All The Missing Pieces: Catherine Cowles
An all new, small-town romantic suspense from USA Today bestselling author Catherine Cowles.
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 has found new purpose in her life last few years and she travels the country in her custom VW bus looking at cold cases for her true crime podcast trying to help find closure for those without answers. This trip she’s in Shady Grove and it’s not long before entering the town that she has a not-so-meet-cute with Sheriff Colter Brooks. He’s big, imposing, stoic, rude, and distrustful of her from the beginning. They challenge and taunt each other with fiery banter. But he’s watching her while she’s trying to get the lay of the land in the town so that she can start her own investigation into a missing person case. She has her own personal reasons for doing this and no one‘s going to stop her.
This hero is grumpy and broody for the first half of the book and is really good at putting his foot in his mouth with her. And she is strong-willed, bold, sassy, and independent-minded and challenges him at every turn. They are both so stubborn and opinionated. But that same friction and intensity also follows them into the bedroom when they start to enjoy a frenemies-with-benefits situation. As Colt gets more and more protective of her and the threats become more serious, it’s easier to see what really scares him and that’s failing again or letting someone else he cares about get hurt.
Together they’ll try to put the missing pieces together to solve the string of abductions that affected both of them and hopefully keep her safe in the process. This book kept me interested throughout. I was turning pages trying to put the pieces together myself and figure it all out. I had figured out one thing, but other things completely surprised me. But I can honestly say there were still a few things that bugged me after the fact. But it was more that had to do with the case than the romance. It was a simmering slow burn and it seemed like they were still fighting for half the book, but then things seemed to burn hot and get more emotional fairly quickly. I enjoyed seeing them be more vulnerable and also start to fill the holes left in their own lives due to their pasts and find new perspectives and fulfillment.
This is a feisty, mysterious, opposites-attract, grumpy sunshine, hurt-comfort, small-town romantic suspense. This was my first book by this author and I did really enjoy it. I loved the characters in this close-knit small town and I’m interested in some of the side characters and hope this is a series starter. Even the animals have big personalities. So I will definitely be picking up more from this author.
Ridley lost her twin sister in a tragic way on the night before their college graduation. Now she investigates cold cases as a true crime podcaster with a huge following. Arriving in Shady Cove for her next series of episodes, Ridley has a new case to explore and as she gets to know the town, it becomes clear that some of her suspicions are closer to the truth than anyone would believe.
From early in this book I was falling in love with these characters. As early as the introduction I was heartbroken for Ridy’s loss, Emerson for her own experiences, and Colt for being a bystander affected by the same events. There is a rich group of characters that make up Shady Cove. I loved the way the townspeople sheltered Emerson from strangers and weren’t willing to share much with Ridley until they knew Emerson would be ok with the intrusion. And I also loved the way they welcomed her in as she showed her true intentions.
I loved Ridley’s little quirks and the way she poured herself into her investigations while also remembering her sister. She is a free spirit, but also dampened by the loss of her sister. She wants to shed light on cold cases all the while she is keeping her own story a secret from her viewers. Colt came on strong with his protective instincts, first for his town and his sister, and later for Ridley as well. He has a strong moral compass and feels guilt for the pain his sister is living with.
I spent most of the book jumping from suspicion to suspicion, constantly sifting through the clues with Ridley and watching for valuable information and red herrings alike. At times the events had me feeling giddy, which felt like an odd emotion to note while reading something with as much suspense as this was building, but I loved every detail as it was revealed. There were moments where I didn’t always agree with how Ridley handled herself, but in the interest of building a story, I loved the way all the pieces came together.
This was a fast paced story that sucked me in and didn’t let me go. It had the perfect blend of suspense, emotion, and small town antics.
This hero is grumpy and broody for the first half of the book and is really good at putting his foot in his mouth with her. And she is strong-willed, bold, sassy, and independent-minded and challenges him at every turn. They are both so stubborn and opinionated. But that same friction and intensity also follows them into the bedroom when they start to enjoy a frenemies-with-benefits situation. As Colt gets more and more protective of her and the threats become more serious, it’s easier to see what really scares him and that’s failing again or letting someone else he cares about get hurt.
Together they’ll try to put the missing pieces together to solve the string of abductions that affected both of them and hopefully keep her safe in the process. This book kept me interested throughout. I was turning pages trying to put the pieces together myself and figure it all out. I had figured out one thing, but other things completely surprised me. But I can honestly say there were still a few things that bugged me after the fact. But it was more that had to do with the case than the romance. It was a simmering slow burn and it seemed like they were still fighting for half the book, but then things seemed to burn hot and get more emotional fairly quickly. I enjoyed seeing them be more vulnerable and also start to fill the holes left in their own lives due to their pasts and find new perspectives and fulfillment.
This is a feisty, mysterious, opposites-attract, grumpy sunshine, hurt-comfort, small-town romantic suspense. This was my first book by this author and I did really enjoy it. I loved the characters in this close-knit small town and I’m interested in some of the side characters and hope this is a series starter. Even the animals have big personalities. So I will definitely be picking up more from this author.
From early in this book I was falling in love with these characters. As early as the introduction I was heartbroken for Ridy’s loss, Emerson for her own experiences, and Colt for being a bystander affected by the same events. There is a rich group of characters that make up Shady Cove. I loved the way the townspeople sheltered Emerson from strangers and weren’t willing to share much with Ridley until they knew Emerson would be ok with the intrusion. And I also loved the way they welcomed her in as she showed her true intentions.
I loved Ridley’s little quirks and the way she poured herself into her investigations while also remembering her sister. She is a free spirit, but also dampened by the loss of her sister. She wants to shed light on cold cases all the while she is keeping her own story a secret from her viewers. Colt came on strong with his protective instincts, first for his town and his sister, and later for Ridley as well. He has a strong moral compass and feels guilt for the pain his sister is living with.
I spent most of the book jumping from suspicion to suspicion, constantly sifting through the clues with Ridley and watching for valuable information and red herrings alike. At times the events had me feeling giddy, which felt like an odd emotion to note while reading something with as much suspense as this was building, but I loved every detail as it was revealed. There were moments where I didn’t always agree with how Ridley handled herself, but in the interest of building a story, I loved the way all the pieces came together.
This was a fast paced story that sucked me in and didn’t let me go. It had the perfect blend of suspense, emotion, and small town antics.
Catherine Cowles
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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