Catch Me Twice

Charmaine Pauls—author of BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN, one of my top reads of 2019—is back with an intense, heart-pounding second chance romance so filled with love and emotion that you won’t be able to put it down.

Catch Me Twice has a different feel from the other books I have read by Charmaine Pauls, it still has that dark vibe I love the most about her writing style, but this time she laced it with some heart-wrenching moments that let me see the beauty and pain of Jake and Kristi’s journey.

Charmaine is an author that knows how to write delicious alpha males, but this time she dug a little bit deeper to show us that even an alpha male can be vulnerable. I know some readers will think that Jake doesn’t deserve redemption, but for me, he’s more than his mistakes, he’s human, and he belongs to Kristi.

Charmaine Pauls weaves together a beautifully written romance full of angsty feelings, heartbreaking truths, first loves, and the ultimate second chance.

WOW!!! This story just blown me away. My emotion are all over the place.
Life is a Journey and the decisions we make determines the outcome. This story is the true meaning of If you love someone set them free.
I love this story from the beginning to the end and characters OMG just made me cry and love them even harder. A GREAT STORY!!!!! Just toke my breath away. Excellent job

“Something that can’t be captured in a bottle”

This is not a dark romance. This might seem like a strange observation with which to start a book review, stating what it is not. But I think it is kind of what lies at the heart of my criticism of this book. Even though I mostly know the author thru two previous “dark” works, the Loan Shark Duet (Dubious / Consent) and Beauty in the Broken, I enjoy reading a variety of romance genres, from rom-com, paranormal romance to romantic suspense and dark romance. So, my problem was not with the fact that this wasn’t a dark romance, but that in ways it skated the edge of “dark” and indeed might have worked better if it were truly dark.

First, we have the hero, or as it were, the anti-hero, Jake. A pre-requisite for any credible anti-hero is usually a terrible childhood or some other awful trauma. And though the first part of his life hasn’t been exactly a walk in the park it also isn’t as bad a life as for many other children. And then he sort of gets to go off to pursue his dreams, only he screws up badly, and not because of any outside forces or unlucky circumstances, but because of his own cockiness and afterwards he is too much of a coward to own up to his faults, instead trying to drown his sorrows in alcohol, drugs and meaningless sex. And this after he left his childhood sweetheart pregnant and to fend for herself, but not before he extracted her promise to wait for him. In the end it’s one of his remaining good friends (though we never learn what their friendship is based on) that makes him man up and return home to face the mistakes of his pasts.

Second, I really liked Kristi, the heroine. Her problem is that she wants to be overwhelmed and conquered (at least sexually), but after the way she has been betrayed, she is trying to hold back emotionally and all the while sending out mixed signals to Jake, that almost made me feel sorry for him, although he is the jerk in their story. So, while Jake tries to force the issue, the decision to give their relationship another chance ultimately lies with her.

Still, Charmaine Pauls manages to weave a beautifully emotional story about the power of redemption, forgiveness and love. Also, this story shows that there are things more important than can be bought with money, intangible values “that can’t be captured in a bottle”.

It’s an emotional whirlpool which just sucked me in and drowned. The churn of sentiments is very powerful and sweeping. I started this book yesterday and had difficulty putting it away to tend to life.
Having lived in South Africa, this story is close to my heart, nostalgia and memories came creeping back and I was back in Jo’burg and Karoo, flying over the Ostrich farms and the little town of Rensburg.

The financial conditions of the towns, coupled with local stigmas and gossips struck familiar and I somehow understand it better than anyone how the social structure works in Africa more than the most readers.
Jake Basson is a local popular Boy who captures the starry eyes of almost all of Rensburg, including Kristi Pretorius. She gets a chance to engage him for a few minutes in the local watering hole one night and the burning embers of passion flare up, breaking all barriers for them both.
Their plans which get shattered and life throws them a curve which land them on their asses.
He leaves for Dubai…
She is left back…
A fragile promise between them to wait for each other, gets battered by long 4 years and huge oceans & continents between them ultimately end up ripping it apart. A sad tragic end to what could have been a beautiful love story…
But wait.. It doesn’t end yet.
After 4 years, numerous letters, countless failures, Jake ends up coming back to the place he hated the most – home to Rensburg.
“For failing at everything I’ve ever attempted, including relationships, studies, and my profession. Failing at life.”

But everything has changed and everyone has moved on.
A glimpse into the story shows cheating, which doesn’t bother me at all. Shit happens on the daily basis and in real life cheating is rampant everywhere, so the holier than thous can stow away the brick bats!!!
“Everything that happened in between are layers of dirt, but I’m scrubbing them away one by one.”
Sure the story has a few missteps and twists and turns but the growth the characters show was the highlight of the book. Kristi and Jake start out as naive high Schoolers, but an accidental mishap pulls them by their britches and they have to mature up overnight. The tides of time are cruel to both of them.
Whereas Jake drowns in misery and turns to self abuse and despair, Kristi has no choice but to jump from a girl to womanhood in one giant step. Her strength is her mother, Kristi develops into a very level headed character and her sensibility comes to maturity fully in the second half of the book, especially towards the end. I understood why she settled once, and then again…life’s tough yanno, especially for a young girl on her back foot, with a baggage
Second thing just blew my mind was Jake’s honesty. I so got why he failed, why he faded his memories and why he came back
“We’re on the top of a steep mountain, and there’s no helicopter to offer a quick lift. If we want to get home, we don’t have a choice but to battle it down the cliffs.”

But then he steps up to the challenge by offering up to kneel his ego for the the ultimate apology….GOBSMACKED!! The most difficult thing to bear on the planet……and he offers it to Kristi..O.M.G and that’s not even the BEST part!
The BEST part was the reason he gives her… My tears were flowing at that scene!!
How come ALL the reviewers missed it, NOBODY mentioned it
I get it that shit happens
I get it that people cheat
I get it that there are Mistakes and there are MISTAKES
But I also get it that Love is strong enough to pull you out of the hole you’ve dug yourself in.
I’m a firm believer in strength of the love bonds, graciousness of human heart and capacity to forgive.

Charmaine has done a splendid job of showing us all the ups and downs of a love story that never got off the ground to begin with, then never got the time to ripen to its maturity. She showed ALL the pitfalls unashamedly, nothing was veiled, every sore, every cut, every bruise, every scab was to be seen like an ugly wound it was..the patterns she weaves into this love rug compliment beautifully and the end result is a tapestry of human spirit
There’s compassion, grace, dignity, camaraderie, love, strength, despair, redemption and patience.
A scrumptious buffet of varied emotions, all in full glory for you to enjoy.
I needed two more things to be cleared up – some of Noah’s situation and more of Dubai’s scene
But it’s an unputdownable book meant to be read acutely or you’ll skip right over the nuances
4.5 stars where there’s a will; there’s a way

Poignant and realistic – a love story of two souls meant for each other but life may just have other plans. This book shattered my heart yet glued it together at so many different places in the as I watched the story of Jake and Kristi unfold. Was the journey painful – yes in so many ways. Was the path filled with seemingly insurmountable obstacles – yes: Mt. Everest sized obstacles. Was taking the journey worth it – absolutely and I’m still recovering. This has got to be my favorite book by this author, mainly because I became lost in the magic her words weave. You are spellbound, sharing the pain, joys, and love which will always find a way to overcome, reveling in the strength it takes to survive and reach your dreams.

So I want to start by mentioning that this is my first book by Charmaine Pauls and it was a crazy emotional roller-coaster of a story that hooked me and angered me at the same time. Kristi and Jakes story has so many gut wrenching moments that I was up and down constantly not sure of even my own feelings with all the things that were happening. Jake left… he asked Kristi to wait… she had his baby… he never came back for four years!!! Kristi was destroyed and had to put the pieces of her life back together and when she finally did, he came back… so not fair. Jake really angered me with his behaviour and drowning out his problems in booze, drugs and women. Kristi and her son deserved so much more. But all this being said, I also felt that both made mistakes, they did and said some wrong things. No one is perfect and the pressures of family and small towns can be to much to bear at times. I definitely enjoyed this story with all the emotions and sadness. It also has moments of surprise, love and a sense of coming home. I will definitely read more from this talented author.

As a huge fan of Charmaine Pauls, I was super excited to find out that she was working on a new book and dove into that baby the moment it hit my kindle. I would like to start by saying that, to me, Catch Me Twice had a somewhat different feel from Ms. Pauls other books. This story was heavy on emotion and angst as opposed to dark romance that originally made me fall in love with this author’s work. Once I shifted gears, I was completely engrossed in Kristi and Jake’s story. The book is split into two parts. The first part takes us back to high school and the beginning (though not really) of their relationship. I adored that part. It was hot and sweet and everything I would want from a story of young love. The second part takes us four years into the future. This part was harder to read. There was angst on top of angst but with enough slivers of hope to keep me going. I loved Kristi. She is such a strong female character. I also loved Jake, even when I didn’t really like him. Jake is a bit of a departure from Charmaine Pauls’ usual male hero. While he still possesses the yummy alpha male traits (not to mention his bedroom skills) as well as his devotion to the Kristi, he has quite a bit of vulnerability and self-doubt. The book has a well developed cast of supporting characters that made it into a much more enjoyable and well-rounded experience. The author warns that the book contains cheating, so keep that in mind if that’s a trigger. Ms. Pauls’ writing is, as always, engaging and entertaining. I definitely recommend this book to all lovers of second chance romance!

Catch this book! 5 stars

This book had me hooked from the beginning! From the beginning, I felt for Kristi, the main female, because I understand unrequited love. But her unrequited love, Jake, finally talked to her & so much more. I loved them together, and I was drawn to Jake’s darkness because she was. They are young at the beginning of the book, and communication is a problem. Life happens, & we meet them again 4 years later. I was worried about the cheating, but I trusted Charmaine Pauls and the journey she was taking us on. I was not disappointed, because even with what Jake did during those 4 years I still felt for him. He had to fight hard for his second chance with Krisit, and it was beautifully written and emotional. Kristi had to come to terms with what happened in his past, and I felt her pain. I felt Jake’s pain too, and I loved that he wanted to be a better man for Kristi. In the end, he does catch her twice, and it made me smile. I loved this beautifully written and emotional book, and I highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this ebook from the author/Give Me Books PR for my honest review.

I was immediately drawn into Part 1 of Kristi and Jake’s story. A high school crush turns serious when Kristi ends up pregnant. But Jake is not one to shy away from his responsibilities. Without his family’s support, he has to go it on his own. That’s where Part 2 of the story comes in.
I felt like there was a slight disconnect between Part 1 and Part 2. Some time has passed and a lot of sins committed. I wasn’t very pleased with Jake’s behavior or Kristi’s unwillingingness to compromise. While I saw the value in Jake and Kristi’s decision that leads to Part 2 of the story, I couldn’t really understand the extreme result.
Not wanting to give away too much, I will say that it’s a worthwhile read. There’s disappointment but there’s also redemption. I definitely found myself rooting for Jake and Kristi and their little family.
4 stars.

WOW! This is a very different type of story from the other stories I have read from Ms. Pauls. I thought it was loving and poignant. I was worried that the cheating might be too much for me but as Ms. Pauls states it is a part of the story and I thought it was portrayed very well. Even though Jake was an alpha male he did not come off as being arrogant or callous. He wanted to make his marriage work and he really worked hard. Good for you Jake. A true love story that did not make me cry (for once in her stories) but made me smile throughout the story.

I received a complimentary copy from the author.