Another home run for Amy Lea; already a fan of her previous work, this was an easy book to fall into. Small town romance with grumpy sunshine trope, whilst continuing the theme of how much social media is an impact on people’s lives which few contemporary writers do.

This book was the final to an interconnected standalone to a three-book series, and was the perfect book to end the series on
I was unable to put the book down and read it in one sitting
The plot was compelling and the characters felt real.
It felt as though I was watching a film rather than reading a book

I would absolutely recommed to others!

The catch follows Melanie, a social media influencer who is struggling with her online presence. She is gifted a luxury stay at a Spa in Canada and jumps at the chance to try and revive her dying platform. Melanie arrives at the spa to find they have messed up her booking and she has no choice but to find another accommodation until the following week when the spa can fit her in. Melanie finally finds a b&b in a nearby fishing town and arrives in the dead of night to a grumpy fisherman and the joyful Lucy, whom she spends the next week with indulging in all the town has to offer…

I LOVED this book! My first 5 star of 2024 and I’m so happy this was it. I fell in love with all of the characters, especially Evan’s nana. My heart simply swelled with every scene involving her.

The characters and their development in this story was great to read. There were amazing backstories, personality traits and descriptions that brought each character to life.

I absolutely love fake dating and enemies to lovers and this was the perfect mix of both. When I say I fell in love with Evan and Melanie,
My god their story…the moment at the lighthouse.. the waterfall photo shoot… all these moments had me giggling and kicking my feet.

This book is also slightly spicy and the romance scenes and dialogue really hit you in the heart! Evan has a way with words and I now need to find myself a Canadian fisherman pronto.

Overall a great final installment to the series. I am grateful I got a chance to read this before publishing. I will definitely be re-reading this one!

The catch follows social media influencer Melanie on a luxury gifted spa trip for her Instagram account. Melanie is all set to relax and soak in the spa atmosphere when she finds out her trip has been booked a week later than planned and cannot be moved. Only problem is, she has already caught her flight there. To go back she would need to fund her own very expensive ticket and then fly back a week later. In a moment of madness, Melanie decides to stay in a local fishing town nearby for the week and books the only B and B she can find. Upon arrival the place is a construction site. Cue grumpy, mysterious fisherman Evan who owns the place with his polar opposite, Lucy, the most kind and lovely woman ever. Begrudgingly Evan allows Melanie to stay for the week, but he doesn't hide his annoyance very well. When a brutal fishing boat accident sends Evan to the hospital, Melanie is the only one with him and can't go to ICU. So she does the only thing she can think of. She tells the hospital she is Evan's fiancé. But when Evan's family hear about this, how will they react? How can Melanie explain herself? Or should they keep it a secret?

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! My first 5 star read of 2024. This book is a story filled with love, family, hope and laughter. The whalers (Evans family) are like being enveloped in a warm hug. They are the most realistic family I have read in a long time. They have their fair share of issues and arguments but at the heart of it is a family trying to do what's best for everyone. Melanie is a comforting and badass main character. She teaches you about accepting who you are and the hand you have been dealt in life whilst also telling you to reach for the stars in everything you do. And Evan is stoic in his views and protective of Melanie and his family. He fights for what he loves and loves with his whole heart. This story was so beautiful and encompassing from beginning to end.

Thank you so much to Penguin and NetGalley for an eARC of Amy Lea’s final instalment in the Influencer series called The Catch.

I really enjoyed this book, as I have with the others in this series, and I enjoy Amy Lea’s writing and character development. Evan and Mel are the perfect grumpy/sunshine combination and the side characters really added to the story, namely Evan’s family who he is really close with.

I also enjoyed the story arc and how everything came together at the end of the story. And the epilogue, I almost cried at it.

The Catch releases on February 15th and I’ll be getting a physical copy to add to my collection.

(Actual rating 4.5 stars)

This was so gloriously easy to rate 5 stars. I loved everything about it - the small town setting, the close biological family, the found family, the pure angst... all of it was just so well-explored.

I adored Evan. He was the perfect blend of grumpy to start and pure softness by the end, with hints of possessiveness in the sweetest way. I loved that he wasn't afraid to be vulnerable, he was emotionally available and he was just nice. Melanie was a great protagonist too. The author somehow manages to create this concoction of 'typical influencer' mixed with 'girl with real problems'. They're mutually exclusive, which is so hard to do but is done so well in this book.

The side characters were all so great to follow, especially seeing how Mel interacted with Evan's family. I'm also a sucker for a fake dating/fake engagement storyline, so this was bound to be a success. I would recommend to people who enjoyed It Happened One Summer; the storylines are very similar, but each book has its own nuances that allow it to stand out. Definitely going to have to buy this as a physical copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and Amy Lea for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I must have watching While You Were Sleeping when I was about 7 years old, and didn’t rate it (no wonder, I was 7, why would I care what Sandy was up to with some dude in a hospital). Since then I’ve just assumed that I wouldn’t be a fan of that kind of story, but I love fake dating, I love marriage of convenience, who am I kidding, these stories were made for me!

And this was too good! I didn’t think I could fall for a book boyfriend called Evan, but here we are and oh my word was he just 🥵

I loved the chaos of the story, the dynamic between Mel and Evan right from the start was amazing and made for such addictive reading. I was very obsessed with Evan’s entire family and the whole setting was gorgeous.

Just a great fun read with the right amount of annoyance at the characters towards the end where I really did want to throw something at them but it’s okay cause I know they’re gonna work it out!

When I requested this book I did not realise it was part of a series so I went back and read the other 2 books first (I'm sure I still would have had a good time reading it on it's own but I wanted to have the full experince) and I have to say I think this book was actually my favourite of the 3 books.
Mel felt like the most interesting and relatable character of the friendship group with her anxieties and worries for her loved ones and it made me want to root for her so hard. I enjoyed the friendships she made along the way with Evan's family and townsfolk too. It felt cosy and real! A delightful read!
(Actual rating 4.5)

This book was amazing!

What’s better than Grumpy/ sunshine? It’s one of my favourite tropes and I will pretty much read any book with it in it and this book did not disappoint!

This is the third book I have read by Amy Lea and it is the best yet! I love books with great side characters and fun banter and this book had lots of that!

This was an okay read, but I didn’t really connect with the characters and large chunks of the plot felt far-fetched or overdramatised: the reason for the fake engagement, Mel’s reactions to all the wee beasties, the reason for the third-act breakup…
I’m all for a spicy read, but with having struggled to feel connected to the characters, these fell a bit flat for me and didn’t really help advance the plot.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the eARC - unfortunately this one wasn't for me. 2.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for my advance copy of this book. I really like Amy Lea’s style of writing and it was good to catch up with characters in the series. This book is a 3.5 star read for me, I felt it got better as I read the book and my interest increased. An enjoyable read and I will definitely be reading more of this author’s books.

DNF at 22%

I loved Amy Lea's previous two books, so I was disappointed that this one just wasn't on the same level at all.

I know I'm not going to enjoy it, the enemies to lovers feels forced and there's no reason for it, the characters seem immature and everything feels a little rushed and not really developed.

And I get that Melanie is an influencer and social media is her job, but what happened on the boat and even how she dressed for the whale watching trip just came across as so shallow. I decided that this was enough for me and that's where I would be ending my reading of this book.

This book is about an influencer who finds herself at a BnB owned by a grumpy lumberjack because of a mix up with the place she was actually meant to be going.

They are quickly thrust together and end up entering the world of fake dating but not just fake dating. They are pretending to be engaged to help save his family inn.

They start off really disliking each other and constantly bickering until their forced proximity allows them to open up to each other and they become more than strangers.

It has loads of cute scenes of them bonding and bickering lol. I loved both their characters especially Evan after he warmed up a bit. But even before tbh. It was a cute book but it was just missing something for me.

I really enjoyed this book! I love the positivity and lovely vibes of Amy Lea’s books. She just knows how to write great banter and chemistry that’s off the scale!! Huge While You Were Sleeping vibes from this plot and I absolutely love that movie (I think I actually squealed when I clicked with what was happening).

Evan and Mel were just so cute together. I loved the found-family elements of the story, and the fact that Mel’s closed off tendencies felt relatable.

I also really really appreciated that Mel was a character who’d had cosmetic work done and that wasn’t framed as a negative thing. It was refreshing. Women are constantly demonised for having botox/fillers/plastic surgery etc., and while it’s not something I would personally get done myself, the judgement of people who do always annoys me (unless they’re lying about having work done, or promoting it in a harmful way, then those are different conversations…)

Overall, I just really enjoyed this book. It’s brightened up a gloomy January and I’m really grateful to have received an early copy via Netgalley. Big rec from me!

ARC Review - The catch

Thank you to NetGalley and Amy Lea for this ARC in return for an honest review. I was so excited when I saw that I had been approved to receive an ARC copy of The Catch by Amy Lea. This is my first read by Amy (Exes and O’s has been on my TBR forever!) and it was wonderful!
It was charming, sweet and generally such a fun, light and easy read.

Mel and Evan’s story was perfect. The rom-com humour throughout this story was a delight. I genuinely can’t believe that this is my first time reading a book of Amy’s. Although the story and development of their relationship was fast-paced, it was written in such a lovely way that I didn’t mind how quick they were moving. I love that the author acknowledges the pace of their relationship, this was refreshing.

The story covers sensitive topics in a relatable and sensitive way. I loved how we got to read about Mel and Julian’s relationship and their vulnerabilities when coping with their grief and navigating the logistics of their relationship towards the end of the story.

“This…” He gestures to the space between us. “ This was real, though, wasn’t it?” THIS. This melted my ice cold heart. 🥹❤️

It’s small town romance, city girl meets small community, fake engagement and found family all in one. I had no idea that this was the third book in a series but I will definitely be reading the other two.

The Catch releases on 13th February and it is a must-read! 🥰 Can I erase my memory and read it all over again!? It truly is a perfect read!

Headlines:
Smooth meets rugged
Finding family
Less than perfection

Mel was a tougher character to like as a MC than as the side character we've seen her as in the previous books. She seemed somewhat superficial but I came to know that a lot of that was armour, purposed to protect herself from others and their opinions. In some ways, this was the least likeable kind of influencer this series has brought to us, but Lea did a good job of talking the reader around.

Evan and Mel locked horns from the off. They were both dominant characters and letting each other have the upper hand seemed impossible. This was a story told mostly over a few weeks and I am happy to report that it didn't seem like instalove but a connection built on many moments and some crisis that we got to see play out in depth.

What I didn't expect was for this story to sneak up on me in the feels department and have me shedding a tear or two. I hadn't realised I was so invested until I was. I read that last 20% like an academic cribbing for an exam so that I would get the resolution I needed.

This was a lot of fun and a lot of authentic feeling amidst the faking. I look forward to seeing what else Lea comes up with.

Thank you to Viking books for the eARC.

I enjoyed this last instalment of the influencer series - I liked the destination aspect of the storyline and that the LI wasn’t someone with a tenuous link to the already established group.

It was a super easy read with a great selection of classic romance tropes - I’m always up for a bit of grumpy x sunshine with some added angst, so this pairing worked perfectly in that respect.

I totally got The Proposal vibes suggested by Sarah Adams in the reviews with that main plot point - I do love a story where pretending turns into no longer pretending.

Overall a great rom com and a good end to this series of stories. A definite one to add to tbrs for fans of romance

3.75🌟

The Catch is the first book I’ve read by Amy Lea (I know it’s the third book in the series but I like to do things backwards 🤣) and I really enjoyed it.

This book gives The Proposal/It Happened One Summer vibes. I liked the enemies to lovers and the fake dating tropes. They were done really well and had me hooked throughout.

The only thing with this story is that it felt a bit too similar to It Happened One Summer. The grumpy fisherman and the preppy influencer, I wish it had a bit more originality to it but I loved it all the same. Nothing beats a small town romance for me, it’s one of my top tropes.

I liked how this story ended, I liked how the characters didn’t give up their whole lives for the other and that they compromised. I found that to be a much more realistic scenario. The falling in love in 2 weeks was a bit unrealistic for me though, I’m not a huge fan of the insta-love thing. It ruins the build up.

Mel was a pretty great character to follow. It was really nice to see her go from feeling so alone to finding that family she’d always wanted. I also really liked Evan, he was such a raw character and the emotions you felt when finding out about his guilt were heartbreaking.

Overall, this is such a cute, small town romcom with hints of raw, relatable moments. If this isn’t on your TBR’s then definitely get adding!

Thank you to @netgalley @amyleabooks and @vikingbooksuk for this ARC. Make sure to check this one out - 15th February!

The Catch is book 3 in Amy Lea's 'The Influencer' series and this time it's fashion influencer Melanie's turn. When a mix up in her arrival date in Canada to a luxury resort means Mel arrives a week early, she's faced with finding alternative accomodation to wait the week. With it being peak season, the only available place is in a tiny fishing village in a B&B that is currently under renovation. Owner Evan Whaler takes an instant disliking to Mel and only allows her under the instructions of his cousin who also runs the B&B.

After a boating accident where Evan is left unconscious, the staff at the hospital mistake her for his fiancée and tell his family about them when they arrive. The Whaler family have been feuding for years but things aren't as inflamatory with news of a wedding on the horizon! Mel and Evan agree to keep the charade up, to help mend Evan's family issues while Evan helps Mel with her social media content. Can they keep the pretense up for that long?

I enjoyed this book! This falls on the side of my kind of tropes with enemies to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, faking dating and small town romance. It's very easy to see this as a film, with Mel being the glamorous city fashionista and Evan the bearded, flannel wearing handsome fisherman. I liked the chemistry between the two and the miscommunication is minimal and not annoying. Evan's family are fun side characters too. If you liked the film The Proposal then you'll enjoy this!

NetGalley, Amy Lea, and Penguin Books UK generously provided a copy of this delightful romance, earning my enthusiastic four-star rating. Exploring beloved tropes like enemies to lovers, fake dating, grumpy x sunshine, only one bed, small town boy, and big city girl, it introduces a charming grumpy fisherman with a heart of gold. As a dedicated reader of Amy Lea's Influencer series, I can confidently say this is my favorite, featuring Evan, a top-tier boyfriend, and a perfect blend of laughter and heartfelt moments. Comparable to the romantic film 'The Proposal,' this is a must-read for all romance fans, evoking a range of emotions from joy to tears.