I absolutely loved Catch and Keep, and it was exactly what I needed when I picked it up. This is absolutely a super cozy fall romance, but it perfectly blends in some deeper topics as well. I loved how the found family blended together and did so in a way that felt so natural. Fantastic romance and unbelievably heartwarming.

A heart-warming (and sometimes pulse-pounding) romance, third in a series of interconnected stand-alones (but I recommend reading the previous two first, otherwise you'll have huge spoilers as to the couples of the previous two books). Fans of the single-dad trope will eat this one up.

A lot can happen in 24 hours: Maren Laughlin has just turned down a marriage proposal, dumped her boyfriend, walked away from her longtime park ranger job and found her way to her childhood sanctuary, where she has just inherited a rundown bait shop. If those weren’t enough, Maren is reunited with her brother’s childhood pal and becomes smitten with the local heartthrob and his adorable children.

A story about the power of taking control of one’s life, this heartwarming new novel by Erin Hahn is a must read this holiday season.

In Erin Hahn's "Catch and Keep," we are introduced to the compelling journey of Maren Laughlin, a thirty-three-year-old woman on a mission to reclaim her life. Having just turned down a marriage proposal and left her long-standing position as a park ranger, Maren returns to her childhood playground in Northern Wisconsin to take ownership of a decrepit waterfront bait shop. This transition marks a significant turning point in her life; after years of passively allowing life to happen to her, Maren resolutely decides it's time to take control and make her own choices, irrespective of the opinions of those around her. This powerful theme of self-discovery and empowerment resonates throughout the narrative, as Maren navigates the complexities of her past while forging a new path for herself. Maren’s arrival back home unfolds against the backdrop of her inheritance, serving not only as a physical space but also as a symbol of her reclamation of agency. The bait shop represents the potential for renewal and growth, mirroring her internal struggles and aspirations. In this space, she encounters various challenges, from the dilapidation of the shop to the skepticism of her community, yet it is in overcoming these obstacles that Maren finds her strength. This journey is further enriched by the character of Josiah Cole, a local resort owner and single father with his own share of past missteps. Josiah serves as a grounding force in Maren’s life, providing both emotional support and a fresh perspective on love and family. Their evolving relationship captures the essence of connection amidst the complexities of life. As a single father, Josiah understands the pressures of responsibility and the weight of previous choices, allowing him to empathize deeply with Maren's journey. The chemistry between Maren and Josiah is palpable, characterized by ease and authenticity, suggesting that perhaps love does not always have to be a tumultuous or chaotic experience. Instead, Hahn presents a narrative where love is depicted as a safe harbor, a place where both characters can explore their vulnerabilities and dreams without the baggage of judgment. The story challenges the notion of what constitutes a "real" relationship, inviting readers to question whether love should always feel hard or if sometimes, it can simply flow naturally. However, as their relationship deepens, Maren and Josiah are confronted with questions about permanence and commitment. The tension between their pasts and their hopes for the future creates a thoughtful examination of what it means to love and be loved. The characters must navigate their fears and insecurities, showcasing the bravery required to embrace vulnerability in relationships. Through Maren's journey, Hahn illustrates that the path to self-acceptance and love is seldom linear but rather filled with moments of doubt, courage, and ultimately, growth. In "Catch and Keep," Erin Hahn weaves a heartfelt tale of transformation, connection, and the courage it takes to forge one's destiny. Maren Laughlin's story is not just about finding love in the arms of another but also about learning to love oneself and accept the messy, beautiful journey of life. As readers follow Maren and Josiah on their path to understanding true love, they are reminded that sometimes the most profound adventures begin with a leap of faith and the willingness to embrace change. Hahn's narrative resonates with anyone who has ever felt lost yet yearned for the courage to find their way back home, making "Catch and Keep" a poignant exploration of love, identity, and the beauty of second chances.

I love Erin Hahn's books, and this book was no exception! Maren has left her life after a surprise proposal (she hates surprises) from her slimy boyfriend. She drives all night to the lake in Wisconsin, where her family spent their summers when she was young, a place she loved. The old man who taught her to fish left his bait store/apartment to her, and it's been sitting empty a few years. Maren decides to renovate and probably sell while she decides what to do. She starts hanging out with Josiah (who she has some history with) and his kids in what is a fast and easy friendship. I love her interactions with Joe's kids, especially with on the spectrum little girl (Maren's baby). And we mustn't forget Rogers. This was just a lovely story beginning to end. Although Liam is the worst!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Utterly charming friends to lovers/brother's best friend book set in a fishing resort in WI.
Maren walks away from her boyfriend's proposal and flees back to where she grew up, at a local lake resort in Wisconsin. She takes over the bait shop she inherited and gets closer and closer with Josiah - divorced father of two and her brother's best friend.
Their lives intertwine but will Maren's brother get in the way on their relationship?

This book was lovely - heartfelt and cozy and they just felt right. How it should be.
I definitely recommend this book to pretty much anyone - it was a delight to read.

The dedication of this book automatically captured my heart. “…for all the lake girls…” 🫠

Honestly, I loved everything about this book. The setting, the friendships and Joe and Maren’s love story. I would 100% recommend this book. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.

4.5 stars!

"Catch and Keep" by Erin Hahn is simply wonderful. It is a childhood friends-to-lovers, single dad, older brother's best friend romance that takes place in a small town on a lake. I loved Maren and Joe! Maren's life is a little bit in shambles after rejecting her boyfriend's very public marriage proposal. She retreats to the lake where her family vacationed all her life, reacquainting herself with Joe, who is not divorced and has two children. Maren is going to fix up and sell the bait shop and cabin that were left to her by a family friend. Joe's family just so happens to own a bunch of cabins on the lake and offer her a place to stay while she works on the property. She and Joe are back in each other's orbits, giving one another stolen glances, and eventually, stolen kisses. Maren meets and eventually falls in love with Joe's kids, especially Lucy, who is autistic. My favorite part about this book is how realistic it feels. The characters feel realistic and lived-in. The challenges they face are real and handled in a natural manner. The families in this book are close, the bonds unbreakable even when they are bickering. And the love story.... god, I loved watching Maren and Joe fall for one another. There is quite a bit of talk about fishing since Maren used to have a very famous YouTube channel, and I feel like I learned quite a bit about it! I found the pacing to be perfect as it unrolls in a slow-burning fashion. It's not too long, not too short, with the perfect amount of description and backstory. I just love Erin Hahn's work so much. Her stories feel a warm hug. You're going to love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Erin Hahn, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

This sweet romance had so many different elements that felt so realistic. Marriages, career changes, life changes, and all in a cozy setting perfect for falling in love! I really enjoyed how easy of a read this was, and how quickly I fell in love with the characters. 4 stars!

I really enjoyed this one. Loveable characters, mentions of a child with autism. Slow burn love story with awesome banter. Such a heartwarming story. I definitely recommend this one. Brother's best friend - single dad tropes. This one was so so adorable. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I keep returning to the word “refreshing” when I think about my recent read of Erin Hahn’s CATCH AND KEEP.

As a Wisconsin native, one of my favorite things about this book was the setting. A lake resort in the Northwoods? Yep, I can picture that very well.

And the location isn’t just a backdrop, but integral to the personalities of both main characters. Maren is passionate about fishing and a successful guide. Joe is raising his two kids at his family’s resort, where he, too, grew up. Both have deep emotional ties to the place.

I also appreciated the inclusion and description of Joe’s young daughter, Lucy. She’s autistic with limited verbal communication and extremely sensitive to sensory overload. Hahn writes her as a fully developed character and avoids the generalizations and stereotypes. Lucy’s challenges aren’t minimized, but she’s also loved, respected, and admired for her strengths.

The one character that confused me was Liam, Maren’s brother and Joe’s best friend. His treatment of Maren didn’t make any sense to me. It was as if he knew a different character than I did, as the reader. I found myself wondering if some unrevealed backstory existed between the siblings to explain his behavior.

I didn’t realize this was the third in a series about three girlfriends. I do have Built to Last (book 2) on my shelf and look forward to going back and reading Shelby’s story.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffith for my copy. All thoughts are my own.

Me: sees book is set at a lakeside resort

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I’ve read the other books in this Interconnected romance world of three best friends and their lives and I think this has to be my favorite. It’s a single dad, second chance, brother’s best friend romance aka chock full of juicy tropes, spice, tension, and adorable kids. There were some lines and statements that made me a little weary, but overall, I found this book to be very entertaining and it kept me reading. It also is a great Fall book that features the major holidays of the ‘Ber Months but isn’t a Christmas book.

Synopsis:

“At thirty-three, Maren Laughlin's just turned down her boyfriend’s proposal, walked away from her decade-long position as a park ranger, and returned to her childhood playground in Northern Wisconsin to accept her inheritance: a decrepit waterfront bait shop. After a lifetime of letting things happen to her, she’s ready to start making her own moves, even if everyone else thinks she’s making the wrong ones. Well, not everyone—at least the local heartstopper and resort owner is on her side.Josiah Cole has made some missteps in his life, but he’s proud of what he has: two awesome kids and the keys to the kind of getaway spot that has families coming back every summer– their up north home away from home. After his marriage dissolved, leaving him a single dad, he feels he’s the last person to judge Maren for her recent transformation (even if his best friend, her brother, wants him to feel otherwise). Besides, he genuinely likes having her around. She’s a breath of fresh air, his kids adore her (not to mention her dog, Rogers), and it doesn’t hurt that she’s beautiful.Things between Maren and Joe are easy. So easy, they’re fully immersed in the middle before they even decide to begin. It’s not a question of should they, but rather can they make it last? Are things too easy, or is this just how real love works? In Erin Hahn’s heartwarmingly sexy Catch and Keep, Maren and Joe have to be brave enough to find out.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Tropes and Setting—Brother’s best friend, second chance, and single dad? A reading cocktail for the ages. Plus, a lakeside resort town! So many of my favorite things in one delicious book.

The Pacing/Structure—Everything felt like it flowed well and felt natural to the characters. I love that with second chance, especially childhood friends second chance, is that it’s okay to sprinkle in epic pining early on because they already know each other.

The Chemistry—This characters made sense and I loved watching them discover their feelings for each other.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

A few lines that felt unnecessary regarding the military. Minor enough that I can’t recall them but enough that I took pause while reading.

POTENTIAL SPOILER; I felt like there was going to be a stalking/kidnaping plotline and maybe I’ve read a few too many romance suspenses, but I was disappointed a certain plot line didn’t have more weight. i’m glad Maren was able to stand up for herself at the end, and I do think it’s valuable to see female creators create boundaries with male audience members. But I felt like Bryce was too creepy to only watch from afar, if that makes sense. It doesn’t invalidate the fear surrounding sexual harassment online, I just felt like as a plot point, it felt unfinished.

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 3/5 Overall Rating: 4/5

Content Warnings:

sexual harassment, toxic relationship, ableism, child abuse, bullying

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️.5

*MMC: hot single dad, older brother's best friend, Bon Jovi impersonator
*FMC: recently proposed to (she said no in dramatic fashion), trying to get away from the drama in Michigan, she finds more drama in Wisconsin

Things I liked:
*the setting, as a Midwestern girly myself
*the two main characters
*her relationship with his kids

Things I disliked:
*the ex-wife and the older brother. They were both so over the top as villains, especially compared to the two perfect main characters. She forgave her brother way too easily, and that left me with a bad taste in my mouth, which is why I deducted one star.

Catch and Keep was my third adult romance by Erin Hahn, and while I don’t think it is my favourite by this author, it was still a solid and cute romance read with so many tropes I love — small town romance, brother’s best friend, single dad and written in dual POV!

I loved the outdoorsy and nature vibes that shined through this book as well as the small town setting. I enjoyed Maren as our main character and loved how quickly she fit right in with Joe and his family, filling gaps where they were needed. I loved seeing her relationship develop with not only Joe, but also his children.

There were some characters that I did not like at all throughout this one, but I enjoyed the interactions with Maren’s friends, Shelby and Lorelai, that each have their own stories in this interconnected, standalone series. There were some deeper and heavier topics throughout the book mixed in with some lighter and spicer ones too, which I thought was balanced well.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and rated it 3.5 to 4 stars. If you are looking for a cute small town, single parent, brother’s best friend romance with autism rep, check out Catch and Keep! I feel that Erin Hahn is an author that isn't read enough, so check out her books and you might just be pleasantly surprised!

Cute book, loved the series for what it was. Sweet romantic comedies. This one was my favorite of the series as the connection between Maren and Joe was natural and developed at a nice steady pace-no insta-love.
I enjoyed the relationship Maren developed with Joe's daughter as well. Such a cute book, definitely worth a read!

Rating: 5 stars!

The single dad thing isnt a cateogry of book I typically pick up. But this was executed SO. WELL! The love between all of the characters, the family dynamics, and the selflessness of everyone is captivating. Absolutely obsessed with this book.

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

Loved this one! Karen rejects her boyfriend’s proposal and quits her job and returns home. She is determined to make her own way and resurrect the bait shop. Josiah has 2 kids and has always liked Maren. His best friend is her brother. As their friendship picks back up everything is easy. They are immersed in it before they realize they are in love.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. i really liked hahn's previous books so i was looking forward to reading this arc. i liked the setting/scene being wisconsin because you don't get much of a flyover state unless you read abby jimenez. about halfway through i realized her first and second books interweave with the third and now i wanna go back in with notating. i appreciated no third act breakup and the fact both characters could act their ages.

Maren, our heroine in this title is a refreshing character. She's a park ranger who at 33, seems to have it all. Her boyfriend has just "surprised" her with a proposal. Her response is to vomit all over his shoes! It seems that Maren HATES surprises, and has just found out that her boyfriend went behind her back and interviewed for her dream job, and will now be her boss! Nope, Maren is having none of that. She takes a leave of absence from her job and retreats to the place that she loves the best, a little camp in Wisconsin where she learned to fish and love nature while she was growing up. She loved it so much, in fact, that the old man who taught her to fish left her his fishing cabin when he passed away. Maren decides to fix up the business to give herself something to do while she thinks things out.

Up at Camp, is Joe - her brother's best friend, who is going through his own issues. He is trying to raise his two young children on his own, since his ex-wife couldn't handle the pressures of having a special needs child. (Joe's youngest, Lucy, is autistic.) Of course, Maren and Joe like each other, even though Maren's brother has told both of them that the other is "off limits." Can they make any possible relationship work?

Special Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the Advance Reader Copy of this title. Catch and Keep is available now!

Best romance read of 2024! Best title for a book.! You have to read this one!!!

This title had me hooked right away. LOL. The story lives up to the title, cover and description and is hard to put down. The beautiful setting adds to the story.

Both of the main characters (Maren & Joe) are amazing people and fun to get to know. They have known each other since childhood. Both of them have families that love them and are interested in their happiness. Neither of them are looking for love. There is more to this story than just the love that slowly grows. Both of them have lived interesting lives and so have their families.