This was sooo cute! A swoony romance with maturity and kindness and no third act breakup? Yes please! I loved the setting and Josiah was so dreamy! But the best part? Sweet Anders and Lucy! This romance will fill you with all the butterflies and have you tearing up at the end. So so good!

Erin Hahn called this her "Lake Girl" book. I couldn't have been more honored to share that feeling with her. Hahn's writing skill increases with every subsequent book she writes. Her talent clearly shows in the care she takes to write characters who feel true to the world they inhabit. The romance is also crazy swoon worthy. Overwhlmingly fantastic read!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

I loved this friends-to-lovers romance set in the lakes of northern Wisconsin. It was fun to be back in the orbit of the characters in Erin Hahn's last two books, with appearances from some of the characters. Maren and Joe both have things to deal with (failed romances, careers, children (including one who is autistic), and blending their lives together), and they go through it all well, with no dramatic breakups or miscommunications. I look forward to her next novel! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy!

I thought this book was very cute! The cover of it is amazing and hooked me before really started to read it. The main characters had a sweet romance. I wasn’t 100% invested in their connection though as it went from friends to spicy times so fast. I also could not stand a few of the secondary characters as they were terrible people. Some things happen with them at the end that overshadows the HEA. Even though I had these concerns I still overall enjoyed it and would recommend. I will posted a review on my Bookstagram that I have linked down below.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in this series but Maren’s book was my absolute favorite! I adored everything about this from her outdoorsy cool girl personality to Josiah Cole and his adorable kids! The characters are mature and could easily be real people — it felt like I was spending time with friends. That’s so comforting when so many romances can be completely unrealistic scenarios and not always what I want to read! I’m also a sucker for a cameo by previous characters, especially since I loved Shelby and Lorelei’s stories (books 1&2). The only negative I had about this book was the weird “admirer” and I feel like the story would have been juuust fine without that subplot.

This book was adorable!! Just leaves you feeling happy.

Maren was a very likeable character in my opinion. She stepped up to help Josiah without being to pushy. I just loved her interactions with the kids, especially Lucy. She really tried to understand her and easily forgave her when she had tough moments.

Josiah was also a very likeable character. It was sad what he had to go through with his ex, but seeing him with his kids, the way he defends them and loves them unconditionally, was sooo sweet. Even acknowledging that Maren can handle her own, but offering to help or be there for her, was perfect.

All in all, a very sweet book. Makes me want to take up fishing 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you Netgally and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this ebook for an honest review.

Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn was a surprising "catch" for me! I really enjoyed the simplistic backdrop of Wisconsin and this tranquil sounding fishing resort where Maren and Josiah meet up years after seeing each other. I know nothing about fishing, but I felt the calmness and peace that Maren felt when she was out on the boat and talking about fishing. What really got me was the depth behind the characters - Josiah and his kids, his life story, Maren and her brother Liam and her best friends Shelby and Lorelai, even old man Fost. I enjoyed every single moment of this book! Did I mention it also has my all time favorite romance trope - brothers best friend!? *wink wink*

Thank you to Netgalley, Author Erin Hahn and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

After blowing up her relationship, Maren returns to her family’s lake in Wisconsin to fix up the waterfront bait shop she inherited. She immediately runs into Joe, her brother’s best friend who she grew up alongside, and his two kids.

I LOVED this book. As a lake girl (and perpetually in search of a boat daddy), the setting was an immediate draw, but also I love the friends to lovers/brother’s best friend tropes. This book is full of heart as Maren grows closer with Joe, and the moments with his children Anders and Lucy truly stole the show. I loved that our leads were characters in their 30s who acted like adults with healthy and open communication — it was a breath of fresh air.

I adored the characters and highly recommend picking this one up this fall!

What a delightful story. Maren Laughlin was dissatisfied with her boyfriend of a year and when he surprised her with a proposal in front of family and friends, she ended up throwing up on his shoes and running away. She didn’t stop running until she got to Northern Wisconsin where she had inherited a decrepit bait shop with an apartment from an old man Foss that she spent as much time with as she could. She loved being on the lake as much as he did and he taught her everything he knew about fishing. She also saw Josiah Cole, her brother’s best friend and his two children. I fell in love with all of them, especially the interactions with Lucy. The story had you laughing, crying and sometimes calling someone a jerk. You can figure out who when you read the story. You will not be disappointed in this story.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a complimentary copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this delightful romance.I am definitely going to be on the lookout for more books by Erin Hahn in the future. Pick this book up if you are looking for a swoon-worthy romance. I absolutely loved this book!

Many thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

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I really enjoyed this one. Maren made for such a great FMC. She was not only a bit older at 33, but also such a strong female influence. I love how she leaned into her tomboy outdoorsy side without fear. Especially her love of fishing. She is just unapologetically herself.

The romance itself is definitely a slow burn due to the whole brothers best friend aspect. But fully a wholesome read. From Joe's adorable children, to Roger's the dog, and the found family dynamics with both Maren's friend group and Joe's parents. We also get some great neuro diverse rep with Joe's daughter Lucy and her autism. Which is not to say there isn't some spice....boat house anyone? and even better, no third act break up.

One character I really couldn't get behind though was Maren's brother Liam. He was honestly just flat out an ass despite his "best intentions". But as a whole this was a highly enjoyable read. And a great little palette cleanser between some spooky reads. I'll for sure be going back to find Lorelai and Shelby's stories.

As usual, Erin doesn’t miss. I couldn’t wait for Maren’s story, and I was not disappointed. More than anything, I learned A LOT about fishing.
I’m a sucker for brothers best friend romance, combined with single dad?! This book was so cozy with moments of heaviness that made sense for the story. Erin’s portrayal of autism was fantastic, and the way Joe and Maren advocated for his daughter was beautiful to see.
I loved Joe and Maren’s story so much because it was easy. It was so easy to see them falling in love with each other and becoming a family. I did want to hit Liam multiple times during this book. But he redeemed himself.

Erin Hahn's Catch and Keep gives us Shelby and Lorelei's beloved friend Maren's very own love story. Moving from a supporting role to a leading one, Maren catches readers' hearts as easily as she does fish.

If you loved Hahn's Built to Last and Friends Don't Fall in Love, you won't want to miss Catch and Keep. Maren's love story is just as delightful as Shelby and Lorelei's were, and it's extra-fun to get little life updates on beloved characters from past books in this universe.

Maren literally runs away from a proposal, taking her dog and escaping to her childhood vacation resort along a lake in Wisconsin. Having recently inherited a bait shop and attached apartment from her fishing mentor, Maren plans to clean and update the shop before deciding how she wants to move forward with her life.

Then she spots Joe Cole, her older brother's best friend. Once her teenage crush, he's now her mid-thirties crush, too. Except Maren's older brother keeps telling her she's not good for Joe, not since his divorce broke his heart and left him with full custody of his two kids and a busy schedule running the vacation resort.

But Maren and Joe's hearts don't plan on listening to meddling older brothers. This fall fling could never be just a fling, not when Maren doesn't just have a crush on Joe-- she loves his kids, this place, and his family as much as her own.

These characters are lovable, flawed, and dealing with relatable issues. Maren's inability to return to her job has her questioning what she wants her life to look like, where she wants to be. These questions grow in intensity as her collegiate video content, Musky Maren the fishing guide, comes back to haunt her in unexpected ways.

Romances that involve kids walk a fine line. Children aren't plot devices, and they can truly make dating beyond difficult, as the parental figure and love interest must decide if who they're dating is right for their family, as well as them. Hahn truly has great kid representation, depicting this dating struggle but also showing that Joe prioritizes his kids, how he's a deeply loving, truly good father. With a child on the autism spectrum, this is a particularly tender topic. But Hahn shows that a diagnosis doesn't make any child any less lovable, and that everyone deserves to be treated with intentionality, love, and great care.

Maren's troublesome relationship with her brother is a strong side plot, showing how sibling issues can rise up long after childhood. Maren needing to address her relationship with her brother, and the tinge of toxic masculinity he's exuding, is a strong component of the story.

Hahn also touches on life in the public eye, specifically discussing how being a limited public figure does not entitle anyone to someone's privacy, nor does it denote ownership. Maren's run-ins with a former fan are alarming, yet don't turn this romance into a thriller. The reader doesn't have to fear for her safety, because Maren is a strong character who can take care of herself.

For fans of Hahn's YA, be prepared: these romances are for grownups, not young adult, and pack a hefty spice level. Open door sex scenes are the norm. Hahn is intentional in these scenes: characters have the much-needed conversations around consent and protection.

These characters, and this world, are beautifully developed and delightful to spend time with. Their journeys to finding their happiness include romantic partners, and these are romances, yet the characters paths to joy involve more than just finding a person. These strong, capable women explore what it is they want, and they go for it. Do they find love along the way? Absolutely. But it feels like something they choose to include in their lives, not the end-all, be-all of their existence. And it's because they are such well-rounded, interesting people that readers clamor to read more of their stories. Here's hoping there's still more to come in this universe, even if all three best friends have found their happy.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a digital ARC such that I could share my honest opinion.

Catch and Keep will be available October 15, 2024.

Loved this story. Sweet love story between two characters that I felt I knew really well thanks to the writing style of the author. The way the author described the child with autism and how Maren learned how to care for her made it even sweeter. I have found a new author I love.

Adorable friends to romance. Cute setting and a nice pick-me-up read!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

I generally like Erin Hahn's stories and have really enjoyed the ones about Lorelai and her friends. This was no exception. The characters are well developed and highly likeable. The romance builds so that it is not just a land in bed kind of thing, and the troubles the characters face are believable and worked through in a way that is also something I could see happening. Sure, the fact that Maren is a former beauty queen and Internet star who also happens to be best friends with celebrities is a bit of a stretch for most folks. But other than that, she is grounded and very real.

The children are wonderful characters in and of themselves, and Lucy's autism, while part of the book, isn't simply used as a way to introduce autism and soap box. Hahn treats the situation in a sensitive way without having it take over the book. Joe having a support network in his parents and family works, especially as it means that he is not superman.

The one thing that was a bit much for me was the whole situation with Musky Maren and her stalker. It just felt like it didn't fit in with a story that was already moving without it. I don't think it needed to be part of the book at all. Just like Joe's ex who seems to come in and out of the story only as a way of showing how wonderful Maren is as a person. Sainthood wonderful. And as a result, I was a bit less than impressed with those parts of the book too. I get it, and I get how hard it can be to parent children solo without having one child be severely autistic. But as with Bradley, not necessary to the plot and to developing the characters.

That being said, I enjoyed the book and was rooting for the characters from the start. I wanted the HEA. So, if you like Hahn, this will not disappoint for rounding out the best friends trilogy - not sure Hahn can do another book in the series - and if you are looking for a fun romance for your holiday, beach read, or just to blitz over the weekend, this will fit the bill nicely.

Catch and Keep is a wonderful brother's best friend, single dad romance. Maren after turning down a proposal and being passed over for a promotion at work returns to the place of her summer escapes. On the lakes of Wisconsin Maren who learned to fish and hunt Muskies; is now the owner of a bait shop, where she has come back to take stock. Helping her is Josiah, best of friend of her older brother and current owner of the vacation resort nearby. The growing friendship, and later romance is quiet but very persuasive. Family dynamics, and stresses of single parenting are explored with humor and sincerity. All of which add depth to this low angst, making life choices in your 30's romance.

I love these adult novels by Erin Hahn. She describes Joe and Maren’s relationship as just so easy to fall into, and this book was exactly the same. I started reading, and before I knew it I had developed feelings for these characters in part because of the easy flow of the story, but also because of the setting and the kids. This story was a joy and I relished reading Maren and Joe’s story.

There isn’t a great romance novel if there’s not a hint of conflict and we do have a couple of storylines that create that dynamic for our duo. Maren’s brother is Joe’s best friend, and he doesn’t hesitate to warn Maren off of catching feelings for Joe. He’s also a bit of a dope to Maren and gave the reader a person to get frustrated at that wasn’t our hero or heroine. Joe also isn’t the swinging single guy, he comes as a package with his two kids who added a lot to the story- as well as a dumb ex- spouse that the reader could also focus some energy on hating. It was only Maren and Joe’s feelings that were easy breezy, these conflicts gave the story a lot of heart in their conclusions.

I’ve read the other two novels in this stand alone series. I say stand alone and series in the same sentence because Maren’s two best friends were the heroines from the previous two adult novels by this same author. It’s always nice to see how other characters you’ve read have advanced their storylines and I welcomed that brief peek. Despite their reoccurance, you can read this novel as a stand alone and not miss a thing but I bet when you’re done, if you hadn’t read the other two novels you’re going to want to pick them up and catch up!

I really got pulled into this story, and really fell in love with the characters. I think they had depth, and were still figuring some things out about themselves. I liked seeing how Joe was shown as a father, a business owner and as a friend. I think Maren’s backstory set the scene for her current state of mind and how she was encouraged to change her life. As a parent to an autistic child, I think the relationship Maren builds with her is really lovely and very realistic in my opinion - there are some people that just GET your child on an intrinsic level and connect deeply. The relationship between Joe and Maren builds slowly but is sweet and lovely and I appreciated that there wasn’t any drama or miscommunications between them. Overall this is a really sweet romance in a lovely setting. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn
Contemporary romance. Brother’s best friend, single dad troupes.
Maren Laughlin spent summers with her family in the waterways of Northern Wisconsin. As a teen she had a fishing channel showing the local spots for catching musky and enjoying the outdoors. At thirty-three when her boyfriend surprises her with a public proposal in front of friends and family, she inelegantly declines and escapes back to Wisconsin where she’s inherited a decrepit bait shop and small apartment. She takes a leave of absence from her Park Ranger job and decides to renovate the property and figure what comes next.
Josiah Cole has finished with his military career and is running the resort his parents have owned as well as being the full time parent to his two children, the younger being autistic. Joe and Maren’s brother Liam have been best friends since school age. Maren is five years younger than the two friends and while Liam still sees her as a kid and just starting a career, Joe sees the adult and the work she’s put in at the bait shop and how much she enjoys taking charge of the fishing charters. She has a knack for finding the fish and has always loved it. Maren and her dog have also befriended his children which, of course, has own heart appreciating her. And maybe there’s a little list there too, between the two of them.

This book is not listed as a series however the heroine has two best friends that are included and supportive in this story and this book takes place after their stories. 1) Built to Last and 2) Friends Don’t Fall in Love. To avoid spoilers I would recommend reading those rom coms first.

Joe and Maren together fit like puzzle pieces. She’s the outdoors fishing expert and he’s part-time bartender and maintenance guy and together they make the family resort a place to relax and enjoy. The scenes with the children are just heart clenchers and sweet. Liam is the typical big brother. He has emotional growing to do. I loved how supportive her two best friends and their husbands are.
Flirty and enticing. A adorable romance to read.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.