I feel like there was a very brief window of time, right after this author published her first novel in fact, where she could have been huge! I'm not sure what happened. Her writing is still fantastic, her stories are still gripping, but the market seems to have shifted in women's fiction and I'm not quite sure why her books are slipping through the cracks. It's unfortunate because again this is a very strong title. I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it but I wish this author had more name recognition

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I requested this book because they said if you like Jojo Moyes and Jodi Picoult you would probably like this one...and they were right. As those are two of my favorite authors, I had to give it a try. This was a really heartfelt and amazing story to begin with...you have an alcoholic woman just partying her way through life when she loses her true love...while she is pregnant with his baby. She has nowhere to turn and nobody to trust but somehow she ends up in the care of his brother...and they don't even like each other. It was really fun reading their story as each person just seemed so real...their hurts, their fears, their love...I wanted to just get to know them in real life...I loved this book and will read anything else by this author. :)

This is not the best title or cover possible for this book, but it was a very good book and it felt uplifting and also important. Cass is an alcoholic, her longtime partner has just died from alcohol poisoning and she finds out she is pregnant. Can she give up the booze, will her baby be born with fetal alcohol syndrome? She does have support with Scott her partner's brother, but he is tough and she might end up on the streets again at any point. I learned a lot as I journeyed with Cass through her rehab and AA meetings. This is more like a 4.5, but I am feeling generous!

Every once in awhile you read a book that comes along at the perfect time. Catch Us When We Fall was that book for me.

Cass is an alcoholic. She just lost her boyfriend Ben... He died from his drinking problem. Cass is pregnant with their baby and she finally realizes that she needs to do right by her baby.

Scott, a professional baseball player, is Ben's brother. They did not always have the best of relationships, and to say Scott is bitter and angry is an understatement.

Cass knows she needs help and reaches out to Scott. They reach an agreement. She can live at his house, as long as she doesn't drink, takes care of herself and goes to AA.

Along the way they both realize that they need each other, and that it is ok to ask for help.

I can't recommend this book enough!! 4.5⭐

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 for Catch Us When We Fall by Juliette Fay

Massive thank you to Juliette Fay, Let's Talk Books promo team, & William Morrow Books for the advanced copy of Catch Us When We Fall & for allowing me to be a part of the book tour.

Cass is at an impasse. Her boyfriend of forever has just passed away from alcohol poisoning. She’s trying to hold down a job at a bar, as an alcoholic, waitressing. She gets the shock of a lifetime & has to decide which road to take. Does she get sober? Can she get sober & STAY sober? Scott McGreavy, a Boston Red Sox player & Cass’ boyfriend’s younger brother, walks into her bar & begrudgingly starts to help her. He makes one condition, she falls off the wagon, she’s out of his house. Things seem to be getting for Cass, & between Cass & Scott, when life throws the biggest wrench & Cass is seriously tempted to fall off the wagon. Scott is there to help smash through the glass with her. What starts as an innocent living situation transforms into a true victory that will help both Cass & Scott.

I have never lived with an alcoholic & can’t imagine the trauma that goes along with that. I am extremely fortunate in that sense. That being said, from my perspective, I think that @juliette_fay did a great job with her writing of this story. I could feel Cass’ angst trying to stay sober. I loved how Cass eventually realized that only way she was going to stay sober was that if she stayed sober for HER. Not anyone else. She needed to have that power over herself. Scott wasn’t always the nicest guy, he could be crass & irritable, but he also had Cass’ best interests at heart. He did watch his brother drink himself to death. He didn’t want to watch Cass do that. The supporting characters, Laurel, Kate, & Patrick, all brought an extra gravitas to the story. This was a heart wrenching story at times, but extremely well done, in my opinion. I also loved that Fay wrote about Boston as Boston truly is. Thank you again for allowing me to be part of the tour!

Catch Us When We Fall is about Cass, a recovering alcoholic who finds herself pregnant & homeless after the death of Ben, the child’s father & also an alcoholic. Cass has to navigate sobriety & her pregnancy, determined to be a good mom for her child. Without a home or any money, Cass finds herself turning to Ben’s brother, Scott, for help. Cass’s story is one of resilience, forgiveness, love, & vulnerability

This story has me immersed from the first chapter. I instantly found myself invested in Cass’s story. I liked seeing her struggle, as it made her & her story more believable/realistic, but I also found myself rooting for her & her child

While I could predict the romantic element of the novel, I found the ending & the overall story very satisfying—it was the perfect balance of romance, reality, drama, & humor. I loved seeing Cass evolve & her character is one that I’ll hold in my mind as an example of willpower, patience, strength, resilience, & sass

The Goodreads summery draws ties to Jodi Picoult & Jojo Moyes & as someone who’s read both authors I would agree. If you enjoyed either author’s work, you’d probably enjoy Catch Us When We Fall too!

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for this ARC.

This title was an engrossing and emotional read that deals with alcoholism and recovery. I enjoyed reading about Cass, but wasn't really a fan of the baseball side of the story, just due to the fact that I don't enjoy baseball. Still an enjoyable read. I really enjoyed Juliette Fay's writing style. I look forward to more books by this author.

I was so invested in Cass’ story throughout the book. It moved me emotionally and is one that will stay with me long after I’ve finished it. It was quite a powerful story and well written. It was a great story told with hope, restoration, and despair.

In her book, A Ring of Endless Light, Madeleine L’Engle wrote the following line: “Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.” It’s a sentiment that has helped me shift my perspective when I am faced with dark days. And it certainly describes Cass Macklin, the main character of Catch Us When We Fall.

This book deals with some heavy themes, primarily addiction and alcoholism along with mental health. It’s an exploration of the power of hope and gratitude, and the idea that everyone deserves a second chance.

What I Liked
I liked Cass. She’s struggling with her addiction, loss, and just trying to figure out how to be the kind of mother she wants to be. This book really is a reminder that addiction can mask who someone truly is, and if they are courageous enough, and with enough support, they can dig out from under the darkness and find themselves again.

I liked that this book didn’t stereotype those struggling with addiction to just one type of person. Alcoholism touches people in every demographic and the recovery is hard, and life-long. And it’s not just those with the addiction who are impacted. This book shows the complicated and devastating ripple effect of suffering when addiction takes over.

What I Wish Had Been Different
Despite the fact that Cass is open about her addiction, I wish there had been a little more introspection on her struggle. There is a daily struggle, and one close call, but I never really doubted that she would do the right thing.

Cass has a very specific reason to get clean, and I fully believe that the right motivation and support can see anyone through the healing process. But when you consider how long and how hard her addiction kept her down, I feel like it was almost too easy for her. Other characters struggled more with their addictions, and perhaps she was just able to learn from their experience? Her struggle was so personal, and I just wanted to feel more of her pain and struggle.

Because it tackled such an important story and for it’s themes of redemption and growth, this book earns a solid four stars.

Such a sweet story! Some of us find ourselves in dire straits at some point in our lives. Poor Cass has herself in a real pickle. This story is so sweet and believable. The ending is pure magic.

The ladies in my buddy read overwhelmingly loved this book. I didn't. It was too much like a Lifetime Movie for me. While I enjoy a Lifetime Movie once in a while, I don't want to read one. Unpopular opinion.

The book focuses on Cass, an alcoholic, who finds herself pregnant with her dead boyfriend's (Ben) baby. (He died from drinking.) Cass cleans herself up and ends up living with Ben's brother, Scotty, a professional baseball player. They are very different people, but you know where this is going. I appreciated that this book attempted to give voice to those who are in recovery. Alcoholism is such a difficult disease.

A heartbreaking tale of the grip of addiction on a young mother to be. Juliette Fay makes the reader feel what it is like to be caught in the grip of addiction and the importance of a strong support system in the life of an addict.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁
Cass is a young woman who has just lost her boyfriend, Ben, to alcohol poisoning. She is also jobless, broke, pregnant, and an alcoholic without any tangible resources.

Desperate, she turns to Ben's estranged brother, Scott, for help. Scott is a mid-level player for the Boston Red Sox and reluctantly agrees to help her on the condition she goes to rehab, remains sober, and moves out after a month.

Cass agrees to his conditions and moves into Scott's home in a wealthy Boston suburb and is determined to make a new life for herself.

𝗜 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁
This book is an emotional story of one woman's struggle with alcoholism and recovery. After the first chapter, I was invested in Cass's journey and always held my breath, hoping she wouldn't give in to her demons when faced with yet another obstacle. I can only imagine the stress this fear weighs on friends and family, and there is a painful example of this in the book.

The character development of Cass and Scotty was well done and felt realistic. Cass's backstory is heartbreaking, and I admired her bravery and determination to become self-reliant and self-supporting. I also appreciated that except for the expensive Rehab facility Scott paid for, her path to redemption included readily available resources to most, such as AA meetings and free local entertainment events.

The subject matter is difficult to read at times but not as dark as I anticipated. I recommend this as an inspiring story of forgiveness and love.

Side note: As a baseball fan, I enjoyed reading about Scott's mid-level role as an MLB player and the fan experience at Fenway Park

One the rawest and most emotional books I read. You will root for these customers. Cried a lot. Loved the hopefulness though

This book captured me right away and I didn't stop reading except to sleep and eat. It wasn't a masterpiece book of the decade, but it was perfect. The writing was so natural and the pace was driven without being overwhelming. It was a great mix between character driven and plot driven. I really appreciated how real it all was. It felt like making new friends.

CATCH US WHEN WE FALL is filled with exposing and building relationships, one dangerous, one volatile, and one built. The characters were well developed and the reader grows to care of them. The book has some elements of darkness, but you do Pre Diane Le of hope throughout.

Enjoyed this book quite a bit and will be recommending it for purchase.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy in exchange for a review.

A woman struggling with the loss of her partner trying to make her way in the world.

Overall this was an okay story for me. I did get bored with some parts that seemed to drag on. I found some of the relationships in the story enjoyable.

Juliette Fay gives another heart wrenching story in Catch Us When We Fall. Cass Macklin and her boyfriend, Ben McGreavy are alcoholics. In fact, alcohol poisoning is what killed Ben. Cass finds herself alone, homeless, and pregnant after his death. With no one else to turn to she asks Ben's brother, Scott, for help. Scott has the means to pay for rehab and he agrees to let Cass move in with him when she's out. Neither think the other will live up to their end of the deal.

I loved all the flawed characters in this story. I will admit some of the AA talk got a little much at times. But I thought the struggle of a recovering addict was handled very well. Fay does a great job of showing addiction does not discriminate.

There is a story line about Kate, a friend of Cass, that was hard to read. But I thought it was handled well and helped show growth in several characters.

Overall, I loved the world Fay built in this book. If you love a character driven story this is a good choice.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

A book about thrust and forgiveness. Hard to read with a heavy subject of alcoholism.
I enjoyed the book but it wasn’t what I expected.

Catch Us When We Fall by Juliette Fay was a total surprise hit for me. I’m not actually sure what I was expecting, but I just overall really enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would.  I felt invested in the story almost from page one and flew through the subsequent chapters, eager to see what would happen next.  I will note that the main character suffers from alcoholism, since that may be a trigger for some readers, and it was at times a very emotionally heavy read – but I personally came away from this book with a greater appreciation for those struggling with recovery. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a character-driven, immersive read.

Thanks so much to @williammorrowbooks and @letstalkbookspromo for the advanced copy