ALICIA 👏 THOMPSON 👏 NEVER 👏 MISSES 👏

(No spoilers—the summary below is basically just a repeat of the premise blurb!)

I'm not usually someone who enjoy "they're hiding their secret identity from the love interest"-type stories, but this one was so sweet and so swoony and so heartfelt.

So basically: Daphne gets drunk and heckles Battery baseball player Chris after her divorce is finalized and she makes him CRY. It goes viral, and she reaches out on IG to apologize, but accidentally forgets to identify herself as the heckler. They strike up a friendship though text, and she assumes that eventually it'll just fizzle off and no harm will be done. But once she starts working for the team and the chemistry between them in person becomes more apparent, she finds herself even more conflicted.

Without giving much away, I can say two things: Daphne is so relatable and lovely and I want to marry her, AND I would die for Chris, even though he'd never let me. This is definitely a fast-paced read imo, but it didn't feel like I was missing anything? Like FLEW through this one, and I think it's in part because Alicia's prose flows so well that I stopped being conscious of the fact that I was reading a book LOL.

Alicia Thompson is at the top of her game with this novel. Engaging, charming, and very fun, I devoured this steamy ode to baseball and love. Those who love the Roy Kent storyline from Ted Lasso will love this, although Chris Kepler is not a gruff jerk. The texting was so fun, as was the hole Daphne keeps digging for herself -- cringey, yes, but only because we know it'll bite her in the butt later. Chris Kepler is one of the best book boyfriends I've read in a while--he can steal our reader bases any time.

Rating: 4.25/5
Steam: 3/5
Warnings: death of a sibling by suicide, panic attacks, divorce

Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for these advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I caught feelings for the Art of Catching Feelings. I was such a perfect summer read...romance, friendship, so much humor and baseball. I think in their own way, both of these MCs were so relatable. They were trying to figure things out along the way, and yes they stumbled but I think that's what made this so enjoyable.

Chris was such a well written character, I was invested in his journey and routing for him to succeed. As someone who walked a similar path to him I related to his grief journey. I also appreciate that Alicia wrote a man with feelings and emotions that were not directly involved with the love interest

Oh Daphne you're a mess babe but you were also just trying your best. Part of this story was her figuring out who she was in life + plus in a new relationship post divorce. I was a little uncomfortable with how she was hiding things from Chris but I also think it was written in a way that kept the plot and also a sense of...yeah, this is how we get ourselves in these situations.

I genuinely just liked their romance. They had so much chemistry both virtually and in person that was routing for them as a couple. I thought they were so good for each other. Check this one out! I think it will be a book pick of the summer.

This novel was so much fun! I feel like it is the perfect read for Summer – romance, baseball, friendship and humor. I am a pretty new baseball fan, and have been getting more into it the last couple of years, but I really loved this book and do not feel like you have to be a baseball fan to enjoy it!

Daphne is going through a rough time – she is getting out of a marriage with her childhood crush, is not doing so great with her job, and just needs to let off some steam. When her brother and sister in law gift her fantastic seats to a Battery baseball game, she begrudgingly goes with her best friend. Chris is a baseball player with a lot on his mind. Still reeling from a recent tragedy, and not playing to his usual standard, a comment from a heckling fan reduces him to tears. It just so happens that that fan is none other than Daphne. When, later that evening, she sends Chris a social media message to apologize, she strikes up a friendship with him. Too bad he doesn’t realize who she actually is, as she forgot the important aspect of why she was apologizing and who she was in her message. As Daphne starts working for the team to cover for her sister in law, she gets to know Chris and her feelings grow deeper. However, the guilt is eating away at her because he still doesn’t know her identity as the woman in his inbox, and she does not know how much longer she can keep up the ruse. The truth has to come out sometime – but will it be a homerun or a strike out?

I really enjoyed watching both Chris and Daphne learn about themselves and grow throughout the novel. Daphne finds her sense of self again, and is rebuilding her confidence. Chris is coming to terms with the tragedy that happened, and is beginning the process of healing. Seeing them come together and aid each other in those journeys was so enjoyable. The moments of humor peppered throughout, the summer ballgame atmosphere, the secondary characters all come together to create the perfect romance. And the spice! Some of the best love scenes I’ve read this year. Sweet, funny, engaging and spicy, I cannot recommend this book enough!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the Digital Review Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not to be dramatic, but I think I caught feelings for Chris. The way his character is written is so well done you can’t help but invest feelings into him. From the very beginning!! I found the way his character developed and dealt with grief the most relatable. It’s very rare to see an author portray a realistic man with feelings and emotions that aren’t directly involved with the opposite sex. Chris story was well done.

From the very start I felt the way Daphne and Chris began their relationship was so unique and adorable. I felt myself smiling and laughing out loud throughout the book. I did find myself frustrated with Daphne occasionally. I didn’t like the way she handled the relationship. I know it was part of the story and the way it was meant to unfold, but it was part of the reason I invested more in Chris and less in Daphne.

A very cute read though! If you want a short fast paced read, this is it.

Thanks so much NetGalley and Berkely Publishing Group for the eARC.

Daphne, fresh off a divorce and a little over-served, is having a great time shouting at a baseball game. Does she know anything about baseball, no? But it seems to be in the spirit to heckle. Little does she know that she’s accidentally heckling the home team… oh and she made him CRY. When an apology leads to mistaken identity and some anonymous texting, Daphne and Chris are suddenly closer than they ever thought they could be.

I loved the arc of this. Daphne did make… a lot of mistakes. And- I also really felt for her. Chris is a sweet hero and honestly is so vulnerable. My heart. I think in the end what got me is that they both had to heal on their own but were encouraged by the other. We love growth! ❤️❤️❤️

Also yes, it’s a sports romance but there’s not too much for those who are less into baseball. Though I felt like what they had made sense for the plot and romance reasons. For the most part it was incredibly romantic and steamy! :) This was a really fun read!

This book was so powerful. It’s fun and angsty. While dealing with some heavy topics like panic attacks and suicide of a family member, if you have triggers check out the warnings.

I loved the premise of this one, drunken “heckler” Daphne makes ball player Chris cry while he’s at bat. After a media circus ensues, Daphne tries to make amends through her social media page and slide into Chris’ DM. When some things get lost in translation, Chris doesn’t realize his heckler and his new internet friend are the same person. From there they are thrown into a forced proximity situation, where Daphne finds herself unable to set the record straight until it’s too late.

I really loved the message from this book about how it’s ok to lean on others and how you don’t have to keep everything inside, communication is key.

I always appreciate a romantic story with emotional depth. Daphne and Chris are meeting at the bottom, and I think that's what separates this book from others that I have read. They both end up having to confront their losses and personal failings. The only criticism I have is that it was very slow to start. It was uncomfortable that Daphne is hiding so much in the beginning, while Chris reveals more of himself than he would have with anyone else.

Yes yes YES! Out of the park! So much of this book had me at the edge of my seat, cringing every time Daphne’s conscience started to get the best of her, or she almost slipped up about Duckie. But Chris Kepler… Oh man, Chris Kepler. He may just be my book boyfriend love of my life. (And what a great name, right? Sounds so baseball.) Also, as someone who actually purchased that album by Fastball back in the day, I wholly appreciate the author’s use of The Way.

I have never read a book that made me *want* to watch a sport. Alicia Thompson's The Art of Catching Feelings was absolutely brilliant. A lot of fun, while packing quite the punch between the main characters. Though I typically despise communication issues centralized in a third-act break-up, Thompson handles it deftly in a way that feels reasonable and authentic. I absolutely loved this book!

This was beyond good. Great if I must say. I can’t wait to rave about this to everyone. If you are looking for a good book, pick this up.

Alicia's books alway bring on all the feels for me and I love the rollercoaster ride of emotions. I appreciated the sensitive way she handled grief in this story and the positive light she shed on mental health and the importance of getting help if needed. I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at the sport of baseball and the inclusion of giving back to the community. Mostly, I adored the relationship between Daphne/Duckie and Chris. There is a special chemistry between them and an undercurrent of forever and seeing them find their happily ever after brought on a few happy tears and a big smile. This novel is everything I love in this genre and then some. Kristen Sieh captured the voices of the characters perfectly in the audiobook and made it a wonderful listening experience.

I want to start with thanking NetGalley & Berkeley for this arc 🫶 but …

The way this book made me care even less about baseball when I don’t even care about baseball to begin with…

First, rather than going into relationship building details, the author opted to give me run downs of baseball games (why?? Tf is inning?? You could have just gave me the result or described the last most important match?? Idk, maybe just me) she skimmed over what you’d consider conversations or interaction that would define a relationship (for example — Chris’s conversation with his father about their relationship, she didn’t even bother to write that part, it was fade-to-black)…

Second, the premise of the story itself.. I did not realized that this book was solely built upon catfishing.. ick. Quoting Sabrina Carpenter - “my give a fucks are on vacation” is the most accurate way for me to describe how I feel about all the characters in this book. Especially Daphne. For someone who claimed to be a an apologetic person, she was really good at pretending. Girl switched between persona faster than you can blink ☠️ she had so many chances to come clean and always chose not to. Literally outed herself by mistake.. like??

Also, Chris, my man, you would have been a victim on that Catfish show. The man falls so easily, never even questioned it. Like there is golden retriever energy, but this is just blankly dumb, and just a fool. The thing that gave me the biggest ick was him being with two people. Yes, they were both Daphne, but he didn’t know that. He wasn’t even loyal to either of the persona🤦🏻‍♀️

I literally skimmed through the last 20% because I got tired of Daphne catfishing this poor man. My give a fucks are still on vacation at this point for how they made up too. This couple will not last. Definitely breaking up after the epilogue.

With all that being said, before the catfishing started, it was okay. 👍 (about 10%)

Recommend if you like catfishing 😅

I gobbled this book up in a day. Easily my favorite Alicia Thompson story! I loved Daphne / Duckie and Chris together and separately. My palms were clammy leading up to the heckling because it’s awkward when you’re attending a sporting event and it happens near you. It wasn’t me, I swear! As Daphne kept pounding those beers, my anxiety climbed. The relationship between Duckie and Chris was wholesome, but come on, Chris! Red flags flying everywhere! Regardless, I enjoyed their banter and was ecstatic when Chris and Daphne started a flirtatious banter. Chris is my book boyfriend! I loved how genuine he was and open and caring. There wasn’t a single character that I disliked, the mains and the supporting cast were all so well written, that you felt connected to them in your own way.

If you’re looking for a fast paced, swoon worthy love story that has terrific character development and a will they / won’t they build, pick this up. I hope you love it as much as I did!

This was an absolutely delightful book! I loved the baseball elements. I loved Chris and Duckie's intimate friendship via text. I loved the spice! The phone call?! Phew! The oral scene?! Pass me a fan!
I think most of all I appreciated Chris as a character. I don't always enjoy MF romance because I'm not entertained by men who don't have much to offer in terms of thoughts and feelings, but Chris was refreshing.
I have to admit, once the story got into the thick of it, I was stressed about how it was going to come crashing down! I wasn't expecting how it actually happened, and I was relieved when that bubble finally popped.

Honestly, Alicia Thompson does banter so well, I have read her other books and have raved about them before , this one for sure has topped. For me, her writing style is so easy to fall into the characters and the book itself. I will say I was a little worried about the idea of another sports romance with all the others circulating, but it was more than a sports romance , you felt the pain of both the characters when Chris found out Daphne was Duckie. But also the emotional tension because Chris was hiding all of his emotional baggage of his brothers death. It was an overall great read for me! I can’t wait to see what’s next for this author !

✨The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson (Out June 18)✨
I’m obsessed with this book! This is a baseball sports romance mixed with You’ve Got Mail. Both characters were going through tough phases of life, and I loved how they were able to lean on each other while falling in love. Such a good romance to pick up during baseball season!

The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson

Thank you so much Berkley and NetGalley for the free eARC.

Blurb:
A professional baseball player and his heckler prove that true love is worth going to bat for.

✨My thoughts:
I loved it so much, I need to get my hands in a physical copy immediately! Although lying and miscommunication is my biggest pet peeve on a romance novel, I honestly enjoyed this story too much to care. I mean sure… Daphne desperately needed to come clean. But if she had, would we have had such steamy phone conversations?! Just sayin’! I keep seeing hockey romance but baseball romance is where it’s at! Chris really stole the show… sorry duckie! Another must read of 2024, you won’t want to miss this! Summer is right around the corner which means it’s the perfect time to get your summer reading list teed up. The Art of Catching Feelings is out 6/18/24 and you’ll want to read this one!

Happy reading 📖

Hey batter batter, SWING!

The Art of Catching Feelings is a home run. Daphne has struck out in love, and is now divorced. She's one of the most honest, authentic individuals, loves books and enjoys connecting life to music and her reads. Chris is a baseball adonis, and mentally struggling to overcome a family tragedy.

Daphne joins a friend at a game, becomes intoxicated and heckles Chris - " Your name should be Christopher Robin, 'cause you're hitting like Pooh!" Next thing she's knows, she's gone viral. Scrambling, Daphne sends Chris a DM to apologize but it doesn't go as planned. Their unconventional meet-cute leads to texting, creating an emotional connection. It's only when he wants to meet her that things go array...take a seat, grab some baseball fan fare and settle in for the remainder of this happily ever after game.

I literally had a BALL with this read!

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley

As a baseball fan I was so excited for this book. Unfortunately the deception and lying to the mmc was too hard to read. There was too much cringe to be enjoyable. The story with the mmc was vulnerable and honest while the fmc took advantage of his situation gave me such a bad feeling.

Content warnings: suicide

Thank you NetGalley & Berkley for the advanced copy. This is my honest review.