Cute romance with some softball thrown in. I enjoyed the growth of the relationship between Andrea and Maya, however with just a little more communication between the two, many of their issues could've been resolved easily. The author's writing style made this book a quick, fun read, and I would definitely read more of her books.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

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.

It was an interesting read for sure. Lots of drama and angst that I didn’t particularly enjoy. I think the relationship between the two characters isn’t the best and low key think they shouldn’t have been together. Lots of disrespect when it comes to boundaries in a relationship were violated. But ok read I suppose.

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.

This is the second book in this YA sports series but I have read it as a standalone and haven’t felt that I missed anything. There’s a couple that appears twice which I assume are from the first book but nothing that affects this story.
The story starts with Andrea and Maya as sophomores at the beginning of the year where softball first team and captain are announced. Much to Maya’s annoyance she will need to work closely with Andy and follow her lead as captain.
Maya is dating Jeremy while Andy is slowly but surely falling for the conflictual team member. A slow burn, enemies to friends to lovers in a college team sport environment. I would have expected some pushback from either family, teammates or coaching staff seeing this is a Catholic environment but surprisingly there was none. A good read that I recommend even if you are not a YA usual reader.
4.5 stars

Free ACR via NetGalley.

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.