Tag: Catherine Cowles

Review: Perfect Wreckage by Catherine Cowles

Posted February 24, 2022 by Casee in Reviews | 2 Comments

Review: Perfect Wreckage by Catherine CowlesReviewer: Casee
Perfect Wreckage by Catherine Cowles
Narrator: Joe Arden, Maxine Mitchell
Series: Wrecked #2
Also in this series: Reckless Memories
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: September 22, 2020
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Alternating First
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 328
Length: 9 hours and 12 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-half-stars
Series Rating: five-stars

My past taught me to play it safe.To stay far away from handsome men who promised it all.My life was good without them. Stable, secure, predictable.
But one kiss showed me that I’d been playing it safe for far too long.One night, and all I wanted was more of his wildfire.One challenge and my carefully constructed walls tumbled down.
Amidst the rubble, I realized there was more to this man than I ever dreamed.When everything fell apart, he showed me what it meant to stay.How to truly live.
But when my demons return, that life might end up shorter than either of us expected…

Kenna leads a very predictable life. She’s an accountant (us accountants like predicability). Numbers are predictable. There is no gray areas here. Kenna enjoys her job immensely. She’s content, if not happy, with her life. She has a good job, good friends, and Harriett, the woman that has raised her since she was 11.

When Harriett dies, Kenna is devastated. Crosby was Harriett’s lawyer. He knows exactly what is going to happen when Harriett’s family finds out that she left Kenna The Gables. The home that is a haven for Kenna. Something that Harriett’s family is trying to take away from her. While she’s usually happy to stay out of the spotlight, she’s not going to let Harriet’s family take her home.

I adored Kenna. She grew so much in this book. Crosby helped her realize that life isn’t about working. It’s okay to have a little unpredictably in life. He taught her how to live. It’s like she was in a bubble of her own making, and Crosby just popped that sucker.

I didn’t think I’d like Crosby as much as I did. Sure, he was okay. But really not my kind of hero. I enjoy alpha heroes. Very alpha. Crosby is not that. He certainly has a quiet strength, which is what made him so likable. Crosby doesn’t want to settle down. He likes his life and can’t imagine being with one woman the rest of his life.

I’ve read a few reviews that states this book is romantic suspense. I highly disagree. It might have had romantic suspense undertones, but it was a straight rs.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Wrecked

four-half-stars

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Review: Reckless Memories by Catherine Cowles

Posted November 17, 2021 by Casee in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Reckless Memories by Catherine CowlesReviewer: Casee
Reckless Memories by Catherine Cowles
Narrator: Andi Arndt, Joe Arden
Series: Wrecked #1
Also in this series: Perfect Wreckage
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: May 12, 2020
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Alternating First
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 330
Length: 8 hours and 38 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Casee's 2021 Goodreads Challenge
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-half-stars
Series Rating: five-stars

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.

Ford, Bell, and Violet were like the Three Musketeers. They did everything together. Bell tagged along with them most of the time. When Violet died in a horrible accident, Ford fled Anchor Island. All he could think about what that it was his fault. His fault that he killed his girlfriend. His fault that his best friend is in the hospital. Never mind that a deer ran into the road. He’s at fault.

When Ford left after Violet died, Bell was destroyed. Devastation doesn’t even begin to cover what she felt when she found out that her sister died and she lost Ford. It’s taken her a long time to find peace with the situation, but she does find it. When Hunter calls Ford to tell him he needs to return to Anchor to help the family business, Bell is once again torn apart. It’s taken her a long time and much soul searching to find her happiness.

I don’t generally care for the dead girlfriend’s little sister trope. I think it’s pretty cliché. Catherine Cowles definitely made it work in this case. Ford and Bell weren’t just best friends; they shared the same soul. It’s all very Megan Fox/MGK minus the blood. Their relationship began when Bell was so young. To Ford, she was a part of him.

These characters were just so well-rounded. When Ford arrives back on Anchor, he is forced to confront how his decisions back then how it wrecked Bell. He’s determined to win her back (friendship at this point) which means he needs to look inward to finally figure out why he left everyone he loved.

This was my first book by this author and I’m really looking forward to reading the series. Yay for new-to-me authors!

Rating: 4.25 out of 5.

Wrecked

four-half-stars

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