My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a fast, steamy, emotional read with a main character I could relate to who knew nothing about sportsball who then accidentally catfished the baseball player she insulted during a game on national tv and couldn’t figure out how to make it right. General romantic chaos ensues. Good stuff!! Love this author and each book is better and better!

I loved this book. WOW. It’s got some elements some readers may not like, but for me it was perfectly executed. Baseball, you’ve got mail style romance, and mental health rep means it’s a 5 star from me!

We have Daphne, a bookstagrammer, cat owner, fresh out of a divorce, drunk at a ball game and without a care in the world, heckling the players. Chris, silently fighting the battle of anxiety and grief after his brothers suicide, is the poor shmuck up to bat when Daphne yells out a particularly silly line. It hits home in a way that happens to make Chris cry, at bat, on national TV. What a great opening premise!

The rest of the story involves Daphne DMing Chris via IG to apologize but somehow she doesn’t actually admit who she is and they develop an online relationship in the style of You’be Got Mail where he doesn’t fully know her identity but begins to fall nonetheless. In reality, he doesn’t know she’s the newly hired team broadcaster with curly hair that he’s itching to get to know and she’s trying to be professional but just can’t keep her distance. As you can suspect, things get messy.

What I loved about this book though was the development of their relationship over multiple angles, the discussions around male athletes and mental health, and discovering yourself worth again after a failed marriage. The part people will dislike is the prolonged dishonesty from Daphne, who has many chances to come clean but chickens out time after time. I thought this plot point might take my rating down a star, but in the end it’s handled in a very mature way and feels realistic for the characters.

The romance is cute, the spice is incredible and the baseball was fun. Content caution for suicide off the page but discussed after the fact.

Thanks Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Vibes:
Text messages
Forced proximity
Dislike to love
Secret identity
Baseball galore
Sports romance
Mental health discussions
He falls first
Healing after loss

If I could just type incoherent screaming into this review box, I would. I CANNOT say enough good things, I loved this one sooooo much!

I’m a sucker for a sports romance but don’t actually remember if I’ve read a baseball one? If so, they all got knocked out of the PARK by this one. I didn’t really have many expectations going into this but was immediately sucked in until I finished it only hours later. I had the BEST time reading this; was absolutely screaming and kicking my feet and giggling like a maniac.

I absolutely adored Daphne and Chris, from their initial text interactions to their real-life relationship! They are both so charming and such a good pair. There were so many little things in this book that I loved—the focus on grief and panic attacks, the moment near the end between Daphne and her brother, Milo the cat, the deeper conversations between Daphne and Chris—it all just worked together so well. One big thing to commend- a third act breakup that did not feel AT ALL forced or randomly thrown into the plot, but was actually justified! And it made the resolution all that much better.

The ending was incredible, the last speech from Chris??? CHRIS KEPLER DREAM MAN FOR REALLLLLLL. There’s a line in there that legit stopped me in my tracks, had to take a few moments to recover from that one. This book just made me incandescently happy and I’m immediately going to dive into Thompson’s other books now too! One of my favorites of the year!

A professional baseball player and his heckler prove that true love is worth going to bat for. This was a fun sports romance. I felt like this was a unique take on a cat-fishing / love triangle / miscommunication romance. Both Daphne and Chris are overcoming big life hurdles. Daphne is trying to figure out how to move on after a divorce and Chris is dealing with the loss after his brother took his own life. I feel like in a lot of sports romances the characters are always so perfect and these struggles made them more well-rounded, likable, and relatable characters. I am not a huge miscommunication trope girlie. I get that it was necessary for the plot and the eventual conflict of the story so it didn't bother me as much as some others

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 6/18

The adorable cover of this sports romance had me ready to dive right in!

Daphne and her bestie attend a baseball game the day her divorce becomes official, and Daphne proceeds to get very drunk and heckle a player on her own team, causing him to become the main story on all the baseball broadcasts. When the pair later connect online, they build a friendship….but Chris is unaware that his new friend is his heckler.

There were things I loved here, and things that drove me crazy. I loved Chris and thought he deserved much better than the way things went with Daphne, but he also frustrated me by being fine with the anonymous online relationship they originally built and how far things went there. Daphne just drove me crazy with her cover-ups and lies, and the way that they made miscommunication such a huge trope in this book.

I loved the baseball setting and Daphne’s job and thought they made for definite bright spots in the book. The story was well written and I enjoyed the inclusion of the DMs between the pair as they got to know one another.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC. All opinions are my own. I’d rate this one 3.5 stars.

Another man that hearts his wife. Alicia Thompson writes the best regular people books.

We follow Daphne, a recent divorcee, as she attempts to settle into her life. You read the synopsis, the dramaaaa is too good. Very much a "You've Got Mail" situation.

I love love love a cutie little sports romance, and the Art of Catching Feelings is that and so much more. This book is also a discussion on the nuances of grief, wrapped up in a hesitant and uplifting romance. Of course, the miscommunication trope is very relevant to the plot, however, I think that it was executed well.

I devoured this book in one sitting, absolutely perfect for sitting on a patio or airport terminal.

I thought this was well written and I loved the main characters, but I really disliked how the story played out. I think mistaken identity books have to be done just so to be plausible/forgiveable, and unfortunately this one was not. Daphne’s reasoning for deceiving Chris was basically nonexistent and she had ample time to come clean. As the book went on I got more and more frustrated at the lack of honesty. I know he forgave her but I did not! I wish these two could get a redo. :(

I was so excited by the cover and general premise of this book! I’ve read a few other sports romances this year, including another baseball one, so I was excited for this one. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed.

Let’s start with the positives: I loved Chris. I think he was a great character that showed growth with his emotions, his dad, his career, and with Daphne. I thought he was incredibly sweet and really ready for a relationship. He wanted something genuine and lasting and I loved seeing that in a MMC.

I was incredibly frustrated by Daphne. She made me furious in so many instances and I honestly don’t think she deserves Chris. The whole premise of the book is that she hasn’t told him that Duckie and Daphne are the same person, and she has to juggle her interaction with him so he doesn’t realize that they’re the same person. There were so many instances for her to come clean and tell him the truth. And she doesn’t ever do it herself. She happens to slip up and say something that Chris only told Duckie, her instagram account. And then we have a real third act breakup that lasts AT LEAST two months! But then act like everything is fine?!?! Because he loved both Duckie and Daphne and now they’re the same person?!?!

Overall, 2.5 stars and I found the FMC, Daphne, to be very unlikeable because of her continuous choices to not tell the truth.

Love a baseball romance. However, our lead Daphne? Kinda the worst. Chris deserves hugs and cinnamon rolls. She... has nothing redemptive.

I loved this romance between Daphne and Chris. I think Alicia Thompson's writing has gotten better with each book, and though this story wasn't my favorite, the writing is still fantastic.

This is simply not the book for me. It may be for others, but it didn’t land with me.

I struggled with the lying and deception by Daphne and extensive text conversations between Daphne and Chris. The plot fell flat for me, and I didn’t find the “conflict” to be very compelling, more so just frustrating.

That noted, Alicia Thompson is a good writer and those who like sports romances may very well enjoy this book.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC.

This deals with a situation where everyone knows things are going to be messy once the truth comes out but the female MC cannot stop herself or step back. Daphne heckles a baseball player, Chris making him cry during the game on national television and then she slides into his DMs on Instagram to simply apologize but they connect leading into a friendly relationship. On another hand, she also accepts the role of field side reporter for the same team and starts to get to know him in person as well. At this point, we know and keep wondering how the big reveal is going to be and how Chris deals with it. Chris was such an amazing boyfriend that he is completely adorable. Daphne leading a double personality is a mess and was fun to read though.

The writing and their fun interactions got me hooked completely. All the fans of sports romance will enjoy it.

shortly following her divorce, daphne finds herself at a baseball game, drunkenly heckling the players. to her horror, one player, chris kepler, seems to take her words to heart. she reaches out on social media to apologize…but accidentally leaves out the fact that she was his heckler. now, she finds herself developing a friendship—and possibly a romance—with chris online, while having to work with him in-person. she’s not sure how to come clean now, and she’s torn between letting the relationship develop or cutting it off without explanation.

like daphne, i find baseball pretty boring. however, i do like the “secret penpals” plot line, so this book’s premise intrigued me. ironically enough, this aspect actually ended up making me cringe just a bit. while i still did enjoy this plot line, it was just hard to read about in this case. however, i liked how this was resolved! daphne grew a lot as a character throughout the book and i think the author did a great job of showing this.

i would recommend this to anyone who enjoys adult romances.

4.5 stars. I loved this book so much! I will never tire of sports romances, and I love a good baseball story.

Daphne is a bookwork who doesn't know anything about sports, and Chris is a professional baseball player. When Daphne feels like her life is in shambles because of her recent divorce, she finds herself in a most unexpected place--a professional baseball game. She might not know a bunt from a balk, but she does know how to drink beer...and that leads to heckling a professional baseball player, causing him to cry on national television. After a crisis of conscience, Daphne does something totally out of character, and messages the player online to apologize...except the apology doesn't go quite as planned, and it triggers a series of lies that get Daphne deeper and deeper into trouble.

This book involves discussions on mental health, secret identities, self-discovery, a love of literature, and all things baseball. Highly recommend!

TW: discussion of suicide

The Art of Catching Feelings made me love baseball, cleared my acne, and convinced me to become a broadcast journalist for a chance of interviewing a hot baseball player! Okay only one and a half of these claims is true, but TAOCF was absolutely a fantastic third installment from Alicia Thompson (one of my fave auto-buy authors). I enjoyed the time I spent in South Carolina with the Carolina Battery (not batteries, IYKYK).

I more or less read this book in one sitting because I ate Chris Kepler up. What a golden retriever/cinnamon roll of a man (he’s my new book boyfriend and no one can have him). This story was so well written, that I really got lost in Daphne and Chris’ minds. I’m so glad it was a dual POV because I loved the insight from both main characters. I’m not a huge fan of 3rd person POV but it didn’t bother me here.

The tension was tensioning. Obviously knowing Daphne was Duckie made the story intriguing and also feeling like you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop when Chris finds out but it didn’t happen in the way I expected. The writing was addictive, I couldn’t put it down and had to know what was going to happen. It was a fas paced, workplace drama that was so fun to get lost in. Yes there is lying/and technically a slight form of the miscommunication trope, but it’s obvious that’s what’s going on and it’s done well. The only surprise I had is Chris didn’t contact MTV’s Catfish haha!

The banter, funny moments, the feelings Daphne had around her divorce, and the care that went into Chris’ grief are what made this book so lovable. The feeling of the connection between Chris and Daphne really pulled on my heart strings, especially when Daphne HAD multiple opportunities to open up but just couldn’t quite get there. The chemistry was palpable. I give it 2.5 🌶️ (most of all her books IMHO).

Trigger warnings (which are listed at the front of the book): mentions of suicide (off page before story), panic attacks.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Berkley Romance and PRH Audio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored this and think it’s my favorite so far from Alicia Thompson (and I loved With Love, From Cold World!)

I was hooked from the moment Daphne is at the game heckling Chris and he actually hears and it affects his game. She reaches out afterwards via dm on her account Ducky’s books and means to apologize but gets wrapped up in their conversation and forgets. Although I didn’t like the dishonesty I liked how they formed virtual and eventually in person relationships. Shortly after this Daphne steps into her sister-in-law’s gig as the sideline reporter and has to interact with Chris in real life.

Despite his grief and it affecting his game, Chris was a delightful cinnamon roll of a character and I adored him. I liked that Daphne was able to encourage him to care for himself through therapy and dealing with his grief.

I really liked how this was wrapped up. The narration by Kristen Sieh was absolutely fantastic. I can’t wait for more books from Alicia Thompson!

This is Alicia’s best book (IMO). I liked her previous books, but I LOVED this one! I’m not really a fan of baseball, but this one was a home run!

Daphne’s had a rough time after her divorce. She drinks a bit too much at a baseball game, heckles at Chris, one of the player’s, making him cry and leave the game while on national TV! Daphne then slides into his dm’s, attempting to apologize, but it really just turns into back and forth conversation getting to know each other while she remains anonymous. Daphne then starts working with the team, which makes it all more complicated.

The IG messages kept me wondering when / how reveal was going to be like - but it all unfolded so well. At the same time, it brought me You’ve Got Mail vibes with the anonymous pen-pal convos. It had relatable characters, funny moments, raw emotions, all mixed with swoon and spice to make it the perfect story. I read it in 2 days (because it was late and had to sleep to work the next day), I could not put it down!

📱Online “kinda” meet cute?
🕵🏻‍♀️ Hidden identity
❤️‍🔥 Forced proximity
💫 Mental health representation
⚾️ Swoony baseball player MMC
🐈 A cat named Milo
🥊 Eye of the Tiger

TW: dealing with loss / grief; suicide; divorce

Ps. I could not get over the fact that there was mention of songs like “Pa Que La Pases Bien” by Arcangel, and “Getcha Head in The Game” from High School Musical, all in the same sentence 🤣.
The Twilight baseball reference in the acknowledgements was gold.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC! Cannot wait to get my physical copy.

The Art of Catching Feelings is the perfect summer baseball read, but everyone also call up MTV’s Catfish because this book could seriously be an episode. All jokes aside, Alicia Thompson takes readers right into the bullpen of the baseball world. She covers sports journalism, mental health, and the journey of self-love/self-care.

When recent divorcee Daphne Brink (also known as Duckie) attends a Carolina Battery baseball game, she has one too many drinks and makes the poor decision to heckle baseball player Chris Kepler. Daphne then takes it upon herself to DM Chris and apologize, but leaves out a big detail: she’s the infamous heckler. What ensues over the course of the novel is a rollercoaster of emotions and a blossoming love story.

For some reason I got serious ‘A Cinderella Story’ vibes from this novel. Hidden identities, text conversations, and, of course, the sports element. It's the summer read that we're all looking for but also imparts emotional moments that will stick with readers.

Chris Kepler gives serious golden retriever energy, he’s kind, attentive, and also in a space of healing. Daphne, on the other hand, is like an onion. She has many layers that unfold over the course of the novel. Her actions, while frustrating at times, do have meaning. Most importantly, the emotional bond between the two characters is touching and revealing. Books that openly discuss mental health play such an important role in de-stigmatizing preconceived notions and help build bridges with readers.

I also loved our side characters. Layla is a QUEEN. A boss, a voice of reason, and showcases the reality of being a female broadcaster in the sports media. I would also like to highlight the shoutout that the Toronto Blue Jays received, it made me so happy!

A quote that I know people will love: “You’re the book I want to reread. For the rest of my life”.

But my favourite: “I just want someone to know me...to love me for who I am but to also push me to be who I want to be”.


I want to end my review with this, I’m not a fan of heckling. To me, being a fan of a professional athlete or even a causal spectator of a sport is to acknowledge and applaud the sheer physicality it takes to play at such a high level. Not under any circumstance is it okay to attempt to demean a player, team, coaching staff, or opponents. It doesn’t matter if you’re having a bad day, drunk, or think the players won’t hear you. Words matter and there’s always someone on the other end receiving them.

Thank you so much Berkley Publishing for another ARC, The Art of Catching Feeling is a HOME RUN!

This book is a Rom Com about a baseball player falling in love with his heckler. There is a lot of communication over text messages that was hard to connect to. There is also talk of a side character and suicide. I wanted to love this book but couldn't get into the characters and story line.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

This had the bones for a really wonderful romance, but I personally struggled with the lying and secret identity aspect of this plot. Overall this was still a great read, but isn’t one I would reread.

Daphne kept *almost* telling him and then losing her nerve and it got quite annoying after a while, I’m gonna be honest. And listen, I get that this is a nerve wracking thing she’s dealing with, but come on lol. I don’t mind miscommunication in books, I think a lot of time it’s more realistic and can add to the angst of a romance, but this one annoyed me.

I will say that I enjoyed Chris’s character. A LOT. That’s all. I just really loved him haha.

Also, the smut was really hot and perfectly timed in their story, well done to the author for that 🥵

I finished this book generally feeling like I had a fun time but not a memorable time. I’m not a baseball fan in any aspect either so there were a lot of references and Easter eggs that likely went right over my head. 🤷‍♀️


*I received an arc from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*