She’s always been his safe place to land.Jensen has shared a special bond with Tuck for as long as she can remember, their friendship a language that never needed words. But as life threw her one curveball after another, that secret language turned to stony silence. He’s always been her protector.Tuck has looked out for Jensen since the day she was born. As his best friend’s little sister, he’s … friend’s little sister, he’s tried to keep her firmly in the friend category. But she’s always been more.
All it takes is one moment of weakness to send Tuck’s fiercely guarded walls crumbling to the ground. As a new fire burns between them, someone watches. Someone who doesn’t like the new life Jensen’s building for herself.
And they’ll stop at nothing to keep her in the dark.
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Absolutely loved this story and series so far. Highly recommend….great job.
Heels over head for Tuck and Jensen
I can’t even with these two. Like. Alllllll the heart eyes.
Cowles did it again and my heart is all in on this story.
I love a good brothers best friend romance and then adding in mystery and suspense makes for a mean punch to the feels.
This one will stay with me forever and a day.
A wonderful story! I was hooked from page one.
I have become a fan of this author through an ARC program, but since I missed this ARC, I had to buy this one and it was completely worth it! I have really enjoyed this series and love the world created by this author in Sutter Lake. That said you can read each as a stand-alone, but the other books give you more context on each couple.
This book takes characters that introduced in prior books and gives not only their own romance, but quite a bit of their backstory. They are both connected to Walker and the Cole family that is the background of the series. Jensen is his little sister and Tuck is his best friend, which sounds typical, but this author does a great job of establishing their existing relationship and how it grows from childhood friends to a deep understanding and love. Both have issues from their past that make them swear off of love, but this book allows them to grow together and understand that they may have found it with a close friend.
This was just beautiful with how Tuck and Little J have loved and cared for each other over all the years. To see both characters grow so much over the first couple books with people around them but also this whole book and their love for each other.
Loved Cowles’ writing, the added twists and turns, the settings, the side and lead characters, the build up for the next book, and the HEA.
Book 3 of this series. Just as good as the first two. Small town living. Romance. Suspense. I loved Jensen and Tuck’s story. The storyline was easily followed, and I just didn’t want to put the book down. Please read the first 2 books so you can have a better understanding of the roles of each character. You can learn so much about their backgrounds from reading the other 2. Dual point of view. No cliffhanger. All of these books have the element of “who done it” in them.
I received an ARC from Social Butterfly and Catherine Cowles for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I have been waiting patiently for this story since reading about these two in book one. Catherine Cowles has the power to make you cry, laugh, freak out and wish to everything that is holy, that the love of your life can love you the way Tuck has and forever will love Jensen.
Jensen has been a single mother for some time now and questions her choices of finding true love. She hasn’t had the best relationships in the past. However, Tuck has always been her rock and the one person she could go to when everything else was falling apart around her. Tuck has doubted himself after being brought up with a father who preferred any and other women along with an endless supply of booze. Tuck may take to bed a different girl every night, but it’s only because he has only had eyes for one, one that he knows he can never have.
Will Jensen and Tuck get their happily ever after or will their pasts hold them back from true happiness?
“Love is always a risk. There’s no way around it. He’ll hurt you. You’ll hurt him. One of you might lose the other. But it will also be so beautiful, the light of it so bright, it’ll outshine all of the dark.”
Jensen is my dream girl, she is strong and doesn’t take ish from anyone. I absolutely love her to pieces. She was written so well. I also completely understand the doubts Tuck has given the way he was brought up. His father was a horrible role model and I am so happy that he decided on his own path!
I have read book one and loved it. Book two I have it on my TBR and it’s still there…I know I shouldn’t have skipped, but I had to. I fell in love with these two in book one. I would say you don’t have to read the books in order, because I didn’t, but to get the best whole picture at least read book one. You will read where Tuck has feelings for Jensen and does things, that even Jensen’s brother doesn’t read into very well. Geez Bro! Might be a good thing actually.
I highly recommend this book and can’t tell you how much you would be missing out if you didn’t take the chance on this book.
Definitely my favorite of this series. I loved the connection between Tuck and Jensen. Their chemistry is sizzling hot and forbidden. I’ve been wanting their story and it doesn’t disappoint. Loved it!
Jensen and Tuck are a great pair and I really enjoyed their story. They have such a special bond that they have cultivated all their lives. What starts off as some explosive friends with benefits fun quickly turns into more for two people afraid of relationships. Just like with the another two books in the series the audio book was on point.
I give Beautifully Broken Spirit 5 stars. This is a Brothers Best Friend, Friends to Lovers, Small town romance with suspense. It can be read as a standalone but this whole series is amazing and you will want to read them all!!
Jensen has not had the easiest of lives, but she is strong and smart and a great person. Her best friend Tucker Harris, who is also her brother Walker’s best friend as well, is worried about her. He is very protective over Jensen.
I Love love love this book!!! I love the way in the beginning the authors words just paint this beautiful and vivid picture of the wild mustangs. I love all of the characters and the small town setting! I have grown to love Sutter Lake through this amazing series! I love the fun and playfulness between Jensen and Tuck, and how much chemistry they have. Throughout this journey it had me feeling many emotions, happy, sad, sorry for both Jensen and Tuck, but it also had me laughing and glued to the pages wondering what was coming next. Catherine is a master at weaving suspense in with her steamy romance. I am so glad I finally got to read Tuck and Jensen’s story. It was truly one of those books that had me staying up late eager to see what came next. I can not wait to visit Sutter lake again, and if you haven’t discovered it yet you are missing out and need this book!!
4.5 Stars
Jensen is a single mom, never regretting having her son. Tuck is her brother’s best friend who was always protective of her. The story is about Jensen’s passion for her horses, she would face up to anything for her horses. I really liked the relationship between Jensen and Tuck. Jensen is so fiercely independent. I really enjoyed this book, the characters are so well developed. My first book by Ms. Cowles and I look forward to reading more of her books.
There is something about the best friend’s little sister trope that I really enjoy reading.
Maybe its the history that is already there, or the unrequited love aspect or the strong protective feeling that has already been established, but I love it all. Catherine Cowles’ newest definitely has all that and so much more. I loved the special bond between Tucker and Jensen. They have both been there for each other but have never gone beyond what they have. Each had a rough time in their personal lives and they both were not looking for relationships, they just didn’t trust themselves or love at all. But when Jensen is placed in danger, Tucker’s intense protective instinct towards her overshadows his need to keep the status quo.
Tucker and Jensen’s journey to their happily ever after is definitely bumpy but to see them learn to let go of their past and find happiness was so very beautiful. The scenes between Tucker and little Noah, Jensen’s 9-year old son, melted my heart. And envisioning the wild mustangs and the peace they gave Jensen was just breathtaking.
I loved this book so much! Now I can not wait for the next book in this series.
This story was so wonderfully beautiful, I hardly feel like I have words! Jensen & Tuck’s relationship is such a perfect best friends to lovers tale. They have some struggles w/ the relationship, and the added “struggle” of Walker being a bit clueless, but everything is perfectly paced and marvelously played out.
There’s banter & drama & steamy time. There’s Noah – who is written so precociously he leaps off the page. And also made me want to re-watch The Karate Kid… ; ) There are moments where I laughed out loud & then the next page had me dropping my jaw at an unexpected emotional moment.
*happy sigh* This is one of my favorite series, and Spirit added something extra special to my overall enjoyment. Oh, and also – HORSES!!!! I’m not particularly a “horse person” but some authors write them so well that I can’t help but want to find my own horses to pet & admire! Top recommendation & definitely going on my re-read shelf!! : )
This is the first book I’ve read by Catherine Cowles and it certainty will not be the last. I know I’m supposed to read the other two books in the series first, but I just couldn’t help myself after I read the blurb. I absolutely had to read this story as soon as possible. I absolutely adored this story. I cannot wait to read the other books in this series.
Oh my goodness. I don’t know where to begin with Tuck. I absolutely love his character. I love his protectiveness of Jensen and his passion for his work. He cares so deeply for Jensen, but didn’t know what to do with those feelings. My heart hurt that he didn’t believe he was good enough for Jensen. He is the only one good enough for her. He knew her in a way no one else did. They connect on such a deep level. I’ve got some serious jealous vibes going on with this fictional couple! I love them so much! And that nickname Wilder! I love it so much. My husband needs to come up with a cute nickname like that for me. He needs to up his game lol
Oh, Jensen. I love her character just as much as I love Tuck’s. She is just so beautifully broken. She blamed herself for situations that were completely out of her control. She is just so strong. Jensen is an amazing mother who will do whatever is takes to protect her son and give him the best life. She is mom goals. I also love her fierce love for her family and her horses. Her love for her horses helps her heal and feel at peace. They help her rekindle her passion and love of life, along with a certain hottie. I just love Jensen’s character development in this story. She learns to fight for herself and what she wants. She gets her fire back in her soul and it was amazing to witness that journey.
“Love is always a risk. There’s no way around it. He’ll hurt you. You’ll hurt him. One of you might lose the other. But it will also be so beautiful, the light of it so bright, it’ll outshine all of the dark.”
This quote by Granda Irma is so perfect for Jensen and Tuck’s love. It’s so beautiful. Even though Tuck and Jensen have been through dark times and have been hurt by people who they thought loved them, the most beautiful love with outshine all of that. The love worth fighting for is worth all of the pain you may go through. That love is worth fighting for. And oh my goodness. Jensen and Tuck’s love is so worth that. I love these two characters so much. They are so beautifully broken and together they begin to heal one another. They connect on such a deep, spiritual level. They understand each other in a way that no one else does. It’s the kind of love that every person hopes to find in his or her lifetime. To find someone you can completely be yourself with and to feel completely free and at peace with. God, I didn’t want this story to end. At all. I could have read about Jensen and Tuck for days. They are relationship goals.
Overall, this story is definitely a 5/5! Honestly, I would give it all the stars! I can’t even tell you how much I loved Jensen and Tuck. They are relationship goals and I simply adore them. I seriously hope I get to see more of Jensen and Tuck in the next book! Thank you so much writing this book Catherine. It is such an amazing story and I felt all the feels!
Blog Sol and Us
PT-BR/EN
Catherine Cowles acertou de novo com Beautifully Broken Spirit (Sutter Lake #3). Eu gostei muito da Jensen e do Tuck nos outros livros e estava animada para ler a história deles. Não fiquei desapontada. BBS é meu segundo preferido da série Sutter Lake.
Eu pensei que a relacionamento da Jensen e do Tuck seria diferente, principalmente no passado, mas eu gostei de como realmente foi.
A Jensen e o Tuck tem uma ligação com a natureza que eu acho bem legal, e dá um toque de originalidade aos personagens. As partes em que o Tuck usou suas habilidades de rastreio são ótimas, tanto que ficaria feliz de ler mais sobre isso.
O interessante é que mesmo aqueles personagens que eu sei que não ganharão livros próprios são cativantes. Os amigos do bridge e a Irma são personagens que eu sempre espero que marquem presença nos livros pois gosto muito deles.
É difícil eu gostar de séries com livros indepentes que giram em torno do mesmo grupo de personagens. Algo sobre o envolvimento dos personagens secundários junto com algo que não consigo explicar faz com que este tipo de série não me agrade. Claro que exitem exceções, e a série Sutter Lake é uma delas. Por enquanto, tenho achado a série excelente e indico mesmo para aqueles que, como eu, não são muito fãs de séries assim.
Sol and Us https://linktr.ee/solandus2
Catherine Cowles struck again with Beautifully Broken Spirit (Sutter Lake #3). I really liked Jensen and Tuck in other books and was excited to read their story. I wasn’t disappointed. BBS is my second favorite book of Sutter Lake series.
I tought Jensen and Tuck’s relationship would be different, specially in the past, but I liked how it really was.
Jensen and Tuck have a pretty cool connection with nature, and it gives an originality touch to the characters. The parts in which Tuck used his tracking abilities are great, so much that I would be glad to read more about it.
The interesting is that even those characters I know won’t be getting their own books are endearing. The bridge cronies and Irma are characters I always hope will make an appearance in the books because I like them a lot.
It is hard for me to like series with standalone books that revolve around the same group of characters. Something about second characters’ involvement alongside something I can’t explain make this type of series unpleasant for me. Of course there are exceptions, and Sutter Lake series is one of them. For now, I have found the series excellent and I recommend even to those who, like me, aren’t big fans of series like that.
Sol and Us https://linktr.ee/solandus2
From the first book when we met Jensen and Tuck I knew there was a story here. Being part of their journey has been like a slow but beautiful torture. Seeing them develop and grow has been insightful. Their lives have always been intertwined so when this book started I was excited to see how they’d navigate the rest of their journey. Jensen’s pain was heartbreaking to watch and then seeing Tuck struggle made it even more difficult. Their love is strong but neither knows that it’s changed over the years to something more than friends. Their connection has always been as friends but one night changes everything. Tucks insecurities hold him back, Jensen’s guilt makes her doubt her own judgment. What follows is a beautiful journey as they take the steps to heal each other and grow as a couple. Unfortunately outside influences cloud their progress and when Jensen needs him most he’s there. Same for Tuck, Jensen stands by him and gives him the strength to face his past. This is an awesome love story with intense suspense to keep you entertained. I can to wait now for book 4.
Here’s to finding love where it always existed. The love story in the making between Tuck and Jensen was absolutely one of the most romantic ones I’ve read to date. So many soft gestures throughout that when you finally get to the end you get the “aha moment”. The Sutter Lake Series is highly addicting and I was so excited to get to read this couple story and it was definitely worth the wait! Perfection!!!!!
“You’ve always had a wildness to you. It’s been missing for a while, but it’s coming back. And when I light that match, your eyes burn with it.”
Jensen is going through a bad time. With a bad track record with the opposite sex, her inability to seemingly choose a good boyfriend left her on the brink. The first abandoned her pregnant. The second tried to kill her brother and his girlfriend. Guilt consumes her, and if before she was full of liveliness, today she is a shell of herself. The only joys in her life are her son and the wild mustangs.
Tuck has known Jensen since childhood. Her brother’s best friend, he’s been in her life for years, and watching the wild girl he met sinking into depression makes him increasingly worried. As much as the whole family tries to support her, she seems willing to stay away from everyone. But Tuck won’t allow it.
She fell in love and got hurt. He avoids the word love at all costs. She wants to have a family. He hates the words marriage and children. Two opposite people. But with the proximity and vulnerability that certain events will provide, they find that perhaps they are perfect for each other. After all, Tuck will never hurt her. And Jensen will never betray him.
Two people shaped by past and dramatic situations. But even if they don’t want to admit it, they fall in love. But how to tell her brother and his best friend?
When the horses Jensen loves so much are endangered, the tension between farmers opposed to animal supporters grows, escalating into extreme and dangerous situations. With a threat on the loose, Jensen is in danger. And Tuck will do everything to protect her.
With a slow pace and a narrative built on the rediscovery of these two characters, the book focuses on a bit of drama, presenting some conflict and exploring suspense to the end. The search for the culprit of the horse attacks is what drives the plot.
Jensen annoyed me mostly. Tuck saves the narrative by being the best character presented. All his behavior is justified and acceptable given his father’s situation. But the way he breaks free and allows himself to be happy is interesting to follow.
A good book, focused on the psychological part and overcoming trauma. Two souls who suffered and fought hard for a happy ending together.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest Review *
A girl, a boy who happens to be her brother’s best friend and an adorable little boy…and wild horses. Let me tell you wild horses couldn’t pull me away from this story. It was poignant, heart piercing and phenomenal.
Tuck and Jensen have been friends and confidants their whole lives. They share a special bond. They also share a love of wild horses and being with each other.
This is a deep, thoughtful book about love, loss, family and human flaws. It is flawlessly executed and has some threads of suspense perfectly woven through the storyline . It is my first read by this author and it will not be my last. I now have another favorite author to add to my list.
Don’t delay, one click today!
Upset, that’s not quite the word that I am looking for but it will have to do. You see, I am upset that I am just now hearing about this author – Catherine Cowles. This is her fourth book and I’ve missed out on the first three which is unacceptable. Beautifully Broken Spirit is the third book in The Sutter Lake Series by Catherine Cowles. I was immediately drawn in just by reading the synopsis. If you’ve read reviews by me before, then you know that I love a good romance especially when suspense and crime dramas are built-in after all, I have a huge crush on first responders. Beautifully Broken Spirit has all of that so grab your coffee and a blanket and let’s chat about Catherine Cowles’ Beautifully Broken Spirit.
Please allow me the honor of introducing you to your next book boyfriend – Tuck (insert swoon sound here). Tuck works for the Forest Service law enforcement and is a member of the tri-county SWAT team. (Side note – the SWAT gear alone often weighs 80+ pounds so those men are typically strong and ripped. Trust me. I am speaking from experience here.) The women are lined up to be the next notch on Tuck’s belt and many want to break through his three-date rule. Tuck has watched his father cheat on his mother his entire life and has vowed to never become his father by never getting married. That worked well for many years but lately, something seems missing from his life. (ME! ME! ME! That’s what’s missing.)
Jensen is a single mom raising a young son, running a business called The Tea Kettle as well as a safe haven for wild mustangs. When the young college student found herself pregnant and alone, Jensen returned home to Sutter Lake to raise her son with the help, encouragement, and love of her family and her brother’s best friend, Tuck. Tuck is so much more than just her brother’s best friend. Tuck is her friend, her confidant, but could he be more?
Beautifully Broken Spirit full of suspense and crime drama, which Catherine delivers beautifully, and so much more… brokenness, heartache (unless you absolutely have no heart at all then you will need tissues), pain, friendship, healing, and so much love. This is your next must-read book! It is without reservation that I give Beautifully Broken Spirit a rating of 5 out of 5 propellers.