i really wanted to love this one!!! i mean, it opens with a girl reading a book at a baseball game, which is very me coded! she gets drunk and heckles a batter who hears her and has a breakdown... she later DMs him to apologize (and spill her feels) but forgets to paste over the actual apology part, so when they start messaging back and forth (an unlikely thing from jump) he doesn't know she's the heckler... and ofc she never tells him!!!

THEN she gets a job as a sideline reporter and has to interview him IRL all the time but he doesn't know she's the same girl he's messaging/falling for...

it's just so silly and unrealistic but in a way that didn't even feel very escapist or fun? it just seemed half-baked tbh and it took me out of the enjoyment of the storyline. bummer!!!

I actually started reading this as I was getting back into enjoying baseball, so this made the story a little more fun to read. The huge explosion of sports romance makes me nervous because I'm always worried the author will get something important about the sport culture wrong.

I do admit, I got a lot of secondhand embarrassment when Daphne kept lying, especially when she had so many different opportunities to come clean. Chris, the mmc, however was well done, sweet, yet sensitive guy who definitely made me cry.

This probably wasn't the author's best, but I loved the mmc enough to overcome the issues I had with the fmc.

I love a sports romance, though baseball was never one that I actively looked for. However, this did make me enjoy the sport, and I loved Chris. He's sweet, sensitive, caring and truly made me swoon.

Such a cute, sweet emotional read. Loved the hidden identity and friends with benefits thing that Clearly almost always turns into something more 😂 I love it when books have real deep issues in it so they are more relatable.

Thank you to @netgalley @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson is a charming and heartfelt romance that brings together a professional baseball player and his unexpected admirer in a delightful twist on the “You’ve Got Mail” trope. This novel follows Daphne Brink, who, after a few too many beers, heckles Carolina Battery player Chris Kepler at a game. Horrified by her actions, she reaches out to apologize on social media, sparking an unexpected connection.

What I Loved:
Character Chemistry: The dynamic between Daphne and Chris is electric. Their interactions, both online and in person, are filled with witty banter and genuine emotion, making their romance both engaging and heartfelt.
Humor and Heart: Thompson’s ability to blend humor with tender moments shines through. The story is peppered with laugh-out-loud scenes, especially during their initial exchanges, while also delving into deeper emotional territory.
Unique Premise: The concept of a heckler and a professional athlete forming a connection adds a fresh twist to the romance genre. The backdrop of professional baseball and the challenges they face together make for an engaging and entertaining read.
Overall, The Art of Catching Feelings is a delightful and spirited romance that will leave you smiling. Alicia Thompson delivers a story full of love, laughter, and unexpected connections, making it a perfect read for fans of contemporary romance.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

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I had midlevel expectations going into this book seeing as I didn't super care for this author's first book, but was very pleasantly surprised!

I am a big baseball fan so a romance set against the backdrop of MLB felt like it was right up my alley. The main relationship issue in this book was just a MASSIVE miscommunication which normally I don't love, but I found myself not caring as much as I thought. Both main characters had their flaws and were pretty aware of them. The pacing of the book and relationship were pretty good as well!

Definitley would recommend to romance readers!

Daphne is attending a baseball game that she was SUPPOSED to go to with her husband, now ex husband. She gets drunk and “heckles” a player from the home team, (who does that??) at the game. She unknowingly mentions something that upsets him, and he cries at bat.

Chris is struggling since he lost his brother, and his playing is being affected. He has no one to talk to about his grief, his dad won’t talk about it and Chris keeps it all bottled up from his coaches and teammates. One night after the disaster of a game where that woman really hit a nerve, he opens his DMs him on IG to find a message from someone named duckiesbooks. They apologize for what he went through and connect with him on a level he hasn’t had in ages.

Daphne is the anon. account, but forgets to mention she was the heckler. So Chris unknowingly makes friends with his heckler, and Daphne feels forced to keep her identity hidden. They continue to connect over Dms and eventually text.

Daphne has family who works for the baseball team, and somehow ends up with a temporary position til the end of the season. She is working alongside Chris, and she has no idea how to handle an online anon. Friendship and a real life working relationship.

I have never been so invested in the “when will she get caught in her lie” trope before. It was so wonderfully done I can’t believe it. I was anxious for Daphne the entire time she was living her double life and felt sorry for Chris as he developed feelings for both women, and didn’t know what to do.

I resonated with the heartbreaking aspect where Chris is trying to handle his grief and panic attacks but failing, and Daphne encouraging him to see someone to talk to about it. Men have anxiety and grief just as much as women do. Chris being a pro athlete really hit the nail on the head that anyone can struggle mentally and emotionally, even the rich/athletic/famous/masculine ones.

The third act break up was exactly where I knew it would be, but really enjoyed reading how they both got through their heartache and worked on themselves as a result. It truly resonated with me that someone isn’t going to ask for help, no matter what someone close to them says, until they realize they actually need it.

I wanted to love this one, but I just couldn't get into it at all. I didn't buy into the romance and never felt connected to the characters. Way too insta-lovey for me!

Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Is it really even summer without a little baseball?! In this one Daphne needs to escape her heartbreak and what better way than at the ballpark? However, after a few too many ballpark beers she starts heckling a player and doesn’t expect to actually hit a nerve. When she reaches out after to apologize via social media she fails to acknowledge the fact that she is the heckler. This was a fun one!

This was the perfect book to get me out of a reading slump!

I quickly became invested in the characters and their dynamic after Daphne heckles Chris at his baseball game. Daphne DM’s Chris to apologize for what he went through, but accidentally leaves out the part where she admits that she was the heckler 🙈

Their secret correspondence through DMs and text messages were super fun and I loved how vulnerable Chris was with Daphne. Chris was really such a gem ❤️

I love how Alicia Thompson creates characters that are real and relatable. If you’re looking for a sports romance, I’d definitely recommend this one!

Very cute and fun. I enjoyed both main characters and their relationship. I also liked that it was a baseball themed sports romance since those aren't as common as hockey or football books.

The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson is a charming romantic comedy that cleverly explores themes of connection and deception. The story revolves around Daphne, who, after a tough divorce, finds herself heckling baseball player Chris Kepler, only to later apologize to him online without revealing her identity. Their budding relationship takes a complex turn as Daphne's initial deception complicates their growing feelings for each other. This playful yet poignant tale offers a fresh take on romance, reminiscent of classic rom-coms, and showcases Thompson's knack for creating relatable characters and engaging dialogue​.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
SPICE: 🔥🔥

I’m always in my baseball era and I knew I was going to enjoy this one. Hidden identity when done right is a trope I absolutely love, and this one had a huge focus on that aspect of the couples relationship. You are going to have to love miscommunication trope though to get into this book though, because it’s a huge part of the book.

But you know what makes this book worth the read: CHRIS KEPLER. This man is swoony book boyfriend material and his vulnerability just drew me to this man like catnip.

TROPES
✨ Baseball Romance
✨ Hidden Identity
✨ Slow Burn
✨ Workplace Romance
✨ Mental Health Rep

Daphne and Chris “meet” when Daphne’s I’ll time heckling of the baseball star cause him to spiral. Feeling terrible she writes a letter of apology and the two connect only, he doesn’t know she is his heckler. Daphne starts falling for Chris and doesn’t want to hurt him by revealing the truth.

This book made me happy with the deep emotional connection Chris and Daphne formed but also stressed me big time knowing the secret Daphne was keeping.. Still the book was a good read, the spice was great (I did get a little pick that he still didn’t know who she truly was) and the ending was a great payoff.

What made this book was Chris though. The mental health rep was so good in this book and really added emotional depth. Chris was a top tier man and the ultimate book boyfriend.

Now, I am usually not a major sports romance girly, but I so enjoyed this fun, romcom! Any book that references both Theranos and my favorite book, The Phantom Tollbooth - you got me!

Overall, I loved the premise of this book - a heckler and a baseball player get together - both off and online. Like many, I don't love that dishonesty and hidden identity is the basis of the relationship, but this was still an engaging story, and I ended up enjoying it.

This book tackles some heavier topics, namely suicide and mental health, but handles them with care and nuance - and they truly are there are pivotal moments in character development - and not just thrown in for shock or minor plot progression.

I loved the dual POV and thought the audiobook was exceptionally done.

this was a super quick and fun read. it wasn't my absolute favorite but I had a fun time with the tropes that were included!

If there ever comes a day where I do not want to talk about Alicia Thompson books, I fear that means I will be dead.

The Art of Catching Feelings was such a phenomenal book. You should read it for the following reasons:
- it’s perfect
- Chris Kepler
- Chris Kepler’s butt

In all seriousness, Chris and Daphne’s story is so sweet. These two are both learning so much about themselves and watching the character development happen as their love story unfolds was one of the best things. This book deals with processing grief, moving on after divorce, friendships, family and some really good baseball. Alicia’s writing is so good that I genuinely forgot I was reading a book for a second and was rudely reminded that these are fictional characters.

I truly loved this book and could not recommend it more.

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC 🫶🏻

Yeah…this wasn’t it. In theory, this would be the perfect book for me. deceit. dishonesty. catfishing. whatever you want to call this book, it wasn’t true love. if we are 70% through the book and you’re still lying to the person you’re falling in love with (instantly, might i add) then it’s not my kinda story!

This was a quick, fun read. I enjoyed this while reading, but honestly, I wasn't as pulled into the relationship as I would have liked tobe. It was cute but nothing particularly special about it

I started this one and it just felt.... immature? She's heckling some dude, like grow up? And then he cries? It was just very cringe for me - we love a sensitive guy but this wasn't working for me.

Spicy, flirty, and fun! It was a fun take on a forbidden/enemies/friends to lovers romance. This book really combined a lot of tropes and it worked surprisingly well!