Book Review: The Catch

The Official Blurb

“A grumpy lobster fisherman tosses a fashion influencer’s impeccably curated life overboard in the next romantic comedy from international bestselling author Amy Lea.

In a last-ditch effort to rescue her brand from the brink of irrelevance, Boston fashion influencer Melanie Karlsen finds herself in a rural fishing village on the east coast of Canada. The only thing scarier than nature itself? The burly and bearded bed-and-breakfast owner and fisherman, Evan Whaler—who single-handedly disproves the theory that Canadians are “nice.”

After a boating accident lands Evan unconscious in the hospital, Mel is mistaken for his fiancée by his welcoming yet quirky family, who are embroiled in a long-standing feud over the B&B. In a bold attempt to mend family fences, Mel agrees to fake their engagement for one week in exchange for Evan’s help with her social media content.

Amid long hikes and campfire chats, reeling in their budding feelings for each other proves more difficult by the day. But is Mel willing to sacrifice her picture-perfect life in the city for a chance at a true, unfiltered love in the wild?”

 

I had a weird journey with The Catch.

For about two-thirds of the book, I was struggling. I couldn’t quite put my finger on why, but it felt like a slog. Then somewhere around the final third, things clicked into place. The story found its footing, the characters started making more sense and I ended up enjoying the book more than I expected.

Published in 2024, The Catch is part of Amy Lea‘s Influencers series, which also includes Set on You and Exes and O’s.

Book Details

Title: The Catch
Author: Amy Lea
Published: 2024
Sub-Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Tropes: Fake Engagement, Enemies to Lovers

The Main Characters

Evan Whaler

Evan is a lobsterman in Cora’s Cove, Nova Scotia. During tourist season, he supplements his income by taking visitors on whale-watching excursions and fishing charters. He’s also trying to save and renovate his family’s struggling inn.

He’s rugged, muscular, sings in a band and possesses a baritone voice that sounds pretty darn appealing.

He’s also kind of a jerk at the beginning of the book.

Melanie Karlsen

Mel is an Asian American fashion, beauty and lifestyle influencer from Boston.

She built her platform from the ground up after growing up with very little money. Through thrifting, sewing and smart content creation, she created a successful influencer career. Now she’s watching her follower counts decline, sponsorships disappear and engagement drop.

She’s supporting herself, helping support her younger brother and desperately needs a win.

The Plot

Mel receives an invitation from a luxury resort in Halifax for an all-expenses-paid promotional trip. Sounds amazing, right?

Not so fast.

When she arrives in Nova Scotia, she discovers the resort somehow forgot to reserve her room. During peak tourist season, no less.

With nowhere else to stay, she finds an Airbnb about an hour away in the small town of Cora’s Cove.

Unfortunately, the Airbnb is still under construction. And the owner, Evan Whaler, had no idea she’d booked it.

What follows is a rocky introduction involving frustration, misunderstandings and two people who immediately get under each other’s skin.

Things get even more chaotic during a whale-watching excursion when equipment goes overboard, Evan ends up in the water and a concussion lands him in the emergency room.

In a panic, Mel tells hospital staff she’s his fiancée.

Naturally, Evan’s entire family hears the news. Naturally, they get excited.

And that’s where I’ll stop because this is still a relatively new release and I don’t want to spoil the fun.

Spice Level

🌶️ 🌶️🌶️ Jalapeño

I got a little nervous when the book introduced a “chaste kiss” but Amy Lea eventually delivered.

There’s a particularly memorable lighthouse scene and, while the romance is open-door, the love scenes are fairly brief compared to some romances I’ve read.

What I Loved

Settlers of Catan

At one point, Evan and Mel engage in a heated game of Settlers of Catan with his family.

Instant bonus points. I am a huge Settlers of Catan fan and I absolutely loved seeing it incorporated into the story.

The two battle for Longest Road and make dirty wood jokes along the way.

I was delighted.

Evan’s Character Growth

Early in the book, Evan spends a lot of time being what I lovingly referred to in my notes as a “huge bag of dicks.”

The difference is Amy Lea eventually explains why. His behavior isn’t excused. It’s addressed.

Even better, he apologizes. Thank you.

I appreciate romance heroes who are held accountable for their actions.

Communication

For a fake engagement romance, there was surprisingly good communication between the main characters. We love to see it.

The Ending

One thing I really appreciated was how realistic the ending felt.

The relationship develops over roughly two weeks and the book acknowledges that reality. Nobody pretends two weeks together magically solves every problem. The characters discuss it, recognize it and make decisions accordingly.

That felt refreshing.

Challenges

The Slow Start

This was my biggest challenge with the book. For whatever reason, I struggled through much of the first half. Whether that was me, the timing or the book itself, I’m honestly not sure. The pacing improved significantly later and I ended up enjoying the story much more by the end.

Evan’s Mother

Evan’s mother, Nessa, is a sex therapist. And wow.

At one point she asks Mel: “Has my son made intimacy a priority in your relationship?”

Then she starts discussing arousal maps. Then she says:

“My son has always been a good lover.”

Ma’am. Boundaries.

I have no issue with healthy conversations about sex. I do have issues with discussing your son’s bedroom performance with his girlfriend. That was a little much for me.

Things I Learned

I always learn something while reading romance novels.

Erotic Blueprints

Nessa introduces the concept of the Erotic Blueprint Quiz.

I’d never heard of it. Naturally, I had to Google it.

Apparently there are five primary erotic blueprints:

• Energetic
• Sensual
• Sexual
• Kinky
• Shapeshifter

Whether any of it means anything to me remains debatable but I definitely learned something new.

A Beatles Song I’d Never Heard

The book references the Beatles song “I’ve Just Seen a Face.”

I’m a huge Beatles fan. My husband Bob is also a Beatles fan. Neither of us recognized the title (and neither did my podcast co-host, Meghan). We immediately pulled it up on Spotify and sat there wondering how we’d somehow missed it.

Final Thoughts

I was genuinely surprised by how many readers on Goodreads reported DNFing this book.

Everyone should absolutely stop reading a book if it isn’t working for them. But I also think readers miss a lot when they quit before the story unfolds.

Many complaints I saw centered around Evan and his family.

The thing is, Amy Lea eventually explains those dynamics. You learn why people behave the way they do. You see growth, characters arcs and resolution. If I had quit after the first 100 pages, I would’ve missed all of that.

Despite the slow start, I enjoyed the romance, liked both main characters and appreciated the realistic ending. And honestly?

The Settlers of Catan scene earned a bonus star.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 Stars

According to Goodreads rankings, that’s firmly in the “I liked it” territory.

I’d absolutely read Amy Lea again and I can understand why so many readers have enjoyed the rest of this series.

Where to Find The Catch

• Amazon (print)
• Audible
• Kindle
• Libro.fm
• The Ripped Bodice

If you want to hear more of my thoughts on the book, you can listen to the podcast episode on your favorite podcast streaming service. Or click here for our in-house podcast player. You can also find out if I won the episode Boobie Prize.

Have you read The Catch? Let me know your thoughts on this book in the comments!