The Catch

Lea tugs the heart strings in her final Influencer romance (after Exes and O’s). Boston fashion influencer Melanie “Mel” Karlsen may appear to have it all, but in truth, her brand is failing and she’s still reeling with grief following her adoptive father’s death. Now she receives an invitation to visit and promote a Nova Scotia resort—but after a mix-up with her travel plans, she finds herself an hour away in a small fishing town. She gets a room in a run-down local bed and breakfast, where she can tell the cranky yet ruggedly handsome owner, Evan, a lobsterman, judges her as vapid and shallow. Determined to make the most of her vacation, she convinces Evan to take her out on his boat—leading to an accident that lands him in the hospital. Mel pretends to be his fiancée to be allowed in to see him—and Evan’s large, quirky family take her at her word. The pair decide to keep up the ruse, hoping to reunite his feuding family and save the inn. Their outdoorsy fake romance reveals they have more in common than either expected, as both grapple with anxiety, depression, and abandonment issues. Lea handles these heavy themes with grace, never allowing them to overpower the fun, or vice versa. Readers will both laugh and cry. (Feb.)