Buy: Amazon
Review
5 stars!
Oh, I loved this book! A beautifully emotional story with wonderful characters, a swoony, sexy, heartfelt romance and a mystery/suspense plotline that kept me fully invested. I felt so much while reading this one, it’s such a great read.
This is the first book in a new series from Catherine Cowles, but it features Dex, a side character who appeared in the Sparrow Falls series, coming in to save the day on multiple occasions. Dex is a grey-hat hacker who worked for the FBI in exchange for avoiding jail time for his hacking. He has now left the agency and returned to his family in their small home town of Starlight Grove.
Braedyn has just moved to town. A year ago, she experienced a devastating tragedy when her best friend disappeared without a trace on one of the town’s hiking trails. Now she’s moving in with her 9-year-old son to continue the search and hopefully finally find answers.
In a delightful twist, Dex and Braedyn are neighbors. With Dex’s grumpy demeanour, they don’t exactly get off on the right foot, but despite all that she’s been through, Braedyn is a ray of sunshine, and when he learns why she’s in town, Dex decides to help her in her search. He and his four brothers have an arrangement where they use their varied skills to secretly (and not-so-legally) search for missing people. And Brae and her son are quickly claimed by the Archer family, who go all out to help them.
It’s a great set-up, and I was quickly sucked into this story. I immediately loved Dex and Braedyn, and could feel their attraction from the moment they meet. But Braedyn is focussed on her search, and Dex is dealing with vicious demons from his devastating childhood. Neither of them are looking for a relationship, but the chemistry is there, the feelings quickly build, and they soon find themselves falling hard for each other.
“Please. You’re everything that isn’t cold. You’re warmth. You’re fire. You’re life.”
The love story unfolds beautifully. It’s honest, easy and natural, and while they may have some reservations, there’s no angst or unnecessary drama. They let it happen, and they follow their hearts, supporting, encouraging and healing each other as they tackle their challenges and work through personal issues, and I was completely swept up in their romance and loved watching them come together.
“You might not be ready. And that’s okay. But I love you”
All the while, Brae and Dex continue the endless search, even battling against local law enforcement. And someone from Brae’s past is determined to make trouble for her. There is intrigue and intensity, allowing plenty of opportunity for Brae to show her strength, and Dex (and his brothers) to go all badass and uber-protective, and I was captivated!
There is drama, romance, and mystery/suspense, but also some wonderfully fun and light moments as we watch Braedyn with her amazingly entertaining son, Owen, see them both spend time with the Archer brothers, and watch Dex and Braedyn settle into life together. All of the elements combine to create a wonderful story, and I couldn’t put this book down.
I loved getting to know these characters. Dex and Braedyn are intelligent and genuine, there’s a ready-made group of friends who accept Braedyn into town, and Dex’s brothers are a fantastic group, each so different, but so amazing together, and their group chats and banter are a highlight. I love the hints we get for future books. I have already made some predictions, and I’m so freaking excited for what is to come. And also, I need the next book, like, now!
One of my favorite books from Catherine Cowles, I loved this one.
5 stars.
I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Jason Clarke and Samantha Brentmoor, and they do a wonderful job. And even better, each of Dex’s brothers has their own narrator (Teddy Hamilton, Adam Gold, Connor Crais, Sebastian York), some of my all-time faves, and hopefully a hint of the narration to come in future books.
Starlight Grove
Across the Vanishing Sky (#1)
Review
Buy: Amazon
Into the Fading Twilight (#2)
To be released 7 July
Pre-order: Amazon
Beneath a Midnight Moon (#3)
To be released 17 November
Pre-order: Amazon
Through the Gathering Storm (#4)
To be released 2027
Within the Starry Silence (#5)
To be released 2027
About Catherine
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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Find more great reads in our Catherine Cowles Author Spotlight