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Shady Cove #1
All the Missing Pieces
Not yet published
Expected 7 Jan 25Win a free print copy of this book!
19 days and 06:00:11
25 copies available
U.S. only
Sometimes the last thing you expect is exactly what you need, the final missing piece. And sometimes it comes in the form of a towering, broody sheriff, determined to get in your way at every step.
Ridley Sawyer knows what it’s like to miss someone, to feel like a piece of her vanished—because it happened to her the night her twin sister disappeared.
Now, Ridley channels that loss into hope, traveling the country covering cold cases for her true crime podcast. She might not have found justice for her sister but that doesn’t stop her from finding it for others.
Until Sheriff Colter Brooks gets in her way.
Colt knows what it’s like to have reporters descend on his town in the wake of a tragedy, and he’s not about to let a fiery podcaster stir up trouble. It doesn’t matter that her haunting blue eyes tell him there’s more to Ridley’s story or that he can’t stop imagining what it would be like to touch her.
But when Ridley’s cold case turns hot and she’s thrust into the crosshairs, Colt has no choice but to step in. Suddenly, Ridley’s living at his house, drinking his whiskey, and stealing his dog’s affections. But she’s also proving that she’s so much more than his first impression.
And as they get closer to the truth, the game they’ve been playing might just turn deadly…
Ridley Sawyer knows what it’s like to miss someone, to feel like a piece of her vanished—because it happened to her the night her twin sister disappeared.
Now, Ridley channels that loss into hope, traveling the country covering cold cases for her true crime podcast. She might not have found justice for her sister but that doesn’t stop her from finding it for others.
Until Sheriff Colter Brooks gets in her way.
Colt knows what it’s like to have reporters descend on his town in the wake of a tragedy, and he’s not about to let a fiery podcaster stir up trouble. It doesn’t matter that her haunting blue eyes tell him there’s more to Ridley’s story or that he can’t stop imagining what it would be like to touch her.
But when Ridley’s cold case turns hot and she’s thrust into the crosshairs, Colt has no choice but to step in. Suddenly, Ridley’s living at his house, drinking his whiskey, and stealing his dog’s affections. But she’s also proving that she’s so much more than his first impression.
And as they get closer to the truth, the game they’ve been playing might just turn deadly…
384 pages, Paperback
Expected publication January 7, 2025
About the author
Catherine Cowles
41 books22.7k followersWriter of words. Drinker of Diet Cokes. Lover of all things cute and furry, especially her dog. Catherine has had her nose in a book since the time she could read and finally decided to write down some of her own stories. When she's not writing she can be found exploring her home state of Oregon, listening to true crime podcasts, or searching for her next book boyfriend.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
December 18, 2024
Outlier island…again.
2.25 Stars
I REALLY wanted to like this book, and I'm sure many people will. But it just didn't work out so well for me.
We follow our FMC, Ridley - she's a murder podcast host who travels around the country to report on cold cases that are similar to the one she has a personal connection to.
Our MMC, Colt, is the town's sheriff. Initially he's not thrilled with the arrival of Ridley in their small town. They 'banter' as 'enemies to lovers' for a few chapters and then it's a little insta for me.
It might not even be super insta but it all felt so formulaic. I felt like I'd read this before. I've only read one other Cowles book and it felt just like this one lol. There's a Hallmark undertone to these stories that I don't like. The dialogue is trite. The characters are cheesy.
The suspense was alright but it felt overshadowed by all the romance so the balance felt off to me.
I do still recommend this one - if you've enjoyed Cowles previously, you'll likely enjoy this one as well.
Also! Audio girlies! This one is narrated by Andi Arndt and Sebastian York - they did a fantastic job! 👏👏
And the cover is freaking gorgeous!
Anticipated Release Date - 01/07/2025
╰⪼ 💜True Crime Podcast FMC
╰⪼ 💗Sheriff MMC
╰⪼ 💜Grumpy ✘ Sunshine
╰⪼ 💗Forced Proximity
╰⪼ 💜Lovable Three-Legged Cat
╰⪼ 💗Small Town
╰⪼ 💜Romance ✘ Suspense
✨ Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the complementary advanced audio copy, all thoughts are my own. ✨
2.25 Stars
I REALLY wanted to like this book, and I'm sure many people will. But it just didn't work out so well for me.
We follow our FMC, Ridley - she's a murder podcast host who travels around the country to report on cold cases that are similar to the one she has a personal connection to.
Our MMC, Colt, is the town's sheriff. Initially he's not thrilled with the arrival of Ridley in their small town. They 'banter' as 'enemies to lovers' for a few chapters and then it's a little insta for me.
It might not even be super insta but it all felt so formulaic. I felt like I'd read this before. I've only read one other Cowles book and it felt just like this one lol. There's a Hallmark undertone to these stories that I don't like. The dialogue is trite. The characters are cheesy.
The suspense was alright but it felt overshadowed by all the romance so the balance felt off to me.
I do still recommend this one - if you've enjoyed Cowles previously, you'll likely enjoy this one as well.
Also! Audio girlies! This one is narrated by Andi Arndt and Sebastian York - they did a fantastic job! 👏👏
And the cover is freaking gorgeous!
Anticipated Release Date - 01/07/2025
╰⪼ 💜True Crime Podcast FMC
╰⪼ 💗Sheriff MMC
╰⪼ 💜Grumpy ✘ Sunshine
╰⪼ 💗Forced Proximity
╰⪼ 💜Lovable Three-Legged Cat
╰⪼ 💗Small Town
╰⪼ 💜Romance ✘ Suspense
✨ Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the complementary advanced audio copy, all thoughts are my own. ✨
November 16, 2024
If you love true crime and podcasts and romantic suspense, you HAVE to pick this book up! Catherine uses her magic touch to combine all of those elements into one of my new favorite romance novels she's ever written!
Ridley is a true crime podcaster who is visiting Shady Cove where she thinks a serial killer had his first victim. Unfortunately, Colt is the sheriff in town and doesn't want her sniffing around and bothering the people in his town and bringing up old trauma. Ridley is determined to find the truth, though, so she breaks down the case and Colt finds himself helping her along the way.
The hate to love tension between Ridley and Colt was EVERYTHINGGGGGG and I loved how Ridley slowly broke down Colt's walls until he couldn't resist her anymore. This suspense kept me on the edge of my seat and I was SHOCKKEEDDD by the villain. But it's Catherine Cowles, so why would I be expecting anything else!?
We had a fun cast of characters in this small town and I loved discovering the town along with Ridley as she was digging deeper into this case. I also loved Colt's sister and his best friend!
Everything about this book was perfection and I couldn't recommend it enough!!! You HAVE to pick this up when it releases in January!
Ridley is a true crime podcaster who is visiting Shady Cove where she thinks a serial killer had his first victim. Unfortunately, Colt is the sheriff in town and doesn't want her sniffing around and bothering the people in his town and bringing up old trauma. Ridley is determined to find the truth, though, so she breaks down the case and Colt finds himself helping her along the way.
The hate to love tension between Ridley and Colt was EVERYTHINGGGGGG and I loved how Ridley slowly broke down Colt's walls until he couldn't resist her anymore. This suspense kept me on the edge of my seat and I was SHOCKKEEDDD by the villain. But it's Catherine Cowles, so why would I be expecting anything else!?
We had a fun cast of characters in this small town and I loved discovering the town along with Ridley as she was digging deeper into this case. I also loved Colt's sister and his best friend!
Everything about this book was perfection and I couldn't recommend it enough!!! You HAVE to pick this up when it releases in January!
December 6, 2024
oh catherine cowles the woman that you are!!!!
CC has always been one of my favorite suspenseful romance authors, i think she is absolutely phenomenal at creating all sorts of scenarios that have you guessing the entire time what in the hell is happening, with this one the twist at the end absolutely knocked me on my ass lol my jaw was on the FLOOOOOR.
i really enjoyed the concept of this book, this is my first book where a MC is a true crime podcaster and it was super fun, i liked that she had a really big stake in her career and one hell of a reason for doing what she does. i have been a big true crime person since i was around 12, forensics really caught my intrigue back then so naturally i became a listener of tc podcasts and i feel like you can definitely tell who is in it for the weird or wrong reason and who is genuinely doing this to help others. so for ridley to be super passionate in the way that she was i loveeeeed
this was a phenomenal grumpy x sunshine, colt was such a fucking asshole lol and all ridley gave him was sassy cheer and killed him with kindness, it made their interactions a ton of fun!!
im so excited to see where this series will go, i think its off to one hell of a start 🤠
CC has always been one of my favorite suspenseful romance authors, i think she is absolutely phenomenal at creating all sorts of scenarios that have you guessing the entire time what in the hell is happening, with this one the twist at the end absolutely knocked me on my ass lol my jaw was on the FLOOOOOR.
i really enjoyed the concept of this book, this is my first book where a MC is a true crime podcaster and it was super fun, i liked that she had a really big stake in her career and one hell of a reason for doing what she does. i have been a big true crime person since i was around 12, forensics really caught my intrigue back then so naturally i became a listener of tc podcasts and i feel like you can definitely tell who is in it for the weird or wrong reason and who is genuinely doing this to help others. so for ridley to be super passionate in the way that she was i loveeeeed
this was a phenomenal grumpy x sunshine, colt was such a fucking asshole lol and all ridley gave him was sassy cheer and killed him with kindness, it made their interactions a ton of fun!!
im so excited to see where this series will go, i think its off to one hell of a start 🤠
December 10, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
A laugh burst out of me, the last sound I was expecting. "Is it fitting that I'm laughing and crying when I've told you I love you?"
He pulled me into him. "Baby, you're chaos. Of course it is."
4.5 stars
I absolutely DEVOURED this.
This book was exactly what I needed after some slightly disappointing books, and romantic suspense is usually a homerun for me, ESPECIALLY when it's Catherine Cowles.
Ridley was a pretty good FMC. She was really smart, empathetic, and treated her job with care and grace. She didn't take shit from anyone and let the MMC have it several times, which I really enjoyed. Wasn't super sold on her nickname for him, but what can you do.
But I super loved Colt's nickname for her. Chaos 😂I think Colt is a little more gruffer than CC's previous MMC's, but with a lot of good reason. But I liked seeing his character development once Ridley was there to pull his head out of his ass.
And I enjoyed the storyline as well. Sometimes in CC books there can be a lot of different storylines going against the main protagonists and so it can get overwhelming, but this one I think dialed that back and bit and made it more centralized.
And ho boy I cannot wait for Trey and Emerson 😍
A laugh burst out of me, the last sound I was expecting. "Is it fitting that I'm laughing and crying when I've told you I love you?"
He pulled me into him. "Baby, you're chaos. Of course it is."
4.5 stars
I absolutely DEVOURED this.
This book was exactly what I needed after some slightly disappointing books, and romantic suspense is usually a homerun for me, ESPECIALLY when it's Catherine Cowles.
Ridley was a pretty good FMC. She was really smart, empathetic, and treated her job with care and grace. She didn't take shit from anyone and let the MMC have it several times, which I really enjoyed. Wasn't super sold on her nickname for him, but what can you do.
But I super loved Colt's nickname for her. Chaos 😂I think Colt is a little more gruffer than CC's previous MMC's, but with a lot of good reason. But I liked seeing his character development once Ridley was there to pull his head out of his ass.
And I enjoyed the storyline as well. Sometimes in CC books there can be a lot of different storylines going against the main protagonists and so it can get overwhelming, but this one I think dialed that back and bit and made it more centralized.
And ho boy I cannot wait for Trey and Emerson 😍
December 10, 2024
The queen of romantic suspense.
Holy heck she hit this one out of the park.
Ridley & Colt ❤️
Ridley is one of my favorite Cowles FMCs.
The crime podcaster, go where the wind (aka crime) takes her.
Colt, I love every law enforcement man Cowles gives me. No exception here.
The suspense was suspensing, one of her best who dun it’s yet.
Holy heck she hit this one out of the park.
Ridley & Colt ❤️
Ridley is one of my favorite Cowles FMCs.
The crime podcaster, go where the wind (aka crime) takes her.
Colt, I love every law enforcement man Cowles gives me. No exception here.
The suspense was suspensing, one of her best who dun it’s yet.
Shelved as 'dnf'
December 4, 2024Dnf @ 40%. The grief is too much for me tbh.
Read if you like grumpy x sunshine with two broken people!
Read if you like grumpy x sunshine with two broken people!
September 30, 2024
Thank you to Catherine Cowles, Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
Catherine Cowles blew it absolutely out of the park for her first traditionally published book! This book was everything I could have wanted and more! All The Missing Pieces of officially in my top 5 of Catherine Cowles books ever. Ridley was such a different FMC than previous CC girls and I absolutely loved her. Her enthusiasm, spirit and fight was really refreshing. I thought the way she was developed was so unique and I l loved watching her grow. Colt was perfect. He was nuanced and complex and haunted; all the things I love about my CC men. His relationship with his sister hit me right in the heart. I loved how protective and loving he was to everyone in his life. Ridley and Colt were explosive together in every sense of the word. The twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat. I loved the true crime elements and how everything played out. The twist totally got me and I thought it was so well thought out. All the freaking stars. Catherine Cowles continues to be one of my all time favorite authors!
Catherine Cowles blew it absolutely out of the park for her first traditionally published book! This book was everything I could have wanted and more! All The Missing Pieces of officially in my top 5 of Catherine Cowles books ever. Ridley was such a different FMC than previous CC girls and I absolutely loved her. Her enthusiasm, spirit and fight was really refreshing. I thought the way she was developed was so unique and I l loved watching her grow. Colt was perfect. He was nuanced and complex and haunted; all the things I love about my CC men. His relationship with his sister hit me right in the heart. I loved how protective and loving he was to everyone in his life. Ridley and Colt were explosive together in every sense of the word. The twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat. I loved the true crime elements and how everything played out. The twist totally got me and I thought it was so well thought out. All the freaking stars. Catherine Cowles continues to be one of my all time favorite authors!
September 19, 2024
Book Review 📚
Title: All The Missing Pieces
Series: Shady Cove: Book 1
Author: Catherine Cowles
Format: Ebook - ARC
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a six star read for me - Easily just became one of my favorite books of all time 🩵 Thank you Catherine Cowles and NetGalley for the Ebook ARC 🩷
Tropes:
🚐 Grumpy x Sunshine
🐱 Romantic Suspense
🚐 Small Town Romance
🐱 Enemies to Lovers
🚐 Sheriff MMC
🐱 True Crime Podcaster FMC
Review:
This book was a masterpiece! Literally, no notes. Chef’s kiss. 🩵 I don’t know how Catherine Cowles keeps writing banger after banger, but I devour her books every single time! This book just became one of my all time favorite books. I was hooked on this book from the prologue. I sat down and read the entire thing in one sitting.
Ridley and Colt are everything 😍 Ridley is now one of my favorite FMCs of all time. Her tenacity, empathy and outlook on life were my favorite qualities of hers. I just loved her character right from the start! Colt was like a grumpy golden retriever - I loved him! Colt and Ridley had amazing banter and the spice was spicing 🥵
The side characters in the story were some of my favorites! Every time Trey and Emerson were mentioned, I had heart eyes 😍 Norm, Sam and Celia had me cackling out loud and Tater, the three legged cat was an absolute icon. I love her 😻
I’m so excited for this book to come out in January 😻🩷
Favorite Quote:
“Show no mercy, Chaos.”
I had a lot of favorite quotes through out this book - It was hard to pick just one.
#Bookstagram #MinnesotaReader #AudiobookLover #BookReview #Minnesota #Audiobook #RomanceReader #BookLover
Title: All The Missing Pieces
Series: Shady Cove: Book 1
Author: Catherine Cowles
Format: Ebook - ARC
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a six star read for me - Easily just became one of my favorite books of all time 🩵 Thank you Catherine Cowles and NetGalley for the Ebook ARC 🩷
Tropes:
🚐 Grumpy x Sunshine
🐱 Romantic Suspense
🚐 Small Town Romance
🐱 Enemies to Lovers
🚐 Sheriff MMC
🐱 True Crime Podcaster FMC
Review:
This book was a masterpiece! Literally, no notes. Chef’s kiss. 🩵 I don’t know how Catherine Cowles keeps writing banger after banger, but I devour her books every single time! This book just became one of my all time favorite books. I was hooked on this book from the prologue. I sat down and read the entire thing in one sitting.
Ridley and Colt are everything 😍 Ridley is now one of my favorite FMCs of all time. Her tenacity, empathy and outlook on life were my favorite qualities of hers. I just loved her character right from the start! Colt was like a grumpy golden retriever - I loved him! Colt and Ridley had amazing banter and the spice was spicing 🥵
The side characters in the story were some of my favorites! Every time Trey and Emerson were mentioned, I had heart eyes 😍 Norm, Sam and Celia had me cackling out loud and Tater, the three legged cat was an absolute icon. I love her 😻
I’m so excited for this book to come out in January 😻🩷
Favorite Quote:
“Show no mercy, Chaos.”
I had a lot of favorite quotes through out this book - It was hard to pick just one.
#Bookstagram #MinnesotaReader #AudiobookLover #BookReview #Minnesota #Audiobook #RomanceReader #BookLover
September 17, 2024
this book has my heart forever
Colt & Ridley are EVERYTHING. I love them so freaking much it’s insane. I don’t know how Catherine continues to write such phenomenal books. Literally every single book is just SO GOOD
I loved the enemies to lovers aspect of this with him being the sheriff and her being a true crime podcaster trying to catch a killer. The plot twists in this had my jaw on the FLOOR. I’m seriously in awe of this book
It is a MASTERPIECE🥹
The way the relationship developed between these two was so beautiful to see and I’m just so in love with these characters and this town
Here’s to hoping we get more books in Shady Cove🤞🏼🤭🥹
Colt & Ridley are EVERYTHING. I love them so freaking much it’s insane. I don’t know how Catherine continues to write such phenomenal books. Literally every single book is just SO GOOD
I loved the enemies to lovers aspect of this with him being the sheriff and her being a true crime podcaster trying to catch a killer. The plot twists in this had my jaw on the FLOOR. I’m seriously in awe of this book
It is a MASTERPIECE🥹
The way the relationship developed between these two was so beautiful to see and I’m just so in love with these characters and this town
Here’s to hoping we get more books in Shady Cove🤞🏼🤭🥹
Want to read
December 12, 2024i got the audiobook ARC I won!!
December 18, 2024
Romantic suspense has quickly become my favorite book genre and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Catherine Cowles has changed reading for me. I love everything she writes, All the Missing Pieces included.
From the sweetest sisterhood to devastating loss, then banter and groveling, to found family and finding home, this book has it all. I love the balance of suspense and mystery with romance and spice. It flows naturally together in the best way!
Read this if you’re in the mood for…
- healing each other
- who did this to you
- small town meddling turns to found family
- fur babies
- hurt/comfort
This is a beautifully written story of healing and love and it’ll be living rent free in my mind. Not to mention I had absolutely no clue about the big reveal at the end!! I’d like to issue a formal apology to Ezra bc I was so suspicious and he was just trying to make good coffee lol
Here are a few of my favorite things…
- Tater can do no wrong lol
- the basket of organic groceries as groveling? Yes please.
- the way everyone is patient with each other and gives space for comfortable silence. I love it
- Em and Ridley’s friendship. I hope we get another book in this world so we can see more
I could go on and on. I HIGHLY recommend!!
From the sweetest sisterhood to devastating loss, then banter and groveling, to found family and finding home, this book has it all. I love the balance of suspense and mystery with romance and spice. It flows naturally together in the best way!
Read this if you’re in the mood for…
- healing each other
- who did this to you
- small town meddling turns to found family
- fur babies
- hurt/comfort
This is a beautifully written story of healing and love and it’ll be living rent free in my mind. Not to mention I had absolutely no clue about the big reveal at the end!! I’d like to issue a formal apology to Ezra bc I was so suspicious and he was just trying to make good coffee lol
Here are a few of my favorite things…
- Tater can do no wrong lol
- the basket of organic groceries as groveling? Yes please.
- the way everyone is patient with each other and gives space for comfortable silence. I love it
- Em and Ridley’s friendship. I hope we get another book in this world so we can see more
I could go on and on. I HIGHLY recommend!!
October 20, 2024
Catherine Cowles’ continues to SHINE! Listen, I had my suspect list with details for each one. The ONE character I brushed off... *sighs* I never learn. The suspense kept me glued from beginning to end! And the ROMANCE!! Ahhh! Love it! Love the entire small town. Everyone is amazing! AND THERE'S A "GRAB THE HEADBOARD" SCENE!
- friends with benefits
- grumpy x sunshine
- romantic suspense
- true crime podcast
- small town
- "eyes on me"
- "grab the headboard"
FOLLOW ME
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- friends with benefits
- grumpy x sunshine
- romantic suspense
- true crime podcast
- small town
- "eyes on me"
- "grab the headboard"
FOLLOW ME
Instagram • Newsletter • Podcast • YouTube • Goodreads
December 1, 2024
"Colt, you helped me find all the missing pieces. Even the ones I didn't realize I needed."
This BOOK! I’ve said in ever review I’ve made for a Catherine book that the balance between mystery, suspense and romance is so well done and this book Is no exception! We get enemies to lovers, and my personal favorite: TRUE CRIME!
'I'm going to find you, Avs. I promise." No matter how many interfering sheriffs got in my way. No matter what accusations they threw at me. I would find my sister, my twin. Whatever it took.
Colt & Tidley both have such heartbreaking famil ystories and where Colt is grumpy and reserved to protect his sister from future hurting, Ridley is still hunting the killer of her sister. The two joining up (begrudgingly) was done perfectly and I just loved it! How C.C. revealed all the characters backgrounds and how it was incorporated into the crimes C/R are trying to solve kept me sooo invested! AND WHO IS THE VILLIAN?! Annoyed to say per usual I didn’t guess correctly 😂
"You never found her."
"No. And trust me, I've tried. I'm still trying. But in the meantime, I'm also trying to help others. I'm not always successful. Life doesn't guarantee grand movie endings. But every once in a while we get one. We put the bad guys away so they can't hurt anyone else. That's what I'm trying to do."
💜Enemies to Lovers
🩷True Crime Podcaster FMC & Sheriff MMC
💙Small Town
🩷 Forced Proximity
💜 Both MCs with hurt backgrounds
"I won't say it's easy. Battle it every single day. Gratitude is a choice. Just like looking for the sun."
"Looking for the sun..." he parroted.
"Sometimes it's finding those actual rays. Just looking up, closing my eyes, and remembering it's still there. Every day it rises. Sometimes it's looking for those glimmers of light elsewhere. The amazing hazelnut latte I got from Ezra. The kindness Trey showed to me when I needed it. The run that reminded me I'm still here and breathing. Those glimmers are all around us; you just have to open your eyes and truly see.”
If this quote didn’t make you want Trey and Emerson’s book, you’re wrong. 🖤
"Are they...?"
"I'm not sure. But they watch each other. Sometimes I swear they orbit one another as if the other is the sun."
Final Dating: 4.5⭐️, 2.75🌶️
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This BOOK! I’ve said in ever review I’ve made for a Catherine book that the balance between mystery, suspense and romance is so well done and this book Is no exception! We get enemies to lovers, and my personal favorite: TRUE CRIME!
'I'm going to find you, Avs. I promise." No matter how many interfering sheriffs got in my way. No matter what accusations they threw at me. I would find my sister, my twin. Whatever it took.
Colt & Tidley both have such heartbreaking famil ystories and where Colt is grumpy and reserved to protect his sister from future hurting, Ridley is still hunting the killer of her sister. The two joining up (begrudgingly) was done perfectly and I just loved it! How C.C. revealed all the characters backgrounds and how it was incorporated into the crimes C/R are trying to solve kept me sooo invested! AND WHO IS THE VILLIAN?! Annoyed to say per usual I didn’t guess correctly 😂
"You never found her."
"No. And trust me, I've tried. I'm still trying. But in the meantime, I'm also trying to help others. I'm not always successful. Life doesn't guarantee grand movie endings. But every once in a while we get one. We put the bad guys away so they can't hurt anyone else. That's what I'm trying to do."
💜Enemies to Lovers
🩷True Crime Podcaster FMC & Sheriff MMC
💙Small Town
🩷 Forced Proximity
💜 Both MCs with hurt backgrounds
"I won't say it's easy. Battle it every single day. Gratitude is a choice. Just like looking for the sun."
"Looking for the sun..." he parroted.
"Sometimes it's finding those actual rays. Just looking up, closing my eyes, and remembering it's still there. Every day it rises. Sometimes it's looking for those glimmers of light elsewhere. The amazing hazelnut latte I got from Ezra. The kindness Trey showed to me when I needed it. The run that reminded me I'm still here and breathing. Those glimmers are all around us; you just have to open your eyes and truly see.”
If this quote didn’t make you want Trey and Emerson’s book, you’re wrong. 🖤
"Are they...?"
"I'm not sure. But they watch each other. Sometimes I swear they orbit one another as if the other is the sun."
Final Dating: 4.5⭐️, 2.75🌶️
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
December 14, 2024
Catherine Cowles has completely outdone herself with All The Missing Pieces! This book is an absolute masterpiece and, in my opinion, her best work yet. From the moment I picked it up, I was hooked by the perfect blend of heart pounding suspense, swoon worthy romance, and deeply emotional storytelling.
The premise is irresistible: a true crime podcaster, Ridley Sawyer, teaming up with a broody small town sheriff, Colter Brooks, to solve a murder mystery. Their relationship starts off on the wrong foot, with tension and mutual distrust crackling between them, but watching their connection grow was nothing short of magical. The chemistry between Ridley and Colt is off the charts, and their banter is pure gold.
Ridley’s fierce determination and heartbreaking vulnerability made her a heroine I couldn’t help but root for. Her journey, shaped by the disappearance of her twin sister, adds layers of depth to the story. And Colt? Oh, Colt. The broody, gruff sheriff with a soft side melted my heart. His protectiveness, especially as the danger amps up, made him the ultimate romantic hero.
Catherine Cowles proves yet again that she is the queen of romantic suspense. The plot is perfectly paced, with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The emotional stakes are high, the romance is beautifully written, and the small-town setting adds a cozy yet suspenseful vibe that’s impossible to resist.
The supporting characters, from Colt’s loyal dog, to Tater the three legged cat, to the quirky townspeople, added so much charm to the story. And the resolution of not one, but TWO cold cases? Absolutely satisfying and Catherine always executes the reveal so well and I can never guess who did it!
All The Missing Pieces isn’t just a book—it’s an experience. It’s about healing, hope, and finding the courage to trust again. If you’re a fan of romantic suspense, or if you love stories with characters who feel like real people, this one is an absolute must read. Catherine Cowles, take a bow—you’ve delivered a true gem!
Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Cowles, and Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this book!
The premise is irresistible: a true crime podcaster, Ridley Sawyer, teaming up with a broody small town sheriff, Colter Brooks, to solve a murder mystery. Their relationship starts off on the wrong foot, with tension and mutual distrust crackling between them, but watching their connection grow was nothing short of magical. The chemistry between Ridley and Colt is off the charts, and their banter is pure gold.
Ridley’s fierce determination and heartbreaking vulnerability made her a heroine I couldn’t help but root for. Her journey, shaped by the disappearance of her twin sister, adds layers of depth to the story. And Colt? Oh, Colt. The broody, gruff sheriff with a soft side melted my heart. His protectiveness, especially as the danger amps up, made him the ultimate romantic hero.
Catherine Cowles proves yet again that she is the queen of romantic suspense. The plot is perfectly paced, with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The emotional stakes are high, the romance is beautifully written, and the small-town setting adds a cozy yet suspenseful vibe that’s impossible to resist.
The supporting characters, from Colt’s loyal dog, to Tater the three legged cat, to the quirky townspeople, added so much charm to the story. And the resolution of not one, but TWO cold cases? Absolutely satisfying and Catherine always executes the reveal so well and I can never guess who did it!
All The Missing Pieces isn’t just a book—it’s an experience. It’s about healing, hope, and finding the courage to trust again. If you’re a fan of romantic suspense, or if you love stories with characters who feel like real people, this one is an absolute must read. Catherine Cowles, take a bow—you’ve delivered a true gem!
Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Cowles, and Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this book!
October 8, 2024
Hot dang. Catherine's first traditionally published book and she did. Not. Miss. Without giving too much away it's a true Catherine Cowles book to the core except where the ones I've read before were romance with the suspense/mystery as the b plot, its opposite here. The suspense, let's figure out who did this, and everything about thag is the main story and the romance is the b plot. There was one thing I got right at the beginning and then literally every other twist I didn't get and I'm normally a good guesser. I'm so stinking proud of Catherine. Who has been lovely to chat with. Who is just a beautiful soul. And this book was incredible. So dang proud.
Ridley, a rudderless twin, loses her sister the night before graduation, but only in a sense of she goes missing and there's nothing for them to go on. So for the following five years- she finds purpose in podcasting and helping victims and victims find closure. Very crime junkie esqe. I love it. Colt is the town sheriff and has a gigantic stick up his ass. But together, they try to help the victims. They try to protect Emerson, the first in a string of victims. And now they are getting close to finding out everything. And that can't happen.
Let me tell you. I FLEW through this. Jeeeeeeeezzz so good. Read it
Ridley, a rudderless twin, loses her sister the night before graduation, but only in a sense of she goes missing and there's nothing for them to go on. So for the following five years- she finds purpose in podcasting and helping victims and victims find closure. Very crime junkie esqe. I love it. Colt is the town sheriff and has a gigantic stick up his ass. But together, they try to help the victims. They try to protect Emerson, the first in a string of victims. And now they are getting close to finding out everything. And that can't happen.
Let me tell you. I FLEW through this. Jeeeeeeeezzz so good. Read it
September 24, 2024
If there’s one thing about Catherine is she knows how to write a romantic suspense and this stand alone is no different. A solid 4 star read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely loved that the FMC was a true crime podcaster, and the reason behind her starting the podcast made this so interesting. It made me so much more invested in the book!
Ridley is taking on a new personal true crime case in a small town where a tragedy happened (you find out why she’s researching this particular case). The town sheriff is not happy with her poking into people’s business, since that person Ridley is poking around is his sister. Their first meet is definitely tense and he threatens to give her a ticket for parking her van in the wrong spot. The way she banters back with him is so fun and makes their chemistry even better.
Once Colt stops being a jerk to Ridley, he becomes the overbearing protective boyfriend although they might only have a few weeks together once her case is closed but that doesn’t stop them both from falling and falling hard.
I never saw the suspect coming in this book and didn’t even guess it was this person. I love the way the story wraps up even though it is devastating and Ridley finally gets her answers that she’s been searching for for 5 years.
Keeping my fingers crossed that there could be a book 2 in this series!
I absolutely loved that the FMC was a true crime podcaster, and the reason behind her starting the podcast made this so interesting. It made me so much more invested in the book!
Ridley is taking on a new personal true crime case in a small town where a tragedy happened (you find out why she’s researching this particular case). The town sheriff is not happy with her poking into people’s business, since that person Ridley is poking around is his sister. Their first meet is definitely tense and he threatens to give her a ticket for parking her van in the wrong spot. The way she banters back with him is so fun and makes their chemistry even better.
Once Colt stops being a jerk to Ridley, he becomes the overbearing protective boyfriend although they might only have a few weeks together once her case is closed but that doesn’t stop them both from falling and falling hard.
I never saw the suspect coming in this book and didn’t even guess it was this person. I love the way the story wraps up even though it is devastating and Ridley finally gets her answers that she’s been searching for for 5 years.
Keeping my fingers crossed that there could be a book 2 in this series!
December 17, 2024
Catherine Cowles is my favorite author and this book is another reminder of just how much I adore her!
Thank you to NetGalley and of course Catherine for this ARC!
Ridley is a true crime podcaster investigating a case similar to her sister’s disappearance. She’s brought her van and investigating skills to a small town where another girl was taken, but escaped. Emerson escaped her captor, but has been agoraphobic since. Her brother, the local sheriff, isn’t happy Ridley is in town.
Colt has not healed since his sister’s incident and has always felt the need to protect her. When he discovers Ridley’s true reasons for investigating, he learns she’s not trying to make money from Emerson’s story. There’s a little grovel! But someone doesn’t want Ridley discovering the true story behind the missing girls, and they’ll show her exactly what they’re capable of!
This was amazing and if you’re looking for romantic suspense with spice, Catherine is always the right choice!
Thank you to NetGalley and of course Catherine for this ARC!
Ridley is a true crime podcaster investigating a case similar to her sister’s disappearance. She’s brought her van and investigating skills to a small town where another girl was taken, but escaped. Emerson escaped her captor, but has been agoraphobic since. Her brother, the local sheriff, isn’t happy Ridley is in town.
Colt has not healed since his sister’s incident and has always felt the need to protect her. When he discovers Ridley’s true reasons for investigating, he learns she’s not trying to make money from Emerson’s story. There’s a little grovel! But someone doesn’t want Ridley discovering the true story behind the missing girls, and they’ll show her exactly what they’re capable of!
This was amazing and if you’re looking for romantic suspense with spice, Catherine is always the right choice!
December 10, 2024
Book Review
All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles
What Its Got
Podcast
Small town
Found family
Rescue pets
Siblings
Kidnapped/missing person/murder
True crime investigators
Agoraphobia
Assault
Thoughts
Still trying to figure out this books genre…is it a thriller or romance?
The romance is steamy, the MCs had great sexual tension, and the mystery had me hooked from the beginning
I did feel as though the Ending was abrupt- the pacing at the end (and epilogues) felt too rushed in comparison with the flow of the storyline - this was by no means a dealbreaker for me
Overall an engaging and entertaining read.
Thanks to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and the author for my digital copy in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.
All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles
What Its Got
Podcast
Small town
Found family
Rescue pets
Siblings
Kidnapped/missing person/murder
True crime investigators
Agoraphobia
Assault
Thoughts
Still trying to figure out this books genre…is it a thriller or romance?
The romance is steamy, the MCs had great sexual tension, and the mystery had me hooked from the beginning
I did feel as though the Ending was abrupt- the pacing at the end (and epilogues) felt too rushed in comparison with the flow of the storyline - this was by no means a dealbreaker for me
Overall an engaging and entertaining read.
Thanks to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and the author for my digital copy in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.
December 15, 2024
Thank you so much NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me access to this ALC!
This was my first Catherine Cowles' books and it won't be my last!
All the Missing Pieces will be released on Jan 7th. Ridley Sawyer, a true crime podcaster, channels her grief over her twin sister's disappearance into solving cold cases across the country. When her latest case brings her to Sheriff Colter Brooks' town, sparks fly as their clashing priorities collide. But as danger closes in, their uneasy alliance deepens, uncovering not just deadly truths but also an undeniable connection.
Absolutely loved this story! The twist completely caught me off guard, and the love story was beautifully written. The duet narration truly brought it to life—each voice actor captured the characters' emotions so perfectly that it felt like I was right there with them. It was such an immersive experience!
This was my first Catherine Cowles' books and it won't be my last!
All the Missing Pieces will be released on Jan 7th. Ridley Sawyer, a true crime podcaster, channels her grief over her twin sister's disappearance into solving cold cases across the country. When her latest case brings her to Sheriff Colter Brooks' town, sparks fly as their clashing priorities collide. But as danger closes in, their uneasy alliance deepens, uncovering not just deadly truths but also an undeniable connection.
Absolutely loved this story! The twist completely caught me off guard, and the love story was beautifully written. The duet narration truly brought it to life—each voice actor captured the characters' emotions so perfectly that it felt like I was right there with them. It was such an immersive experience!
September 23, 2024
5 ⭐️ What a great read! Catherine Cowles is an auto buy author for me so getting this standalone made me so excited! All The Missing pieces gave me the romantic suspense I love from her but with more added mystery.
Our true crime podcasting FMC Ridley was fierce, independent and sticks to her guns. Meeting the small town sheriff in the town she’s investigating doesn’t change her one bit. I loved their relationship so much. From the banter and “enemies” to lovers to the spice, it was all perfection.
The small town atmosphere was giving Gilmore girls. Catherine always goes a fantastic job of giving our side characters big personalities without overshadowing the main characters. Tater is the exception. She’s her own main character. She owns the book.
In true Catherine Cowles fashion, I did not predict our villain. Idk how she does it. Magic. That’s it. Such a great read!
Our true crime podcasting FMC Ridley was fierce, independent and sticks to her guns. Meeting the small town sheriff in the town she’s investigating doesn’t change her one bit. I loved their relationship so much. From the banter and “enemies” to lovers to the spice, it was all perfection.
The small town atmosphere was giving Gilmore girls. Catherine always goes a fantastic job of giving our side characters big personalities without overshadowing the main characters. Tater is the exception. She’s her own main character. She owns the book.
In true Catherine Cowles fashion, I did not predict our villain. Idk how she does it. Magic. That’s it. Such a great read!
October 3, 2024
4.75⭐️
Lucky to have gotten an ARC of this!! I loved it. I’m newer to Catherine’s books but I’m hooked!! I hope we get more shady cover books, there’s a certain pairing I’d like to read 😏
I’m learning I really enjoy romantic suspense and CC does it quite well. I loved Ridley and Colt, I thought their enemies to lovers dynamic played out very well and just enjoyed their banter. Just really interesting and enjoyable!!
Lucky to have gotten an ARC of this!! I loved it. I’m newer to Catherine’s books but I’m hooked!! I hope we get more shady cover books, there’s a certain pairing I’d like to read 😏
I’m learning I really enjoy romantic suspense and CC does it quite well. I loved Ridley and Colt, I thought their enemies to lovers dynamic played out very well and just enjoyed their banter. Just really interesting and enjoyable!!
December 18, 2024
I've been a big fan of Catherine for the longest time. This series has so much potential. The audiobook performance was so good! It's dark and disturbing story but it definitely had me hooked. I loved that this felt like her other books but also had a newer feel. (I'm still not a fan of the nicknames btw sorry) but! I'm excited to see where it goes! I hope Emerson has a book! I want to see her happy ending.
November 4, 2024
Loved this book! It was a great mix of suspense and romance.
December 4, 2024
Another well done romantic suspense from my girl Catherine!!
October 12, 2024
Good Lord, this book was good! Such an easy 5-STARS to give out. ALL THE MISSING PIECES has all the best things...
Enemies To Lovers
Small Town antics
Grief & Healing
Badass heroine
Cinnamon Roll hero
Great suspense
I fell in love with Ridley and Colt (and their pets, honestly). Ridley is strong and brave and so compassionate. And Colt is pure cinnamon roll hero goodness! The grumpy sheriff with a gooey center who will make you feel all the feels.
ALL THE MISSING PIECES was a great romantic suspense with a villain I never suspected. This book has heart and sweetness and spice! Hot lake sex, anyone? YES PLEASE.
This is my favorite Catherine Cowles book to date!
SPICE LEVEL: Rated R / 2-4 descriptive sex scenes, may have harsh language.
CONTENT WARNING: Romantic Suspense related violence, abduction, murder (off page)
FEELS: 4/5 - Tackled some seriously tough topics.
POV: Dual - M/F - 1st Person
Enemies To Lovers
Small Town antics
Grief & Healing
Badass heroine
Cinnamon Roll hero
Great suspense
I fell in love with Ridley and Colt (and their pets, honestly). Ridley is strong and brave and so compassionate. And Colt is pure cinnamon roll hero goodness! The grumpy sheriff with a gooey center who will make you feel all the feels.
ALL THE MISSING PIECES was a great romantic suspense with a villain I never suspected. This book has heart and sweetness and spice! Hot lake sex, anyone? YES PLEASE.
This is my favorite Catherine Cowles book to date!
SPICE LEVEL: Rated R / 2-4 descriptive sex scenes, may have harsh language.
CONTENT WARNING: Romantic Suspense related violence, abduction, murder (off page)
FEELS: 4/5 - Tackled some seriously tough topics.
POV: Dual - M/F - 1st Person
September 22, 2024
Wow. This book was so good, I could not put it down. Ridley was such a brave FMC, the way she dealt with loss was amazing. I love how she chose to live her life in such a constructive way. Colt was everything I love in a broody MMC. He was cranky yet tender, rough around the edges. I think my new favorite genre is romantic suspense?! I was blown away by the ending, and can’t wait for this story to get out into the world!! Thank you Catherine Cowles for the chance to read this story early, I am so grateful!
December 18, 2024
My favorite Catherine Cowles book to date. Ridley is the confident, driven and fierce FMC that we all aspire to be while Colt is the grumpy, protective and broody MMC that is ready to protect everyone he loves. These two have the best meet cute I have ever read in a book! Their chemistry and surprising connection are what makes for a perfect romance.
Then there is the suspense! It is so expertly weaved through that you don’t realize you are gathering clues from the first pages. I didn’t see the culprit coming but loved how everything played out!
I’m hoping there is more to come from Shady Cove!
Then there is the suspense! It is so expertly weaved through that you don’t realize you are gathering clues from the first pages. I didn’t see the culprit coming but loved how everything played out!
I’m hoping there is more to come from Shady Cove!
December 18, 2024
I swear with every new book Catherine Cowles releases, it immediately becomes my new favourite book by her.
All the Missing Pieces was a wonderfully tragic, suspenseful romance story where finding justice and long sought after answers meets trauma bonding and turning it into hope, healing and love.
I absolutely loved the traveling true crime podcaster angle this story took. It created a unique perspective to solving crime and seeking justice and healing - themes that are very common in many romantic suspense or romance involving law enforcement.
Ridley Sawyer was such an inspiring main character in how she wielded her ongoing pain to pursue truth and justice with a compassionate and understanding approach. It's powerful to read how she makes herself vulnerable to help others while still being fiercely independent and strong to her core.
Colter Brooks' character development was entirely altruistic. That man always put his sister and her wellbeing above all else. After putting up walls, he came to realize that Ridley wasn't there to intentionally cause harm to the community but to help them all - including him - heal from their decade old trauma.
Ridley and Colter's love story develops from Ridley's unwavering kindness and Colter's fierce protective streak. While exasperated by her, Colter cannot help but want to keep Ridley's safe. Ridley's heartfelt approach to Colter's sister and their entire community is what snags Colter's heart.
The twist at the end had me reeling. Catherine is notorious for throwing me off kilter, however - I don't think any of her twists have truly shaken me like this one did. I have message receipts of my reaction the the twist where I plainly express that there are two characters in which I became the tiniest bit suspicious of for a fraction of a second then brushed the thought away thinking "it couldn't be..." As I approached the 85-90% mark, I became increasingly suspicious of one of those two characters, but was desperately hoping I was wrong. Thank goodness I was - however it did end up being the second person I had a fraction of a thought about, and yet... I was still absolutely FLOORED by the revelation! Catherine completely bamboozled me in the best way.
If this book wasn't good enough as is, it was only elevated by the narrators Andi Arndt and Sebastian York. These two are the holy grail of audiobook narrators for me. I discovered my love of audiobooks (and romantic suspense novels) by listening to A.L. Jackson's backlist of audiobooks and SO many of them are performed by Andi and Sebastian. They are the reason I fell in love with audiobooks, so for me having them perform the narration in All The Missing Pieces elevated my reading experience that much more! Their performance was fantastic - the only thing that could have made it better was performing in duet (but I feel that about any audiobook ever lol).
Thank you so much to Catherine Cowles, Dreamscape Audio and NetGalley for providing the opportunity for me to read and review this audiobook in advance.
All the Missing Pieces was a wonderfully tragic, suspenseful romance story where finding justice and long sought after answers meets trauma bonding and turning it into hope, healing and love.
I absolutely loved the traveling true crime podcaster angle this story took. It created a unique perspective to solving crime and seeking justice and healing - themes that are very common in many romantic suspense or romance involving law enforcement.
Ridley Sawyer was such an inspiring main character in how she wielded her ongoing pain to pursue truth and justice with a compassionate and understanding approach. It's powerful to read how she makes herself vulnerable to help others while still being fiercely independent and strong to her core.
Colter Brooks' character development was entirely altruistic. That man always put his sister and her wellbeing above all else. After putting up walls, he came to realize that Ridley wasn't there to intentionally cause harm to the community but to help them all - including him - heal from their decade old trauma.
Ridley and Colter's love story develops from Ridley's unwavering kindness and Colter's fierce protective streak. While exasperated by her, Colter cannot help but want to keep Ridley's safe. Ridley's heartfelt approach to Colter's sister and their entire community is what snags Colter's heart.
The twist at the end had me reeling. Catherine is notorious for throwing me off kilter, however - I don't think any of her twists have truly shaken me like this one did. I have message receipts of my reaction the the twist where I plainly express that there are two characters in which I became the tiniest bit suspicious of for a fraction of a second then brushed the thought away thinking "it couldn't be..." As I approached the 85-90% mark, I became increasingly suspicious of one of those two characters, but was desperately hoping I was wrong. Thank goodness I was - however it did end up being the second person I had a fraction of a thought about, and yet... I was still absolutely FLOORED by the revelation! Catherine completely bamboozled me in the best way.
If this book wasn't good enough as is, it was only elevated by the narrators Andi Arndt and Sebastian York. These two are the holy grail of audiobook narrators for me. I discovered my love of audiobooks (and romantic suspense novels) by listening to A.L. Jackson's backlist of audiobooks and SO many of them are performed by Andi and Sebastian. They are the reason I fell in love with audiobooks, so for me having them perform the narration in All The Missing Pieces elevated my reading experience that much more! Their performance was fantastic - the only thing that could have made it better was performing in duet (but I feel that about any audiobook ever lol).
Thank you so much to Catherine Cowles, Dreamscape Audio and NetGalley for providing the opportunity for me to read and review this audiobook in advance.
December 18, 2024
*Edit to add audiobook review*
I have listened to and enjoyed narration from both Andie Arndt and Sebastian York in the past and this audiobook was no different. They both do a great job of using their varying tones and inflection for different characters and to convey emotion. I definitely prefer Arndt’s male voices to York’s female voices, but neither is distracting or something that pulls me from the story. I would easily recommend this audiobook to anyone asking for my input.
Apologies to Broken Harbor on its short-lived reign as my favorite Catherine Cowles book. It’s already been replaced by this one.
I’m a true crime podcast/tv consumer through and through, so books that include that element are always going to call to me. There is a curiosity to how it’s going to be handled because in reality, there is such a thin line between respectful and thoughtful production and exploiting pain and suffering caused by the darkness in the world for the sake of “entertainment”. It is handled so well in this book. Ridley is the ideal kind of podcaster who has genuine motives and intentions behind the work she is doing. She’s careful and considerate in her approach to the people she seeks out and the overall case she’s covering. She has experienced her own loss that provides her a place of empathy and understanding to operate from. Her own story and emotional tie to this case really helped drive the urgency and feel the deeper desperation for answers in the plot.
As for the romance part of the romantic suspense that Catherine Cowles does so well, I love a man who goes from reluctantly protective to “who did this to you?” to “never again” BUT also respects and believes in a woman’s ability and need to handle things for herself as well. Colt is all of the above. He is a protector by nature, and when it comes to Ridley he tries to fight that even though he’s destined to give in. There is so much that connects them and draws them both in. I love the way they interact and I love that Ridley doesn’t back down from him. He loves it too, and it creates a healthy, respectful partnership where he’d love to shield her from everything but knows he can’t and chooses to have her back while she does what she needs to do instead.
I can’t move on without mentioning that I deeply admire Emerson and hope this is more to come in this universe that might give her her own HEA with a certain handsome bartender/her brother’s best friend.
Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Team Catherine Cowles for the eARC, and thank you to Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
I have listened to and enjoyed narration from both Andie Arndt and Sebastian York in the past and this audiobook was no different. They both do a great job of using their varying tones and inflection for different characters and to convey emotion. I definitely prefer Arndt’s male voices to York’s female voices, but neither is distracting or something that pulls me from the story. I would easily recommend this audiobook to anyone asking for my input.
Apologies to Broken Harbor on its short-lived reign as my favorite Catherine Cowles book. It’s already been replaced by this one.
I’m a true crime podcast/tv consumer through and through, so books that include that element are always going to call to me. There is a curiosity to how it’s going to be handled because in reality, there is such a thin line between respectful and thoughtful production and exploiting pain and suffering caused by the darkness in the world for the sake of “entertainment”. It is handled so well in this book. Ridley is the ideal kind of podcaster who has genuine motives and intentions behind the work she is doing. She’s careful and considerate in her approach to the people she seeks out and the overall case she’s covering. She has experienced her own loss that provides her a place of empathy and understanding to operate from. Her own story and emotional tie to this case really helped drive the urgency and feel the deeper desperation for answers in the plot.
As for the romance part of the romantic suspense that Catherine Cowles does so well, I love a man who goes from reluctantly protective to “who did this to you?” to “never again” BUT also respects and believes in a woman’s ability and need to handle things for herself as well. Colt is all of the above. He is a protector by nature, and when it comes to Ridley he tries to fight that even though he’s destined to give in. There is so much that connects them and draws them both in. I love the way they interact and I love that Ridley doesn’t back down from him. He loves it too, and it creates a healthy, respectful partnership where he’d love to shield her from everything but knows he can’t and chooses to have her back while she does what she needs to do instead.
I can’t move on without mentioning that I deeply admire Emerson and hope this is more to come in this universe that might give her her own HEA with a certain handsome bartender/her brother’s best friend.
Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Team Catherine Cowles for the eARC, and thank you to Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
September 17, 2024
Catherine has done it again! Nobody is surprised right!?
The lowdown:
+ podcaster x sheriff
+ grumpy x sunshine
+ protective mmc
+ true crime
+ serial unaliver
+ small town
The romantic suspense sub-genre is the hidden gem that I had no idea existed until I joined bookstagram and now I’m completely obsessed with. Catherine’s prologues always have me feeling incredibly invested and her small towns full of lovable side characters keep me going.
Synopsis: After experiencing the unimaginable, Ridley deals with her grief by helping others find their loved ones through her true crime podcast. She travels the country working on cases that she connects with while all the while hoping to one day solve the cold case that is her sister’s disappearance. When she lands in Shady Cove for a new case, the town sheriff immediately gets in Ridley’s way thinking she’s up to no good. Eventually the case goes from cold to extremely hot and all bets are off in the chase to find all the answers.
I ate this right up. I read the first 3/4 of the book in one sitting before I forced myself to take a break. I really enjoyed watching Ridley make friends with the town and the added podcaster element added a level of investigation to the plot that was so entertaining. In true Catherine Cowles fashion, she had me completely shocked with the reveal of the villain.
Ridley and colt were everything!!! I did feel ATMP was a bit lighter on romance (or maybe slower?) than some of her other books but I didn’t think this was a bad thing and I was still very invested in their story!! There were a couple spicy scenes that are definitely skippable if that’s your jam!
This is technically a standalone but I’ll be crossing my fingers we get something more about Trey 🤭
The lowdown:
+ podcaster x sheriff
+ grumpy x sunshine
+ protective mmc
+ true crime
+ serial unaliver
+ small town
The romantic suspense sub-genre is the hidden gem that I had no idea existed until I joined bookstagram and now I’m completely obsessed with. Catherine’s prologues always have me feeling incredibly invested and her small towns full of lovable side characters keep me going.
Synopsis: After experiencing the unimaginable, Ridley deals with her grief by helping others find their loved ones through her true crime podcast. She travels the country working on cases that she connects with while all the while hoping to one day solve the cold case that is her sister’s disappearance. When she lands in Shady Cove for a new case, the town sheriff immediately gets in Ridley’s way thinking she’s up to no good. Eventually the case goes from cold to extremely hot and all bets are off in the chase to find all the answers.
I ate this right up. I read the first 3/4 of the book in one sitting before I forced myself to take a break. I really enjoyed watching Ridley make friends with the town and the added podcaster element added a level of investigation to the plot that was so entertaining. In true Catherine Cowles fashion, she had me completely shocked with the reveal of the villain.
Ridley and colt were everything!!! I did feel ATMP was a bit lighter on romance (or maybe slower?) than some of her other books but I didn’t think this was a bad thing and I was still very invested in their story!! There were a couple spicy scenes that are definitely skippable if that’s your jam!
This is technically a standalone but I’ll be crossing my fingers we get something more about Trey 🤭
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