Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Catch Me Twice

Rate this book
If a man tells you he’s no good for you, best heed the warning. I learned the hard way. I had Jake Basson’s baby. He left to chase his dream. Now he’s back, demanding a second chance, but why should I give him anything after four years of nothing? No correspondence, no news. I finally have my life back on track. Jake has never been uncomplicated. He never follows the rules. I should’ve known he’d play dirty. He caught me once. I’m not going to let him catch me twice.

382 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 24, 2019

Loading interface...
Loading interface...

About the author

Charmaine Pauls

98 books1,790 followers
Charmaine loves to write dark and edgy romance that will melt both your e-reader and your heart.

She's a mom of two teenagers, an adorable dog, and a dominant cat. Her country of birth is South Africa where many of her stories play off. Her French husband kidnapped her to the south of France where she currently lives with her family.

When she's not writing, you'll find her in the kitchen baking cakes or in the gym lifting weights (because ... all those cakes!).

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
245 (34%)
4 stars
182 (25%)
3 stars
167 (23%)
2 stars
65 (9%)
1 star
54 (7%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
Profile Image for Shabby  -BookBistroBlog.
1,752 reviews933 followers
September 21, 2019
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.

description

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 Bassbon 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."

description

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.

description

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.

description

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
#BookBistroBlogApproved
Follow me on:
BookBistroBlog@gmail.com
https://Twitter.com/BookBistro
www.instagram.com/BookBistroBlog
https://bookbistroblogger.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookB...
Profile Image for Dilek VT.
1,545 reviews1,614 followers
Shelved as 'never-no-way'
January 26, 2020
They are married and have a child but for a stupid reason (financial), he is unhappy with himself and tries to find solace in drugs and f*cking other women... Wow, what a hero, indeed!

Here's an awesome quote from the book:

“How many?”
“Don’t go there, ginger.”
“Don’t call me that. How many, Jake?”
“A lot.”
“Like in five, ten?”
I’m going to come clean, and then I’ll make it better. I’ll work to make it up to her every day. “Try fifty.”

***

“I’ve been in love with you since first grade. I still am.”
“You can’t be in love with me... Not if you’ve fucked fifty other women.”
“They didn’t mean a thing. I swear it to you... I don’t even know their names. Every single time I fucked one of those nameless, faceless women, it was you I thought about, you who crowded my head.”


*********************************************

Yeah yeah, you bastard, I am sure you love her... Love, my as*!

*********************************************

Well, if this quote is not enough for you to decide, here are two great reviews from my friends, Mel & Begüm...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

*********************************************

P.S. What's with knowing he f*cked 50 women? I mean you can remember 3 or 6 but 50??!! How can you know it's 50?

Did he put a tick somewhere every time he f*cked a woman?
Was there a competition to reach 50 or 100 and that's why he was counting to see how close he was to winning the prize?

How ridiculous is that?
Profile Image for Fre06 Begum.
1,260 reviews207 followers
September 24, 2019
I can’t believe CP wrote this book.

Spoilers ahead!


Whilst he told her to wait for him he slept with over fifty prostitutes! He never replied to any of her letters in the four years he was away. He let his boss down on a £10 million deal, he felt like a failure so apparently that justified him sleeping with over fifty prostitutes and neglecting his son. He admits if h hadn’t sent him a divorce request he probably wouldn’t have ever returned. The only reason he knew she wanted a divorce was because his friend opened the letter otherwise that letter would have been ignored too. There is ow drama with the skank saying her baby was his. She turned up at at h’s and that loser’s house (pathetic h decided she will give him another chance....so what if he slept with fifty prostitutes and ignored their son for 4 years!) so h had to see the evidence of her his cheating in the form of the ow. Not to worry though because the martyr and wonderful (unrealistic) woman that h is told the loser no matter what the DNA results of the ow’s baby was she would stick by him and support him because well as she said she made a commitment to make their marriage work. Shame the loser didn’t have that same philosophy!
Oh and how wonderful that whilst he was sexing up all those fifty plus beauties she was dating an old guy whom she never slept with. She was celibate the entire time! He professed to having loved her since she was 16 but never approached her because he thought she was too good for him. He then hears a lie that she slept with another boy so he goes on to lose his virginity to his “friend” Britney. So whilst he was her first and only she definitely was not either of those for him!
This guy was a loser and in no way did he deserve for h to forgive him and take him back. He was way past redemption. I believe there are some people who don’t deserve forgiveness and I also believe this h went way past being good and kind to downright weak and stupid! Honestly I can’t believe this is the same author who wrote strong FAITHFUL hero’s in her darker books!
Feel so gutted that now this author won’t be an auto read for me anymore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for mel ☽.
370 reviews11.8k followers
October 2, 2019
2.75 stars

CHEATING! there’s cheating in this book

i hate cheating and i usually avoid these type of books but i was bored as hell and i was curious to read something "different" from what i usually read so i gave this one a try.

OK. now that that’s out of the way,

how the heck did it go from the H fighting for her, getting all jealous and possessive, being hurt by thinking that h just wants to marry him for money, H not wanting to leave the h and his baby, the h confessing she’s in love with him and them getting married...

...to him snorting drugs and getting a bj from a prostitute 4 years later and apparently sleeping with 50 prostitutes, cheating and ignoring the h and his son the whole time??

description

i liked some parts in the story (the middle) where the H comes back and grovels.

the grovelling was actually really good here so that’s why i didn’t rate this as low and H and his son were really cute.

but what happened near the ending? the fake baby mama drama? that kinda ruined my good mood.

characters:
Kristi was ok. she was bordering on doormat and there were a lot of eyeroll moments here and there but i kinda like how she didn’t forgive Jake too easily.

she was too nice about the whole situation though. i wanted her to be LIVID but nope. when she grew a backbone she even apologized to the H cuz she felt guilty for making him feel bad ugh.

and don’t even get me started on her martyr act when it came to the fake baby mama drama near the end.

and Jake? well i dislike his cheating and every shitty thing he did those 4 years, that we never to get to read btw. soo let’s leave my dislike for him at that but the grovelling section in the book was actually really good imo. and i liked his character development tbh (but can't forget the cheating sooo...)

cheating
soo yeah...
the H cheated. there were no indications in the first part of the story that he would do this.

the ending of Part 1 was Kristi telling Jake she loved him and him making her promise she should wait for him.
beginning of Part 2 is Jake snorting drugs and getting a bj from OW...

“How many?”
“Don’t go there, ginger.”
“Don’t call me that. How many, Jake?”
“A lot.”
“Like in five, ten?”
I’m going to come clean, and then I’ll make it better. I’ll work to make it up to her every day. “Try fifty.”


50 OW !!! damn. ok.

“I disagree. I’ve been in love with you since first grade. I still am.”
I take a step away. “Don’t say that.”
“Why? Because it’s what you don’t want to hear? Because you’re afraid of the truth?”
“You can’t be in love with me.” Tears blur my vision. An old wound reopens even as he offered me comfort not a second ago. “Not if you’ve fucked fifty other women.”
“He winces as if I slapped him. “They didn’t mean a thing. I swear it to you.”
I can’t think about it. I can’t let him see how it affects me, because that will mean I care. “It doesn’t matter.”
“So you said, but it obviously does.”
I turn for Noah, but he grabs my arm.
“I don’t even know their names.”
“Let me go. I don’t want to hear it.”
“Yes, you do. Every single time I fucked one of those nameless, faceless women, it was you I thought about, you who crowded my head.”


hmm... ok.
description

i know their marriage was out of convenience and it was just for medical aid or something but STILL! there was obvious feelings between them and it really wasn’t fair for him to ask her to wait because he ended up ignoring her

why did he cheat?

because apparently he failed in a work project or something (lost 10 million? im not sure) and he felt such a failure and was ashamed.

listen, i get why he would ignore them because of this but the sleeping with 50 prostitutes? that i don’t get.

what i liked:
- the cover
- the middle part where he comes back and grovels
- the H with his son
- that little vacation/kidnapping/rendezvous Jake and Kristi had
- common sense coming from the “boring” OM.

anyways,

if u take away the fact he cheated and the OW drama at the end, the scenes when he came home and fought for the h and his son were really cute.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jena .
2,314 reviews2 followers
Shelved as 'avoid'
June 28, 2022
Self note avoid
Cheating H.
They’re married. He asked her to wait for him, so h remained celibate raising his son for 4yrs, while he was off cheating on her with 50 whores and ignoring her and his son the whole time.
Ow shows up with his baby from the cheating. Why did he cheat? Cause work stressed him out.

Doormat h doesn’t care🙄 cuz…those ow meant nothing to him 😂…cuz it’s her he loves 🙄🙄😂😂… cuz he doesn’t even remember their names…cuz it’s her he loves…
🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 you really must be a gigantic moron to take back someone like this H.
Profile Image for Deborah.
3,708 reviews484 followers
September 24, 2019
4.5*

Cheating is a big no no for me but....
I’m not a fan of the older woman/younger man genre but Charmaine made that work. So here I am tentatively starting to read...

This book is written in 2 parts and I’m going to review it as such.

Part 1

I really enjoyed this first part. My feelings are equally split between both Kristi and Jake. Both made mistakes. On the outside Jake appears to have a perfect life. But the reality is different. I hated his parents and the pressure he’s under. It’s obvious to us the attraction he’s carried for Kristi for so long. I hurt with him when she coldly told him she’d marry him for his money and that was it. I know she didn’t mean it like that. She thought she was doing what was right, but it hurt.

I know the next part is going to be the hard part.

“Will you wait for me?” My heart starts beating furiously, freely, reflecting that same hope.
“Do you want me to?”
“Yes, Kristi Pretorius. I want you to.”
“Then I’ll wait.”

Part 2

This starts with a punch to the gut. Jake has failed and he’s wallowing in drink, drugs and prostitutes. Kristi has written him hundreds of letters over the four years and he’s never read a single one. Hasn’t even seen a single picture of his son.

It’s to see how he can come back from this. He asked her to wait for him and she did. Whereas he...

“You can’t be in love with me.” Tears blur my vision. An old wound reopens even as he offered me comfort not a second ago. “Not if you’ve fucked fifty other women.”
He winces as if I slapped him. “They didn’t mean a thing. I swear it to you.”
I can’t think about it. I can’t let him see how it affects me, because that will mean I care. “It doesn’t matter.”
“So you said, but it obviously does.” I turn for Noah, but he grabs my arm.
“I don’t even know their names.”
“Let me go. I don’t want to hear it.”
“Yes, you do. Every single time I fucked one of those nameless, faceless women, it was you I thought about, you who crowded my head.”


To me, she was an angel, and I didn’t want to ruin her, but I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else having her either. When I boarded that plane four years ago, I had every intention of coming back to her. I had no idea my future was going to get out of hand so fast, so irrevocably. I didn’t want my father to be right, but he was, and I have one last shot at proving him wrong.


“I wondered if you were seeing someone else, if that was why you ignored me, every night while I waited faithfully alone in my bed.”
His grip tightens. “I’d give my life to take it back.”
“When you told me, you killed me fifty times over.”
The line of his jaw is tense, his expression remorseful. “I know what I did to you.”


This was a difficult book to read at times. And despite my arc I nearly didn’t read it at all. While I still don’t like cheating and will continue to actively avoid books where it features. This won me over. Not an easy feat by any means.

Jake won me over. He wasn’t loving his life of getting high and having women. He hated himself and was living the life he thought he deserved.

One thing I will say about this author is she writes books and characters that stay with me long after I’ve finished reading.


I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by the author.
Profile Image for Bex (Beckie Bookworm).
2,340 reviews1,540 followers
November 5, 2019
46824769._SY475_-1.jpg

I was on tenterhooks here as this story contains an ultimate no-no in romance fiction of mine
Completely out of my comfort zone but as this author is a firm favourite of mine and I have also read a previous book of hers that contained a trope that I usually avoid (OW/YM) and I ultimately loved it I decided to give this a chance to see if she could do the same with this and convert me to its cause well at least here anyway.
So yeh two things originally stood in my way here the spoiler I mentioned earlier and the fact this was a second chance romance which I don't usually do either.
So forewarned is forearmed and all that and the author was very upfront here about what this story contained so I don't really think this counts as a spoiler considering the book contained an actual warning and all but I have spoilered it just in case you would rather not know.
So this wasn't as hard to read as I thought it would be I think mainly because the details themselves were not majorly expanded on and the emotional and feeling side of things were all for Kristi.
I'm trying to keep it, vague folks.
This made it easier to deal and even though I still wanted to throat punch certain individuals I was also able to feel a sense of empathy at the circumstances that had brought this all about.
So that old chestnut you don't know what you had until it's gone this book embodies that to an absolute tee and this story is an uphill battle of redemption and second chances.
This really was quite the emotional read all about forgiveness and new beginnings.
I also adored the dynamic between Jake and Kristi they were just so bloody explosive with amazing personal chemistry.
This was fabulously written and I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would.
A word to the hesitant the actuality of this was so much less scary than it at first seemed.
If you're at all on the fence here with this take a chance as I did you might just surprise yourself.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Catch Me Twice.

 46824769._SY475_

Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
Profile Image for Chris  C - A Midlife Wife.
1,746 reviews382 followers
September 24, 2019
Love love!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m sure there are a lot of people that will automatically choose not to read this book because it admittedly involves cheating. That for many people is a no-go. I too have a few things that I will not read in a book.

However, I must say that I really encourage people to look beyond that and allow the author to tell her story in the best way she feels she can. Her character development of Jake truly made this book what it is.

Pauls develops two characters that are truly amazing together. One who is sweet and trusting and has a heart of gold. The other who is beaten down, has no self-worth but has a love in his heart that’s beyond expression.

Together they have a fiery and explosive love that no one can touch.

Pauls is a gifted writer who has the amazing ability to delve into the psyche of human nature and bring a story that is rift with emotions, all the highs and lows, and the amazing gift of true love.

Catch Me Twice is a hot and sexy, heated story of love, forgiveness, passion, and romance. I simply love her unique stories and settings. So worth the read!!

* copy received for review consideration
full review - https://amidlifewife.com/catch-me-twi...
Profile Image for Mindy Lou's Book Review.
2,892 reviews766 followers
September 16, 2019
Every once in a while there is a read that comes along that has me really struggle with my feelings. This is one of those reads. My biggest struggle was the cheating. I despise cheating in my romance books. For me, it just makes it very hard to believe in love when a significant other can cheat.

Now there is always exceptions. I never say never cause sometimes the writer can provide a background that make things make sense? I'm not sure if that is the right way to say it. It doesn't make it ok, but I can see how life can have people do things they normally wouldn't.

I do believe that Charmaine Pauls accomplished that in this book. I'm not exactly surprised she did cause her writing has always impressed me. She just has a way of drawing you in so deep into the main characters lives. That's part of the reason I really struggled. I was in deep with Kristi. I felt her pain. I wanted more for her.

I understand why Kristi forgave Jake. Life without him, without that forgiveness would have stolen her happiness. I really felt that she would never be happy if she cut him out of her life. She had to move on from his mistakes to be happy again.

I think Jake is a very selfish person. He had a lot of growing up to do and he did finally accomplish that. Despite all the mistakes he made, I truly believed he loved Kristi and wouldn't be happy without her either. That is the beauty of Charmaine's writing. She just makes her readers feel so much, good or bad. She gutted me with this book. I'm so happy she loves happily ever after's cause I needed that ending.

Another excellent read, albeit a hard one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jessica Alcazar.
4,257 reviews605 followers
September 15, 2020
I’m on my phone so I’ll expand later but ... THIS FUCKING WOMAN! y’all...this isn’t an easy book. You’ve been warned!

I think I’ll start this review by telling you that Jake Basson is not an easy guy. He’s gonna test you. He tested me a gazillion times. However, if I’m being honest, most of the times he tested me where my fault for not looking beyond the surface when it came to him. You won’t be able to stop yourself from judging him and this entire book. Just let it happen. But read the story. Read it till the end. It will be worth it.

If you’re new to the world of Charmaine Pauls, this is as good a place to start as any. She has a unique style and voice. Her characters are flawed and real and their journeys are never easy nor are they ever black and white. Her stories live in the gray area of life. That’s life tho, right? Or most of it LOL Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that are easy, but we all know those are rare.

The story of Jake and Kristi is written in two parts. I call it the before and after. Part one is easy to read, or I should say easier. Part two takes place only four years after Part one, but it seems like a lifetime. It is a lifetime for these two because life is not easy on them and they do not make it any easier on themselves.

I’m not going to give you plot points to this story because I never do. But I’ll try and paint a picture without them because I really want people to read this book.

Part One: Jake and Kristi are just ending their last year of high school. Kristi has had a crush on Jake since they were kids. Jake is oblivious to any of it but at the same time, he’s also not not been attracted to Kristi so …. Anywho, one thing leads to another and someone’s having a baby. Jake’s been planning to get out of this town and from under his father’s thumb for a long time. He has plans to go away and get a degree. Society doesn’t make life easy for a girl like Kristi and her situation in the town they live in. Rensburg is a really small town in South Africa with nothing much to offer. They make a plan ….

Part Two: This is where the story is going to test you. This is where you will want to punch things, all the things. Hint: the plan did not go as expected *sigh*

That’s all the plot points you get. It isn’t much but I’m hoping it’s enough to hook you. If there was ever a story of redemption and growth, this is the one. If there was ever a story about life driving a person instead of the person driving life, this is the one. If there was ever a story that will rip you to shreds and make your heart soar all at the same time, this is the one!!

READ THIS STORY
111 reviews13 followers
May 15, 2022
this man...this man failed a work project and lost money and what does he decide to do? he proceeds to leave his wife and sleep with 50 prostitutes 🤠 ngl that was unexpected hshdhd

the cover caught my attention and i love second chance romances and the "cheating" wasn't that bad but the story development was boring and i actually don't like the writing style of this author so 2syars ( already read her diamonds are forever trilogy and i realized it was the same author when i finished this book 😅)
Profile Image for Carvanz.
2,278 reviews847 followers
September 13, 2019
4.5 Stars

Oh my gosh! This was such a beautiful love story with so much angsty goodness my heart is bursting!

Kristi has had a crush on Jake since they were children. When a night out opens the door for something more with him, she eagerly steps through it. But trouble follows and it follows in a big way. Decisions are made, actions taken, and their lives are irreparably set onto a new path.

I adored Kristi. She was a sweet, small home town girl with a desire for a touch of darkness in her life. Jake fit that requirement and even as she knew it was only temporary, she grabbed it with both hands.


’”You’re a good girl.”
“I’m shy, not good.”
His smile vanishes. Heat darkens his eyes. My words excite him. He likes shy girls who aren’t good.’



description


She wasn’t looking at life through rose colored glasses and even if some of her decisions might conflict with reader’s beliefs, it was what she felt to be right considering where she lived. While she isn’t your normal kick tail heroine, she was strong, independent and fierce all with a touch of innocence about her.

My heart hurt for Jake. He’s lived a life of never being enough. His own decisions cause mayhem and destruction in his life and as a result he loses a part of his soul. Initially, I didn’t want to cheer him on due to some of those decisions, but holy heck, when he pulls himself out of the gutter he was wallowing in, he did so with intense determination.


’I haven’t felt this free, this salvaged, since the day Kristi told me she’d wait for me. Everything that happened in between are layers of dirt, but I’m scrubbing them away one by one.’


He quickly became totally swoon worthy and I absolutely loved him and all his brokenness.


description


Never have I read such a story filled with such heart breaking yet beautiful redemption. Jake had amends to make and he did so with words and actions that melted my heart. This couple belonged together but it was a struggle for them to find their path much less to stay on it.


’Like a wild rose creeper that has invaded the abandoned mesh of a fence, the feelings strangling my heart are twisted, and warped, and full of thorns with fragile little flowers in between. Even if I don’t want to admit it, I still have feelings for Jake. Those feelings are intertwined with the pain, fragile little roses that survive between thorns.’


The road this author takes us on with them was strewn with rocks and boulders. But oh my, when they finally found their solution, I was in tears from the pure joy that they had come through it all and survived, changed yes, but all the stronger for it.


description


Although this looks to be a longer read, it felt anything but. The rhythm and pacing was such that I had consumed more than I had thought and still didn’t want to put it down. There is never a doubt regarding the chemistry between Jake and Kristi. It absolutely sizzles from one scene to the next. While this starts out with smexy times, there is actually a good portion of the book that has a slow burn to it. It was absolutely perfect for their situation and when they finally step across that line again…beauty in every word.

If you enjoy an angst filled love story and intense groveling, you’re going to love Jake and this story.

Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Profile Image for Alina.
395 reviews76 followers
January 27, 2020
NOOOOO HE CHEATED ON HER WITH FIFTY WOMEN!! 50?? like NO THANK YOU EWWW
Profile Image for Mg ♥ The Bookishmedialite.
1,233 reviews323 followers
September 28, 2019
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.

In Catch Me Twice, Charmaine Pauls weaves together a beautifully written romance full of angsty feelings, heartbreaking truths, first loves, and the ultimate second chance romance.
Profile Image for misz lei.
227 reviews15 followers
September 28, 2021
I know this will hurt but there is something enticing and alluring reading this kind of book. Catch me twice shred my heart, broke my soul, made me think so much about what it means to forgive someone that ripped you apart.

If your looking for rational explanation on cheating then life will fail you because there is NO acceptable reasons for cheating. I dive into this not looking for answers on why's but for redemption, contrition, grovel, forgiveness and of course LOVE.

ᴸᵒᵛᵉ ⁱˢ ᵗʳᵘˡʸ ᵗʰᵉ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵖᵒʷᵉʳᶠᵘˡ ᶠᵒʳᶜᵉ ᵒᶠ ˡⁱᶠᵉ, ⁱᵗ ⁱᵍⁿⁱᵗᵉˢ ᵒᵘʳ ᵉᵐᵒᵗⁱᵒⁿˢ, ᵍᵘⁱᵈᵉˢ ᵘˢ ⁱⁿ ᵃ ᵖᵒˢⁱᵗⁱᵛᵉ ˡⁱᵍʰᵗ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵇʳⁱⁿᵍˢ ᵐᵉᵃⁿⁱⁿᵍ ᵗᵒ ᵒᵘʳ ˡⁱᵛᵉˢ.

Jake Basson is the kind of Hero I love. He was broken, fiercely possesive with a touch of darkness in his soul. Both of them actually. It was so easy to judge him. Most of the time I did. It took me a while to look beyond the surface when it comes to him.

Catch me twice is NOT an easy book. But beyond all the hurt there is a story that both complex and beautiful. Those painful moments are both hurtful and intimate that it evoke feels and sentiments in my heart.

This author is new to me and I love her writing style. I love the swirl of emotion and the darkness undertone of this book. It was a bitterweet tale of heartbreak and forgiveness. It will definitely test you but if you open your heart and look beyond the pain, everything is worth it in the end.

TW: cheating, domestic abused,drugs.
💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
419 reviews47 followers
Shelved as 'nope-nope-nope'
September 25, 2019
Spoilers
.
.
.
.
.
.

Celibate Heroine
Extreme Manwhore (slept with more than 50 prostitutes while married to the heroine, so cheated too 😂🙄)
Heroine has no common sense as she sleeps with him with no STD talk beforehand
OW drama

Why are second chance romances getting worse? I didnt think it was possible but they are, and heroines in them are becoming even more pathetic *sigh*
Profile Image for Auj.
1,554 reviews116 followers
May 8, 2021
Love how I read this instead of what was on my pre-planned reading list. I finished this book & a final, and my second one of the day is in a little over an hour. I'm a big Charmaine Pauls fan, so I was excited to read another one of her books.

Part I of the book was 4.5 stars, the beginning was SO hot & I loved it so much. Where they seemed to be having sex (everywhere but the bed) seemed a little uncomfortable though--first against the alley (they might have conceived their son there LOL) and second in the dirt next to the lake. See what I mean about being uncomfortable? lol

Once they graduate high school, Jake's plan has been to go to Dubai and get a degree in restaurant management. He has wanted to get out of Rensburg forever, and though Kristi is pregnant with his kid, she lets him go and promises to wait for him. They also marry for financial reasons because of the baby. It was so cute when Jake got upset when he thought Kristi only wanted to marry him for the money...

Then 4 years later, Jake is in Dubai drugged up, visiting prostitutes, but finding no satisfaction with them, when his friend tells him Kristi sent a letter asking for a divorce. I was confused at first about what happened between then and now to make Jake like this, but later it was clarified (he lost his mentor millions of dollars and felt like a failure and was ashamed to return home). Jake returns to Rensburg, South Africa (love how Charmaine always sets her books in South Africa) to return to his wife and child and persuade her to give him another chance. Kristi asked for a divorce because she had plans to remarry her employer, her best friend's fiance's dad, Luan. Luan is such a dick and I still can't believe she wanted to marry him, even for stability's sake. They had never even kissed! (because she and Jake were still married, and Luan was all about propriety). And he was around her father's age.

Even though I liked Part 1 better, Part 2 was still good & Kristi had him grovel quite hard.

I thought it was interesting too how Kristi grew up in a trailer, but her mother was a great mom. (Unlike all the other books I've read where the girl grows up in a trailer, the mom is a drug addict and/or prostitute.) I think it says a lot how Jake's family were rich but terrible parents, whereas Gina was a great mom even though she had little to offer Kristi.

Their son, Noah, was also adorable.
Profile Image for Ceara.
140 reviews6 followers
Shelved as 'nope'
January 27, 2020
This is my type of romance. Perfect hero, perfect couple. Noah and Allie have nothing on these two.

Did he cheat? Yeah but he loves her! She's the love of his life! It didn't mean anything! It was just sex. Just because a man is married and loves his wife, doesn't mean he can't and not want to fuck other women. Plus he pictured her when he was with all those women, so it didn't count. He didn't even know their names so obviously the cheating is justifiable because it was meaningless sex, and he grovelled a little.
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
419 reviews47 followers
Shelved as 'nope-nope-nope'
September 24, 2019
Spoilers
.
.
.
.
.
.

Celibate Heroine
Extreme Manwhore (slept with more than 50 prostitutes while married to the heroine, so cheated too 😂🙄)
Heroine has no common sense as she sleeps with him with no STD talk beforehand
OW drama

Why are second chance romances getting worse? I didnt think it was possible but they are, and heroines in them are becoming even more pathetic *sigh*
Profile Image for Lori.
355 reviews2 followers
September 23, 2019
Addictive, all-consuming, and downright combustible from start to finish. Clear your schedule because once you pick up Catch Me Twice by Charmaine Pauls, you will not be able to put it down. Catch Me Twice is not your typical love story, but it is a love story. This is a love story filled with obsession, heartache, drama, and angst, but also forgiveness, hope, and redemption.

This story is well written and perfectly laid out and very unique. Ms. Pauls made me feel that I was actually in South Africa, with all its harshness and beauty. She pulls you in with her words, wrapping them around your heart and squeezing till it’s ready to burst. The main characters are meticulously developed and well supported with strong secondary characters. Written using the dual point of view style, we can experience the inner thinking of both complicated main characters. You can’t help but love them and be in their corner even when they make very disappointing decisions. But there is no denying that the chemistry between Jake and Kristi is explosive!



Kristy has been raised by her single mom, who has been loving, understanding, and supportive throughout her entire life. Even though they live in poverty and have a difficult life, you can feel the intense mother-daughter bond the two have. There is an innocence about Kristy, but she is also strong, independent, and determined to make a life for herself and her son.

Jake’s family and upbringing are the polar opposite of Kristi. His very wealthy family is stingy, cold, and heartless never showing him any love, affection, or support. He is always told by his parents that he is a disappointment and that he would never amount to anything. Throughout the book, I could feel the self-loathing, anguish, but also the sheer determination from Jake to prove his father wrong. His parents were genuinely horrible.

The book is divided into two parts. Part one, Kristi has just finished high school and she is at a bar having her first drink and celebrating with her best friend. She has just turned eighteen and is having her first drink and in walks Jake the boy she has had a crush on since first grade.

“I’m still the redhead with the freckles…”

“He’s dark and beautiful…”

“‘Nothing is going to happen, Kristi Pretorius.’ Only Jake can make my full name sound hot. ‘I’ll take care of you.’ He holds me a little too tightly. ‘Promise.’”

Ahh, but something does happen, and Kristi never fulfills her dream of leaving Rensburg to study at university in Johannesburg. An unplanned pregnancy, a marriage of convenience and then Jake leaves for Dubai. Unfortunately, Dubai holds no success for Jake.

Part two starts four years later with Jake returning home to the small town where he left Kristi to raise their son, Noah, alone. During those years, letters were written and went unread. Hopes and dreams were shattered, and then Kristi began putting her life back together. But Jake was back and more determined to make Kristi and Noah his.

Ms. Pauls takes Jake and Kristi from young love to heartbreak, loneliness, and disillusionment and then brings them back to the people they were meant to be. And we, the readers, are lucky enough to experience all of this through her beautiful writing.
As a massive fan of all Ms. Pauls’ books, Catch Me Twice was slightly different than her usual dark books. But there was an edge to this book that I adored. I highly recommend this book.

** Please note the quotes in my review are subject to change once the book is published**

*** I kindly received this book from Charmaine Pauls. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion. ***
Profile Image for Snow.
2,296 reviews724 followers
March 11, 2021
I'll be perfectly blunt here, this story didn't work for me, at all *shrugs*

So, they sleep together, he takes her virginity, he's a rich boy, she's not...she has no money to either give birth or abort the pregnancy, so he marries her to give her his health care policy...and he takes off to follow his dreams...as she promises to wait for him for how ever long it takes...

fast forward 4 years...he's in Dubai, fucking prostitutes and snorting drugs...while she raises his kid.
I kmow I'm scum. Kristi deserves better

And then when she asks for a divorce, he comes back for a second chance....

Yuck.

I didn't like the guy. Period.

And no matter the amount of groveling, he sucked and she was blah, meek...gah!
Profile Image for Sonia.
1,164 reviews1,784 followers
Shelved as 'do-not-read-cheating'
April 13, 2022
Spoilers (which is why I will never read this)

H and h marry for convenience and h gets pregnant. H leaves town and he goes on a prostitute f*cking rampage (at least 50 of them MANY times each). Don’t worry. He pictured the h “the whole time” 🙄. Awww. Isn’t he sweet?

He says he doesn’t remember the faces of ALLLLL of these women, yet CLEARLY remembers when one comes to him with a child 😐 even remembered favorite positions. He had ALLLLL this money to spend on pr0stitutes and drugs INSTEAD of ensuring his wife and child are okay. When the OW comes with a baby, the h accepts the baby and how does the H make up for him making another baby? By demanding an@l with the h in the room next to the OW. HOW ROMANTIC 😐. He claims to have always loved the h since first grade but sure didn’t mind joining a smex club and being with all those OW🤢 🤬

OHHHHH. And to TOP IT ALL OFF… do you think the h tried to find a worthy man?

You would think so right?

Yeah. No. SHE REMAINED CELIBATE 😑

Profile Image for Bookgasms Book Blog.
2,862 reviews1,523 followers
September 11, 2019
I have been a longtime fan of Charmaine Pauls as her stories are always different and filled to the brim with magical storytelling that has me captivated from the start. I entered into this story with a little bit of trepidation due to the warning Pauls indicated in the blurb but I took a chance as second chance love stories are a secret addiction. While this story wasn't my favorite from the author, I did enjoy the compelling attraction between Jake and Kristi and the draw between them.

This story is filled to the brim with drama. There is heartache and betrayal and there are times I wanted to throw my kindle in frustration namely with Jake and how he could do what he did. But I persevered because the connection between them was apparent even though Jake wasn't likeable at times. But like all Charmaine Pauls' stories, Catch Me Twice evoked all the feels (good and bad!) and had me rooting for our couple in the end! 4 stars! ~Ratula 
Profile Image for Jen (jensdreamylittlereads).
926 reviews115 followers
September 23, 2019
Catch Me Twice by Charmaine Pauls is an addicting, all-consuming, and downright combustible from start to finish. I was not able to put it down. Catch Me Twice is not your typical hearts and flowers love story, but it is ultimately, a love story. This is a love story filled with obsession, heartache, drama, and angst, but also forgiveness, hope, and redemption. Charmaine has written an unforgettable and totally captivating love story that is intense, thrilling and authentic; and as emotionally exhausting as it is rewardingly uplifting.

This riveting story takes you on journey with Jake and Kristie. It was well-written and detailed and evokes a myriad of emotions from as the story progresses. This second chance story after abandonment and betrayal was tough to read at times but it had me hooked until the very end. It was real, emotional and heartbreaking.

This was an extremly well written second chance at love by Charmaine Pauls and her characters were so well developed, interesting, captivating and they pulled you right into their drama. An unforgettable read.
Profile Image for Izzie d.
4,230 reviews344 followers
September 12, 2019
This is a mixed bag for me.

First of all the author warns in the opening pages that the book contains cheating, recognising not everyone likes reading about that, I liked that.

That book is in 2 parts.
Part 1 the Hero and heroine are young, she is a virgin, he says he isn't a manwhore but let's just say he's "popular".
They have unprotected sex and surprise, suprise she's pregnant.
Due to his unsympathetic family, he offers to marry her as that way she can use his medical insurance for the baby.
There is a bit of ex drama, he brings a girl to the local pub, all childish stuff, trying to make her jealous, there's gossip, drama and childish tit for tat behaviour.
He comes from a wealthy family and she lives with her mum in a trailer.
They get married he goes abroad to get qualifications and a career set up. By doing this she gets the money for medical treatment.

Part 2 is 4 years later.
It starts with him in a brothel sharing certain intimacy with different women.
He decides to go home.
He only decides this as his friend opens a letter from the heroine as sees she is asking for a divorce.
The Hero has ignored her letters for 4 years, no contact, he has his reasons but still 4 years.....
During this 4 years he's cheating. He reckons he's slept with 50 prostitutes.
The heroine says...
" “I wondered if you were seeing someone else, if that was why you ignored me, every night while I waited faithfully alone in my bed.”
His grip tightens. “I’d give my life to take it back.”
“When you told me, you killed me fifty times over.”"

I was irritated she would even consider taking him back.
She is overwhelmed with the physical attraction everytime he is near.
She has been celibate in the separation though she is now planning to marry a much older man, as she's lonely and so is he, they haven't even kissed.

The heroine and her mum have been caring for the son and the Hero thinks it's okay to take the heroine away for 21 days, when her son has issues.... he doesn't speak... the whole behaviour of the kid was odd, there are comments about feeding himself, he's 3... I felt the author used he doesn't speak so she didn't have to make up lines for him.. it was wierd and not really explained medically, it was just he's 'delayed'.

He inherits money and on one page he is saying people are swarming around him as he's now a millionaire and then he is doing a job he hates at the factory cos it pays the bills and considering going back to Dubai to work, for 6 years away from the heroine and his son to have a better job. That didn't make sense to me, it felt like making drama out of a non issue.

Then we have other woman drama from his 'fun time' abroad and a woman claims she has had his baby. This was predictable but does come put of the blue in the story, it was like the author tried to create angst as they were happy.

When the other woman turns up she says she has poked holes in his condoms, she is one of these 50, and he finishes talking to her then has sex with heroine then has a paternity test and STD tests. They didn't think perhaps he should have been tested first before risking passing anything to the heroine.
The Hero for me although he had a sob story had gone too far, abandoning his son and wife for 4 years, he admits he wouldn't have come back if not for the last letter.

HEA.


ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Hettie Ivers.
Author 14 books794 followers
September 26, 2019
In a genre whose reader base has grown increasingly obsessed with avoiding all manner of "triggers" in favor of embracing fantasy, Catch Me Twice throws up a figurative middle finger and tells a story inspired by real people by diving headfirst into the real relationship struggles a couple can sometimes face in life when one falls in love with another person before falling in love with oneself. The harsh realism in this young love gone awry tale can be quite unsettling, though, hence the trigger warning the author has placed on this title.

In Catch Me Twice, Jake & Kristi go on a truly beautiful, filthy, angst-ridden, messy journey through a minefield of heartbreaking life events that will tie your stomach in knots and may have you shouting "Why? Why?!" at your e-reader. Jake is self-destruction personified, and I loved and pitied the hell out of his trainwreck character throughout the book. At the same time, I never felt like I fully understood Jake’s character, which added another layer of the realism brilliance to this story, in my opinion, because individuals who go out of their way to cheat themselves out of happiness in life are hard for most of us to understand and to wrap our brains around.

Truly, I believe the “normal person” reaction is to be mystified by a character like Jake because his actions from a logical perspective make no sense. But that’s because the act of self-loathing in and of itself is the opposite of sensical. I think a pitfall in trying to understand the psychology of self-destructive behavior is to look for reason and logic behind it or to outside influences on which to lay blame. While there are always reasons and external circumstances one may point to, they’re less relevant than the underlying pathological internal condition, which is often experienced to large degree on a subconscious level.

Jake abandons Kristi because he doesn’t love himself. He is his own nemesis. And he spends the greater part of the book’s second half groveling for forgiveness and scrambling to put the pieces of his destroyed relationship back together. It’s equal parts painful and rewarding to watch. Admittedly, I don’t fully understand how Jake ultimately manages to turn his self-destructive tendencies around. But I also don’t fully understand those tendencies and compulsions at the level a person with Jake’s predilections experiences them.

Catch Me Twice doesn’t glorify or romanticize Jake’s hurtful behavior toward Kristi. In fact, it reveals it for all its raw, dark self-loathing ugliness and self-destruction. I loved that about this book!

In real life, love can be messy. Not everyone gets it right the first time, and the greatest obstacle to love may ultimately be oneself. Pauls masterfully pulls off a brilliant love story surrounding a sensitive, taboo romance genre topic with great elegance through beautiful writing and gritty, soulful storytelling. 😭❤️👏👏👏
Profile Image for Monadh.
208 reviews29 followers
September 23, 2019
“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”.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.