Reckless Refuge by Catherine Cowles

Narrated by Ava Erickson and Sebastian York

Romantic Suspense. Fourth in a Series but Stands Alone Perfectly.

WOW. Reckless Refuge by Catherine Cowles Blew. Me. Away. Seriously, I could not stop listening to this one! In a time where I am so easily distracted that I can’t read an actual book and press the back 30-sec button every few minutes when I listen, I had no such problem with Reckless Refuge. I was GLUED to it non-stop.

The Wrecked Series by Catherine Cowles has become a top favorite, and not only because it has the nicest covers on my shelf. Reckless Refuge is my favorite of the series though, and that’s saying a lot. It stands alone beautifully, but if you have read the others in the series, you will love all the cameos, if you haven’t, while I HIGHLY recommend them, you won’t be lost at all if you start here.

“Something told me that if I let myself fall, Brody James could make me feel more alive than I ever had before.”

Shay is the young caretaker of a private Island near Anchor Island off the coast of Washington. The island has a home and guest house (where she lives) and the owners used it as a vacation property, so Shay was mostly there alone, hiding from her dangerous past. When the island is sold to a new owner, Shay knows her life will change. But she doesn’t expect the new owner to be a hot-guy famous artist looking to get away from his ugly situation as well.

“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.”

Though the attraction is instant, the romance is slow-burn. Shay really has no experience because she has been hiding on the island for her adult life.

I don’t want to give away anything, but there are so many twists and turns, and the storyline is so unique that Reckless Refuge was completely unputdownable. Even if you figure out whodunnit, you’ll likely be wrong, but if you’re not, it doesn’t matter, it’s a great ride.

“Not one thing about you is ugly. The only thing those scars prove is that you can walk through fire and survive. I can’t think of anything more beautiful than that.”

Reckless Refuge is a bit darker and more suspenseful than the rest of the series, and though I normally don’t read dark, this book has me rethinking that and looking for more suspense to read. I normally list my likes and dislikes, but there was nothing to dislike, and I loved it all. Though I finished this in 2022, Reckless Refuge will go on my best of 2021 list for sure, as is Wrecked Palace.

The Narration:

Ava Erickson and Sebastian York were PERFECT casting for this romantic suspense, and they really brought the characters to life. This is a case where listening may have been even better than reading it!

The Down and Dirty:

Catherine Cowles is quickly becoming one of my top must-read authors. Every time I read one of these books I wonder why I waited so long, so I am grabbing Hunter’s book now, and I’m really hoping for Parker’s! Reckless Refuge (in fact this whole series) is a MUST READ for any romance or suspense fan. Meanwhile, Catherine has a new series starting February 1, 2022, Tattered Stars, and believe me, I’m there for it.