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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.
Releases in June, preorder today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/43mc4ks
“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.”
—Jessica Joyce, USA Today Bestselling author of You, with a View
Blurb:
A professional baseball player and his heckler prove that true love is worth going to bat for in the next swoony romance by USA Today bestselling author Alicia Thompson.
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?
Releases in June, preorder today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/43mc4ks
“A soft and sexy riff on You’ve Got Mail, The Art of Catching Feelings delivers a beautifully layered look at how intimacy blooms on and offline. I savored the bittersweetness of Alicia Thompson’s expertly deployed angst. Whether or not you’re a baseball fan, you’ll find yourself rooting for Daphne and Chris from the moment of their one-of-a-kind meet-cute.”
—Rosie Danan, USA Today bestselling author of Do Your Worst
While you wait!
The two books aren’t related, but I seriously enjoyed With Love, From Cold World. Well worth a read!
She has a to-do list a mile long and falling for her coworker isn’t on it—yet somehow he’s become her top priority in this romantic comedy from the national bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers.
Lauren Fox is the bookkeeper for Cold World, a tourist destination that’s always a winter wonderland despite being located in humid Orlando, Florida. Sure, it’s ranked way below any of the trademarked amusement parks and maybe foot traffic could be better. But it’s a fun place to work, even if “fun” isn’t exactly Lauren’s middle name.
Her coworker Asa Williamson, on the other hand, is all about finding ways to enliven his days at Cold World—whether that means organizing the Secret Santa or teasing Lauren. When the owner asks Lauren and Asa to propose something (anything, really) to raise more revenue, their rivalry heats up as they compete to come up with the best idea. But the situation is more dire than they thought, and it might take these polar opposites working together to save the day. If Asa thought Lauren didn’t know how to enjoy herself, he’s surprised by how much he enjoys spending time together. And if Lauren thought Asa wasn’t serious about anything, she’s surprised by how seriously he seems to take her.
As Lauren and Asa work to save their beloved wintery spot, they realize the real attraction might be the heat generating between them.
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/47SET9W
About the Author:
Alicia Thompson is a writer, reader, and lover of baseball. She has never caught a foul ball but she was once two seats down from a Jumbotron proposal and that has to count for something. She’s currently taking in home games in sunny Central Florida with her husband, two children, and a cat named Luna who has yet to hit for the cycle (aka has not escaped out of every door in a single day, although with the numbers she’s been putting up . . .)
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