4.5 stars. I get very stressed out when the plot hinges on one character withholding very important information from another. That aside, this was a very enjoyable baseball romance and I was rooting for Daphne and Chris.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I was never big on sports romances, but I trusted Alicia Thompson to win me over. Boy, did she ever. I want my own Chris Kepler!! Give me an anxious grieving baseball sweetie who is completely down to earth and generous! 😭

I truly thought I wasn’t going to love this book as much as I do. Why? Because when I first started reading this book, I was genuinely debating whether I should continue reading DNF. And gladly, I didn't, because I genuinely felt for Daphne when she realized that she messed up when she kept booing at the baseball player. She, of course, had to slide into his DMs and apologize. Well, kind of apologize, lol.
Yeah, I know what you are thinking. What do you mean she kind of apologizes in his DMs? Let me explain the sticky situation that Daphne gets herself into. So she wanted to apologize to him, but she knew he wouldn’t look at it if she mentioned off-the-bat who she was. And then they started to talk more than she realized. It became a bit too late to admit the truth because she was going to hurt his feelings. And she never wants to hurt his feelings.
Yes, Daphne kind of catfished him, but she did it by mistake. I will give her that, but she needed to tell the truth when they started getting physical with each other. It was bound to get even messier.
Besides the catfish thing, Daphne and Chris's chemistry with each other is off the charts. You can tell that they have an attraction for each other. And they feel so comfortable with each other that they can talk about anything. And their spicy scenes together are too hot!

I was a bit hesitant to read this one after having read Love in the Time of Serial Killers (which I did like, but found it to be a bit cliche'd at the end), but I am certainly glad I did. The blurb alone drew me in, and I think this one'll be at least fairly popular with Booktok? I hope?

In Alicia Thompson's heartwarming novel, The Art of Catching Feelings, Daphne Brink finds herself navigating the unexpected twists and turns of love and baseball. After impulsively heckling Carolina Battery player Chris Kepler during a game, she finds herself drawn to him both personally and emotionally. As their connection deepens, Daphne struggles with the guilt of her deception, knowing that revealing the truth could jeopardize their newfound bond. Daphne's journey is one of self-discovery and acceptance. She learns to embrace her vulnerabilities and acknowledge her longing for love and companionship. Chris, who is also grappling with personal struggles, finds solace and understanding in Daphne's anonymous online presence. Their virtual connection blossoms into a profound emotional bond that challenges their perceptions of love and relationships. Thompson skillfully weaves together Daphne and Chris's stories, exploring the complexities of human emotions and the delicate balance between truth and deception. The novel delves into themes of forgiveness, vulnerability, and the courage to take chances in pursuit of happiness. With its witty banter, relatable characters, and heartwarming moments, The Art of Catching Feelings is a delightful read that celebrates the power of love to heal and transform. Through Daphne and Chris's experiences, Thompson reminds us that sometimes, the most meaningful connections are forged in the most unexpected circumstances. The novel's exploration of love, honesty, and self-acceptance makes it a poignant and thought-provoking read that lingers long after the final page is turned.

Daphne Brink doesn't watch or know anything about baseball, but after too many beers at the ballpark, she decides to heckle Caroline Battery player. Chris Kepler. Chris Kepler is already not having a great season and when a heckler calls out one of the most ridiculous things at him, he finds himself close to tears and striking out. The interaction goes viral and causes a bit of a media storm. Soon, Chris finds himself receiving an Instagram DM from someone named Duckie apologizing for what happened and the two hit it off, chatting almost every day. The catch? Duckie is actually Daphne and despite apologizing... she doesn't mention that she indeed is the heckler that brought him to tears. Duckie understands Chris in a way no one else does and as Daphne finds herself having more in real life interactions with Chris, working directly with the team, she finds it hard to keep the secret that she is indeed Duckie. How long can she keep this lie up?

One of the things I enjoy about Alicia Thompson's romance novels, is that the premises are very unique and as soon as you read the synopsis, you find yourself naturally drawn to wanting to know/read more. The Art of Catching Feels definitely intrigued me right away and I knew it was a title I wanted to read as soon as possible. I think the thing I found most difficult about this book was the pacing. In the beginning it was great and really captured my attention, but soon enough it felt a little slow and drawn out, then it all happened quite quickly and was over.

Thompson does a great job of creating full flushed characters that you can tell have lives and meaning outside of the book. She really gets into their psyche of how they're feeling and why they do the things they do. However, as mentioned with the pacing of the book, it made me almost disengage from them and no longer care about where they were going in their relationship and the story. That's why for me I rated this book 3 stars - in my opinion it is a pretty average romance book that feels like it wanted to almost take me somewhere, but stopped at the midway point.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC in exchange for a fair review!

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO SO SO MUCH!!! I didn't want to stop reading it and honestly I'm upset I finished it because I want more of Chris and Daphne. They are both such vulnerable, emotional, lovable messes; it's impossible not to love them. And yes some poor decisions are made but that just makes them even more relatable. This is the first book I've read all the way through by Alicia Thompson but I own her other two books because I'm a sucker for a cute cover and I fully intend to read them as I'm sure they're just as amazing as The Art of Catching Feelings.

I really don't even know what to say about this one beyond I love it and want more. It drew me in right from the start and I did not want to put it down. The writing was seamless, flowing naturally and so descriptive that I could picture it all playing out in my head. This book makes baseball seem much more appealing to me than ever. I love that it starts off with Daphne reading a book at a game because that would 100% be me and that she has a bookstagram/loves all things books -- this definitely makes her character really relatable to us readers. The pen pal/dual identity aspect of the story gave me *anxiety* but not in a bad way and the spice was spicy in the very best of ways. I love the progression of Chris and Daphne's love story because it's really not based on looks and more on substance. It's a deep romance and each character has so much development throughout the story. While it was obviously a love match based on who they are inside, they are also both very clearly HOT AF and have a lot of physical chemistry which is also fantastic! Romance readers you are going to EAT. THIS. UP.

I will say there are some tough topics that might be upsetting for some, so if mentions of divorce or suicide/death of someone close to you will upset you, you have been warned. But I will say that Alicia handles it very well and gives it the care that it deserves.

I really truly absolutely loved this story and can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy when it publishes in June! This is 100% a 5 star read and I would rate it even higher if there were more stars on here (:

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced digital copy of this book from Berkley via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Freaking PERFECTION. 10/10. This was just so so good. I couldn’t get enough of it and wanted a thousand more pages of this.

I really liked this one! The main character Daphne, had me stressed with some of her decision making, especially as she got to know Chris better in real life and kept her identity a secret. Two-person love triangle isn't my favorite trope but I do think Alicia Thompson made it work. The baseball setting was fun. The focus of this one really is the romance, but the background plots of Daphne dealing with her divorce and reckoning with her past marriage and Chris dealing with his grief added a lot of depth to the story and their characters.

Daphne's divorce papers are officially signed and she finds herself with her best friend Kim at a Carolina Battery game. She's not really knowledgeable about baseball, but the fan next to her has been heckling the team all night so she gives it a try and tosses a few insults out to the players on the field. One particularly poorly crafted insult lands so much harder than she ever expected or intended. When she reaches out to Chris Kepler, the target of her heckling, to apologize in his Instagram DMs, she forgets to mention she's the heckler. Their connection is undeniable, but problematic since Daphne unintentionally didn't let him know who she is. When work circumstances throw them together, Daphne has a lot of decisions to make. This novel is so lovely. Every single character has an interesting story. Nothing about it feels incomplete. And the Third Eye Blind references...love them. Highly recommend this to anyone who loves love, cats, or baseball.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

𝘼 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚.

📍 Read if you like:
• Sports Romance
• Swoony Characters
• Miscommunication
• Baseball

I absolutely love this author’s writing and stories. This one was so unique with the baseball aspect. I haven’t read too many sports romances, but I figured this one would’ve been perfect.

The premise was so fascinating and I couldn’t wait to read this - the cover is absolutely stunning, and gives off nostalgic comic vibes.

In this we follow Daphne and Chris, I thought both characters were interesting on their own. Chris was a sweetheart full of emotions, he was heartwarming and funny. There’s a hidden identity aspect in this with Daphne using a hidden account to DM Chris, and I loved the conversations.

I thought anxiety and depression were represented so well in this book. I’ve noticed this author does a wonderful job at portraying themes like that.

The author definitely knows how to write some flesh-out and well-developed characters. The story made me more intrigued by baseball, I loved the vibes of Chris’s team. There’s also an insightful message on life and love.

My only issue with the book was the miscommunication. It’s one of my least favorite tropes and unfortunately, I didn’t love the way it was handled with these characters. Daphne made some decisions that bothered me and could’ve prevented so much if she had been more honest.

Overall, this was an enjoyable sports romance between a heckler and a baseball player, I loved the writing in this and can’t wait to see with Alicia Thompson comes out with next.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Berkley for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Suicide, Mental Health, Divorce

Thank you to NetGalley, Alicia Thompson and Berkley Publishing for an advance copy of The Art of Catching Feelings in exchange for an honest review.

Alicia Thompson has become one of those auto-read authors for me and I'm thrilled to provide an advance review.

#1 Alicia Thompson - #2 Romance - #3 Baseball - How can it possibly go wrong? The answer is that it can't!

Following the signing of divorce paper, Daphne decides going to a sporting event that she is not particularly fond of and having a few beers is a good decision. She gets a little drunk & a little out of hand as she heckles Chris, one of the players. After sobering up, Daphne is mortified and reaches out to Chris on social media to offer an apology under her social media handle, Duckie. The only problem is that she forgets to tell him who she really is. Of course they begin to open up to each other and form a bond, but as things start to get more intense, Daphne is torn up with Chris not knowing the truth about her and what will happen when he finds out.

First of all, this was my quickest Alicia Thompson read EVER. I literally flew through it. And it was absolutely everything. Daphne & Chris are both so realistic and relatable. Any reader who doesn't fall head over heels in love with both of them next to have their head examined.

Loveable and realistic characters is something Thompson does extremely well. I love her ability to mix in real-world struggles that many of us deal with on a daily basis. It makes us readers more invested and feel like we are part of the story. Alicia Thompson, herself, is a loveable & quirky author and that definitely shows through in her work. She quickly landed on my list of fave romance authors last year after With Love, From Cold World. I also loved Love in the Times of Serial Killers, but it takes at least two winners to get on my list of faves. She is in the company of the great romance authors of our time: Emily Henry, Tessa Bailey, Ali Hazelwood, Carley Fortune, Christina Henry, and ALICIA THOMPSON.

I will absolutely promote & recommend this book on my IG closer to release. This is another solid 5-Star from Thompson!

I am in my sports romance era! I can't get enough of sports romance, especially baseball. Maybe it's the arctic cold weather lately, but I'm craving the sun on my face and the crack of a bat just absolutely sending a ball soaring into the outfield.

One thing I did not expect in The Art of Catching Feelings is the deep discussion of grief. I recently lost my sister to cancer and it was really hard for me when the MMC started to talk about the loss of his brother and the ways that grief continues in his life. I could absolutely see my own lived experiences on the page. It was an honest and accurate representation of the grief surrounding the loss of a sibling. The author did a great job balancing that with the romance storyline and it never felt awkward or uncomfortable to have those two concepts in the same book. I was really pleased to be reading another book with a MMC who has mental health issues.

The romance was really sweet, however I'm not always wild about the miscommunication trope that's heavily used here. Alicia Thompson did better than most, however, and I could understand how it might happen that you mean to tell the other person, but then it becomes too late and it's almost as bad to tell them. Every once in a while, I'd get whiffs of You've Got Mail, but only briefly.

I loved the characters in this book. Most were well-fleshed out and felt three-dimensional with personalities and backstories to carry them. I found myself rooting whenever they were at bat, hoping the players would have a good game and the team would win. I wish there were more scenes of the actual baseball games -- it was just so much fun!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I'm excited to read more by Alicia Thompson.

This book is exactly what I needed! It was fun, it was swoony, and it made me laugh-out-loud. I loved the characters and I also loved their HEA!

The premise of this book is absolutely delicious-- a baseball heckler must work with the player she made cry on national television. I was hooked from the first page.

This would be a five-star book for me, but I just can't deal with catfishing. It doesn't feel right that one person knows more about the other person in a relationship and carries on with the deception after they establish feelings for one another.

That caveat aside, I did enjoy this book and look forward to more from Alicia Thompson!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Think You’ve Got Mail and No Strings Attached had a baseball baby.

You know those books where all it takes is one page? I absolutely devoured this. It’s layered with grief, but is at the same time absolutely swoonworthy. Chris was so sensitive and vulnerable and I wanted to give him the biggest hug. The Art of Catching Feelings is perfect if you’re into secret identity and friends with benefits but also don’t mind an absolutely messy book.

Daphne Brink is on the brink of a slightly nervous breakdown after her recent divorce. When she has the chance to outdo her ex and score free tickets to watch a baseball game from the most convenient seats, she gladly accepts the prize. Despite not knowing much about sports, she figures it's better to spend some time alone and wallow in self-pity.

With the help of IPAs and the company of her best friend, everything starts to feel better until the moment she finds herself heckling Carolina Battery player Chris Kepler with a Winnie the Pooh reference. And guess what? The star player doesn't know the famous rule: "There's no crying in baseball," as mentioned in "A League of Their Own." Daphne's words may have struck a nerve, making Chris cry in the middle of the game. When she sobers up, she feels ashamed and decides to write a message to Chris to apologize, conveniently leaving out the detail that she was the heckler who pushed him to a nervous breakdown.


Their communication is flawless, and Daphne finds herself starting to work for the team while dealing with the guilt of lying about her identity. She also discovers herself falling for Chris Kepler. However, the looming question remains: What if the truth comes out? Will the deep connection they've built dissipate as she returns to her broken-hearted, miserable life?

I must admit I'm not a big fan of sports romance. While I love soccer and basketball games in daily life, baseball never really captivated me. That's why Ms. Thompson achieved something unexpected: she made me enjoy the world of sports, and, of course, the best book boyfriend she created played a significant role in enhancing the experience. I can't deny it – I loved Chris more than Daphne.

This sweet, sensitive, and caring guy is a dream for all women, and I'm certain many readers will be swooning as they read about him. It's nearly impossible not to fall for this character. His dealing with grief and suffering from panic attacks are portrayed so realistically. I found myself wanting to jump inside the book, give him a hug, and assure him that things will get better, or at least more tolerable, with each passing day.

Overall, this is a sweet, engaging sports romance that I wholeheartedly enjoyed and highly recommend to readers.

A heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this sweet book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I've read a lot of sports romance but almost none of them have been baseball based - so this was a fun change! I loved Chris - he was such a wonderful blend of brawn and vulnerability. I especially liked that the author addressed him getting professional help for his panic attacks by the end of the book. I wasn't a massive fan of how early the miscommunication trope showed up, because I found myself on edge waiting for everything to blow up. That made it hard to enjoy the sweet parts of the story!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an advanced readers e-book in exchange for an honest review.

"You're the book I want to re-read for the rest of my life." - Chris

"I have to stay aggressively present just to get through the day." - Daphne

Chris Kepler has just catapulted himself to the top of my book boyfriend list. Hot, funny and SENSITIVE. It's been a long time since I've read a book and truly loved the characters, flaws and all. Plus, Alicia did an incredible job depicting the grief that Chris carries daily. You could feel the weight of it yourself through the pages.

The writing was easy to follow, full of great banter and my God, I haven't thought of Milo & Otis in about 20 years so that was a fun surprise. I was absolutely hooked from the very beginning and ate it right up.

I don't typically go for a baseball romance, but this one hit it out of the park (I'll see myself out, I'm sorry.) An absolute 5-star read for me, and I'll definitely be reading more of Alicia's books.

THIS BOOK WAS PHENOMENAL! Baseball isn’t usually my sports romance of choice, but Alicia Thompson hit it out of the park with this one.

Before anything else, I have to mention that the grief commentary was beautiful. Chris’ pain felt tangible.

Now. I don’t love a miscommunication trope where everything could be solved by one of the MCs simply speaking up, but man, this was done so well.


If this isn’t on your radar, it needs to be!