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…
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The author has done it again. Her stories draw me in from the beginning. I love the small town closeness of the characters and situations. The main characters in this story again are so likable. Caelyn stepping up to raise her siblings. Griffin living with the heartbreak of loosing his family and then having no one there for him. How the author brings them together and brings in a little mystery into the story kept my attention. This author has been one of the few that I follow and can’t get my hands on her stories fast enough.
My first book of the new year and I’m so glad it was this one! I LOVED Griffin and Caelyn’s story so much, I didn’t want it to end. This book definitely gave me all of the feels. Parts of it were so heartbreaking I didn’t think I could take it, but the heartache Griffin and Caelyn went through made their happily ever that much sweeter in the end. Once again Catherine gave me everything I need and look for in a great story. Heartache, angst, humor, epic love story with that dash of suspense I always crave, this book had it all. I devoured this book as soon as it hit my kindle. Each book in this series has become my most anticipated read, and I’m so anxious and excited for the next one!
Beautifully written story about two people who find their other half in one another. Catherine always does a great job with developing her characters and making you feel like you are actually in the story. I couldn’t put it down and it may be my favorite one of this series!
OMG. This is the best one yet from Catherine Cowles. Make sure you have Kleenex handy because you are going to need them from the prologue to the end. I cried several times throughout the book. You will cry sad tears and you will cry happy tears. Love Griffin and Caelyn, Will, Ava and Mia. The kids and Caelyn help Griffin to heal from his loss and Griffin is making them feel safer than they have ever felt before. He also helps Will to deal with his emotions instead of continuing to stuff them.
Wrecked Palace is an outstanding, sweet and a slow burn romance in a small town setting with some suspense added to the plot.
This book will keep you from the beginning to the end and it will stay with you long after you are done reading it.
A broody broken hero in need of a family, and a kind giving heroine in need to be love.
Caelyn is drawn to Griffin because of that brokenness that calls to her but to get Griffin to open up again she’ll have to have some help from her amazing and adorable siblings, but not everything will be perfect because the shadows of the past still hanging over their heads and some are coming back to haunt them, trying to destroy what they have being creating.
Wrecked palace will take you through a roller coaster of emotions that you definitely don’t want to miss.
This is a stunning book. I mean no surprise, this author writes emotional romance masterpieces like nobody else, but this one was amazing. First Caelyn who we know from the first two books, is raising her three younger siblings after their parents got involved with drugs. Caelyn is such a fantastic character. I absolutely love her spirit. She has had every reason to give up but her love for her siblings has kept her going and Griffin, oh my heart Griffin. The gentle giant that has also had his share of tragedy and had just slipped through life without really living. That is until he meets the O’Connors and suddenly he seems to have found the family he lost and a new one as well. There is the usual emotional turmoil you will expect with Catherine Cowles as well as a bit of danger and suspense, but this book is without a doubt a must read!
In the blink of an eye Caelyn’s life changed when once phone call took her from college student to having the custody of her three younger siblings. Things have been rocky but the family has survived and the kids have flourished. Griffin has has his own family tragedy leaving him in a life of gruffness and solitude. Can Griffin come out of his shell and work through his past to find a life with Caelyn and the kids? Or will the burdens from her past that come back to haunt them all be too much for him to break from his shell and let love in? From the opening pages to the very last one, this book had me hooked and I could not put it down. I found myself saying one more chapter at 3 in the morning and still had to finish the book. Filled with heart wrenching emotional moments as well as moments that put a smile on my face this was an awesome read that deserves so much more than 5 stars!!
A beautifully written book about this sweet, broody, handsome, silent man Griffin and a sweet loving woman who loves hard and works just as hard. Griffin is pure book boyfriend perfection because underneath all that he has a heart of gold and loves deeply. Griffin cherishes his privacy but doesn’t hesitate to help others if he needs to. He is instantly attracted to Caelyn, but he keeps his distance afraid of being hurt or his secrets released. He is impressed with how hardworking she is and how much she takes care of her siblings like her life wasn’t upended when their family went through tragedy, but they saw a kindred spirit in each other that was unexplainable. Caelyn is barely surviving raising her siblings and providing them with happy lives, yet she wouldn’t change it for the world so when things threaten their safety Griffin feels compelled to step in and help. They develop a friendship and Griffin easily adores her siblings, but he keeps his life at a distance from everyone, even Caelyn who has become to mean a lot to him. Then slowly they start to form their own tribe, and this allows Griffin to open up about his life and also brings out a fierce need to protect them so when trouble comes knocking, he steps in and fights for them and plans to always fight for them. I love these books and this small community, but I love the bonds all the friends share, and I especially fell hard for Griffin. Can’t wait to read more!
Wrecked Palace was the perfect package…drama, suspense, family, friends, romance, a brooding hero and strong yet struggling heroine! So grateful for the opportunity to read and review this beautiful installment in Wrecked series….my copy generously provided by the author, but my opinion is honest and left voluntarily.
Wrecked Palace by Catherine Cowles
“Finally, 5 stars”
Okay, I’ve been waiting for Caelyn’s story for what feels like forever! Ever since I found out she was raising her siblings, I’ve wanted her happily ever after. Well, here it is! And I loved it! Caelyn and Griffin were perfect together.
Caelyn has been raising her siblings after her less than awesome parents lost them. For years she’s been on her own grinding. Something about Griffin has always intrigued her since she met him. She knew there was much more to the mystery man. When he opens up, she’s pulled in. The question is, do they want the same things?
Griffin has just been surviving ever since the death of his family and the media frenzy surrounding it. Now he’s back on the island, slowly restoring the family home. Caelyn brings him to life. Between her and his siblings, he wants to start living once again. When someone threatens Caelyn, he can’t help but grasp what little control he can. Will he be able to keep her and the kids safe, or will he lose his family all over again?
Plot-5/5
Characters-5/5
Writing style-5/5
Heat-5/5
Overall-5/5
I’m a huge fan of this author and series and I knew this book would wreck me…and it did! Oh wow how do you put into words such a beautiful but heartbreaking story such as this. Each book has its place in my heart but this book was a joy to read but at the same time it stole pieces of my heart. Caaelyn is one of those genuinely beautiful people who is good through and through. Her heart is huge and she loves with everything in her even when it’s hard. Her siblings are her life and when that security is threatened she’s surrounded by not only her besties but by a wounded man called Griffin. This man is no stranger to pain and heartbreak either but it’s Caelyn who shows him it’s ok to live and love again. Her selflessness and devotion to her siblings brings about healing within his soul he never thought he’d find. His losses were great but this little family restores his faith in love and joy. When that is threatened they come together with the help of all their friends to protect those they love the most. I can’t remember when I got so engrossed in a book and the characters touched me so much I forgot about everything else completely. Wonderful book and series.
Once I started Caelyn and Griffin’s story I simply couldn’t put it down. I’m a sucker for emotional reads. Deep reads that really pull at your emotions and and make you feel. Stories where you can smile one moment and bawl your eyes out the next. This to me is one of those reads. Of course nothing is easy and a bit of drama and suspense add another level to their story. Both of these characters, and the kids of course, have been through so much and deserve so much happiness. If you want to find out what happens make sure you add this to your must read list!!!!
Catherine Cowles has created another wonderful small town romance on the beautiful Anchor Island. The Wrecked series has quickly become one of my favorite small town romance series and Catherine has become one of my favorite authors. Each story she writes gets me in the feels and I love every second of it. Each of the stories and characters in this series gets better and better. Griffin and Caelyn stole my heart. I simply adore these two so stinking much. I loved every single second of their adorable story and I did not want it to end. I read this beautiful story in a matter of hours. I just couldn’t put it down. Catherine has such an amazing talent of making you feel like you are in the story along with all of the characters and you feel everything they feel. Wrecked Palace did exactly that. It’s impossible not to fall in love with Griffin and Caelyn and the tiny terrors.
Caelyn is an amazing female lead character. I think she is my favorite female lead of the Wrecked series. She is truly amazing. At twenty-one years old, she took on raising her three younger siblings. She dropped out of college and came back to Anchor Island to make sure her siblings had the life that she never had growing up. To say her parents were neglectful is an understatement. Her parents were something awful. They were more worried about each other, booze, and drugs than raising their four kids. It made my heart hurt for Caelyn, Will, Ava, and Mia. Every child deserves to feel loved and wanted and Caelyn made sure her tiny terrors knew that. She’s such an amazing mother to them. She is definitely more of a mother to her siblings than her own mother was. Caelyn is truly an awe-inspiring and amazing character. She works multiple jobs to ensure that she can give her siblings all that they deserve in life. She makes sure that they know they are loved and wanted. She’s sweet, kind, thoughtful, passionate, compassionate, and so positive. I am truly inspired and humbled by how kind and positive she is all the time. She doesn’t have a pity party for herself because life is hard. She tries to look on the bright side of every situation, no matter how terrible it truly is. She’s honestly my favorite female lead character that Catherine has ever written. She’s such a beautiful and kind soul. I loved reading about her and her tiny terrors. They filled my heart with such happiness and love.
Griffin. Oh boy. Griffin is my favorite male lead Catherine has written to date. I absolutely fell head over heals for this broody, grumpy, kind, sweet, and thoughtful man. I may be a tad bit obsessed with his character to be honest. He’s such a good person and he goes out of his way to help Caelyn and her siblings even though he has no obligation to do so. Griffin has been through so much of his own heartache and pain, so I don’t blame him for pulling away from forming attachments with others to avoid the devastating heartache. It made me so sad for him to be all alone at times, but I got why he wanted that. It was such a joy to watch him open up and develop attachments with Caelyn, her siblings, and her gang of friends over the course of the story. He deserves the joy and happiness that comes from developing and maintaining those close relationships with others. Griffin just made my heart really happy. I could honestly read about this man all day long and it makes me a tad sad that he’s not real and that his story is over. I can’t wait to catch more glimpses of him in the next book. I’m just not ready to leave Griffin behind.
Oh my word. Caelyn and Griffin together are absolutely everything. And I mean EVERYTHING! Their story is one of my absolute favorites. I loved that their relationship started off as friendship that developed into something more. Those are some of the best relationships that can happen. You get to know the person a little before you take the jump into dating them. These two had such a sweet and refreshing friendship. I absolutely adored how much these two adored one another. There was such a deep respect and trust between them. There was also some angst that just about killed me. There were so many times during the story when I wanted to yell “just kiss her already!”. Their first kiss was well worth the wait though. These two are absolutely perfect for one another. They helped on another heal and start to move forward from their past heartaches. They understood each other in a way that no one else did. They understood one another’s pain and knew exactly what the other person needed. These two are my favorite couple of the Wrecked series and possibly my favorite of all of Catherine’s couples. They are pretty much tied with Jensen and Tucker. I just love Caelyn and Griffin together so much!
The tiny terrors must also be mentioned. These kids are truly amazing. Will, Ava, and Mia are such amazing kids. They sincerely appreciate everything that Caelyn does for them and you can see the love between the four of them. These kids are so resilient and hardworking. They love each other something fierce. The tiny terrors are such an integral part of the story. They make the story even better than if it were just focusing on Caelyn and Griffin. Griffin fell in love with these kids as much as he fell in love with Caelyn. They helped him heal in ways he didn’t think were possible. I simply adored his relationship with all the kids. He did all that he could to let them know that they were loved, wanted, and needed. Griffin is such an amazing father figure for these kids, especially Will. Gah! I couldn’t get enough of the dynamic between the kids and Griffin. I simply loved these five together! They are such an amazing family unit and I am so glad Griffin loves those kids as much as he loves Caelyn. They all just make my heart so happy!
Overall, I rate Wrecked Palace 5/5! If I could give this book all the stars, I would! I absolutely loved every single thing about this book. I laughed, swooned, cried, and felt every emotion possible. I did not want this story to end at all. I could read about Caelyn, Griffin, and the tiny terrors all day. I love their family unit so much. I truly hope to catch more glimpses of these five in the next book of the series. I need more of them! I can’t wait to see where Catherine takes us on the next journey in Anchor Island.
Catherine Cowles at her very best! Griffin and Caelyn shine bright in this suspenseful romance about a broody hero who falls in love with the tender heart of a single woman who is raising her three siblings after their parents abandon them. There were plenty of times I got a bit teary while reading and always ended up with a big smile on my face as the youngest sister did something absolutely adorable. The pace of the character development was perfectly believable as was the slow romantic build up. Just when I forgot all about the bad guy and fully immersed myself in romance, BAM! The suspense makes another appearance. All in all, this book was an utter delight from the heartbreaking prologue to the sweet bonus scene. Great job, Catherine!
Perfection!
Words escape me because Catherine has left me speechless with how amazing Wrecked Palace was. I laughed, I cried and I fell in love with Griffin and Caelyn.
Anchor is once again somewhere I wish actually existed so I could go there and meet the incredible characters that Catherine has brought to life.
I loved every minute of this story, and I was on the edge of my seat from the perfect level of suspense. Caelyn is amazing and her siblings were great too. Griffin… *fans face* he may be growly at times but he was exactly what Caelyn and her Tiny Terrors needed and they were exactly what he needed.
I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the Wrecked series. Catherine is a truly phenomenal author who delivers emotional, suspenseful stories that will hook you from the first sentence and leave you wishing it wasn’t over at “The End”.
Oh my heart. Cowles really knows how to break you and mend you and everything in between. My heart was in my throat at times. It was raw and intense in so many different ways. I think what I really loved about this installment of this series is that it was more than just the romance. Trust me, it is there and that chemistry is BEYOND sizzling, but to me there was just so much more to it. The raw underlying history of both Caelyn and Griffin that will gut you so much!
My heart ached so much throughout this story as they navigate how their past is affecting their present. It is just so much to take in. But that connection that these two have is just beyond amazing. How Griffin wants to be there for Caelyn. Not just her but her siblings. Giving them that stability. Then you have Caelyn giving Griffin hope that life is not always tragic regardless of what happened in his past. But that sizzle. It is such a slow burn that will scorch you from top to bottom. It is so passionate and so just wow. It is swoon worthy and makes you wish you could keep Griffin for yourself.
As things progress in this story, there are a lot of intense moments and there are a lot of jaw dropping moments that will have your head spinning. I was floored by the twists and turns that Cowles included and it just added that much more to this story. I have to say, this series keeps getting better and better and I adore the friendship that is a strong thread throughout the series. Not just for Caelyn and her crew but how it develops for the men of this series. Seeing Griffin grow was awe inspiring. If you haven’t started this series, what are you waiting for?? You need to fall in love with this small town, tight knit group and live through the words!
My catnip:
• Quirky kids
• A Broody hero with a soft heart
• A strong heroine
• And just enough angst to keep you guessing
I love the world that had been created on Anchor Island! In the previous books in this series, we have gotten to know some of Caelyn’s story – and if you’re like me you couldn’t wait to see her get her hea
Several years ago, Caelyn dropped out of college to raise her 3 siblings. Her brother Will is now 16 and she has two sisters – Ava is 9 or 10 and Mia is 7. Caelyn is doing all she can to make sure her family feels safe and has everything they need, but making that happen is harder than it sounds – especially when the past doesn’t seem to want to let go.
Griffin went through a tragedy several years ago and has cut himself off to everyone. This has partly cause his reputation as a loner and someone to stay away from. We had a glimpse of him in earlier books when he showed himself to be dependable when others were in need of help.
The growth of these characters is amazing. Caelyn and the kids bring a light that Griffin has needed to help him climb out of the hole he’s put himself in. And Griffin brings support and unconditional love to all of the O’Conner clan.
This is my first book in 2021, but I have a strong feeling when this year is over it will still be at the top of my list!! Between the slow burn romance, Will’s huge heart and support of his sister, Mia’s sassiness, and the amazing way Griffin and Caelyn connect – you will get an amazing story that will stay with long after the last page.
Catherine has slayed my heart again!
This book was wholeheartedly an anticipated book of mine. And this author takes her words and characters and turns them into a masterpiece. I could not stop!
Griffin and Caelyn are life’s biggest diamonds! The way they come together and feel their connection from the first glimpses of them in the other two books.
The heartache that these two have suffered is so heart wrenching that every emotion just pours out of them. The way Griffin loves Mia, Ava and Will like they are apart of him is what every woman wants weather they are your children or siblings that you love with every fiber. You want that man to love them like you do. And man oh man does Griffin. He’s nothing short of amazing.
All the trials that Caelyn and the kiddos go through and how positive they are through everything it’s what this world needs. We need more of the O’Conners in this world to spread all the positivity.
Catherine is has been my greatest pleasure being able to read this ARC. You couldn’t have portrayed these characters any better. My heart cried for all their love and support. My heart cried with them in their sadness. Never stop writing!! Thank you! Going into 2021 asking my kids 3 best things about their day!
This author excels at writing thoroughly engaging stories, and Griffin’s and Caelyn’s is SO much that. They’ve both got painful pasts, they both had to forge their way before they were truly ready, and they’ve both been trying to live a life regardless. Caelyn is doing better at that last part than Griffin because she’s got such a great support system in her family and family-by-choice, but Griffin is more than ready to leave his solitary ways behind if it means he gets some of Caelyn’s sunshine in his days. While they both find their way, their friendship blossoms into what could easily be a beautiful forever together, but they have to figure out who means to do them harm first. And figuring that out is much easier said than done. Does a friend or foe or stranger wish to do them harm? There are a few possibilities and I wondered about each one. So when it all comes to a head, I was halfway shocked and all the way stunned by how it went down. But nothing can stand in the way of richly deserved happiness for Griffin and Caelyn, right? Or so we hope.
I especially admire how Catherine manages to keep each plot wholly unique and gripping. I never want to put her books down and I always want more, like the selfish reader I am. She never fails to impress, nor does she ever let me down. I can’t wait to keep moving on with this series because every story manages to top the one before it. This is my first book for 2021 and I can already tell that I’m going to have a difficult time finding something quite this all-consuming to read next.