Broken Harbor by Catherine Cowles | Audiobook Review • Ana's Attic Book Blog

Broken Harbor (Sparrow Falls 3) by Catherine Cowles

Narrated by Erin Mallon & Connor Crais

Romantic Suspense. Standalone within a series of related standalones.

My thanks to Catherine Cowles and her team for providing an advance copy for review purposes. Ana’s Attic accepts no compensation for reviews, and all reviews contain my honest opinion, regardless of any relationship with the author. This post contains affiliate links, meaning I’ll receive a small commission should you purchase using those links.

I’m torn. Half of me wants to pack up and move to Sparrow Falls, while the other half knows that trouble always seems to find this quaint little town! Catherine Cowles has done it again, delivering another unputdownable, heartwarming, and thrilling small-town romance. As a fan of single-parent stories—and knowing Catherine writes the best kids—I had high expectations for Broken Harbor. Of course, Catherine didn’t just meet them; she crushed them.

We already know Cope from the earlier books in the Sparrow Falls Series. He’s part of the beloved Colson family, though his life as a pro hockey player keeps him in Seattle most of the time. This summer, however, Cope returns to Sparrow Falls to coach a kids’ hockey camp—a decision that sets the stage for this beautifully crafted love story.

Sutton is a single mom doing her best to rebuild her life. After her ex got involved with drugs and dangerous people, she took her son, Luca, and ran. Now, she’s living her dream of owning a bakery in Sparrow Falls, though making ends meet has been a constant struggle. Luca is obsessed with hockey, particularly his idol, The Reaper (aka Cope). Despite her financial worries, Sutton scrounges up enough money to send Luca to hockey camp, where fate and a meet-cute inevitably brings her and Cope together. Their first meeting was electric—the chemistry practically leapt off the page.

“She was the kind of stunning men fought wars over.”

When circumstances force Sutton and Luca to seek temporary housing, Cope opens the doors to his sprawling home. For Luca, it’s a wonderland—and for Sutton, it’s a chance to catch her breath after a life of hardship. Both Sutton and Cope carry their share of emotional scars, but their connection becomes a source of healing, laughter, and hope. Catherine strikes the perfect balance, layering moments of humor between the deeply emotional scenes. I found myself laughing, crying, and swooning—all in the same chapter.

“You gave us a safe place to land. A harbor in the storm.”

Likes:

Catherine’s signature prologue hooked me immediately and didn’t let go.
Revisiting the Colson clan and their found-family dynamic.
Lolli, the dirty-minded stoner grandma, is one of my favorite book characters ever.
The emotional depth of the story had me laughing, crying, and swooning throughout.
The Colsons always step up for one another, no matter the stakes.
Both Cope and Sutton were written with emotional depth, and their healing journeys were beautifully intertwined.
The sex was a little dirty, adding an extra layer of steam.
Luca was utterly adorable and brought so much heart to the story.
A little crossover moment from another Catherine Cowles series if I’m not mistaken.
Luca’s nickname.
The epilogue was perfect—more than what I hoped for to close out this chapter in the series.
The twist kept me guessing. I technically figured it out, but I also figured out five other possible outcomes!

Dislikes:

The “warrior” nickname didn’t feel natural and came across as overused, even though I love nicknames.
Descriptions of characters’ hearts, stomachs, and guts doing all kinds of crazy things. They drop, sink, churn, boil, flip, jump, twist, lurch, jerk, squeeze and more. While this is part of Catherine’s writing style, it has been feeling more repetitive in her last few books.
Because this is also a sports romance, I thought it would feel a little different than her other books, but most of the story takes place during the off-season, so it felt closer to her other small-town stories—not bad, just different from what I was expecting.
It didn’t have quite the same suspenseful edge as her previous books, which I missed.

The Narration:

The narration by Connor Crais and Erin Mallon was phenomenal. They brought these characters to life in a way that felt authentic and deeply emotional. I couldn’t imagine better narrators for this story, and I highly recommend experiencing Broken Harbor in audio format.

The Down & Dirty:

Broken Harbor is everything I love about Catherine Cowles’ books—a compelling blend of heartfelt romance, emotional depth, and characters you want to root for. From laughter to tears, fear to love, this book truly has it all. Her ability to write lovable kids gives her stories an extra layer of warmth, and Luca is no exception.

While this book stands alone beautifully, I promise you’ll want to go back and read the first two books in the Sparrow Falls series. So why not just start at the beginning? You won’t regret it. With three more books in the series to come, I’m already counting down the days until the next visit to Sparrow Falls.