Fragile Sanctuary by: Catherine Cowles

Fragile Sanctuary (Sparrow Falls #1)
Author: Catherine Cowles
Published: May 2024
Publisher: Catherine Cowles
Format: ARC e-Book/Paperback
Pages: 366
Rating: 5/5
Summary:

The scowl should’ve been my first clue to stay far away from Anson Hunt. The sexy smirk and the fact that he’s my brother’s best friend? Reasons two and three. Not to mention, he’s the new contractor working on my house.

He’s everything I’m not: grumpy, rude, and more than a little attached to his solitude. It doesn’t matter how many times I try to kill him with kindness; the man simply won’t crack.

Until he sees me shatter.

Because when my world comes crashing down around me, Anson is the one catching me as I fall. And as so-called accidents start plaguing every part of my life, it’s Anson who steps in to keep me safe.

As he does, I can’t help but feel a flicker of heat. And it only takes a single moment for that spark to ignite into flames, engulfing us both.

But Anson’s a man with secrets, and they have a price. When they’re revealed, neither of us will make it out unscathed…

Review:

First, I'd like to thank Catherine Cowles and her team for sending me an ARC in exchange for a review!! Seriously the brain on this woman is next level, and I've said it before and I'll say it again. I will eat up every piece of work Every. Single. Time! I definitely need to get my ass in gear and go back to her backlist from when I dropped the ball ARC reviewing all those years ago!

Right from the beginning you're diving into some pretty heavy things for Rhodes at such a young age and you see that pain and grief linger with her for so many years. The same goes for Anson as well. Personally I could connect to a degree with loss and grief and how it can come in many forms that sometimes isn't as easy to move on from. 

Catherine has a way to seriously HOOK you into each story, and make you feel like you're a detective in this journey trying to find out who is trying to cause harm to these characters. This time, my spidey senses were not aligned and I gotta say I was definitely shocked with the outcome, but it played out so so well!

Throughout the book you really dive into both Rhodes and Anson's growth to not necessarily move on, but at least heal from the past which was honestly amazing! Weaving in suspense throughout the book, you know I'm a fan of this time and time again! It kept me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages as fast as I could read, not only wondering who was the culprit but also what was going to come about in the story.

There were so many moments I was highlighting to the max, but let me give you just a few:

"Sometimes, the only way to stay alive and breathing is to pretend it never happened. Over time, you can let it in, piece by piece, but if you do it all at once, you could drown in the grief."

"You didn't sneak past my defenses, you bulldozed them. Reckless to the bone. And maybe you made me brave enough to be reckless too."

"You gave me air when I thought I'd never breathe again. You gave me color when my world had gone black. You see every part of me."

I also need to take a hot second to talk not only about the amazing found family Rhodes has, but also the friends and of course Biscuit. That dog has all this love and protection, he seriously deserves to be with Rhodes as soon as she received him. I knew there was no way she would give him up! The way every single family member was there, even when they all have their own grief and issues swallowing them up, they still are showing up for one another. It's heartbreaking to see them all in pain, but I'm sure Catherine will be finding ways to give them all their HEA and heal. And Lottie? This woman is absolutely hilarious and the amount of times I found myself laughing at her antics was awesome! Penis Flower... IYKYK!

Now Anson. This man may be salty, grumpy, use very little words, but his protectiveness and possessiveness for Rhodes is unmatched. Right from the beginning you could tell he was feeling all the things he's tried so long to avoid, but with someone as blooming and beautiful as Rhodes, only time would tell before things finally heated up between them and boy did we get some spice!

Overall, I was hooked from the start, devouring this book as if I didn't have to wait until August for book 2, and of course trying to solve the puzzles like I knew I'd actually be right. Catherine once again has shown why she's the Queen of Suspense Romance, and I just loved this brand new series already! I so can't wait for the next book!

That's all for my review, I hope you enjoyed it and seriously go one-click your copy today!

So until the next time, keep reading!

Your Graduated Bookworm!! :)