Review by Ronny
Series Name: Big Shots, # 5
Catch Her If You Can is another spicy romance that is so easy breezy to sink into.
Favourite Quote:
She dropped the magazine, her knees dipping out of pure shock to find Madden filling up her doorway with his serious eyes and wide shoulders, the impact of both upsetting her balance. Oh man, he looked pensive and restless, distracting her further.
Book Synopsis:
Madden Donahue, the newest catcher for the Yankees, has been in love with Eve Mitchell since high school, but for some mysterious reason, the burlesque club owner always turns him down. That never stopped him from being her self-appointed protector. Case in point, now that Eve’s sister has left Eve with her two children indefinitely, Madden steps in with a proposition—marry him for the much needed health benefits.
Eve has secretly harbored feelings for Madden all along, but there’s one problem—her best friend Skylar called dibs on him when they were fourteen. Eve has always put their friendship above all else, and she’s not willing to risk losing Skylar over a man. Raised by the local strip club owner, Eve is woefully short on friends and treasures the ones she has. But with Skylar happily paired off, Eve finds herself accepting Madden’s proposal—on the condition that their marriage remains strictly private. She’s not about to let her unique profession and maligned reputation destroy Madden’s shiny new career.
Madden won’t let Eve get away that easily, though. What starts as a marriage of convenience soon ignites into something much hotter, and now it’s up to Madden to convince Eve that their connection is far more than a business arrangement. As the passion builds, can their fake marriage become the real deal?
Review:
I will admit this series has been a bit of a hit-or-miss for me. I adored Fan Girl Down and didn’t mind a couple of the other books in this series, but overall, I feel like this series is missing that Tessa Bailey spark that we all love. The overall vibe this book gives off is pretty typical for a Tessa Bailey book. There is a lot of spice, a man that loves dirty talk, the story is easy breezy to read, and the next book in the series has been set up. Tessa’s rom coms are great for people who just need something fun and spicy to read and something that you don’t have to think too much about.
The premise of this book intrigued me. You have Madden, who has finally made it to MLB and Eve, who owns a struggling burlesque bar. On top of that, you have two characters that have been pining for each other since they were kids, but for various reasons they haven’t acted upon those feelings, throw in a marriage of convenience element, and you have all you need for a fun, juicy, bonkers romance. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but it is lacking something. I spent days after reading it, trying to figure out what it is missing and to be honest, I can’t put my finger on what it is. There were moments that I was left wanting something more or thought things might have been rushed a little too much. The big problems near the end of the book wrapped up a little too quickly and easily. I think I just wanted a little bit more conflict, a little bit more time watching these two great characters interact both in their world and with each other. Another problem with this book is that there are a lot of secondary stories unfolding at the same time, and don’t get me wrong, I devour bonkers books that have a lot going on in them. But when authors choose to go down this road, there is a fine line between crazy bonkers and a hot mess, and this book leans more into the hot mess side. Tessa’s books shine when she has a more focused story that really just zeroes in on the two main characters and their growing relationship.
I did like both characters. Eve and Madden are fun, real, and I wish I really got to spend more time with them. I’m not always a fan of a character that overly pines, but in this book, I didn’t mind the pining. Madden may have been pining for Eve, but he didn’t wallow in self-pity; he knew what he wanted, and as soon as he realized that Eve was harbouring some feelings for him, he was a man of action. The spice is pretty typical for a Tessa Bailey book, with plenty of dirty talk. I loved the chemistry between these two. There was just something missing from their relationship journey, and once again, I think it has to do with all the other things happening in this book that were a bit distracting.
Catch Her If You Can is a spicy sports romance that had a lot of potential, but unfortunately was a bit of a miss for me.
