He can’t stand anything about her, but can’t keep his hands off of her.
Frankie
I wasn’t looking for him.
He found me.
With his sexy smirk and irresistible body.
I wanted nothing to do with someone like him.
Judgmental and brooding.
So full of himself.
But now, I’m stuck playing the fool.
Falling for him.
And losing it all.
If only for one night.
ZEKE
Stuffy, rich, entitled.
The kind of girl … rich, entitled.
The kind of girl that gets what she wants.
When she wants it.
And I want nothing to do with her.
Yet, I can’t stay away.
I’m drawn to her kindness and compassion.
Her beauty.
She holds me when the pain won’t subside.
And now, if I can help it, I’m going to hold on to her…
Forever.
more
This is the second book in the Westover Prep series, told in dual POV, a fantastic read. Ms. James has once again delivered a gripping, emotional, heart tugging ride. You’ll want to smack the characters at times, hug them other times and root for them all the time.
Zeke is working his senior year summer instead of hanging out with his friends, but that’s fine, it’s expected, and he doesn’t mind helping out his family. They’ve had some hardships and being able to help gives him a sense of pride, even if it wasn’t his decision, like a lot of decisions that have been taken from him, but he does it because he needs to. Then She shows up and everything changes. He knows who she is. Has heard all about her from her grandmother and his parents. They think she will be just perfect for him. He wants to hate her on sight, she’s been pushed on him so much he feels that the one decision he can make for himself is being taken away, but he can’t, he doesn’t want to be angry but he is, and that messes with his head, so what does a teenage boy who’s being pushed and pulled do? He strikes out. It just so happens she’s the brunt of that anger.
Frankie agreed she’d spend her senior year summer at her Nan’s and she was looking forward to being away from all the bullies and nasty words from home. Just a quiet, peaceful summer on the ranch, that is, until she finds out her bestfriend was in an accident and wants to go home, but she can’t change her parents minds. What she didn’t expect was to see the most beautiful boy she’d ever seen working for her Nan. He doesn’t know her or how she’s treated at school, so maybe this summer will be perfect after all, that is until he turns his angry eyes her way. She tries to be friendly, understanding and helpful when things in Zeke’s life spiral out of control. But the boy is hot and cold and she’s so confused and hurt, that when she leaves to return home at the end of the summer, after the night everything changes for them both, she doesn’t even say goodbye.
They thought that was the end of seeing each other, one feeling hurt, the other lost and confused, both angry and reluctantly in love.
What they never expected was to be thrust back together when school starts back and while things seem to never change, everything does. Nothing will ever be the same. Can they work through their anger and confusion? Can they listen to what their hearts are saying over what their heads are telling them? Will Frankie be able to trust Zeke? Will Zeke be able to prove himself to Frankie? Or will they both be miserable their entire senior year?…possibly the rest of their lives.
You don’t want to miss Zeke and Frankie’s story! Make sure to read One-Eighty first, Dalton and Piper’s story. It sets up the series with reoccurring characters and the dynamics between them.
I loved this story. I have been trying to put into words how I feel for this story. Marie puts so many emotions this book that I wasn’t sure what to feel at times. I wanted to really dislike Zeke and I did at first but then at times I could see what he was feeling. Having people telling him what was best for him and him trying to find his own way in life. Frankie I could relate to in some ways. She was used to being treated badly and she learned to let some of it slide but not everything. She didn’t take ever bad thing that was thrown at she told Zeke off a time or two.
I recommend this book. I also recommend reading the first book of the series as this the second book.
Thank you for your review.
Zeke and Frankie meet when Frankie goes to see her Nan for the summer at the ranch. Zeke and his father work for Frankie’s Nan at the ranch. Zeke is a bully to Frankie right from the start even though it’s not her fault his family is in a bad situation. Frankie is a sweet girl and tries to be nice to everyone but Zeke is impossibly rude to her. She can’t get over her attraction to him. Zeke shouldn’t want Frankie but he does. A truly angst ridden teenage romance and great read.
So good!! I was hopeful and excited for Frankie. Going to her to her grandma’s house for the summer. Frankie going to somewhere that no one knows her and she could finally let down her guard. Zeke is a ranch hand on Nan’s ranch along with his father. Zeke is a handsome young man that doesn’t have time for nonsense. His family had lost a ranch that his family had owned for decades to the bank, so he had to get a job to help out his family because that’s what u do for family.. Over time he had become anger and told himself that he didn’t deserve love or a relationship with a girl.
While around Frankie’s nan Zeke is on his best behavior, but when no one is looking he is a down right a$$hole to her.. After that first meeting and the way he acted when she walked him out to his truck she didnt like him and he her.
Frankie can hold her own where Zane is concerned, but if she was gonna get treated like that she just might as well be home..
I so wanted to beat the snot out of Zeke. This was such a good read, Marie did a wonderful job.. This series is getting really good and i cant wait for the next..
Eek!! We have Zeke and Frankie’s story and I couldn’t have been more excited!
I had such a love hate relationship with Zeke. I would go from hating him to loving him and then back to wanting to rip him a new one. The backwards and forwards was addicting, I loved to hate him!
This was an addicting emotional and angsty read that I honestly couldn’t put down. The story took twists and turns I didn’t see coming and was packed full of emotion, tension, heartbreak and angst! I lived for it!!
I can’t wait for book three!!
Marie James proves once again that she can do no wrong…MC — check, MM — check, Bully — check, check. There are many who don’t like reading bully stories…but the reason why I DO love them (despite personally having been bullied when I was younger) is that, most of the time…there is a reason for their actions (not a great reason mind you, but something underlying that causes this ripple effect), and this story is a good example of that. Zeke sees his life unfolding in a way he never wanted it to and he’ll do anything to prevent that from happening, including making Frankie’s life as painful as he can, while fooling everyone else. Frankie WANTS to see him in a different light, but he is making that very nearly impossible. In the end, when it matters most, will Zeke have what it takes to prove himself…not only to everyone else, but yes, to himself. I wanted to hug Zeke and beat him in equal measures but I really enjoyed where this story went.
“A bully romance with tons of teen angst…”
A page turner, an engaging story, with all the feels…
Wow. Im soon happy I’m not in high school anymore ! So much drama and hormones! I think I was suppose to not like him because he was so mean but I just could NOT ! I kept feeling sad for him and just wanted to scream to him JUST GIVE IN YOU NEED HER ! At the same time I just wanted to shake her and say CANT YOU SEE HE NEEDS YOU ! So happy they both gave in even after all the things they kept running into !
What a great read!
This is one of those books that have you screaming at your kindle. These characters Zeke and Frankie are two great ones. Now Zeke, I actually wanted to just slap him. He’s the kind of bully that you really want to hate but when you learn his story he breaks down those walls you’ve put up. And Frankie, bless her heart. Everywhere she turns she’s treated ugly. School, her parents…..everyone.
This book has a bunch of emotions. I got mad, I cried… boy did I cry and in the heart my heart grew for these two. This is a really great read.
What a great read!
This is one of those books that have you screaming at your kindle. These characters Zeke and Frankie are two great ones. Now Zeke, I actually wanted to just slap him. He’s the kind of bully that you really want to hate but when you learn his story he breaks down those walls you’ve put up. And Frankie, bless her heart. Everywhere she turns she’s treated ugly. School, her parents…..everyone.
This book has a bunch of emotions. I got mad, I cried… boy did I cry and in the heart my heart grew for these two. This is a really great read.
*Review by Michelle
The Bully Romance Trope isn’t something I tend to read often but I have to say the last two books I have read by Marie James has given me bullies I hate to love, especially in CATCH TWENTY-TWO. Zeke is a guy so filled with anger the only way he knows to release it is to take it out on the person that he thinks deserves it, whether she really does or not. Frankie is like a Bully magnet she is constantly picked on in school so when she get to go to her Nan’s for the summer she thinks she is taking a three month break from it only to be thrown into her own personal hell all over again.
We all remember how tough high school was I don’t care if you were the most popular or the least, everyone has their own horrible high school stories to share. Frankie has had a rough go of things and her summer break isn’t a break from being bullied like she had hoped. Zeke is having a tough go at things right now and between his parents and Frankie’s grandmother trying to push the two of them together he decides she is the perfect person to unleash his hatred on. The only problem with that is that the more he gets to know her the more he likes her.
This story was one of heartbreak as well as heartwarming. I held out hope that poor Frankie wouldn’t break into a zillion pieces and would never be able to be pieced back together again, because believe me some of the shit that was pulled was pretty mean. But Zeke stole my heart from the very beginning, he was in so much pain his life was in a tailspin and didn’t know how to react it made my heart hurt for him.
This story takes place between Frankie’s junior and senior years at Westover Prep and the time frame overlaps in part with the first book in the series ONE-EIGHTY, but can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend both books in this series.
Happy Reading!!!
I’m going to be honest here. This book was hard to rate. I kept going back and forth between 3 and 4 stars, and honestly couldn’t decide. So let’s say it is 3.5 stars.
I loved Frankie. She was such a fun character who just wanted to be loved. Seeing her grow and understand her worth was such an amazing experience.
Zeke… man oh man. He was such a back and forth character who gave me whiplash. I wanted to love him, but most of the time I just wanted to throat punch him. He was so mean, and after awhile I wanted Frankie to just give up on him. There at the end it almost seemed like she would, and I was definitely rooting for her to give him a piece of his own medicine. The only thing that saved him for me was his POV. Knowing what his thought process was and the stress/guilt/trauma he was facing, made me want to see him get his HEA.
I loved when they were getting along. Those moments were so raw and real. That is why I was learning towards a higher rating. When they were good, the book was definitely 5 stars. I just wish Zeke had decided to woo her a lot sooner and not put her through half the crap he put her through.
Overall, I’m still loving this series, and the scenes that portray snippets of the next book definitely have left me wanting more.
– An Arc was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.-
I fell in love with Marie James writing after reading One Eighty and I was blown away by Catch Twenty-Two. It’s no mistaking that bully romance is one of my favorite tropes to read and Catch Twenty-Two gave me all that and more. Frankie was sent to her Nana’s house for the summer to help her on her farm. She wasn’t expecting that hot broody Foreman’s son Zeke. Little did Frankie know that her summer was about to get a lot more interesting. I was itching to get my hands on Frankie’s story after I read a glimpse of her in book 1 and I loved every page of this book. The teenage angst in this story is through the roof. I felt every emption that Frankie went through. I cried, laughed and swooned right along with her during Zeke’s craziness ball of emotions that he was throwing her way. Zeke, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders and the last thing he needed or wanted was to meet Frankie. Torn between hating her and wanting her, this book had my heart racing with all of his antics. I couldn’t get enough of these two. I was hooked. Just when I thought this was it, they were it for each other and then BAM a new twist, another heartbreak. The Westover Prep Series is one of my favorites this year and I cannot wait for more to come.
Catch Twenty-Two is book 2 in the Westover Prep series. This Frankie and Zeke’s book. This bully romance was super steamy and an amazing read read. I can’t wait to read more in this series.
I absolutely LOVED this book!!! All the angst, the emotions, the heart ache…OH MY GOD!!!! This just might be my absolute favorite book written by this fantastic author. This book hooked me right from the get go. I was so in to the story that I could not put it down, I devoured it within a few hours! Zeke and Frankie’s story just pulled me in. I fell in love with Zeke’s character pretty much instantly, what’s not to love about him?
The push and pull of between the characters made this even more angsty…Will they? Won’t they? It pulled me in to the story even more. This book was hot with all that tension between them. And my heart just about burst with happiness in a few parts. This story is just SO GOOD!!
I definitely recommend this high school bully romance. I can’t wait to find out what is in store for us next from this author. With each book I become even more hooked on her writing! I can’t wait.
I loved the first book in this series and thought nothing would be able to top it. Boy did Marie James ever prove me wrong. She gives us a story that was everything I was expecting and soooooo much more!
From the small glimpses we got of Frankie in book one, I knew her story would be full of angst and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her story. I was not disappointed. I loved Frankie from the start. She is a good friend and so much stronger than she gave herself credit for.
Zeke and Frankie had chemistry from the very beginning. Even though Zeke was a class A jerk, they still found themselves being drawn together and unable to stop it.
I couldn’t get enough of these two and I cannot wait to see what comes next in this series! I loved it!
This authors first foray into bully romance was not as good as the second go around. This story is the story was spot on for this genre. We got a glimpse of Frankie and book one but this book centers around her and Zeke. Frankie loved the idea of spending the summer at her Nan’s house because she was away from all of the bullying at Westover Prep. But that didn’t last long when she met Zeke, the foreman’s son and an arrogant little pr*%#. He was nice and a gentleman to her in front of her Nan but once she was out of earshot he made her life on the farm a living hell. She is majorly attracted to him, but not his attitude. Zeke’s world is falling apart and he can just barely breathe sometimes. When Frankie finds out her own for secret they are forced to band together. Will this forced togetherness have them in growing stronger or pushing them farther apart?
Title: Catch Twenty-Two
Author: Marie James
Genre: Enemies to Lovers Romance
**RECEIVED ARC FOR HONEST REVIEW**
A very angst filled book. Can be read as standalone but to get the full effect read book one of the Westover Prep Series.
Frankie is a not so popular girl used to being bullied who meets Zeke during a summer visiting her grandmother. Zeke is filled with hurt and anger stemming from feelings of lack of control. Misery loves company and he takes his misery out on Frankie. We get to see this play on her feelings and confusion both young adults feel when around each other.
Technically there isn’t anything wrong with the book. The storyline is interesting and I admit there was one instance I was like, “No way! I did not see that coming.” It is rare to throw me but that time MJ did.
The characters are ok. I have to admit I put this book down and read other books before coming back to finish. I just couldn’t get involved in the story. I understood Zeke’s angst and anger and instant attraction. I understood Frankie’s physical attraction to Zeke. Beyond that I didn’t feel their connection. We get so much of Zeke and why he is emotionally abusive but why is Frankie’s parents emotionally abusive to her? It has made her a tad distant and aloof as a character. I feel more of a connection between characters would be felt if her family and their story had been fleshed out. Sorry but 3/5 stars.
Wow, Catch twenty-two it has a great storyline. Filled with drama, angst, emotional, strong heroine. I was drawn into Frankie and Zeke story in few chapters I was reading. Frankie had to deal lot with Zeke behavior towards her, but she handled herself good putting Zeke in his place. This story has love, hate, forgiveness and growth in the characters. There are many sad moments in this one, that they definitely kept me reading the pages. It was great to see how everything came together for Zeke and Frankie story. It’s everything you look forward about a bully romance. I definitely recommend reading this series. I really enjoyed this story looking forward to more from this author.
I received an ARC and volunteered to leave a honest review.
Frankie’s story is one that I was really looking forward to, just from the little bit of time we got with her in One Eighty.
The girl in the background, overlooked by her parents, and outcasted by her peers, Frankie meets Zeke during the summer at her grandmothers ranch.
Zeke is a good boy, loves his mama, but doesn’t know how to deal with his frustrations with the way the things in life have played out, until he meets Frankie and lets those out on her.
I will say I enjoyed their interaction, even though he made me angry with the way he handled things.
This is definitely well written, but I wouldn’t really consider it bully, more of an indecisive teenage boy.
I did enjoy and would recommend.