This is a good cozy romance! After Maren's boyfriend proposes to her in front of their friends and family, she throws up on his shoe and runs off to Northern Wisconsin where she has inherited a run down bait shop and apartment. She grew up as a YouTube fishing pro on the area lakes. When she runs into her brother's childhood best friend, Joe, it's love at first sight whether either wants to admit it or not. Joe has two children who have issues after their mother abandoned them. Their families have known each other forever and his kids love her but what path will she choose? She can go after her dream job or follow her heart to the love of her life. Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I loved it.

💥 Pub Date: 10/15/2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

• fall romance 🍁🍂
• beautiful nature setting
• slow burn

An outdoorsy female main character! That's a breath of fresh air. I don't usually like kids in my romance books, but the ones in this book were sweet and not too annoying. 🤣 I liked the real challenges that our main characters faced and how they worked through them.

🗣 Thank you to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

This book was so darn adorable!!!! I loved it!!! A single dad- older brother’s best friend combo! I was all for it. I loved them, I seriously wanted to continue reading this book I wish I had more of these two. I adored his kids, the way he was patient with them, how he loved their differences, and how Maren also just gets it from the start. The way this romance FLOWED, how the steamy scenes were giving all the STEAM, how their love started to literally blossom, there are other cute things that go on but I just loved these two. The end??????? UGHHHHHHHHH I cried for the happiness of these characters like if they were my own real friends, lol I was so happy for them…. This author does to me all THE TIME!!!!!!!

CATCH AND KEEP by Erin Hahn is part of a loosely connected series of romance books. I’ve read them all and they’re all delightful with likable characters and a pinch of sexiness.

One of the best things about this book was how Maren fell in love not just with Joe, but also his adorable children.

If there is one thing I can count on with this author, it’s her ability to write a touching and beautiful book with characters that feel like friends. And with each book this author writes, I fall more in love with her writing and the worlds she creates.

This book captured my heart the moment I read the first chapter. Her words provide a vivid picture in my mind to where I felt the warm sun on my skin as Maren sat on the dock looking over the beautiful lake. I could smell the trees lining the resort and I could see every scene play out as if it was a movie.

Not only was this such a vivid story to read, but I felt every emotion that was projected from the pages. Karen and Cole have a classic love story feel but it didn’t feel like a fairytale. It felt like a natural progression between two real people and that is what makes this story feel special. The realistic writing of this love story grabs you by the heart and shows you that sometimes the quiet kinds of love, the ones that grow every day, are better than the ones filled with over the top grand gestures.

Loved this book from start to finish and I’m so thankful to NetGalley and St Martins Griffin for the ARC

4.5/5

small town, single dad romance strikes again !!

guys this was such a fun surprise!! if you really enjoyed wild eyes by elsie silver you should totally pick this up, the main character is not a singer but for some reason the vibes felt the same and i was loving it. i didn't even mean to get so attached to this book but i started it this morning and could not put it down. all the elements of the little town were so cute, anders and lucy were adorable, and the romance was so pure. i will say that the part of the story that involves her creepy fan was kinda annoying just because there wasn't really much conclusion. like that aspect could've been left out and the story would be just as enjoyable.

ignoring that random side plot, this romance is so, so good!! i just love the way that joe and maren fell in love. they made a cute little family and it was just so sweet to see. seeing maren find her happiness was so enjoyable and her relationships with the kids... SHUT UP. the kids were the best inclusion into this book. the four of them just fit as a little family and this is by far one of my favorite single parent romances. this is random but since they called josiah joe i could only picture him as joe burrow, pre dyed hair, and that made my experience wonderful. ugh this was just so sweet and i am so happy i found this!!

because i enjoyed this so much i will be looking for lorelei and shelby's books. i feel like i got the tail end of the friendship and i need more. the setting also made this such a good fall romance so be looking to pick it up when it comes out on the 15th. i will be thinking about lucy and maren for the rest of the year now...

*thank you NetGalley for the ARC*

This was a super cute read, I really love the vibes of every Erin Hahn book and this was no exception.

The characters were great, the setting was vivid, and the emotional range was perfect. If you're looking for cozy, autumnal vibes, this is the perfect book for you!

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

While every Erin Hahn book is an absolute delight, filled with both heart and humor, there’s something truly special about Catch and Keep. And it’s not just because the relationship between Joe and Maren is so authentic in its portrayal of two functional adults falling in love. Nor is it because there’s no contrived drama or third-act breakup just for the sake of a third-act breakup (this is this is definitely appreciated). This book is beautiful because amid a delicious second-change romance is a story of love and acceptance for an entire family. Hahn shows a deft hand in portraying Joe’s children, not as plot devices but as fully developed characters in their own right, worthy of and receiving the attention they deserve as just as critical to the story as the adults. With great care and respect, Hahn reveals both the difficulties and joy in raising an autistic child, and the emotional gravity of the children falling in love with Maren is just as impactful, if not more than the romance itself. In the meantime, the adult friendships shown in this book are just as authentic and delightful as always in the Hahn universe. This is a gorgeous book that will make you swoon and sob, and ultimately reinforce the truth that people are mostly good and aspire to care for the ones they love.

I have really enjoyed this series of standalone romances and this one is no exception. Set in lakeside in Wisconsin, Joe is a single dad raising 2 adorable kids and working at his family's cabins. Maren is back in town after losing her job promotion and breaking up with her fiance.

She finds herself renovating a property she inherited and Joe and his family offered her to stay at one of the cabins during the renovation.

I really liked how Maren and Joe integrated onto each other's life and how she took to helping out with the kids. Their attraction is through the roof and enjoyed how natural that felt.

I always enjoy when characters from the other books play a part in this story.

Thank you @smpromance @netgalley for a copy of this book.

This was the warm balm my soul needed to be soothed. While Maren and Jo handled some heavy subjects, it was woven in so seamlessly with both the heart-warming and humorous moments. I feel like of all the girls, Maren is the easiest to relate to. She had a taste of fame, sure, but not to the extent of her best friends and I think that gave her more of a head on the ground, relatable aspect. (Though don't get me wrong, for celebs, Lorelai & Shelby are extremely relatable!) Joe is the perfect guy because he knows he is imperfect. He knows he made some mistakes early in his marriage, though he wasn't alone in that, but has showed up full force since then. So much so that he's making excuses for someone who ran out of them a long time ago.

I enjoy a good, older brother's best friend romance story, but Liam really pissed me off. It actually felt a little too over the top, though I do appreciate how Joe stepped in to help the misbehavior get handled. More friends should say that when their friend is verbally abusing their little sibling to appear cool, or act like it was a joke, especially as adults, it shouldn't have reached that age. But that was really the only thing that I didn't like. I love how Maren had to handle social media stuff from a decade before, and how she handled it.

The relationship, though, is really the most beautiful part of the whole book. Not just Maren and Joe's relationship, but the way they studied each other in their natural living environment. Joe observed Maren and worked to fit in with what she was doing and Maren went above and beyond studying Joe, his kids, and their family dynamic in order to as seamlessly possible with two young children, one being autistic, fit with them and meet them where they needed help. Joe's shock at watching Maren handle Lucy during winter vacation was such a beautiful, real moment.

I know Erin has had one hell of a year, and per her last update she doesn't have anything in the wings at the moment, but when she's ready, I absolutely cannot wait to devour what she comes out with next.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and loved the setting of northern Wisconsin. The FMC and MMC are very likeable and I found myself rooting for them all the way through the book. The back story of having known each other most of their lives was believable and interesting. I loved the family members and side characters. The romance was touching and the single dad trope made the MMC all the more lovable. Overall a very heartwarming romance. A good fall read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

Oooh, I love a brother's best friend romance. Maren and Joe were so cute and had the best chemistry! I love how Maren just took to Joe's kids too, especially Lucy. Lucy is on the autism spectrum, and I think the author did a great job writing her character realistically. I liked both of the main characters, and the others too - except creepy Bryce and Maren's brother (but he redeems himself by the end).

The setting was great, and the author made it sound like a real resort community.

Maren had a lot of personal growth throughout the book, and I loved that for her. Actually Joe did too, after what his wife put him through. Realizing that Maren wouldn't do that to him was hard, and a big step for him.

Now I need to go back and read the first two books!

SINGLE DAD, OLDER BROTHER 🥵🥵🥵

I knew this was going to be 5 ⭐️ for me, it made me dislike Liam, love Maren and Joe is my new book boyfriend!

Another thing that was perfect….no third act breakup. Bless the author for this. I am now going fishing since this book is steeped in cozy fall vibes.

This is such a sweet, fall rom-com! Maren flees to her childhood vacation destination after breaking up with her boyfriend and finds herself drawn to one of her brother’s oldest friends. I adored the MCs and the progression of their storyline. The tropes are excellent (brother’s best friend, friends to lovers, found family) and perfectly executed. The depiction of autism in childhood is respectful and well-crafted. I had so much fun with this book and can’t wait to read other titles by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC provided in exchange for my honest review!

When life falls apart for Maren she decides to return to the one place she had fond memories as a little girl. Deciding she needs a break from losing out on the job she wanted and a fiancé that never was she packs up with her dog by her side. There’s an instant attraction between her brother’s best friend Joe and her. I thought Maren was such a strong woman to not only fall in love with the man but his children as well. She took on the role as mamma bear with having no experience with children before. Through ups and down they became the perfect family. It was nice to catch up with her best friend’s Lorelai and Shelby. I highly recommend reading their love stories as well. What a nice ending for all three strong women and the men that have captured their hearts! Thank you to NetGalley and ast Martin’s Griffin for this free advanced copy. The am leaving this review voluntarily

I loved this one from the dedication to lake girls at the beginning. Maren returns home to small town Wisconsin after having just walked away from her boyfriend's proposal and her job as a park ranger. She has inherited a small bait shop there and decides to go spend some time, but ends up quickly running into her older brother's friend, single dad - Joe. The two of them are sweet and cautious together, her brother has threatened as much, but their chemistry is just electric. I really enjoyed this one. This author consistently writes enjoyable rom-coms. I enjoyed the lake setting and the chemistry between the characters. I will keep on reading whatever this author puts out. It's just the perfect little quick reading, cozy romance. Also that cover is giving all the fall vibes.

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy of this book.

Love Erin Hahn and everything she writes. This story was adorable and easy to read. I also love the cameos from the characters from previous books.

Picking up one of Erin Hahn's books was truly one of the best decisions I've ever made. Since that first book I checked out, Hahn has become an auto-read for me, and this one was no exception.

Josiah aka Joe and Maren are amazing leads with such fantastic chemistry. Their relationship builds as Maren tries to escape from her reality and get back to the one place in the world she loves, living on the lake and fishing.

I absolutely adored Lucy and Anders, and seeing the way that Maren took up for each of the kids and connected with them in a way that was meaningful to each of the kids was so important to read. It was truly one of my favorite parts of this story.

10/10 everytime, thank you Erin for writing such wonderful, loving characters and stories.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is definitely my favourite of the three books about this group of friends—and I liked it better than Even If It Breaks Your Heart, which I also quite enjoyed. I almost wish there was another friend in the group so we could continue living in this world, but it looks like we’re closing the chapter on these women.

What didn’t work for me

Marin’s brother: I know part of the plot was that there was meant to be tension due to the fact that Josiah is Liam’s best friend, but Liam was unnecessarily cruel to Marin throughout the book. Her parents never said anything about it and there were supposed to be two other brothers who would have maybe rounded out the dynamic a little bit, but I felt that we could have shown the tension in a different way.

The borderline stalker: Maybe this needs a trigger warning, but Marin does have a stalker of sorts in this book. Did I understand why Hahn added it to the story? Sure. Do I think we could have done without it and created tension another way? Also yes. I feel like we were traumatizing Marin for no reason between this guy and her brother.

What I liked

The single father trope: I have said this before about Hahn’s books, but I like that the main characters (in this series at least) are not right out of high school or right out of college—they are women and men into their careers and who have a more mature take on life. The fact that Josiah has kids and has an ex-wife and all the baggage that comes with that makes for a deeper and more real connection between him and Marin. It feels more believable.

The dual POV: Sometimes I think the dual POV just makes it more frustrating when the characters don’t get together right away because you read that they’re both pining for each other and you just want them to do something about it, but because Joe is a single parent, you really get a different insight into where his head is at (with all his life baggage) versus Marin, who is really falling in love for the first time. They bring different perspectives and you get to know each of them this way, which I enjoyed.

Shelby and Lorelai (and Cam and Craig): People who haven’t read the other books might find it annoying that the audience keeps getting these vignettes with Marin’s best friends—sometimes literally taking her away from the main plot—but as a person who has read all three, I really liked these glimpses into what they were up to and showing how friendships are important. Plus, there’s a scene where Cam and Craig are giving Josiah a pep talk that was really, really heartwarming.

4.5 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced book copy in exchange for my honest review.

The tropes are single dad and brother's best friend. Honestly, I went into this book and didn't have any high expectations because it focused so much on the lake aspect but that is a big part of the book however it has so many other parts that it wasn't such an issue for me.

This book was so good for me I just couldn't put it down. For me it was the aspect of a single dad and the kids actually acting like kids was a huge thing for me. It had a good representation of a child on the autism spectrum, and it didn't make her a tragedy. It was done in my opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review, as always, all words are my own.