I really loved this. Their relationship felt real. I loved Joe. Loved Anders. Loved Lucy. Loved Rogers. Loved Maren. Just loved it. I like that even tho she took a couple days of ”space” it wasn’t a third act breakup.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this ebook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Maybe closer to a 3.5, but I’ll happily round up due to how thoughtful the story feels when it comes to the diversity of characters. This isn’t your classic brother’s best friend romance and I love it for that reason. I love little Lucy & Anders.

When I read the blurb for Catch and Keep, I was a little “meh” about it. But I have read a couple of books by Erin Hahn before and decided to give it a go. Well, wasn’t I surprised when I realized this book takes place in the same universe as Built to Last and Friends Don’t Fall in Love. Once I realized that, I started to enjoy the book.

The main storyline of Catch and Keep is split between Maren and Joe. The storyline does merge a little after the middle of the book (when Maren and Joe hook up). This book was well written and well fleshed out, with characters I loved (and one I couldn’t stand).

The storyline with Maren was a little rough to read. Maren had found fame as a YouTuber in her late teens/early twenties. Her channel was dedicated to fishing (the name Musky Maren did give me a giggle), which was her passion. She shut the channel down when a viewer started to cyberstalk her. She turned her knowledge of nature (and fishing) into a career as a park ranger. She put that career on hold after ten years when her boyfriend (and soon-to-be supervisor) proposed in public and made her throw up on his feet. She took off to upper Wisconsin, where she spent summers with her family at a resort, and where a family friend left her his bait shop when he died. The rest of her storyline centers on Maren coming to terms with her life and figuring out what she will do next. Joe and his kids are a massive part of her life from the second chapter on, and they factor in her decisions towards the end of the book.

The storyline with Joe was just as challenging to read as Maren’s was. Joe is ex-military, divorced, and has physical custody of his two children (Anders and Lucy), one who has autism. Joe’s ex-wife took off shortly after Lucy’s autism diagnosis and blamed everything on Joe (the end of the marriage, the autism diagnosis). Joe knows Maren from her summers at his parents’ resort, and he now manages. The rest of his storyline focuses on his daily life with his kids (and how much routine and therapy are needed for a small child with autism) and his reconnection with Maren.

The book didn’t start to pick up until Maren and Joe started dating, which only happened a little after halfway through. The build-up to their relationship was excellent. I loved how good Maren was with the kids and how she bonded with them. I also liked that she didn’t exactly fight her feelings for Joe. As for Joe, he was a little more cautious with Maren because his ex put him through the wringer.

I do want to address Joe’s ex-wife. Honestly, I didn’t like her from the minute she was talked about. I get that she raised the kids alone while he was serving overseas, but it didn’t excuse her taking off when he got back (and after Lucy’s diagnosis). The more she appeared in the book, the more I disliked her. She ignored everything Joe told her about Lucy and chalked it up to her being “difficult.” The culmination of that secondary storyline made me see red. I loved that Maren didn’t hold back when confronting Joe’s ex when they got to the hotel and saw how Lucy was being treated.

I also want to address Maren’s brother, Liam. Not to mince words, but he was an emotionally abusive, manipulative asshole who got his ass served to him by his wife and Joe. I’ll leave it.

I loved watching Maren grow into herself throughout the book. The only time I was iffy (and at one point, scared) for her was when she realized that her cyberstalker from years ago lived in the same town she did. Other than that, I loved seeing her grow into herself and find joy in doing what she loved (fishing).

I loved the romance in Catch and Burn. It wasn’t quite a slow burn, but it wasn’t lightning fast either. It was comfortably in the middle and believable. I also liked that while there was a chapter or two where Maren needed to take a break from Joe (to reevaluate her priorities and goals), there was never a breakup.

I loved the end of Catch and Keep. I liked how everything smoothed out for Joe and Maren. And, of course, that last chapter was excellent. I loved that they got a very much-needed HEA.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Erin Hahn for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Catch and Keep. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

This book follows main character, Maren. She grew up spending her summers on the lake fishing. She’s quite a bit younger than her siblings so, rather than be bored with dumb teenage stuff all day she would run out to be on a fishing boat. Many years down the road after a botched proposal she heads back to the lake and realizes it might be home after all.

This book was so good! The romance was top notch and the family dynamic struggles had the pages turning. She also does a really good job with the stigma behind autism in children. These were often my favorite pages to read. Pick this one up. You won’t regret it!

I absolutely loved this book and it should be on everyone’s list to read! The characters were relatable with their second chase at love relationship and the dynamics that come with parenting children on the spectrum. This book is one of my favorites that I have read thus far this year..

In solidarity with the SMP Boycott I will be withholding my review for this title until SMP acts on the following:

1. Address and denounce the Islamophobic and racist remarks from their employee.
2. Offer tangible steps for how they are going to mitigate the harm this employee caused.
3. Address how, moving forward, they will support and protect their Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian influencers, authors and readers, in addition to supporting their BIPOC influencers, authors, and readers.

This is not a reflection of the author personally, nor is it a call to boycott buying this particular book.

I would love to continue reading their story, such a cute healing story or love that’s meant to be. 10/10 honestly loved the direction this book went would totally read another one diving into where they are 10 years later.

I went into this book blind so I had no clue what to expect. If I had expectations, it went WELL BEYOND THEM. This book was an absolute gem and I would recommend it to anyone wanting a summer romance by the lake. It's reminiscent of Emily Henry's books but, in my opinion, better written and the romance more swoonworthy (and realistic!!).

Maren's character development was divine and I was rooting for her the whole way through. And who doesn't love a single dad?!?!?! But what set this book apart from so many contemporary romances I've read these days - the adults actually ACTED like adults. No stupid miscommunication, they talked things through. It was so believable and I fell in love with both of them.

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

This book was so cute! It was brothers best friend and single dad which are some of my favorite tropes so I was so excited. It was also nice to see some autism spectrum disorder representation in the book as well.

My Thoughts

Maren Laughlin comes across as a real person who at 33 has found herself at a crossroads in her life that has her older brother Liam up in arms and sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong, something he has done since she was a little girl.

Maren’s return to her childhood happy place was pretty much the best decision for her peace of mind and as time goes on proves to be her chance to have a life she only dreamed about when she was young.

Part of that dream life includes her brother’s best friend Josiah/Joe Cole and his adorable children Anders and Lucy.

I loved the location.

I loved the fact that our grown-up couple act like grown-ups as their relationship with each other changes and grows into something solid and lasting.

I loved how Joes two children had such a strong presence throughout the story.

I admired how Maren saw and learned how little Lucy needed to be treated so her autism was accommodated rather than just ignored.

I really enjoyed seeing the previous characters appearances here and there, it was a nice follow-up from saying goodbye to them when their stories ended.

What one can take from this is sometimes following ones’ heart is smarter, and harder, than following ones’ head.

For Joe and Maren things just flowed from day one in a way the reader cannot help but enjoy right along with them to books end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[EArc from Netgalley]



On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
More authors need to learn from authors like this one and stop👏🏻with👏🏻the👏🏻third👏🏻act👏🏻break👏🏻ups👏🏻
Thank you!!
Really enjoyed this little romance, even though the single parent thing isn’t usually my jam. These characters and this town were so sweet and reading it in the hot summer made me want to escape to a cabin 😂

This book was adorable! I really liked the Musky Maren plot line of how she was a fishing influencer. Joe was so sweet. He’s a great single dad to his two kids and when Maren meets them, she just blends in with them as if she had always been there. Her best friends, Shelby and Lorelai were such good friends and I loved them. I can’t wait to read their books now! While this book had a brother’s best friend trope, it was more of a single dad romance, sort of second chance situation as Maren and Joe had known each other as teens and then reconnected when she moved back to Wisconsin. The setting was nice and makes me want to go live in a cabin now! I would recommend this book for anyone who wants a quick and sweet read about a single dad who is her brothers best friend.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book, and thank you to Erin Hahn for writing this book.

This book is so heartwarming and swoony. I love the sense of community and the fact that Joe is a single dad trying to handle things all on his own just makes me want to give him a big hug. His ex wife is a piece of garbage and doesn't deserve to spend a second with her kids. I love that Joe stands up for Maren in front of her brother and isn't afraid to admit his feelings for her when confronted. I love how Maren seamlessly fits into Joe & his kids lives. These two deserve to live happily ever after.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was super cute! Being a WI girl myself I loved the setting and all the descriptions. This was somewhat corny and predictable but overall a perfectly enjoyable summer read!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Erin Hahn has definitely become one of my new auto read authors. From the first page, I was hooked. The main character, Maren, was very likeable. Josiah Cole was also a great main character. I loved that not only did we get Maren’s point of view, but Joe’s was also slipped in. I was not a fan of Liam or Kiley from the beginning, but the few text changes and bantering between Marin, Lorelai, and Shelby had me laughing out loud. Cath and Keep definitely had me wanting to curl up on some lake shore and either read this cozy novel or cast a line.

If someone were to ask me my favorite part, I would probably say the last 1/3 when they became a family.

If you are looking for a good slow burn romance, this on is for you!


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6625016516

Brother best friend is My trope. I have never read a book like that, that I didn’t love. Seeing Maren and Joe’s relationship morph and change was just what I needed. I will continue to live vicariously through books! Lol

After turning down a proposal, Maren returns to a small lake town where she grew up after inheriting property
from her old fishing mentor, Foss. She runs into Joe, her brother Liam's best friend. Joe works at the family
Cole's Landing resort. Having family nearby helps with raising two children, especially when one is autistic.
Maren and Joe are attracted to each other but each has doubts about a relationship working out. Maren, a former
fishing influencer with her own YouTube channel, works for the resort as a fishing guide in exchange for a place to
stay while renovating her inherited property. Maren's and Joe's repeated contact makes it harder to fight the attraction.
#CatchandKeep #StMArtinsPress #NetGalley

This is a must read for cabin girlies everywhere! I could not put this book down and finished it the same day I started. I found myself smiling, screaming and blushing throughout the book. The characters were well-written and felt very real. I appreciated that the characters were not in their twenties and rather in their thirties. In my mind, I could plop myself right within the story. The details were realistic and wonderful with a little bit of nostalgia sprinkled in. There were moments of heartbreak perfectly placed within the story that didn't take away from the romance or make it seem melodramatic. The writing by this author was seamless and from the start it felt like an absolute 5-star experience! I look forward to reading more titles by Erin Hahn!

Thank You Netgalley
Release date: October 15th 2024

I loved this book!

Maren Laughlin was proposed to by her boyfriend, but she declined and left her job as a park ranger to return to her roots in Northern Wisconsin and accept her inheritance.

Josiah Cole, who is a single dad to two kids, handles everything by himself. However, when Maren takes on the project associated with her inheritance, it alters the dynamics for both of them.

For Maren and Josiah, things seem to flow naturally. The question is, will it endure, or will family complications arise?

read to find out :)

Single parent trope is one of my favorites so I was immediately captured in the story. Maren and Joe were both such great strong characters, I loved them. Joe’s kids are just so adorable! So much love and no third act break up!