Catching Feelings

by Elle Cruz

Contemporary romance author ELLE CRUZ puts her own steamy twist on the stranded trope in her first novella, CATCHING FEELINGS.

Daphne Oliveras is much more than a personal assistant to a world-famous young celebrity, Taylor Harrington. Daphne is her protector, therapist, and most important of all, best friend. So when Taylor catches the attention of notorious A-list celeb womanizer Walker Flynn, a much older man, Daphne sees nothing but alarms and red flags. Daphne is ready to run constant interference in their relationship…but Walker’s annoyingly hot and charismatic assistant, Logan, proves to be an intriguing yet unwelcome distraction.

The moment Logan Rafael lays eyes on Taylor’s gorgeous assistant, he’s done for. He’s never felt this level of attraction to anyone before…even though he is sure Daphne despises him just as much as she despises Walker. But Logan’s not a quitter, and he is up to the challenge of charming Daphne and showing her he is the exact opposite of his toxic employer.
When a hurricane strands the two in the Maldives, Daphne finds Logan’s sweet and sexy nature hard to resist. But the question Can they keep sparks flying when their employers’ volatile relationship dooms their own love from the very start?

Genres: Forced Proximity

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 24, 2024

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

BaksLikesBooks Review

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Resting Method: eARC
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, he falls first, work romance, forced proximity.

Thoughts: (First off, I was excited to learn that Elle Cruz was coming out with another book! I found out about her last year while finding/following a Filipino “bookstagrammer”!) This novella was such a page turner, but I will admit, I purposely took my time to read this because I didn’t want it to end!

Without giving too much away, Daphne (who is a Hollywood starlet’s personal assistant) is: a protector, advisor, therapist, motherly/older sister figure, best friend, but also (was) a caregiver. Daphne comes off as strong and independent, but she is also someone who deserves to be taken care of…to be tended to as well.

Logan, Daphne’s love interest—in which she tries soo hard to stay away from…is also in the Hollywood personal assistant business. He’s dependable, tactful, a charmer, swoon-worthy, but don’t let his good looks fool you—he’s has a big heart and very, very family oriented. 😊 Again, I’m the type who’ll accidentally share too much, so I’ll just leave it at that!

This novella is fun; the drama, the spice, the array
of emotions, the travel destinations are awesome, overall...just wow! The Filipino-American representation—this means SOO much to me because growing
up, there weren't a lot of books that "had me" in it; having a book/story that showcases our culture, values, our qualities and attributes... it's very heart warming!

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a standalone romance and it is Daphne and Logan’s story. Taylor is a world famous celebrity and Daphne is not only her best friend but also her assistant and she protects her in every way that she can even if sometimes it is not that easy so when Taylor gets herself into a tricky situation that is when Daphne meets Logan who she is not only attracted to but also doesn’t need the distraction from her job. When Logan meets Daphne he is instantly attracted to her and feels something that he had never felt before so he knew that he wanted to get to know her but she doesn’t seem to like him so Logan decides to be patient if he ever wanted a chance to be with her at all. Daphne and Logan will have many ups and downs and there relationship will definitely not be plain sailing and just when things start to settle something happens that will tear them apart especially if the loyalty is to the wrong person so now they will have to try and communicate, trust each other and fight for the future that they both want and deserve. This book made you feel so many emotions with everything that happened and Daphne and Logan are so perfect together and for each other and when it is meant to be love will always find a way to make things right regardless of what you have to do or go through and also the consequences in the end. I really enjoyed this book and the story pulled you in and had you turning the pages and unable to put this book down. Elle Cruz is a new author to me and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding themselves in a Catch-22 situation, Daphne and Logan are immediately attracted to one another but as they are both employed by their respective celebrity employers, there is no hope of their love story having a happy ending. Logan's employer has set his eyes on Daphne's boss, and it doesn't look good. Walker Flynn has a terrible reputation, but with a wily PR team, his despicable acts are plastered over, in spite of evidence to the contrary. On the other hand, Taylor Harrington is an impulsive young woman and it takes every ounce of strength for Daphe to keep her safe. When the worst happens, Daphne and Logan are also victims, but fortunately, Logan comes to his senses and realizes all he has to lose if he continues on his current path. The novel comes to a sweet conclusion and is a standalone. I received a copy of this romance as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Richard Goodrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This Romantic Comedy is marvelous. Daphne Oliveras is the personal assistant for Taylor Harrington, a young, world-renowned celebrity. When Walker Flynn, an A-list celebrity infamous as a womanizer and twice her charge's age, starts romantic gestures in that direction, Daphne is livid. Logan Rafael, Walker's assistant, has a deep, instant attraction to Daphne at first sight. Both assistants are thoroughly devoted to their charges, which results in friction.

The focus of this story is the relationship building between the assistants, not the celebrities. The friction to conquer is the opposed agendas of their respective charges. Each step forward results in one or more steps back until, eventually, everything crashes. Nevertheless, the end is heartwarming.

Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Happily Ever After. Romantic. Steamy. Tragic. Unpredictable. Wonderful characters.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Daphne and Logan. It hurt my heart to see everything they needed to protect their budding relationship from. But watching them persevere and triumph against odds so clearly stacked against them made me so happy. However, I sometimes found it difficult to separate my feelings about the source of the author’s inspiration for this story from my reactions to the antics of Daphne and Logan’s employers. Though, that didn’t change how much I adored our leading couple and the Happy Ever After they were able to carve out for themselves. So much, I almost wish this book weren’t over already.
I received a complimentary advance copy of this book from the author.

[Mary Mutisya-Astin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let the drama unfold!

Daphne is celebrity assistant to the one and only Taylor Carmichael, and it’s her job to keep Taylor on track but as her friend she hopes she can keep her from making bad decisions. One bad decision is Walker, the aging actor with a string of young exes in his wake and he has his sights set on Taylor.

The only problem is the instant attraction she feels for his assistant Logan who is strictly off limits.

When stranded on an island in the Maldives they finally let their chemistry take over and let fate decide what happens next.

Great story. Lots of drama and fun bante and an HEA.

I read this book voluntarily for an honest review.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

It was a fun little read that was super cute and fluffy! Logan and Daphne are so adorable together and it was great to see Filipino representation. I loved that. It did take me a little bit to get into it. There were some inconsistencies in the beginning like being at the Met Gala but suddenly they’re in LA? The dots just didn’t connect in my brain. But once I looked past that, it was just go go go from there. I found it so interesting to see the other side of things from the perspectives of the assistants.

If you’re looking for a cute, fun, and spicy read this is definitely it!

[CP · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute read! All the fun elements of a romcom: two assistants to famous people end up falling for each other, and a lot of ridiculous hijinks in between. I laughed out loud at several parts and giggled at most of the rest of the book. The story is dual POV and I found myself enjoying the FMC parts more. I think I would have preferred if the whole book was just her POV.

Overall, very quick and easy read! Would recommend.

[Debra Soehner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daphne is actress Taylor's personal assistant and when they meet up with Logan who is actor Walker's assistant, it is instant chemistry. The only problem is that Daphne doesn't trust Walker and therefore, Logan. They end up meeting many times due to their boss's dating and each time, their attraction grows. Good novel set in the Hollywood scene.

[Amanda Wijangco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catching Feelings is an easy, quick romance read that shares the story of Daphne and Logan, both assistants to celebrities, who end up falling in love after their bosses pursue a relationship together. Overall, the story was short, sweet and pretty steamy. The book uses a dual POV from both Daphne and Logan, but I felt Daphne's parts were deeper and stronger.

[Christina C]

Received this ARC from the author

Look up the content warnings before reading. I did, but the story between Taylor and Walker (not the main characters) were still very triggering for me. Toxic masculinity, emotional abusive, volatile relationship. However, I enjoyed the love story between Logan and Daphne. Also it was spicy 🌶️🔥

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Catching Feelings" by Elle Cruz is a sizzling, romantic ride that hooked me from the first page. Daphne and Logan's chemistry is off the charts, and the stranded-in-paradise setting in the Maldives adds to the tension and heat. Daphne's protective nature brings so much spark to their dynamic. Watching her walls crumble as Logan's charm breaks through was a satisfying slow burn. Cruz does an excellent job blending humor, steam, and heart, making this novella a perfect escape for contemporary romance lovers. I rooted for them despite the looming drama between their celebrity bosses. Cruz's writing is engaging and fun - I read it in one sitting.
This novella is an excellent read for anyone who loves a steamy, feel-good love story with all the right emotional twists.
Happy Reading...enjoy!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It had me from the first few pages and kept my attention all the way to the end. I certainly didn’t want to put it down. It was about super rich people and their personal assistants. Daphne was the personal assistant to actress Taylor Harrington a young mid twenty who falls for actor Walker Flynn who is in his fifties and has Logan as his assistant. Taylor and Walker are not meant to be and are nothing but a train wreck. Where as Daphne and Logan have feelings for each other immediately but since their bosses are hooked up they have to be professional and keep things that way. That’s not always possible. The story goes on about the day to day with their rich bosses and their blooming relationship. A great ending to the story as well.