Wrecked Palace by Catherine Cowles | Audiobook Review • Ana's Attic Book Blog

Wrecked Palace (The Wrecked Series Book 3) by Catherine Cowles

Narrated by Ava Erickson and Joe Arden

Emotional Romance. Third in a series but can stand alone.

The Wrecked Series by Catherine Cowles just keeps getting better! I listened to Wrecked Palace last spring and because I was on hiatus, never reviewed it, but I absolutely loved it. So before writing this review I listened again and loved it just as much. You don’t have to read the previous books in the series, but we do meet the characters in earlier books, so it would be a richer experience to read this fantastic series in order. The first book, Reckless Memories, is currently FREE (see my review), then comes Perfect Wreckage. (The first three audiobooks can be purchased with one credit as a bundle! )

“Her touch, her words, they seeped into my bones. The warmth of them was so hot it burned. And I never wanted to forget the feeling.”

Caelyn O’Connor was in college when she got the call that her druggie parents were missing and her younger siblings were home alone and in danger. Without hesitation, she left college to become their guardian. Six years later, she is barely making ends meet while she works at the sandwich counter of the General Store on Anchor Island.

Griffin is the tortured hero. He is a loner who lost his entire family when he was younger and was betrayed by people he trusted. He became major gossip fodder, which drove him even more into his grumpy self. The only time he leaves the family estate he is fixing up on Anchor Island is to go get a sandwich at the general store.

“They either stare and whisper, morbidly curious about him and his family, or they try and get something out of him.”

Griffin and Caelyn grow a slow friendship and build up trust with each other. He develops a friendship with her “kids” (the 3 younger siblings she cares for, who almost steal the story), and I have to say, my heart was just bleeding out. I LOVED these kids. I loved seeing their relationship with Griffin develop along with Caelyn’s.

There was some suspense in this story, and it was just the perfect amount to keep me listening through the night. I loved both characters, but the family dynamic is what really stood out to me. I love books with kids, and these kids totally stole my heart.

“Everything I see in you challenges me to do better, to be better. To not run away from life because I was hurt in the past. I want this with you. I don’t know for sure where it will lead but I want to find out.”

Likes:

The kids were incredible
Brought ALL THE FEELS.
The suspense.
The slow burn.
I love the tortured recluse theme.
Both characters were amazing. Caelyn is selfless and so so strong, and Griffin is protective and basically perfect.
I loved the way the title tied into the book.
Visiting with previous characters.
These covers are all to die for.

Dislikes:

None!

The Narration:

Joe Arden and Ava Erickson were just perfect in these roles. Catherine couldn’t have picked better narrators for this story. Even the kids’ voices were flawless.

The Down & Dirty:

I loved everything about this book, BOTH times I listened. It was deeper and more emotional than I usually like to read, but there was enough fun, light, sweet moments that I never felt “wrecked” while reading. I absolutely fell in love with all the characters, especially the kids, and the suspense was just the cherry on top. If you haven’t started this series, you NEED to, it’s definitely an Ana’s Attic top choice.