Catch Her if You Can (Big Shots #5) by Tessa Bailey
Madden Donahue, the newest catcher for the Yankees, has been in love with Eve Mitchell since high school, but for some mysterious reason, the burlesque club owner always turns him down. That never stopped him from being her self-appointed protector. Case in point, now that Eve’s sister has left Eve with her two children indefinitely, Madden steps in with a proposition—marry him for the much-needed health benefits.
Eve has secretly harbored feelings for Madden all along, but there’s one problem—her best friend Skylar called dibs on him when they were fourteen. Eve has always put their friendship above all else, and she’s not willing to risk losing Skylar over a man. Raised by the local strip club owner, Eve is woefully short on friends and treasures the ones she has. But with Skylar happily paired off, Eve finds herself accepting Madden’s proposal—on the condition that their marriage remains strictly private. She’s not about to let her unique profession and maligned reputation destroy Madden’s shiny new career.
Madden won’t let Eve get away that easily, though. What starts as a marriage of convenience soon ignites into something much hotter, and now it’s up to Madden to convince Eve that their connection is far more than a business arrangement. As the passion builds, can their fake marriage become the real deal?
Review: Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book!
Madden and Eve have secretly been into each other since childhood but never acted on their feelings. Eve's best friend called dibs on Madden early on, and Eve would never risk her friendship for a guy. Especially since her father's profession - owner of the local strip club - makes making friends difficult. Now, they're both adults. Madden has become a big-time baseball player for the Yankees. And Eve is still in their hometown, running the strip club as a burlesque club and temporarily raising her sister's two children. When Madden insists on marrying her so she and the kids will have health insurance, Eve reluctantly agrees. But she has no idea that Madden has no intention of letting her get away easily.
I basically have never met a marriage of convenience book I didn't enjoy, and this one was no exception. I read this so quickly. It was spicy and fun and I enjoyed the magnetic pull these two have to each other.
At the same time, this seemed to have too much going on to fully address it all. Madden's complicated health history, his rejection by his family of origin, Eve's secret involvement in his past recovery, her temporary role raising her niece and nephew, her immense feelings of rejection because of her father's strip club, her desire to make club a success as a burlesque club, her desire to perform in the burlesque club, her interest in expanding with her new friend to include musical performances, her friendship with Skylar and the impact it had on her relationship with Madden, and more. Oh, and did I mention that Madden is Irish? I didn't dislike any of these elements, but it was so much that a lot of it wasn't fully unpacked.
Much of the plot of this book hinges on Eve's lifelong rejection and ostracization by the community because her father owned the local strip club. Maybe this is accurate, but I just didn't full buy into the idea that people would mistreat and bully a child because of her dad's job. I also think being a strip club owner is way less public shame worthy to most than being a dancer in a strip club, so it felt a bit overblown.
I also don't love the voyeur aspect of Eve's sexuality, which is of course a personal preference. I appreciated that Madden is anxious to give her what she wants. He is so considerate of her and I loved that about him.
Stars: 3
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