Catch of the Day is the fourth novel by South Australian writer and freelance journalist Carla Caruso,

whose breezy, contemporary style captures the emotions of city-slick Winnie Cherry as she tries to find her place in the small coastal town of Kingston SE.

Winnie Cherry is a woman on a mission – and she has the vision board to prove it. Yet after a work party indiscretion she finds herself banished to the small coastal town of Kingston SE to start up a lifestyle magazine. Winnie has two months to prove herself and is eager to get back to her glamorous life in Sydney; she had no time for small town eccentricity or irresistible fisherman-come-photographer, Alex Bass, who has his own reasons for avoiding entanglement with a city-glossed career woman. But in a small town, where petty jealousy and gossip abound, there is nowhere to hide and Winnie and Alex find themselves caught in an attraction too strong to deny though each will be forced to make a choice that will change their lives forever.

With “Catch of the Day” Carla Caruso has provided a tale that transports the reader to a realistic world populated with interesting and recognisable characters. The likably flawed heroine, Winnie, spends some time flailing in the small town and at times she is her own worst enemy. Her love-interest, Alex, is the quintessential romantic lead – good looking, unwillingly drawn to Winnie and always (reluctantly) there when needed. Those who like their romantic leads confident and kick-ass won’t find them here, and in some of the early scenes, Winnie’s dependence on Alex, the man she professes to dislike, may stretch the patience. Yet in good romantic comedy tradition the weaknesses of these characters is what makes them loveable.

Catch of the Day offers a delightful escape into a world that is beautifully rendered by a skilled writer at home with her craft.