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.

“I don’t want to leave. I want to settle down and be still. I want to belong to someone.”

Maren Laughlin turned down her boyfriend’s surprise proposal with some vomit on his shoes followed up by a six hour drive through a couple of states to return to the lake where she spent her best summers. Also in the rear view mirror? Her career as a park ranger, her home, her family.

But in northern Wisconsin a bait shop and attached apartment await, a gift from an old friend - the man who taught her not only how to fish but how to love it.

And Maren is ready for a fresh start.

Josiah Cole lives at the lake year round. He’s taking the reins from his parents, running their vacation rental properties and restaurant. Recently divorced from his high school sweetheart, Joe is raising his two young kids, the adorable Anders and his equally adorable sister, Lucy.

Joe and Maren have known each other since she was in diapers. He’s her older brother’s best friend, and Liam has made one thing clear to both: steer clear of the other.

But Maren accidentally, seamlessly fits into Joe’s family without effort and the two begin the slow dance of falling in love.

What an absolute gem of a book! This is the kind of romance we want. Maren is an adult, Joe is her natural complement. The kids are perfect in all ways and the autism representation is handled with beautiful, delicate care.

I never wanted to leave the lake, this new family, this vibe that felt like a warm hug after a long day.

Open door, steamy romance between two smart, careful, open adults. Genius!

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC to read and review. This one came out October 15, 2024. Grab your copy today!

Amazing. Fantastic. Delightful. Adorable. Swoony. Sexy. Precious. Happiest of ever afters.

I have been interested in Maren since we were first introduced to her in another book, and I could not be more thrilled with her story. I cannot wait to see what Erin does next!

I didn’t realize this was part of a series but I didn’t have any issues reading it first. It definitely made me want to read the first 2 though!

This book was so precious! It had all kinds of love and it seriously had me smiling almost the entire time! I love Maren and Joe together SO SO MUCH. It was wonderful to see them both grow with each other and become a family together.

Who I loved the most was Lucy. Seeing how Joe was with her and how quickly Maren was willing to learn how to make Lucy comfortable? We love to see it. 🥹

The whole stalking situation was a little odd but it felt like it was realistic of parasocial relationships due to social media.

Overall, loved this book so much! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

I loved this story - set on a lake in Wisconsin in autumn. Maren returns to her childhood town to restore an inherited cabin, escaping a way-too-public proposal aimed to keep her in an unhealthy relationship.

It doesn't take long before she revisits old relationships and has to come to terms with creating roots.

The character development - not just of Maren but of the others - was realistic and didn't feel forced. As a special needs parent, I also really resonated with some of the storylines about hardship, resilience, and healing.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for an ARC.

I’ve enjoyed every single book I’ve read from this author, but I think this one is my favorite. The story was so sweet and I adored how Maren became part of the family so seamlessly. When it comes to a single dad romance it’s one thing to see the main characters fall in love with Joe, but to also see Maren fall in love with his kids and the kids fall in love with her as well. It was super heartwarming.

When the conflict of sorts occurred, the characters talked things through and did what was needed to reassure each other about the relationship. It fit the story so well and I’m glad things played out the way they did.

There are some more serious topics throughout the book that were handled with care. Though there are a couple characters I’m still mad at for how they acted.

🤭 brother’s best friend
🤍 single dad
👥 close proximity
🐟 outdoorsy
🐶 includes a dog
👏🏼 no third act breakup

dual POV
5/5 stars ⭐️
1.5/5 spice level 🌶️

I enjoyed reading Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Erin Hahn was a new-to-me author with You’d Be Mine, the first book of hers I read, and I loved it so much I’ve been hooked on her words ever since. I was curious how well she’d make the jump from YA to adult contemporary romance, and I really enjoyed Built to Last. The end felt like an excellent setup for a follow-on book for one of the secondary characters, and it was, much to my delight. I loved that book, too.

This brings us to Catch and Keep, which seems like the last book in this interconnected stand-alone series. It’s a friends-to-lovers contemporary romance and an incredibly emotional tale. It’s a starting over, coming into your own for the hero and heroine, along with that age-old tale of figuring out who you are separately so you can be so much better together while maintaining your own hard-fought-for identity. Since it’s a romance, we know the main characters ultimately get their HEA, but the journey Ms. Hahn takes us on before allowing it is incredibly emotional and heartfelt. I couldn’t put this book down and read it in just a few hours as I could not stop turning the pages. It’s an incredibly well-written account of life and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps when it chews you up and spits you out, as well as how each character deals with the potential pitfalls.

NICUnurse’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have loved all three books in this best friends’ series, but single dads have a special place in my romance-loving heart. I love how this starts with Maren seemingly running away from her life, but in reality she was running toward it. She just didn’t know it yet.

Joe and his kids lead a busy life at Maren’s favorite fishing lake and Maren easily slips into the minutia of their daily lives with her cute dog leading the way. Joe had forgotten what life was like with a partner. Heck, he forgot what life was like with a selfish moment to think about his needs. Maren reminds him.

This is a wonderful slow burn with these two getting to know each other as adults. Maren’s brother throws in some complications with his denigrating behavior towards his younger sister. Joe, as his best friend, both defends Maren and lets her speak for herself. I love how he respected her agency in several instances.

When this stops being a slow burn and they admit ALL THE FEELINGS these two have incredible chemistry.

I don’t know much about fishing, but I loved that Maren excelled in a traditionally male field and everyone respected her skills and knowledge.


This was a great book! Totally recommend.

This was such a fun story. The story has it all. This is a great brother's best friend/friends to lovers romance. The humor in the book was spot on. I loved Maren and Joe. The way their friendship grew felt so natural, I loved every moment. I think my favorite part was how Maren bonds with Joe's kids. The story was a quick read and truly hit all of my emotions. I've become a fan of the books by this author. I definitely will look for more of her stories in the future. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Another cute story from Erin Hahn. This one had a bit to much fishing talk for me. But I do love a good brother's best friend trope and this one was no exception. Add in a single dad with the most adorable kids and this books was a solid read. Plus I love getting glimpses of the how the relationships from her previous books are going.

4 stars
2 spice

⭐️4.25
When a woman finally finds her own voice and her own truth, it is absolutely beautiful to witness. Maren leaves behind her old life-which includes an awkward marriage proposal to small town Wisconsin. Joe is her older brother's bff, who she has known since childhood. He's gone through his own struggles, and now a single dad raising his two children.

This one was a quick, fun read and I just loved the chemistry between Maren and Joe. Pick this one up if you are in the mood for a truly heart-warming story.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6365505732

Pub date: October 15, 2024
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

Catch and Keep was like a warm blanket on a cool autumn day. We absolutely love single dad romances and when you add in the brother’s best friend trope, how could we resist?

Maren & Joe’s love story was so effortless and genuine it was a joy to experience. Add in some cute kids and this romance was exactly what we wanted.

Erin Hahn does not miss for us. She has a great writing style and creates characters we wish we could be friends with. Catch and Keep is a standalone, but it’s also a part of an interconnected world! Who doesn’t love revisiting characters? And this group of friends has been a joy to read.

If you’re looking for a cozy romance with some spice, pick up Catch and Keep!

Read if you like:
▪️Single dad
▪️Brother’s Best Friend
▪️Small Town
▪️Ready made family
▪️No 3rd act breakup

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this advanced reader copy.

If anyone ever said I would love a book with fishing in it, I probably would have said they were crazy. This book, however, was incredible. Maren leaves her job after a public proposal goes wrong and heads to wear she was the happiest as a child. Up north where the family used to go for vacations. She loved to fish from the time she was small and one of her mentors has passed away and left her some money and his bait shop and apt. There she runs into one of her older brother's friends, Joe. Only now they are both grown up and things are different.

This book is heartwarming, sweet and spicy, and I binged it so hard. The characters grew and developed and I was definitely along for the ride.

4.5/5⭐️

First things first, a book where the main character has my name! Spelled and pronounced the same! Sign me up! Thankfully the book’s positives weren’t limited to the FMC’s name. This is a tender, heartfelt story about two people who feel alone. Sure they both have lots of people around them, but neither has found their person who will be there for them no questions asked. Things get off to a rocky start with Maren’s older brother, Liam (forbidding any relationship and Joe posturing a bit, but as they start spending more time together, they realize how well suited they are for one another.

Their connection felt organic as it happened over the course of a few months. And while there was an instant attraction, the love developed as they worked together not only in a professional capacity but as friends. Joe’s support and encouragement of Maren as she tried to figure out her next steps helped her see that it was okay to not have everything figured out and that she could listen to her heart.

Maren’s innate ability to connect with Joe’s children was so touching to see. She saw a need to help out and stepped in. Not in an effort to get close to Joe, but out of the goodness of her heart and a genuine connection with Anders and Lucy. I also appreciated the representation of a child on the Autism Spectrum, especially a female. There was a good balance of the tough moments, but also the joy. And while it broke my heart to see how their birth mom treated them, it was clear what a great, loving dad Joe was.

This book felt like a breath of fresh air. Exactly what I needed. A breezy, exceedingly lovely romance that I could completely immerse myself in. Maren is instantly captivating and her chemistry with Joe had me reading at the breakfast table in order to finally get them to kiss. The setting of this book is one I'm familiar with (Wisconsin! Spotted Cow reference for the win) and there were times even I, noted hater of the outdoors, wanted to be on a boat fishing for muskie.

I loved Maren's journey of discovery here, starting over in a place that was familiar to her and felt like home and questioning...well, why can't this be home? And Joe, sweet Joe who is just trying his best with his lovely children. I needed everything to work out for them. I love romances where it seems like the characters just fall into each other and this is that book. Wonderful chemistry and character development and just the sweetest, coziest romance that I absolutely needed.

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.