5 Stars

You Got Mail married Baseball and had the most beautiful baby named Duckie.

In true Alicia Thompson romance fashion, we have an entirely relatable and incredibly loveable main character who we can’t help but root for, even if it is sometimes from behind our hands covering our eyes as we also chant “omg no no no TELL HIM NOWWWWWW.”

The catfishing portion of the story was handled so well and realistically and as much as I normally hate that trope, Alicia makes it so human that you can’t help but feel the rollercoaster of emotions on both sides of the relationship.

Not only did this book introduce me to THE SONG and THE FACT THAT THE JULIE ANDREWS, QUEEN IF GENOVIA, WROTE A BOOK!!!!!!!, but it also taught me so much about baseball in such a fun way that even now I feel like waxing poetic about it and might need to hit up a TB Rays game (meet me there Alicia????).

The audio of this book is incredible (thanks PRH Audio!) and it’s a true love story to anyone who has ever just been human, navigating life and the curve balls it often pitches your way. She deftly handles the topic of life after the loss of a loved one to suicide, but also shines light on the aftermath of the breakdown of a relationship that is, as Mother Taylor Allison Swift would say is, casually cruel (I WILL be speaking with my therapist about how much Daphne’s storyline resonated).

Anyhoo, I loved this and highly recommend it, even if, ESPECIALLY IF, baseball or sports romances aren’t your thing.

*thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and PRH Audio for the free eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review*

The Art of Catching Feelings
Genre- Romance
Rating- 4.5⭐/LOVED

Swipe for synopsis ➡

One of my new favorite romances so far this year! I ended up flying through this in about 24 hours and absolutely loved it. Every time I had to put this book down (darn kids😅) I could not wait to pick it back up. Chris, Daphne, the side characters, and teammates were all people you want to root for. There were no major moments of frustration that can be experienced with romcoms (I’m often mentally screaming “just communicate” or “tell her how you really feel!”). While the MCs aren’t perfect and could’ve handled pieces of the story better, their reactions made sense to their character development.

One of my favorite elements (micro troupes?) in a romance is when the meet cute happens via DM or texting. It’s one thing when an author can use an in-person meeting with body language or physical chemistry to move a relationship forward believably for a reader... but you don’t have that when the main characters haven’t met and interact virtually, which makes that just that more challenging to progress a relationship. Thompson makes it look easy though- the friendship is sweet and natural as it starts to progress.

Quick takeaways
⚾Sports romance - lots of baseball talk (and research from the author!)
📚 bookish main character (bookstagrammer😱)
📱 text convos

The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson is an engaging sports romance that had me hooked with its premise but left me frustrated due to the heavy reliance on deception.

Daphne Brink, fresh off her divorce, ends up heckling Chris Kepler, a Carolina Battery player, during a baseball game. Her taunts cause Chris to break down in tears, leading her to reach out and apologize via social media—without revealing she was the heckler.

Chris, dealing with his own personal issues, connects with Daphne online, and their relationship blossoms. However, Daphne's secret looms large over their budding romance, and her continuous avoidance of the truth became a major sticking point for me.

Chris is a fantastic character—sweet, caring, and realistically portrayed with his struggles. I adored him, but Daphne's persistent dishonesty overshadowed much of their romance. There were so many moments where the truth could have come out, and each missed opportunity made me more frustrated.

The writing is sharp, and the chemistry between the characters is undeniable. The epilogue is particularly swoon-worthy and wraps up the story nicely. However, the deception aspect tainted my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, The Art of Catching Feelings has its charms with great characters and engaging writing, but the central theme of lying was a significant downside for me. If you can look past the deception, there's a lot to enjoy here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Okay!!!! The Art of Catching Feelings was SO good! I have now added every romance novel from this author onto my wishlists because I could NOT get enough of this book! I loved Chris and Daphne together and as separate characters. As someone who struggles with my mental health at times, I was able to identify with both the main characters in various ways. I could absolutely feel the adoration and love Daphne and Chris had for each other, and I love seeing such a healthy, mature display of said feelings. I think this book is going to sit with me for a long while and I’m so thankful the author wrote it.

Synopsis:
After finally signing the last of her divorce papers, Daphne attends a baseball game with her best friend to drink and forget the crappy last few years. Unfortunately, Daphne gets a little too drunk and as someone with zero knowledge on baseball, begins heckling the players from her close seat based off what a stranger close to her complains about. After one of her heckles upsets on of the players, Chris Kepler, she regrets her actions and feels such heavy grief. Daphne eventually reaches out to apologize to Chris on his social media, thinking he’ll never see it or reply. However, he reads the message and replies quickly, striking up a conversation with her on her relatively anonymous account. Daphne is confused on why he’s being so kind to her - until she realizes she failed to mention she was the heckler that upset. Now, she’s in too deep, especially as they begin having deeper conversations and he tells her of his brother’s suicide, which no one else knows about outside his family. Daphne and Chris begin veering closer to being more than friends, but Daphne is too scared to reveal her identity and true motivation for reaching out to him originally, fearing he’ll hate her and leave. As the lies pile up, Daphne struggles to maintain the ruse, especially as she begins falling in love.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Romance, and the author for sending me an early copy!

4.25 stars!

Alicia Thompson really wants to give me a heart attack with the level of miscommunication in her books.

Our heroine Daphne drunkenly heckles baseball player Chris Kepler (and makes him cry). She slides into his dms to apologize (You go girl!). Except... she forgets to mention that *she's* the heckler. They start messaging back and forth without ever meeting face to face, and they have amazing chemistry. But then her job brings her closer to him in person. As Daphne struggles with her growing feelings for Chris irl and online, will she tell him the truth about her secret identity, or will it all go up in flames?

Yes, okay. Most of the plot is about lies and secrets, But trust me on this one! I was immediately hooked. Something about anonymous messages (ala Divine Rivals, You've Got Mail, etc) just hits different. So ofc there's going to be miscommunication. The dual POVs made it work though, because I was all in for Chris Kepler. He's sweet and sexy and swoon-worthy. That man can take me out to the ball game (and just plain *take me*) any day of the week.

Alicia Thompson has a magical way of writing characters that feel so *real*. Their emotions, their flaws just feel so innately human that you can't help relating to and falling in love with them. Daphne is an awkward and adorable bookworm (with a bookstagram!!). Chris is sweet and sexy, and a little sad. Oh, and a baseball player obviously! You could definitely feel Alicia's appreciation for the sport bleeding into this one.

I do wish the big reveal happened a little sooner. I was screaming at Daphne to "TELL HIM!" around the 60% mark. There would have been more time to fall back into each other's arms. But it was still sweet the way it all played out. Just two cinnamon rolls falling in love with one another. What's not to love?

TROPES:
-baseball player x bookworm
-you've got mail vibes
-secret identity
-he falls first
-workplace romance
-friends with benefits

I couldn't get behind this book for one big reason: hidden identity.

This started as a You've Got Mail adjacent book and then went into catfishing territory. Things were good, not great because Daphne was keeping her identity under wraps and then things took a big turn. I'm glad it was acknowledged in the book by both characters that things were weird and catfishy, but I still felt icky and gross reading the rest of it. I had such a hard time rooting for the couple because I knew the secret identity that was being kept. I don't mind a hidden identity when they're both hiding it, but one-sided was too much.

Also, there was something about Chris that didn't quite sit right with me. I still can't put my finger on it. He was grieving and not in a great mental space so his personality wasn't super welcoming.

Overall, this was not an enjoyable one for me. I felt too gross to root for the romance and then felt detached once the truth came out. There was just too much lying and deception that I couldn't get behind. It's a no from me.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this advanced e-arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

We follow Daphne, as she navigates a divorce. She has an extremely likable personality, loves books, and has a lot of ties to the music and books she enjoys. Chris, an expert baseball player, finds it difficult to concentrate on the game because of the real-life struggles he faces. I liked how this odd meet-cute happens, lol, Daphne makes a local baseball player cry by heckling him while intoxicated, and she later apologizes in his direct messages. They establish a connection even though they've never met in person, and I appreciated how they were able to be open in a way that they otherwise wouldn't have. Chris, who was great from beginning to end. He is the definition of a cinnamon roll. I hated reading about his suffering.

To be perfectly clear, I am not a fan of the miscommunication trope, but Alicia, you executed it so flawlessly. The Art of Catching Feelings is a fun love story with a few weighty, darker themes that make it interesting. I loved this book! 5 stars!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"You're the book I want to reread. For the rest of my life."


The Art of Catching Feelings was so freaking cute. In this, you will meet Daphne and Chris. Being recently divorced and drunk at a baseball game was not on Daphne's bingo card. But then again, I doubt Chris's bingo card included getting heckled by an inebriated fan while he was up to bat. Either way, this little interaction between the two would change their lives for the better. Maybe?

The romance that brewed between these two was beyond addicting. Of course, the whole misleading and possibly lying thing was looming over a certain someone's head the entire time. And yet, it didn't even matter in the end because their feeling for one another were purely genuine. They missed each other when they were mad and not talking. I missed them when they weren't talking to each other.

Then again, Chris really, like desperately, needed to talk to a therapist. He had so much grief in him, sucking the life out of him, that he couldn't concentrate on the game. Sure, he was there but barely. He needed help, and it took the huge blowout between him and Daphne for him to finally accept that it needed to happen.

I'm not saying Daphne is a complete angel. I mean, she's recently divorced, and her ex was a douche canoe. He did a number on her, and I just wanted her to get out of her own head. Chris was her person, in a way, and she loved all of their deep talks. Heck, even the weird talks that they both got and understood. She just needed to come clean about everything before it exploded.

In the end, everything eventually fell into place. Harsh words were spoken, regrets were felt, and family matters were sort of settled. I mean, hey, not everything is perfect, and they are working on it still. I'm just happy that they are working on it together.

Daphne Brink, newly divorced and unfamiliar with baseball, heckles Carolina Battery player Chris Kepler after one too many drinks. When she later reaches out to apologize without revealing her identity, a connection forms between them, but Daphne struggles to keep her secret as their relationship deepens, leaving her worried about the consequences when Chris learns the truth.

I was super excited to see a sports romance book about baseball! Based on the premise, I was a bit hesitant since it involves catfishing and miscommunication tropes. I had mixed feelings about The Art of Catching Feelings. While the premise sounded promising, the execution fell short. First, I was not a fan of Daphne at all. Not only did she withhold her identity, but she also barely grew as a person throughout the story, essentially implying that lying to Chris was acceptable without any repercussions. As for Chris, I felt downright sorry for him, given everything he was going through and his interactions with Daphne. Although Chris's character showed growth, the author's handling of mental health issues felt more like telling rather than showing, making it less effective. The ending was too corny for me, and I couldn't see Daphne and Chris being a long-term couple after the story ended.

- Baseball Romance
- Secret Identity
- Workplace Romance
- Slow Burn
- Unintentional Meet Cute

I am a bit back and forth on my rating for this one, but I am settling with a 3.5 rounded up.

I for one, love the secret identity trope so I was excited to see that featured here, but the issue for me was Daphne and her decision making. I loved her quirky bookish personality and all, but she let the ruse go on for wayyy too long. She had opportunity after opportunity to tell Chris the truth. I understand she didn’t want to lose him, but Chris was such a sweet guy who deserved so much better.
But with that said I still enjoyed the book and honestly the ending made it all worth it.

THIS WAS SO GOOD. Once I started I couldn't put it down. Thank you to Berkley for the free book. Such an epic meet disaster of going viral for a spur of the moment heckle turned workplace/forced proximity to secret identity to pen pals to friends with benefits to lovers. This has so much.

Okay I read and loved the book by this author With Love From Cold World but it tied my stomach up in knots with the angst. Still 5 stars but I'm just saying the dialogue and tension was a lot. This book brought a different feeling from me but still as strong which was the longing. This author does such an amazing job at writing complicated and flawed characters that you just want to hold in your hand and tell them that it's all going to be okay. Daphne and Chris have their own individual histories to work through (Daphne recently divorced, Chris with family trauma) and they way they help each other through it was amazing.

There aren't many spice scenes in this but they are open door and absolutely fire. Also, I love the FMC's imagination and I'll leave it at that. I am just now waking up to the hotness of baseball players, move over hockey romance.

If you've read the description you can understand this has the secret identity trope that is a hard one to toe the line of. It can be hard to rationalize someone being intimate with someone without them fully knowing who they are with. This is just my opinion but with the way it unfolds there are definitely limits to the online persona and it all ends up okay for me. There's still a scene that I could do without in that regard but again, it's all dealt with, probably could have used more pages to resolve but still. At the end of the day they are perfect for each other.

CW for death of a sibling (historical, by suicide).

Strike, Out, Home Run…words I’d never imagine myself encountering time and time again but as life would have it, the genre of Baseball Romance has entered my life, sliding home and I’ll forever stay sat in their stands as long as they’ll have me. The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson is yet another I have fallen in love with. At the start we meet Daphne, a woman who has finally sealed the deal on her divorce and is ready to let loose a little, and where better than at a baseball game for the Carolina Battery with her best friend getting sloshed in merriment and revelry. One too many and she has let loose further than anticipated, so much so she engages in heckling the players, but she’s found herself mocking none other than her own team. Chris is the fated recipient of her heckle, something she says hits him square in the gut and he ends up failing at his next at bat with tears in his eyes. When Daphne realizes she’d like to apologize she reaches out via Instagram DMs from her book account, knowing he’ll probably never read it anyway. Surprisingly he ends up responding and they go back and forth for a while learning more and more about each other, a deeper connection than either of them have had in a long time, the catch, Daphne forgot to identify herself as “the heckler” and with her face nowhere on her profile, just the name Duckie, what is she to do when she ends up working for the team, right alongside Chris. Their connection might be a home run, but can they navigate through this to win the game and each other’s hearts?

This story Alicia has crafted is one with such a huge heart, with America’s Pastime and two people who want a genuine connection, truly to love and be loved, at its core. Both Daphne and Chris are settling with loss, in very different ways. There is discussion in the novel about how one defines oneself in relation to another, how even when they are gone, you fear losing parts of yourself the way you’d lost them. Piercing my heart, both Daphne and Chris reflect that sentiment, how in loss you discover yourself again but with such hesitation, moving through life on eggshells for a while, questioning choices, questioning your past and your future. Flashes of I should have done more, what if we never met, is this what I wanted, all of this circulates, rotating on an axis in their heads. For Daphne, this results in her fear of losing the connection she’s cultivated with Chris, one that makes her finally feel seen, thus creating her issue of Duckie/Daphne when both meet Chris separately, but both are her. While for Chris, we get to see his very real battle with mental health in the wake of his loss, we see his tears, we see his flares of anxiety, and I love how Thompson has let him be as such because he is a baseball player, something so masculine, but cracked him open to show that he has emotions, he does deal with turmoil and it’s not just a boys don’t cry sentiment. I fell in love with both Daphne and Chris, I felt a deep connection to both of their journeys through their loss and discovering each other in the wake of that. The love they cultivate is one so pure and heartwarming, they feel so seen by each other, and as a hopeless romantic that’s really all I can hope for one day.

Consider my feelings caught because Alicia Thompson has created a story that crackled, hitting the ball out of the park, and landing me smoothly into home, making me giggle, laugh, and cry all the way there. I loved this book so much and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and sit in the stands next to me cheering on Chris and Daphne. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll start attending games and have my own home run with a player, a meet-cute is bound to happen, right?

PS: Alicia’s music taste is fire and her references amazing.

Thank you Alicia and Netgalley for the eARC!

Scarf Rating: 🧣🧣🧣🧣🧣🧣🧣🧣🧣🧣 (10/5)

Taylor Swift songs I associate with this book: Karma, Guilty as Sin?, I Can Do It With A Broken Heart, You’re Losing Me, Down Bad, False God, gold rush, Daylight, Treacherous, You Are In Love, How You Get The Girl, Electric Touch, Delicate

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! could be one of my faves! i just wish it wasnt written in 3rd POV! the banter, the tropes, all of it! SO GOOD!

In this enchanting romance by USA Today bestselling author Alicia Thompson, love takes an unexpected turn at the ballpark. The story centers on Daphne Brink, a newly divorced woman who finds herself at a baseball game, heckling Chris Kepler, a player for the Carolina Battery. Her uninhibited jeers, fueled by a few too many beers, lead to an unexpectedly emotional reaction from Chris, setting the stage for a captivating romance.

Daphne’s impulsive heckling and subsequent remorse propel her to reach out to Chris on social media, albeit without revealing her identity as the heckler. The narrative takes a delightful turn as Chris, dealing with his own personal struggles, is drawn to the endearing messages from “Duckie,” Daphne’s alias. Despite his usual reluctance to engage with fans online, Chris finds solace and understanding in Duckie’s words, sparking a heartfelt connection.

Thompson masterfully captures the intricacies of modern romance, highlighting the blend of anonymity and intimacy that social media can foster. Daphne and Chris’s online interactions are filled with wit, charm, and genuine emotion, making their budding relationship both believable and compelling. The gradual build-up of their feelings is handled with a delicate touch, ensuring readers are thoroughly invested in their journey.

Daphne’s internal conflict about revealing her true identity adds a layer of tension and anticipation to the story. As she becomes more involved with the team in real life, the stakes grow higher, and the potential fallout from her deception looms large. Thompson skillfully navigates this delicate balance, creating a narrative that is both heartwarming and suspenseful.

Chris’s character is portrayed with depth and vulnerability, making him a relatable and sympathetic hero. His struggles off the field, combined with his unexpected connection with Duckie, paint a picture of a man yearning for understanding and companionship. Daphne’s transformation from a casual observer to someone deeply intertwined in Chris’s life is both engaging and believable, showcasing her growth and resilience.

The book’s exploration of themes such as redemption, honesty, and the healing power of love is both poignant and uplifting. Thompson’s writing is crisp and evocative, drawing readers into the world of baseball and the personal lives of her characters with equal skill. The interplay between humor and heartfelt moments ensures a well-rounded and thoroughly enjoyable reading experience.

In conclusion, this swoony romance is a home run for fans of contemporary love stories. With its charming protagonists, engaging plot, and emotional depth, it’s a delightful read that proves love can be found in the most unexpected places. Whether you’re a baseball enthusiast or simply a lover of well-crafted romance, this book is sure to capture your heart.

I had to DNF this one unfortunately. I wanted to enjoy it but I just couldn't get into the story at all, it wasn't holding my interest.

So sweet. Romcom perfection!

Daphne, freshly divorced, goes to a baseball game and lets loose. While drunk she starts heckling the players. Unknown to her Chris is having a hard time personally and Daphne pokes the wounded edge with her heckling and makes him cry. She reaches out to apologize but forgets to identify herself as the heckler. Unexpectedly, Chris responds to her message, and they start chatting. At the same time Daphne ends up becoming employed by the team. How will she managed to untangle herself from the lies of omission as she starts to form relationships with Chris in messages and real life?

I don’t even know how to express the emotions this book brings forth. I was immediately drawn into caring about both these characters. They are both so sweet and earnest. Watching both sides of their relationship grown gave me the giggles because of just how touching and sweet it is. Then the spice hits and holy smokes. This book is the perfect blend of everything you want in a romcom. I couldn’t put it down. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

Reviewed for Shelf Awareness:

Alicia Thompson hits a home run with The Art of Catching Feelings, a sports romance with depth, secrets, and just the right amount of spice. Fresh off a divorce, Daphne Brink goes to her first pro baseball game and drunkenly heckles the players with absurd puns. Unfortunately for Chris Kepler, she unknowingly calls him by the nickname his brother gave him when they were children--long before that same brother died by suicide. Then Chris is caught on camera breaking into sobs in the batting box.
Daphne tries to apologize in a DM but accidentally forgets to admit she's the heckler and soon the pair are texting all day while Chris doesn't know her real identity. When Daphne is tapped to temporarily step in as the sideline reporter for Chris's team, an in-person relationship develops and while Daphne is tormented by guilt, she can't help falling for Chris.
Beyond the throughly developed central relationship is a particularly compelling and nuanced exploration of masculinity in sports. Chris has been trying to deal with his grief alone and grapples with his feelings about the sport and the other men in his life, especially his father and teammates. Daphne makes him believe he can be happy again. That is, until everything inevitably goes sideways.
The Art of Catching Feelings is sure to win over readers who love a messy romance with a hint of angst--whether or not they enjoy baseball. For fans of Emily Henry and Lyssa Kay Adams.

The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson is a captivating story that is unfailingly sweet and surprisingly complex. Thompson's novel skillfully weaves together themes of love, friendship, and self-discovery, creating a compelling narrative that will resonate with readers of all ages. Thompson's writing is both heartfelt and insightful, drawing readers in from the very first page. With its engaging characters and poignant storytelling, The Art of Catching Feelings is a must-read for anyone looking for a heartfelt and thought-provoking novel.

✔️ Secret Identity
✔️ I Fell For You Twice
✔️ Hurt/Comfort
✔️ Workplace
✔️ Baseball backdrop
✔️ It's Just a Fling

I loved The Art of Catching Feelings - I'm a romance fan who is meh about baseball and this book made me a little more open to the sport (great, bc I'm going to a game in July).

Watching Chris and Daphne fall in love (twice!) was beautiful and angsty and magical. I love that best about a secret identity read - when Chris thinks he likes two different people when they're just both Daphne (one via text chat and one via irl interactions only). The Jem/Jerrica/Rio storyline from Jem and the Holograms imprinted on me as child and this book executed this love-triangle-adjacent trope to perfection.

I love how Alicia Thompson writes. Both Chris and Daphne are so fragile when we first meet them and it was the swooniest journey watching them bring each other back to life.

5⭐️!

Steam 🔥🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕💕

This was such a fun and entertaining sports romance!
I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be keeping my eyes peeled for when the paperback releases.