FRACTURED SKY (Tattered & Torn Series #5) by CATHERINE COWLES

“You and me. I think I could do anything when you’re with me.”

We’ve loved every book in the Tattered & Torn series, especially as each book brought us closer to Shiloh’s story. This is a story we’ve been desperate to read since our first meeting in book one. This young lady has been such a sad and lonely ghost of a figure throughout each book, breaking our hearts with her pain and solitude.

“I could never regret you. Even when it hurts, I want to feel that pain because you make me remember that I’m alive.”

We adored the way Catherine Cowles brought us full circle in Fractured Sky, which was our favourite book in the series. Characters don’t come much better than Ramsay Bishop and Shiloh Easton. What beautifully complex characters they were. Shiloh and Ramsay held our hearts captive from start to finish.

“When you see the darkness, it makes you appreciate the light.”

A shocking event as a child left Shiloh Easton withdrawn and untrusting and feeling disconnected from her family and the residents of her small town, Wolf Gap. Shiloh has grown up being protected by her family to the point of suffocation. She needs to spread her wings to gain confidence. Shiloh longs to be free to enjoy life and live normally, without the shroud of fear and memories that forever cloud her thoughts.

Shiloh’s fight or flight reactions invariably saw her run – and it was to the outskirts of Ramsay’s ranch where Shiloh would find solace. For a long time, she kept her distance, feeling drawn to the mysterious Ramsay and his ranch rehabilitating abused horses. Shiloh felt an affinity with Ramsay. They each saw something familiar. The same pain, the same need for seclusion.

“I’d give you the world if it was within my power.”
“All I need is you.”

We loved the whole Easton clan, Aiden, and Elliot and of course Ramsay’s dog Kai and the horses. The way the author melded the personal traumas of Shiloh and Ramsay with the rehabilitation of the horses was delivered beautifully, as humans and horses learned about the power of love and kindness.

“I’ve been scared to want this.”
“You and me both.”

Catherine Cowles delivered a touching story befitting of Shiloh and Ramsay. A small town, slow burn, age gap romance, peppered with suspense, and brimming with love and emotion. This is a story of healing and trust. A story about finding that person who allows you to thrive and become your best self. What a book! What a series!