Catch & Release by Ella Fox

Is it too late for Darby and Trace to have their 
Happily Ever After? 
Find out in Catch and Release!




Love endures all things.

Darby McKenzie’s heart started beating funny the day that she met Trace Chamberlain. She was four, he was five, and that meeting altered the course of both their lives forever.

Trace was born into a nightmare. Before meeting Darby and her family, the only love he ever knew was that of his twin brother. The two of them endured years of abuse that left scars. The permanent kind.

For Trace, meeting Darby was like catching a rainbow. She exploded into his life in a pop of Technicolor that awakened his senses. She wasn’t just his best friend—she was his life. His touchstone, his safety, his heart—she was everything.

Darby had been through it all with Trace and her love for him never wavered for a second. But no amount of love could make Trace believe that he was worthy of her. Knowing that she deserved better, Trace pushed her away, when what he really wanted was to pull her closer. Emotionally destroyed and bitter from the back and forth, Darby finally let go and decided to move on.

Sometimes hitting rock bottom is the only way to understand that you need to change. Realizing that losing Darby means losing everything, Trace sets out to fight for the love of his life.

Is it too late for Darby and Trace to have a happily ever after?



“We can talk every day on the phone or by text and Skype, right?” he asked anxiously.

I knew if I said yes, he’d call every day.  Distance would be useless if I didn’t put my foot down.

“Once a week,” I told him.  “Pick a day and we’ll talk then. This is our time to redefine our relationship.”

“I don’t want anything to change,” he complained.  “I don’t want to see less of you or spend six fucking days a week not hearing your voice. Even thinking about doing it makes me feel sick.”

I understood how he felt because I was experiencing all the same anxiety, but I stood my ground.

“This is the way it needs to be for a while,” I answered.  “You can like it or lump it, but I’m not backing down. Call me next Friday.”

When I went to leave, I let him hug me because friends hugged.  I counted off five seconds and then pulled away.  He tried to hold tighter, but I wiggled away.  The benefits of being strong meant that he couldn’t keep me where I didn’t want to be.

“We can’t hug?” he asked in a panicked tone.

“We can,” I said calmly.  “When I hug Tristan, it’s probably a two or three second process.  I gave you five.  Friends don’t hug for minutes at a time unless there’s a crisis.”

“This is a crisis! You’re fucking leaving me.”

I knew then that drawing it out any more was only going to make things worse.  There were times when cutting something short was the way to go, and that moment was one of them.

“This isn’t a crisis,” I refuted calmly.  “This is a reality.  I’ll talk to you next week.  Take care of yourself.”

I kept my chin up as I walked away, and I ignored him when he called out my name three separate times.




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Ella Fox  writes like a woman possessed whenever she gets the chance!  She is the author of The Hart Family Series, The Renegade Saints Series and The Catch Series.

When she’s not writing, Ella indulges the gypsy in her blood and travels the country.  Ella loves reading, movies, music, buying make-up, reading Tmz, Twitter and pedicures… not necessarily in that order. She has a wild sense of humor and loves to laugh.  Her favorite thing in the world is hanging out with her family and watching comedy movies.

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