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The Art of Catching Feelings
A professional baseball player and his heckler prove that true love is worth going to bat for.
Daphne Brink doesn’t follow baseball, but watching “America’s Snoozefest” certainly beats sitting at home in the days after she signs her divorce papers. After one too many ballpark beers, she heckles Carolina Battery player Chris Kepler, who quickly proves there might actually be a little crying in baseball. Horrified, Daphne reaches out to Chris on social media to apologize . . . but forgets to identify herself as his heckler in her message.
Chris doesn’t usually respond to random fans on social media, but he’s grieving and fragile after an emotionally turbulent few months. When a DM from “Duckie” catches his eye, he impulsively messages back. Duckie is sweet, funny, and seems to understand him in a way no one else does.
Daphne isn’t sure how much longer she can keep lying to Chris, especially as she starts working with the team in real life and their feelings for each other deepen. When he finds out the truth, will it be three strikes, she’s out?
Daphne Brink doesn’t follow baseball, but watching “America’s Snoozefest” certainly beats sitting at home in the days after she signs her divorce papers. After one too many ballpark beers, she heckles Carolina Battery player Chris Kepler, who quickly proves there might actually be a little crying in baseball. Horrified, Daphne reaches out to Chris on social media to apologize . . . but forgets to identify herself as his heckler in her message.
Chris doesn’t usually respond to random fans on social media, but he’s grieving and fragile after an emotionally turbulent few months. When a DM from “Duckie” catches his eye, he impulsively messages back. Duckie is sweet, funny, and seems to understand him in a way no one else does.
Daphne isn’t sure how much longer she can keep lying to Chris, especially as she starts working with the team in real life and their feelings for each other deepen. When he finds out the truth, will it be three strikes, she’s out?
384 pages, Paperback
First published June 18, 2024
About the author
Alicia Thompson
18 books922 followersAlicia Thompson is a writer, reader, and Paramore superfan. As a teen, she appeared in an episode of 48 Hours in the audience of a local murder trial, where she broke the fourth wall by looking directly into the camera. She currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children.
Annotations:
Also currently under consideration for other superfan distinctions, including but not limited to: Juliet, Naked (the movie), Phoebe Bridgers, Crash Bandicoot, Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael, Tegan and Sara, the audiobook for Sophie Kinsella’s I’ve Got Your Number, and taking really long naps
Does this sound creepy? You should’ve seen my face. It was really creepy.
Yes, I’ve seen an alligator in a neighborhood retention pond.
https://www.aliciathompsonbooks.com/
Annotations:
Also currently under consideration for other superfan distinctions, including but not limited to: Juliet, Naked (the movie), Phoebe Bridgers, Crash Bandicoot, Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael, Tegan and Sara, the audiobook for Sophie Kinsella’s I’ve Got Your Number, and taking really long naps
Does this sound creepy? You should’ve seen my face. It was really creepy.
Yes, I’ve seen an alligator in a neighborhood retention pond.
https://www.aliciathompsonbooks.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 718 reviews
July 17, 2024
Daphne Brink is on the brink of a slightly nervous breakdown after her recent divorce. When she has the chance to outdo her ex and score free tickets to watch a baseball game from the most convenient seats, she gladly accepts the prize. Despite not knowing much about sports, she figures it's better to spend some time alone and wallow in self-pity.
With the help of IPAs and the company of her best friend, everything starts to feel better until the moment she finds herself heckling Carolina Battery player Chris Kepler with a Winnie the Pooh reference. And guess what? The star player doesn't know the famous rule: "There's no crying in baseball," as mentioned in "A League of Their Own." Daphne's words may have struck a nerve, making Chris cry in the middle of the game. When she sobers up, she feels ashamed and decides to write a message to Chris to apologize, conveniently leaving out the detail that she was the heckler who pushed him to a nervous breakdown.
Their communication is flawless, and Daphne finds herself starting to work for the team while dealing with the guilt of lying about her identity. She also discovers herself falling for Chris Kepler. However, the looming question remains: What if the truth comes out? Will the deep connection they've built dissipate as she returns to her broken-hearted, miserable life?
I must admit I'm not a big fan of sports romance. While I love soccer and basketball games in daily life, baseball never really captivated me. That's why Ms. Thompson achieved something unexpected: she made me enjoy the world of sports, and, of course, the best book boyfriend she created played a significant role in enhancing the experience. I can't deny it – I loved Chris more than Daphne.
This sweet, sensitive, and caring guy is a dream for all women, and I'm certain many readers will be swooning as they read about him. It's nearly impossible not to fall for this character. His dealing with grief and suffering from panic attacks are portrayed so realistically. I found myself wanting to jump inside the book, give him a hug, and assure him that things will get better, or at least more tolerable, with each passing day.
Overall, this is a sweet, engaging sports romance that I wholeheartedly enjoyed and highly recommend to readers.
A heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this sweet book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
With the help of IPAs and the company of her best friend, everything starts to feel better until the moment she finds herself heckling Carolina Battery player Chris Kepler with a Winnie the Pooh reference. And guess what? The star player doesn't know the famous rule: "There's no crying in baseball," as mentioned in "A League of Their Own." Daphne's words may have struck a nerve, making Chris cry in the middle of the game. When she sobers up, she feels ashamed and decides to write a message to Chris to apologize, conveniently leaving out the detail that she was the heckler who pushed him to a nervous breakdown.
Their communication is flawless, and Daphne finds herself starting to work for the team while dealing with the guilt of lying about her identity. She also discovers herself falling for Chris Kepler. However, the looming question remains: What if the truth comes out? Will the deep connection they've built dissipate as she returns to her broken-hearted, miserable life?
I must admit I'm not a big fan of sports romance. While I love soccer and basketball games in daily life, baseball never really captivated me. That's why Ms. Thompson achieved something unexpected: she made me enjoy the world of sports, and, of course, the best book boyfriend she created played a significant role in enhancing the experience. I can't deny it – I loved Chris more than Daphne.
This sweet, sensitive, and caring guy is a dream for all women, and I'm certain many readers will be swooning as they read about him. It's nearly impossible not to fall for this character. His dealing with grief and suffering from panic attacks are portrayed so realistically. I found myself wanting to jump inside the book, give him a hug, and assure him that things will get better, or at least more tolerable, with each passing day.
Overall, this is a sweet, engaging sports romance that I wholeheartedly enjoyed and highly recommend to readers.
A heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this sweet book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
April 1, 2024
✨Chris Kepler can take me out to the ballgame and then just take me 😮💨✨
TL;DR: The Art of Catching Feelings was a really great read—both for baseball fans and non fans alike—but my review comes with a pretty big JUST HEAR ME OUT. The majority of the plot and relationship are centered around lying and hidden identity, which I know is pretty polarizing so…JUST HEAR ME OUT. The romance was HOT with fantastic tension—I mean, hey, lying’s at least good for that!—and I was hooked from the first.
But…I definitely got tired of Daphne chickening out from telling Chris the truth…but I do also understand that once she got to a certain point, they were too deep into the season to do much. Baseball players are very superstitious and you should probably not drop bombshell news on a starting MLB player mid season…but you should also maybe not lie! But also part of me ate up that drama, so who’s to say?? All I guess I’m saying is that yeah the miscommunication was a dark cloud over the book, but there was still a lot of light within and it would be a shame to write this one off!
✨
Okay, let’s get this out of the way, if you—like me—dislike plots that rely heavily on lying, concealing the truth, miscommunication…just take a deep breath and trust the process. I was curious but also SCARED to see how it was going to resolve, so I think this will make a fabulous reread, seeing as I know now how everything shakes out and I won’t have to stress. Because stress I did.
The lying was definitely a giant piano hanging overhead of literally 80% of the book. It had some You’ve Got Mail vibes, especially at the beginning, which was fun but also a bit frustrating. I’ve noticed that the “I wanted it to be you so badly” of it all is always lost whenever books play on that plot. Because the hidden identity doesn’t cause a fight (in either The Shop Around the Corner or You’ve Got Mail)!! That’s why it’s a comfort movie to me!!
So it seemed like a bit of a missed opportunity to wait until the very end to have Daphne reveal her deception, because literally everything was tainted by us knowing he was going be SO hurt. And I mean everything. Including the VERY HOT SEX. It was so hot!!! Like mutual masturbation over the phone hot!!! But it was also so not hot when Daphne kept avoiding the truth.
There were so many times she could’ve revealed herself but chose not to, and by the third or fourth one I was like GIRL please give us something!! If the big reveal would’ve happened around 50%, it would’ve a. still given him time to be angry (warranted!!) b. been an unexpected and very welcome twist (good) and c. left a lot of time for more relationship development WITHOUT the looming downfall (hot).
Because now I have to preface this review, and probably any time recommend the book, with a big BUT. Because I know this setup—especially how it played out here—is a turn off for a lot of readers. And I LOVED so much of this book, so I’m just a bit sad that the romance was partly (and I have a feeling for future readers, will be) overshadowed by the lying.
✨
But aside from that, I really had a wonderful time. The story was fast paced, the writing was charming, and I got so enamored by the fantasy of it all. Sure, I was stressed about the lies, but don’t get it twisted, I was LIVING for the drama. There was something so satisfying about the story turning into a workplace romance—with it being a bit forbidden and his teammates knowing he wanted her when he thought it was soooooooo secret. And that also being obvious LIVE ON AIR.
I love baseball—and I know Alicia does too—so it was very fun to be in the headspace of Daphne, who could literally care less about the sport. I’m sorry, but if my brother worked for an MLB team and I had the opportunity to casually be near the players??? All bets would be off. I feel her though, because I too have brought a book to the ballpark on more than one occasion.
As for Chris Kepler—an ode to the starting right fielder for the Minnesota Twins, and my personal angel baby boy, Max Kepler—he was literally a dreamboat. We got his POV, and I really appreciated the nuances of his character. He wasn’t a playboy, but he wasn’t timid either. To sum it up, I was very into his whole ~thing.
Do I think any baseball player would actually be such perfect boyfriend material in real life? Absolutely not, and frankly I try to think about players off the field as LITTLE as possible, because the athlete lifestyle ₛₜᵣₑₛₛₑₛ ₘₑ ₒᵤₜ in a very non hot way. So much so that I was actually surprised how much I did, in fact, love this book!!
I think it’s a great romance for baseball fans and non baseball fans alike. I read it FAST, so I can’t wait to savor it with a reread during the summer aka baseball season. Also, this is the first book I’ve been officially acknowledged in??? Like “Hannah @fringebookreviews” is officially in a published book??? I literally cried.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5 🌶️🌶️.75/5
CWs: Panic attacks, suicide of a loved one (recounted)
I received an eARC from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.
TL;DR: The Art of Catching Feelings was a really great read—both for baseball fans and non fans alike—but my review comes with a pretty big JUST HEAR ME OUT. The majority of the plot and relationship are centered around lying and hidden identity, which I know is pretty polarizing so…JUST HEAR ME OUT. The romance was HOT with fantastic tension—I mean, hey, lying’s at least good for that!—and I was hooked from the first.
But…I definitely got tired of Daphne chickening out from telling Chris the truth…but I do also understand that once she got to a certain point, they were too deep into the season to do much. Baseball players are very superstitious and you should probably not drop bombshell news on a starting MLB player mid season…but you should also maybe not lie! But also part of me ate up that drama, so who’s to say?? All I guess I’m saying is that yeah the miscommunication was a dark cloud over the book, but there was still a lot of light within and it would be a shame to write this one off!
✨
Okay, let’s get this out of the way, if you—like me—dislike plots that rely heavily on lying, concealing the truth, miscommunication…just take a deep breath and trust the process. I was curious but also SCARED to see how it was going to resolve, so I think this will make a fabulous reread, seeing as I know now how everything shakes out and I won’t have to stress. Because stress I did.
The lying was definitely a giant piano hanging overhead of literally 80% of the book. It had some You’ve Got Mail vibes, especially at the beginning, which was fun but also a bit frustrating. I’ve noticed that the “I wanted it to be you so badly” of it all is always lost whenever books play on that plot. Because the hidden identity doesn’t cause a fight (in either The Shop Around the Corner or You’ve Got Mail)!! That’s why it’s a comfort movie to me!!
So it seemed like a bit of a missed opportunity to wait until the very end to have Daphne reveal her deception, because literally everything was tainted by us knowing he was going be SO hurt. And I mean everything. Including the VERY HOT SEX. It was so hot!!! Like mutual masturbation over the phone hot!!! But it was also so not hot when Daphne kept avoiding the truth.
There were so many times she could’ve revealed herself but chose not to, and by the third or fourth one I was like GIRL please give us something!! If the big reveal would’ve happened around 50%, it would’ve a. still given him time to be angry (warranted!!) b. been an unexpected and very welcome twist (good) and c. left a lot of time for more relationship development WITHOUT the looming downfall (hot).
Because now I have to preface this review, and probably any time recommend the book, with a big BUT. Because I know this setup—especially how it played out here—is a turn off for a lot of readers. And I LOVED so much of this book, so I’m just a bit sad that the romance was partly (and I have a feeling for future readers, will be) overshadowed by the lying.
✨
But aside from that, I really had a wonderful time. The story was fast paced, the writing was charming, and I got so enamored by the fantasy of it all. Sure, I was stressed about the lies, but don’t get it twisted, I was LIVING for the drama. There was something so satisfying about the story turning into a workplace romance—with it being a bit forbidden and his teammates knowing he wanted her when he thought it was soooooooo secret. And that also being obvious LIVE ON AIR.
I love baseball—and I know Alicia does too—so it was very fun to be in the headspace of Daphne, who could literally care less about the sport. I’m sorry, but if my brother worked for an MLB team and I had the opportunity to casually be near the players??? All bets would be off. I feel her though, because I too have brought a book to the ballpark on more than one occasion.
As for Chris Kepler—an ode to the starting right fielder for the Minnesota Twins, and my personal angel baby boy, Max Kepler—he was literally a dreamboat. We got his POV, and I really appreciated the nuances of his character. He wasn’t a playboy, but he wasn’t timid either. To sum it up, I was very into his whole ~thing.
Do I think any baseball player would actually be such perfect boyfriend material in real life? Absolutely not, and frankly I try to think about players off the field as LITTLE as possible, because the athlete lifestyle ₛₜᵣₑₛₛₑₛ ₘₑ ₒᵤₜ in a very non hot way. So much so that I was actually surprised how much I did, in fact, love this book!!
I think it’s a great romance for baseball fans and non baseball fans alike. I read it FAST, so I can’t wait to savor it with a reread during the summer aka baseball season. Also, this is the first book I’ve been officially acknowledged in??? Like “Hannah @fringebookreviews” is officially in a published book??? I literally cried.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5 🌶️🌶️.75/5
CWs: Panic attacks, suicide of a loved one (recounted)
I received an eARC from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.
June 20, 2024
The Art of Catching Feelings is a sweet and emotional romance following Chris, a struggling baseball player, and Daphne his one-time heckler. The story is full of charm with so much humor, tension, and emotion laced throughout the engaging plot and writing. Daphne and Chris were beautiful together and separately, their conversations led to so much charged chemistry, and the slow buildup to them coming together was perfect. I loved how they were so soft with each other yet willing to share all of their raw and gritty sides; the deep topics never got too heavy but added a needed layer of dimension. I absolutely recommend this warm and vulnerable romance and cannot wait to explore more from Alicia Thompson!
Read If You Like:
⚾Sports Romance⚾
⚾Friends w Benefits⚾
⚾Slow Burn⚾
⚾Hidden Identity⚾
⚾Mental Health Rep⚾
⚾Dual POV⚾
⚾Workplace Romance⚾
~Many thanks to Berkley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read If You Like:
⚾Sports Romance⚾
⚾Friends w Benefits⚾
⚾Slow Burn⚾
⚾Hidden Identity⚾
⚾Mental Health Rep⚾
⚾Dual POV⚾
⚾Workplace Romance⚾
~Many thanks to Berkley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 16, 2024
3.25 stars
ughh i just wish daphne said something earlier
ughh i just wish daphne said something earlier
January 15, 2024
Below is my official blurb but my unofficial blurb is more like GSJDHSKSHDBALSBD I LOVE THEM/THIS BOOK/ALICIA
I’m an Alicia Thompson fan first and a human second, and The Art of Catching Feelings is a shining example of why. Chris and Daphne’s achingly vulnerable, hot slide into love was so masterfully crafted with intimacy and care that I was tempted to go right back to the first page once I finished (fine, and maybe I did). With her signature effortless prose and deeply insightful musings on life and love, this is Alicia Thompson at the top of her already spectacular game.
I’m an Alicia Thompson fan first and a human second, and The Art of Catching Feelings is a shining example of why. Chris and Daphne’s achingly vulnerable, hot slide into love was so masterfully crafted with intimacy and care that I was tempted to go right back to the first page once I finished (fine, and maybe I did). With her signature effortless prose and deeply insightful musings on life and love, this is Alicia Thompson at the top of her already spectacular game.
July 2, 2024
If The Little Mermaid, You’ve Got Mail, and, I don’t know, Bull Charlotte Durham had a baby, it would be this book. Daphne had a bad day and heckled Chris until he cried, a classic love story if ever I’ve heard one. Then her sister-in-law gets pregnant and Daphne has to take over her job (you’ve heard it a million times). Chris is still chilly on the whole “you made me cry at bat” thing but apparently Daph has spectacular tits so all is forgiven. If you can get over Daphne lying to Chris’s face for 80% of the book, you’ll probably enjoy it; I found this a difficult landscape to traverse, but even I found the story itself charming. I also know nothing about baseball so the descriptions of Daphne’s eyes glazing over during games was relatable. The Art of Catching Feelings: come for the sports romance, stay for the… reluctant-but-magical oral.
July 4, 2024
This was fun! To be fair, I do love a good messy romance. And make it baseball!? Yes. I know a lot of people don't like this because the heroine keeps her true identify a secret from the hero, but I thought that added a lot of depth to the plot and the romance and I couldn't stop reading!
June 20, 2024
From the cover, I was expecting a lighthearted read, but the book does deal with some pretty heavy themes, which I thought the author did a great job of balancing with the romance. The spice was also very strong here👀🤭
The MMC Chris was without a doubt the highlight of the book for me. I completely fell in love with him and I honestly wish I met a man like him in real life. He was so sweet, caring and sensitive. He just said all the right things and I loved how he went after what he wanted. As for the FMC Daphne, she did aggravate me at times with the decisions she was making and how hypocritical she could be. It took her so long to come clean and I wished it had happened sooner. I did like the growth she experienced regarding her job and self-confidence though.
The pacing of the plot was pretty good, but I did find that the characters developed feelings too quickly after a few text messages. The author could have done a better job of slowly showcasing how Daphne and Chris caught feelings for each other. The shift was not very gradual. The chemistry and tension between Daphne and Chris does kind of made up for that though. I also don’t know much about baseball so all the lingo and jokes completely flew over my head.
All in all, this was a really fun and entertaining romance. It was heartwarming and put a smile to my face several times. I would highly recommend this book if you’re looking for your next sports romance!
The MMC Chris was without a doubt the highlight of the book for me. I completely fell in love with him and I honestly wish I met a man like him in real life. He was so sweet, caring and sensitive. He just said all the right things and I loved how he went after what he wanted. As for the FMC Daphne, she did aggravate me at times with the decisions she was making and how hypocritical she could be. It took her so long to come clean and I wished it had happened sooner. I did like the growth she experienced regarding her job and self-confidence though.
The pacing of the plot was pretty good, but I did find that the characters developed feelings too quickly after a few text messages. The author could have done a better job of slowly showcasing how Daphne and Chris caught feelings for each other. The shift was not very gradual. The chemistry and tension between Daphne and Chris does kind of made up for that though. I also don’t know much about baseball so all the lingo and jokes completely flew over my head.
All in all, this was a really fun and entertaining romance. It was heartwarming and put a smile to my face several times. I would highly recommend this book if you’re looking for your next sports romance!
June 24, 2024
deceit. dishonesty. catfishing. whatever you want to call this book, it wasn’t true love. if we are 70% through the book and you’re still lying to the person you’re falling in love with (instantly, might i add) then it’s not my kinda story!
i wasn’t the biggest fan of alicia’s books before but her writing…is not it brothers. my god. i deeply despise daphne the deceiver as a whole, the fact that chris was practically in with two women and could switch off (i would feel like shit if that happened to me irl) and i was promised that i’d give a shit about baseball at the end of this but i didn’t even pass gas ✋😐
i wasn’t the biggest fan of alicia’s books before but her writing…is not it brothers. my god. i deeply despise daphne the deceiver as a whole, the fact that chris was practically in with two women and could switch off (i would feel like shit if that happened to me irl) and i was promised that i’d give a shit about baseball at the end of this but i didn’t even pass gas ✋😐
June 18, 2024
A top read of 2024!
Daphne and Chris’ love was so organic, and the author’s writing was easy to read. And my mind usually can’t process third person unless I really love the book, but I ate this up!
Daphne and Chris' love story as an unorthodox start. Daphne and her bestie are at a baseball game, drunk to forget about her finalized divorce. She's not a sports girl, but had the tickets and nothing else to do. A few drinks and some animated fans leads Daphne to try her hand at heckling one of the players. Turns out she heckles Chris, one of the home team players, and clearly what she said struck a nerve because it makes him emotional.
Given that Chris didn't get a great look at Daphne, she thinks the best way to appease her guilt is to apologize via Instagram DMs, to which Chris responds. The only catch? Somehow Daphne forgot to mention she herself was the heckler, and we can all guess where this is going to go. Especially when Daphne starts working with the journalism/behind the scenes team, where Chris is not a fan of in-person Daphne once he realizes she's the heckler.
I'm normally not a fan of hidden identity storylines, but this one made it work, in that we got to see two people essentially fall in love with each other twice. One on hand, we have them anonymously in the DMs, and in the other we have the dislike to lovers storyline in real life. Their journey was the epitome of love can spring from anywhere, especially when you realize that Daphne has brought Chris out of his shell in a way that he hadn't been able to do since he experienced a recent loss. Daphne was able to connect with someone who accepted her for who she is, despite how shaken her confidence was after being married to her douchebag of an ex-husband.
This was one of those romances that snuck up on me. It highlighted Daphne and Chris' connections, without there being a bunch of drama/side plots to distract the reader. I am definitely interested in reading more from this author, because this book was just so pleasant and warm to read!
Daphne and Chris' love story as an unorthodox start. Daphne and her bestie are at a baseball game, drunk to forget about her finalized divorce. She's not a sports girl, but had the tickets and nothing else to do. A few drinks and some animated fans leads Daphne to try her hand at heckling one of the players. Turns out she heckles Chris, one of the home team players, and clearly what she said struck a nerve because it makes him emotional.
Given that Chris didn't get a great look at Daphne, she thinks the best way to appease her guilt is to apologize via Instagram DMs, to which Chris responds. The only catch? Somehow Daphne forgot to mention she herself was the heckler, and we can all guess where this is going to go. Especially when Daphne starts working with the journalism/behind the scenes team, where Chris is not a fan of in-person Daphne once he realizes she's the heckler.
I'm normally not a fan of hidden identity storylines, but this one made it work, in that we got to see two people essentially fall in love with each other twice. One on hand, we have them anonymously in the DMs, and in the other we have the dislike to lovers storyline in real life. Their journey was the epitome of love can spring from anywhere, especially when you realize that Daphne has brought Chris out of his shell in a way that he hadn't been able to do since he experienced a recent loss. Daphne was able to connect with someone who accepted her for who she is, despite how shaken her confidence was after being married to her douchebag of an ex-husband.
This was one of those romances that snuck up on me. It highlighted Daphne and Chris' connections, without there being a bunch of drama/side plots to distract the reader. I am definitely interested in reading more from this author, because this book was just so pleasant and warm to read!
July 5, 2024
I re-read this upon publication after reading an earlier version and now I’m sad it’s over all over again 😭 This is such a messy, romantic, sexy, well-crafted baseball romance and I just love both Daphne and Chris so much!!!
June 19, 2024
Daphne is just newly divorced and in order to prevent her ex from getting baseball tickets from her brother she decided to go to the game with her best friend. Daphne gets too drunk and yells an insult that hurts Chris (one of the players)’s feelings and makes him tear up. Feeling bad about her behavior she decides to slide into his DMs to apologize, except she forgets to mention she is his heckler and an unlikely friendship starts.
This book is so much fun! I could not put it down! I read the whole thing in one sitting. There were some parts that made me cringe so hard but it was what the author intended. I thought the love story was incredibly fun but I love a cinnamon roll MMC.
This book does have some really serious topics so protect yourself if the mention of depression and unaliving is too much for you.
Overall the book was so fantastic! I highly recommended!
Tropes: cinnamon roll mmc, miscommunication, rivals to lovers, work place romance
Thank you to netgalley, Berkley publishing, Berkley romance, and Alicia Thompson for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This book is so much fun! I could not put it down! I read the whole thing in one sitting. There were some parts that made me cringe so hard but it was what the author intended. I thought the love story was incredibly fun but I love a cinnamon roll MMC.
This book does have some really serious topics so protect yourself if the mention of depression and unaliving is too much for you.
Overall the book was so fantastic! I highly recommended!
Tropes: cinnamon roll mmc, miscommunication, rivals to lovers, work place romance
Thank you to netgalley, Berkley publishing, Berkley romance, and Alicia Thompson for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
July 1, 2024
I'm fairly new to loving baseball, so I really appreciated this premise.
I really liked Daphne and Chris. Their meet cute isn't so cute and I thought it was a clever start to the story. Daphne and Chris are both smart, loyal, struggling. They find something in the other while messaging that resonates and it was a delicious unfolding in the story.
Plot wise it was good. I'm not usually a fan of the catfishing slash secret identity thread, but this one felt like an innocent accident that spiraled out of control. I loved reading them text and then see the juxtaposition of the in-person actions. Of course there's blowback, but there needed to be. And while I wanted more from the epilogue, it was set up to tell me where they're going.
Overall, this fell like a sort of love letter to baseball and it was easy to root for these characters.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
I really liked Daphne and Chris. Their meet cute isn't so cute and I thought it was a clever start to the story. Daphne and Chris are both smart, loyal, struggling. They find something in the other while messaging that resonates and it was a delicious unfolding in the story.
Plot wise it was good. I'm not usually a fan of the catfishing slash secret identity thread, but this one felt like an innocent accident that spiraled out of control. I loved reading them text and then see the juxtaposition of the in-person actions. Of course there's blowback, but there needed to be. And while I wanted more from the epilogue, it was set up to tell me where they're going.
Overall, this fell like a sort of love letter to baseball and it was easy to root for these characters.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
April 24, 2024
This book had me from the first page.
Let me be so clear, I HATE the miscommunication trope, and this wasn't technically that, but it was. HOWEVER, it was done so well.
I kept thinking, how are we going to get out of this one? but Alicia Thompson, GIRRRRRL, you did it. YOU DID ITTTTT.
So we follow our girl Daphne, who is going through a divorce. Her personality is honestly adorable, she loves books, she's sarcastic yet corny, and has so many connections to books and music she loves.
Chris, (another book boyfriend to add to my collection) is a beautiful baseball player who is going through so real things in his life, making it hard for him to focus on the game.
And as a baseball gal in my youth, this book HIT it out of the park.
Daphne gets drunky and sloppy and screams some things during a game when Chris messes up and he ends up crying after (the real things I mentioned he is going through). She gets televised and broadcasted and it doesnt go well for her but she mostly cares that she hurt his feelings so she DMs him and they end up exchanging even more until Daphne realises she never apologised, so he doesn't know who she is!?!?!
Anyway there are so many more things that happen and choices that needed to be made.
I was loving the love, the baseball, the chemistry, the confusion honestly, and overall i HAD A BALLLLLL with this book (the puns will go on forever)
thank you Netgalley and Berkley publishing group for the ARC, all thoughts, opinions and enthusiasm are authentically mine always.
Let me be so clear, I HATE the miscommunication trope, and this wasn't technically that, but it was. HOWEVER, it was done so well.
I kept thinking, how are we going to get out of this one? but Alicia Thompson, GIRRRRRL, you did it. YOU DID ITTTTT.
So we follow our girl Daphne, who is going through a divorce. Her personality is honestly adorable, she loves books, she's sarcastic yet corny, and has so many connections to books and music she loves.
Chris, (another book boyfriend to add to my collection) is a beautiful baseball player who is going through so real things in his life, making it hard for him to focus on the game.
And as a baseball gal in my youth, this book HIT it out of the park.
Daphne gets drunky and sloppy and screams some things during a game when Chris messes up and he ends up crying after (the real things I mentioned he is going through). She gets televised and broadcasted and it doesnt go well for her but she mostly cares that she hurt his feelings so she DMs him and they end up exchanging even more until Daphne realises she never apologised, so he doesn't know who she is!?!?!
Anyway there are so many more things that happen and choices that needed to be made.
I was loving the love, the baseball, the chemistry, the confusion honestly, and overall i HAD A BALLLLLL with this book (the puns will go on forever)
thank you Netgalley and Berkley publishing group for the ARC, all thoughts, opinions and enthusiasm are authentically mine always.
June 17, 2024
to be perfectly transparent, this is one of the most confounding books I have ever read. as a lifetime lover of baseball (go mets, even though they stink this year), it was so exciting to gain access to a sports romance centered around the sport. as we know, hockey romances are all the rage, it's nice to see other athletes get their due now and then.
3.5 ★
however, this is my warning to future readers: much of the plot of the art of catching feelings centers around a major miscommunication-slash-catfishing situation, one that is consciously continued by daphne and supported by some in her life. this presented a real moral dilemma for me as someone who hoped to root for chris and daphne. while the pair did share nice moments and I found the book engaging overall, it felt wrong to support their romance for much of the story because the foundation of it was a lie. though her intention was not to do wrong or harm chris, the length of time she allowed him to believe something negated that for me.
since this is the third alicia title I have read, I do believe to be a talented writer. it just feels unfortunate that this was the story chosen for this couple. when you are asked to turn a blind eye to the actions of one character to support a romance, it's tough to feel a true investment in their journey. having said all of that, the book was readable and well-written, so it didn't feel right to drop my rating too much.
thanks to berkley and alicia thompson for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 ★
however, this is my warning to future readers: much of the plot of the art of catching feelings centers around a major miscommunication-slash-catfishing situation, one that is consciously continued by daphne and supported by some in her life. this presented a real moral dilemma for me as someone who hoped to root for chris and daphne. while the pair did share nice moments and I found the book engaging overall, it felt wrong to support their romance for much of the story because the foundation of it was a lie. though her intention was not to do wrong or harm chris, the length of time she allowed him to believe something negated that for me.
since this is the third alicia title I have read, I do believe to be a talented writer. it just feels unfortunate that this was the story chosen for this couple. when you are asked to turn a blind eye to the actions of one character to support a romance, it's tough to feel a true investment in their journey. having said all of that, the book was readable and well-written, so it didn't feel right to drop my rating too much.
thanks to berkley and alicia thompson for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2024
Review coming soon.
May 15, 2024
This had the bones for a really wonderful romance, but I personally struggled with the lying and secret identity aspect of this plot. Overall this was still a great read, but isn’t one I would reread.
Daphne kept *almost* telling him and then losing her nerve and it got quite annoying after a while, I’m gonna be honest. And listen, I get that this is a nerve wracking thing she’s dealing with, but come on lol. I don’t mind miscommunication in books, I think a lot of time it’s more realistic and can add to the angst of a romance, but this one annoyed me.
I will say that I enjoyed Chris’s character. A LOT. That’s all. I just really loved him haha.
Also, the smut was really hot and perfectly timed in their story, well done to the author for that 🥵
I finished this book generally feeling like I had a fun time but not a memorable time. I’m not a baseball fan in any aspect either so there were a lot of references and Easter eggs that likely went right over my head. 🤷♀️
*I received an arc from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
Daphne kept *almost* telling him and then losing her nerve and it got quite annoying after a while, I’m gonna be honest. And listen, I get that this is a nerve wracking thing she’s dealing with, but come on lol. I don’t mind miscommunication in books, I think a lot of time it’s more realistic and can add to the angst of a romance, but this one annoyed me.
I will say that I enjoyed Chris’s character. A LOT. That’s all. I just really loved him haha.
Also, the smut was really hot and perfectly timed in their story, well done to the author for that 🥵
I finished this book generally feeling like I had a fun time but not a memorable time. I’m not a baseball fan in any aspect either so there were a lot of references and Easter eggs that likely went right over my head. 🤷♀️
*I received an arc from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
June 14, 2024
I was completely taken aback and pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book! I had never heard of Alicia Thompson before, but I thought this cover was absolutely adorable and the premise of the story really intrigued me. unfortunately, Daphne made some of the most aggravating decisions known to humankind in the first half of this book... but the slow burn and the tension between Chris + Daph was 😮💨🤌🏼!!! almost enough to make up for it!!!
I really loved the development both characters had over the course of the book and the fact that this was such an original concept for a romance - the plot had me on the edge of my seat, I literally devoured this in less than a day because it was like an impending train wreck I couldn't bring myself to look away from (in the best way, of course).
the undertones of grief and loss also literally brought me to tears - and considering the traumatic cocktail of books I am very much accustomed to reading, that was an IMPRESSIVE feat. I also LOVEDDD watching Daphne come into her own as a broadcaster and pursue the career path she wanted - I wish we could've seen more of that progression!
The one thing holding me back from considering this a 5-star read would be that I genuinely wanted to kick something (hard) numerous different times when Daphne would make *yet another* idiotic decision at the expense of this man... it was bordering on painful and my heart literally ached for Chris the entire time it was happening. There also wasn't quite enough depth to some of the side characters, I wanted to feel more attached to certain aspects of this book and a couple of those areas fell short for me.
All in all though this was a fun, heartwrenching, uplifting sports romance that delved into lots of important topics such as men's mental health, divorce recovery, emotionally abusive relationships, finding yourself and (of course) true loveee 😈😈 Daphne brought Chris back to life and I adored every second of it. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for future books by Alicia Thompson!!
I really loved the development both characters had over the course of the book and the fact that this was such an original concept for a romance - the plot had me on the edge of my seat, I literally devoured this in less than a day because it was like an impending train wreck I couldn't bring myself to look away from (in the best way, of course).
the undertones of grief and loss also literally brought me to tears - and considering the traumatic cocktail of books I am very much accustomed to reading, that was an IMPRESSIVE feat. I also LOVEDDD watching Daphne come into her own as a broadcaster and pursue the career path she wanted - I wish we could've seen more of that progression!
The one thing holding me back from considering this a 5-star read would be that I genuinely wanted to kick something (hard) numerous different times when Daphne would make *yet another* idiotic decision at the expense of this man... it was bordering on painful and my heart literally ached for Chris the entire time it was happening. There also wasn't quite enough depth to some of the side characters, I wanted to feel more attached to certain aspects of this book and a couple of those areas fell short for me.
All in all though this was a fun, heartwrenching, uplifting sports romance that delved into lots of important topics such as men's mental health, divorce recovery, emotionally abusive relationships, finding yourself and (of course) true loveee 😈😈 Daphne brought Chris back to life and I adored every second of it. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for future books by Alicia Thompson!!
June 17, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC. It hasn't affected the contents of my review.
This was a cute, fun time. I love Alicia Thompson's characters and her dialogue. I liked how detailed this got in a way that made it feel like it was really happening. I didn't love the main conflict, which was that the MC becomes embroiled in A Situation where she is one person to her love interest online and another in person. (This involves her drunk heckling said man while he plays professional baseball, and she makes him cry!)
Unfortunately, this did suffer a bit from my reading it side by side The Rom-Commers, which I could not put down, whereas I found this one easier to put down. The stakes just seemed much lower here emotionally (I don't mind lack of plot stakes but the emotional ones still need to be there).
I will very much continue to read this author's books! In fact, reading her second one starting tomorrow.
[3.5 stars, rounded up]
This was a cute, fun time. I love Alicia Thompson's characters and her dialogue. I liked how detailed this got in a way that made it feel like it was really happening. I didn't love the main conflict, which was that the MC becomes embroiled in A Situation where she is one person to her love interest online and another in person. (This involves her drunk heckling said man while he plays professional baseball, and she makes him cry!)
Unfortunately, this did suffer a bit from my reading it side by side The Rom-Commers, which I could not put down, whereas I found this one easier to put down. The stakes just seemed much lower here emotionally (I don't mind lack of plot stakes but the emotional ones still need to be there).
I will very much continue to read this author's books! In fact, reading her second one starting tomorrow.
[3.5 stars, rounded up]
June 14, 2024
Many thanks to @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the gifted digital and audio copies of this AMAZING book. Once I finished it, I immediately ordered a signed copy! Below is my honest review.
Daphne isn’t a big baseball fan, but she wasn’t about to let her ex-husband have the tickets her brother (who works for the team) got for them. This is how she finds herself drunk behind home plate, heckling the players while the ink is barely dry on her divorce papers. But when one of her jabs hits too close to home for the home team’s third baseman, Chris Kepler, Daphne regrets her taunting and takes to Instagram DMs to apologize. Unfortunately, she forgets to identify herself as the heckler in all of her drafting and re-drafting of the apology. Chris doesn’t usually respond to DMs, but something about the message from duckiesbooks draws him in, and they strike up a friendship that starts to become something more and begin to share parts of themselves they’ve never shared with anyone. But as the days go by and Duckie doesn’t own up to being the heckler, it becomes more challenging to do it, particularly when she gets an opportunity to work as a temporary sideline reporter. Now Chris knows Duckie and Daphne as two separate people.
I have read numerous sports romances, yet this book stands out. It weaves a compelling plot, introduces two remarkably relatable and complex characters, and the sport is not just a backdrop but an integral part of the story. The supporting characters are a delight, and the personal growth of key characters is wonderful. The romance is a perfect blend of steamy and tender, evolving from no strings to a deep connection in such a sweet and tentative way. The third act is a testament to the authenticity of the characters, filled with both subtle intimacies and grand gestures.
Kristen Sieh (Funny You Should Ask) narrates the audiobook and does a fantastic job with both POVs and tons of text interactions.
Daphne isn’t a big baseball fan, but she wasn’t about to let her ex-husband have the tickets her brother (who works for the team) got for them. This is how she finds herself drunk behind home plate, heckling the players while the ink is barely dry on her divorce papers. But when one of her jabs hits too close to home for the home team’s third baseman, Chris Kepler, Daphne regrets her taunting and takes to Instagram DMs to apologize. Unfortunately, she forgets to identify herself as the heckler in all of her drafting and re-drafting of the apology. Chris doesn’t usually respond to DMs, but something about the message from duckiesbooks draws him in, and they strike up a friendship that starts to become something more and begin to share parts of themselves they’ve never shared with anyone. But as the days go by and Duckie doesn’t own up to being the heckler, it becomes more challenging to do it, particularly when she gets an opportunity to work as a temporary sideline reporter. Now Chris knows Duckie and Daphne as two separate people.
I have read numerous sports romances, yet this book stands out. It weaves a compelling plot, introduces two remarkably relatable and complex characters, and the sport is not just a backdrop but an integral part of the story. The supporting characters are a delight, and the personal growth of key characters is wonderful. The romance is a perfect blend of steamy and tender, evolving from no strings to a deep connection in such a sweet and tentative way. The third act is a testament to the authenticity of the characters, filled with both subtle intimacies and grand gestures.
Kristen Sieh (Funny You Should Ask) narrates the audiobook and does a fantastic job with both POVs and tons of text interactions.
April 6, 2024
To start off, I would like to thank Berkley and Netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Art of Catching Feelings is a Baseball romance between a professional baseball player who has fallen into a "slump" in regard to playing baseball and an accidental heckler.
I wanted to go into this book completely unbiased (I dislike the secret/hidden identity trope). But this book unfortunately was a reminder to me as to why I truly dislike it.
Now listen, Christopher was a really great guy, he was sweet, charming, and clearly recovering from a devastating tragic loss. Enters Daphne who flips his life upside down.
The reason why Daphne's character really angered me was because she had so many opportunities to disclose to Chris who she was and yet she chose not to (which I truly do not understand why).
Instead, she leads Chris on, online and in real life. And proceeds to have a relationship while fully lying to him. I was so disappointed too because I wanted to like her character. Like I was rooting for her to do the right thing but she really let me down.
Chris deserved so much better, and to be honest... Regardless of the ending, I truly believe that they did not end up together because what she did to him was so fucked up.
Maybe some of y'all will actually enjoy this book more than I did but personally I just couldn't get behind what was happening.
The Art of Catching Feelings is a Baseball romance between a professional baseball player who has fallen into a "slump" in regard to playing baseball and an accidental heckler.
I wanted to go into this book completely unbiased (I dislike the secret/hidden identity trope). But this book unfortunately was a reminder to me as to why I truly dislike it.
Now listen, Christopher was a really great guy, he was sweet, charming, and clearly recovering from a devastating tragic loss. Enters Daphne who flips his life upside down.
The reason why Daphne's character really angered me was because she had so many opportunities to disclose to Chris who she was and yet she chose not to (which I truly do not understand why).
Instead, she leads Chris on, online and in real life. And proceeds to have a relationship while fully lying to him. I was so disappointed too because I wanted to like her character. Like I was rooting for her to do the right thing but she really let me down.
Chris deserved so much better, and to be honest... Regardless of the ending, I truly believe that they did not end up together because what she did to him was so fucked up.
Maybe some of y'all will actually enjoy this book more than I did but personally I just couldn't get behind what was happening.
January 5, 2024
On the leaderboard of the handsome, sad baseball men of fiction, Chris Kepler would rank near the very top. Alicia has such a gift for writing characters who are hilarious, thorny, (horny), and fully human — which is also really what baseball's about. Feelings is a love letter to the game and the patience and transitions it demands, as well as a love story between characters learning how to find themselves as they find one another. It's as steamy as a day game in August and as exciting as the final out of a world championship. In short, I loved it.
Want to read
March 7, 2024 SHUT UP I GOT THE ARC internally screaming
March 23, 2024
I love an unconventional meet cute, so I adored how this one went - our heroine drunkenly heckles a local baseball player, accidentally makes him cry, and then apologizes in his DMs. They connect without ever meeting face-to-face, and I loved how they were able to open up in a way that they wouldn't have in a different situation. The hero is also an absolute cinnamon roll sweetheart, who was fantastic from start to finish. I never wanted to see him hurting. It's lighthearted with some heavier elements that give it weight, and that made for a truly entertaining love story. This likely would've been a 5-star read for me if not for one major issue - the heroine's deception. I spent the second half waiting for the other shoe to drop, and that made me start to disconnect from the romance. But there's a lot to love about the story, and I did have a good time reading.
The story follows Daphne, a woman who recently finalized her divorce. Wrapped up in her feelings, Daphne gets drunk at a baseball game and heckles some of the players. It seems like innocent fun until one of the players unexpectedly starts crying, and suddenly Daphne doesn't feel too great about the situation. Hoping to apologize, Daphne messages Chris online, and the two strike up a conversation. It's only after they begin opening up that Daphne realizes she never identified herself as the person who did the heckling. So when Daphne's job brings her closer to Chris in person, it complicates the situation even further. Chris is a genuinely nice guy and the two seem to have a real connection, but their online interactions might just get in the way of them growing closer.
I'm a fan of Thompson's writing and I love it when characters meet online first, so I was definitely into this from the start. I was curious to see why Chris had reacted so strongly, and I liked the unique feel of the connection. It was unpredictable, fun, and just a little bit angsty. I grew to love Chris more and more, and it was easy to see that they had very real chemistry. I didn't even mind the third person POV, which is not typically a favorite of mine. Once things got messier, however, the red flags started popping up for me. Daphne was definitely in the wrong about some things, and I was not a fan of how long the miscommunication went on. Some of the intimate moments were soured by the fact that she wasn't being honest, and that didn't sit well with me. That's really my only issue with the book though - there was a whole lot that I liked, and it was very solid overall.
The story follows Daphne, a woman who recently finalized her divorce. Wrapped up in her feelings, Daphne gets drunk at a baseball game and heckles some of the players. It seems like innocent fun until one of the players unexpectedly starts crying, and suddenly Daphne doesn't feel too great about the situation. Hoping to apologize, Daphne messages Chris online, and the two strike up a conversation. It's only after they begin opening up that Daphne realizes she never identified herself as the person who did the heckling. So when Daphne's job brings her closer to Chris in person, it complicates the situation even further. Chris is a genuinely nice guy and the two seem to have a real connection, but their online interactions might just get in the way of them growing closer.
I'm a fan of Thompson's writing and I love it when characters meet online first, so I was definitely into this from the start. I was curious to see why Chris had reacted so strongly, and I liked the unique feel of the connection. It was unpredictable, fun, and just a little bit angsty. I grew to love Chris more and more, and it was easy to see that they had very real chemistry. I didn't even mind the third person POV, which is not typically a favorite of mine. Once things got messier, however, the red flags started popping up for me. Daphne was definitely in the wrong about some things, and I was not a fan of how long the miscommunication went on. Some of the intimate moments were soured by the fact that she wasn't being honest, and that didn't sit well with me. That's really my only issue with the book though - there was a whole lot that I liked, and it was very solid overall.
June 20, 2024
I LOVED THIS!!!!! baseball has been a big part of my life since before i could even walk (my parents took me to my first MLB game when i was ~10 months old, i’ve been to many many since, and it is and was always on in my house) so reading a baseball romance where it’s clear the author also knows and loves the sport was SO fun. were the situations completely outlandish and would never happen? yes probably. do i care? not at all. this was so fun, so sweet, and definitely reinforced my love of the game.
also, i pictured the MMC as dansby swanson, so you know.
5 out of the park stars ⚾️🧢🏟️
(and go o’s 🧡🖤)
also, i pictured the MMC as dansby swanson, so you know.
5 out of the park stars ⚾️🧢🏟️
(and go o’s 🧡🖤)
Read
May 18, 2024Safe! I wanted *extra innings* of this book.
I'm horrible at baseball analogies, but luckily for us, Alicia is not. This book, much like her 2 previous romances, is full of heart and yearning and she manages to balance both beautifully in a trope I don't read a lot. You'll definitely be wanting to pick this one up and take it to the baseball game with you this summer.
You can catch Alicia and I in conversation at Tropicana Field in St. Pete on June 20th!
I'm horrible at baseball analogies, but luckily for us, Alicia is not. This book, much like her 2 previous romances, is full of heart and yearning and she manages to balance both beautifully in a trope I don't read a lot. You'll definitely be wanting to pick this one up and take it to the baseball game with you this summer.
You can catch Alicia and I in conversation at Tropicana Field in St. Pete on June 20th!
May 15, 2024
2024 reads: 129/250
i received an advanced review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
shortly following her divorce, daphne finds herself at a baseball game, drunkenly heckling the players. to her horror, one player, chris kepler, seems to take her words to heart. she reaches out on social media to apologize…but accidentally leaves out the fact that she was his heckler. now, she finds herself developing a friendship—and possibly a romance—with chris online, while having to work with him in-person. she’s not sure how to come clean now, and she’s torn between letting the relationship develop or cutting it off without explanation.
like daphne, i find baseball pretty boring. however, i do like the “secret penpals” plot line, so this book’s premise intrigued me. ironically enough, this aspect actually ended up making me cringe just a bit. while i still did enjoy this plot line, it was just hard to read about in this case. however, i liked how this was resolved! daphne grew a lot as a character throughout the book and i think the author did a great job of showing this.
i would recommend this to anyone who enjoys adult romances.
i received an advanced review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
shortly following her divorce, daphne finds herself at a baseball game, drunkenly heckling the players. to her horror, one player, chris kepler, seems to take her words to heart. she reaches out on social media to apologize…but accidentally leaves out the fact that she was his heckler. now, she finds herself developing a friendship—and possibly a romance—with chris online, while having to work with him in-person. she’s not sure how to come clean now, and she’s torn between letting the relationship develop or cutting it off without explanation.
like daphne, i find baseball pretty boring. however, i do like the “secret penpals” plot line, so this book’s premise intrigued me. ironically enough, this aspect actually ended up making me cringe just a bit. while i still did enjoy this plot line, it was just hard to read about in this case. however, i liked how this was resolved! daphne grew a lot as a character throughout the book and i think the author did a great job of showing this.
i would recommend this to anyone who enjoys adult romances.
June 28, 2024
Another home run from Alicia Thompson!! I am full on embracing the new baseball romance books that have released lately and The art of catching feelings is right up there with the best of them!!
This dual POV, heckler turned on air sideline reporter who falls for a major league player suffering from the suicide of his brother brought me to tears, made me laugh, swoon and fall in love with Daphne and Chris!! The mental health rep in this story was excellent!!
I absolutely loved this book even though the miscommunication of the online/texting to IRL catfishing esque plot had me cringing for when the lies would all come crashing down.
Highly recommended for fans of books like The prospects by KT Hoffman or Wild Card by Staci Hart. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!
🔥Steam level: some open door spicy scenes
This dual POV, heckler turned on air sideline reporter who falls for a major league player suffering from the suicide of his brother brought me to tears, made me laugh, swoon and fall in love with Daphne and Chris!! The mental health rep in this story was excellent!!
I absolutely loved this book even though the miscommunication of the online/texting to IRL catfishing esque plot had me cringing for when the lies would all come crashing down.
Highly recommended for fans of books like The prospects by KT Hoffman or Wild Card by Staci Hart. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!
🔥Steam level: some open door spicy scenes
July 3, 2024
Total rating: 4.5 stars. Okay I really actually love Alicia Thompson’s writing and will be reading more of her books. I really loved this. Not only do I love baseball so a baseball romance was right up my alley, but Daphne was incredibly relatable to me. She is going through a divorce (this book discusses themes of divorce, loss, suicide, and panic attacks which I really loved) and every piece of commentary on your life changing in that way and reflecting on a past relationship was so spot on and I loved it.
But on to the romance, I LOVED Daphne and Chris. This was so cute and their relationship was so raw and real. Plus, there was a lot of baseball and I actually loved that and now I need to read more baseball romances for sure.
But on to the romance, I LOVED Daphne and Chris. This was so cute and their relationship was so raw and real. Plus, there was a lot of baseball and I actually loved that and now I need to read more baseball romances for sure.
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