Book Review: The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Alicia Thompson
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 18th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

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?

WELL.

I’m on a quest to find some good baseball romances and this one came up a few times so here we are.

Why in the world is this whole book based off of a catfishing miscommunication? I think if this plot point had been resolved sooner the book would have sat better with me. I hate seeing MULTIPLE opportunities to come clean about everything and being dismissed.

The rest of the book is good though. I liked the chemistry between Chris and Daphne. It’s kind of a benefits situation but the feelings are so clearly there that a lot of sweet moments are included too. Plenty of baseball content too! Definitely a sports romance, just had some resolution issues.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary sports romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: multiple open door
  • Content warnings: loss of a loved one (suicide), divorce

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Across the Vanishing Sky (Starlight Grove #1) by Catherine Cowles

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 498 pages
Author: Catherine Cowles
Publisher: The PageSmith LLC
Release Date: March 3rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He spent a lifetime trying to escape his dark past…but to save her, he’ll wade back into the shadows.

Braedyn Winslow never expected to return to Starlight Grove—the town that took everything from her. Not after her best friend, the one who’d sacrificed so much for her, vanished without a trace. But with a young son to raise and a past that won’t stay buried, Brae is back…and determined to uncover the truth.

She just didn’t count on the brooding, reclusive mountain man living next door.

Dex Archer is the stuff of local legend—silent, rugged, and surrounded by whispers of his and his brothers’ violent father. But Brae sees through the scowl and his parentage to the man beneath: fiercely loyal, unexpectedly kind…and just dangerous enough to protect her when someone starts warning her off her search.

The closer she gets to the truth, the harder it is to stay away from Dex. And as things get more perilous, Brae realizes the only person she can rely on is the one man who swore never to trust again.

Only someone isn’t happy that Brae has been digging, and they’ll do anything to stop her. But Dex? He’ll do anything to save her, even slip back into the dark…

Thank you to Catherine Cowles for the gifted ARC/ALC.

WHAT A GEM.

I would first like to acknowledge how incredible it is listening to the audiobook. There’s duet narration AND multi-cast so getting all of the different voices throughout made my day. I bounced back and forth between the ebook and audiobook and you can’t go wrong in format choice.

Now to the story!! I adored Dex and Brae. Dex brought a sharper and darker edge to the book that I don’t remember seeing in previous CC books. I loved it. I loved how protective and stoic he is but at the sight of Brae needing him, he is a GONER. I just love men down bad. I loved the trust and communication and how they both learned to let down wall together.

And getting to meet all of the brothers and seeing hints at their future partners?? STOOOOOP IT RIGHT NOW. We are in for an incredible series, full stop. I loved the different personalities they brought to the group and those text chats were some of my favorite moments.

I love seeing how CC has developed her suspense across the 20+ books I’ve read of hers. This one had me eagle eying so many side characters and shouting I KNEEWWWWWWW IT when the real villain showed up. I love the layers to the plot and how easy it is to get lost in this writing. With that epilogue I am going to need book two ASAP.

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantic suspense
  • Language: moderate+
  • Romance: 3 open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: kidnapping, torture, gun violence, loss of loved ones, grief depiction, mentions of PTSD

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: February 2026

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The month of looooove.

I always love seeing all of the book covers together because the fluctuation of contemporary to fantasy to historicals is always cool to see. Reviews for these books are either out now or coming soon!

  • His & Hers by Alice Feeney
  • A Heart so Green (Fair Folk #3) by Lyra Selene
  • [ARC] The Cowboy’s Game (Pride and Pranks #3) by Cindy Steel
  • [Novella] Lonely Hearts Day by Kasie West
  • A Fortunate Miscalculation (The Gentlemen’s Gamble) by Karen Thornell
  • [ARC] Mail-Order Baroness (Lords of the Rockies #2) by Misty M. Beller
  • [ARC/ALC] The Trident and the Pearl (The Fisher King #1) by Sarah K.L. Wilson
  • Worth Fighting For (Meant to Be #5) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
  • A Fate so Dark and Delicate (Compelling Fates Saga #4) by Sophia St. Germain
  • [Reread] From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata
  • [ARC] A Love Most Daring (Bow Street #3) by Joanna Barker
  • The Poet Empress by Shen Tao
  • Here Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by Emma Simmerman
  • [ARC] Bridge of Betrayal (Falcon Point Historical #3) by A.L. Sowards
  • Your Knife, My Heart (Dark Forces #1) by K.M. Moronova
  • Jane Stays Dreaming by Britnee Meiser
  • Pride and Prejudice Audible Original by Jane Austen
  • Sunk in Love by Heather McBreen
  • Savage Lands (Savage Lands #1) by Stacey Marie Brown
  • Invictus (Esperance Trilogy #2) by Heather Frost
  • The Silent Canary by Angela Bricker
  • The Darkest Gift by Nikki Welton
  • [ARC/ALC] Across the Vanishing Sky (Starlight Grove #1) by Catherine Cowles
  • A Vow in Vengeance (Immortal Desires #1) by Jaclyn Rodriguez
  • Racing Hearts by Ann Adams
  • A Stage Set for Villains by Shannon J. Spann
  • [ARC/ALC] The Dragon and the Sun Lotus (The Three Realms #2) by Amelie Wen Zhao
  • [ARC] To All the Guys I Loathed Before (Lucky in Love #3) by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
  • Half City (Harker Academy #3) by Kate Golden

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ARC Book Review: A Love Most Daring (Bow Street #3) by Joanna Barker

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Joanna Barker
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: March 3rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From best-selling author Joanna Barker: Proper romance meets page-turning mystery in this captivating tale of danger, redemption, and love worth fighting for.

After years of whispered gossip and quiet exile in the countryside, Beatrice Lacey arrives in London determined to reclaim her life. But her resolve is shaken when she witnesses a horrific attack tied to a chilling high-profile murder case gripping the city.

Thrust into sudden danger, Beatrice finds herself under the reluctant protection of Alexander Rawlings—a brooding Bow Street officer with a guarded heart and a fierce sense of duty. Though it’s clear he’d rather be chasing the killer than shielding a scandal-stained Society miss, their forced closeness begins to unravel his defenses. In the unnerving moments between danger and discovery, every sharp exchange and lingering glance fans a slow-burning connection—one neither of them expected and neither can resist.

With danger closing in and old wounds resurfacing, trust may be their only refuge—and love their most daring risk of all.

Thank you Shadow Mountain and Joanna Barker for the gifted copy.

THE SWOOOOOOON.

This felt very Pride and Prejudice coded to me. In allllll the best ways. Add in some suspense and I became a goner. I could not get enough of each and every page. I LOVE both of these characters and the banter will have you giggling and kicking your feet like none other.

I’m a sucker for forced proximity that doesn’t feel forced and the natural way of the romance was amazing. Stuck in a home together? FOR PROTECTION? Say less. I loved the impeccable slow burn and the intensity of feelings you could feel coming off in waves from Beatrice and Alexander. I also forgot how much I love in historicals when they use their first name??? Good heavens.

I loved the setting, I loved the mystery of the suspense and how the added elements only increased my enjoyment. Everything is balanced beautifully and I know you’ll have a hard time putting this one down. READ IT OKAY.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild-moderate
  • Content warnings: attempted murder, weapons violence

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