He was the last person she expected to fall for…

Shattered Sea, a sexy, suspenseful, small town romance from USA Today bestselling author Catherine Cowles, is out now!

 

Amazon  |  Amazon Worldwide  |  Apple Books  |  Nook  |  Kobo

 

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Review

I’ve known every kind of pain. Of the heart. Of the body. Of the soul. All I want now is the freedom that comes from making my art.

The last thing I expected was Hollywood royalty to waltz into my gallery in a small town in the middle of nowhere and see me.

A man like Boden Cavanaugh shouldn’t understand me. Shouldn’t be able to soothe my most ragged edges. Even worse, he makes me want the one thing I can’t have. Him.

All it takes is one spark, and friendship catches flame. But as our attraction burns bright, there are forces desperate to send us back into the darkness. And they’ve already killed before…

 

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Review

4.5 stars!

Oh Catherine Cowles, you write the most beautiful love stories! This is a gorgeously emotional and heartfelt romance between two people who have suffered devastating losses, coming together in difficult circumstances, and who find peace, healing and happiness together. It’s dramatic and suspenseful with wonderful characters, and I loved this one!

This is the fourth book in the Tattered & Torn series, featuring Laiken, the manager of the small gallery in Wolf Gap, and friend to characters from previous books in the series. The prologue of this book sets up the feels as we meet a young Laiken and get to see a devastating moment from her youth which changes her whole life. In the present, she’s still struggling to deal with the grief from that night, and has been left physically and emotionally scarred by all that she’s been through.

Boden Cavanagh is a huge movie star who is travelling to Wolf Gap to research an upcoming movie. He’s been through his own tragedy, and is still coming to terms with the devastating turn of events which saw his life upended and he’s looking forward to some down time in a small mountain town.

From the moment Laiken and Boden cross paths, sparks fly. It’s not something either of them are looking for, and it’s actually really inconvenient given that Laiken is not interested in meeting anybody. But Boden is smitten.

I wanted to chase down the woman with shadows in her eyes. Wanted to soothe them and do everything I could to protect her.

It doesn’t take long for a connection to form between these two. They recognise something in the other – a soul-deep pain that both of them are struggling to deal with. It bonds them, it makes them feel seen and recognised, and they give each other a comfort that they’ve both been craving.

We leaned on each other, getting through the best we could. And in that moment, I knew that this was hot it could always be. A give and take. A sort of messy perfection that was the most incredible thing I’d ever experienced. And I’d do anything to protect it.

A friendship develops, though Boden makes it clear that he wants more, at the same time reassuring Laiken that there is no pressure, that he’s willing to take things slowly until she’s comfortable with him, and OMG, I swooned so hard over his care, sweetness and tender thoughtfulness.

“I’m right here. You have me, Laiken. All of me.”

Things get a little more intense when it looks like Laiken is being targeted, and her life may be in danger. Boden steps in to go all alpha protector, and be still my heart!

The love story moves pretty quickly, but it has the feel of a slow burn. Their attraction is clear, they talk and share, there are gentle touches and meaningful glances, and the build-up is beautiful! And when they finally take the step to more, it’s natural, real, passionate, and full of emotion, and I loved watching these two come together!

“I don’t want you to be anything but exactly who you are … I’m not trying to erase any of it or fix anything about you. Because nothing needs to be fixed … I’d never want to change a thing about the woman who stole my heart.”

But danger is still lurking… for both of them. They both have evil in their pasts, and threats in town are increasing, but they don’t know which of them is the target or where the danger is coming from. It’s a tense situation, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, and those final chapters are pretty intense, bringing drama and surprises as it all plays out.

Cowles is known for her small-town romantic suspense writing, but I honestly could do without the suspense. There’s enough going on in her books that sometimes the big dramatic scenes at the end feel a bit tacked-on and unnecessary – and unrealistic when every member of the friend/family group experiences something so dramatic. But I kind of just ignore that part and enjoy losing myself in the romance. I loved Laiken and Boden’s story, I loved watching them come together, be there for each other and support each other, and I loved how they leant on each other, finding strength to move on from the past and claim the happy ending that they both deserved.

“This is a forever kind of love, Laiken.”

Characters from previous books all make an appearance, and I loved seeing them again, and watching them accept Laiken and Boden into their family group. We’re gearing up for Shiloh’s book, and I’m so excited to finally get her story.

The book ends beautifully, and there is an extended epilogue available that I absolutely recommended getting your hands on it, because it’s sensational, and is just the ending that I wanted to see for these two.

So, so beautiful, I loved it.

4.5 stars.

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

Tattered & Torn Series

 

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Excerpt

The way Boden’s muscles tightened told me the little he’d shared was only the tip of the iceberg. That tension called to me, and I reached out, kneading the flesh along his shoulders. His head fell to my own shoulder, and he sighed. “I’ll only let you do that forever.”

I chuckled. “I do have the magic touch.”

“You could be making millions with those hands.”

“I only use them on very special recipients. They aren’t for sale.”

Boden straightened, but as he did, he came closer. Our faces were close. Lips just a breath away. The urge to lean forward, to know what he felt like, tasted like, was strong. Boden’s hand skated up my arm to my neck to tangle in my hair. I knew that Boden Cavanaugh was more than dangerous. But like a moth to a flame, I kept getting closer.

 

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About Catherine

Writer 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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