Although not advertised as a series, Erin Hahn’s newest romance CATCH AND KEEP is written in the same universe as her previous two adult books, BUILT TO LAST (2022) and FRIENDS DON’T FALL IN LOVE (2023).
Maren Laughlin loved fishing all her life especially summers at the lake resort in Northern Wisconsin. When her boyfriend steals her promotion at the National Park where she is a ranger and then surprises her with an unwelcome public proposal, she vomits on him, packs up her belongings and heads to the bait shop on the Wisconsin lake she inherited from her old fishing mentor.
As Maren reassesses her life, she faces an old stalker and the hot, single dad who is her oldest brother’s best friend. Josiah Cole finished his time in the military and returned with his wife and two kids to run the family resort except his wife left him -with sole custody. This is a heartwarming, slow-burn romance of two people who find a partner and passion where they least expected it. I loved the way the author focused on Maren falling for Joe’s son and autistic daughter and the message to meet children where they are and not where you want them. CATCH AND KEEP can be read as a stand-alone but readers of the previous books will enjoy the hilarious dialogue that occurs during visits and phone calls with her best friends and their men.
In Erin Hahn's cozy, swoony romance, Maren Laughlin has been fishing her whole life, but she’s finally ready to be caught.
At thirty-three, Maren Laughlin's just turned down her boyfriend’s proposal, walked away from her decade-long position as a park ranger, and returned to her childhood playground in Northern Wisconsin to accept her inheritance: a decrepit waterfront bait shop. After a lifetime of letting things happen to her, she’s ready to start making her own moves, even if everyone else thinks she’s making the wrong ones. Well, not everyone—at least the local heartstopper and resort owner is on her side.
Josiah Cole has made some missteps in his life, but he’s proud of what he has: two awesome kids and the keys to the kind of getaway spot that has families coming back every summer– their up north home away from home. After his marriage dissolved, leaving him a single dad, he feels he’s the last person to judge Maren for her recent transformation (even if his best friend, her brother, wants him to feel otherwise). Besides, he genuinely likes having her around. She’s a breath of fresh air, his kids adore her (not to mention her dog, Rogers), and it doesn’t hurt that she’s beautiful.
Things between Maren and Joe are easy. So easy, they’re fully immersed in the middle before they even decide to begin. It’s not a question of should they, but rather can they make it last? Are things too easy, or is this just how real love works? In Erin Hahn’s heartwarmingly sexy Catch and Keep, Maren and Joe have to be brave enough to find out.