Review: Beautifully Broken Pieces | Catherine Cowles

Beautifully Broken Pieces

by Catherine Cowles

Series: Sutter Lake #1

Publication date: 2/25/2019

Format: Audiobook

Source: Libby

4.25 Stars

A woman who’s lost everything.

Taylor is looking for peace and quiet away from the memories of all she’s lost. A small mountain town where no one knows her seems like the perfect escape.

A man battling the ghosts of his past.

Walker loves his life just the way it is. His town, his family, his brothers in blue. Everything simple and easy—until a chance encounter changes it all.

When Taylor’s solitude is interrupted by the rugged cop, they find that the very thing they were avoiding might be just what they both need. As their iron wills clash and passion flares…a killer lurks.

And you never know who might be caught in the crosshairs.

When I read my first book by Catherine Cowles about a year and a half ago (Tattered Stars), I connected immediately with her writing. She made me care about her characters and become invested in their stories. Now, nine books later, she has solidified herself as one of my favorite authors and I’m excited to start working my way through her backlist.

Taylor is crippled by grief from the loss of her mother. Needing a change, and time away from well-meaning friends, she spontaneously rents a cabin for a year in the small town of Sutter Lake, Oregon. Finding a job at a tea shop introduces her to Jensen Cole (shop owner) and the rest of the Cole family, including Jensen’s brother Walker, the town’s deputy chief of police. Determined to keep her new friends at arm’s length, convinced that forming bonds will only lead to more heartache, Taylor still finds herself pulled into the loving embrace of the Cole family. As Taylor slowly begins to let down her walls and explore a relationship with Walker, he is dealing with a string of missing women and the victims are getting closer and closer to home.

Everything about Beautifully Broken Pieces was right up my alley. A heroine who was damaged but had backbone, a swoony, protective hero, a close-knit family, strong friendships, a touch of suspense – it all combined to form such a “me” book. I adored the Cole family, including Jensen’s young son Noah (who started calling Taylor “Tay Tay” five minutes after meeting her), Taylor’s friend Liam who was willing to give her a dose of tough love and truth when she needed it, and the relationship that grew between Taylor and Walker. The epilogue was *chef’s kiss*, the narration by Maxine Mitchell and Aaron Shedlock was perfect, and I can’t wait to return to Sutter Lake. (Bring on Liam’s book!)

Tropes: small town, romantic suspense, law enforcement hero

Content warning (highlight to view): grief/loss, violence/death

Have you read Beautifully Broken Pieces?