavy topics. Just know that going in!

Edited to add: This story is no way YA. Yes it deals with young adults, but you need to be 17+ to read this.

Yet again, Jennifer Hartmann has tugged at my heartstrings, splintered my soul, broken me and put me back together.

This is such a poignant and beautifully written story that my words will do it no justice.

Each story that Jennifer releases has tidbits inside that will always remind me of the book and this one is no different. No longer will I think of Winnie the Pooh without thinking of Ella. And Max.

The colour orange, heck even the sun, will forever be associated to the love and loss Ella and Max experienced at such a young age and pivotal time in their adolescent lives.

Another fabulous story from Jennifer etched into my soul and one I won’t forget. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to ARC read Catch the sun!

Jennifer Hartmann is my queen and I will devour every single thing that she publishes! This one had me ugly sobbing since the characters had to deal with a lot of serious events that tested the strength of their bond. I love childhood friends to lovers as well as reunited friends so it was no surprise that this was an enjoyable read even if it made me cry while swooning