wrecked – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 326 pages
Author: Catherine Cowles
Publisher: Pagesmith LLC
Release Date: May 11th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

There were shadows I was running from.
Ones that haunted and taunted.
Ones that made it so I had no choice but to disappear.

I’d spent years hiding from the world.
My little island haven, the only assurance of safety.

It all changed the moment he showed up at my door.
The hint of pain in his eyes told me that something haunted him, too.
And I couldn’t help but be drawn closer.

But finding the person I needed most came with risks I never expected.
And when our ghosts find us again, neither of us may make it out this time.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST.

I’m really into this series now and it’s been another good one! I loved the island setting and all the turmoil that found its way to the shore. Brody and Shay were reluctant to be in each other’s circles and I loved watching the walls crumble.

In this case, I did find the twists predictable. It’s pretty simple to follow from the beginning so I wasn’t as surprised when things went down.

Still a great read and I’m excited to finish the series!

Overall audience notes:

Romantic suspense
Language: moderate
Romance: 3ish open door
Violence: high
Content warnings: parents murdered, PTSD, loss of loved ones, serial killer, panic attacks (on page), assault, psychopathic character

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 330 pages
Author: Catherine Cowles
Publisher: Pagesmith LLC
Release Date: May 12th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I loved him before I knew what the word meant.
From skinned knees to first dates and everything in between.
But he was never mine to love.
I settled for friendship, even though I always wanted more.

That was before.
Before he ripped my world apart and didn’t bother sticking around to help me pick up the pieces.
I knit every last shred back together all on my own.
And I’ve all but forgotten his name.

Now, he’s back, and everything is torn apart once more.
But he’s not the only one doing the tearing this time.
And there might be no stopping the person who has it out for us both.

THE SUSPENSE.

This was a pretty good read! A new small town romance series to me. It’s set on an island in the Pacific Northwest so if you’re looking for small town, but not on a ranch, this might be for you!!

I didn’t know how I would feel about the relationship based off of the first few chapters. Over the book I felt there was a nice progression with some necessary conversations to help ease the transition. There’s a lot of talk about processing grief and the non-linear format it resides in.

Bell and Ford were definitely a match for me. I’m soft for a protective love interest and For was that for me. I liked the heat between them and the slow burn romance. I enjoyed the side characters that I know we’ll see in future books so I’m excited for their stories as well.

The suspense aspect was a bit…odd? Out of place? I don’t know why it necessarily needed to be there. I will say it did keep me on my toes, and I didn’t guess who it was going to be until just a few pages before (but I think that’s because I thought they were a random choice……). ANYWAYS. It’s well written, a bit darker, but also full of a lot of hope and light for the future.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary romance
Language: some strong
Romance: kisses to brief open door scenes
Trigger/Content Warnings: car wreck resulting is loss of life, losing a sibling, stalking behavior, break-in and physical altercations, attempted murder, parental neglect