One night was all it took for everything to change.From college student to guardian in a single breath.My siblings became my world. No time for date nights or romantic dreams.I traded quiet weekends for sleepless nights.Giving my all to make sure they were cared for. But Griffin had a brokenness that called to me—one that mirrored my own.Gruff and just a little bit reckless.He was the last thing … a little bit reckless.
He was the last thing I needed. But everything I wanted.
Only someone isn’t happy about this new life I’m building.
Deciding to set fire to everything I hold close.
And when the smoke clears, there might be only ashes left behind…
more
REVIEW: 4.5 STARS
“Tell me the good things.”
There’s something to be said about the first book of the year to give you the butterflies and the giggly smiles. That one that pulls at your heartstrings because you can only imagine the pain the characters have been through, only to be rewarded with a book-worthy HEA sent by Catherine Cowles. Cheesy? Maybe, but this girl can write! This book was that book for me. I honestly needed this book. I had wanted it for so long, but I didn’t realize how badly I needed it, so by the time I settled into it – it did wonders for my mental self. I’m always inside my own head, so escaping into a book has always been a nice getaway for me. This one provided all that and more.
Cowles is a real energizing writer. She’s proven time and again her ability to not only facilitate a great storyline, but emote it exceptionally well. I got caught up – completely enamored with her characters, her plot, and even the drama. It all meshed well for me in this one, working in tandem with each factor. After meeting Griffin at the end of PERFECT WRECKAGE and how he entered the storyline, I knew this book was going to have me on the edge of my seat while I read it.
I know I’m always screaming about the love a man has for his woman being my favorite part or reading romance. A good love story cannot be a true love story without a man that makes me weak in the knees. Griffin was all that and more. He was protective and a perfect gentleman, standing up when needed and providing a silent strength when warranted. He was literally perfect. I fell hard in love with him. The realization of the true feelings these two had for one another was a slow process, but an emotional one. When I can feel the emotions I’m reading, that’s the best part. That’s an author that’s really in touch with their story – so much so that they’re bleeding those emotions directly onto the page. Cowles delivered that effortlessly, yet again.
Griffin and Caelyn’s gradual wander through their friendship and the actual culmination of their relationship was uncovered organically. This was the perfect example of a slow burn. I liked the way they tip-toed around everything and almost reluctantly but enthusiastically made their way towards each other. It was a slow dance, for sure. It wasn’t forced by any means, given the time this book traversed, so it flowed really well and accounted for the drive of their feelings and how it affected their decisions.
ONE struggle: I did feel like I struggled somewhat with Caelyn’s jealousy for what she longed for in regards to her relationship. I know that sounds harsh to say but as much as she talked about it, it was bothersome for me. I think mainly because in setting up her desires, it felt repetitive and unnecessary, but also that she almost held it against the ones she loved – but I know she wasn’t really. I don’t know. I know she wasn’t….but it felt like she was. *wrings hands* I struggled. Ugh. I’m sorry. Sorry. *hides* We knew her end goal. We knew where her loyalty lay. She had an amazing amount of responsibility, so looking forward to the one true love she knew was out there was the entire goal of the book. And Griffin answered that call so amazingly well. They suited each other. They were ideal for each other. Their need to take things at their own pace set the tone for the book perfectly well.
The characters were so good, and so well written. The kids were super cute. The plot played out and was easily followed. I mean, the story is still sitting with me and I’m still smiling thinking about it – and that is what drives my excitement most of all.
I LOVED THIS BOOK. I LOVED GRIFFIN SO SO MUCH. I LOVED CAELYN AND THE KIDS. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO SO SO MUCH!! Yes, I am shouting. Yes, I am excited. Yes, I can’t wait for everyone to read this. Such a great, feel-good, smile inducing book – it check all the boxes for me. SO good.
Catherine Cowles is a must read – a guaranteed great read. She incorporates love, life and laughter into every book with a good dose of emotions and suspense. I really enjoy her writing and have read every single one of her books, but this one has to be my favorite one so far. Favorite. I am looking forward to Shay’s story in RECKLESS REFUGE, her next release in this standalone series.
“Everything I see in you challenges me to do better.”
~BEE
Giveaway on my blog: THE BOOK BEE
5* Emotional Stars
Caelyn and Griffin’s story was so heartfelt and emotional that I was captured from the first page until the last page was read.
Both of them had been dealt such hardships in their lives and their wounds were so deep that they did not believe that they were worthy of love or happiness. It was magical watching Caelyn and broody Griffin transform from friends to lovers. This slow burn romance had some suspense to it which I enjoyed.
This wonderful story was abundant with family and friends who loved and protected each other fiercely. Caelyn’s siblings were so special and loveable.
I highly recommend this well written beautiful story of deserving love which has all the feels that come with it. A wonderful addition to the Wrecked Series.
From the moment Griffin was introduced in the first book of the Wrecked Series I wanted his story. There’s nothing quite like a brooding hero to grab my attention. Yet, Wrecked Palace was beyond my expectations. Caelyn is a strong, likeable heroine blessed with a family of adorable kids who had me grinning throughout. And Griffin is so much more than I anticipated. He’s more proof that good, kind heroes are sexy as hell! Their emotional small town romance is sizzling, addictive, and comforting too. All the feels!
A tortured hero, an inspirational heroine, suspense, and a slow-burn romance are the perfect recipe for a book that will utterly captivate readers. A must read for 2021!
Wrecked Palace is book 3 in the Wrecked series, a story that has all feels leaving me wanting so much more.
Caelyn has given up on her own dreams to raise her siblings, she has given up so much and its finally time to have something for herself. When Griffin starts to take interest, she knows that they have chemistry but they push it into the friend zone until it isn’t. Griffin has had the worst hand dealt to him, he has had to keep his life private to protect himself and his families legacy, when a gorgeous woman comes around he can’t help but bring down those walls and open up to the possibility to a future. Can they both overcome their past’s to move forward?
I personally loved this story, I have wanted to read Caelyn’s story from the beginning; Cowles had me hook line and sinker from the beginning . I Cannot wait to read more from this series.
Star Ratings; Plot: 5/5 Characters: 5/5 Heat: 5/5 Writing Style: 5/5 Overall: 5/5
Wrecked Palace is the third title in the Wrecked series. It’s a poignant, emotional, small town, slow burn, friends to lovers romance with a touch of romance, suspense and drama. This title has strong themes of family and friendship and the characters are incredibly endearing.
Caelyn O’Connor is such a likeable heroine. When she loves it’s fiercely and with her whole heart. She took on the responsibility for raising her three younger siblings when she was just a college student and barely an adult herself. Despite the act that she struggles to make ends meet she’s incredibly positive, bright, bubbly, hardworking and compassionate. Caelyn is a strong and selfless heroine, with a sweet and kind soul.
Griffin Lockwood has endured more than most and suffers alone in his grief and guilt. Despite his grief, and brooding exterior this tortured hero has a big heart and is incredibly protective and loving when it comes to Caelyn and her “Tiny Terrors”.
The characters in this title are complex and damaged, but their story will leave you with a full heart and feelings of happiness.
Will Caelyn’s younger brother has a huge heart and steals the show. He’s such a smart ass, but also completely loyal and selfless when it comes to his family. I loved the interactions that Griffin and Caelyn share with Ava who is sassy and Mia who is sweet and shy as well.
I’ve loved all of the books in the Wrecked series, but this is my favorite by far, and this is already one of my top reads for 2021!
This is the 3rd book in this amazing series, and this is Griffin and Caelyn’s journey. Griffin is grumpy with a tragic past, and he has returned home to his family’s estate and intended to fix up the house. Caelyn was in college 6-years ago when she received a phone call that turned her world upside down, and she works hard to support her two little sisters and her brother and to give them a stable homelife. Her siblings have wormed their way into Griffin’s heart, and he seems something of himself in her brother, and when the family are in danger it is Griffin that Caelyn turns to for help. This is a beautifully written story which is raw, gritty, emotional, and with danger, suspense, mystery, family, and healing which all leads to a steamy small town romance story. I was intrigued throughout, and I look forward to reading more from this talented author, whose work I highly recommend for all.
Catherine is my go to book bae for a beautiful story of falling in love with just the right amount of suspense & mystery
For lack of a better term Caelyn & Griffin have been dealt sh!t hands in life. Caelyn gladly gave up hers fir her family while Griffin would gladly give up his to get his family back
Somewhere the universe decided that these two broken souls would complete each other. Their ease with each other is truly breathtaking and the way the kiddos love Griffin
“You’ve given me my dream, too.” “What’s that?” I asked. “A family. Forever.”—-yes the sounds you hear are my sobs. Happy tears for Griffin & Caelyn
A wonderful and emotional story for Griffin and Caelyn. Caelyn O’Connor was called home from university when her younger brother and two sisters were threatened. Her parents had abandoned their role in their children’s lives and Caelyn became their legal guardian. Her work at the local grocery store brought her in to contact with Griffin Lockwood, a loner whose parents and sister had died in a boating accident five years ago. While renovating the family home, his trips to the grocery store have become more often as has his need to help Caelyn. Follow along as Caelyn and her siblings add so much emotion and love to Griffin while his vow to protect them makes her finally feel safe. When danger stalks her from an unknown source, will Griffin (Mia’s magic giant) be able to save her? The characters are amazingly genuine and her siblings, Will the guardian, Ava the reader and Mia the sparkly one, add so much love and humor to this story. A breathtaking addition to this series! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation from the author. (by paytonpuppy)
Wrecked Palace is my absolute favorite book of Catherine Cowles!
Caelyn is the guardian of her three siblings, though she works hard to give them a good life and always looks at the bright side things are hard.
Griffin lost his family in a tragic way coming back to the island to restore his family house he starts to confront the ghosts that he’s held at bay.
When Griffin hires Caelyn to make meals for him they get so much more in return.
Though the side story is full of suspense I think the true story is of accepting the past and the love of family.
Truly just writing this makes me want to reread the story! Absolutely a 5 star read
I don’t know how she does it but Catherine Cowles writing puts me in a trance and I feel like a fly on the wall watching the lives of the characters she creates. Nothing makes for a better reading experience than when the story plays out in your head like a movie.
Wrecked Palace, is probably my new favorite Catherine Cowles book. I feel hard for these characters especially the kids. I loved watching Caelyn and her siblings work their way in the grumpy closed off Griffin’s heart.
Griffin was the most amazing hero! He was soo grumpy and guarded, and dealing with so much pain, I loved watching him fall in love with not only Caelyn but her siblings as well. I loved watching these emotionally scarred characters build a beautiful family together. So many moments had my eyes welling up with happy tears.
And of course Catherine never lets me down with the suspense she seamlessly weaves into her stories. I was on the edge of my seat with this one!
I highly recommend you pick up this book!!
Hauntingly beautiful with a fresh breath of hope, Griffin and Caelyn’s story made my heart soar! A standout in The Wrecked Series, this read feels like the one I’ve always been waiting for. Five stars for another wonderful visit with the much adored characters on Anchor Island.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved Caelyn and Griffin’s dynamic, Caelyn’s and her siblings’ dynamic, and also Griffin and the kids’ dynamic. I also loved what each kid provided to the story. Again, the book had such a great timeless romance to it and had bits of suspense in there too.
This book wrecked me but in a good way. No pun intended. The emotions, suspense and romance it just grabs you from the very beginning. I was crying, I was laughing, I was swooning and I was on the edge of my seat at parts. It’s everything I love in a book and more. Broken people who help heal each other’s pasts and move forward with a life together. Great job Catherine I always say your books get better each time, this ones the best one yet.
Caelyn has spent the last several years raising her siblings. Life isn’t always easy but she wouldn’t trade it for anything. Griffen’s world ended over a decade ago. He is broken beyond repair and shuts the world out. When circumstances put them together can they open their hearts and fall in love?
This series has such wonderful characters and so happy that Bell, Kenna, Ford and Crosby were so integral to the story. Loved that we get the depth of Caelyn, Will, Ava and Mia’s past. Griffen’s distant personality took a little warming up to but once his true self starts to shine through I was totally smitten with him. Catherine Cowles will take you for a ride emotionally. I laughed, got teary eyed and swooned over this amazing story. You will fall in love too!
Would you be willing to sacrifice your time , youth and everything in between for your family? This is exactly how Catherine Cowles portrayed her main character Caelyn. Caelyn is strong. She’s determined to give her younger siblings the best life they can have. Even if that means sacrificing her love life, time and her hopes and dreams. Catherine wove a story like non other. Tender heart felt moments. A story line that captures your attention and of course a happy ever after.
Every time I pick up a Catherine Cowles book I know I am going to cry a little bit (or a lot), laugh and have my heart broken only to have it be put back together. Both Caelyn and Griffin are broken but have faith in the knowledge that they will will get through it. Caelyn struggles to take care of her siblings. Griffin laments the loss of his family. Together they help to heal, not only their own hearts but, the hearts of the “tiny terrors” and become a family of the heart. The characters have so much depth and strength. The friendships are true and pure. The love outshines everything.
“I’d done the thing I’d promised I wouldn’t do. I’d fallen in love with the broody man and his heart of gold. But i didn’t care anymore. I was going to let myself love him. Even if he never loved me back”. ~ Caelyn
I received this ARC for a review. I really enjoyed it. Cowles’s writing just kept me pulled in, it is the type of writing where you are binging on wonderful and creative words. Her world building was just amazing and I loved her characters. They all had a hard past and present, finding love and support from those around them is just the best.
Caelyn’s parents are deadbeats who deal with drugs and dangerous people. Griffin is lost in his own sorrow from a family tragedy. Becoming friends and giving each other what the other one needed, when Caelyn started getting threatening notes and occurrences. It was just a wonderful ending and I highly recommend.
Caelyn is the same age as her girlfriends but she has had a very different life experience thus far. She has sole custody of her three younger siblings and although things are a struggle for her, her incredible friends have been there every step of the way supporting her. The only thing that Caelyn hasn’t had is that great, unconditional love that her girlfriends have found in Ford and Crosby. She has the odd pang of jealousy when she sees how happy and loved up they are and hopes that one day she will have that with someone special too.
Caelyn may be their big sister but she is an incredible mother to her three younger siblings – Will, Ava and Mia. She gave up on her dreams of college to dedicate her life to raising her family. There is nothing she won’t do to make sure they have everything they need to get by. Nothing is more important to her.
Griffin knows what it is like to wish for things to be different. He lost his entire family as a young boy and he has returned to Anchor Island to live and fix up his family home. Griffin is a bit of a mystery to people in town, a source of gossip for some, as he prefers to keep to himself mostly. His reasons for going into the general most days are mainly because Caelyn works there.
Caelyn loves to cook and each time Griffin comes into the store she works at she tries to sneak veggies into his lunch order. It’s become a bit of a game between them. It’s taken a long time for him to even really acknowledge her but she is slowly chipping away at his hard protective shell. Griffin is that tortured hero that I love to read about. I love how the layers are slowly peeled back and we get to see how truly beautiful he is once Caelyn has penetrated his cocoon.
‘You have a kind heart, Griffin Lockwood. Even if you’d rather people didn’t see it.’
When danger comes knocking on Caelyn’s door Griffin has this overwhelming need to protect her and her family. He is in complete awe of how hard she works to take care of them and the more time he spends with them the closer their bond becomes. Now he can’t imagine what his life would be like without them all in it. He will do anything to keep them safe and be the ‘magic giant’ they all trust him to be.
‘You showed me how much I was missing by locking myself away from the world. You showed me that I could trust you with anything. But you’ve been showing me that from the first day I met you. In your kindness. Your care. How damn selfless you are. Everything I see in you challenges me to do better. Be better. To not run away from life because I was hurt in the past. I want this with you.’
There is so much cuteness, Griffin is so damn sweet with the children. There are heart melting moments and hilarious ones had my chest filled with so many feelings. There are also a lot of sad, bittersweet moments that they all have to endure but these only make the wonderful moments that much brighter. This is the third story in the Wrecked series and there are plenty of cameos of all the characters we have come to know and love from the previous books. Another fabulous, emotional read from Catherine Cowles.
I may say this every time I read a new book by Catherine Cowles…but this third book in the Wrecked series, may be my favorite book of hers yet!
The heartbreaking backstory that we get of both Griffin and Caelyn (H/h) will give you tears, but the slow-burn romance will put your heart back together again. As Caelyn and her family allowed Griffin to slowly melt into them, the concerns from the town gossips were whispered…but when mysterious things started happening to their family, Griffin was the one who was there for them. Can his rough, recluse-like behavior be overlooked…if Caelyn can give him a chance, why can’t they?
I absolutely ADORED the characters in Wrecked Palace! From the strength in Caelyn, to her brave siblings, to Griffin’s large build and trust-no-one attitude…I just couldn’t stop thinking about them all! The side characters and the storyline blend together to make this an absolute “must read” romance! 5 solid stars from me!
5
There is one primary reason I come back again and again to read Catherine Cowles’ books. No matter the book, I always feel like I’m coming home when her words flow through me. This was no exception. I love the way she weaves a story to where I never want to get to the last page.
From the first book in this series, I was endeared to Caelyn and what a unique person she is to take on the role of raising her younger siblings. She has an amazing heart filled with strength that deserves appreciation. Reading how she interacted with her brother and sisters always left me feeling their warmth. I loved how she kept positivity and love flowing through their everyday lives. She was incredibly proud and that was completely understandable.
Griffin was another character that I quickly fell in love with. We saw brief but powerful glimpses of him in the first two books. He has a wounded soul, a rough exterior and a heart made of gold. He has led a solitary life after experiencing a great loss. Seeing Caelyn at the local store brightens his days. When he begins to open up more to Caelyn and then to those precious children, its one heartwarming scene after another. I love every scene that involves the children!
As with all of this author’s books, there is a certain level of suspense that is interwoven throughout. The further you get in the book, the more intense it becomes until the end where everything comes together in the end leaving me with a heart sufficiently warmed and time well spent.