Catch Of The Day/ Book Review

Catch Of The Day 

 — What’s the market price on a decent guy these days?

Funny and Witty, you will suffer from the laughing-stroke (If there’s one) and stomach ache when you read this.

Author: Kristan Higgins

Pages: 384 pages

Publisher: HQN Books; Reprint edition (February 28, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-13: 978-0373776795

<><><>

Blurb: Maggie Beaumont’s luck is about to change. Sure, she’s known for her bad romantic choices—her former boyfriend broke up with her by bringing his new girlfriend home for a visit. And then there was the crush she had on a gorgeous young Irishman, who turned out to be Father Tim, the parish’s new priest.

But romantic salvation has arrived in the form of handsome, if surly, fisherman Malone. It turns out there’s a heart of gold underneath his barnacle-clad exterior. Will this catch of the day turn into the dish of a lifetime?

<><><>

Maggie Beaumont has a curse – A love curse (Fun begins here!). Her life is a series of misadventures and misery. At least, when comes to love. Her high-school sweetheart leaves her for a better candidate when he reaches his success. And her recent curse — it is Father Tim, a local priest. When her crush gets out of hand, after a bit of matchmaking from her brother and father Tim, she meets the handsome Malone, the curt, lonely and sexy local seaman and from then on, there will be no deprivation of entertainment and humor quotient.

Maggie’s life is exciting and she will make you laugh and cry, along the ride. Her world is easy to understand and live and as a reader, I can feel the connection with Maggie. She is not a heroic woman. She is simple and more important, she is just like us. She is not just likeable, she is loveable and she is thoughtful. When I read about her, I have this feeling that I know Maggie before reading the book. She is a great character and Higgins has done a fantastic job to create Maggie. 

The reason I like chick-lit is for its easy and engaging read. Catch of the Day’s characters will leave an imprint on you, even after you have closed the book and started reading the next book. Maggie’s twin Christy, her brother and her family are all very relatable and humorous. Their family bond will make us ‘Awww’ over their trust and love. Family is not usually a part on romance, but Maggie and her family make us feel warm all over, even though Maggie’s mom is…. Umm… what to say… hard to please.

The love between Maggie and Christy is also dealt in depth. The bond between the two sisters is crafted with sincere efforts and will make us yearn for a twin sister. I did. I wanted to have a twin and share every little thing with her after I read Maggie and Christy’s life.

The diner Maggie owns and her blueberry pie has become a big memory for me in the book. I wish I have a friend like her, to chat over delicious pies.

I am not a pet person, but even I loved how Maggie and Colonel have a beautiful relationship. Colonel also make a huge part of the book, impacting the readers with his naughty and adorable tricks. Maggie is a true example of a pet lover.

Of course, Malone the Loner, the local lobsterman is dark, ruggedly handsome and has his share of secrets. After a series of wrecked date with him, Maggie starts to fall for him, unknowingly. Malone, though hard on the outside, is vulnerable on the inside. The love between the father and daughter – Higgins has done a great job on that. He is so closed-off, but as time progress, we can appreciate how he cares for Maggie and his understanding of her.

Father Tim is another great character. Friendly and good in heart. He adds bit more entertainment content to the book, and I kept looking forward to see him more on the book. Kristan has taken immense measure to carefully craft every single characters in the book, adding weight to the book.

What I love about the book is its great characters and believable world. Also, its humor and emotional conflicts and then suspense factors. The prose is beautiful to read and I fell in love with the book from the first line.

What I hate – To be honest, I hated to close the book. I want it to go on and on and on.

I will give 4.3 out of 5 for this witty, funny and relatable romance with enjoyable characters and I promise that you will not get tired reading it the second or the third time.

~~~