I was in the mood for a good romcom, and this one definitely ticked the box for me! The story follows Daphne, a book influencer, and Chris, a baseball player for the Charleston Battery. Daphne attends a baseball game, gets drunk, and heckles Chris. Unfortunately, he hears her and reacts, turning it into a media story.
Daphne tries to apologize via DM but doesn't reveal she's the heckler, only known to Chris by her username "Duckie." They form an online friendship that builds tension, especially when Daphne starts working as a reporter at the Battery's field. Their online rapport translates beautifully in person, but Daphne struggles with telling Chris the truth about her identity.
I'll admit, there were plenty of opportunities for Daphne to come clean, and it got a bit frustrating. However, their relationship was sweet, the story engaging, and I really enjoyed the book overall. If you're not a fan of the hidden identity trope, you might find this uncomfortable, as I did at times. Chris is an absolute sweetheart, and I worried he’d get hurt.
As a Brit, I have little knowledge of baseball (it's like a more complicated/professional game of rounders to me), but the game's descriptions were easy to follow. I also fell in love with the author's writing style and will definitely be checking out her other books in the future!

I really liked the MMC in this and the summer vibes of the book. However I did struggle a little with the miscommunication trope and how long Daphne prolongs her reveal. However, if you like the miscommunication trope then this won’t be a problem for you!

After a night drinking at a baseball game takes a disastrous turn, Daphne tries to redeem herself for heckling baseball star, Chris Kepler. Except, she leaves out the most important part of her apology leading to Daphne living a double life.

Daphne has effectively dug herself a hole that she can’t get out of(APART FROM USING BASIC HONESTY) but as much as the miscommunication trope frustrated me, the plot wouldn’t have been the same without it.

Baseball was a nice change to the usual hockey and football tropes, and it was written in a way that you didn’t even need to know the sport to be able to understand the story.

This book had me screaming JUST TELL HIM the majority of the way through, especially as Daphne and Chris’s relationship starts to develop.

Alicia Thompson is the queen of fast paced romance and although the tropes can be problematic, I was still living for the drama.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in return for an honest review!

Thanks so much to Alicia Thompson, Transworld and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the premise was unique and captivating and I enjoyed seeing the way Daphne's and Chris' relationship unravelled. The story was well paced and the baseball setting was great. Their chemistry was undeniable and deliciously depicted.

However, I really struggled with Daphne's characterisations, the way in which she still pursued a relationship without revealing her identity was in my opinion, cruel, especially in light of recent events in Chris' life. I would have rated this book higher, if this didn't occur when it did (I think this could have come much later, without the need for Chris to get hurt/betrayed so badly.)

Regardless, I enjoyed the writing style, and will be reading more of Alicia's work!

Firstly, thank you so much for letting me read The art of catching feelings early.
Daphne has just finalised her divorce to her childhood crush. Her older brothers bestfriend, when she gets both tickets to a baseball game. She ends up getting very drunk and enjoying herself, maybe a little too much and ends up heckling a player on the team she is meant to be supporting.
To apologise, she messages him on Instagram, but didn't add in it was her heckling.
Little did she know they would get close. But then she would have to work with him. Without knowing who she really was

‘The Art Of Catching Feelings’ by Alicia Thompson is a unique and funny sports romance which will put your emotions through the ringer as you root for the two loveable main characters and bask in their incredible chemistry.

When we first meet Daphne, she is freshly divorced and a handful of pints down at the front of the stands in a Major League Baseball stadium spewing innocent witticisms that endear her to the surrounding fans. Meanwhile, life hasn’t been fun and games for Chris for a while, but an unfortunately-audible-from-the-field heckle sends him to rock bottom. After a heartfelt but vague and pseudo-anonymous apology leads to an exchange of intimate DMs and a blossoming friendship, things get complicated when Daphne gets a job working with the team and decides not to reveal her alter-ego.

I really loved that:
- Daphne was a reader (even better, a bookstagrammer!) and a cat lover so was supremely relatable
- Chris was incredibly sensitive and down-to-earth
- The book dealt sensitively with the difficult topic of suicide
- The message exchanges were revealing and adorable

The miscommunication vibes are strong in this novel, but the flawed but wonderful characters, impeccable spice, deep emotions and warm humour made it a 4.5 star read for me!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Random House UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Daphne Brink is teetering on the edge of a mild breakdown after her recent divorce. When the chance arises to one-up her ex by snagging free tickets to a baseball game with great seats, she eagerly accepts. Even though she's not a sports fan, she thinks it's better to have some alone time and indulge in her sadness.

With the help of some IPAs and the company of her best friend, things start to look up until she finds herself heckling Chris Kepler, a player for the Carolina Battery, with a Winnie the Pooh reference. Surprisingly, the star player is unfamiliar with the famous line from "A League of Their Own": "There's no crying in baseball." Daphne's taunt seems to hit a sore spot, causing Chris to cry right in the middle of the game. Once she sobers up, she feels guilty and writes Chris an apology, carefully omitting that she was the one who heckled him into a meltdown.

Their correspondence goes smoothly, and Daphne ends up working for the team while hiding her true identity. She also realizes she's falling for Chris. However, she worries about what will happen if he discovers the truth. Will the strong bond they've formed dissolve, leaving her heartbroken once again?

I must confess, sports romances aren't usually my thing. While I enjoy watching soccer and basketball, baseball has never really grabbed my interest. That's why Ms. Thompson's book was such a pleasant surprise – it made me appreciate the sports world, largely thanks to the wonderful book boyfriend she created. I couldn't help but love Chris more than Daphne.

Chris is sweet, sensitive, and caring – a perfect dream guy for many women. Readers will undoubtedly swoon over him. His struggle with grief and panic attacks is depicted so realistically that I wanted to jump into the book, hug him, and reassure him that things would improve over time.

Overall, this is a charming and engaging sports romance that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing a digital review copy of this delightful book in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5🌟
I was lucky enough to receive an arc for this book and it was sweet! it had all the cute summer vibes and I loved the MMC, he had depth to him and he was entertaining.

The only downside of this book was that I absolutely hated that Daphne delayed every single opportunity to tell him who she really is, and the buildup of lies just wasn't for me personally.

I found this one hard to get into. The Instagram messages where not punctuated very well so it was hard to tell when the character was talking to us as a reader or the other characters! I think it has some promise but not for me.

The Art of Catching Feelings By Alicia Thompson
Rating:4/5
Release Date: 1 August 2024

Daphne Brink isn't exactly a baseball enthusiast, but anything beats the monotony of home post-divorce. So, she finds herself at the ballpark, where one too many beers embolden her to heckle Chris Kepler, a player for Carolina Battery. To her horror, Chris responds emotionally, shattering her preconceptions of the game. Seeking redemption, Daphne reaches out to apologise on social media, but forgets to mention her role as his heckler.

Chris, usually indifferent to fan messages, is intrigued by one from someone named "Duckie." Their exchanges reveal a connection that resonates deeply with him.

As their virtual bond strengthens, Daphne grapples with the weight of her deception, especially as she becomes more involved with the team in real life.

“The Art of Catching Feelings” is a home run of a romance novel. Alicia Thompson's storytelling masterfully blends humour and heart, creating a narrative that keeps you eagerly flipping pages.

Daphne emerges as a delightful lead—fearless, witty, and wonderfully flawed. Her transformation from heckler to genuine companion is both captivating and heartwarming.
Chris, on the other hand, adds depth as a character grappling with inner turmoil despite outward success. Their chemistry crackles on the page, making every interaction a delight.

Adding to the perfection of this novel is its dual narrative, granting readers intimate access to the inner workings of both protagonists. Balancing moments of levity with profound themes of loss and healing, the book navigates emotional terrain with finesse.

"The Art of Catching Feelings" is a charming and clever romance that strikes all the right chords. With its well-drawn characters, engaging plot, and emotional depth, it's a must-read for anyone in search of a heartwarming love story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Penguin, and the author, Alicia Thompson, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I read it all in one sitting! Alicia Thompson can do no wrong

As a huge fan of Alicia Thompson's previous novels, I was really excited to get my hands on her newest work. This is for readers who love slow-burn and sports romances. There was something about it that reminded me a lot of Funny Story by Emily Henry.

The Art of Catching Feelings starts with our main character, Daphne, at a stadium watching baseball, even though she knows nothing about the game. She's just finalized her divorce and is there to distract herself from her very up-in-the-air life. She ends up getting quite drunk and heckling a player, making him cry, which she immediately regrets. Daphne decides to send a message on IG to the player, Chris, apologizing, but ends up forgetting to mention the most important part: that she's the heckler. They start texting and develop a sort of friendship, only he doesn't know who she is. Parallel to this, she takes over her sister-in-law's job as the sideline reporter for the baseball team, interacting with Chris as the heckler he knows. How then will she reconcile the two people Chris knows?

I really liked this book! This was more of a traditional romance novel, compared to Thompson's other works, but she did wonders with it, as usual. I love slow-burn romances and sensitive male characters and am a huge fan of books where the main characters text and/or email a lot, so this was a home run (I still don't understand baseball, so bear with me). The connection between these characters felt very genuine, like they would inevitably find each other and fall in love no matter the circumstances.

Thank you very much to Penguin UK | Transworld for this e-ARC!

Title: The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson

Release Date: August, 1st, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars

Prepare for a home run of emotions with The Art of Catching Feelings, a delightful rom-com by Alicia Thompson that proves love can come from the most unexpected places—even the bleachers of a baseball stadium!


Daphne Brink isn't a baseball fan. In fact, she finds "America's Snoozefest" a convenient distraction after signing her divorce papers. But after indulging in one too many ballpark beers, she finds herself heckling Carolina Battery player Chris Kepler. To her horror, Chris actually reacts, proving that even the toughest players can shed a tear or two.

Feeling guilty, Daphne reaches out to Chris on social media to apologise. However, she makes a crucial mistake—she doesn't mention that she was the heckler. Under the pseudonym “Duckie,” Daphne strikes up an unexpected connection with Chris, who is also going through a rough patch. He's grieving and fragile, making her sweet and funny messages a welcome escape.

As Daphne and Chris's online friendship deepens, she finds herself in a sticky situation. Working closely with the team in real life, her feelings for Chris grow stronger, but so does her guilt. Will she come clean about her identity before the truth strikes her out?

Why I enjoyed It:

⚾ Unique Meet-Cute: A heckler and a professional baseball player? Talk about a one-of-a-kind way to meet!
😂 Hilarious and Heartfelt: Daphne's sharp wit and Chris's vulnerability create a dynamic and entertaining romance.
🎭 Dual Identities: The tension of Daphne hiding her heckler identity adds an exciting twist to their budding relationship.
❤️ Emotional Depth: Beyond the laughs, the book deals with themes of grief, healing, and the importance of honest connections.


The Art of Catching Feelings is a grand slam of a romance novel. Alicia Thompson's storytelling is both humorous and touching, weaving a narrative that keeps you eagerly turning the pages.

Daphne is a refreshing protagonist—bold, funny, and flawed in the best ways. Her journey from heckler to heartfelt companion is both entertaining and endearing. Chris, on the other hand, is a wonderfully complex character, showing that even those who seem to have it all can struggle beneath the surface. Their chemistry is undeniable, making every interaction a treat.

The unique premise of meeting through a heckle and the ensuing social media exchange adds a modern twist to the traditional rom-com formula.

The dual narrative gives us deep insights into both characters' thoughts and feelings, enriching the story.

The emotional depth of the book, with themes of loss and healing, balances the lighthearted moments perfectly. The stakes feel real, and the resolution is satisfying without being overly predictable.

The Art of Catching Feelings is a charming and witty romance that hits all the right notes. With its well-drawn characters, engaging plot, and emotional resonance, it's a must-read for anyone looking for a feel-good love story.

Thank you to The Publisher Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Penguin ,The Author Alicia Thompson & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.