Short Take Reviews: Sutter Lake Series | Catherine Cowles

 

I previously reviewed Beautifully Broken Pieces and Beautifully Broken Life. Here are my thoughts on the rest of the series. 😊

 

Beautifully Broken Spirit

by Catherine Cowles

Series: Sutter Lake #3

Pub: 10/22/2019

Format: Audio

4 stars

Jensen had always shared a special bond with her brother’s best friend, Tucker. They’d been in each other’s lives since they were children, and he was a constant in her life that she could always depend on. She squashed any other feelings she might have for him, feeling that after two disastrous prior relationships, she obviously could not trust her own judgement. Tuck had wanted Jensen for as long as he could remember, but his own family issues had him convinced that she deserved better.

I’d been waiting for Tuck and Jensen’s story and it did not disappoint. Jensen had a huge heart and took care of those around her – her son, her employees and friends, and her beloved rescue horses. The romance that developed between Jensen and Tuck was so natural and his bond with Jensen’s son warmed my heart. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Catherine Cowles novel without some sinister goings-on and it came from more than one direction, which amped up the tension. This was a solid addition to the series and delivered all the feels.

Tropes: small town, romantic suspense, single mom, friends to lovers

CW (highlight to view): violence/death, addiction (secondary character)

Beautifully Broken Control

by Catherine Cowles

Series: Sutter Lake #4

Pub: 2/18/2020

Format: Audio

4 stars

When Kennedy’s father was convicted in a Ponzi scheme, the backlash against her family was so extreme she changed her name and went into hiding. She was determined to live a different life – one of service and gratitude – anything to alleviate the guilt she felt over her father’s crimes. After a tragic loss, Cain has shut down almost all personal connections, determined to keep others at a distance. But he can’t deny his feelings for Kennedy. When she is injured and he steps in to help, their closeness only amplifies his feelings for the young woman who guards her privacy and her past so strongly.

There were times when Cain’s protectiveness of Kennedy (while sometimes overboard) and his care for her made my heart positively melt. Even so, I struggled with both characters at times. Kennedy’s overwhelming guilt was so misplaced and I wanted her to recognize her father’s crimes were not her own. And with Cain, his unwillingness to share any of his past with Kennedy (while digging into her past to learn what she was hiding) was hypocritical and hurtful. Both of these issues did resolve and I was fully onboard with their relationship. Seeing Cain finally open up about his loss (with a positive focus on therapy) and be able to embrace a healthy relationship with Kennedy was totally satisfying. The bad guy(s) in this one weren’t too difficult to figure out, but that didn’t detract my enjoyment at all. Another solid romantic suspense from Cowles!

Tropes: small town, romantic suspense, heroine on the run, forced proximity

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

Beautifully Broken Redemption

by Catherine Cowles

Series: Sutter Lake #5

Pub: 11/9/2021

Format: Audio

4 stars

Anna’s trust in someone was betrayed when she was just a teenager and it cost her her freedom. Having started over in the small town of Sutter Lake, and now running a homeless shelter, she is slow to trust and keeps others at a distance. When tragedy strikes and she is suddenly the caregiver for her beloved niece and nephew, she is determined to keep them safe and give them the childhood she never had. To her surprise it is Mason, the successful businessman and frequent volunteer at the shelter, who steps in and offers Anna a solution: a marriage of convenience to bolster Anna’s chance of gaining full custody of the kids.

Anna had overcome so much and was not accustomed to accepting help from others, having learned the hard way that trust could be betrayed in the worst ways. Mason had suffered his own loss and was such a stalwart, generous man. His willingness to step in and make such an extraordinary offer to help Anna and the children was only the start of his devotion to them and his commitment to doing whatever it took to protect them all. This was a slow burn romance even though Anna and Mason’s chemistry was obvious from the start. While I missed the Cole family, the family who has formed the base for most of the other books in the series, I enjoyed their inclusion as secondary characters. This was a solid end to the series and was filled with Catherine’s hallmark emotion, suspense, and happily ever after.

Tropes: small town, romantic suspense, marriage of convenience

CW (highlight to view): violence/death (mostly off page), physical abuse (off page)

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