{"id":56620,"date":"2020-12-23T08:38:33","date_gmt":"2020-12-23T13:38:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=56620"},"modified":"2023-01-31T08:30:34","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T13:30:34","slug":"review-beautifully-broken-spirit-sutter-lake-3-by-catherine-cowles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=56620","title":{"rendered":"Review: Beautifully Broken Spirit (Sutter Lake, #3) by Catherine Cowles"},"content":{"rendered":"

Buy:\u00a0\u00a0Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Paperback\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Audio<\/a><\/h4>\n
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Review<\/b><\/h4>\n

4.5 stars!<\/b><\/p>\n

The third book in the Sutter Lake<\/i> series, this is a gorgeously emotional best-friends-to-lovers story that, just like the first two books in the series, captivated me and stole my heart.<\/p>\n

From the moment we first saw Tuck and Jensen interact earlier in the series I suspected that there was more to their friendship \u2013 little glances and Tuck\u2019s protectiveness over Jensen were fun little clues – so I was thrilled when I learned that they would get a book, and I was right on board for their story.<\/p>\n

Tuck is the best friend of Walker (hero from book #1, and Jensen\u2019s older brother). Jensen grew up with the two boys, and over the years also became best friends with Tuck, and he has practically become a member of their family. Jensen and Tuck have always had a special bond, he has been her support and her protector for years, always there when she needed him, and he is just as present for her nine-year-old son, Noah.<\/p>\n

Tuck has a huge heart but he\u2019s had a difficult past which has left its mark on him, and he knows that commitment and marriage isn\u2019t for him. He has a well-deserved reputation as being a bit of a manwhore, bouncing from hook-up to hook-up, and he\u2019s never been in a relationship. So it was fantastic getting the opportunity to get inside Tuck\u2019s head to see what his feelings truly are, and yep, it\u2019s there \u2013 that deeply hidden attraction to Jensen that he does his best to keep buried. But Jensen has been through a lot, and recent events have left her a little bit broken. She has shut down, and Tuck is determined to bring her back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe might end up regretting this. It might be the wrong<\/i> choice, whatever that means. But if we stop taking risks, we stop living. I don\u2019t want that for you. And I sure as hell don\u2019t want that for myself.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I was pretty much bouncing up and down with excited anticipation just waiting for these two to come together. Just as Tuck has deep feelings for Jensen, she feels the same, but knowing Tuck isn\u2019t the settling down type, she\u2019s never acted on her attraction and does her best to ignore it. Now, he\u2019s all up in her business, there for her as always, understanding her in the way that only he can and pushing her to start living her life again. And every moment they spend together brings them closer and closer to the inevitable, until all of that pent-up lust and longing becomes too much to hold back.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve always had a wildness to you. It\u2019s been missing for a while, but it\u2019s coming back. And when I light that match, your eyes burn with it.\u201d
\nJensen\u2019s cheeks heated. I brushed the hair out of her face, kissing each temple and then her forehead. \u201cDon\u2019t get embarrassed. It\u2019s the hottest thing I\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s immensely satisfying watching these two come together, but to keep things simple, they decide to keep it friends-with-benefits without getting too emotionally involved. Of course, neither of them acknowledge that they are already emotionally involved, so it\u2019s wonderful watching them navigate the changes to their relationship and all that it means \u2013 especially now that the door has been opened to more<\/i>.<\/p>\n

She had always been there. For almost as long as I could remember, she\u2019d always been a part of me.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But while they are figuring themselves out, there are dramas in store as Jensen\u2019s questions into the shooting deaths of wild horses in the area makes her a target, and a blast from the past appears and threatens the peaceful life that she has worked so hard to build. As always, Tuck is by her side while she deals with it all, as is her overprotective brother who has no clue what\u2019s really going on with his sister and best friend. It\u2019s exciting and suspenseful, and I enjoyed the added intensity that all of this brought to the story, and it gives Jensen a chance to shine as the strong, independent and confident woman that she is.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife is full of horrible things, Tuck. Are you going to protect me from all of them? Then I\u2019ll barely be living. Newsflash, bucko, you have to experience the bad so you appreciate the good. I don\u2019t want you to shield me. I want you to stand next to me.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But ultimately, this is a romance and the love story is central to everything else that is happening. It\u2019s not an easy road for Jensen and Tuck, and my heart truly ached for them at times. They have some pretty big things to work through, but the emotion between them is too deep for them to deny, and I loved watching them work through it all.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is more.\u201d My gaze tangled with his, so many unsaid things dancing between us. \u201cYou\u2019ve always been more. It\u2019s just taken me a third of my life to see it.\u201d
\nA brief flare of panic shone in Tuck\u2019s eyes, mixed with something that looked a lot like pain, but he seemed to rein it in. \u201cI don\u2019t know if I can be what you want me to be.\u201d
\nI gripped his wrists on either side of my face. \u201cYou already are. All I\u2019m asking is that we take this one day at a time and see where it leads.
\n\u201cOne day at a time.\u201d Tuck pressed his mouth against mine. \u201cI can do one day at a time.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Tuck is so, so amazing. Yes, Jensen is going through a lot throughout this book, but Tuck\u2019s life is pretty much completely upended by his developing feelings, and it\u2019s a particularly beautiful journey for him as he slowly comes to accept all of those changes.<\/p>\n

I knew deep down that things were changing. That hope that I could burn out this fire between us, so all that was left was easy affection and friendship was a distant memory.
\nI wanted more. I wanted everything.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s an emotional journey with lots of ups and downs and some surprises along the way. This book had me feeling all the feels, and I loved being with Tuck and Jensen as they slowly find their way to their HEA.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnderstand that this is more.\u201d I cupped her face in my hands. \u201cThat this is everything.\u201d <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I loved it. 4.5 stars!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sutter Lake<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\" \u00a0\"\" \u00a0\"\" \u00a0\"\" \u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

Beautifully Broken Pieces (#1)<\/strong> (Walker & Taylor)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Paperback\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Audio<\/a><\/p>\n

Beautifully Broken Life (#2)<\/strong> (Liam & Tessa)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Paperback\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Audio<\/a><\/p>\n

Beautifully Broken Spirit (#3)<\/strong> (Tuck & Jensen)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Paperback\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Audio<\/a><\/p>\n

Beautifully Broken Control (#4) <\/strong>(Cain & Kennedy)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Paperback\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Audio<\/a><\/p>\n

Beautifully Broken Redemption (#5) <\/strong>(Mason & Anna)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Paperback\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Audio<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Check out our Catherine Cowles Author Spotlight<\/a> for more awesome reads!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Buy:\u00a0\u00a0Amazon\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Paperback\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Audio Review 4.5 stars! The third book in the Sutter Lake series, this is a gorgeously emotional best-friends-to-lovers story that, just like the first two books in the series, captivated me and stole my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":56575,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":4.5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[443,52,25,9,1036,29],"tags":[1218,48,1219],"class_list":["post-56620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brotherbest-friend","category-drama","category-friends-to-lovers","category-romance","category-single-parent","category-steamy","tag-catherine-cowles","tag-review","tag-sutter-lake"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Beautifully-Broken-Spirit.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-eJe","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=56620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56620\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/56575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=56620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=56620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=56620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}