Stealing kisses from a boy: CATCH AND KEEP.

Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Easily one of my favorite reads of the year.

Third in a series, but works as a standalone; I loved reading Maren's story. After saying no to a wedding proposal, Maren flees to Wisconsin, where she spent her summers growing up, and the tiny bait shop/cabin she inherited. Once there, she finds Joe--previously thought of as just a friend of her older brothers.

Joe is now a sexy single dad, running his parents' inn and raising his two kids. The two feel drawn to each other immediately, but Hahn does a wonderful job of illustrating their chemistry and attraction, not just some sort of insta-love. The two have a history, yes, but also hangups. Maren is getting over her breakup and Joe is a divorced, busy father.

Maren is a great character; it's wonderful for her to have her own book. She's just... Maren. Tougher than she thinks, figuring out life, totally knowledgeable about fishing and willing to do the dirty work of fixing up an old bait shack.

Joe, meanwhile, is a dreamboat, and his kids are adorable. I don't blame Maren for falling for all of them. I did too. Hahn deftly explores the topic of autism through Joe's younger daughter, but never strays into trope or treacly territory.

If you've read the first two books in this series, you'll be excited to see appearances from Maren's BFFs Lorelai and Shelby and their beaus. But this story is truly Maren's, digging into her old days as "Musky Maren," a fishing YouTube Star (a Musky is a fish, don't worry). It makes some wonderful points about how women are treated simply because they dared to put a piece of themselves on the Internet--and how men feel they are owed something in return for that appearance. Her older brother has a big role, making Maren feel bad about herself and generally just being a jerk.

Still, this is a sentimental and lovely book. When it ended, I thought, "that was perfect." It's a wonderful blend of romantic, sexy, and sweet. The lake acts as another character, providing a wonderful summer/camp-like atmosphere, even as winter sets in.

I love a story that is easy to read--that makes you laugh and smile. CATCH AND KEEP is that book. It's just fun to read (even though it has its serious moments) and makes you happy while reading it. The characters are great and easy to root for, and it offers a wonderful wrap-up for Maren, Shelby, and Lorelai. And Maren and Joe are pretty awesome too, illustrating that not everyone takes the same journey to find one another. 4.5+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin in return for an unbiased review.

View all my reviews