Jennifer Hartmann can do no wrong. She never fails to write the most beautiful, gut wrenching, complex stories. I was hooked from the first sentence, but I’m not surprised because I LOVE her books. I will say, I don’t think this book is YA. It does have less spice than most of her other stories, but I would still say it leans towards a mature audience. 10/10 recommend you pick up this and every other Jennifer Hartmann book ASAP!

Overall, I enjoyed this book quite a lot. I haven't read a romance in a while so this was a refreshing read. I found myself cringing a little at some parts of the book, at some of the things that Max said (which I also found a little unrealistic for a 17 year old boy) and a little at Brynn's character set up. Her character was epitomised within the first couple pages of meeting her and I think her energy was captured beautifully but sometimes the emphasis on her 'pink, bubblegum, unicorn' personality was a bit much for a senior in high school. There were a few twists in the story that I didn't expect which was great and I enjoyed their ending.

This was my first book by Jennifer Hartmann and OMG it was so beautiful 🥺

I cried like a baby! I felt all the emotions as the characters were feeling them, my stomach dropped multiple times and I had to walk away from my kindle because my heart couldn’t take it!

This book was so beautifully written that I can’t get over it. It had so much tragedy linking Max and Ella together🥺 I totally recommend this book to anyone who doesn’t mind crying like a baby!!

Tropes:
- First love
- Friends to lovers
- Second chance love
- Boy next door

Thanks Netgalley for sending me the ARC of this book. It was a 5 stars read for me!

"Kissing you feels like catching the sun..."

This book literally made me cry several times and melted my heart. It's so beautifully written, with fantastic banter among smart teen characters I would have wanted as friends.

Ella and Max were best friends at age seven, until life separated them. Ten years later Ella has returned, living in the home across the street from Max, but now she is traumatized and guarded after her beloved older brother was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. She is tormented by classmates who view her only as the murderer's sister, making her want to disappear. But Max still sees her, sees who she truly is.

All I would like to know is where the boys like Max were when I was a teenager, with his thoughtful gifts full of effort, his complete loyalty and care. I absolutely loved both of these characters, and my heart broke for the pain they went through. I loved the dual points of view, and how well you get to know each one's side of the story. I felt like I was holding my breath through the drama and tragedy, hoping for them to have a happy ending. There are so many passages in this story I won't forget, just beautifully done overall.

Thank you so much to Bloom Books and Netgalley for this ARC!

Put another check in the Jennifer Hartmann made me sob column. This book was so amazing, a review can’t do it justice. As always, Jennifer took my heart, crushed it, stomped on it, then lovingly put it back together again. She is the queen of angst and anguish for a reason. I can’t even begin to express how magnificent this book was, but I’ll try.

The characters in this story were perfectly broken. I adored Ella and her journey with trying to find comfort and happiness in life again. She has experienced so much heartbreak and is just trying to get by until she graduates and can leave. She is treated so cruelly by her peers and just wants to hide away. And Max is the literal most perfect specimen on this planet and I want to protect him at all costs. He has so much heart and cares so much for his people. He deserves everything in the world. Their story is so beautiful. The world keeps knocking them both down, but they keep finding the light. The trauma they both go through and healing they experience is worth ALL the tears I shed (and I shed a LOT).

This book deviates from JH’s norm being a young adult novel with teen protagonists, but don’t let the label fool you. This book is just as gritty and heartbreaking as any adult Jennifer Hartmann book, maybe even more so as now it is occurring during the innocence of adolescence. (It does also contain spicy scenes, so it hovers a little more in the NA category in my opinion.) The depth and complexity to the scenes is there, and it still touches on emotionally heavy topics for being YA. The way they are handled and how the characters experience them fits within the YA genre, but in no way is this book “lighter” than her adult ones. It has all the grit and anguish we’ve come to expect in Jennifer’s writing.

There were so many turns this book took that were unexpected. There were SO many tears shed. I also smiled at the sweet innocence of teenage love. This book will take you through it all with anguish, heartbreak, resilience, and love. You cannot go wrong reading this one, but prepare yourself and make sure you’ve got your tissues!

R E A D I F Y O U L I K E
☀️ Childhood Friends to Lovers
☀️ YA/NA Romance (with spice)
☀️ Found Family
☀️ He Falls First
☀️ Slow Burn
☀️ All the Heartbreak with a HEA

Thank you Valentine PR and Jennifer Hartmann for an early copy of this book!

5⭐️ 2🌶️
- MF
- Friends to Lovers
- Slow Burn
- He Falls First
- Small Town
- Angst
- Trauma and Healing
- Found Family

This book got me out of a reading slump only to send me right back into one because I know my next read won’t be nearly as good.

Jennifer is the queen of breaking my heart and putting it back together again. This book had all the trauma, angst, heartache and deep emotional connections I have come to love and expect from her books. I stayed up until 2am to finish it and I have zero regrets.

This was a book about two friends who are united in friendship by their shared past and the struggles they face at home. While their circumstances are completely different, both feel so defeated by the world and find comfort and joy with each other.

I couldn’t have loved Max more. He was so kind and selfless to a fault. Always putting others first leaving little left for himself. He sacrificed so much to care for his father and protect his brother. It was such a relief when he found joy in his friendship with Ella. Even in their friendship he was always taking care of her. Giving her rides, getting her a bike, sticking up for her to her bullies. He remembered the smallest details because he CARED about her.

Poor Ella has been through so much. It’s no wonder she felt so defeated. Luckily for her, Brynne! and Max were determined to be her friends. But she was so strong and a survivor.

I loved Max and Ella’s journey so much! Even as my heart broke and I thought I might drown in all the angst. But it was still t filled with beauty and so much love.

This book was dark and dealt with a lot of heavy subjects. It wasn’t anything unexpected from Jennifer, however I think the publisher really missed the mark when they decided to categorize this as YA. I think this was firmly in NA territory.

This was hard to read for me. The struggles that teenagers go through really hurts my mom heart.

It makes me sad to see Ella struggle through while living in the light of the wrong her brother does. I wish people wouldn’t see others for something someone else does but it’s so true!

This was a wonderfully written YA book about early love and really second chance romance for youth. This book deals with some heavy topics and does have some open door romance but it is YA.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of Catch The Son.

Jennifer Hartmann has done it again! I loved this book. It was a fast read and I was able to connect with the characters. And wow the cover is beautiful!

4 stars ⭐️ In true Jennifer Hartmann fashion, my heart was put through the wringer with this one.

Catch the Sun is a story of shattered innocence and two friends who are united by their shared past.

Ella and Max have that special young love that warms your soul. I absolutely love Ella; her character is devastatingly beautiful, and her quirky personality was perfect. Sweet, sweet Max; he embodies his protector role so well. He is patient, kind and is always listening. The book spans over 12+ years, with them as childhood friends and rekindling that friendship years later until it grows into something more.

YA is not usually my go-to, but if Jennifer writes it, I’m reading it. This book deals with some dark, and triggering topics.

It will take a bit to trudge through the front end, but the second half of the book builds into action, mystery and suspense. If you are looking for a love story between kindred spirits that span’s years, this beautiful story is for you.

DNF @20%. The biggest problem I had with this book was the angsty writing. It's totally understandable that Ella would feel moody, angsty, etc. with everything that was going on in her life; however, her tone read unnaturally. The writing just didn't feel authentic. It read like a middle-aged woman was writing the voice of a teenager. The moody clever one-liners felt forced. I thought it was weird how much Ella was pushing away Max. I didn't like how hot and cold she was with him. Since I stopped at 20%, that may have changed further into the story. I did like the premise of the story with Ella's brother. I thought that was an interesting topic to read about. Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC.

The way I will never recover from this book. A five out of five star from me! Jennifer does it again.
I was immediately sucked into Max and Ella’s story and I don’t ever want to let them go.
My heart was broken, but in true JH fashion, she mends it back together perfectly.
Don’t let the YA/NA definition of this book steer you away. It’s absolutely worth the read just make sure your tissues are nearby.
Max and Ella deserved to be protected at all costs.

This book was amazing. I already knew I was going to love this book since I love Jeniffer her writing, but this was amazing. So beautifully written, so many emotions and so many beautiful quotes. Highly recommend this book, you could feel the love and the connection off the pages and the emotional growth the characters went thought was so special to read about.

Synopsis: At seven years old, Ella Sunbury and Max Manning were inseparable—until life scattered them in different directions, forcing Ella to abruptly leave town. A decade later, she returns for their senior year of high school, moving in across the street from her childhood best friend.

But she's not the same girl Max once knew.

She now lives in the shadow of her brother: a notorious felon on death row, convicted of a crime that shook the nation. Reeling from the fallout and shunned by her peers, all Ella wants is to fade into the background.

Max has little room for distractions, juggling responsibilities for a disabled father and a distant twin brother. But Ella's return reignites something within him. He wants to be close to her again, to understand her…and to turn their friendship into more.

But as their relationship blossoms, new tragedy strikes, and darkness threatens to tip their delicate balance. In order to find the light, they'll have to navigate the shadows.

And to catch the sun…they must first endure the flames.

Review: Man, oh man. Do you ever finish a book and know that you'll be thinking about it for the rest of your life? This is one of those books. This book put me through the ringer. It was heartfelt and heartbreaking. I laughed, I smiled, I cried. I sobbed and gasped for air. I laughed while I sobbed. And only the best books can do that to you. This book, at its core, is about love. Love the endures. Endures time and events. I can't review more than that without giving spoilers because this book is so fresh in my mind and on my heart. The main thing to take away from this: read this book. Read all of Jennifer Hartmann's books. But read this one ASAP.

I'm still trying to gather my thoughts, as my heart, broken and then healed but forever changed, is still reeling from the impact of this amazing story. "Catch the Sun" filled a void in me I didn't know existed.

The love story between Max and Ella is absolutely heartwarming. Meeting at seven years old and then reconnecting ten years later, their bond remains pure and innocent. This enduring connection, surviving despite the passage of time and their individual traumas, is beautifully written and deeply moving.

Both Ella and Max are incredibly well-developed characters. Their depth and authenticity make them feel real and relatable. Watching their love story unfold is nothing short of epic, providing a sense of connection that is deep, raw and completely satisfying.

I'm not going to lie thought, the plot twists are intense and hit <b>very</b> hard, making me want to cry, throw up, and applaud all at the same time. The author's ability to evoke such strong emotions is incredible. Reading this book felt like living another life, with my heart experiencing every moment, leaving me in the worst book hangover of my life the next morning.

"Catch the Sun" is a storytelling gem. Jennifer Hartmann's writing is not only engaging but also deeply satisfying, taking readers on a journey that feels like a complete experience. The author expertly handles trauma, treating her characters' struggles with care and giving them the time they need to grow and heal.

Thank you, Jennifer Hartmann, for such a beautiful book. This one goes straight into my top 10 favorites.

Oh, this book really touched my heart. I'm not a big fan trope "from friends to lovers", but this story really hit home.
They met when they were young and became close, but had to take a break for a while. After 10 years, they're back together. Initially, Max stayed away from Ella, but after some time, they began to communicate again and become friends.
They remembered the shared memories from their childhood, and it was nice. I understand that both of them went through difficult times, but when they realized they were each other's light, they became closer.
Even though Ella kept her distance at first, she eventually gave up on her fears of falling in love with Max because he was just the best person for her.
The ending of the book was heartbreaking. Max deserved better, and I'm happy he was able to move on. It was important for both of them to find happiness separately.

Jennifer Hartmann has once again utterly WRECKED me with her words and now I have no idea how to move on with my life.

<b><i>”Today I fell in love with a boy who finally caught the sun. And he never let her go.”</i></b>

This destroyed me in the best way. It was sweet and heartbreaking and sent me on a rollercoaster of emotions. My heart hurt for Ella and Max from the very start. Their relationship started when they were children before circumstances ripped them away from each other. Thankfully this was a bond meant to survive because they found their way to each other again as late teens. I loved the relationship they had with each other. It was almost slow-building yet you could see the strength in their bond from the start.

I spent the whole book on the edge of my seat waiting for the other shoe to drop and was distraught when it finally did. What happened broke my heart for everyone involved.

While the initial 3/4 of the book was quite slow to read, the last 1/4 really made up for it. I was so on edge the whole time and kept having to stop myself from speed reading to see how our couple would resolve their issues. I’m still not sure how I feel about some of the reactions the characters made but I can’t imagine being in their shoes or how I would react in the moment.

I’m so glad there was a HEA because I was really worried we weren’t going to get one. While this wasn’t anywhere near as dark as a usual Jennifer Hartmann book, it was incredibly emotional and it felt like she was ready to stomp on our hearts. The way it came together was beautiful and precious and I really enjoyed the way it was wrapped up. It had such a beautiful conclusion.

I’m really not sure where I’ll go from here. I sobbed for almost 30 minutes wrapping this story up and I’m definitely going to need a sweet easy read to recover but for now I’ll soak up these precious feelings and appreciate what an incredible story this was.

Jennifer Hartmann has delivered another emotional story where tissues will be needed!

Max & Ella journey was not an easy one. Both were dealing with traumatic family situations at such a young age that my heart broke for them.

This childhood friends to lover’s romance will pull at your heartstrings as you flip the pages hoping that they will get their well-deserved HEA! At times I could not put the book down, and THAT plot twist took me totally by surprise!

The highs were so high, and the lows were so low! I love the way the author always manages to evoke such emotions in her stories.
I highly recommend this rollercoaster of Catching the Sun!

Another emotional, angst filled booked by the amazing Jennifer Hartmann. I’ll honestly forever think of this book every time I see the colour orange, a sunset, or an orange coloured crayon. Its significance might seem so minuscule, yet in this book, it’s so meaningful and beautiful.

This book was angst filled, had so many twists and turns and had a plot that was so unique, that I’ll be thinking about this for a long time to come. Like most of her books, JH never fails at throwing you for a loop, and this book was no exception. It had me reading and tearing up until 2am because I just had to know how this was going to end!

I’m so happy Sunny and Max finally got their HEA, because there was nobody more deserving than these two.

🧡“Kissing you feels like catching the sun.”

🧡 “ I’d feel you in any lifetime, in any version of any reality. And I’d know, without a doubt, without a shred of hesitation…that your soul was meant for mine.”

🧡 “I felt it deep inside my soul- she was, and always would be, my sun.”

Thank you Net Galley, Valentine PR & Jennifer Hartmann for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I do not read a lot of YA, but this was truly amazing! I'm not a fan of sex scenes with teenagers so those parts I skimmed but this childhood friends to lovers romance was brilliant. It was heartwarming yet so heartbreaking at the same time! If you young ladies are looking for what a young man should be, look at the character Max!!

There were so many quotes I loved in this book, so here are a few:

"Love conquers all."

"Grief does what it wants when it wants to."

"Every human being has a right to be selfish when it comes to grief."

Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Hartmann, and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom books for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

4 🌟🤌🏻

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher! Did I cry? Absolutely! One thing about Jennifer Hartmann is that she will write such heart wrenching stories that you cannot help but love. This was a story about friends who become lovers with some tragedy but it does end happily for them. If you're into that then read this when it comes out on the 16th!