Absolutely loved this book!!! Jennifer Hartmann truly never fails 🥹✨ thank you NetGalley for my E-ARC

This book is written really well and has interesting characters, but I think it is marketed incorrectly. Fair warning to YA readers and parents that there is open-door spice here and a lot of triggers for violence and sexual content. If you know that going in and are okay with it, I think you will enjoy this emotional read.

oh how this book absolutely stole my heart!!! Ella and max are struggling to navigate the world in high school & dealing with incredibly heavy truths. Their lives have changed dramatically from when they were 7 years old playing. Now, Ella is ostracized due to her brother’s actions & Max is one of the few people she might just be able to rely on. With his lists, showing up for Ella & sneaking in her window - Max is the sweetest person & determined to win Ella over.

Jennifer is one of my all time fave authors. She makes you feel EVERYTHING for these characters & they feel like real friends. I adored Ella for her love of orange & Winnie the Pooh! Omg all those references were PERFECT!! I loved Winnie as a child (still do) but it was so touching. Go into this one blind & you’ll never regret it because it’s the most beautiful adventure!!

This was such an emotional read. It had so many heartbreaking twists and turns that put me in an emotional roller coaster. I am a huge fan of Jennifer Hartman so I knew I just had to read this. This definitely reads more like an New Adult more than YA due to the dark themes throughout the book. Loved this one to pieces.

Jennifer Hartmann delivers an emotionally charged and deeply moving story in Catch the Sun, a novel that seamlessly blends elements of young adult and new adult fiction. With a poignant exploration of love, grief, and resilience, this book is a must-read for fans of intense, heart-wrenching narratives.

At its core, Catch the Sun follows Ella Sunbury and Max Manning, childhood best friends who were once inseparable. However, circumstances forced Ella to leave town abruptly, and a decade later, she returns for their senior year of high school. But time has changed them both—Ella now carries the weight of her brother’s notoriety, a felon on death row whose crime left an indelible stain on her reputation. Meanwhile, Max shoulders the responsibilities of caring for his disabled father while dealing with a distant twin brother. Despite the barriers life has placed between them, their bond rekindles, sparking a tender yet fragile romance.

This isn’t just a love story; it’s a book that tackles complex themes such as familial trauma, societal judgment, and personal redemption. The book does not shy away from darker topics, including death and the lingering impact of crime on loved ones. Readers who are emotionally sensitive should prepare themselves for an intense journey—tissues may be necessary.

A particularly delightful touch is the infusion of Winnie the Pooh references, adding a nostalgic and heartwarming contrast to the heavier themes of the book. These moments of lightness provide a much-needed balance, making the characters feel even more real and relatable.

For those who enjoy stories that straddle the line between edgy teen fiction and new adult romance, Catch the Sun is a perfect choice. It’s a novel that not only tugs at the heartstrings but also lingers in the mind long after the final page.

Catch the Sun is a compelling, emotionally gripping read that will resonate deeply with fans of character-driven, poignant storytelling. Highly recommended for those who love a mix of romance, heartbreak, and healing.

Max and Ella have a childhood friends to lovers that blossoms so beautifully but the plot twist in this threatens that bond in a way you couldn’t imagine. I was sick over the plot twist, and admittedly, quite mad about it at first. I kept thinking she could have gone about this some other way. But by the end, I couldn’t have imagined it differently. That’s what I love about Jennifer’s books/characters. They’re real, authentic and flawed, just like life. But her characters always find the silver lining and come out on top.

Jennifer truly knows how to rip your heart into pieces, just to sew it back together seamlessly by the end of her stories. She has a fan for life in me

★ 4.25 stars

The story follows Max and Ella from their first meeting at 7 years old and fast forwards to their adolescent years. 10 years later, when Ella returns to town, she is treated like a social outcast as her brother has been convicted of murder. Ella is terrified of letting anyone in because of what she's been through and is determined not to get attached.

Ella and Max's bond is sweet and innocent. Max is such a sweet soul, He was so patient, non-judgmental and always put Ella first. I loved watching them grow close again and fall in love. Their love story is accompanied with emotional turmoil because of what they've had to go through.

This is so much more than just a romance book, it also a suspenseful plot. The story covers darker themes (murder, grief, healing, trauma and forgiveness) which I enjoyed. I wasn't sure how this book was going to end, it kept me on my toes. It did delve into the land of unrealistic at points, but the overall message of the book resonated with me.

The writing was engaging and I appreciated the authors writing style - once you start this, you won't be able to put it down. It's unlike anything else that I've read.

This book is marketed as a young adult book and I disagree with that. This is new adult and contains open door spice. This was a nice surprise for me, but I think this should be made clear for those who do not read this.

Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks Bloom Books for the advanced copy in exhchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book. Jennifer Hartmann does such a great job weaving an intriguing story that readers will fall in love with like I did!! I would highly recommend this read to anyone who loves romance books!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for a review.This one just wasn't for me. It was difficult to get into and I wasn’t drawn to the main characters at all. I probably wouldn’t have finished this if it wasn’t an ARC. This could definitely be a triggering book as well, but I feel like it’s easy to find the triggers and avoid for people who would be sensitive to that.

The writing was good, I would try other books by this author for sure!

Cover is really pretty too.

ARC Review:

At first I couldn’t get into this, I think just because I wasn’t used to the YA style from Jennifer Hartmann. However, I’m really glad I stuck with it because I ended up really loving it.
Max & Ella are so cute 🥹 I love them.
The writing was absolutely beautiful as always.
This book does get really heavy and emotional so as always, read trigger warnings beforehand!

Jennifer, just know how to write a book that rips your heart out and keeps you in a chokehold.

Ella and Max were inseparable as kids, but after Ella suddenly moved away, she returned years later, moving in across the street from Max for her senior year.

This book was a work of art that had me in a chokehold. I loved everything about it and couldn’t put it down. Jennifer Hartmanns writing is always incredible but she really outdid herself with this one.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Catch the sun was absolutely incredible! Jennifer Hartmann does not ever disappoint! Every book I have read of hers has been 5 stars and this one was no different! There were so many plot twists and turns I was hooked from the start and was 150% invested in this story! I’m not usually a “friends to lovers” fan but this one changed my opinion completely! Max and Ella are just made for each other and their connection is so beautiful! This book made me very emotional at times but all the best books do!

Not a single book by Jennifer Hartmann that I wouldn't read. Never a disappointment from character development, plot writing and emotional connections from reader to character 5/5.

This book should have a warning that it will take your heart and shatter it. I really enjoy Jennifers Hartmann's writing, she is incredible at evoking so many feelings.


The main characters were enjoyable. The love that was shared between the two was so strong it was almost overwhelming to read. The pain that was shared page after page was crushing. I really enjoyed this book and am so glad I had the opportunity to read it.

A book hasn’t made me ugly cry this hard in quite some time! Holy cow did this book rip my heart apart, put it back together and rip it apart again…and I loved every word in this amazing book. This book was an emotional journey that I am so grateful I took. Ella and Max knew each other for a year when they were 7 years old. Even then they had an undeniable connection and truly understood each other. When they are reconnected in high school it is a totally different story. By this time they both have been through a lot and their lives are a bit of hot messes. Ella is now the sister of a killer and Max is taking care of his father and dealing with his twins drama. Talk about having to grow up faster than you need to. As this book goes on these two confide in each other and begin to truly understand each other…and care for each other. But the world around them is throwing them obstacles non stop and boy does it only get worse. The characters are so incredibly well written. They have great depth with back stories that add so much to this already amazing story. The characters all work well off of each other and each add so much to this book. This book covered several sensitive subjects and they were all handled with care and respect. This is a story about young love, rough times, unconditional love and everything in between. If you enjoy thought provoking books that will stay with you for a while….this is definitely the book for you.

I’m a big fan of Jennifer Hartmann so I was excited to request this book. I didn’t realize it was Young Adult so I didn’t enjoy it as much as the others I’ve read. I did like Emma and Max’s story.

10/10 ⭐️
ing for the perfect boy. Max is what fairy tales are made of. Where the hell was he 15 years ago for me? This book left me breathless. Jennifer does it again and again and again. I’m envious of this book world, and reality can choke. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 This story reminds me of the song Light me up by Ingrid Michaelson. Our little stubborn Ella tried so hard to block out Max, but he sunk his light inside her and blew her up. She couldn’t fight it. He loved her back to life. Sometimes there are people who take a broken thing and mend it and two broken people can fix each other. Two broken people can love. I think Max found his complete match in Ella. She may have brought him in to the darkness unwillingly, but he took her hand and said let’s fight together and come into the light. This book is tragedy, healing, love, trauma and acceptance. Top all this with the heart pounding romance that left me like a pile of mush. My heart is fractured and bandaged reading this book. Oh my stars. 😭😭😭💘💘💘💘

I love this book! I love things by Jennifer Hartmann so whenever a new one comes out it’s an automatic read and buy the book.