What do you think?
Rate this book
Mackenzie Green #0.5
Catch and Release: A Mackenzie Green Novella
He can see the future, but can he save it?
Curtis has a rare gift: he can see glimpses of the past, present, and future.
But his visions come with a price: he can’t share them without changing the outcome.
It didn’t matter, until he meets Christine—a fierce mercenary who sparks his interest and is fated to be the heart of the guild he’s trying to build.
But their budding romance is interrupted when a vision reveals a threat to the child of a friend. Now Curtis must gather a group of loyal and skilled fighters who can help him battle the corruption growing in GreenRiver.
Time is running out, and the enemy is not only powerful, but also cunning. Curtis and his Hunters must face the ultimate challenge: to save a child, a city, and to protect a future that only he can see.
Curtis has a rare gift: he can see glimpses of the past, present, and future.
But his visions come with a price: he can’t share them without changing the outcome.
It didn’t matter, until he meets Christine—a fierce mercenary who sparks his interest and is fated to be the heart of the guild he’s trying to build.
But their budding romance is interrupted when a vision reveals a threat to the child of a friend. Now Curtis must gather a group of loyal and skilled fighters who can help him battle the corruption growing in GreenRiver.
Time is running out, and the enemy is not only powerful, but also cunning. Curtis and his Hunters must face the ultimate challenge: to save a child, a city, and to protect a future that only he can see.
150 pages, Paperback
First published September 26, 2023
160 people are currently reading
156 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 11, 2024
Catch and Release is the prequel to the Mackenzie Green series by J.S. Kennedy.
You can read this before starting the sereis or after any book in the sereis. I read this after reading the first three books in the Mackenzie Green sereis. It was so nice to return to the beginning before the guild was a guild.
We follow Curtis as he uses his gift to save a child and build his guild Catch and Release. We see how the other guilds in Green River are all about money, murder, and mayhem. Curtis will make a Guild that is different and will save the city, but he can’t do it alone.
This story is fun and entertaining. I loved this story. Loved going back to the beginning and learning about Curtis and how his power works. This is a great read.
Rated: 5 Stars
You can read this before starting the sereis or after any book in the sereis. I read this after reading the first three books in the Mackenzie Green sereis. It was so nice to return to the beginning before the guild was a guild.
We follow Curtis as he uses his gift to save a child and build his guild Catch and Release. We see how the other guilds in Green River are all about money, murder, and mayhem. Curtis will make a Guild that is different and will save the city, but he can’t do it alone.
This story is fun and entertaining. I loved this story. Loved going back to the beginning and learning about Curtis and how his power works. This is a great read.
Rated: 5 Stars
February 15, 2024
(Side note: I read this first, liked it and jumped into book 1, Green Gryphon. If I'd read this prequel after the first book, I think I would've rated it a star higher.)
October 21, 2023
I really enjoyed this short novella in the Mackenzie Green series, telling us how Curtis started up the Catch and Release guild. The other guilds in Green River are all about money, murder and mayhem, but Curtis knows that his guild will be very different - his seer power has told him so, but only if he can get the keys to align and have everything fall into place, just as it's meant to be.
His first job as this new Guildmaster means he has to find and hire his first three hunters and take on one of the other guilds. I loved this story line as it showed the power and limitations of Curtis' seer powers and how he was able to fit all the pieces together just so!
This was a great read in this series and I loved seeing how everything started up for Curtis. Hoping for another novella for when he first took on Mackenzie too!
His first job as this new Guildmaster means he has to find and hire his first three hunters and take on one of the other guilds. I loved this story line as it showed the power and limitations of Curtis' seer powers and how he was able to fit all the pieces together just so!
This was a great read in this series and I loved seeing how everything started up for Curtis. Hoping for another novella for when he first took on Mackenzie too!
December 21, 2023
finished this in less than two hours
And I’m OBSESSED with the books in this meta verse. Keenly anticipating more about the catch and release team!!! Absolutely loved the Mackenzie Green series as well
And I’m OBSESSED with the books in this meta verse. Keenly anticipating more about the catch and release team!!! Absolutely loved the Mackenzie Green series as well
October 6, 2023
I’m so glad there is a finally a continuation of the Green Gryphon series! This one goes back into the past, prior to MacKenzie Green’s story, to the time when Curtis first came to town to start up his Catch and Release Guild. Curtis’s dream is to start a guild very different from the current guilds, which are really nothing more than assassins and thugs who will take on any request to kill for money. His gift of “seeing” tells him that his idea of a guild that is fair and “family” toward the guild members and honorable in its actions is not only possible, but has the potential to change the whole brutal atmosphere of the town.
His first goal is to try to find the person who will be the linchpin of his organization, and in doing that he gets pulled in to an attack on a young girl and her family. Beyond protecting her, he also wants to find out why she’s being attacked, and by whom.
This is a great, and very enjoyable, addition to the Green Gryphon storyline. I can’t wait to read more about Curtis and the guilds, but I really, REALLY want more about MacKenzie, or maybe one of her siblings. JS Kennedy’s writing is strong and creative. I am so glad I found this series, and this writer!
His first goal is to try to find the person who will be the linchpin of his organization, and in doing that he gets pulled in to an attack on a young girl and her family. Beyond protecting her, he also wants to find out why she’s being attacked, and by whom.
This is a great, and very enjoyable, addition to the Green Gryphon storyline. I can’t wait to read more about Curtis and the guilds, but I really, REALLY want more about MacKenzie, or maybe one of her siblings. JS Kennedy’s writing is strong and creative. I am so glad I found this series, and this writer!
Read
January 14, 2025He can see the future, but can he save it?
Curtis has a rare gift: he can see glimpses of the past, present, and future.
But his visions come with a price: he can’t share them without changing the outcome.
It didn’t matter, until he meets Christine—a fierce mercenary who sparks his interest and is fated to be the heart of the guild he’s trying to build.
But their budding romance is interrupted when a vision reveals a threat to the child of a friend. Now Curtis must gather a group of loyal and skilled fighters who can help him battle the corruption growing in GreenRiver.
Time is running out, and the enemy is not only powerful, but also cunning. Curtis and his Hunters must face the ultimate challenge: to save a child, a city, and to protect a future that only he can see.
Heather's Notes
I liked learning more about Curtis and Chris. It was a nice introduction to the series. I wish I had read it first, but it didn't give any information that you need to enjoy the first story.
Curtis has a rare gift: he can see glimpses of the past, present, and future.
But his visions come with a price: he can’t share them without changing the outcome.
It didn’t matter, until he meets Christine—a fierce mercenary who sparks his interest and is fated to be the heart of the guild he’s trying to build.
But their budding romance is interrupted when a vision reveals a threat to the child of a friend. Now Curtis must gather a group of loyal and skilled fighters who can help him battle the corruption growing in GreenRiver.
Time is running out, and the enemy is not only powerful, but also cunning. Curtis and his Hunters must face the ultimate challenge: to save a child, a city, and to protect a future that only he can see.
Heather's Notes
I liked learning more about Curtis and Chris. It was a nice introduction to the series. I wish I had read it first, but it didn't give any information that you need to enjoy the first story.
September 27, 2023
An engaging, whimsical tale!
Having thoroughly enjoyed the Mackenzie Green novels I was delighted that a background novella was to be released! This has lived up to my expectations! I love Curtis with his complicated gift of seer magic and adore the fierce mercenary Chris and they make an engaging couple and wonderful lead characters. Later joined by Tony and Frank these four people begin their attempt to bring justice and morality back to the town of GreenRiver. Whilst we do see more of these characters in the next three books I am hoping that Curtis and Chris may have more books of their own! A brilliant read - my only complaint is that I would have preferred a full novel to a novella!
Having thoroughly enjoyed the Mackenzie Green novels I was delighted that a background novella was to be released! This has lived up to my expectations! I love Curtis with his complicated gift of seer magic and adore the fierce mercenary Chris and they make an engaging couple and wonderful lead characters. Later joined by Tony and Frank these four people begin their attempt to bring justice and morality back to the town of GreenRiver. Whilst we do see more of these characters in the next three books I am hoping that Curtis and Chris may have more books of their own! A brilliant read - my only complaint is that I would have preferred a full novel to a novella!
June 5, 2024
Bit Crippled by Length
This story-writing type gains it's strength from in depth character development. It's not the type of high impact challenge solving story that can reach 5 stars in so short a length. So pretty good in this length but not quite masterpiece (except maybe if you already read novels in the series recently). Five stars would probably take twice the current length.
But packaged as part of series it's very compact background filler story on main support characters to the novels.
This story-writing type gains it's strength from in depth character development. It's not the type of high impact challenge solving story that can reach 5 stars in so short a length. So pretty good in this length but not quite masterpiece (except maybe if you already read novels in the series recently). Five stars would probably take twice the current length.
But packaged as part of series it's very compact background filler story on main support characters to the novels.
September 28, 2023
This was a really important part of the series because of who Curtis was. I liked him from the start of the Green Gryphon. I thought his story would be intense especially with Chris. I had no idea that they were married which made it that much more interesting.
He talks about keys and how they are important and I don’t think he understands how much of a key he is in Green River. He is the one thing that brought everyone together.
He talks about keys and how they are important and I don’t think he understands how much of a key he is in Green River. He is the one thing that brought everyone together.
June 8, 2024
Curtis meets killer wife......
The beginning of Catch and Release. How Curtis recruits and builds his reputation. You meet future characters and how he thinks his Guild will grow. I liked to see how his magic works and the people he wants to recruit.
The Green Mage takes many of these early strings into its heart ❤️ .
Love it that Liz is his special lady and it is she who find his familiar.
The scene is now poised love, love, love it.
The beginning of Catch and Release. How Curtis recruits and builds his reputation. You meet future characters and how he thinks his Guild will grow. I liked to see how his magic works and the people he wants to recruit.
The Green Mage takes many of these early strings into its heart ❤️ .
Love it that Liz is his special lady and it is she who find his familiar.
The scene is now poised love, love, love it.
February 24, 2025
I know it's a novella, but everything about it is impactful on the Mackenzie Green series - one of my favorites. I almost wish I had read this prior to reading the series. However, it was published between Books 3 and 4 of the series. Full focus on Curtis and Chris - both instrumental to Mackenzie's success in the Guild. Lots of fun to see how they met, what they are to each other, and even where that turtle came from.
October 6, 2023
This was a cute and quick novella giving readers of the Mackenzie Green series further insight about key members of her guild. I just wish we could have gotten more glimpses of the romantic development between Chris and Curtis. Instead of the hints. Granted, that made sense considering the timeline.
September 27, 2024
The beginning of Catch & Release
A enjoyable and well thought out prequel to the Mackenzie Green series. If you enjoy the series you will definitely enjoy this novella.
The book gives you insights into the core members of the initial guild. Their mission and guide structure.
It is a quick, fun, must read companion to the Mackenzie Green series.
A enjoyable and well thought out prequel to the Mackenzie Green series. If you enjoy the series you will definitely enjoy this novella.
The book gives you insights into the core members of the initial guild. Their mission and guide structure.
It is a quick, fun, must read companion to the Mackenzie Green series.
October 26, 2023
Great story in the Mackenzie Green universe
This prequel explains the backstory of the founding of the guild Catch & Release. Excellent characters with endearing backstories. Looking forward to more
This prequel explains the backstory of the founding of the guild Catch & Release. Excellent characters with endearing backstories. Looking forward to more
November 6, 2023
Great story!
I read the three books in the series first before reading this one. There are things we didn’t know were related until this one and wow it didn’t disappoint. I love this work that Miss Kennedy has created I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
I read the three books in the series first before reading this one. There are things we didn’t know were related until this one and wow it didn’t disappoint. I love this work that Miss Kennedy has created I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
November 14, 2023
Always a good read
So far I haven't read anything this author has wrote and not loved it. Her words take me away to another world that I want to live in with characters who are more like friends.
So far I haven't read anything this author has wrote and not loved it. Her words take me away to another world that I want to live in with characters who are more like friends.
June 17, 2024
So much fun!
I read the first four before I read this short story; for some reason I thought it might be boring. _Not_ boring. Nice to know how Curtis got his familiar and got his guild started. And now of course I want more.
I read the first four before I read this short story; for some reason I thought it might be boring. _Not_ boring. Nice to know how Curtis got his familiar and got his guild started. And now of course I want more.
July 4, 2024
Fun novella with a good worldbuilding and a nice set up for more with the start of a new guild and a first job that makes you want to read more . Enough action to make the read worth it and lots of different characters.
September 19, 2024
Good Prequel
I’m glad I read this after reading the four books currently in the series. Enjoyed the story and the characters. Actually more character development here that would enhance the Mackenzie Green storyline.
I’m glad I read this after reading the four books currently in the series. Enjoyed the story and the characters. Actually more character development here that would enhance the Mackenzie Green storyline.
December 1, 2024
Very Nice Read
This well written prequel to The Mackenzie Green series is most enjoyable and well worth reading.
It can be read as a stand alone but I thoroughly enjoyed after reading the series first.
Recommended.
This well written prequel to The Mackenzie Green series is most enjoyable and well worth reading.
It can be read as a stand alone but I thoroughly enjoyed after reading the series first.
Recommended.
July 1, 2025
It’s just as good as I expected and a perfect start for the series, even if I read this book last, it was still a standalone and worth the five stars. I would love to read more stories in this setting.
July 13, 2025
Backstory
I am so grateful for the chance to see Curtis in the beginning and his relationship with Chris and how the guild came into being. Looking forward to a little more on them I hope. Loving the series across the board!
I am so grateful for the chance to see Curtis in the beginning and his relationship with Chris and how the guild came into being. Looking forward to a little more on them I hope. Loving the series across the board!
September 27, 2023
I loved how this shows how everything began, Curtis and Chris play important roles in the 3 books (4th coming in early 2024)
September 30, 2023
backstory
Nice short story that provides the history of how Catch and Release, the guild led by Curtis that Mackenzie Green joins, was formed.
Nice short story that provides the history of how Catch and Release, the guild led by Curtis that Mackenzie Green joins, was formed.
October 9, 2023
A good book. I think it’s better if you have read her other series firt ( Green mage)
October 14, 2023
Really enjoyed this series
I really enjoyed this series, outstanding writing and characterization. Really well done. I am looking forward to what comes next!
I really enjoyed this series, outstanding writing and characterization. Really well done. I am looking forward to what comes next!
November 3, 2023
This is a cute back-story novella about the founding of the mercenary guild where Kenzie and Quinn work, and provides backstory for Curtis and Chris.
December 25, 2023
Romance:
January 14, 2024
Great Prequel
I read this after the first book in the Mackenzie Green series. It really adds a lot and explains the founding of Catch and Release.
I read this after the first book in the Mackenzie Green series. It really adds a lot and explains the founding of Catch and Release.
January 22, 2024
I loved how this book stepped back to time to before the MacKenzie Green Series series started and filled in some details about how everything started.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews