RECKLESS REFUGE (The Wrecked Series Book #4) by CATHERINE COWLES

“I’ve always said that my art is a glance into the darkness. I think you have to face it. In others. In yourself. It’s when you push it down, ignore it, that it swallows you whole.”

Catherine Cowles is without question one of our most loved Authors now, and we cannot wait to dive in when one of her books lands on our kindles. Reckless Refuge is the next standalone installment in the Wrecked series, a small-town drama-filled romance series that has stolen our hearts completely. Flawlessly written with perfection in the imperfect characters; their beauty, strength, and hope shine through the pages in an otherwise dark, highly emotional, and angsty story. We felt incredibly protective of Shay and cheered her on as she bravely lived in fear yet faced it head-on when forced to. It was such an emotional journey. A journey fate didn’t want her to live alone once the equally haunted, Brody joins her in her safe haven escaping his very own demons and tragedy. Goodness, how we loved these characters!

‘I lost myself in his kiss the same way I disappeared into my music – instantly and all-consumed.’
“I’m a mess, Brody.”
“Everything halfway interesting is.”

What we absolutely love about Catherine Cowles is the -on point- balance of character development, depth of story, and background; she lets us experience all the pivotal moments rather than just telling us about them. She involves us -as readers- making us feel a part of it, thus inviting us to feel everything her characters do. And did we ever! The setting of Harbor Island in Reckless Romance is so remote and almost isolated ensuring that we felt like we too were in hiding, alongside Shay, our vulnerable yet brave heroine. Sometimes silence can be deafening, but other times it can be a comfort blanket protecting us, giving us strength. Especially when having had an extremely traumatic event shatter life as you know it, hovering like a dark turbulent storm waiting to strike once more. Reckless Refuge was intense. It was beautiful, suspenseful, and thrilling, it was highly evocative with strong characters who inspired each other through friendship and love. Two extremely creative and artistic souls recognised each other which meant safety, happiness, and love replaced fear, guilt, and regret.

‘My soul had called out for his the first moment I’d seen his paintings. The threads that tethered us to each other weren’t anything I could sever, even if I’d wanted to.’