Review: A Great Catch by Lorna Seilstad

Book Cover and Synopsis:

It is the beginning of a new century at Lake Manawa Resort in Iowa, but some things never change. When 22-year-old Emily Graham's meddlesome aunts and grandmother take it upon themselves to find her a husband among the resort guests, the spunky suffragist is determined to politely decline each and every suitor. She has neither the time nor the need for a man in her busy life.

Carter Stockton, a recent college graduate and pitcher for the Manawa Owls baseball team, intends to enjoy every minute of the summer at Lake Manawa, Iowa, before he is forced into the straitlaced business world of his father.

When Emily crashes into Carter at a roller skating rink, neither could guess what would come next. Will Carter strike out? Or will Emily cast her vote for a love that might cost her dreams?

My source for book: Local Library

My Thoughts:
Stories that have the heroine under the watch of older female relatives are always a recipe for fun, and this one is certainly no exception. Emily gets all sorts of unwanted advice, grief, and commentary on every aspect of her life from her grandmother and two eccentric aunts. They're all so different but they play off each other really well, ultimately creating some humorously awkward conversations and scenarios.

I thought it was fun how Carter took Emily to such non traditional places for their dates, such as the shooting range and bowling alley. Given the era these were somewhat odd choices, yet very much appropriate in light of Emily's suffrage work and her opinion that "women can do anything men can". Emily's clumsiness is slightly overdone and pops up at the most expected--and sometimes unexpected--times, but I really didn't mind because the resulting situations were just so amusing!

The storyline in general is very unique, especially with the baseball angle thrown into the mix. I was really quite enthralled for a while, but when the age-old "required conflict to drive the characters apart" came along, I lost interest somewhat. I was disappointed that Emily didn't have more trust in Carter.... and as for Carter himself, I thought he gave up too easily after having so doggedly pursued Emily earlier on. I realize these sorts of conflicts are basically required for a story to work, but for some reason the peak of this conflict just didn't sit quite right with me.

Overall, I did enjoy the story (especially the first half), but I was also ready to see the end when it eventually came. For me, it lost a bit of momentum when the conflict arose and it ultimately never quite found its way back. Nevertheless, the story really is a cute one and has a lot of unique elements. (I actually liked it better than the first book in the series!) The Lake Manawa setting is a good one, and it's a great place for a series--as the author has obviously realized. Despite my minor nit-picking, I'm looking forward to reading the final book in the series and seeing what it has to offer.

My Rating: 4 stars