Ever since reading Set On You I knew that Amy Lea was going to become an auto buy author for me. In The Catch, her third and final instalment of her Influencer series, Lea has cemented herself as one of my favourite contemporary romance authors. I adore her writing style, her characters and the stories she weaves for us.

The Catch was such a fab read, I loved it. In it we have Melanie’s story, a fashion and beauty lifestyle influencer who finds herself as a fish out of water in a small rusk Canadian fishing village. Whilst desperately looking for somewhere to stay she stumbles upon Whaler Inn and is greet by surly Evan. After a boating incident lands Evan in the hospital Mel is mistaken for his fiancee and so begins a glorious enemies to lovers fake dating situation.

There was so much to enjoy about The Catch that I’m going to hit you with a list. We have:
🎣 enemies to lovers, with fake dating - I didn’t realise how much I loved these tropes together
👠 a brilliant slow burn build up with steamy payoff 🔥
🎣 a wonderful FMC who is trying to figure out who she is, how she wants to define herself and what she wants
👠 a brilliant MMC who is so kind and caring, once we move past his super surliness, who is trying to heal from an event that left him feeling he didn’t deserve happiness
🎣 the most wonderful secondary characters in Evan’s family. They were so brilliant, especially Lucy and Uncle Ned
👠 the most heart warming found family situation I’ve read in some time
🎣 seeing more or Crystal and Tara
👠 amazing small town community and vibes

I really enjoyed this one and it was one of the best enemies to lovers I’ve read in a long time. The slow burn and sizzling chemistry worked so well here. I’ll admit that it left me wishing I could visit Cora’s Cove as well! Overall, a fab read is highly recommend.

I'm gonna just put it out there... I am so done with the whole 'woman leaves the city and moves to the bum fuck middle of nowhere for a guy' trope because, for once, why can't the guy decide 'you know what? I love this woman enough to move anywhere for her.' Why does it always have to be the women giving up her life with the assumption that living in the 'country' is better than a city. And this is coming from a woman who would absolutely pack up her life and go and live somewhere remote if she had the chance. Anyway, rant over lol. While this book does fall into this trope it also subverts it in a way at the end.

Mel is a great character and someone who carries a lot of trauma with her. Adopted and then abandoned by her mother, raised by a father who couldn't seem to get out of debt, growing up being the sole parent to her younger brother, constantly in fear of loosing her income and going back to that life. Despite being a fashion influencer with thousands of followers, she only has two people in the world she would class as 'friends' and lives a fairly solitary life. Sufering from a decline in followers and paid partnerships, when she gets offered the chance of flying out to a boutique spa for an all inclusive week away she jumps at the chance. But fate has other ideas in mind and Mel's week away quickly goes from chilled to chilly.

Enter Evan. Evan was probably my least favourite of Lea's male leads. He spends the first part of the book almost looking down on Mel for her profession, snubbing her, assuming she's rich because she makes an effort and wears nice clothes, calling her vapid and vain. And then when they finally get together he just assumes that she would upend her life in Boston to come and live with him because he could never live in a city. Doesn't understand her worry when her brother stops answering her messages. He basically acted like a man child through most of the book, but it's ok... he made it all up at the end with a grand gesture and kind of apology... (just in case you didn't get that bit I was being massively sarcastic!)

Despite Evan ruining a good portion of the book for me, there were parts that I did like, mainly the plot line about the Inn and Evan's family. Lea does a brilliant job at how tragedy can tear a family apart and love can bring it back together. Evan may have been a man child, and some of his family members certainly acted a little childish in parts, but as a whole I loved them and they added a humour and quirkiness to the story that was very much needed.

The romance was enemies to lovers, but the worst kind of it, where the characters act like children in parts rather than the adults they are. It's filled with misconceptions and misunderstandings, namely because of Evan's behaviour and then almost 360 turn around, and I struggled getting invested in it. There's plenty of smut and heat filled scenes, but I just didn't feel the romance between these two and, since this was a rom-com at heart, it ruined the book a little for me.

I'm so sad that this was ending to this series because I loved the first two books. It felt almost juvenile compared to the rest of the stories and romances and, apart from Mel and a few of Evan's family members, the characters acted incredibly juvenile in parts too. If you're a staunch enemies to lovers fan you may enjoy this one, but the romance just wasn't for me and overall made the book fall flat.

This is a classic tale of hate at first sight! Overall this was a highly enjoyable, heartwarming romance and Amy Lea is becoming a must buy author for me.

An enemies to lovers book with lots of spice - what is not to love?!

This was such a good series and I am sad to see it come to an end - but this was a great book to finish it with!

Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me and I felt that it was just trying to tap into the current trend of Tik Tok-popular books.

This was such a good grumpy sunshine, small town romance! Cora's Cove sounded like such a cute town, and I loved that the story was set at the inn. It was such a good backdrop to Mel and Evan's romance.

Mel and Evan were a really sweet couple and I really enjoyed the development of their relationship. The fake dating was fun and Evan's family made for an interesting dynamic. I do think their relationship developed too quickly as the whole thing occurs over a couple of weeks, but I guess the forced proximity sped things along.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, and it was great to see Crystal and Tara again too. I'm sad that this series is over now as I thoroughly enjoyed them all!

This book was the perfect combination of The Proposal, grumpy sunshine, small town romance! He even wears plaid and owns an inn so not sure how much more quintessential you can get in a small town romance. I knew what I was in for and I loved it. It was the perfect mix of will they / won't they with a smidgen of family drama to ground the story. What an escape!

The relationship was a slow burn that took up half the book but the second half really picked up and by the third act break-up I was really rooting for them. I would have loved a bit more on their story at the end of the book as it was a little rushed but this helped to build the whirlwind romance.

Read if you love
- Grumpy / sunshine
- Slow burn
- Fake dating
- Small town / big city romance
- Found family

P.S. I now really want a whale watching trip to Nova Scotia.

An absolutely delightful romance, because Amy Leo literally cannot let you down. busy influencer trying to save her brand meets a burly fisherman trying to save a family business. It's full of banter, joy, and Lea's trademark love for social media and all it can do.

I love a romance that takes place in Canada, I am sold on the lovely small town Canadian lumberjack men! Evan falls into this category well and is the perfect grumpy to Melanie’s Sunshine! There is one paragraph that has “10 things I hate about you” vibes and I am here for it!!!!

I have enjoyed each book from this series, I can’t wait to see what the author does next!

Thank you to the publishers for a copy of this book via NetGalley! 🙌 this one releases in February and I can’t wait for my physical copy to go on my book trophy shelf for rereads! 🫶

Rating: 4 stars ⭐️

Tropes:
enemies to lovers 💙
grumpy x sunshine ☀️
forced proximity 🏚️
fake dating 🌹
small town 🎣

If you love banter between the main characters in books, this is a MUST read! 🩵

This was a cosy read that I enjoyed. I would suggest reading the two other books first to have the best reading experience.

In this story you follow the third (fashion/lifestyle) influencer from the group, Melanie Karlsen. She received an all-paid stay at an amazing resort in Nova Scotia, Canada. 🇨🇦 

When she arrived at the luxurious hotel, there was something wrong with the dates of the booking which made it impossible for her to stay there. Melanie could only go to the resort in a week and needed a temporary stay.

She drove to a B&B in a small fisher’s town that wasn’t yet fully booked but stumbled upon a grumpy lobster fisherman, Evan… 🦞

Their banter was everything and I loved reading about his family.

I really liked “the influencers” series so far and was so excited to receive this arc! 🫶🏻

Thank you to Netgalley, Amy Lea and Penguin General UK for providing me with this copy. All opinions are my own.

Amy Lea can do no wrong and her influencer series are proof of that!
Grumpy x sunshine is one of my favorite tropes in romance and Evan (the grumpy small town fisherman) and Mel (full of energy big city girl) are perfectly executing this dynamic.
The romance was sweet, angsty and raw. I loved seeing Mel finally finding the match for herself as well

Highly recommended!

Thank you so much for the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted earc!

This was a fun and entertaining read. Perhaps it would have been a bit more beneficial if I read the the first two books to get more context and understanding of the characters. But it has a lot of tropes I think many will like and definitely for those spice readers.
Grateful for the opportunity to read this early.

'The Catch' is the perfect read to pick up for a quick cosy escape from the winter blues! The characters are, as always, funny and charming making the story feel so warm and engrossing. The relationship develops sloooowly making the bickering so fun to read, I really love a grumpy/sunshine, they have my heart <3 I absolutely loved this I think it was my favourite Amy Lea yet, and as always she remains on my auto buy list!

first Amy Lea book and it did not disappoint!
Thank you to the publishers for the ARC!
This is an additive little romcom, well-written, one you can read in one sitting. Definitely one for any romance fans.

amy lea can do little wrong in my eyes. she hits another grumpy sunshine, enemies-to-lovers story out of the park with the catch. a fashion influencer (melanie) ends up in rural canada in a fishing village, in a last ditch attempt to revive her career. she meets evan whaler (lol), a beefy fisherman who does not live up to the stereotype that all canadians are nice. tensions are high and the banter is sizzling. there is some fake dating too. loved this and will continue to read anything amy lea writes. shopping lists included!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher of this book and of course author Amy Lea for allowing me to read an advanced readers copy of The Catch. I am very grateful.

The Catch is the third release from The Influencer series (Set on You and Exes & O's being the previous two books)
This story follows social media influencer Melanie in a story that is about realizing that vanity and image really isn't everything.

Plot:

After booking a complimentary stay at a seaside resort in Nova Scotia, Canada in exchange for her social media marketing, Mel's plans end up take a literal detour after a mix up in her checking in date.

Mel is forced to find alternative temporary accommodation and comes across The Whaler Inn which was advertised online. Upon arrival Melanie finds a run down building that is still under construction with renovations with two very different hosts, Lucy and Evan.
During her "temporary" stay Mel gets to know her hosts pretty well and ends up finding herself in the middle of some pretty intense family drama.

My review:

The Catch is a really fun and heartwarming romance read. This story includes the very popular Grumpy x Sunshine trope, which during the book is pretty hilarious at times with a great balance of sarcasm and wit, while simultaneously bringing awareness to some more delicate and important subjects such as grief and loss.

The characters development in this story was really well written as the reader is given a decent amount of backstory about most of them, which gave the characters plenty of room to learn and grow with their experiences.

The Catch is definitely an adult romance read as there is a decent amount of tantalizing spicy scenes throughout. This book did very much remind me of "It Happened One Summer" by Tessa Bailey, however in my opinion The Catch was a much better read. So if you liked the afffirmentioned Tessa Bailey title, then there is now doubt you will love this too.

I really enjoyed The Catch and I can say this is a title that I would purchase. I have also already recommended it to others too.

Now this is my favourite Amy Lea book yet! It is a literary jackpot, boy meets girl or should we say fashion influencer meets lobster fisherman... Well I can tell you now this fisherman is catching more than fish. And if that isn't enticing enough this book is also my favourite trope of enemies-to-lovers. Because nothing says 'I love you' like starting off with a healthy dose of 'I can't stand you'. This book really had a little bit of everything, from the family dynamics, to the witty humour, to the heart-warmingly good moments that left me wanting more. I felt a real strength of the book was the continual character development that made your heart coo and your fingers constantly keep turning the pages. The steady pacing of the book was brilliant, whilst the ending unfolded in a timely yet not rushed manner. I could't recommend it enough!

An easy 4.5 stars. Wow, Amy Lea strikes again. Will I ever not become obsessed with a new book by her? No, don’t think so!

So think, ‘it happened one summer’ but BETTER

Some excellently executed tropes included inside this book:

💍 fake fiance
🛏️Forced proximity
😡😍Enemies to lover
🏡Found family

Convinced? It’s out 15th Feb!!

I have read and loved every single book by Amy Lea and I was so happy to be able to read this book early! I loved it so much, these books just bring me so much joy! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

Thank you to the publishers for the ARC!

This is a very cute little romcom, well-written, addictive, and sweet. Definitely one for any romance fans.

"The Catch" by Amy Lea is a rom-com treasure that sparkles with wit, charm, and a hearty dose of reality. Mel's escapade from the glittering city life to a rustic fishing village unfolds with an authenticity that's as refreshing as the Canadian sea breeze. Her faux engagement with Evan, the gruff fisherman who challenges her preconceived notions of happiness, is penned with a chemistry that crackles off the pages.

The novel is a symphony of hilarity and poignant moments that resonated with me deeply, striking a balance between funny and emotional with an adept hand. "The Catch" is a testament to Amy Lea's talent for crafting relatable characters and swoon-worthy scenarios that are as endearing as they are believable. The character-driven plot, combined with Mel and Evan's irresistible dynamic, made this book a page-turner that I simply couldn't put down. Lea has delivered a story that's both a delightful escape and a thoughtful reflection on the paths we choose in life.