Louisiana Catch by Sweta Srivastava Vikram is the story of Ahana Chopra’s personal journey wrapped in a professional endeavor. Ahana is a strong and empowered woman, who is healing from an abusive marriage when she loses her mother. To help with her recovery, she joins an online support group where she meets the mysterious Jay. At the same time, she is organizing a feminist conference and meets the charming Rohan Brady. However, having been the victim of a manipulative relationship, Ahana struggles to understand the true intentions of the two men.

Louisiana Catch is a great reminder that we are all still learning and illustrates the pitfalls of a sheltered upbringing. It shows the consequences of not being prepared and not being taught how to handle these situations. Ahana realizes that she, like many other women, was told to be strong but taught to be submissive.

I appreciated the author’s straightforward storytelling and exposition because nothing is hidden or layered under a beautiful metaphor or thrown into an ambiguous state. These conversations might be difficult but they are necessary.

Framing it as a love story helped establish the sense of hope and shows that evolving after a tragedy is possible. This book is comforting and kind, yet tackles uncomfortable subjects head on.

Disclaimer: I was provided with an Advanced Reading Copy of this novel prior to its publication for a review.