Catch and Keep

De: Erin Hahn

Narrado por: Zura Johnson, Michael Norman Johnson

"A friends-to-lovers romance that’s magically both hot and wholesome. Cozy, sexy, and so very satisfying… this one’s a keeper." —Jen Devon, author of Right Where We Left Us

In Erin Hahn's cozy, swoony romance, Maren Laughlin has been fishing her whole life, but she’s finally ready to be caught.

At thirty-three, Maren Laughlin's just turned down her boyfriend’s proposal, walked away from her decade-long position as a park ranger, and returned to her childhood playground in Northern Wisconsin to accept her inheritance: a decrepit waterfront bait shop. After a lifetime of letting things happen to her, she’s ready to start making her own moves, even if everyone else thinks she’s making the wrong ones. Well, not everyone—at least the local heartstopper and resort owner is on her side.

Josiah Cole has made some missteps in his life, but he’s proud of what he has: two awesome kids and the keys to the kind of getaway spot that has families coming back every summer–their up north home away from home. After his marriage dissolved, leaving him a single dad, he feels he’s the last person to judge Maren for her recent transformation (even if his best friend, her brother, wants him to feel otherwise). Besides, he genuinely likes having her around. She’s a breath of fresh air, his kids adore her (not to mention her dog, Rogers), and it doesn’t hurt that she’s beautiful.

Things between Maren and Joe are easy. So easy, they’re fully immersed in the middle before they even decide to begin. It’s not a question of should they, but rather can they make it last? Are things too easy, or is this just how real love works? In Erin Hahn’s heartwarmingly sexy Catch and Keep, Maren and Joe have to be brave enough to find out.

©2024 Erin Hahn (P)2024 Spotify Audiobooks

Love the story!!

I absolutely loved this book. Because I loved the book so much, I wanted to relive it in audio, but it didn’t hit the mark for me. As a northern WI girl, this book totally felt like home. Loved the writing and characters. Josiah Cole is my dream guy. Female narrator was good, but honestly the male narrator didn’t do it for me. His speaking style was too matter of fact and not enough acting.

Excellent story but this wasn't the best performance

I read the physical book prior to listening to the audiobook and, unfortunately, I don't think either narrator suits the characters and therefore they just don't do the book justice.

My review of the book:

Catch and Keep is the third book in Erin Hahn’s first adult romance series, and just like the previous two books, it is funny, sexy, and heartwarming. It is everything a modern-day romance novel should be. In the first book, Built to Last, Hahn introduced three lovely women – Shelby, Lorelai, and Maren. The first book centered around Shelby. The second book, Friends Don’t Fall In Love, was devoted to Lorelai. Now it’s Maren’s chance at love.

Maren Laughlin spent her teen years guiding fishing tours in northern Wisconsin and had a YouTube channel made popular by her knowledge and looks. “It was basically hot girl fishing, with the added bonus that she knew what she was talking about.” Now she has a fulfilling career as a park ranger. Her best friend Shelby referred to her as “frat-boy catnip. It’s the heady combination of beauty queen and park ranger” in the first book of the series. When Maren’s boyfriend applies for the same job promotion – and gets it – and then makes a very public and unwanted proposal, Maren ditches the life she’s built in Michigan to run away with her dog to the Northwoods. She inherited an old bait shop by the lake, and spends the first few days of her escape “deep cleaning decades of grime and rodent feces from the tiny, questionably livable apartment.“

The bait shop used to serve visitors at Cole’s Landing Resort, where Maren gave fishing tours. Josiah (Joe) Cole has been her brother’s best friend since they were kids, but she hasn’t seen him since before he got married and had kids. He’s a single parent now, with full custody of his two kids – and those kids made my heart melt. His daughter is autistic and his son “has a soft heart” and likes pink. More impressive than the kids is their father’s fierce love and protection. “If pink makes him happy,” Joe swears he’ll buy his son “every shade of pink in the world.”

Swoon. Is there anything more attractive than a strong man who supports his kids and wants nothing but the best for them? The world needs more dads like him, especially in fiction.

Dating while being a single parent isn’t easy, and Joe hasn’t had sex in three years, but he fights his attraction to his best friend’s little sister. She is on the rebound, and giving fishing tours while she figures out her life. Despite all the protests, of course, they’re both drawn to each other. Maren steps in to help with Joe’s kids, and she fits into their lives. They want each other, but uncertainty looms over their future. When Maren receives an ideal job offer in Arizona, she has to decide if she can leave Joe and his kids.

Catch and Keep is a slow burn, and despite the mutual attraction, they don’t get heated until two-thirds of the way through the book. I finished reading it in one go, absolutely devouring it. It is as hot and lovely as the previous two books, but this one is honestly my favorite of the three. Adding an amazing single dad to the mix – with an autistic child – brought romance into reality. We need more neurodivergent representation, along with supportive parents with would do anything for their kids. Readers want to see Maren and Joe together. They want to see those two kids grow into adulthood under their loving care – and maybe have some future siblings, too.

Hahn is a talented author and I’ll continue to read anything she writes. I follow the author on Instagram, and you should, too.