This just wasn't for me - I couldn't work out what was going on and I could not connect with the style of writing. In the first part the character refers to the body she is inhabiting - what? Is she a spirit? Maybe I am just too literal and lack an imagination but I cut my losses and started another book.

Clara and Dempsey are twins, but by no means does that make their personalities identical. But one thing that connects them on the deepest of levels is the shared trauma they have experienced and the ways in which they deal with the lifelong affect of this too.

The Catch really is such a beautifully written story that delves deep into the characters backgrounds and follows their personal growth as the story progresses. The storyline itself is captivating and emotional, something that had me unable to put the book down at the best of times.

I really did adore this story, and I have no doubt that others will too. I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future!.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Merkey Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

Yrsa Daley-Ward’s novel is a haunting, beautifully written story about twin sisters, Clara and Dempsey, who couldn’t be more different—yet are bound by the same unresolved pain. After their mother, Serene, disappears into the Thames, their relationship fractures, leaving them estranged as adults. But when Clara spots a woman who looks exactly like their mother—unchanged, untouched by time, and living a life without children—their fragile peace shatters. Clara, a celebrity author hungry for answers, is convinced it’s her. Dempsey, withdrawn and skeptical, thinks it’s a scam. Their clash over this mysterious woman forces them to confront the past they’ve been running from.

Daley-Ward’s writing is spellbinding—every sentence feels deliberate, every line weighted with meaning, but never at the expense of the story. This isn’t just a book about plot; it’s a deep, almost hypnotic dive into the sisters’ psyches, their grief, and the ways trauma shapes us. The prose is lush but never overdone, blending magical realism with raw emotional truth. It’s the kind of book you’ll want to reread just to catch the layers you missed the first time.

The relationship between Clara and Dempsey is the heart of the story—two sides of the same coin, one bright and searching, the other guarded and self-contained. Their dynamic feels real, messy, and painfully human. The novel asks: What does it mean to lose a mother? What does it mean to need one? And how do we reconcile the versions of her that exist in our heads with the reality?

That said, this isn’t a book for everyone. The tone is dark, the pacing deliberate, and if you’re looking for something fast and easy, this might not be it. The ending picks up speed, but the journey is more about atmosphere and emotion than twists.

For fans of lyrical, thought-provoking fiction—especially stories about complicated mothers and daughters, sibling bonds, and the ways trauma lingers—this book is unforgettable. Daley-Ward doesn’t just tell a story; she pulls you into a world where grief is alive, where the past is never really past, and where healing is as messy as the hurt that came before it.

I’ll definitely be coming back to this one. Some books you read once; others, you live inside for a while. This is the second kind.

A book I found personally difficult to really get into. Dark writing about twin sisters who try to see if there supposed mother has come back from the dead in a revised form.

The ongoing saga comes to a fast paced ending.

The twins Clara and Dempsey, who are like the moon and the sun, but two sides of the same coin in some ways: they are united in their trauma.
Daley-Ward writes magically - every sentence, every dialogue feels accounted for, but she also does not write from a style-only approach. The writing works together with the plot.
Plot? This is more of an exploration of the characters in a profound way and in-depth.
Absolutely loved it.
I will revisit parts of this book to a) enjoy the story and the prose, b) to confirm if I had understood what was happening right.
I highly recommend this to those who look for stories about mother-children, mother-daughters, siblings with different and even conflicting personalities, trauma, a magical realistic take on trauma and mental health problems coupled with amazing prose.