4.5
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She’s hiding secrets.
For Anna, keeping her deepest scars hidden from the world has always been a necessity—from the bruises of her childhood to the mistake that nearly cost her everything. To keep herself safe, she must keep everyone around her at a distance—especially the man who has tempted her since the moment they met.
His demons are taunting him.
Mason has done his best to bury the past by achieving more than he ever thought possible. But even with all of his success, his life feels empty.
When tragedy strikes, Anna is left fighting to protect the only family she has left. And Mason will do anything to keep her and her loved ones safe—even if that means the ring of wedding bells.
But as a new spark ignites between them, someone is watching.
And they’ll do whatever it takes to snuff out that light for good.
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ISBN-10
1951936086
ISBN-13
978-1951936082
Print length
304 pages
Language
English
Publisher
PageSmith LLC, The
Publication date
November 08, 2021
Dimensions
5.25 x 0.76 x 8 inches
Item weight
12.3 ounces
Haven’t you realized? You’re my life now. And that’s never going to change.
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I had some bone-deep knowledge that Anna was made to be mine, and I was made to be hers.
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ASIN :
B08X1C8V8G
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PROLOGUE
ANNA
PAST
Derek’s voice cut through the car at a decibel that endangered our eardrums.
“D, noooooo,” I begged.
He only cast his gaze in my direction, belting out lyrics I could barely make out about wanting to know what love was.
I couldn’t help the laughter that escaped. Even on the worst days, the ones where I thought I might drown with the weight balanced on my shoulders, he could always make me laugh.
I reached over and took the hand currently drumming a beat on his thigh. A hand I knew better than any other. Each callus and scar. Every bump and ridge. The familiarity brought a sense of comfort I couldn’t find anywhere else. I linked my fingers with his.
“Love you, D.”
His singing trailed off, and he gripped my hand tighter. “I’d do anything for you, Angel.”
“I know.” That kind of gift for someone like me…it was everything.
Lights flashed behind us, and Derek’s gaze snapped to the rearview mirror.
I swiveled to look. The cop car definitely had us in its sights. I glanced at the odometer. He was only five over the limit. “They probably just want to give you a warning.”
Derek didn’t say a word, and he didn’t pull over.
“Derek?”
“Can’t get pulled over.”
My heart picked up its pace. “Why not?”
He didn’t look away from the road in front of us as he pressed his foot down on the gas pedal. “I’m sorry, Anna.”
Cascading red and blue. I concentrated on the way the colors blended from one into the next. As my vision went unfocused, the two almost melded into purple. I wanted to fall into that new color, hoping it would take me somewhere else. Anywhere but here.
I found myself leaning towards it, but the bite of the handcuffs around my wrists brought me out of the haze. The little bit of numbness that meant blessed relief from the panic fled with it. The thrum of my pulse picked up again.
“Anna,” Derek hissed.
I didn’t turn to look at him. Couldn’t. Not when I watched as three police officers unloaded an array of what I knew had to be drugs from the trunk of his car. A car that had been the scene of so many firsts for me: Date. Kiss. Whispered “I love you.” A car that had been my refuge from a home I would’ve given anything to escape.
How did the same ton of metal I’d once seen as a lifeline now seem like the weight that would drag me under? I swallowed against the burn rising in my throat as one of the cops lifted another bag and pointed at me. It was the rocker Hello Kitty makeup bag I’d left at Derek’s a few months ago. I’d brought over some toiletries to have on hand after he finally got an apartment.
My parents didn’t know that he had his own place now. But they knew almost nothing about me and hated what they could see. Perhaps they had been right to feel that way. Maybe I was reckless. And now, I was going to add moron on top of it. Because inside that makeup bag with the skulls I had thought were so cute were little baggies filled with pills.
“What did you do?” The words ripped out of me without my permission.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I needed money to get the apartment. We needed it, Angel.”
“Quiet,” one of the cops barked, moving closer to cut off any conversation.
That was for the best. Because no excuse I heard from the boy I loved would cut it. The boy who had always been my safe place. Who now was anything but.
“Get them loaded up. Separate cars. I don’t want them talking,” an older cop told the one standing between us.
The younger one bent, grabbed hold of my arm, and tugged me to my feet. “Come on.”
I went without argument or complaint. I didn’t say a word as he forced my head down and shoved me into the back of the squad car. I didn’t cry out when the metal of the cuffs bit into my skin, tearing at it. I stared straight ahead as we pulled away, and I didn’t once look back at the boy I loved with everything I had.
“Do you really think the cuffs need to stay on?” A man dressed in khakis and a button-down scowled at the officer standing next to my chair.
“Do you want to see photos of the stash we pulled from her and her boyfriend’s car? They could’ve kept the whole county high for weeks.”
“Uncuff her, McAdams,” the older man ordered.
The cop grumbled something under his breath but did as he was told. I felt blessed relief as the metal dropped away from my wrists. I brought my arms around, rubbing at the red marks.
The older man scowled as he took in the abraded skin. “You’re done here, McAdams.”
“Happy to be,” the officer spat as he left the interrogation room.
The man eased himself into a chair opposite me. He folded his hands, letting them rest on the table. The gold of his wedding band glinted against the dark brown of his skin. “Would you like some water?”
“No, thank you.”
“You let me know if that changes. I’m Detective Markum. You’re in some pretty serious trouble. But I’d like to help you as much as I can.”
The burn was back in my throat. And no amount of swallowing alleviated the pain. “Did you call my parents?”
“I did. They weren’t home, but I left a message with your sister for them to call me as soon as they return.”
Date night. Their ritual where they left their cell phones at home and went out together. I glanced at the clock on the wall. I had at least another thirty minutes of respite before they returned. Thirty minutes before the hammer came down.
I could already feel the sting of the slap. The burn of the punch that would land somewhere on my torso—anywhere clothing would cover. Never on the face. The one time he’d been overzealous and had broken several ribs, my mother had invented a story about me jumping on my bed and taking a tumble. The hospital had believed it hook, line, and sinker.
“Anna, did you hear me?”
Detective Markum’s voice brought me out of the memory. “Sorry, what?”
“You can wait until you’ve spoken with them to talk to me.”
I shook my head. I didn’t want to wait. I wanted to hurry up and get this over with. The conversation. The punishment that would come after my parents picked me up. Everything. “I’ll tell you anything you want. But I don’t think I know much.”
Markum nodded slowly. “That’s not what Derek is saying.”
I stiffened at the way the detective said my boyfriend’s name. As if it were a bomb just waiting to go off. “What did he say?”
“He said the drugs were yours. Said he was just holding them for you.”
“What?!” The word came out on a panicked shriek. “I’ve never even done drugs.” Sure, I drank at parties, but every time Derek smoked pot or took a pill, I always declined.
“Evidence is pointing to you both being involved.”
My breaths started coming faster, one after the other. Each one seemed to tumble over the last with the urge to get out and be free. “I-I’m not. I didn’t.” My fingers began to tingle as I struggled to suck in air.
Markum rose, coming around the table. “Easy now. Just breathe. Nice and slow. Follow me.”
He took a long, slow breath, raising his hand with his inhale and lowering it with his exhale. I tried to follow him, but it took several tries before I could. After a few minutes, the tingling in my hands started to retreat. “Sorry,” I mumbled.
He patted my shoulder. “No need to apologize. We’re going to figure this out. We just have to take it one step at a time.”
“Test me.” I straightened at the genius of the thought. “You guys can do that, right? I can pee in a cup or give you some of my hair.”
“We’ll do that. And if it’s negative—”
“It will be.”
“Then that will be in your favor.” Markum pulled out a little notepad and pen from his pocket. “But right now, I need you to tell me about Derek. Did you know he was involved in drugs?”
I stared down at the table as if it held all the answers in the world.
“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me the truth.”
I looked up at the detective. “Pot and some pills. I don’t know what they were. Usually, just at parties…at least, that’s what I thought.” But apparently there were all sorts of things I didn’t know about my boyfriend.
“How long have you been together?”
“Since I was fourteen, and he was sixteen.” A lifetime in teenage years. Longer than any of our friends. We were simply waiting for my eighteenth birthday so I could move in with him. So that I could be free. I had the two-and-a-half-year countdown on my calendar at home.
Markum jotted down something on his notepad. “And when did he start using?”
“I think he always smoked pot. I mean, he started before I met him.” He’d hidden it from me for a while, and then one night at a get-together with some friends, he’d taken the joint someone offered him. He hadn’t even asked me if I wanted it. He knew better. But that was how everything had gone. A slow evolution. Before I knew it, the parties were more frequent, and there was pressure for me to join him on the ride.
“Have you ever seen him dealing?”
“Never. I—” My words cut off as I thought about all of the times he’d had to drop something off at friends’ houses when we were out and about. Friends that I didn’t know or recognize. Times when he kissed me and told me he’d be right back. “Oh, God. I’m such an idiot.”
I could hear my father’s voice in my head. “I don’t know how you’re my daughter. Insolent and stupid. Why can’t you be more like Chelsea?” My sister broke her back to make sure she never displeased our dad. She rarely found herself on the receiving end of his fists. But his cruelty only made me want to rebel more.
Markum bent to meet my gaze. “You’re not an idiot. You put your trust in someone you shouldn’t have.”
“What’s going to happen to me?”
“That’s what we’re going to figure out. I’m going to talk to the district attorney and your parents. If you cooperate like you are now, I’m hoping the charges will be minimal.”
Charges. That meant court. Maybe jail. Some sort of juvenile facility? My breaths started coming quicker again.
A knock sounded on the door, and a female officer poked her head in. “You’ve got a call, Markum.”
He looked at me. “I’ll be right back. Officer Stapleton will wait with you.”
Thankfully, she didn’t try to make conversation. I closed my eyes and pictured the way Detective Markum had breathed. I counted to five as I inhaled and then out to five with the exhale. Any time I saw Derek’s face in my mind, felt the way his arms had always made me feel so safe, I shoved it out. Any time I began to panic about judges and jails, I counted my breaths.
The door squeaked as it swung into the room, and my eyes flew open. Markum had a pretty good poker face, but I could still see the lines of concern. I dug my fingers into my thighs. “What is it?”
“I spoke with your father.”
My nails bit into the denim. “What did he say?”
“He and your mother declined to come down to the station or to get you a lawyer.”
My eyes shut again for the briefest of moments. I had expected a silently seething father and a mother with disappointment in her eyes. But still, parents with a lawyer in tow. “They’re not coming?”
“No.”
“So, what happens to me now?”
Markum shifted on his feet. “I can call a court-appointed lawyer for you, but unless you have someone who can post bail, I’m afraid you’ll have to stay in holding for tonight, at least.”
Derek. He was the person I would’ve called. The one I could always count on. Yet he was sitting a few rooms over, betraying me to anyone who would listen. Selling our love in hopes of getting off scot-free.
“Is there someone else I can call? A grandparent or aunt?”
I stared down at my hands, saw the red marks from the handcuffs, my peeling purple nail polish, the fraying tear in the knee of my jeans. “No, there’s no one you can call.” Because I was completely and totally alone.
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Catherine Cowles
Writer of words. Drinker of Diet Cokes. Lover of all things cute and furry, especially her dog. Catherine has had her nose in a book since the time she could read and finally decided to write down some of her own stories. When she's not writing she can be found exploring her home state of Oregon, listening to true crime podcasts, or searching for her next book boyfriend.
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Customer reviews
4.5 out of 5
3,185 global ratings
Addicted to Romance Book Blog
5
A stunning gem of a romance that delivered all the way!
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2023
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This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
Book Evaluation: Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️ World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎 Cover:📔📔📔📔📔 Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻 Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️ Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒 Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞 Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂 Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖 Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧 Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨
First Impressions Beautifully Broken Redemption is the finale in the "Sutter Lake" series, and this is the long-awaited book I have been the most excited for out of most of the series. It has some great tropes, and everyone seems to rave about this one the most so I was very curious to see how it would be handled and I still can't get over this delectable cover that gives me all the swoon vibes. This book is a story that will deliver strong family feels to it, beautifully developed chemistry and all the moments that capture your heart as only Catherine Cowles is capable of. It also contains some powerfully suspense elements that will be a bit different from what I have seen this author place in her stories but enjoyed it just as much.
First Line Derek's voice cut through the car at a decibel that endangered our eardrums.
The Main Protagonists The Hero: Mason Mason is a self made billionaire. He is intelligent and successful and has finally found his place in Sutter Lake. He has just built his dream home offshore of a lake.
The Heroine: Anna An ex convict for being framed by her ex boyfriend, she has lived from shelter to shelter until she found Sutter Lake and took over a community center. She helps her sister with her two kids and always sees the good in others but is paranoid about strangers especially sexy rich ones like Mason.
Summary Anna, was framed by her boyfriend when their car was pulled over with drugs in the trunk. She had some prison time in juvie and her parents abused her most of her life. She has lived in homeless shelters most of her adult life, until she discovered Sutter Lake, found a job as head over a community center and made her first home in a cottage and taking care of her nephew and niece whenever she could. When her sister is killed, she is determined to fight guardianship but she knows her parents have connections that she doesn't have. But when Mason reaches out to her and offers her a marriage of convenience so that she can get complete custody over the children, she knows she has little choice as she doesn't want them to live in a abusive home. She doesn't expect Mason to be a man of honor and integrity, who laughs free with the children and gives her an open honest relationship where she can be herself and find love along the way...
What I Loved There are many aspects to this story that endeared my heart so completely. First and foremost, I adore a wonderful telling of a marriage of convenience and when its in a contemporary setting, even better. I absolutely adored it in every way. I definitely can see why so many readers loved this book the most, it has so many qualities to it that just portray this authors best work in my opinion or at least some of her most heartfelt at least. While its not a perfect book, its beautifully conveyed in a way that reaches deeply to the heart of those reading it. I wasn't sure when I started this one how I would feel about Anna. I liked her in the previous book but didn't love her character and I truly fell hard for her strong and sure. She is such a caring person, who has so many flaws but those are so relatable when you look at everything she has suffered in her young life.
Then we have our hero, Mason, who is a self made hero. He has worked hard to get the wealth he has and is so loveable. He is so giving of his time and generous to a fault and sees the good in people. He has integrity and honor to her character that is so admirable. And seeing him with these kids, my heart completely melted for him. He just immediately knows the best things to do for them to keep their spirits up and engage with them often and is such a strong support for them when they need it. Both Anna and Mason know exactly how to speak to these children in a way that is healthy and honest and full of love. And the way that Mason is with Anna won me completely over. We see throughout the story how much he gives to her and wants her to trust him because he cares deeply for him and is willing to fight with her and her demons to get to the heart and soul of who she is and let her out more openly. He sets healthy boundaries in the relationship and fights for her so strong.
The plot of the story will keep you on edge all the way through. You can feel the conflict just rise throughout the story as you wonder what will happen with the guardianship over the kids. I mean you can guess what the end result will be (because its a romance haha so the ending is pretty obvious) but as you stick with the story, you feel the conflict and tense vibes the couple and these kids work towards as a family unit as they work together to keep their spirits up and do everything they can to win and have justice in the end. But don't be surprised if you see more than one conflict rise up in this story, its typical Cowles plot machination and I really enjoyed seeing the ending in the story here. Beautifully Broken Redemption won my heart from beginning to end and I can't wait to get these books in print to decorate my shelves with.
What I Struggled With There was a small conflict that I struggled with, although it didn't affect my overall view of the story. I wasn't a fan of how the heroine acted through the conflict here. I wish that she had taken more accountability for her actions instead of placing it all on Mason's shoulders.
Overall View Beautifully Broken Redemption is a heartfelt and deeply emotionally provoking story that delivers intimacy of the heart and balanced out wit and embracing the best parts of life.
Book Details (also in my shelves) Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense Character Types: Billionaire/Mr. Moneybags, Ex Convict Themes: Book Boyfriend, Danger, Family Bonds, Kids Involved, Heart-Touching Tropes: Forced Proximity, Marriage of Convenience
Book Perspective DUO Pov
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict Plot Conflict is the focus
Song This Book Inspires Wolves-One Direction
Recommendation For Reading Order You can read as standalone if needed
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Connie
5
Mason and Anna
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2024
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I think this book was really good. Did I love almost everything about YES! Did I hate the fight these 2 had because of miscommunication also yes. Could it have been avoided yes, but I seen how and why it happened. I once again have fallen in love with another book boyfriend, Mason Decker. Good lord that man is freaking amazing. This book is so incredibly sweet, and it just goes to show you that help can come from the last place you would have looked for it. Anna’s childhood was full of pain and betrayal, all from the people that should have protected her the most. Since coming to Sutter Lake, Anna has found peace she’d never known before, and safety that she so craved. She is now the head of Hope House, a shelter, where she could give help to those most in need. She has friends, a home, and she feels safe. Then in walks Mason, which she felt attracted to, but didn’t want to go there. She loved the way he was with the children at the shelter. Never again would she give her heart or her trust to a man. Mason loves living in Sutter Lake. He is VP of Halo, a security company, working alongside Cain from the previous book. The employees of Halo volunteer regularly and that is how Mason first saw Anna. The pull to her, the attraction, was instant. But it was also evident that Anna held everyone at a distance. That he would have to take his time with her if he wanted any hope at all getting to know her better. Once again tragedy strikes Anna’s family, and she is left reeling and fighting for all she has left. Except this time Anna is going to have to accept help and that help comes in the form of Mason and her friends. But what happens when it’s all over? While things between Anna and Mason last? Will they make it through all that is to come?
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carol
5
Good ending for Sutter Lake
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2024
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4.5/5⭐️
I loved Anna's redemption story. Meeting her in Kennedy and Cain's book, I hoped we would learn more about this woman with a huge heart. As per usual, I have questions...
During the trial, I know that the Foley's had "character witnesses"... who was on Anna and Mason's side as witnesses?
•Detective Markum would have been a good one. Not that they needed it in the end, but it would have helped the story. Walker had mentioned reaching out, nothing else. He could have let the court know that her parents refused to "bail her out" or they didn't come to see her.
•Did the Las Vegas PD do any investigating as to why Chelsea was in Vegas.. where she was prior, etc...
•Why were the parents at the Hoover Dam? Did they know Chelsea was in LV?
•Why would the Foley's lawyer even entertain having Chelsea's ex as a witness knowing he had signed over his rights?
•Juliette.. god I hated her. I feel like she maybe had some sort of mental illness. And that should have/could have been addressed especially since their dad comitted murder/suicide and attempted murder x2. Even in the end when she was all of a sudden nice, I still didn't care for her. As nice as Anna was to her and as many chances as Mason gave her, she's just a big no for me.
There are probably other things that I am forgetting, but overall, it was a great story.
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Kathrine Huyck
5
Fantastic fantastic story!!
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2024
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This was a really wonderful series!! Each book was great!! I so enjoyed Mason and Anna's love story!!! If you have not read this author before I HIGHLY recommend this series!! Love the small town community!! Catherine this is the third series I have read of yours and loved them all!! Please keep on writing and I will DEFINITELY keep on reading!!👍😁😁💕
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Hope
5
Amazing Series
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
Prior to reading this series, I’d been totally burnt out on reading for several months. Nothing could quite grab my attention. Then I stumbled across The Sutter Lake Series… and I was hooked! I read the whole thing within a 2 week span. These books are incredible. The character development is great, the plot lines are captivating. I don’t have 1 bad thing to say about any of them! There are a few explicit scenes in each book—not many, one or two max—that’s not my cup of tea so I just skipped those pages and I didn’t feel like I really missed out on anything important by doing that. 10/10 recommended!
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