I'm in literal shock that I haven't read anything by Catherine Cowles up to this date. I mean I love romantic suspense, small town and slow burn which seems to be her sweet spot. This book was an absolute masterpiece. Six stars from this reader. The prologue starts off in full force and the book doesn't let up. Ridley was a BADASS FMC and she ran a true crime podcast where she took on cases that spoke to her. She starts a new case in a new town surrounding the reason a young girl, Emerson was almost kidnapped 19 years ago. There is much more to the case than this but Ridley can't seem to get anyone to talk to her. They all close rank around Emerson who is still fragile since that night and her big brother the sheriff is determined to make her go until he falls for her.Β
Read this book if you love: True crime podcasts Small towns Strong female characters Enemies/Rivals to lovers Romantic Suspense
This was a beautiful story of overcoming your trauma, dealing with grief and loss of a loved one, and bringing justice to those who deserve to have that closure. Catherine Cowles has made me fall in love with a small town and the people in it. She has made me fall for her as a writer and the backlist won't be read quickly enough for me. What are you waiting for? Go grab this one.Β
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…
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