WOW!! This is the first book I have read by Catherine Cowles and I am so happy I read it. I now have put this author on my must-read author list.
All the Missing Pieces had everything I love in a book- it had me reading late into the night and I grabbed the book as soon as I woke up the next morning. The combination of romance in small town and suspense is just right. I was so sure I knew who the villain was, but I was so wrong. I like that in a book. For me if it is too easy to figure out the book gets boring before I finish it.
Thank you NetGalley, Catherine Cowles and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC of All the Missing Pieces. This is my personal review.

I just found a new favorite h occupation!!!! I can’t say that I have ever read about a podcaster before…but our heroine’s “Sounds Like Serial” podcast is one I would love to subscribe to! Ridley uses her podcast to help solve unsolved mysteries, murders, nappings, and disappearances…there is definitely a reason behind her desire to take care of these cold cases!

After she rolls in to Shady Cove, and has a not-so-pleasant experience with the Hero, Sheriff Deputy Colt Sinclair, things get a little intense. Colt has a reason to keep strangers out of his small town, and doesn’t like intruders…for good reason!

This is a wonderfully twisted, suspicion-filled, small town romantic suspense read! The characters are so unique, in their own way, and I love the way Author Catherine Cowles gives us just enough of each character to see who they are…without giving too much away!

Such an enjoyable read!

Once I started this one, I couldn't put it down. I adored Law Man and Chaos (Colt and Ridley) who are working for the same goal, but on different sides of the law. For years, his sister's case has haunted him and when the out of town podcaster comes in ready to take on the case he's guarded. He's the grump of all grumps with a protective streak to rival most. She takes it all in stride and is there only for the sole purpose of solving a string of attacks that she discovered from her twin sister's disappearance. We are given multiple angles that point to different suspects and it had me waffling until the final reveal. I am usually pretty great at calling it, but this one got me good. Bravo to Catherine on an epic rom suspense. While I would love more from this world, she did a beautiful job wrapping everything up beautifully and completely.

POV: 1st, Dual
Angst: Medium
Spice: 3/5

Every time I read a new Catherine book I say it can’t get any better and every time she says hold my beer and writes something even better. I am in love with this book. All the Missing Pieces felt totally different than what Catherine has written before and I am so here for it. It has more of a mystery/detective/true crime vibe to it with the investigation going on in the story but still has all the same feels and emotions and funny banter you can find in all of her books. The twist was actually spot on (and I didn’t even have a clue of what it was before it happened) and left me shocked. It felt like a breath of fresh air. One of the best part for me was the Characters, Ridley especially. She is so sweet, kind and nurturing. There is a light and tenderness to her but also a fierceness and a burning fire. I loved her view on life and how her character shows a different way of grieving and how something can change you. I loved how the underlying theme of grief was also shown and used in the story. It felt relatable and showed that there is not only one way to grieve or one reason to grieve. This story really brings out all the feelings but has a very good balance and will keep you hook from beginning to end. I thought everything involving Tater was hilarious. Finally the last detail I lived for in this book is the series crossovers! Man do I love them and I got so excited when someone from another series was mentioned.

CATHERINE NEVER MISSES. I love a story with a podcast element so this was right up my alley. There was less romance in this one than her others but it still hit. I loved the suspense and aDORED the small town elements. Truly Catherine is just the best and this was another hit by her.

Sigh. I love a good Catherine Cowles Book,

Her books remind me of Peak Nora Roberts. Where there is romance yes, but the secondary story( the Mystery) keeps you just as intrigued and captivated as the romance,

And there is an actual plot!

I loved the romance, van life, podcaster life and small town life. AND all of the secondary characters were perfect.

And as usual, I was WRONG about the villain!

Can't wait until her next book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Catherine created a setting and plot that had me hooked from the start. This is the first book I’ve read of hers and I was pleasantly surprised by her ability to weave mystery and suspense into small town life.

The main characters have been through awful experiences and their trauma is treated with care. My heart ached for them.

The mystery and suspense were the best part of All the Missing Pieces. There was something about the romance side that missed the mark for me, but I can’t point to what that was exactly. Overall I definitely recommend this one and I will read more of Catherine’s books!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Shocked (once again) by Catherine Cowles. Another GREAT one. Romance with mystery, she does it so well.

When I’m stuck in a reading slump, I always choose a Cowles’ book. Trying to figure out the villain adds some extra excitement. Then add in her signature small town charm and found family and it hits the spot.

I don't think I'll ever correctly guess a Catherine bad guy. Every single time, the reveal blindsides me and i end up with a "...what? No" moment for me. I can't say that I hate it though!

As always, Catherine manages to combine humor, small town trauma, emotion and just enough quirk to make this story one I didn't want to put down. At the same time, it was so fun to be in Sandy Cove that I didn't want to leave!

Couldn't love this more.

I absolutely loved this book! I was hooked from the beginning and all the way up to the end. It had so much heart and depth. It was an emotionally charged read that had me tearing up by the end!

How is this my first Catherine Cowles book? A lot of my booksta friends and favorite authors gush about how much they love her. My bad. I’ll be rectifying that asap.
I found this to be the perfect blend of plot, mystery, and romance. The light and heavy parts were so well balanced. I loved Ridley and Colt. Both have traumatic parts and have taken different approaches to healing. Check your tw, I got chocked up in the prologue. I definitely was bamboozled and did not guess the ending.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for my arc. All opinions are my own.

LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF THIS ONE.

THE GASP I GASPED. This book was Catherine Cowles at her very best! 5 stars!

Thank you to Catherine Cowles, Sourcebook Casablanca for the eARC and Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this one! These are my honest thoughts.

I ADORED this story. Ridley is on a mission. The tragic loss of her sister has been motivating her career as a true crime podcaster. She's become quite successful and learned how to navigate the kidnapping/loss that these families are facing as they either search for or mourn the loss of someone important to them. After all, she knows exactly how it feels.

She shows up in Shady Cove in hopes of uncovering enough clues about a man who took a local girl, who found a way to escape. What she finds is a half-brother who is protective... and not only that, but also a cop. Colt doesn't want the attention on his sister's case, and he doesn't want Ridley's production coming into his town and stirring up trouble.

But along the way, Ridley inserts herself into the community, and Colt gets to watch as she handles things in a caring and heartfelt way. Digging, but not pushing. Uncovering, but sensitively. And he can't help but appreciate what she's doing (begrudgingly or not). The community embraces her and then begins to help her uncover clues that might be leading to finding more about this person... and maybe his connection to other murders.

Colt and Ridley have so much chemistry, and their unique experiences bring their connection to sizzling levels. I love how Ridley stands on her own two feet, but she also allows Colt to see the real her. They build a trust that's powerful. And Ridley brings out a softer side of Colt that disappeared when his sister was kidnapped. This balance is... wooooo. Hot. So good.

This book also had so much tension and drama, and the twists were TWISTY. Loved it.

The audiobook was AWESOME. Highly recommend! Andi Arndt and Sebastian York both nailed their performances! I loved that it was dual-narration and that we got both Ridley and Colt's voices! Really brought this story to life! 5 stars!

Catherine Cowles does it again!!

This book drew me in just as I had hoped it would. I really enjoyed how the mystery of the book took more of the main focus and the relationship seemed to be more secondary. I found as the mystery slowly unraveled it built up the suspense and allowed you to bond more with the characters through their own trauma and experiences.

Ridley was everything I hoped she would be. This book made me want to drop everything for vanlife and go solve crimes. I loved how she used her own pain to help support and heal others. Her determination and care with survivors and their family was perfect. The way she made friends and her fierce love of the wonderful Princess Tater were perfect. Colt was her perfect balance. I adore a good grumpy/sunshine trope and these two brought it together beautifully. The enemies, to friend to lovers through line was perfect.

As always Catherine kept me guessing until the very last page! I loved how she brought it together and the epilogue was beautiful. This was another fanatastic romantic suspense and I absolutely cannot wait to see what comes next from Catherine's amazing mind.

Loved the dark and suspenseful set-up and Ridley’s backstory. A podcaster that travels the country with an eventual aim to solve her own twin’s murder/disappearance. Fantastic.

I also liked Colt and his motivations, how they slot into Ridley’s story despite never having met. They really fit each other so well, professionally and romantically. It’s great overall character establishment.

What let it down though was all the details and especially Ridley’s actions. Ridley constantly saying “I know what I can handle. I’m prepared.” And then taking absolutely no safety precautions at all. And then pouting, “How come you get to do it but not me? Not fair!” And Colt rightfully saying “I’m a trained officer… you’re not.” I’m paraphrasing, but it was an incredible letdown and turned what could have been a strong woman character into a weak cliche.

I also had some issues with the end but they’re all spoilers so I’ll just leave it at that. Overall, it was barely okay but the promise of it was so much more.

CATHERINE DOES IT AGAIN!!! WOW the suspense had me on the edge of my seat! I can never guess who the bad guy is! The romance was so swoony too! Thank you so much netgalley for the ARC!

✨||"'𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥. 𝐀 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.' 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝. '𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲, 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬.'"||✨

[5 Stars🤩] All the Missing Pieces was an incredible book, and I couldn't get enough of Colt and Ridley's story! The dynamic between Colt and Ridley took me back to Hayes and Everly from Tattered Stars (an all-time favorite), and I loved every minute of this journey! Here are just a couple of things that I loved, but you should know that this book was literal perfection and there were no missing pieces for me 😜:

Mystery heavy, romance light.
I enjoyed the case and the mystery being the focal point in All the Missing Pieces, letting the romance simmer in the background until it had its moment. It felt like a throwback to Catherine Cowles's earlier series! I'm convinced no one can craft a story like Catherine Cowles because the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat until I had all the answers!

Ridley.
I LOVED Ridley's persistent yet empathetic pursuit of the truth. She was a fierce FMC who knew herself and wasn't afraid to draw boundaries (I'm looking at you, Colt...) and stand up for what she felt was right while at the same time respecting the town and it's people's stories. She *might* be my favorite Catherine Cowles FMC!

Colt.
Hayes 2.0 and I ate it up.

Tater.
I want Tater to stare at me disapprovingly and then give me a tooth hug. Catherine Cowles writes THE BEST furry sidekicks and I loved Tater and Bowser so much.

All the Missing Pieces was another stunning and entertaining book by Catherine Cowles that I couldn't put down and walk away from, but now I'm over here hoping and praying that we'll get an announcement for another book set in Shady Cove because I want to know how Emerson and Trey's story ends too! She's definitely my favorite author for a reason, and I loved reading yet another masterpiece.

+Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Catherine Cowles and her team for the ARC of All the Missing Pieces! All thoughts in this review are my own.
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Details:
💘Contemporary romance
🫣Romantic suspense
🚨First responder romance
>>>👮Police romance
🏡Small town romance
👀Dual, first-person POV
🌹No third act breakup (but a little drama)
🙌Would re-read
🌟2024 Favorite

Characters and tropes:
🌪️Broody MMC
⚔️Enemies-to-lovers
>>>🥊Dislike-to-love
📍Forced proximity
>>>🗝️Under one roof
🧲Opposites attract
>>>🌤️Grumpy/sunshine
🤐Secrets

Spice:
🧨Slow burn
🔥Explicit content (hot)
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Emoji Ranking System:
🤩Excellent to Fantastic (4.75-5.00)
😍Very Good to Great (4.25-4.50)
😊Good to Really Good (3.50-4.00)
😒Just OK to Decent (2.75-3.25)
😑It's A No (1.00-2.50)
🚫DNF

“I want to make sure they all get a voice. All the ones who lost theirs.”

Catherine Cowles is only capable of writing and creating pure gold.

Seriously. When I think it can’t get better, she starts a completely new series that blows me out of the water. And every single time, I am never able to figure out the bad guy! HOW DOES SHE DO IT‽?‽

Ridley Sawyer is the kind of person I wish I could be. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t wish to experience her past and her traumas, but she knows who she is and isn’t afraid to chase after it. She is proud, sure of herself, and knows that what she does is meant to help others—no matter how much pain it might cause her in the process.

As the story—and the true crime component—unfolded, I fell for both Ridley and Colt, their baggage, and what drives them. I loved watching them try to uncover the truth while simultaneously becoming closer and closer to one another.

And while I love every character Catherine introduced us to, in her truest nature, she also made me question nearly every single one of them.

“You helped me find all the missing pieces.”

I loved every moment, every page, every sentence of this story. It’s a masterpiece and I will be thinking about for a long time to come.

If you haven’t read a Catherine Cowles book yet, you’re missing out. And this is a phenomenal place to start. In all honesty, I blew through this book and then beat myself up for letting it end so quickly.

Tropes:
- Enemies to lovers
- Nicknames
- Romantic suspense
- Only you
- Touch her and die vibes
- True crime
- Podcaster x Police Sheriff
- Mental illness rep

3.25 ⭐️

This book follows Ridley, a true crime podcaster, as she travels across the country helping families find peace through solving cold cases. All with the motive to finally solve the cold case of her own twin who was murdered in college. When Ridley lands in the small town of Shady Cove, not everyone is as welcoming, including the sheriff, whose sister is the case she’s working on. As she gets closer and closer to solving the case that she believes is tied to her own sister’s case, threats against her life become more abundant.

While I understand this is a romantic suspense and have read many Catherine Cowles books, the intense INSTA feelings between Ridley and Colt felt super rushed. And, I’m just not a fan of a friends/enemies with benefits situation, which is how their relationship starts. It just made their relationship lack the depth that was trying to be portrayed.

What did I love? I loved that Ridley was a strong, independent, pull no punches kind of FMC, but at the same time tender to families and victims she interviews. I loved the protectiveness of the MMC, Colt. He was protective of his town, his sister, but most importantly his sister’s case that he’s worried Ridley is working on. The protectiveness at the same time becomes a flaw the character must work through. Working through it, you see the real man underneath and understand him more. And what I loved the most, as with most Catherine Cowles books is that everyone you come into contact with is a suspect, but I didn’t even remotely guess who the killer was.

I’ll definitely continue to read Catherine’s books, but this one just wasn’t my favorite. I love depth of story many of her books offer, but I think maybe it’s because this was a standalone and not a series.

Thank you NetGalley, SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and Catherine Cowles for allowing me to read an advanced complimentary copy of All the Missing Pieces. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Catherine Cowles does it again!! I was so drawn in as soon as the prologue finished, even with the tears crowding my eye sight. Is it even a Catherine Cowles book if you trust no one and tear up in the slightest.

Law Man and & Chaos are probably one of my top Catherine Cowles couples. The tension was TENSIONING between the two. When they finally gave in it was HOT HOT HOT!

I loved the dynamic of them working together to figure out who was behind the serial killing that Ridley had tracked to this small town where it first started. AND I AUDIBLY GASPED WHEN I FOUND OUT WHO IT WAS! Again, I suck at guessing and will never guess correctly 🤣

Catherine Cowles is the ELITE romantic suspense author and this was no different! She had been teasing us with this for so long I was getting antsy and it definitely lived up to the hype! She’s also excellent at the small town law enforcement male character!

What a fun and unique female character as a true crime podcaster as well. I enjoyed this story very much and of course did not guess the twist as usual! Cannot wait for more from CC!