Nilufer Ozmekik's Reviews > The Art of Catching Feelings

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.