This book absolutely destroyed me!!!! I was on a rollercoaster of emotions. This was so raw, heartbreaking and beautiful altogether. There was tragedy after tragedy and I was on the edge of my seat wondering when Ella and Max would finally get their happy ending. When I think of the color orange now, I’ll think of them!!

Wow! This is one of my top reads of the year so far! Be prepared to cry!
It says YA but it does have some heavy topics and scenes , so I would say it more on the mature side.
Characters are easy to like, I fell in love with Max.
Jennifer Hartman did it again! I loved all her books and this one was a great one.

another amazing and emotional book by jennifer. her books never cease to amaze me. the way she is able to conjure so many emotions out of her readers in a way that we can feel exactly what the characters are feeling, always leaves me in awe.

ella and max’s story was gritty and heartbreaking. these two have experienced so much trauma in their young lives. there comes a point in their relationship where you wonder, can love truly overpower all of the hurt and anguish that these two have faced?? this was a beautiful story about love and 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠.

“𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙣.”

5 Brutal stars

I always know pain is coming with Jennifer’s books, but holy dang I was not prepared for this one.

This heartbreaking story follows Max and Ella, who were childhood best friends until Ella’s father moved her away from Juniper Falls. Ella’s brother is a convicted murderer, which contributes to her bullying. Max is one of the only people who sees her for who she is, and not something her brother did.

Jennifer’s books are becoming an instant read for me, as every book hits so hard. Her writing is just so, so good. You feel the emotions with the characters. I did actually sniffle and tear up at this one, which is extremely rare for me. Even my husband goes “DID YOU SNIFFLE?” 😂

I could go on, but I won’t. Just pick this one up….you need to.

📚Catch The Sun (ARC)📚

By: @author.jenniferhartmann
Format: E-book (ARC) 📱
Genre: Romance
POV: Dual POV
Setting: Tennessee
Tropes: Second Chance, Friends to Lovers, Grief, Trauma, Bullying,

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Review: I’ve never read a book by Jennifer Hartmann that didn’t put me through an emotional roller coaster, but I have always loved every second of it. She is incredible at making you go through all the feels in her deeply emotional romances, and “Catch the Sun” is no exception.

This story is about Ella and Max. These two met and became best friends when they were 7-years-old, but when Ella’s father moved her back to her mom’s horse ranch they thought they might never see each other again. When a horrible tragedy brings Ella back to Max the two are tainted by life’s cruelty and are now estranged. But there is still a magnetic pull that brings these two together.

This story is about friendship, compassion and love concurring all. It’s about trust, resilience and survival. When all of life’s circumstances want to tear these two apart, it’s about fighting to come back together.

I loved every minute of this story. I laughed, I cried, I was broken and then put back together. There is so much heart in this story and like most of Hartmann’s books, the beauty is in the tragedy. It’s how we survive and get back up, and how people can be completely broken and then heal.

If you love a great emotional romance then this book is one of the best!! If you haven’t read anything by Jennifer Hartmann definitely read this and check out her other amazing books like “Still Beating”. She will be your new favorite author 🥰.

If you already love Jennifer Hartmann, which of her books is your favorite?

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5
Spice: 🌶🌶 out of 5

Tropes:
❤️‍🩹Trauma & Healing
🧡Friends to Lovers
⏳️Coming of Age
💕Second Chance

Review:
Another emotionally wrecking and beautifully healing book from Jennifer 🥹 It's the story of a boy and a girl...of tragedy, loss, hope, love, heartbreak, and it's wrapped in a delicately woven narrative that just climbs into your heart.

Ella and Max were bonded childhood friends ripped apart then reunited after a decade. In the interim Ella's become a town pariah since her brother was convicted of a double murder. Max and her attempt a rekindling, albeit it is hesitant and with reservations,  as Ella is fearful to get too close to anyone and lose them as she did her brother. The two navigate much in terms of emotional turmoil, their own demons and secrets that dare to tear them apart irrevocably.

This story at times literally sucker punched me...I actually gasped and put my hand over my mouth at two parts...I don't think I've ever done that before! This is more than just a romance; there is true danger threatening our beloved characters, but there is also true powerful connection between these battered souls.

Max brims with his own sunshine (albeit a bit hidden at first). His determination to be a beacon and being back out that whisper of light within Ella is so incredibly endearing. Ella's journey becomes an especially harrowing one, with equal parts pain and healing. But Max broke me sometimes with the rawness of his words, his vulnerability...he has ghosts of his own but beneath it, his hearts rings of that of a gallant knight.

Read this now... go on their journey, be willing to be broken so that you can be put back together twice as strong by the power and beauty of this story!

Ladies and gentlemen she has done it again. The way Jennifer writes her books ALWAYS pulls me in, destroys me, and leaves me emotionally damaged. This story was beautiful, suspenseful, heartbreaking and had me questioning things left and right. I loved every second of this and devoured it. If you have read anything by Jennifer Hartmann and enjoyed it then you will absolutely love this book. Even if you haven’t read anything by her, you need to so you can become obsessed just like me

Encore une fois, Jennifer Hartmann a réussi à nous offrir une romance incroyable et pleine d’émotions!
Nous allons suivre Ella et Max, des amis d'enfance et voisins qui ont été séparés pendant plus de 10 ans. Ella revient en ville mais toute sa vie a été chamboulée par des événements traumatisants et Max doit accepter de gérer beaucoup de choses dans sa vie personnelle. Alors ensemble arriveront-ils à se comprendre et à s’aider?

Je ressors de ce livre avec les larmes aux yeux et les papillons au ventre. Ella et Max sont tout simplement incroyables : attachants, résilients, touchants, exceptionnels. Leur relation est belle et pleine d'émotions. J’ai beaucoup aimé les thèmes qu’a abordé Jennifer Hartmann dans ce livre, c’est profond et terriblement beau! J’espère vraiment qu’on aura une traduction française de cette histoire!

En bref, un coup de coeur!

Wow. What can I say except that this author knows how to rip me apart every time??? 😭😭😭 IM TALKING FULL BLOWN TEARS AT 1 AM.

This had to be one of the most tragically beautiful books l've read this year...or possibly since "Still Beating" (aka her other book which I HIGHLY recommend, but pls make sure to check the content warnings first before doing so!**)

Safe to say that this book will be stuck in my head until I read something as heart-stabbingly beautiful in a tragic but healing sort of way & or she can just write more books and i'll be forever (heartbroken) but happy-that's an option too🫶

Ella Sunbury's life has turned upside down from regular suburbia girl to tragic story girl. Once upon a time Max Manning was her best friend and then she moved away, only to return years later as somewhat of a social pariah. Now that they are neighbors, they can't entirely avoid one another. Ella has been through the wringer in terms of loss and the other kids at school treat her like a disease they might get infected with. Jennifer Hartmann knows how to set up a story that had my attention from the get go with these characters that I'm already empathizing with.

Max keeps his head down low and avoids excess interaction at all costs. He's a little wary of Ella, too, but despite her melancholy history, she maintains a fairly sunny disposition with a heavy side of sarcasm that is difficult not to be more curious about. I adored the relationship between Ella and Max. Here were 2 people who had been run over by life circumstances and trying to make the best of what they were dealt with. I did think the initial attempts at flirtation by Max were a bit inorganic and contrived, but after that, they were each other's glue and sounding board. I enjoyed the dialogue and the small gestures they did that spoke volumes.

If you like your stories where the main characters do not have a lot of push and pull between them and are solid, so that the drama comes from the people and environment around them, then this is your jam. For me, the 2 side characters with major twists in their arc felt a bit exaggerated. If the author intended to plant seeds along the lines of how no one truly knows another person and what they are capable of, then she succeeded, but it required a bit of suspension of disbelief for me. While I got the ending that I wanted for Ella and Max, there is a portion of it that is truly heartbreaking because when the heart makes choices, it needs to protect itself and that love at all costs.

“𝓚𝓲𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓼 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓾𝓷.”

This is a coming of age love story between Max and Ella. They are very likeable characters. This story has:

🔥 friendship
🔥 love
🔥 trauma
🔥 death/murder

This was definitely a page turner and I enjoyed the story. The content warning page mentions this book is intended for audiences age 16+. I do not agree with that. This book has explicit scenes that would not be intended for that age. This is not a YA book as it is marketed. I would say it is more of a New Adult rather than YA. Beautiful story though.

This is one of the MOST beautiful and devastating stories I have ever read. 🧡

"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮."

This is a story about two childhood friends who are perfect for each other and compliment each other in the best ways, but for some reason the universe keeps pushing them a part in different ways.

I cried so many times during this book, I lost track, I would have tears streaming down my face and was still just continuing on like my entire world was not rocked by this story. Brisket, dude, brisket, who cries over brisket? I do, now, so that's a thing. I got a Dr. Pepper today, started crying. omg. Jennifer, what are you doing to me? This is only the second book SO FAR (because I will be reading them ALL) I have read from this author and she is now on my auto buy list. This book, man, I have no more words, just so many feelings. I am still crying over these characters and all of the events that took place and that ending, it was everything I could have hoped for.

If you love romances, that will break your heart, but also make you smile like crazy, and has an HEA, this is the one dude, this one right here.

- - -

Main points:
🧡first person pov
🧡dual pov - Ella & Max
🧡YA/NA romance
🧡friends to lovers
🧡slow burn
🧡he falls first
🧡found family

Max and Ella

"Catch the Sun" is Jennifer Hartmann's latest Young Adult novel about pain, loss and old love. This is Max and Ella's story.

This YA Novel deals with some pretty heavy themes and is not for anyone who can't handle pain, cruelty and loss. Therefore, take care of yourselves and take a look at the trigger warning!

I have to be honest and say that I'm pretty torn about this book. I'd be lying if I said that the story and the twists and turns didn't give me a stab through the heart every now and then.

However, I didn't feel the great love between Max and Ella. As a result, I unfortunately missed the depth. And I didn't like some of the twists that Jennifer Hartmann put into the story, especially with regard to one character 🙈

I really liked the characters Max and Ella. At 16, Ella has already had to put up with a lot. Her parents' divorce and the consequences of her brother's actions. Despite her pain and sadness, she tries to get on with her life somehow. Even if she has to distance herself from her classmates and put up with their bullying attacks. I liked Ella's development.
She has crawled out of the black hole more and more and has seen in Max someone with whom she is safe and loved.

But Max doesn't have it easy either. He continues to despair about caring for/dealing with his disabled father. At the same time, he tries to maintain his relationship with his twin brother. Max is a real sweetheart with a heart of gold! He takes care of the people he loves and is loyal like a Bernadina.

I give "Catch the Sun" 3 out of 5 stars.

Thank You to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you LOVED Say you Swear by Meagan Brandy, like I did, then you need to read this!!!!

Max is EVERYTHING!!! Book Boyfriend of the year!!
In True Jenn fashion, my heart was ripped apart multiple times and then slowly put back together. What a beautifully tragic story about love/hate.

5 STAR READ and NEW BOOK BOYFRIEND OF THE YEAR!!!
**book leans more toward NA than YA

JH can do no wrong. This book made me smile and cry. I think the MC from this book is my new favorite of hers. I was skeptical bc I don’t love a romance set before adulthood but this one was worth it!

4.5⭐️ - another day, another heartbreak from finishing a book by Jennifer Hartmann. This was a heavy read at times but I absolutely loved it and couldn’t put it down, I binged it in 24 hours!

Ella & Max were destined to be together from the moment they met as kids, until Ella is forced to move away. They don’t meet again until 10 years later, when they’ve endured a lot due to their family lives, that they both don’t want to ever entertain loving someone as it’s sure to lead to more heartbreak. But their chemistry makes it impossible to stay away from each other, resulting in a beautifully told childhood friends to lovers story that is tinged with grief and hard lessons.

Jennifer Hartmann writes such unique romances that are so devastating yet reassuring. Max and Ella’s story is one I’ll be thinking about for a while. It was heartfelt, so romantic and I loved the underlying message that unless you take the time to heal, the damage is always going to be there weighing you down. This story tackles bullying, navigating friendships and relationships as a teenager, complicated family relationships and trying to find your place in the world.

I would describe this as a coming of age / new adult story and in true Jennifer Hartmann fashion will break your heart into millions of pieces, with the promise it will be put back together by the end.

Thank you to Valentine PR for sending me an ARC copy of ‘Catch the Sun’ in exchange for my honest review!

This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster! It was both beautiful and devastating. I absolutely loved Ella and Max's story. Their bond is indescribable despite being tested over and over again. Once again Jennifer Hartmann did not disappoint.

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Shabby -BookBistroBlog's Reviews > Catch the Sun

Catch the Sun by Jennifer Hartmann
Catch the Sun
by Jennifer Hartmann (Goodreads Author)
26191846
Shabby -BookBistroBlog's review Jul 06, 2024 · edit
it was amazing
bookshelves: angsty-af, all-the-feels, arc, twin-brothers, tragedy-strikes, triggers, character-death, separation, young-love, second-chance-romance, young-adult, coming, coming-of-age

The Queen Of Angst slays again. STUNNING tale of childhood love, destroyed by fate and circumstances. Utterly heartbreaking, yet hope stays alive in this remarkable story woven with adorable parallels drawn from from Pooh & Piglet.

“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”


It will leave you breathless and gasping for air, as Jennifer rips you apart with her mighty words, only to put it back together again. Character development, pace & Attentive detailing have been meticulously crafted by Jen to make this story a masterpiece.
It is Searing, soul searching and sentimental overload. I got to experience every tiny emotion in the world, while completely engrossed in it from start to finish. I dare you to put it down even for a minute...you won'.t.

While her characters - Ella Sunbury and Max & McKay twins are young kids in school, their connection comes through with well rounded maturity. Ella is joy and sunshine personified. After her brother Jonah gets trapped in a tragic event, her life changes towards dismal future in their small town. Ridiculed and taunted at every step, she struggles to exist while her mother remains pre-occupied.
Only Max Pays attention. Actually his attention never left, just was overlooked by Ella, as he was shrouded in her grey cloud of misery.

"I made him leave before the sun came up. . The sun was harsh, unforgiving, too bright. It shone light on all of our shattered pieces that I couldn’t put back together, so I hid them away in the dark."

With Max's undying affection & patience those grey clouds part and rays of sunshine fall on Ella's neglected life. Time to bask & blossom again. But storm is on the horizon and it devours ALL. Their lives shattered and strewn like hay after a hurricane.

“I love you, but my love doesn’t conquer all. It doesn’t override the horrible things you did, the way you dismantled the life I was creating, the one I had just started rebuilding from the ground up. You tore it all down and left me shattered.”

In the midst of it all, one scene stands out like a bubble trapped in time. The bridge scene is so carefully executed. So many feathery sentiments are flying everywhere. Jen keeps the momentum intact but lets love tempo dictate the Speed. Two beating hearts find a respite and claim it, even if it's for fleeting minutes. That created memory becomes the north star for Ella & Max. This is what they look for throughout the story as their slice of heaven.

“Young Love......The purest fucking kind.”

Jen is known for her emotionally-charged narrative, she takes it a step further to a new height of agony. The hopeful path of forgiveness and redemption is tough to walk though. Both Ella and Max can't let go of their tragedies because they both are victims and villains of their own lives. How do they forgive themselves while hurting to their marrows in pain?

"My brother is gone, but so is hers. My world is rocked, but she’s in the same boat, getting tossed and thrown among tumultuous waves. We’re both victims, both drowning in the shadows, both trying to find the light. "

I've bawled during and especially at the last part of the story. My puffy eyes and choked breath are testament to the genius of her story writing prowess. Grief and loss might be the darkening mood, but trust Jen, clouds part and sun does shine again.

"The end is where we start from. Once there’s an end, you can never go back to the beginning, and that feels permanent. People latch on to the finality of that and overlook the deeper meaning, the hope that resides inside.
No, you can’t go back to the beginning… But you can always create a new one."

Jens prowess is creating relatable characters going through the pain process, evoking empathy from her readers. Sometimes detatchment does give closure and that's the most powerful message of the story. To give grace to yourself, heal thyself before finding solace for others.
I'm babbling, but this story deserves all the stars in the universe. Be sure to pick it up when it releases.
ALL THE STARS - the sky exploded a while ago!

Wow! I have no idea how Jennifer Hartmann can write such tragedy into a story line yet, make it so enthralling you simply can’t look away; THEN she heals you in a way you never thought possible after so much heartache…but I trust her…I know it’s her superpower and I know I will love it every time! Catch the Sun was absolutely that kind of story and I loved it so much!

Truth be told, I was a bit hesitant to pick up this book because it was marketed as YA but, the tragedies and trials these characters go through force a maturity that is well beyond their years as they struggle to keep the innocence that so frequently comes with being eighteen years old and seniors in high school. While Jennifer included that innocence in the setting such as, bonfires and school dances, and through secondary characters who bullied and alienated Ella at school; Max and Ella’s story had an emotional depth that tugged on my heart in a way that their ages became secondary and the YA factor I feared faded in to the tortured love story I always love from Jennifer Hartmann.

“…there is no love and war. Love is war. You fight until you win, or you fight until you lose. Imagine the victory after all that pain and struggle, after all those battle wounds…Let that be us.”

I knew when I opened the book that I was in for heartache! When you see a book broken into parts, you know big things are coming and this book was filled with twists and turns I didn’t see coming. Each trial testing Max and Ella’s connection one after another made me root so hard for their HEA with my heart in my throat! Their story required trust, forgiveness, sacrifice, and resilience; an ability to see beyond their circumstance to each other and the bond that formed when they first met at just seven years old, and it couldn’t have been written better. Filled with the nuances that make Jennifer’s books so captivating and memorable, Catch the Sun is a must read!

“Kissing you feels like catching the sun”

CW are abundant and listed in the front of the book. Please check before reading.

Thank you to Bloom, NetGalley, Jennifer Hartmann, and Valentine PR for the eARC. I’m leaving this review voluntarily and all thoughts are my own.

Jennifer Hartman is an automatic buy author more me and this did not disappoint. My heart was ripped out, thrown back together only to be ripped out again, just how I like to read Jennifer’s books.