Catch the Wind

by Katia Rose

She was at the top of my People I Hope to Never See Again list.

Now she’s my new employee.

The last time I came face to face with Marie-Ève Thibodeau, she was the right-hand minion of my high school bully. After graduation, she left our small town for a shiny new life in the city and never returned.

Until now. She’s back, broke, and desperate for a job at the only place currently hiring: the bed and breakfast I run with my two best friends.

Unfortunately, we’re so desperate for a receptionist that I can’t turn her down.

Balsam Inn is my safe place. It’s my proof that I’ve left the shadows of high school behind and built a life I’m proud of, but working with Marie-Ève makes me feel the farthest thing from safe.

Especially since she’s even prettier than I remembered.

Every shift together reveals a new layer of the woman I thought I knew. When our eyes start lingering and our hands start wandering, I can’t resist falling into stolen moments and stupid decisions.

She still has a life waiting for her in the city, and I’m still the girl who never left this town.

If I’m not careful, Marie-Ève might just end up on my list of People Who’ve Broken My Heart.

Catch the Wind is part of the Balsam Inn series, a trilogy of interconnected steamy sapphic standalones by bestselling author Katia Rose.

ebook

Expected publication May 28, 2026

About the author

Katia Rose is not much of a Pina Colada person, but she does like getting caught in the rain. She loves to write romances that make her readers laugh, cry, and swoon (preferably in that order). She’s rarely found without a cup of tea nearby, and she’s more than a little obsessed with tiny plants. Katia is proudly bisexual and has a passion for writing about love in all its forms.

Join the Club Katia community and grab your romance freebies! katiarose.com/club-katia

Reviews

[Sam’s Sapphic Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh I LOVED THIS BOOK.

Katia Rose knows how to write a story. I’ve read every book of hers and anytime I see a new one come out, I have to get my hands on it.

Honestly, this one was my favorite yet. Marie-Eve and Maddie were such lovable characters and they really showed your last doesn’t define your future. They both grew so much from when they were younger, and looked past the problems there were.

Their love for one another was so sweet and I seriously couldn’t put this book down. It wasn’t just about their love, but also about finding themselves when they least expect it, and with someone they least expected.

[Montes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only thing I hate about a Katia Rose book is that it ends. When I finish a book by her, I’m always really sad that I can’t read it again for the first time, the book hangover is insane. She might just be my favorite author.

Catch the Wind is the third book in the Balsam Inn series. It’s an interconnected standalone, you can start anywhere in the series but you’ll get some spoilers if you don’t start with Paint the Moon.

I want Maddie to be my best friend. An analytical, finance oriented, geeky Doctor Who fan with a preference for Ten? SIGN ME UP!

Seeing a character like Maddie with a great amount of support from friends and family feel like there’s a part of her insecurities that she can’t share with them for shame absolutely broke my heart. I felt so much for Marie-Ève, to be forced to fit into a role that she does not want to play as a mean girl in school, perhaps not actively participating in bullying but standing by while others do. Not wanting to succeed simply because of her name but by her own merits and having her privacy violated precisely by who her father is and having those pictures follow her throughout and affect her professional life is terrible.

I’ll always be a sucker for a second chance and I adored the yearning.

Thank you to Katia Rose for providing me with an eARC.

[zb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catch the Wind was really, really good: a very solid 4.5/5 star read — it was everything I hoped it would be, as I waited for the best part of a year to read Maddie’s story: Katia Rose has knocked it out of the park, again (and I should know, this is the 13th of her novels that I've binged like this); Balsam Inn has very quickly become a favourite sapphic romance novel series of mine; this one is definitely my favourite of Katia's works (my only gripe is that it isn’t longer and that the series is over! I could’ve happily spent two or three times the page count with these characters!!).

Maddie & Marie-Ève’s story was amazing (yes, as per, you'll get hit with the signature laugh, cry, swoon combo) and I loved being dropped into La Cloche and spending time with all the wonderful characters again.

She whispers the word like a confession, but to me, it’s a match in the dark.
It’s a flame ready to set fire to all the kindling that’s been piling up inside me for weeks.
I know once the wood catches, there’ll be no way for me to put the inferno out.

As I said in my review of Book 2. If you've been sleeping on this trilogy, and not yet picked up Paint the Moon, what are you waiting for?! Do it - and then get on Touch the Sky & Catch the Wind asap (in order!): you won't regret it.

Note: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katia Rose writes great series - and the Balsam Inn trilogy is another one where I wish there were more people owning the Inn so that I could continue to come back and visit them over and over again!

Short Summary

A return to the Balsam Inn.

The Balsam Inn that Maddie, Nathalie, and Jacinthe’s own is doing so well they need to hire more staff, which sounds great, except when you are in small town and were late to advertise the positions. When Marie-Eve is the only applicant for the receptionist position it leaves them in the position of either working all the time or hiring the person who made Maddie’s life miserable in school.

Marie-Eve tried to make a life for herself away from her father’s shadow, but after a business failure she is left needing to pay off loans, and is back in a town she’d sworn never to return to. The only position she can find is working for a person she bullied in school, something she’s always regretted, but has never been able to apologize for, until now.

Review

The third book in the trilogy was just as amazing as the first two and I finally got to see Maddie get a happy ending.

Maddie has always been in the shadows of her older cousins in the previous books, held up for her business sense and work ethic, but was always the voice of reason rather than being passionate about anything other than numbers and analysis. She recognizes that in herself and believes that is the only reason why people like her or want to be around her. Luckily, in Catch the Wind, we get to see so much more of Maddie and know that others see her for everything she is.

Marie-Eve is the new character in the third book. Initially I’m thinking I don’t like her, but her redemption arc was strong and I love that she found happiness and love well she re-discovered her own worth.

Marie-Eve is such an interesting character to add to the Balsam Inn world. I found it really interesting her love/hate relationship with media and social media. Her understanding of how it can help people and businesses thrive and she has the power to make the simplest things go viral! Yet, she also knows the power it has to destroy someone. It’s a great juxtaposition and handled so well.

If you haven’t read Paint the Sky or Touch the Moon yet – do it! Once you’re done with the Balsam Inn Trilogy - go and read the Three Rivers Trilogy and get to explore another group of fierce women and the people they fall in love with!

I received a digital advanced copy from the author. The opinions in this review are my own.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved to read all three books in the Balsam Inn series but Catch the Wind featuring Maddie is now my favourite. It is so easy to relate to her and when I read this I knew I loved her:
“The job fair was an utter disaster—so disastrous I ended up locking myself in one of the empty guest rooms with my laptop to engage in my favourite stress-relieving activity: making spreadsheets.”
Everyone who knows me are aware of that is exactly what I do in such a situation.

Maddie is the Jacinthe’s younger cousin that owns and runs the Balsam Inn together with Jacinthe and Natalie. They are both now in relationships, only Maddie still alone. Maddie, the former financial risk analyst they rely so much on, she is always the responsible person despite being youngest, feels that is how she must be to be worth something. Her feeling of not being worth much comes from her high school days where one of her nemeses was Marie-Ève that suddenly shows up and applies for a job, and Maddie is reminded of all that horrible bullying.

That Marie-Ève is hired is purely out of the fact that Maddie desperately needs help to be able to cope. Soon clear that Marie-Ève may not be as bad as they all initially think, also posh Marie-Ève has a lot to deal with, shitty father and a failed business, and regrets so much how she treated Maddie. It is so fun to follow Marie-Ève’s training, where Maddie initially is forced to bring Marie-Ève along but soon no burden at all, she is kind of hot after all. Is this for real or is all still a joke for Marie-Ève. Maddie deserves the absolute best so while reading you just sit and cheer her on.

Once again, I love everything with the whole Balsam Inn idea and the description of the small town La Cloche. It is a place that makes so many impossible things possible and great to also get a bit more of Jacinte and Natalie. This whole series is absolutely worth a read, but if you only want to pick one of the standalone books, Catch the Wind is the one to read.

I received a free ARC from the author and leave an honest review voluntarily.

[Fiona Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catch the Wind is a wonderful conclusion to the Balsam Inn series by Katia Rose and I loved returning to La Cloche and catching up with the characters from the first two books in the series and finding out how they were going with running their new B&B.

In Catch the Wind we finally get to read Maddie's journey towards finding both herself and a sense of hope for the future. After being bullied during her school days due to her being publicly out, Maddie has struggled to find her self confidence and remained rigidly caught up in the rules of numbers, formulas and predictions that have served her well up until now. She has found her place alongside her two best friends owning and running the Balsam Inn B&B. However, her life is turned upside down when Marie-Ève Thibodeau returns to La Cloche and turns up at Balsam Inn broke and desperate for a job.

What follows is an emotional journey that made me laugh and cry and hope that the two women could find their way through their respective hurts and overcome their painful shared history to find that, just maybe, there is a place for both of them in La Cloche and the possibility of a shared future. I really enjoyed learning more about the community as Maddie and her friends take Marie-Ève on a tour of La Cloche to introduce her to the community so that she would be better placed to recommend them to their guests at the inn.

Although Catch the Wind could be read as a stand-a-lone I would definitely recommend you read the first two books in the series first: Paint the Moon and Touch the Sky to get the back story on the origins of Balsam Inn and meet the other characters who feature in this book.

I am grateful to Katia Rose for providing me with the opportunity to Beta read Catch the Wind as well as for providing me with an ARC copy of the final version and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lily Wiering · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third installment of the series and I was very much looking forward to this one.
Since book one, I've had a soft spot for Maddie. In this book we find that things that happened in the past, still have a way of haunting you. But with the right person (that may have haunted you in the past), you learn to grow, to accept yourself and to be there for you. Because Maddie is also deserving.
The writing style is easy going and there is a little angst, but nothing that would dampen your mood. I have to say it's all very cute, especially since it's once again set in La Cloche.
My French is horrible, so I had to look up some words, but it works with the story and from the context, you can pretty much figure out what it means.
This book left me feeling good, with hope in my heart that even if you feel like you're not seen for who you really are, people really do see you. If you have the courage to speak up, you'll find, just like Maddie, that you are valued for much more than you give yourself credit for.
The romance is sweet, starting from a situationship that quickly becomes more, because, well....feelings!
Our friends from the previous two books play a role in this book, as they should and it once again becomes clear that getting into business together, was the best idea for all three of their futures!

[Nia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome back to the Balsam Inn.
Welcome back to La Cloche.
I really like the dynamic between the characters. This is a second-chance story in several ways.
First, Marie - Éve needs a place to retreat to in order to get a failed project back on track financially.
Returning home might offer the chance to earn money to pay off debts. However, no one knows why she's really back. She applies for a job at the Balsam Inn.
She would be perfect for it, with her experience.
But then she runs into Maddie!
Marie-Evé, along with others, bullied and tormented Maddie repeatedly when she was a teenager in high school. She's devastated and filled with remorse!
Maddie is calculating in everything she does.
She desperately needs help at the inn, and the new applicant arrives at just the right time.
But no one expected Merdie-Éve!
The Horror Éve from her high school years.
One of the people who made her life a living hell, now wants to work for her?
Could she handle that?
Should she even give her this opportunity?
Or should she coldly reject them as revenge?

I loved the story. The uncomfortable situations as well as the wonderful ones. And especially the steamy ones!
A fantastic third book. Full of emotion, hope, growth, and love! Love in all its forms. Thank you so much for the arc.

[The Mighty KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC to read and review this book.

The Balsam Inn books have been some of my favorite books that I’ve read and Katia Rose is an author that I will read whenever they release something new. I was surprised and excited to have received an advanced copy of Catch the Wind and devoured it in two days.

Catch the Wind is the third and final story in the Balsam Inn series. We read Natalie’s story in Paint the Moon and then got Jacinthe’s story in Touch the Sky. Catch the Wind is Maddie’s story and for me was my personal favorite. I was able to relate more with Maddie in the way she didn’t believe in herself and her anxiety when she felt the pressure of getting off course in her life. I was always the rule follower growing up and any deviation would cause me so much stress and anxiety.

Maddie and Marie-Ève help each other grow and move on from their past. Their story is one of resilience and finding out that you don’t have to be kept in the box you believe others expect you to be in.

Catch the Wind is a fitting end to the Balsam Inn trilogy. Do yourself a favor and read the entire series in order as I feel that Maddie’s story is the one to bring all of them together.

[Jennyffer Almeida · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the two previous books in the series so I’m always apprehensive when a new book comes on a beloved series, but I was really excited to read Maddie’s story. I think between the three of them, she’s the one I relate to the most and getting to know her better made me like her even more. The whole thing with not knowing/believing in your self worth hits a little too close to home. Not knowing if people really appreciate you for who you are or for what you accomplish, I get it. Anyway… all that aside, I already loved the side characters, the city, so all that I needed was for the relationship between Maddie and Marie-Éve to be good and interesting and they did not disappoint. I was glad to see Marie-Éve abandoning her prejudices and falling in love with not only Maddie but with La Cloche and its community. It was great seeing her learning to stand up for herself with her father and her stepmother too. I loved her development as a character and the fact that despite everything that happened in their past I didn’t feel inclined to hate her at all. It was lovely to watch their relationship unfold too! I don’t know if it tops Paint The Moon as my favorite on the series, but it’s at least my second favorite!

[Marybeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the first 2 books in the Balsam Inn series and this one was great too! So nice to see how the Inn has progressed that I would say start with the first 2 books before this one. They are so successful that now they need to hire people and one who applies was Maddie's nemesis. Maddie is still deeply affected by being bullied in high school. Marie Eve was one of her bullies. Watching a relationship grow between Maddie and Marie Eve is very sweet. Two damaged women inch toward each other. Marie Eve also has a redemption arc from high school bully. She has also been abused by the media and struggled with building a life as an adult. La Cloche is a character in its own right and draws you right in. Summer in rural Quebec is lovely. A truly charming book and fitting conclusion to the trilogy.

[Kady · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I want her despite every equation that doesn’t add up, despite every outcome and prediction that shows she is the very last person it makes sense for me to want."

 
As a chronic overthinker, Maddie has been the character I related to the most in the Balsam Inn series, so of course I ran to pick up her story here and man was it just perfect. I loved it how both Maddie and Marie-eve were messy but grew in a realistic way. And those river/car scenes were just chef's kiss.

Because of the entire Balsam Inn series I want to learn French and go to Québec. So thanks Katia for adding to my bucket list.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Katia Rose never disappoints. Just be prepared to clear your schedule before picking this up, because it’s highly bingable. Maddie was very relatable, and she had great chemistry with Marie-Éve. The spice was also on point—their first kiss and first time together were both fire. This book made me desperately want to move to La Cloche to enjoy the gorgeous scenery and up my odds of being blessed by the girlfriend distribution system.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Marie J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of Katia Rose's books, including the first two in the series, and this one is probably my favourite of the three! It does feel like each books get better and better, and the story always keeps me on my toes.
I absolutely loved Maddie from the start, probably because she is the most like me, and her relationship with Marie-Ève didn't feel pushed. The chemistry was there and I just couldn't put the book down!!

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my eyes, Katia can do no wrong. I completely devour anything she puts out and this was no exception.

This was another great read. Loved the