Catching Feelings

Alder #2

by Ana Hartnett Reichardt

As a sophomore, Andrea Foster doesn't expect to earn the starting catcher position on the Alder University softball team. She's used to blending in and leaving the spotlight for the likes of Maya Gonzalez, the team's fiery ace pitcher. No one is more surprised than Andy when she's named starting catcher and captain of the Alder Lions.

Maya was supposed to be captain, everyone says so. Instead, she's forced to train with Andy every day, partners for everything, and she isn't happy about it. But there's something more than animosity building between them. Tough games, hard losses, and a memorable bus ride later, an undeniable attraction pulls Andy and Maya closer. Now they just need to rise above their differences and lead their team to the College World Series.

Genres: Romance, Sports, Lesbian, LGBT, Young Adult, New Adult, College

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 13, 2022

Reviews

[Diane Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

'ARC provided by both NetGalley and The Publisher (Bold Strokes Books) in exchange for an unbiased review'

**'Narrative stories must be clear, has constructive dialogue, efficiency and believability but must also be inspirational and entertaining...'

3.5stars!
I did not read book #1 of this series so i cannot give any familiarity with those characters mentioned from that storyline in 'CATCHING FEELINGS' but it feels as if this book #2 can be read as a stand alone. The storytelling is fun, engaging and do read like a New Adult college love story -- surrounding softball practices, games and friends/other players. The overall feel to 'CATCHING FEELINGS' in a few sentence is this; girl (Andrea) has a crush on one of her teammate (Maya) who is their pitcher -- who interns projects this animosity towards Andrea/Andy but beneath all this dislike is that she is really smitten with her and also cares about what Andy thinks about her. And so here begins their unabashedly secret relationship.
After reading this story, I think the only character without a flaw was Alder University.
Additionally, both (Andy & Maya) justified their somewhat unique relationship in their own way because it made them happy because it might be everlasting, who knows, it's the college years.
A recommended book!

[Della B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catching Feelings is a bad pun and a great title for this second book in the Alder Series. It can easily be read as a stand alone novel.

Alder University sophomore catcher Andrea (Andy) Foster has two surprises at the beginning of the softball season. First, she is the starting catcher and secondly, she is now the captain. Everyone, including starting pitcher Maya Gonzalez expected Maya to claim the captaincy role this season. Too make matters worse, Andy feels Maya hates her for some unknown reason. As captain, the coaches have asked Andy to solidify a strong playing relationship with Maya if they want to make it to the World Series.

It is hard not to like Andy with her studious somewhat nerdy behaviour. She is the adorable fish out of water character. Maya is the extremely talented and high strung counterbalance to Andy.

I am always in my happy place when I read a sports themed romance and Ana Hartnett Reichardt has written an exceptional one. She gets the proportion of softball to romance just right. The writing is exceptional in bringing the characters to life for me. The hectic life of a varsity athlete is presented realistically and will bring back memories if you were lucky enough to be one.

I received a free advance review copy from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
First, I didn't know this was a series and that Catching Feelings was the second book in it. I usually read books in order, but in this case, I don't think you can't read them as individual volumes. That said, I will be reading #1 Changing Majors as well.
We meet Andy Foster, who was, to her own surprise, just promoted to not only be the starting catcher but also be the team captain. She, who actually prefers to stay out of the spotlight, must now suddenly grow into a leader. In addition, the coach assigns Andy the task of keeping an eye on star pitcher Maya Gonzales and making sure she stays on track to lead the team to Alder University's biggest win.
Maya, and the entire team, expect her to be named captain and she doesn't understand what happened when not only is Andy preferred to her as captain, but Coach assigns Andy to her as a quasi-babysitter and training partner.
Loving Andy is very easy, she's the lovable, sometimes a little insecure type who wants to stay out of the limelight but needs to learn to lead the team and raise her voice to be heard. Maya is the opposite, fiery and a born leader, but sometimes a bit too temperamental. But it is these differences that make them a great team, and not only for Softball. The more time they spend together, the more they discover what they have in common. And if they get it right, much more than just winning at sports awaits them.
It is a wonderful story about two young women who have to break down prejudices, eliminate animosity, learn to trust, accept defeat, enjoy victories and find their own way. Most of us can identify with one or the other and remember all the strange, awkward, embarrassing, funny, and great situations we have experienced ourselves.
The author has written a very fluid, humorous, and endearing story where you can follow the development of the two main characters and see them come out of hiding and embrace their growing feelings for each other and begin to live them out.

Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for receiving an ARC for an honest review

[Jo reece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah, I enjoyed Catching Feelings. Loved the characters in the storyline, the plot was also good, which I was unsure about, I'm not particularly into books centred around sports, but the storyline was captivating. It is repetitive but not overly done. I've noticed that it is the sequel to Ana Hartnett Reichardt’s changing majors. You don't need to read that, as I believe that it wouldn't make a difference. But, I think Reichardt will become another author to watch out for in the next few years to come, so pop both of her books onto your ‘to read list’.

I've given catching feelings a 4 out of 5.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a romance where two opposite personalities are pushed together and ‘Catching Feelings’ is a beautiful YA version of this. This is the second installment in Reichardt’s series but can be read easily as a standalone, although I loved the first so I’d definitely recommend both novels!
Andrea Foster, Andy, is a little awkward in the most endearing of ways and her story starts as she is named captain of her softball team. Andy and everyone else expected her popular and extroverted teammate, Maya Gonzalez to be given the title instead. But Andy is placed in a difficult position when she has to forge a sporting relationship with Maya; a level of teamwork that is far more important than the crush she has been harboring.
As with all great YA romances there is a constant push and pull between the two young women. Reichardt really has a way with capturing the relationships and pressures we all experience in early adulthood. And although I got annoyed with Maya’s behavior in the beginning I think that just shows how vividly these characters are portrayed and later developed. I adored Andy with her slight social awkwardness and need to do right by everyone around her.
There is an honesty and an endearing quality to the stories in this series and it was refreshing to read a sapphic romance within this style: I definitely recommend this writer because she has such a fresh voice. Also no previous knowledge of softball is actually required to enjoy this book, but it was a brilliant novel to pick up after ‘League of their own’ left me with a void of sapphic sport.

[Ashlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andy Foster was just promoted to starting catcher and team captain on her college softball team. Her first assignment from the coach is too help the starting pitcher, Maya Gonzalez, keep her head in the game. It's easier said than done but Maya and Andy start to find common ground as the season and their team progress.
I liked this new addition to this series a lot. The characters from the first book pop up a few times and it was nice to check in with them though I'd say this could be read as a standalone. Maya and Andy at first seem like oil and water and it was hard to see them having a future with such volatility but the transition from enemies to more was very well done. Like the first in the series, this was a YA book that portrays the emotions of early adulthood in a very believable way and I am a big fan of this author's writing style. This is her second book and I'm ready for the third!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrea Foster never expected to be named the starting catcher for the Alder women’s softball team and in no universe would she have dreamt she would also be named captain. Superstar pitcher, Maya Gonzalez should be the captain, Andrea knows it and Maya certainly knows it. The more time the two spend together, the more Maya’s chilly demeanor starts to fade away and the crush Andrea had worked so hard to control, becomes something she can’t keep a lid on, even if she tried.

I have yet to read Ana Reichardt’s debut, book one in this series, Changing Majors. That is something I will soon rectify after reading Catching Feelings. There is an ease to her writing, and I was quickly drawn to Andrea, the adorkable lesbian who finds herself having to try to find her voice as the new leader of her team. She isn’t a natural leader; she isn’t charismatic and fiery like Maya is. The two balance each other out. Where Andrea calms Maya, Maya helps Andrea become more comfortable expressing herself. They are opposites in many ways but when they begin to really look at each other, they discover aren’t so different after all.


I don’t read a lot of YA novels, maybe because college was so long ago, I can hardly remember it. Reading this book made me feel wistful and long for those days of crushes and endless possibilities. Any book that evokes such emotions is one I will return to again and again. Catching Feelings is a wonderful sophomore effort by Ana Hartnett Reichardt. The characters are so relatable and their growth both individually and as a couple, was beautifully written. I can’t wait to see what comes next from this author. Her star has only begun to rise.

An ARC was received from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for an honest review.

[currentlyreadingbynat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andy and Maya had some serious angst between them, and although I love a good enemies-to-lovers story, this book didn't quite hit home for me. I found the angst between Andy and Maya a little disruptive, and I couldn't see why they were both keen for each other. I particularly couldn't understand why Andy had a crush on Maya, who was so hot and cold throughout the book.

I think I just couldn't feel the chemistry between these two mains. I liked the storyline though.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Lady Olenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enemies to lovers Maya and Andy. Indomitable and magnanimous. All I could say is, Ana Hartnett Reichardt knows how to write adrenaline and cortisol inducing stories that causes the blood vessels in my stomach and intestines to constrict, thus, leaving me with a long standing “butterflies in my stomach” feeling throughout the entire book.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Catching Feelings the author returns to Alder University, a fictional small Catholic school in the mountains of Georgia. I enjoyed her first book Changing Majors and thought that she might continue with that friend group. Instead it is sophomore year and she delivers a sports romance. Andrea (Andy) Foster is named as the new starting catcher for the upcoming season and more surprisingly she is also designated as team captain. She takes her role seriously and tries to win over Maya Gonzalez the teams star pitcher. The two have to spend time training together. Maya is a stronger personality and challenges Andy to step up in her team leadership. Andy on the other hand needs to help Maya keep her emotions in check to help buildup the team.

This is a YA/New Adult romance with angst and misunderstandings to overcome. In the first half of the book Maya is dating someone else and Andy is attracted but focused on strengthening the team and their friendship. The second half the relationship becomes more the focus. There isn’t cheating but Maya breaks up with her boyfriend to be with Andy which all happens very quickly. And some of that quickness leads to insecurities. I love little things the author adds like Andy wearing hearing aids and how she misspeaks common phrases. As a hearing aid person I can relate. Maya has her own competitive pressures that sway her emotions.

One of the things I liked in the first book was conflict of being queer at a Catholic University. That didn’t seem to be an issue or discussion in this book. Even the team coach is accepting of the eventual relationship which I’m not sure would be the case. I live near a large private religious university (not Catholic) and my neighbor is the women’s softball coach. If he were aware of a relationship the students would face discipline and possible expulsion. But Catholics schools maybe different.

I enjoyed returning to Alder and I like sports romances. This can very much be read as a stand alone. The couple from the first book make a brief appearances but aren’t part of the main story. I can’t wait to see what the author writes for junior year. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sports romance with a splash of enemies-to-lovers might be my new favorite thing.

Andy and Maya have the angst and chemistry to make this story work. Even with the 9ver used miscommunication plot device.

Softball scenes were entertaining and made me miss going to college games.

This is the 2nd book in a series so go read the first one too.

The multifacetec range LGBTQIA+ characters was appreciated.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

[HB.]

There seems to always be a disconnect between lesbian romance books and what I expect them to be. I’m pickier with books about sports and find they tend to over-explain details in case readers aren’t familiar with the sport. I am unsure where I fall on that because I’m sure it’s important information if it’s needed, but it’s draining if it isn’t. The writing style didn’t click for me. I’m not a fan of “self-aware” first person where everything is plainly written out and often re-emphasized in italics. I don’t know if I would’ve enjoyed it more if I’d read it at a different point in time or when I was younger. I struggle to rate this genre of book lately because I think it’s a perfectly enjoyable book that is most likely not for me.

[Henriette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful f/f YA sports romance
I very much enjoyed this sports romance by Ana Hartnett Reichard. It really catches the feelings ::) ) The novel balances very well the competitive college soft ball-setting and the coming of age of the two main characters Andrea and Maja. And not only were the two main themes well balanced but the narration and the story flowed really well. Andrea and Maja were likeable and I loved to see their growth and how they came out of their shells and gravitated to each other. The unnessary drama was toned-down and there were real life issues adressed. Every thing folded well into a lovely story.

Thanks to netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC. This is a voluntary review.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that after reviewing book one in the Alder series, I also get to read and review book two. Don't worry you don't need to read book one, it can be read as a standalone, but believe book one is worth it, and some characters make a cameo in this book.
We are back at Alder University and this time we follow Andy and Maya. And let me tell you that this is some good enemies to lovers. When we start reading this book you immediately dive into the story. The story is so diverse and inclusive. I think everyone can find themselves in these stories.
The humour in these books is the best. I laugh the inside jokes and banter the characters have. And let me tell you there is so much character growth, you get to know them so well. I absolutely adored them. I absolutely can't wait to know whether there are more books on the way.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What's a girl to do when her library has books 1, 3 & 4 in this series, but not book 2? Yeah, I bought it. And it's driving me insane because who just has the second book on a series and not any of the others? Psycopaths. That's who. I must rectify that situation at some point. But credit to Ann Hartnett Reichardt for drawing me into this series so much that I immediately wanted more, knowing the probability that book 2 would be as good or better than book 1 was slim to none. And I am happy to report that, for me, they basically broke even in terms of enjoyment.

Andrea "Andy" Foster has had one goal since her dad was diagnosed with MS when she was still just a kid--don't be a burden. She's mastered the art by keeping quiet and going with the flow. That's not to say she's a pushover, but she'd rather keep quiet and keep the peace than putting her own needs first. It's why she's still pining over her middle and high school friend, member of Alder's women's basketball team, Emma, and why she doesn't discourage the pain Emma's flirtation causes her, especially since her roommate is Emma's teammate. She's heading into her sophomore season hoping to get the spot as the starting catcher for the softball team. What she doesn't expect is for the coaches to name her captain of the squad, which not only propels her into the spotlight she'd rather avoid but also puts a massive target on her back. Especially from the team's star pitcher and mean girl, Maya Gonzalez, who feels she should have been named captain instead. Andy doesn't know how to be vocal leader and she certainly doesn't know how support and bring out the best in Maya Gonzalez, a task that her coaches tell her is why she was picked to be the captain in the first place. Besides, Maya hates Andy. And Andy isn't a huge fan of Maya's, except for the fact that she also harbours a bit of a crush on her, too.

Softball teammates? Enemies-to-lovers? Opposites- attract? I went into this book with some high expectations and it mostly delivered. It was uneven in moments and there were errors--both typos and grammatical--but, again, it's been rough going for me and reading of late, so I'm still feeling generous. 3.5 rounded up.

EDIT: Actually, I just remembered that this book employed one of my least favourite ways to ramp of drama: When a character is trying to explain some pivotal piece of information--you know, actually trying to communicate--and the other character shuts it down for fear of what they might hear. I can't reward that, so I'm rating down instead of rating up.

[Jos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very surprised by this read. There was lots of communication, and the Big Drama made sense based on the characters and where they are at in the novel.

The main character is sweet but also a messy 20 year old trying to find herself. The pacing was decent, and while the characters would take a step back in progress, they would often take 3 or 4 steps forward in their development prior.

Highly recommend if you are looking for a sporty read or a baseball/softball read specifically.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was perfect, I finished it and read it again right after! I’ve had it for a while but was saving it to read during the NCAAW softball tournament, and it helped fill the void on days without games. This is book 2 in the Alder Series, but this can be read as a standalone.

I really enjoyed the push/pull between the 2 MCs, Andy and Maya. This was like a friends-enemies-friends-lovers, with what I would say is pretty low angst. The communication between the two was more mature than I would expect given their ages, which was a nice change from most books written with MCs in this age range.

The softball parts were very well written and I think the terminology used would be accessible as long as the read has a general idea of what softball is.

Catching Feelings made me laugh and warmed my heart. I highly recommend and look forward to reading more by Ana.

[Celina · Rating 3 out of 5]

ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇꜱ: ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇᴍᴘᴏʀᴀʀʏ. ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ. ꜱᴘᴏʀᴛꜱ. ᴄᴏʟʟᴇɢᴇ ʟɪꜰᴇ. ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀꜱ.

𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬:
The story was fine. At first I thought it was a toaster-oven story, those can be stressful esp if the to-be toasted is still in a relationship. Unnecessary angst, I tell you. Just leave that boy. I love single POVs, they keep the attention flowing in a single direction and that is always appreciated because my mind has this multitasking thing it does. The sports theme was really captivating, now I have never played or watched softball, I don't even know what it is though it sounds a lot like baseball. The intensity during some of the games led to better character development and understanding for me as a reader.

ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ:
This is going to sound weird but my favourite character is Emma. So, in another life, I see a book titled "Maybe this time" with Andy and Emma finding their way back to each other. Because I couldn't get past the "Our Emma" that the Alex squared called her. I could say more, especially that reconciliation scene, which by the way gave me more pleasure than the MCs' (just saying).

So the Andrea and Maya. I liked them. I liked their strength and vulnerability. I really liked the way they could communicate (when they chose to). I loved Maya's passion, it was a little extra when she used it wrongly but intriguing nevertheless.

𝙌𝙪𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙡𝙚:
𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘴𝘱 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘴. 𝘌𝘴𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘈𝘯𝘥𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘢, "𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦?" 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 "𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦." 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦.


𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝘽𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬.

[Alexa Steli · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75/5
Well there was that.So much happened in this book I'm not sure what to talk about first.

So we have Maya,our very passionate player who needs work on her anger issues and relationships boundaries .She had a lot of audacity but she was hot so we can put that in her past🙏

Then we have Andrea,which is very confused because I'm actually not sure about my feelings for her.But one thing for sure,she needs work on her self-respect and also she needs to stop putting down other people for things she wouldn't put Maya,like girl needed to be fr she was a bad friend and biased


The relationship itself was a rollercoaster,because both avoid talking about the important things and just lash out later,one conversation would had solved ALL THIS DRAMA

*Also I wanted Emma and Andrea 😭🙏*

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andy Foster lives in her head, is studious, and is a second-year, second-string catcher for the Alder University softball team. When the coach gives her the starting catcher’s job, she is surprised and dismayed. When the coach also gives her the captain of the team job, she can’t wrap her head around it. Then she realizes she’ll be catching for her team’s diva-ish star pitcher, Maya Gonzalez, and she tries to get the coach to change her mind about giving Andy the two assignments.

Reichardt has created two strong characters with enough animosity between them to keep readers reading to find out how they overcome their differences. Unfortunately, there is so much angst in this book that readers may find themselves scanning the page-after-page of angst to get to the good stuff of how the two women resolve their issues with each other and fall in love. Readers who dislike superficial angsty books will undoubtedly find themselves feeling the need to yell at Andy to just ask Maya the question that will resolve the main reason for all the angst and be done with it.

While this is the second book in this series, you need not have read the first book to get into and enjoy this book because Reichardt has, essentially, created a stand-alone romance between
two baseball-loving women set at the same university as her first book.

If you’re a fan of softball and love easily resolved angst-filled drama, you’ll love this book.

My thanks to Bold Strokes Books for an eARC.

[B Bender · Rating 4 out of 5]

reading books that take place in college pull on my heart in ways that i have a hard time describing, even if the experiences don't exactly match up. every mention of a library, dorm room, or brisk campus walk to class makes me reminisce on a time i can never go back to. anyways, I could read a million pages outlining two people falling in love and never get tired of it. cant wait to read the other two books in the series.

[Bizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars. The starting catcher on a women’s softball team has to figure out how to connect with the fiery ace pitcher. This book is told from the POV of Andrea, the catcher, as she tries to figure out who she is as an independent adult. The book explores her complicated feelings about relationships, friends, family, school, and softball during her sophomore year in college. Her perspective felt very true-to-life and made me reflect on my own experiences at that age.

Maya, the pitcher, is not as well-developed and I found her difficult to get to know. Although this makes sense, given how Andrea also struggles to get to know the real Maya, it made the romantic relationship less satisfying than it might have been if Maya’s perspective were also shown. I did like how the two characters played off each other and how their differences led them both to question and improve themselves.

My biggest issue with the book was that there was a lot more telling than showing Andrea’s feelings, causing her to seem overly self-aware at many points. The author made a lot of interesting, nuanced observations about both Andrea and Maya, but I wish she’d trusted the reader to pick up some of the details from the characters’ actions rather than spelling everything out. The ease with which Andrea identified her problems and shortcomings was at odds with the more realistic sense of youthful confusion present in many scenes in the book.

The book also struggled with showing the passage of time and with creating a sense of tension in the softball scenes. Multiple important events were skipped over and only shown in Andrea’s memories, which further diminished the tension those events could otherwise have created.

Overall, I enjoyed this and think the author has a lot of promise.

I received an ARC in exchange for my review.

[Hayls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phew. Where do I even start? Well, if I thought debut Changing Majors (#1) was fantastic, Catching Feelings (#2) blew it out of the water. I mean, 11/10 comma usage for sure. This novel is part of a series but reads just as well as a standalone. The writing is exceptional and truly helped bring the characters to life. It is the perfect combination of heartachingly wistful, engaging and of course, punny.

In Catching Feelings, We are back at Alder Univeristy, a small catholic school nestled in the mountains of Georgia, where Andrea (Andy) Foster & Maya Gonzalez are introduced; Both in their Sophomore year on the Alder Lions' Softball team. A true enemies-to-lovers, these two are brought together over the playing season when catcher, Andy, not only earns a starting position but is named Captain, and must work alongside pitcher, Maya, to help their team reach the World Series for the first time. The banter between the characters is always a favorite, but I enjoyed the tender and reflective moments as well, particularly the incorporation of an individual battling MS; that sure hits close to home. I also loved that the characters from the previous novel got a cameo and what I felt, was an excellent tie-in; and that the topic of sexual identity was approached from a different angle. Everything was relatable. My favorite part being "I kind of just assumed I'd bring home a girlfriend one day and confirm what they already knew" (Literally me).

All in all, I adored everything this book had to offer, and is one that I will absolutely read again and again. Highly recommend.

[Becca Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story? I did not read the first book in this series and I definitely think this one can be read as a standalone.

Andy Foster knows she’s a good catcher and deserves to be the starter on her college team. What she doesn’t expect is to be named captain of the team as a sophomore. Andy doesn’t like to speak up and challenge others so she’s not sure why the coaches would pick her to be captain, especially on a team that has such a fiery outspoken pitcher as Maya Gonzalez. As the starting pitcher and catcher, the two have to work together if they’re going to succeed this season but they immediately butt heads and their past dislike doesn’t help. Before long they start to realize their assumptions might be wrong and there’s something more than just friendship between them.

I really liked that this wasn’t about either of the MCs having to completely change their behavior, instead they helped each other realize that both approaches were valid and had their merits. There were a couple of points where time seemed to jump a lot and this was a little disorienting while reading. I also felt like there were moments when the characters emotions changed too quickly and it impacted the believability. There was a good balance between the sports details and the romance.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and would recommend it to anyone looking for a New Adult sports romance.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

[AGC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, and read it in one day. Excellent writing and editing, multi layered story and relatable characters.
Can’t wait for the sequel.

[Bookista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andy’s in her sophomore year at Alder U, and has just been promoted to starting catcher and team captain of their softball team. Only problem is that their temperamental star pitcher Maya Gonzales was expecting the team captain role to go to her, oh and the tiny fact that Maya cannot stand Andy might make this whole catcher-pitcher relationship uncomfortable. 👀

Okay so obviously the catcher-pitcher relationship is not the only thing that is bothering Andy, there’s also the delicious pinning that happens in this enemies to lovers / opposites attract romance. Even though the primary POV is Andy’s - both the MCs had incredibly good character development arcs.
Andy is adorable and instantly relatable given that she’s introverted andthrown into the deep end of being team captain means that she has to step outside of her comfort zone and prove herself to her team. Maya is all spitfire and go and I loved the passion that she exuded in every page she was in. The chemistry between these two leads is 🔥and all those “crossing the lines” moments - made it such a fun read.

Yes, this is a romance but I also loved the emotional connections between Andy and her parents as also the exploration of trust between the two MCs both in the context of their romance as also on the field and even among Andy’s friends. There are some seriously poignant moments that may cause some gulping and text suddenly becoming blurry but it was totally fantastic.

This is my first book by Ana Hartnett Reichardt and I really enjoyed the writing style and how easily I was pulled into the storyline and made to care for all of these characters. I love sporty themed romances and this checked all the right boxes from attraction, to romance to all those lovely emotional moments. 🥰

[Jessica Rush · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🏳️‍🌈👭⚾️

This book was everything. Friends to enemies to lovers. A case of misunderstandings. Cute. Queer. Everything. Lesbian rep, pan rep. Sapphic best friends. 💋 the disability and mental health rep was amazing to read. Andrea has hearing loss issues so wears hearing aids. She has anxiety and her father has MS. Maya is under pressure with the expectations of her family being the only girl in the family.

This is book number 2 of the Alder series, but I read this one first. I think the characters from the first book are in this one but they are minor characters.

Andy and Maya's relationship was rocky at the start but no doubt the sexual tension was there from the beginning, which is more explained as the book goes on.

I've decided that I really like sports books. Softball sounds fun. 🥎

The hotel scene was 🔥 🥵
So we're all the other scenes.

@ana_reichardt_author has become a must-read author of mine. BRB off to read Changing Majors.

Thanks to NetGalley and bold strokes books for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review

[manu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catching Feelings is another cute and interesting romance victim of miscommunication and over dramaticising .

Andy's life is a rollercoaster. She's hung up on her best friend for years, her father's health is slowly deteriorating, and against everyone's expectation she's nominated team captain. Now, she has to learn to be less of a pushover and rekindle herself with their best player, Maya, that for some reason hates her and who she totally doesn't have a crush on.

Don't get me wrong. I really liked the actual dynamic between the two girls and how willing the author was to explore flaws and details in each personality. Even supporting characters were very distinct and fleshed out and I have to give praise for that.

But where the book lost me was in the obstacles to them being together. While I'm aware that drama it's a big part of the romance genre, it just isn't my cup of tea, and I much rather when they lean towards lightheartedness.

Considering how many flaws and and humanity the characters carry, it wouldn't be hard for them to actually have issues and make mistakes while getting together, but everytime it all comes down to miscommunication and misunderstandings. I think the author could've been a little braver and made the issues actually be the characters fault.

But I love the overall themes of the story, and how casual the narrative was with representation (can't believe I'm actually typing this. Yes, it's not just screaming HEY LOOK WHAT I DID, as it should). Even if sometimes some discussions were a little too on the nose, a bit too much of having a character monologue about an issue instead of just showing that is an issue, it wasn't enough to bother me and I can really see room for this to develop really nicely in the author's future works.

Overall, it's not a bad book at all, just didn't rock my boat that much; and if you're a fan of passionate, drama fuelled romance, this is definitely the book for you.

Thanks for NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an advanced copy for review purposes.

[Thuany Morais · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, what can I say about this book?

I'm not big into writing reviews, and normally I prefer just to give stars and it's over. But I needed to write one for Catching Feelings.
As a reader, I did read the first book of the series, which I loved. And as a fan, had expectations to this one, because I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers trope. But, oh God.
The start had a good promise, I will say, but the author totally lost herself. You have to be GOOD to write a good enemies to lovers couple, and Andrea and Maya? Nope.
One time, Andrea is indifferent to Maya's presence, and then the other, she's like:

"I need to sniff her hair, blah blah blah." Which is gross, because this is AFTER pratice.

I can't identify the type of person that Maya is, and at the same time I'm stressed because seeing everything from Andy's POV is stressing! And at times, I thought that she was a creep! Some romantic scenes were really, really clichè to the point where you just couldn't believe in the book because the thoughts were stupid.

Close to the end? OMG! You just CAN'T put one million narratives into a book so you can have add free drama. First, Andrea discovers that her girlfriend "wants" to switch universities, then she goes and find her girlfriend in her room with her ex-boyfriend, then her dad's in the hospital. PLEASE, STOP THIS, ENOUGH!

Honestly, I'm so disappointed. I really had big expectations, becaused book #1 was pretty good :(

[Macon Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Early in the novel, while describing Alder, Andy admits, "Every day, I feel nostalgia for the place, and I haven't even left. I wish I could memorize every detail of the campus and hold them with me forever." I remember being filled with the same anticipatory nostalgia. Feeling the specific ache in my gut and wonder in my soul that this was happening, just once, right now, and I was in the middle of it. Knowing it was an inevitability. I would miss it one day. I wish I would have had someone like Reinhardt's Maya reminding me, "Don't miss it because you're already missing it. Ya know?"

I do know now.

Life is so much about being wholly present n the moment. Because the truth is, you can't hold it forever. Time works on all of us. Every moment will all become sepia-toned, even the sense memories, until all you feel is a kind warmth. However, if luck is on your side, one day, you will pick up a book, its magic will wrap around you, and those memories will come back to you in technicolor.

Cinnamon and her.

This is what great books can do; remind you. Not only of what it feels like to be young and in love with a person. But also, what it feels like to be young and in love with a place, that is, for the moment, your world.

Catching Feelings is a great book, and you should read it.