My past taught me to play it safe.To stay far away from handsome men who promised it all.My life was good without them. Stable, secure, predictable. But one kiss showed me that I’d been playing it safe for far too long.One night, and all I wanted was more of his wildfire.One challenge and my carefully constructed walls tumbled down.Amidst the rubble, I realized there was more to this man than I … there was more to this man than I ever dreamed.
When everything fell apart, he showed me what it meant to stay.
How to truly live.
But some demons don’t stay buried.
The past can come knocking when you least expect.
And the life he’s showing me might be shorter than either of us expected…
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This one gripped my heart hard! I loved Kenna in book one. She was the protective spitfire of a best friend. I was so excited to get a book about her. And it also included that character that cracked me up, Crosby. He is the fun loving guy that loved to push Kenna’s buttons. They have a I-hate-you-but-not-really friendship going on. I liked finding out Kenna’s story and why she was guarded. She has not had an easy life. A mom who was anything but. An ex who shattered her. And the person who took her under her wing and showed her she was worth something is gone. The pain is too much and she seeks comfort in Crosby’s arms. Soon they are trying to be friends with benefits. An evil from the past emerges and Kenna has to defend all she has and all she is. But she’s not alone. And she realizes that for the first time. Feelings Crosby and her both didn’t plan come to light and it might cause a matter of life and death for them to accept the truth. As usual with Catherine Cowles novel, this book was epic! She is the QUEEN of romantic suspense. One minute I’m swooning and the next I’m holding on for dear life unsure what’s going to happen next. Get ready for surprise after surprise. It even more intense and captivating on audio. I was so excited that she used two narrators I loved and they did an amazing job. I really felt the characters in their narration. This is a must read/listen for fans of just a good story. I can’t wait for what’s next!
Perfect Wreckage was a perfect blend of angst, humor, swoon and suspense.
Kenna has lots to overcome. She is a strong heroine who always finds a way to rise above the obstacles that life has put in her way.
Crosby is super protective but fights his feelings and is one of those guys who tried to avoid commitment.
“…all it was were walls to keep people out. Barriers so I wouldn’t get hurt again. But it doesn’t matter because you snuck behind them anyway.”
I loved Kenna and Crosby’s journey. Their growth throughout the story made me fall in love with them. I listened to most of this on audiobook and really enjoyed the narration.
-4.5 Stars!-
Catherine Cowles has once again written a book that hits you right in the feels. Had I not already been a fan of her novels she certainly would have turned me into one with this book. Perfect Wreckage is an emotional read, one that will immediately break your heart until midway, when it starts to heal. It’s not an easy read and it has to potential to turn any reader into a blubbering mess, but it’s handled so well that you can’t help becoming captivated by it despite the hurt in your heart. I truly loved this book. I don’t think there was one thing about it that bothered me and that says a lot because romance books are constantly blurring together.
If you’re in the mood for a book that is deep, one that will tug at your heartstrings and cause emotional overload, then you should grab a copy of Perfect Wreckage. Kenna and Crosby are one of my favorite couples of 2020 and you won’t want to miss their beautiful love story.
Wonderfully written small town romance. This author gets better with every book, I love her writing style! This is going on my favorites shelf!
4.5-stars!
The second book in the Wrecked series, Perfect Wreckage by Catherine Cowles, gives us Kenna’s story. It was steamy, emotional and delightful and I loved it! Crosby and Kenna were wonderful characters with past baggage that weighed them down. Crosby was truly a good guy but did not want a relationship. Kenna is struggling with her new normal. Could they find a way to each other and see what they could actually have? Such a great read with so many feels with characters and a story I loved.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
Blog Sol and Us
PT-BR/EN
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Catherine Cowles acertou de novo.
Eu adorei a quantidade de suspense, os personagens, o ritmo da história.
Ler um livro da Catherine é um prazer.
Perfect Wreckage não tem cenas desnecessárias, é suave, interessante, prende a atenção do leitor.
Leiam.
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Catherine Cowles nailed it again.
I adored the amount of suspense, the characters, the pace of the story.
It’s a pleasure to read a book by Catherine.
Perfect Wreckage doesn’t have unnecessary scenes, it’s smooth, entertaining, it gets the reader’s attention.
Read it.
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Sol and Us https://linktr.ee/solandus2
I fall in love with a new book every time I finish a book by Catherine Cowles. Perfect Wreckage is another astounding read. I love how Kenna and Crosby both learn to lower their walls as they get to know one another.
Kenna, the girl who had suffered so much. She has been pushed aside by people who were supposed to love her. She wants to be perfect so people can love her.
Crosby has always pleased everyone. He has always made sure people around him are happy but he has never been true and free.
Both are perfect and when they will make you fall in love with them. This book is full of emotions. I didn’t want to put it down. I felt as if both characters were real.
Amazing read.
Catherine is such a brillant writer and storyteller. This is no execption. Perfect Wreckage has a perfect combo of story, heart and action. I love Kenna and Crosby, they are definitely on my list of favorites from Catherine Cowles. This book is easy to get into and fall in love with. Highly suggest all of her stories!
5+ Stars Awesome, Can’t Put Down Romance – Audiobook Revew
Another awesome book by Catherine! She had me hooked from the beginning and I was sad when the book ended because I didn’t want to stop listening. This book had all the feels and I even shed a few tears during the story. Kenna had a very tough life but it had made her such a strong person because of that. I loved the banter with her and Crosby and how that turned into their relationship. It was great having the other characters back from the first book and enjoying the group together again and her friendships with the girls. I loved this story and the characters! The narration was perfect for the characters and was done perfectly for each of the emotions in the book. Can’t go wrong with these 2 great narrators! I can’t wait for the next book in the series. I definitely recommend this book – you don’t want to miss this!
This book has absolutely consumed me. It has been half a day now since I finished it and I am still trying to find words that will do justice to this amazing story.
Perfect wreckage is book two in the wrecked series. We follow Kenna, and discover her heartbreaking past, her devastating present and hopefully her journey to a brighter future.
Crosby is guarded but is an easy going thrill seeker, intent on pushing all of Kenna’s buttons!
Once again Cowles has managed to completely take over my soul with her words. I absolutely love her writing style and her research is always completely on point. There is just something in the way she writes about certain things where I feel like she’s ripped these feelings straight out of me and smooshed them into her book.
Get your tissues ready. This is one emotional book!
Absolutely perfect addition to the collection by Catherine Cowles. Heartbreaking story of love and loss and the journey to finding a happily ever after. Just when I thought I had read the best from Catherine Cowles and she goes and tells the story of Crosby and Kenna and I realize that this book is her best yet!
I have been itching to get back to Anchor Island and am so happy Catherine Cowles took me back there! And let me tell you Perfect Wreckage was the not so happy return I was waiting for. From the very first chapter I was #TeamKenna and the need to see something good happen to her lasted all the way through.
I loved Kenna’s backbone of steel. How she took every punch that life threw her way and worked through it in her own way. Pushing it all down worked for her, until it didn’t. Because of Crosby. They were fast to jump into bed but slow to develop a friendship. But when Kenna’s past catches up with her present and tries to mess with her future, it was Crosby who stepped up and in.
With awful parents, vindictive exes, amazing friendships, witty banter and the kind of drama that only a small town can bring, Perfect Wreckage was a true delight to read. Kenna and Crosby’s journey to happiness was riddled with pain and longing but that ending left me with all the happy flutters with the promise of forever.
Another hit from Catherine!!
I couldn’t wait for Kenna and Crosby’ story and I was not disappointed. These two were always bickering but underneath it all, they were both damaged and little did they know, they needed eachother in more ways than one.
The journey to their HEA was nice to see..starting with friendship with benefits, but as they spent more time together, you see them slowly breaking down their walls. I love how Crosby protected her and was there for her from the beginning. I was also happy to see Ford and Bell as well as Caelyn (who’s book is next and I can’t wait!!),and Hunter. Griffin? I love him and want to hug him at the same time
This book like the others has a little bit of everything from romance to suspense and I loved every minute of it 🙂 All the feels!
Looking forward to the rest of this series because I am definitely hooked 🙂
Perfect Wreckage
by Catherine Cowles
Kenna has known so much heartbreak in her life that, aside from her few close girlfriends, she doesn’t trust to let others in.
“I know this might not be a comfort, but the depth of the pain is a measure of how deeply you loved each other. How much you impacted each other’s lives.”
Crosby has a soft spot where Kenna is concerned, and a protective streak when trouble from her past resurfaces.
“I wanted her secrets because it felt wrong to have pieces of her hidden from me, especially if it caused her pain. I knew every inch of her body, but that wasn’t enough. I wanted every inch of her soul, too.”
Kenna soon learns that family isn’t always defined by blood, and that there’s more to Crosby than meets the eye.
“One day, this woman would see herself as I did. Strong because she’d been broken. Loving because she’d been hurt. Perfect in all of her imperfections.”
I loved this book from the first page to the last! So much heart and emotion…Catherine Cowles has proven yet again that she is a master at her craft!
*While I was gifted an early copy of this to review, I am voluntarily and happily leaving my honest review.*
Perfect Wreckage was the perfect read for both my heart and mind right now. Catherine Cowles never disappoints me. She has become a master of small town, romantic suspense. This series is quickly becoming another favorite that I will return to again and again.
This story takes place on a small island off the coast of Seattle, Washington. The first book, Reckless Memories, introduced us to Anchor Island and a cast of characters that I loved getting to know even more in this book.
I truly loved Kenna and Crosby as individuals but they made a unique couple. Both of them have experienced their own brand of pain in the past. Kenna’s painful past has led her to keep a life maintained under strict control. She holds on to that control in every aspect of her life. She works long hours as an accountant and barely has any fun in her personal life. She has no real blood family but she has made a family with amazing friends. When trouble comes her way, her fear of losing what she has worked so hard for becomes an embodiment of her deepest fears.
Crosby is a character I quickly fell in love with. He is a lawyer who also has a painful past. That past created a fear of being trapped in any kind of deep, emotional relationship. He desperately wants to feel freedom in the life he has created on Anchor. He is an adrenaline junkie who may look like he is a playboy from the outside but inside he has an amazing, loving and genuine heart.
Crosby makes a deal with Kenna to provide what she isn’t afraid to ask for, which I admire, in exchange for letting him show her how to really live with his challenges, gradually pulls her out of her strict and controlled life. I loved watching their connection grow and change. Watching them become more plus the suspenseful storyline that surrounded them had me flipping pages faster and faster. I never wanted to put the book down. When I reached the last page, I already wanted to dive back in again. Crosby and Kenna are definitely going down among my list of favorite couples.
I can’t wait for the next book which will feature Caelynn and Griffin, Wrecked Palace. I loved this author’s Sutter Lake series so much but I already love this series even more and it’s only the second book!
If you love romantic suspense, a strong heroine, a hero who is the definition of swoony, a family made of love instead of blood and a story that leaves happy tears in your eyes and a smile on your face then you NEED THIS BOOK!
“You showed me that my wreckage could be perfect in its own way, that all those little cracks in my soul just made me stronger, more beautiful.”
Kenna and Crosby may now be my new favorite couple of the series. He is the perfect male lead, jumping in to be a friend around every corner. Kenna hides herself from everyone but knows Crosby will be there to pick her up. Perfect!
I received an ARC for an honest opinion
Perfect Wreckage
The Wrecked Series, Book 2
By: Catherine Cowles
Narrated by: Joe Arden, Maxine Mitchell
There is one thing I know for sure when I listen to Catherine Cowles. The story is going to be amazing. It will tear my heart apart, but she will put it back together. Kenna has had her share of hurt and grief over the years, and her heart is guarded. Living with Harriet has been her safeguard and the one place she feels loved. Crosby is Harriet’s lawyer, and nothing excites him more then riling Kenna up. Friends to lovers, these to find their relationship changing when circumstances change. Nothing prepares them for the storm that is coming, and the feelings that result. Cowles writes this story with so much feeling, it was like experiencing it all with these characters. Their romance is passion filled, and full of bumps and I love that in a story. Then we have the story outside of the couple, and it’s intriguing. I love the power play,the desperation and suspense it brings to the story. It creates a full story, letting us get to know the town, the community and just what it takes to be happy. With a strong woman like Kenna and a romantic like Crosby, it’s impossible not to love this story. I can’t wait to see with Cowles brings us next!
Maxine Mitchell and Joe Arden are cast for this story, and a better fit could not have been found. Not only does their chemistry spill over into the story, but they find the essence of the characters and give them life. Mitchell is one of my favorites, bringing so richness to the story. She has a way of using her voice to make me see what is happening. Arden adds his special touch to Crosby, making the man irresistible. I love this team and loved their story telling!
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I was completely blown away by Ford and Bells story and was so excited to read about Crosby and Kenna’s but I was not prepared for the story I read. Wow! I was so intrigued by Crosby in Reckless Memories and how he interacted with Kenna but the relationship they have in the book blew anything and everything out of the water! We get to see a side of Crosby I don’t think we could of imagined when we met him at first and the sides we see of Kenna are so gut retching but beautiful at the same time. They came together in such an unlikely way but fit together like we couldn’t even imagine. The banter these two have had me laughing and groaning through out the entire book. Catherine Cowles always does an amazing job with making you feel like your apart of these characters lives and have you rutting for them all the way through. I can’t wait to see what’s coming next in this series for everyone!
Crosby and Kenna’s story is pure perfection! Get ready to stay up all night devouring Perfect Wreckage.
Kenna has recently lost someone dear to her heart, someone who has taken care of her and shown her the unconditional love she never received in her own home. As she struggles to deal with how life will change and go on now she receives news she was not expecting. Her future doesn’t seem as uncertain now and despite her grief, she hopes to move forward with some plans she has.
What she was not expecting was her slimey ex to come knocking on her front door. This is not a friendly visit, she has something that he wants and he will not back down until she gives into his demands. This guy is such a douche canoe and has completely underestimated the girl he hasn’t seen since they were teenagers.
Crosby has this overwhelming need to keep a close eye on Kenna, to be fair he has had his eyes on her for a while now but now that things are getting complicated in her life, his protective instinct kicks in. Whenever she is at the local bar he likes to give her a bit of stick but it’s all in good fun, he knows she can take it.
Kenna lives a structured life, she takes no risks and is very routined. Kenna sets out to show her how being spontaneous and taking risks is fun. He wants to break down those walls a little bit and in doing so explore the chemistry between them.
‘Come on, Brown Eyes. Live dangerously.’
Crosby may enjoy living an adventure filled life but he too has his own boundaries. They both have pasts that have left them with reasons to not get too involved with anyone else. Kenna is seeing a completely different side to him though and it has her wanting things she knows she cannot have with him. Maybe he is in her life for a reason, to help heal her so she move on to a life with someone she can really have a future with.
‘Life is messy and terrifying, but it is also crazy beautiful. You taught me that. You showed me that my wreckage could be perfect in it’s own way, that all those little cracks in my soul just made me stronger, more beautiful. Truly and authentically me. You taught me what it means to truly live.’
This is the second story in the Wrecked series. This can be read as a stand alone but if you have read the first book you will already be familiar with this couple. I really enjoyed getting to know more about these two and the little glimpses of Ford and Belle. Great second instalment in this series.