Hidden Waters by Catherine Cowles | Audiobook Review

Hidden Waters (Tattered and Torn Book 3) by Catherine Cowles

Narrated by Sebastian York and Ava Erickson

Romantic Suspense. Can stand alone but I recommend reading the first two first.

Catherine Cowles is one of the few authors I read without even looking at the blurb. Every single book is filled with suspense, romance, family, friendship, and lots of excitement. Hidden Waters is the third book in her Tattered and Torn Series. Though the romance stands alone, I think it’s pretty important to read the first two in the series to really get the background on this couple. Even I, who read the first two, wished there was a little more of a recap at the beginning to remind me of all the players.

That being said, this was still another phenomenal audiobook from Catherine Cowles. We have met Addie in the first two books in the series. She was raised in a community that was very cult-like, and they don’t deal with outsiders. Women are there to cook, breed, keep house, and be a punching bag for their crazy husbands. Even taking a child to the doctor would get some of the women beaten.

As a result, Addie hasn’t experienced a regular life at all. Simple things, like having Chinese take-out are foreign to her. She fears men. And since she still lives in Wolf Gap where she runs into her father’s people, she is constantly living in fear that they will snatch her back. She has been living in Hayes’s empty home (from the first book) while she learns to navigate her new life away from the crazies.

Beckett is Hayes’ brother. He is coming back to his hometown after spending years traveling the world as a doctor, and he is harboring some major guilt over his sister being kidnapped when she was younger. He is building a house in Wolf Gap but needs a place to stay while it’s being built. Hayes has this big house, and only Addie is using it, so the two become roommates, despite Addie’s fear of men.

“I wanted to trust in that kindness. To believe that it was just who Beckett was. But I wasn’t programmed that way. Years of living under my father’s thumb had me second-guessing every person’s motives.”

This is a slow-burn romance that took a bit of a backseat to Addie’s growth and the suspense, but that was OK with me, I felt like it moved perfectly for this couple.

“Beauty in the strength that carried you through. Beauty in how you refused to be broken. Beauty that you never let yourself become cruel like him. Addie, there isn’t a thing about you that isn’t beautiful.”

Likes:

• Kept me glued to my phone, listening every minute I could.
• Visiting with the previous characters.
• Addie’s growth.
• Very emotional, but never too much.
• Beckett’s doctor practice and his booth.
• Catherine’s beautiful covers always deserve a mention.

Dislikes:

• Beckett has been around the whole world and Addie has lived a completely sheltered life. I would have liked to see Addie get some more worldly experiences or even a few dates.
• I wouldn’t have minded a few subtle reminders of the character’s back stories in the beginning. My memory isn’t what it used to be!

The Narration:

Sebastian York and Ava Erickson were the perfect duo for Beckett and Addie. As always, this duo only serves to enhance the story.

The Down & Dirty:

Rating: 4.5 Stars, 3.5 Heat, 5 Narration

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