This book is everything you want in a romantic suspense—a perfect blend of sizzling chemistry, edge-of-your-seat danger, and deeply layered characters who capture your heart from page one.

Ridley and Colt (a.k.a. Chaos and Law Man) are the ultimate opposites-attract duo, and their banter is absolute gold. Ridley’s fiery determination and Colt’s steady, broody charm create sparks that fly off the page. Their hilarious back-and-forth had me laughing out loud, while their unexpected teamwork and growing trust left me swooning.

Ridley’s journey as a true crime podcaster with a tragic past is equal parts gripping and heart-wrenching. Her resilience and drive to uncover the truth are inspiring, and it’s impossible not to root for her. And Colt—oh, Colt. The ultimate protector with a heart of gold hidden behind his gruff exterior. Watching him slowly open up to Ridley, even as his protective instincts kicked into high gear, was pure magic.

Emerson, the sweet and endearing sister, added so much heart to the story, and Trey’s quiet, watchful presence as her guardian warmed my soul. The way Cowles weaves these relationships into the narrative makes you feel like you’re part of their world—invested in their lives and cheering them on every step of the way.

The suspense in this book is top-notch, with twists and turns that kept me glued to the pages long into the night. As Ridley and Colt worked together to solve the case, their teamwork proved just as compelling as their romance.

The small-town setting and cast of secondary characters added depth and charm, while the danger lurking in the shadows kept the stakes high.

All the Missing Pieces is a story of healing, hope, and finding the missing pieces of yourself in the most unexpected places. Catherine Cowles delivers a perfect mix of humor, heart, and nail-biting suspense. If you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh, cry, and swoon, this one is not to be missed. Highly, highly recommend.

"Sleep Chaos, No one’s going to hurt you here."

😍Omg Ridley and Colt are just so adorable! I love the banter and the enemies to lovers vibes! @catherinecowlesauthor is an automatic must-buy author for me! Her characters are just always so well thought out. I love that Colt was a grumpy lawnman and Ridley is trying her best to see the sunshine after what she’s been through. I adored that Ridley wouldn’t let Colt push her around but at the same time she held such compassion for him.

As always I did not see the bad guy coming AT ALL. This is something that the author does so well. I’m usually pretty good at spotting them but Catherine keeps me on my toes!

<b>3.5 Stars</b>

While I enjoyed All the Missing Pieces, I wasn't floored by it. This one very much has the typical Catherine feel to it, so if you love her stories you'll like/love/enjoy this one. AMP follows the same formula as all her other books.

What irked me was the irritating and repetitive nicknames, but that seems to be an issue in a lot of books lately, especially Catherine's. However, these ones made me feel like Cowles just got done reading some KA (Kristen Ashley), with him calling her Chaos (around 55 times) and her calling him Lawman (around 32 times). If you know you know. I struggled to get passed it and sink into the story.

I didn't mind the characters. I didn't fall head over heels for them but I didn't dislike them either. They were just there. The insta love didn't do it for me, in this one. I didn't really feel much chemistry, like I have with other Cowles character. If I'm being honest, I actually forgot about them. A few weeks after I finished this book a friend started reading it and she had to remind me about the plot and who the characters were. Nothing really stood out to me. Well except those ridiculous nicknames, once she reminded me about the plot. This actually makes me sad, because I'm a huge huge huge Catherine fan. Some of my most favorite characters are from her.

The suspense aspect was just alright. I'll admit I didn't know who the bad guy was. But with that said, the suspense is pretty much copy/paste from Catherine's other books. Just changed names and places. if you read one suspense scene you've read them all. Not saying that's bad, just that you already know what to expect as you reach the end.

This isn't one I would tell someone not to read, but at the same time, it also isn't one I would highly recommend to others. Or tell someone to start with if they'd never read Catherine Cowles.

I loved this book. I will recommend it to anyone who asks for one. First thing first, I want to state that Catherine chose the best names for the MC’s! Ridley is a true crime podcaster who is trying to not only solve her twin sisters case but also travels the country trying to help others with their cases as well. She ends up in the town of Shady Cove where she is trying to help solve the case of Emerson Sinclair, a girl who was abducted at 16 from her high school Tennis practice but had escaped. She runs into a wall when the sexy Sheriff Colter Brooks tries to stop her from bringing up the past but he doesn’t know that his past and hers are more connected that they both find out. This book has a slow burn, crazy animals, the suspense of a good time. It’s definitely worth the read!

I loved this book!!! Ridley is a fantastic FMC. I felt for her right away with her determination to get answers about her sister, and other cases that she uses her podcast, Sounds Like Serial, to get answers. When she ends up in Colt’s town, wanting to talk to a kidnapping victim, Colt is ready to thwart her at every turn. Soon she becomes a victim, and then everything changes.

Colt and Ridley bond a lot quicker than I expected, but I definitely can’t complain about that.

I love romantic suspense, and this book is the perfect mix of the two. I wanted to know if there really was a serial killer on the loose, and if it was connected to Ridley’s sister. I devoured this one in barely more than a day because I needed to know the answers.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for my ARC of this book.

Catherine Cowles NEVER misses! This book was SO GOOD!!! Her writing is impeccable and I never get tired of it. I love the romance but also the mystery in every book and knowing that it would be a part of this book, I thought I had the right guess of who it was but I didn’t! So so so good!

🎙️ True crime podcaster
🚔 Small Town sheriff
🎙️ Romantic suspense
🚔 Enemies to lovers
🎙️ Forced Proximity
🚔 "Who did this to you?"
🎙️ Three legged cat
🚔 Meddling town

No one does romantic suspense like Catherine!!! And this one with the true crime aspect I was sucked into the story the entire time.

Ridley hosts her own true crime podcast and is headed in her *van* to a super small town where she thinks she can link a cold case to others. Colt, the local sheriff, and her have a NOT so cute meet cute and get started on the wrong foot. They instantly can't stand each other but find out quickly they will be working together on this 10 year old cold case.

Once again I was completely lost as to where this suspenseful ride was going and didn't guess a thing.
Colt was the grumpy and bloody sheriff and Ridley was so quirky and fun!

Thank you to Catherine, @dreamscape_media, @netgalley and @sourcebookscasa for this ALC & ARC

4.5 stars

this may be my favorite catherine cowles book!! i was so intrigued in the plot and finding out who the culprit was!! this book follows a woman who has a podcast regarding serial killers and she ends up in shady cove. i don’t want to give too much away, but this book was so good!! everyone who reads a catherine cowles book knows she hides the bad guy real good & she has duped me once again!! loved this and the characters! excited to see if there will be another book following emerson’s story!! thank you netgalley, sourcebooks, & catherine for the arc!!

All the Missing Pieces is the first book in the Shady Cove series. This book is about Colter and Ridley and is told from both of their points of view.

Ridley is trying to solve a mystery for her podcast, and to get answers for what happened to her sister. She shows up to a new town on leads, and Colt (the town Sheriff) doesn't greet her on the best terms.

The more Colt gets to know Ridley he realizes she may know more than he originally thought, and he starts to see her in another light. There were some twists and turns I didn't see coming. I loved all of the characters in this book, and I had to keep going to see what happened next.

I can't wait to see what happens next in this series!

This was a fantastic book, with all the suspense and pacing that I've come to expect from a Catherine Cowles book. Loved the characters, the banter and the spice. Please see my full review on @mimigunnbooks or on Goodreads Mimi Gunn

I love the worlds that Cat Cowles creates! This book in particular checks a lot of boxes- crime podcast, romance, thriller, small town. Such an amazing combination! This is a standalone so if this is where you start with Cat’s work, it’s a perfect place.

Catherine will always be my grab for romantic suspense. She keeps me guessing. Just when I think I have something figured out, she’’s like haha, guess again! I love how in this book though she was bringing in the suspense in the form of a true crime podcaster, just a classic set up for the storyline to thrive off of.
Ridley and Colt are the perfect characters and everything you want in a grumpy x sunshine romance. The town and setting gives you goosebumps and times, and you are left on the edge of your seat thought reveal parts of the story.
As always, Catherine introduce side characters we can not WAIT to know more about, because she hooks us and never lets us go.

♾️ ☆

By far, this is Catherine's best writing to date (imo) ✨

Tropes :
True Crime podcasts
Romantic suspense
Grumpy / sunshine
Forced Proximity

"Haven't you figured it out yet, Chaos? You've had me breaking all the rules from the day I met you."

I started reading Catherine’s suspenseful romances about 4 years ago, and I remember loving the suspense aspect of her stories. We used to chat about her love for true crime podcasts, so when I started All the Missing Pieces, it felt like it was a story Catherine was made to write. This one was a bit heavier on the suspenseful romance than her usual stories and yet I think it’s her best book yet. There was truly a perfect balance of the two. Colt & Ridley had a very natural connection, their banter was so effortless. You could tell under colt’s pestering there was an underlying affection and protectiveness for Ridley. I’m not one who likes a lot of suspense, I get really anxious lol but Catherine balances the romance and suspense perfectly. Overall I thought Catherine nailed, the plot, the banter, and the romance. I can’t wait for more books from Cathrine :) Every book she writes is a treat!

This is a captivating blend of romance, suspense, and heartfelt emotion. Ridley Sawyer, a determined true crime podcaster, arrives in Shady Cove seeking answers about her twin sister’s disappearance, only to clash with the broody sheriff, Colter Brooks. Their enemies-to-lovers dynamic evolves into a poignant connection as they uncover shocking truths. The small-town setting, charming secondary characters, and lovable pets like Tater the cat and Bowser the dog add depth to the story. Cowles masterfully keeps the suspense alive, delivering twists that kept me guessing until the very end. This standalone novel is a perfect mix of tension, romance, and healing. A thoroughly enjoyable read for fans of romantic suspense.

My one piece of advice.. do not start this before bedtime. You will not go to sleep. Luckily I started on NYE so I actually made it to 12am for the first time in about 7 years lol. Thank god I had the next day off so I could finish it.

In true Cowles fashion, this book is addicting like Diet Coke and lime. The romance, the mystery, the suspense, no one does it like her!

I absolutely fell in love with Ridley and Colt’s story.

The enemies-to-lovers and emotions run high in this one! I wouldn’t change a single thing about this book.

I’ve also given up on trying to guess who the suspect is because I never not once have gotten it right.. not even this one 😅

HIGHLY recommending this book to anyone who will listen 🥹

Another absolutely fantastic book by Catherine Cowles! I love how her books always start with an emotional and captivating prologue. And this one was no exception, I knew I was in for a good time by the first chapter.

After the disappearance of her twin sister, Ridley becomes a true crime podcaster determined to help victims solve cases. And, her newest case brings her to the town of Shady Cove to investigate a similar case. Ridley was so strong, and the way she was able to turn such tragedy into something special was admirable. She was determined to live life to the fullest for her sister and others who may never have the chance.

I am a huge true crime fan, so I was obsessed with the idea of a book with a true crime premise. And, I really thought the true crime aspect was done so well. It felt like I was immersed in a podcast uncovering the mystery of the case along with the hosts. I loved how everything unraveled piece by piece.

Ridley and Colt can’t seem to get on the same page at the start of the book, quickly becoming enemies of sorts. Ridley is determined to uncover the mystery of a serial killer and Colt is not happy with her getting involved where he feels she doesn’t belong.

The tension and chemistry between Ridley and Colt was off the charts from the start of the book. Their romance really blossomed as they allowed themselves to be vulnerable with each other about how their lives changed direction as a result of their circumstances and how they could take their pain and transform it into something positive. The romance and the suspense was weaved together perfectly.

I loved how Colt and Ridley were actually more similar than they wanted to acknowledge at first. They just wanted to help their families as best as they could, but they did it in different ways. And, these different approaches were crucial in their investigations, which made me look at everyone as a suspect. And, I was shocked by the final reveal.

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish, and I would love to see more from this world.

Wow....
Ridley and Colt are pure entertainment in the beginning. Their banter, the hostility, the want. I felt all the emotions in this one. I laughed out loud at their interactions. I cried when they dealt with their pasts. I was all around sad for them dealing with their pasts and their losses. But man so happy for how they found one another and worked through all those emotions. And once again, Catherine had me stumped until right before the reveal!! It is amazing how she can always keep us guessing!
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a complimentary copy

𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆.

First Catherine Cowles' book, and the way I’m hitting myself for not reading her sooner! This was utter perfection, and to those girlies who love mystery/true-crime & romance: this one is for you! 🕵️‍♀️💕

You have Ridley, a true-crime podcaster, who hits up a small town 🌾 to get into the nitty-gritty of a cold case that may be the missing piece to her true motive: finding out what happened to her twin sister the night she disappeared. What she least expected was meeting the Sheriff of the town, Colt Brooks, and, well, you know, FALL IN LOVEEEEEE 😍

𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒗𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕, 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔, 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑮𝒐𝒅𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒄.

This book is filled with trauma that Ridley experienced due to her sister’s disappearance, but it also shows how resilient she is with her past and how she fights with it every day. But let’s not forget Colt, he also has trauma from his own experiences. Aka we see both of them heal, and it’s so beautiful and raw

𝑯𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝑰 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏.

The banter, the tension, and let’s not forget the connection between these two really hooked me even more into the book besides the mystery elements that had me dying to know more DUH 🔎. I loved it so much!! The author really gave us the best of both worlds with this book!

“𝑳𝒂𝒘 𝑴𝒂𝒏…𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕?” 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒔 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒃𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒂𝒍𝒎. “𝑫𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒚, 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒐𝒔.” “𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒚,” 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅, 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈. “𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕.”

Does this book have spice? YES, IT DOES!!! So read accordingly 😉🔥

tropes
🌾 small town romance
🌾 mystery genre elements
🌾 fmc true crime podcaster x mmc town's sheriff
🌾 dislike to lovers
🌾 forced proximity-ish
🌾 no third act breakup
🌾 grumpy x sunshine

Thank you Netgalley and Catherine Cowles for an opportunity to review this book in exchange for an eARC!

OH MY GOD!!!!????? This was freaking fantastic. I haven’t cried like this reading a book in sooo long.

"It's a bad idea," I rasped. "We'd be playing with fire."
Those ocean eyes sparked. "Then let's watch it burn.”

If Catherine writes it, I’m going to read it or in this case, read it twice before it even releases. All the Missing Pieces was wonderfully written and had so much to love—quirky small-town residents, a three-legged cat, a true crime podcaster FMC, a broody and protective sheriff MMC, a sighting of our mysterious and friendly hacker Dex.

A hallmark of Catherine’s books are the twists—she is so skillful at writing them—and let me just say, she outdid herself in this book. All the Missing Pieces had one of the most sinister and twistiest of twists; it had me absolutely me stunned. You truly must always suspect everyone in a Catherine Cowles book.

Pick up All the Missing Pieces if you love grumpy x sunshine dynamics with top notch banter, true crime podcasts, romantic suspense, and small towns with charm, secrets, and hilarious residents.

I hope this isn’t the last we’ll see of Shady Grove.