Scan barcode
lauraelovesbooks's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 🌟
After loving Exes and Ohs, I was hoping to like this one more. It was a cute book, but I found myself uninvested in the story and characters. Overall it felt a little too insta-lovey for my taste
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Abandonment
embroidery_by_booklover's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It gave me It happened one summer by Tessa Bailey vibes, which was nice. It just felt like I've read this story before?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Sexual content, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Abandonment, Grief, Death of parent, and Death
beckyremillard's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide attempt
breathehopebooks's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I don’t think i gel with Amy Lea’s writing or characterization. HOWEVER, this book was based on two of my favorite romcoms of all time, so i HAD to pick it up. It did become a struggle for me and i made myself power through it, but it was delightful getting every single reference to While Your Were Sleeping/The Proposal. There were aspects of each of those films i’d change for the book. Basically, i’d do this mash-up differently. It also surprisingly was giving Tessa Bailey’s It Happened One Summer, because of the high-maintenance city girl & grumpy fisherman in a small town. All that together.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Cursing, and Grief
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, and Death of parent
katrinaward's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Injury/Injury detail
tenderbench's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Grief
whatemilysreading's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Amy Lea is so obviously a contemporary romance fan - her writing is fresh, her characters are relatable, and the spice is 👍🏻👍🏻
I saw this book comped as The Proposal meets While You Were Sleeping, which really fit. The whole book felt like a walk through a quiet coastal town.
I liked Melanie and I thought most of us can probably relate to her struggles with social media and image. She an Evan had a great opposites attract dynamic. Their friendship and banter kept me hooked (sorry, it was right there).
Fake dating always requires a bit of suspended belief in my opinion, but I love it regardless and I thought the motives here were pretty well intentioned and believable.
This ended up being a 4-star read for me, and now that Amy has finished her Influencer series I’m excited to see what stories she writes next!
Thanks to Berkley for the advanced e-book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
jennireadsmaybe's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
While You We're Sleeping meets The Proposal in the best way in The Catch. Amy Lea is truly a forced to be reckoned with when it comes to having influencers in her books. Normally, I shy away from books with influencers because they feel very contrived, but each book in this series had me wishing the fmcs were real people I could follow. When Mel ends up stuck in an abandoned BnB with Evan and his cousin, she thinks her only chance at breathing life back into her socials is ruined. Evan is grumpy, judgmental, and hates her. Yet, after a boating trip goes awry she finds herself to be the only person there to make sure he's taken care of in the hospital. So what if telling hospital staff that she's his fiancée leaves the two stuck in a fake engagement arrangement?
Character wise Mel is very much a mirror ball girl. She is doing whatever it takes to keep herself relevant in a social world that is leaving behind her private nature while also worrying for her brother after the previous death of their father. She is a caretaker by nature; though, many don't look past her socialite seeming exterior. Obviously, I loved her.
Don't even get me started on the Mel x Evan slow burn romance!! I was obsessed from their meet cute. I love opposites attract especially in a small town setting. It's always so much fun, and Amy Lea definitely served up a tension filled, hot romance between the two. I also love that she made it clear that Evan liked Mel for who she was with her love for fashion and beauty. He liked seeing her dressed up! And obviously his feigned hatred for Mel was deliciously revealed to be a lie. Chef's kiss imho!!!
I love how Amy Lea demonstrated the different ways that grief can affect people. Grief isn't a clear cut, one size fits all scenario. This showed not only in Mel and her brother but Evan and his family. It made it all the more authentic when reading.
Another series I'm sad to say goodbye to :( But I know that big things are in store for Amy Lea and I can't wait to see them.
Character wise Mel is very much a mirror ball girl. She is doing whatever it takes to keep herself relevant in a social world that is leaving behind her private nature while also worrying for her brother after the previous death of their father. She is a caretaker by nature; though, many don't look past her socialite seeming exterior. Obviously, I loved her.
Don't even get me started on the Mel x Evan slow burn romance!! I was obsessed from their meet cute. I love opposites attract especially in a small town setting. It's always so much fun, and Amy Lea definitely served up a tension filled, hot romance between the two. I also love that she made it clear that Evan liked Mel for who she was with her love for fashion and beauty. He liked seeing her dressed up! And obviously his feigned hatred for Mel was deliciously revealed to be a lie. Chef's kiss imho!!!
I love how Amy Lea demonstrated the different ways that grief can affect people. Grief isn't a clear cut, one size fits all scenario. This showed not only in Mel and her brother but Evan and his family. It made it all the more authentic when reading.
Another series I'm sad to say goodbye to :( But I know that big things are in store for Amy Lea and I can't wait to see them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Grief
Minor: Death and Death of parent
kateflood's review against another edition
4.0
This was a heartwarming, cheesy, and fun read which really took me by surprise. I wasn’t a huge fan of Set on You by Amy Lea, so I hadn’t yet got round to reading Exes and O’s, but thought I’d give this one a shot and I’m so glad I did! I totally fell for both main characters - despite it taking me a little time to warm up to Mel I ended up finding I really related to some of the things she struggled with and she handled things in what felt like a mature way (I’m so bored of childish disagreements in romance books lmao)! Also, something about Evan just clicked for me, he felt much better developed than the male MC in Set on You which was my main issue with that book, and he was just perfect book boyfriend material IMO. The plot was a bit corny and unrealistic at times but this didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the book.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Mental illness and Death of parent
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
More...