Tracy Ewens once again does not disappoint with her latest superbly written story, Catch, in her long running A Love Story series. I have to admit that Tyler and Jules’ story is my favorite so far…never have I experienced such a wide range of emotions within the pages of one story. My heart broke for both of these characters, and for mostly the same reasons, yet in a different way.

Without giving too much of the essence of the story away by describing much of what these characters navigate throughout their journey to a HEA (Dani Brown has nothing on this author when it comes to romance), I can say that between the two, I’m not sure who my heart broke for more often.

My emotions ran the gamut from laughter to tears, heart sighs to heartbreak, and genuine warmth to the cold truth of human frailties to culminate in the most perfect ending imaginable. I will continue to feel for Tyler and Jules long after I turned the last page because they definitely stole a piece of my heart…as did Bella the most magical and joyful ten year old.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

If you love slow burn, quirky romances then this is the story for you! I loved this so much I read it in two days and it would have been one if I wasn’t working. I loved the banter between all of the characters and how they were all involved. Tracy Ewens did an amazing job with writing this and I’m looking forward to reading something else by her. My only critique would have to be I wish just a little more detail was added, such as who was speaking as sometimes I was left confused (but that may just be me) but nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I know anyone who loves slow burn, small town Romances would agree!

I was initially concerned when I saw this was part of a series I was previously unfamiliar with, but this book definitely works as a standalone.

Jules is a fiercely independent single mom who is also the only female fishing boat captain in California. She has thick skin and takes no shit from anyone. Since her divorce and return back to her hometown, she has let her focus stay on work and on raising her daughter, Bella.

Tyler grew up with Jules, and is the best friend of her brother. He and Jules are friends, but tend to banter back and forth. Tyler had a rough upbringing and is now trying to get his alcoholic father the help he needs. Because of his difficult childhood, Tyler has a tendency to try and solve everyone else's problems.

This friends-to-lovers story is a fairly slow burn. Tyler ends up swooping in to help Jules with a last minute problem and they can no longer deny their chemistry. Jules tries to say it's just a physical thing,but Tyler calls her out. I like that the traditional gender roles are reversed in this story. I also loved how much Tyler cared about Bella, and how he was concerned about how she could be affected if he and Jules got together.

With Jules, I loved that she read one of my favorite romance novels, Take A Hint, Dani Brown, and tried to take cues from that MC. I loved getting to read about the process of her finding herself again, making friends, and finally stepping out from just being a mom to reclaiming herself as a woman.

This was a quick read, but it did have some heavy plot lines. TW for alcoholism, childhood poverty, and infidelity. Even so, I would certainly read more by this author.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this beautiful book, initially I was attracted to it just because the cover screamed at me.

i did enjoy the small town, friends to lovers romance that it did had, the storyline didn't really capture my attention. The characters are very likeable and relatable. its definitely the single mom romance everyone needs in their lives.

Jules is such a strongwilled and independent mom who has been burned by her ex-husband that she doesnt see what is right in front of her, enter Tyler the man who fixes everything without having to be asked, in love with Jules since he's practically known her and loves her daughter like she is his own. Bella Jule's daughter is such a fun and spunky 11 year old who just want everyone to get along and be happy.

this book is definitely a real slow burn, it takes its time building up the romance and it really twists your heart in pain with half of their moments together because they both are way too afraid to take that chance, and Tyler would give anything just as long as jules asked. my heart wrenched when he was going through all of the emotions with her and he hadnt even told her his true feelings yet.

this book is definitely worth it especially if you like romcoms with angst and moments that make you laugh out loud, also there is a book club invovled and Jules is reading take a hint dani brown, and she relates herself to dani. i just loved that being added through the storyline.

I also know ill be at least reading Blow in this series as it is the book about Jules' brother falling in love.

I was so thrilled to read Catch: A Love Story. Having read all of the others in this series by the wonderful Tracy Ewens, I was waiting for this book and what a great book it was!

The story of Jules and Tyler was so good and I loved seeing more of Bella. As always the characters in this series jump off the page they're so real and fully fleshed out. If I ran into any one of these characters in the store I wouldn't be surprised!

If you enjoy picturesque small town settings, families that are loving and there for the other members, great backstories, and romance, these are the books for you. Check out Tracy Ewens' entire series, but do know that most can easily be read as standalones. Do yourself a favor and jump into Catch today!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own and happily shared.

Tracy Ewens was a new-to-me author, and boy, have I been missing out! Catch was such an easy, engrossing read. I just wanted to keep reading and reading.

Tyler and Jules were absolutely wonderful characters, seemingly different but very much complementary to each other. Their banter was highly entertaining, and I enjoyed the slow-burn of their relationship.

The secondary characters were just as great. Bella was a joy. Drake, Millie, Dylan, Jules' parents, they added amazing family dynamics to the story.

I'm really hoping Dylan gets his story next, but in the meantime, I will willingly go back and read the previous Love Stories.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

I have been (impatiently) waiting for Jules’s book since the beginning of the Bodega Bay/Bartlett family books. Tyler and Jules did not disappoint. I loved this book from beginning to end. The playful banter, the chemistry and the amazing cast of characters that I have grown to love through other books in the series made this a 5 star read for me.

Tracey Ewens delights with "Catch: A Love Story." I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between Jules and Tyler. I also enjoyed how real the characters all were with their flaws. Jules moves back to her hometown after her husband cheats on her with her neighbor and several years later, she is raising her daughter with the help of her parents, brother, his fiancee and Tyler. You see the love story through the eyes of both characters and at times it was frustrating how the characters wouldn't get out of their own way, but it was also endearing because it seemed like this story could really happen. I enjoyed it as a slice of life story.

I adored this story - and not just because of the gorgeous cover! Jules is a commercial fishing boat captain, single mom, and all around tough cookie. She moved back to her hometown seven years before after a devastating divorce. She's built herself back up and is completely dedicated to do things on her own and raising her daughter. When we start the book Jules is one hell of a dislikable person. She is incredibly close to her family and they support her without question. But - she's really stuck in place while everyone around her is changing and moving forward. Tracy Ewans displayed some mad author skills by making me see how freaking difficult Jules was - without making me hate her guts.

Tyler grew up with Jules - and is best friends with her brother - but in the last three years he has fallen completely in love with her. He hasn't told her about his feelings - and it seems like she is pretty much the only person who doesn't know. Tyler is the town fixer. He's worked hard to make a lot of money and uses it all to help everyone around him (including the companies he is working with). He is so incredibly kind and is trying so hard. It is an emotional journey to see him learn that not everything in life can be fixed.

Watching Jules was almost physically painful at times - because she was resisting change and her own feelings so hard. You could see that she was clinging so fiercely to status quo as a means to avoiding any pain - all the while missing out on what she could have. I loved the journey both she and Tyler go on. I especially loved how completed Tracy Ewans showed all sides of the characters - she doesn't shy away from the not as pretty sides. Jules's interactions with her ex are a prime example - you can see that although his infidelity ended their relationship, it certainly wasn't the only thing that ended them.

Overall - I highly recommend this - this book will give you all the feelings and has an incredibly satisfying romance.

I will give a couple of trigger warnings tho including infidelity and alcoholism in a parent.

I was very lucky to receive this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

I got caught. That cover had me thinking I was getting a mermaid story but that was not the case. Our heroine owns a fishing/tour boat business but she is not a secret sea creature (darn). ANYWAYS…..

Thanks to #Netgalley and #TracyEwens for the eARC of #catchalovestory

The quick:
Brothers best friend
He’s loved her all along
Jaded heroine
Low steam (one not too detailed sex scene towards the end)
Supportive family
Single mother
Feminist themes
Loads of Talia Hibbert references
Stand alone in a series

The mermaid mixup aside, I had so much fun with this story. Jules is an independent fierce business owner that finds out her ex husband is getting married to the woman he cheated on her with. Tyler is Jules’ brother's best friend and business partner. They have always been a part of each other’s lives. The author gives just enough interactions between the characters to keep you hooked but wanting sooooo much more. The characters were interesting, likeable, imperfect but great together.

Definitely recommend for all the romance lovers! Other characters in this story have their own stories and I will be putting those books on my tbr stat.

4.5 stars
“He was in love with her from a safe distance with fish guts, but this was so extra he could feel his heart clanging in his chest”

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Set in a small fishing town somewhere on the Californian coast, Catch by Tracy Ewens is romance between a fishing boat captain Jules and business owner Tyler. Jules is a divorcee with an eleven year old daughter, Bella, who has been living at home and running her family’s business for 6 years since she left Bella’s father. Tyler is a close friend of the family, her brother’s best friend and man with sad childhood that pushed him to excel and rescue everyone.

Clearly based around the pining hero trope, this book starts with an uneasy friendship and ends with adoration. Tyler knows his feelings from several years before the start of book, but this book is about Jules and opening her heart to him. It is full of stumbles and one or two misteps, but the characters are really good people and you are alongside them celebrating their developing relationship. I love romances that realistically involve tertiary characters. Catch is full of realistic third characters including Bella (some of the best feminism happens while talking to Bella for both main characters), Juliet’s family, Tyler’s family and the town.

If there was one thing I’d change, I’d put more time with Jules on the water and in her natural habitat of her fishing vessel. This is probably a bit niche and comes from my personal past as a mariner. I love that Jules is a boat’s captain and deals with the often main dominated sea life by her self. I just really love boats and would happily have heard more about the daily running – but I get that’s not very romantic.

This book was a slow burn, it spends a lot of time world building and love building. Then just before the fabulous HEA, it twists your poor heart muscle. It’s the kind of book that starts slow but builds until you’re sad the romance is over. I shed real tears while I read this book, it wasn’t heartbreaking but it was heart wrenching for a little while. A book based around a pining man, there’s a long ‘will she or won’t she’ feeling that had me wanting to take the heroine aside and give her my long list of reasons why the hero was perfect for her.

This was a relatively sweet book, the characters had sex but lengthy descriptions were not included. I love to balance my reading between sweet and smutty, so I’m totally enamoured with this obok. Readers that are hard on the ‘no sex between unmarried couples’ or the ‘sexy scenes make the book’ may not enjoy it as much as I did.

It terms of content warnings on this book for alcoholism and parent failure because of a significant subplot between the Tyler and his father. Additionally, it may be obvious because Jules is a divorcee with a daughter but some conversations between mother and daughter may be confronting for people who have experienced them.

While reading this Tracy Ewens earned a new fan. While I’m not a series reader I will be reading the romances of Jules’ two siblings Sistine and Drake, featured in Tap (Sistine) and Blow (Drake), at my next opportunity.

This review also appears on Amazon.com.

Thank you NetGalley, author Tracy Ewens, and publisher for giving me a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
5 stars
While this was my first book that I have read in this series, it will not be my last,
The was a beautifully written single mom romance with one of my favorite troupes siblings best friend/friends to lovers. All the characters were so well developed and showed growth throughout the entire book. I loved how much Tyler cared for Jules despite her hard exterior as well as the love he had for Bella, Jules' 11 year-old daughter. Tyler seemed to have made something of himself despite his not so good childhood and the continual struggles with his alcoholic dad. I enjoyed while he became wealthy, the money did not go to his head, but used it to help the community that gave him so much as a child. He never lack in his devotion to Jules. He was always patiently by her side throughout the years being what ever she needed him to be. Jules was such a strong woman. I appreciated how much she wanted to protect Bella from the uglier side of her ex getting married to the woman he created on Jules with (i.e. her best friend). I absolutely loved Tyler and Jules' friendship dynamic. Their banter and comfort they had with each other made their chemistry and shift from a friendship to a romantic relationship made it that much more passionate. Bella was such a lovely character. She really had a lot of understanding of some of the more complexities of the relationships of those of her parents, friends, and family. I loved the mother-daughter bond Jules and Bella had. The writing and the pacing were very well done. It had me finishing this book in not time at all. Then ending was so sweet! Overall, I can't believe I have never read any books by this author before. She is a fantastic writer! I would recommend this book to those who are looking for a wonderful friends-to-lovers/sibling's best friend romance with a sweetheart of a hero and a strong take-no-nonsense heroine. I can't wait to read the previous books in this series.

I very easy read for someone in the mood for romance. No major complaints as I always enjoy romance and the characters were relatable to the point where you feel for them.

Thank you for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this small town love story, although the storyline is okay, nothing special to me.

The characters in this story are very likeable, especially Jules with her strong and independent character, Tyler : very charming and good at fixing everything, the kind of a nice guy who often appears in a small town romantic movie (he reminds me of Nick from the “Feel the Beat” movie.) and Jules’ daughter, Bella who is very smart and thoughtful for her age. Despite the hilarious and sweet teasing moments between Tyler and Jules that caught my attention, the mother-daughter bond of Jules and Bella is also inspiring, I believe it is not easy to explain the complexities of adult relationships and the whole divorce thing to an 11 y.o child and to raise her alone even though they moved back to her parents’ house afterwards, not to mention accompanying her daughter to her ex-husband’s wedding.

Another thing in this book that gets me excited is...one of the characters, Auntie Nikki, is a bookstore owner, and they have a regular book club meeting , yeayyy...and their current read is “Take a Hint, Dani Brown” which I haven’t read yet. So after reading this book, I’ll have two books added to my Wishlist : Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert and Blow : A Love Story by Tracy Ewens (the 12th book in Love Story series about the love story of Jules’ brother, Drake Branch and Millie Hart. The sneak peek is also included at the end of this book.)

Overall, I would recommend this book to you who love feel-good romance with a bit of comedy movies. Some of their conversations are funny and it will make your day!

This book really took me by surprise. Initially I thought that the first few chapters were a slow build. I was learning about the characters and the town. But after that I was pleasantly surprised to get such an angsty romance with two charmingly stubborn people. The lead characters are fully fleshed out people in their thirties with baggage. I was also taken aback by how much this book made me cry toward the end. The way that Tyler’s childhood still impacted him as an adult or how Jules spoke to herself, ugh! This was a great read and I enjoy my trip to Bodega Bay.

Adorable! I absolutely love this author’s writing style. Set in Bodega Bay, a personal favorite, with realistic settings and small town charm (read gossip) this is another favorite. Tyler has been a family friend since childhood, being Drake’s best friend meant he was around all the time. Jules has been divorced for a while now but the pain and embarrassment still hurts. She’s the only female boat captain in California and is proud of it. She’s raising her daughter, the dynamo Bella, to be independent and strong. Jules is not a fan of fairy tales and refuses to be the helpless princess, but that doesn’t mean she is undeserving of her own love story. The second characters are lovable and charming too, Jules’ family and townspeople are unique and seem to look out for each other. If you enjoy this book you can grab the ones for Jules’ other siblings, since each book is a standalone you won’t be lost. I was fortunate to receive an early copy through Netgalley and voluntarily have written this review.

(3.5 stars) This book is a slow-burn friends-to-lovers story about Jules and Tyler. I went into this book blind and was really surprised by how much character development there was. Both Jules and Tyler have a lot of past pain and trauma they are dealing with and this plays a pivotal role in their relationship. Even with so much pain to deal with, however, the relationships in this book (both between the hero and heroine and with the side characters) are driven mainly by unconditional love. It took me a while to get into this because it was so slow-burn, but I ended up really emotionally invested in the characters.

This was a warm love story. I think the characters were wonderfully written, and their storylines were wonderful. I have not seen a brother's best friend trope done right; as it always ends up misogynistic. Jules is a divorced single mom who wants nothing to do with men ever again, and Tyler is a hopeless romantic, and has been in love with Jules all his life. This dynamic was wonderful to read, that's usually never done before, and although times frustrating (like come ON JULES!) it all becomes soo worth it in the end, like Jules learns. The ode to Tahlia Hibbert was cute, and I enjoyed how different this book was. It truly followed it's slowburn description, and was a delight to read.

I need to preface this by disclosing that I haven’t read the rest of this series. That didn’t bother me at all while I was reading this book, but I am definitely going back to read the rest because this book was really great.
The story is excellent. The characters are sublime. The plot is fantastic. The setting is *chef’s kiss*. This is the sort of book that I IMMEDIATELY call my sister about. She already got her pre-order in. I love a good second chance. I love a bickering friends to lovers story I love a good single parent story. I love that the little girl is actually a character in this book. I hate single parent stories where the kid(s) are used as cute props and after thoughts. This book is not that way. Tracy Ewens does Bella justice.

Jules and Tyler are so precious. Absolutely adore them. This book is so good. I can’t honestly even tell you who I liked more, Tyler or Jules. They are both so great. They are so great together. All of the side characters are awesome. I cant wait to go back and read the rest of this series. I can tell this will be my favorite series of the summer!

"It's funny how things anchor people in a storm. Like a boat, but more delicate and vital".
This was my first Tracy Ewens book but OH.MY.GOD. I absolutely loved this one. A huge smile never left my face while reading this one! Tyler was like the perfect man anyone could ever wish for and Jules was so strong, not like other sad and damsel in distress kind of heroines but brave ones who have everything in control. Bella, my cinnamon roll, such an adorable character. The story was so beautifully written that i completed the book in one sitting.
So Jules and Tyler have known each other for like forever, Tyler has been in love with Jules ever since and she on the other hand has coped up from a broken marriage with her beautiful daughter, Bella. She is like such an independent character that even though at times I was frustrated by her actions but still I couldn't help admiring her strength. Tyler was like a perfect boy with a sad backstory but everything in control and did whatever he could for his love. This book was so awesome, from the bickering , the romance, the mother-daughter bond and also, perks of living in a small town, everything was perfect. Can't wait to read more from this author in the future.
#tracyewens #NetGalley