Fractured Sky, a moving and passionate, small-town contemporary romance from USA Today bestselling author Catherine Cowles, is out now

 

Amazon  |  Amazon Worldwide  |  Apple Books  |  Nook  |  Kobo  |  Google Play

 

---

---

Blurb

Damaged. Broken. Destroyed. I’ve heard it all. A single moment of trusting the wrong person shattered my life into pieces, and my family has never looked at me the same. It’s impossible to convince them that I’m anything more than the broken girl they rescued all those years ago.

Until I meet him.

Ramsey’s surly demeanor and menacing scowl scare most of the world away. But not me. Not when I’ve seen his gentle hands soothe an abused colt or comfort a terrified mare.

And when I finally get up the courage to strike out on my own, Ramsey’s there. Roommates felt like such a safe proposition until Ramsey’s lingering touches and
wicked smile light a fire in me I don’t think will ever be extinguished. And he feels it, too…

But just as my new life begins to take root, an evil from my past emerges from the shadows, casting a darkness on my newfound freedom. And this time, they won’t settle for pieces of me. They want everything…

 

 

Add to Goodreads

 

---

Review

5 stars!

The fifth and final book in the Tattered & Torn series, and it’s the one I’ve been waiting for! Shiloh’s story did not disappoint, and was everything I was hoping for, as the quiet, traumatised young woman finally finds herself, and the most incredible love, in this beautifully written and emotional small-town romance.

Shiloh Easton’s idyllic childhood was shattered when she was abducted as a child. She was reunited with her family, but that traumatic time left its mark, and she’s been quiet, withdrawn, and sheltered by her over-protective family ever since. She’s now in her late 20s and she’s desperate to start living her life, away from her well-meaning family who seem to only see her as broken.

Ramsey Bishop owns a ranch nearby where he rehabilitates abused horses. For years, Shiloh has watched Ramsey work, finding peace while silently watching him calm traumatised and broken animals. They’ve never interacted, and while Ramsey is broody, intensely private, and never allows strangers onto his property, he knows about Shiloh and her past, and he’s been content to let her watch him from afar. And then she takes the monumental step of approaching and actually speaking to him, and everything is about to change.

Ramsey and Shiloh recognise something in each other. They’ve both been through unbelievably hellish situations, and it’s left them both altered forever. So when Shiloh opens up to Ramsey about wanting to step out from under her family’s shadow, he wants to help, and he offers her the cabin on his property to live in, and in exchange, she’ll work for him. It’s not an idea that goes down well with the rest of the Easton clan, but Shiloh is determined, and she knows that her place is on that farm so she stands her ground and makes the move, and she absolutely shines as the takes charge of her life and truly starts to live.

“I’m just throwing all the rules out the window now,” I grumbled.
Shiloh’s lips twitched. “The rules, huh? You gonna give me a copy of those so I don’t get detention?”
I shook my head and pushed to my feet.
“What good would it do when I’m breaking them all anyway?”
She looked up at me, something swirling behind those ice-blue eyes. “Sometimes, we need to break the rules to get to where we’re supposed to be.”

OMG, I was so effortlessly swept up into life with Ramsey and Shiloh! Working together, living together, tending to broken horses and finding much-needed peace while doing it, it’s beautiful to see them share all of that with each other. They bring out the best in each other, they are clearly comfortable together and I loved the hints of playfulness that we see when they’re together. There’s also this beautifully sweet sense of wonder between them, each of them appreciating the other for who they are, their natural way with animals, and the way they make each other feel, which is nothing that they expected, and soon becomes everything.

“It means everything that you let me stay here. I’ll never forget it. I know I can’t repay you–”
I took her hand in mine, weaving our fingers together. Her breath hitched, and I saw her pulse quicken.
“I like having you here. I think I needed it just as much as you did.”
The truth of those words hit somewhere deep in my chest, burning. But it was a beautiful kind of pain. One I welcomed. One that belonged only to Shiloh.

This is the most BEAUTIFUL romance! It’s perfectly paced and beautifully emotional, and I felt everything along with these characters. It’s slow, which it needs to be, and the patience, trust, honesty, and depth of feelings is so amazing as they tentatively yet meaningfully explore everything between them.

“It doesn’t hurt,” she whispered.
“What doesn’t?”
“You touching me.”

There’s a sense of innocence about their attraction to each other, with Shiloh experiencing everything for the first time. And though Ramsey is ten years older than her, he’s an amazing romantic hero as he takes his time with her, encouraging and supporting her and letting Shiloh lead things, but at the same time holding nothing back from her. And every moment of it had me swooning.

“What do you feel for me?”
Ramsey’s fingers twined with mine. “I don’t think there’s a word for it in the English language. But it burns through me. And I don’t want to ever let it go.”

*dreamy sigh*

This wouldn’t be a Catherine Cowles book without some element of suspense, and we’ve got it coming from multiple angles in this book. One of which was wholly expected, although still came with some surprises, and allows us to see Ramsey go all super-protective badass, which I loved. The other is an unexpected storyline which absolutely stole my heart! I don’t want to give away details, but the added depth that Cowles has added to Ramsey and Shiloh’s story, showing us just how much they’re growing together and how they’re finding their happiness, is absolutely beautiful!

“I want you. Always. Whatever you have to give.”

The rest of the Easton family is all along for the journey, and just as we see Shiloh stand on her own and reclaim her life, her family is growing along with her, letting her call the shots but still there for her in every way. I loved catching up with them all! We also get an introduction to the hero of Cowle’s next book, which is a nice bonus.

This book made me smile, laugh and swoon. It’s a beautiful story of healing and growth, of finding your place and the person who makes you a better version of yourself. It’s a heart-clenchingly gorgeous read with all the feels, and I loved it!

5 stars!

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

 

Tattered & Torn Series

 

---

Excerpt

“Live with you?” she squeaked. “We’ve only ever spoken twice.”

My world tilted sideways at that truth. I didn’t let people I didn’t truly know onto my property, let alone invite them to live there. But I kept right on talking. “I’ve got a guest cabin.”

I’d let one other person live there—a friend of someone I’d known from prison. It was a favor I’d only done for the brother who’d watched my back in that hellhole. But Boden had moved out months ago into some fancy lodge with his fiancée, Laiken. The guest cabin was just sitting empty.

I saw Shiloh turn the idea over in her mind. “I don’t want to make you do that. I know you don’t like people on your property.”

I hated it. But Shiloh wasn’t people. She was something else altogether. The truth was, she’d become a touchstone over the last several years. And I had a burning urge to help. To protect. Maybe because I knew how it felt to believe there was no way out. Maybe because I saw those wings of hers that had been so badly clipped. The offer might’ve been reckless, but I couldn’t find it in me to care.

 

---

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.

Connect with Catherine:

Amazon  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest  |  Instagram 

Goodreads  |  Bookbub  |  Website

 

Stay up to date with Catherine by joining her mail list

 

Check out our Catherine Cowles Author Spotlight for more awesome reads!