Cover Image: Good Catch

Good Catch

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Oh how I miss Harper Landing so much! It's good to be back to their town. I miss the characters and the shops.

This story follows Marlo and Ben as they found their way to each other after years of having conflicts with each other. They both met when they were children but they got only really close years later.

I love Marlo's insights and her mindset. She is amazing and always voices out her opinions. She's also strong for choosing to keep going even if its hard for her. Even if life was testing her. Ben is also amazing as he was shown as very helpful to his family and friends. He's humdble and doesn't want to admit that his good at something even if he really is. Marlo appreciated that part of Ben's characteristic. They both complete each other's lives and happiness and how they both overcome challenges that life throws at them was admiring.

I recommend this book if you love romance set in a small but amazing town!

Was this review helpful?

**This is an honest review in exchange for a free copy of the book. Thank you Netgalley, Jennifer Bardsley, and Montlake** Good Catch is book 2 in the Harper Landing series. I love this world and I think the writing style and quality is really good. Though this book was more of a stand alone, it was still fun to follow a new couple in the small town of Harper Landing. Themes include the dating scene (some cringey bad dates), community members uniting around adversity, financial struggles, and the value of the elderly in a community. There was an odd storyline in here that I didn't think added to the story nor enriched it; it actuality it cheapened it a bit and was incredibly awkward for me personally (the main character's parents). I don't know if the author is planning to keep going in the series, but I will certainly pick it up if she does!

Was this review helpful?

This is an enemies to lovers romance, my favorite! Marlo Jonas has known Ben Wexler-Lowery since elementary school and they don’t like each other for one reason or another. Fast forward and they are both on the dating scene trying online dating through an app. As they go through some funny and some horrible dates, they keep bumping into each other and spending time together, and soon these enemies are seeing each other in a new way…
.
I loved this sweet story. The dates were so fun to read and Ben’s Ex-girlfriends (he was still friends with all of them) were so entertaining! I loved being back to Harper Landing, there’s something about small town settings in romance books!

Was this review helpful?

𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 by Jennifer Bardsley, the second book in her Harper Landing series, was such a fun book and I love the enemies to lovers. Ben and Marlo are great characters, and watching their dates made me root for them both. It was also interesting to see their different views on their history and watch their perceptions change.
Thanks to Kate Rock Book Tours, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#GoodCatch #JenniferBardsley #HarperLanding #KateRockBookTours #Montlake #amazonpublishing

Was this review helpful?

After knowing each other since kindergarten Ben and Marlo are both on a dating app trying to find the one. This was a slow burn type of romance. Almost too much of a slow burn for me. I wish there were more parts of the book where they are together as a couple than they are with other people because of the multiple dates. I did like this book. It was a sweet romance over all.

I received this ARC through #netgalley and I am voluntarily reviewing this book

Was this review helpful?

I love a good book that’s set in the Pacific Northwest. This one was so fun to read. Firstly, it has my favorite romance trope: enemies to lovers. Secondly, I love a book with a good map and there’s a cute one of Harper Landing in the beginning. Thirdly, I’m loving the backstories of the main characters and how they are coming together. Plus the secondary characters are so much fun to read.

I’m happy to say that this book is part of a series and I cannot wait to read more about Harper Landing!

Was this review helpful?

Good Catch
Author, Jennifer Bardsley
Pub date: 10.5.21

Thank you @katerockbooktours, Montlake Publishing, @Netgalley, and author Jennifer Bardsley for my #gifted e- ARC of Good Catch, the second novel in the Harper Landing series. I read Good Catch without reading the first novel in the series, Sweet Bliss, and it was easily read as a stand-alone.

Good Catch is a light and cozy enemies- to- lovers romance that was a perfect fall read. It had all the emotions of a new relationship- butterflies, awkwardness, humor, and excitement- all with a happy Hallmark ending.

Set in the small atmospheric town of Harper Landing in Washington, Marlo, a former ballerina, is now a barre and spin instructor at her parent's fitness center. She is an independent and beautiful woman who has made some poor decisions in the past regarding her relationships. After yet another break up, her dad challenges her to date someone for their inner qualities versus their outward appearance. Meanwhile Ben, Seattle Times Journalist, is having a few struggles of his own. He's dating interesting and quirky women, but his mother believes he is deserving of someone who appreciates Ben for how wonderful he truly is. Ben has a few insecurities based on a learning disability, is struggling to make ends meet financially, and is such a nice guy that has a hard time setting boundaries.

The two have been enemies since kindergarten- enemies with serious misunderstandings. Neither have ever tried online dating- until they both are inspired by their parents to expand their dating horizons and try to find a match on the online dating app, Good Catch. As both Marlo and Ben suffer through some interesting and awkward dates, the two are faced with multiple connections that keep bringing them together. Can they break down the barriers of their past and find exactly what they're looking for in each other? I loved the witty banter, relatability, and the strong connections between the characters and will absolutely look forward to another novel in Bardsley's Harper Landing series. A sweet romance novel that will make you believe in the power of meant- to- be love and of the bonds of family.

Was this review helpful?

While I loved the idea of a small town romance, there were a lot of characters to keep track of. While I enjoyed the idea of enemies to lovers romance, the characters took a long time to realize what was between them and many side characters I wasn't a fan of. I also found the parents relationship strange and wasn't sure about the need to add in the dynamic to make the romance storyline. I do know this is part of a series so perhaps it is important to read book 1 or we will see the characters fleshed out more as the series continues.

Was this review helpful?

Such a cute book! I want to go to Harper Landing! This book feels like it was made to be a Hallmark movie. The enemy to lovers trope is satisfying and not overly done. The use of a dating app and the challenges are cute. I will say there are a lot of characters to keep track of, so if you struggle with names, you might need to draw a diagram. I thought the character of Katelyn was annoying, but she was made to be that way, I think. I didn’t even like her when she became kind of nice. I just didn’t find any qualities in her that were good. Also, Marlo’s parents relationship was weird and I didn’t think the book needed the extra conflict with their weirdness. Otherwise, a strong book!

Was this review helpful?

A sweet enemies to lovers book where we can see the potential long before they ever will. It's a welcome trope in romance, and this book managed the storyline well.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Overall I enjoyed this read. This book was well-written and the story was entertaining. There were some clichés with some of the side characters that were unnecessary. The story lagged a bit in the middle, but I still wanted to find out what happened. Marlo and Ben were adorable. They were longtime frenemies in a very small town, and while they orbited each other, they were never friends. They each harbored animosity towards the other. All of which quickly evaporated with simple conversations. Much of the book is spent with the main characters going on terrible dates while building a sort of accidental friendship and feelings for the other. Once they get together things move very quickly. This is a clean romance with a hefty dose of chemistry and a feel-good HEA.

Was this review helpful?

4 Stars.

Marlo and Ben have both grown up in Harper's Landing, and have been enemies since childhood. They both also have terrible luck in the dating game. When they match on a dating app, will their luck change?

Good Catch is the second in the Harper Landing series, and it was good to be back! This is a sweet, funny romance novel that was a quick and easy read - a nice change from a lot of the heavy crime novels I've been reading lately. If you're after a cute and clean romance, this is for you!

Was this review helpful?

This was a solid read. Good storyline and good characters. I didn’t like how quickly they got engaged, but I also understand the romance genres need for the happy ending. I liked a lot of the characters they were super cute and quirky, I can see lots of materiel for future books too. Overall I thought it was good,

Was this review helpful?

This was a great read. I extremely enjoyed it and her previous book as well. Highly recommend this author

Was this review helpful?

This was a sweet, feel good read. Marlo & Ben have been arch enemies since school and definitely had no plans on changing that. Interfering parents cause some havoc and a cute enemies to lovers romance is born. I really enjoyed this small town cute read.

Was this review helpful?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁:
Marlo Jonas is a former professional ballerina for a Seattle dance company who suffered a career-ending injury and now works at her parents' gym teaching barre and spin classes in the Washington town of Harper's Landing.

Her childhood nemesis, Ben Wexler-Lowrey, is a journalist for the Seattle Times and helps his parents at their local bakery when he can.

Both have been unlucky in love, and unbeknownst to each other, sign up for the dating app Good Catch and embark on a series of less than successful dates.

𝗜 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁:
This book is the second in the Harper Landings series, and even though I enjoyed the first book, I liked this one even more. The author said she was in a very happy frame of mind when she wrote this edition, and it comes through in the book.

The Harper Landing books are often compared to Hallmark movies because of the charming small-town vibe and slow-burn romance, and since I spend most of December watching Hallmark Christmas movies, that's just fine with me. These books, however, are not overly sweet, and the characters contend with meatier issues their television counterparts usually don't face, such as struggling to earn a living wage and housing affordability.

I especially love the fictional town of Harper's Landing and all the Washington details (Archie McPhee, anyone?) that make me want to visit the Emerald state soon.

This charming romance story is perfect for some cozy reading or a break from heavier Spooky Season reads.

Thank you to @letstalkbookspromo and @amazonpublishing @jenniferbardsleyauthor for the copy of this book and book tour. Opinions are mine.

Was this review helpful?

4.5/5

This book sounded like a romantic comedy movie, and I knew that I needed to read it. I was lucky enough to be granted a copy by the publisher as part of a blog tour. It was so worth it.

An enemies (kind of) to lovers’ story with online dating mishaps. It’s the perfect concoction. The dates are my absolute favorite part of the book. I love the bonding between the two leads as well, but I’m a sucker for a horrible date. It was also great that none of the dates felt cliché. They each felt uniquely horrible in their own ways.

Our two mains were amazing. I loved that they were both clearly dedicated to their jobs and trying their hardest, even while they were struggling. I also loved the connection that the two made with each other. They both had resistances and preconceived ideas, but they were able to slowly strip away those ideas as they interacted more with each other. The two had a very cute connection. I don’t particularly know if I thought there was a lot of steamy chemistry between them, but I think that’s more my thing than anything else. I definitely loved the romance though! It felt well-earned and solid. The epilogue was absolute gold.

I do want to talk a little about the side characters as well. They were amazing. Ben had some very interesting friends, and not-so friends, that added a lot of personality to the story. Marlo seemed to have less people that she interacted with, and her friend was a bit more traditional than Ben’s. Both characters had friends that fit well with them. I don’t like Marlo’s parents but that’s because they give me secondhand embarrassment. I am a little obsessed with Ben’s sister. She’s a side character that we don’t see a whole lot about, but I love her.

I will admit that I was overwhelmed at first by all the names and connections between the main characters and the side characters. The fact that some of them went to school together and others had crushes on each other just had me stumbling a bit. I was able to get everyone set straight in my brain after a while, with a couple of notable exceptions. The exceptions were definitely the parents. I am very unused to books where characters refer to their parents by their first names and it threw me. I had a hard time placing the parents.

I don’t think there was really any specific thing about the book that I disliked. That feels weird because it’s not a 5 out of 5, but it’s true. My general feelings towards the book are what lead me to give it a lower score, but that definitely doesn’t mean that it’s a bad book in any way.

I thought this book was a lot of fun and would adapt well to a movie. It was funny without being overly silly.

Was this review helpful?

Good Catch, and its prequel, Sweet Bliss are set in the fictional Puget Sound town of Harper Landing. Marlo, a former ballerina, and Ben, a Seattle Times journalist, are childhood enemies brought together as adults through a bet about dating, family business issues and small town drama. Although they're both trying to get back in the dating game through an app, Good Catch, Ben and Marlo spend more and more time together trying to help their families' struggling businesses.

Both this and Sweet Bliss are light, fun, clean romances. I love a good small town romance and these have tons of good characters and town antics to keep the interest going while the romance builds. I enjoyed the Fall vibes and the character depth with dyslexia representation and coping with career-ending injuries. It's a shorter read. As a Puget Sound resident, I loved all the local details.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved Sweet Bliss so I couldn't wait to read Good Catch. It unfortunately had less of the small town, Stars Hollow, feel to me that I loved in the first book. I also had a difficult time connecting with the characters, especially all of Ben's weird ex girlfriends, overall, I enjoyed the story.

Thank you Netgalley for my #gifted advanced copy.

Was this review helpful?

Good Catch is a small town, slow burn, light hearted enemies to lovers story set in the town of Harper’s Landing. Ben and Marlo have known each other since kindergarten and have been at odds since. Ben is a journalist and avid cyclist. Marlo is a former ballerina now working as a fitness instructor at her parent’s club. Reunited at a mutual friend’s wedding, Ben and Marlo’s parents criticize them on their dating histories and challenge them to date people they typically wouldn’t. Both download the app, Good Catch, and have a serious of interesting dates all the while unintentionally spending time together.

Marlo and Ben are equally matched characters but childhood grudges initially prevent them from truly seeing the other. As they spent time together they realize that they are perfect for each other and waste no time making their intentions known. I appreciate that overall it was a slow burn romance and once they got together they got together with no games. If you love hallmark movies this is the perfect small town romance book to read.


Thank you @netgalley and @katerockbooktours for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Was this review helpful?