4.5
-
11,869 ratings
The scowl should've been my first clue to stay far away from Anson Hunt. The sexy smirk and the fact that he's my brother's best friend? Reasons two and three. Not to mention, he's the new contractor working on my house.
He's everything I'm not: grumpy, rude, and more than a little attached to his solitude. It doesn't matter how many times I try to kill him with kindness; the man simply won't crack.
Until he sees me shatter.
Because when my world comes crashing down around me, Anson is the one catching me as I fall. And as so-called accidents start plaguing every part of my life, it's Anson who steps in to keep me safe.
As he does, I can't help but feel a flicker of heat. And it only takes a single moment for that spark to ignite into flames, engulfing us both.
But Anson's a man with secrets, and they have a price. When they're revealed, neither of us will make it out unscathed...
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ISBN-10
1951936574
ISBN-13
978-1951936570
Print length
368 pages
Language
English
Publisher
PageSmith LLC, The
Publication date
May 15, 2024
Dimensions
5.25 x 0.92 x 8 inches
Item weight
14.7 ounces
Happiness was the greatest torture of all because it could all be taken away—and it was so much worse than if you’d never experienced it at all.
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Don’t do people. Love dogs. And with that, he stalked back to the main site and his crew.
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The only thing they would want is for you to be happy. My throat burned as it worked to hold back a sob. I know. But sometimes being happy feels like the worst betrayal of all.
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"I'm ready to enter my Sparrow Falls era! Fragile Sanctuary is the perfect blend of signature Catherine Cowles romantic goodness and page-turning suspense. She hooked me from the first chapter and kept me wanting more the entire way through. A delicious hero, a strong heroine, and all the twists and turns you could ever want--this book was addictive in the best way!" - USA Today Bestselling Author Elsie Silver
"Gripping, emotional, utterly romantic, and it kept me guessing until the very end. Fragile Sanctuary is Romantic Suspense Perfection!" - Samantha Young, New York Times Bestseller
"This is Catherine Cowles at her absolute best! Fragile Sanctuary is CAPTIVATING and ROMANTIC and SUSPENSEFUL all at the same time! This book was absolutely unputdownable! ALL THE STARS for Rhodes and Anson!" - Laura Pavlov, USA Today Bestselling Author
"I LOVED this book. Loved, loved. It kept me on the edge of my seat...laughing one minute and my heart thumping the next!" ~Willow Aster, USA Today bestselling author
"What a way to kick off Sparrow Falls! Fragile Sanctuary is everything I crave in a romance. A broody, grumpy hero and a sweet and fierce heroine whose chemistry sizzled on the page. The banter. The steam. Add in the the suspense that kept me guessing and I was obsessed!" ~A.L. Jackson, NYT & USA Today bestselling author
PROLOGUE
RHODES
PAST, AGE THIRTEEN
“What was it like?” Fallon whispered as the SUV bounced along the gravel road. There was a reverence in her voice, as if she were talking about God or some great work of art on a museum wall.
But we definitely weren’t.
I couldn’t seem to get that wide, cheesy smile off my face as Fallon’s mom drove us through the night, casting the occasional look back through the rearview mirror the way all moms seemed to do. My stomach swirled like I was on one of those carnival rides that spun round and round, pressing you against the wall. Then my grin got wider.
“You know when you’re on a rollercoaster and your stomach dips?”
Fallon nodded, her lightly curled hair swishing into her face as her eyes shone.
“It was like that.” I collapsed against the far back SUV seat with a sigh.
Fallon tucked her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them. “I knew Felix liked you. I knew it.” She kept her voice low, whether it was to keep her mom from hearing or just her typical soft-spokenness, I didn’t know.
I couldn’t help the giggle that slipped past my lips as my stomach did another of those swirls. I hoped he liked me. But what I really wanted was for him to ask me out. Maybe we’d go to the movies. Or walk downtown holding hands.
I could still feel the press of his lips against mine for the count of one, two, three in the dark of the closet in Owen’s basement. We’d had seven minutes in that closet. Mostly, we’d talked. About Felix’s spring-break trip to the coast and mine to New York. But then he’d gotten quiet, leaned in, and—
“Did he use his tongue?” Fallon whispered in the dark of the SUV.
“No,” I squealed, jerking upright.
Our eyes met, and we both burst out laughing.
Mrs. Colson’s gaze flicked briefly from the road to the rearview mirror. “What’s gotten into you two?”
Her question only made us laugh harder. I collapsed against Fallon as we giggled, not even sure what we were laughing about. Fallon and I spoke in a language that was all ours. Even our laughter had a sound that was ours alone. With how close our families were, she was more sister than best friend at this point.
The fact that my family didn’t have any relatives in Sparrow Falls only made the Colsons that much more important. We’d bonded, creating a ragtag group that was our chosen family, spending Thanksgivings and Christmases together.
When my parents moved us from New York to Sparrow Falls six years ago, my little sister and I had not been pleased. We had lives in the city. Friends and school. The last thing we’d wanted to do was move to a town of three thousand people in Middle-of-Nowhere, Oregon.
But I’d slowly fallen in love with it. And Fallon was a huge part of that. With her easy, wide smile despite her shyness, and how she welcomed everyone—even the new kid from New York, who everyone looked at a bit funny—we’d fallen into an easy friendship. And she was the best part of Sparrow Falls.
But Felix Hernandez might give her a run for her money with his dark brown hair, tanned skin, and soulful amber eyes. Just thinking about him made my skin flush hot, like I’d just stepped out into a blistering summer day.
Fallon let out a longing sigh. “With my brothers, I’ll probably never get a first kiss.”
I sent her a sympathetic smile but didn’t argue. Fallon had three older brothers. One by blood, Copeland. One adoptive, Shepard. And one foster, Trace. Her mom and grandma, Lolli, were always taking in kids who needed homes. Most came and went, some staying for as little as just a few days. But Cope, Shep, and Trace were permanent, leaving Fallon with lots of overprotectiveness in her life.
“Is there someone you want to kiss?” I asked. Fallon kept those kinds of feelings to herself most of the time. And her shyness kept her from talking to many of the boys in our class.
Even in the dark, I saw her cheeks flame. “I guess not. Most of the guys in our year are jerks.”
A laugh bubbled out of me. “You’ve got a point.” I might have snagged the only decent one.
Mrs. Colson pulled to a stop, putting the SUV in park and turning to face us. “First stop for the giggle brigade.” Her gaze flicked to me, warmth spreading across her face. “I’m glad you two had fun.”
Fallon’s mom had become like a second mother to me over the past few years, and I swore she knew something had happened at that party. Mom radar. I felt my cheeks heating and fought not to duck my head.
Fallon bit her bottom lip to stave off another burst of giggles and leaned closer. “Call me tomorrow. We can go to the river, and you can tell me everything.”
“Right after breakfast.” My dad had a thing about Sunday breakfasts. He would make a massive spread with pancakes or waffles, even crepes if he was feeling fancy. There were no phones or other interruptions allowed. Family time.
It was one of the reasons he’d moved us to Sparrow Falls. Even though he had a big job as a financial planner to lots of hotshot businesspeople, he hadn’t wanted us to get sucked into that world. So, he’d moved us here. Finally, I wasn’t mad about it.
Fallon threw her arms around me in a huge hug, grabbing me tightly. “I don’t know how you’re going to sleep.”
Another laugh bubbled out of me. “I probably won’t.”
Unfastening my seat belt, I clambered out of the SUV. “Thanks for driving me home, Mrs. Colson.”
“Anytime, Rhodes,” she said as the front door to my house opened.
“Thanks, Nora,” my mom called from the doorway.
Mrs. Colson gave Mom a wave and a smile. With as much time as Fallon and I spent together, they were used to this back-and-forth trade-off of kids. “Want to hit up yoga tomorrow afternoon?”
“Only if we can make a stop at the bakery afterward,” Mom shot back.
Mrs. Colson laughed. “You always have the best ideas.”
I jumped down, my sandal-clad feet hitting the gravel. The full moon illuminated the house in a silvery hue. My mom had fallen in love with the ancient Victorian on a trip out here with my dad. He’d, of course, found a way to make it hers.
I’d always been a little self-conscious of the structure with its separate guesthouse that sat on a good twenty acres, the nearest neighbor barely visible. It was different than most of the other homes in Sparrow Falls. The downtown area was full of adorable Craftsman-style creations. Outside the town limits, you found sprawling ranch homes.
But as I practically skipped up the walkway, I had to admit the house was beautiful. It looked like something out of a fairy tale with towers and steeples. But even with all its intricate beauty, it never felt cold. Part of that was the sprawling gardens my mom worked tirelessly at maintaining. But more than that, it was the love inside the home’s walls.
The moment I was within arm’s reach, my mom pulled me into her embrace. She squeezed me hard, rocking me back and forth.
“Mom,” I protested, but it was muffled against her chest.
“Let me have this moment,” she argued. “My baby went to her first boy-girl party. Before I know it, you’ll be driving, drinking, and moving out of the house.”
I groaned. “I’m thirteen, not thirty.”
Mom sniffed exaggeratedly as she released me but slipped her arm around my shoulders. “I’m going to blink, and you’ll be there.”
I just shook my head. “We’ve still got some time. Breathe.”
My mom laughed. “I’ll try. Come on. I made cocoa.”
It didn’t matter that the days were slipping into the seventies and eighties; I’d take my mom’s hot cocoa anytime. It was the kind she made from actual cocoa powder, mixing in sugar and other secret ingredients. Plus, as hot as the days could get in the high desert of Central Oregon, the nights got cold.
“Marshmallows?” I asked hopefully.
She grinned down at me. “Do I look like an idiot?”
“Definitely not,” I said with an echoing smile.
My mom kept her arm around me as we walked through the entryway and down the hall toward the kitchen. Intricate woodwork bracketed us on both sides, but it all acted as a sort of frame for the whimsical wallpaper. This hallway was home to a magical fairy scene, complete with a sparkly sheen to the fairies’ wings.
When my dad had seen Mom’s choice, he’d simply shaken his head and grinned. “My girl has to make it magic.”
As we reached the kitchen, the faint scent of chocolate teased my nose, and Mom finally released me. I slid onto a stool at the wide kitchen island and wrapped my hands around the Alice in Wonderland-esque mug with its misshapen body and curlicue handle.
I closed my eyes and took a testing sip. The perfect balance of chocolate and sugar hit my tongue. “The best,” I mumbled.
When I opened my eyes, it was to find my mom studying me. Her gaze roamed over my face in slow sweeps as if she were excavating the surface layer by layer to discover what hid behind it. I had the sudden urge to bolt for my room.
Then she began blinking rapidly as her eyes shone. Panic skidded through me. “Mom?”
She waved her hand in front of her face. “It’s nothing. I’m just emotional. My little girl’s growing up.”
The panic fled as my lips curved. “It was one party.”
“Your first.” Her hands wrapped around her matching mug. “Were there any other firsts tonight?”
Heat hit my cheeks fast and hard as my gaze dropped to my hot cocoa.
Mom’s hand covered mine. “You know you can always talk to me. I’ve been there. First parties, first crushes, first kisses…”
I bit my bottom lip, and then it all came out in a rush. “Felix kissed me. I like him. Like really like him. He’s nice and cute, and every time I’m close to him, I feel like I’m on one of those Tilt-A-Whirl things. But he didn’t say anything when we left. What if he doesn’t like me back? What if I’m a bad kisser? What if—?”
My mom’s light laugh cut into my panic-induced spiral. “Rho,” she said softly.
My gaze lifted to hers.
Those hazel eyes, the same ones she’d given me, stared back at me. “He’d be a fool not to like you.”
My shoulders slumped. “You’re my mom. You’re biased.”
“You’re right. I am. But I’ve seen him looking at you when I pick you up from school. He likes you back.”
Hope flared to life somewhere deep. “Really?”
She grinned. “Really. Although I’m not sure how I feel about that. Thirteen is young for a boyfriend.”
“So many girls in my class have them,” I protested.
My mom sighed, squeezing my hand. “If he asks you, group dates only. No one-on-ones.”
“Mooooom, come on.”
She gave me a look that said arguing was futile.
I sighed. “Fine. He’s gotta ask me first anyway.”
Mom released my hand. “He will. Just give him time.”
I’d have given anything for just a little bit of her confidence. But I was still a jumble of nerves and countless other emotions I couldn’t identify. So, I drank my hot chocolate as Mom asked me about the party. Thankfully, she stayed away from the Felix subject.
“What about Fallon? Anyone she has her eye on?” Mom asked.
I shook my head. As fun and free as Fallon could be with me, she shut down completely when we were in a group. She pulled everything that was so wonderful and special about her away and put it behind the shell she’d constructed to keep everyone out. “Not really.”
My mom tapped her fingers against the island. “Just make sure you include her in those group dates, even if she doesn’t have anyone she wants to go with.”
I rolled my eyes at her. “Like I go anywhere without Fallon.”
Mom laughed as she took our mugs and put them in the sink. “How could I forget?”
As I slid off the stool, she wrapped me in another hug. “Love you to infinity.”
“Love you to infinity times infinity.”
Mom smiled against my dark brown hair. “Infinity squared.”
I squeezed her harder. “Infinity to infinity power.”
She released me with a chuckle. “I guess you have me beat. This time.”
I grinned as we headed up the stairs, my mom flipping off lights as we went.
“Are Dad and Emilia already asleep?” I asked as we moved toward the second floor.
“I think Emilia’s still up, but you know Dad’s been asleep for hours.”
Because the majority of Dad’s clients were on the East Coast, he still kept those hours. He was up and working before the sun rose, but it also meant he was there to greet us when Emilia and I got home from school.
Mom tapped my nose. “He left a new book on your bed, though.”
I grinned. While Mom’s and my bond was planting flower gardens every year, for Dad and me, it had always been books. He was forever finding new adventures for us to go on together between the pages of a good book. We’d just finished A Wrinkle in Time, and I knew he’d been hunting for our next fictional journey. I couldn’t wait to see what he’d come up with.
Mom stopped to kiss my forehead as we reached my room. “Any requests for breakfast? I can put in a word with the chef.”
I bit my bottom lip. “Crepes?”
“Going for the big guns.”
“They’re my favorite.”
She gave me one last squeeze. “I’ll see what I can do. Sweet dreams.”
“You, too.”
As I moved into my room, a wave of tiredness hit me like a truck. I winced at the clothes strewn everywhere. I’d been frantic in my search for the perfect outfit earlier and had left destruction in my wake. I’d clean it up tomorrow. If I didn’t, my clothes had a way of disappearing—my mom’s punishment for me not taking care of them.
I made quick work of brushing my teeth in my adjoined bathroom and slid on my sunflower pajamas. As I came out of the washroom, I pulled up short to find Emilia sitting on my bed, holding up one of the tops I’d been considering for the night.
“Can I borrow this?” she asked hopefully.
My little sister was just over a year younger but forever trying to take my things and hang with my friends. I frowned. “For what?”
She shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe to go to The Pop?”
The Soda Pop was a fifties-era diner that was a favorite of people of all ages thanks to its incredible burgers and delicious milkshakes, but most locals simply called it The Pop.
“It’s too fancy for The Pop,” I said, crawling under the covers.
Emilia’s mouth thinned. “Shouldn’t I decide what’s too fancy?”
Alarm bells flashed in my head. Emilia was the most stubborn twelve-year-old I’d ever met, and I was way too exhausted to get into it with her tonight. “Take it,” I said, reaching for my lamp and switching it off.
The moonlight spilling in from the giant windows leading to my balcony still illuminated the space. And I saw that Emilia had zero plans of moving.
I groaned. “What is it, Em? I’m tired.”
She was quiet for a moment. “You have a boyfriend?”
I jerked upright in bed. “Were you spying on me and Mom?”
Emilia’s jaw set in that defiant bent I recognized far too well. “I was thirsty. I needed a glass of water.”
“Then you should’ve come into the kitchen and gotten one like a normal person, not hovered in the hallway like a nosy sneak.”
She leapt from the bed. “I’m not nosy! You and Mom weren’t being quiet.”
“We didn’t know you were there.”
Hurt flashed across Emilia’s face. “Whatever. I don’t want to know about your stupid boyfriend anyway.”
She dropped the shirt onto the floor and stalked out of my bedroom, letting the door slam behind her.
I groaned as I flopped back on my pillows. Freaking little sisters. Guilt flickered in my belly, tiny pinpricks against my flesh. I should’ve gone after her. But I was so dang tired. I’d make it right in the morning. I’d bring her the shirt and her favorite lip gloss of mine, and all would be right with the world. But right now, I needed sleep.
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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
11,869 global ratings
Nina
5
Great New Series!
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
I could give this 10 stars I would. While this is the first book in a new series, fans have met the surly, mysterious Anson before and we have been chomping at the bit to get his story. It was worth the wait.
This book begins with a gut punch and the hits just kept on coming culminating into a gripping climax that I assure you, you will not see coming. Those of us who were smug about figuring out her last book should bow down to Catherine’s master storytelling because we have been schooled. I made notes along the way so sure I had it all figured out, and I was wrong, so wrong. While this is a bit darker in tone, it breaks up the tension with a delightful new set of characters that I’m already in love with from the hilarious, bawdy grandmother to an array of brothers and sisters with unique personalities that does the “found family” trope justice.
Rho is the perfect sunshine to grumpy, closed-off Anson. They share common ground borne of tragedy, but while Anson buries his pain and the demons of his past deep by closing himself off, Rho tries to fine the beauty in her pain and charges ahead to try and live her best life. She’s the ray of sunshine that cuts into Anson’s dark despair, and he didn’t stand a chance. Their feelings slow burn from enemies to friends to lovers, and while their romance grows steamier, the danger grows closer. Someone has set their sights on Rho, and when their pasts come for them both, it takes the collective effort of this family they created to try and stay a step ahead.
There’s laughs, love, an adorable dog, kittens galore, family, spice, heart stopping suspense, and an explosive reveal that had my jaw drop. I loved every single minute of this book, and had to slow myself down many times and remind myself to enjoy it rather than plowing through to get the answers.
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3 people found this helpful
Jennifer
5
Such an incredible series starter!
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
What a heck of a kickstart to this new series! Catherine Cowles books are my happy place. There's just something about them that always feel like a warm blanket on a cold day. Comforting and satisfying. So to say I'm excited to have this new series from her is a massive understatement, and if book one is anything to go by, we're in for a real treat. A slow burn, unique, beautiful, heartfelt, story that gripped me from the get go. Plus the twists and suspense in this book were so so so good, it had me not able to put the book down because I needed to know what was going to happen.
Anson is a broken and tortured man who wants nothing more than to be a recluse, completely withdraw from society and run from his tragic past. I love nothing more than to read about tortured heroes and I was drawn to Anson instantly. I loved everything from his grumpy nature, his broodish demeanour and his desire to escape, with loss and pain his only companions. That is until lively Rhodes plummets head first into Anson’s world. I absolutely loved Rhodes, I just fell in love with her colourful, charismatic personality and her whole outlook on life. She was like a beautiful breath of fresh air. She was the light to Anson’s dark and everything he never knew he needed.
The intense physical and emotional connection and chemistry that slowly built between them was nothing short of beautiful. Neither Anson nor Rhodes were expecting or even looking for the other piece to their tragic puzzles, but more and more they grew to crave and depend on each other. They were truly meant to be; a tortured and broken man and the hopeful woman set out to save him. There's no better match than these two characters, she brought lightness to his darkness and magic when he needed it the most, they were just perfect together. I loved how Catherine developed the layers of this couple and their wonderful story.
I couldn’t get enough of Anson and Rhodes’s story, and I loved every single word of it. Through all the romance was a mystery that had me hooked and desperate to figure out who and why. It brought a mystery/suspense storyline to the book which had me guessing, and certainly brings some surprising twists, and all leads up to an exciting ending that ties in really well with the love story, and which definitely had my heart pounding! It had some serious moments of drama, danger and suspense. I was so consumed by the action on the page, and I loved that it kept me on my toes. Absolutely brilliant!
It’s beautifully written and so engaging, and I was swept up in the love story, the suspense, and the sweet town of Sparrow Falls. This was the perfect introduction to what I can only imagine to be a perfect series. The romance, the suspense, the small town and their charismatic residents, all of it just hit the spot just right for me. I loved Anson and Rhodes as characters, and I loved getting to meet the extended Colson family. This is a great group, and there are sure to be some epic stories our way, and I can't wait to learn more about them in their books.
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16 people found this helpful
Liz Thompson
5
Absolutely amazing story! Loved it!
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
Catherine Cowles does it again. If she writes it, I will read it. The woman is an amazing author and I cannot get enough of her words. In Fragile Sanctuary, narrated by Zachery Webber and Andi Arndt, the first book in her Sparrow Falls series, we get Anson Hunt and Rhodes and I absolutely loved their story! The narrators truly brought Anson and Rhodes story to life for me. It was emotional, heartbreaking, touching, full of angst and suspense. This story had grumpy/sunshine, age gap, brother’s best friend, forced proximity and touch her and you die vibes and I absolutely devoured it. I loved the found family in this story so much and am so excited for this series. The characters, all of them, and their love and protectiveness was absolutely amazing.
This is a standalone and a start of a new series, however, we meet Anson in her previous series, Lost and Found, and though it does not have to be read to read this one, I highly recommend it, as I love everything this author writes. Anson is a broken hero. He lost so much and carries the weight of that loss with him every single day. He is strong, determined, protective and caring, but hides it from everyone, until her. Rhodes faces tragedy at a very young age and it left long-lasting scars. She found her place with her best friend and her newfound family, but she is ready to face her past. She was determined, full of sunshine, and caring. I loved both characters so much, even as they broke my heart at times. Both have been through much.
Anson left his past behind him, but when Rhodes is threatened, he is willing to do anything to keep her safe. Even if it costs him everything. Rhodes is ready to face her past and move forward, but doing so brings danger to her doorstep, literally. Though their journey did not start of easy, as he tried so hard to keep her at arm’s length, the moment he snaps, wow, just wow. Sometimes two imperfect people come together in the most perfect way and this is what Catherine Cowles gave us in Fragile Sanctuary. I was captivated by this story, the characters, their journey and cannot wait for what is next in the series. This is a must-read for sure and one I highly recommend.
Absolutely loved it. Happy listening!
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Jen Valencia
5
Sets the bar high for the series... 5+ stars!
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2024
Verified Purchase
There's always a thrum of excitement every single time Catherine Cowles releases the first book in a new series. After Anson Hunt was introduced in Ashes of You (book five in the Lost & Found series), I was more than curious as to what his back story was and why he was as reclusive as he was. I also wanted to know who what kind of individual would be the one to take on his grumpy ass and let him see that there was still a lot of living to be had. But I had no idea just how traumatizing the events that led to this thirty-five-year-old to build such a fortified wall around himself were. And who would have thought that he needed some sunshiny to seep into his soul and plant and sow seeds of love and hope in the form of a twenty-seven-year-old who knows a thing or two about loss and trauma?
If you've read the Lost & Found series ender, then you'll recall that Anson was mentioned as being a former profiler with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Behavioral Analysis Unit, and it was hinted that something devastating to a loved one during that time. Two years since he left law enforcement, Anson now works in restoration and construction for his best friend's business. When the next project turns out to be a partially burnt house that belongs to the man's foster sister, Anson knows he should keep his distance. But something about Rhodes Stirling has his protective instincts roaring back to life. But he's got a cache of dark secrets that appear to be ready to wreak havoc on him...and Rho.
Catherine Cowles knew what she was doing when she brought Anson into the consciousness of her readers in Ashes of You. Our curiosity was piqued and there was no way we would rest until we learned more about him. And now, it's his story with Rho that sets the ball rolling for the Sparrow Falls series, and talk about setting the bar astronomically high. The romance ticked off all the boxes for me, from sweet to swoony to steamy (and repeat!), and the suspense was top notch, leading to me switching suspects more than once (turns out my first one was the right villain!). As always, the elements of family and community clicked with me, and I'm eager to see what awaits the rest of Rho's siblings as we journey on in Sparrow Falls, Oregon. Five-plus stars for Fragile Sanctuary.
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Ashley
5
Perfect start to this new series!!!!💖
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2024
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🐕Brother's Best Friend 🐕Grumpy/Sunshine 🐕Touch Her & 🔪 🐕Romantic Suspense 🐕Small-Town . “No one’s more important to me than you, Rho. You’re everything.” . Review: This is book 1 in Catherine's new Sparrow Falls series. We met Anson in Ashes of You. He was Lawson's good friend that helped him. He was so mysterious and definitely intrigued me with his past profession. So I couldn't wait to find out his story and for him to get his HEA!
After a horrific tragedy, Anson needs a fresh start, so he moves to Sparrow Falls. He is an ex-FBI agent that worked for the BAU. As someone who has seen every episode of Criminal Minds. I freaking loved it! Rhodes is the sweet girl who has grown up in Sparrow Falls and is adored by everyone. She is ready to take back what she lost years ago. Anson is all brooding and grumpy to the max, while Rho is a happy ray of sunshine. I could relate so much to Rho's personality. I laughed out loud so many times because I could absolutely see myself doing or saying some of the things Rho did. There was no way Anson's walls could withstand Rho! These two have such traggic pasts, it broke my heart and I just wanted to hold them both! As tragic as they are, I think it's truly what brought them together. They helped and healed each other in a way that no one else could. Color in a world that had gone black. Anson was so swoony! His nickname for Rho and the protectiveness he had over her made my heart soar! You could feel the chemistry these two had and I couldn't help but have a huge smile on my face. I kept guessing who the suspect was, but Catherine threw me for a loop with that twist! I won't give anything away other than you need to read this one!🥰 It might be my favorite book by Catherine to date! And with so many cute animals, you can't help but love them all!
I got to listen to the audiobook by Andi Arndt and my favorite Zachary Webber. They did a fantastic job bringing Rho and Anson to life. I could not think of better narrators for these two! I loved all of the side characters and I can't wait for book 2, Delicate Escape! I'm dying to know Thea's story and of course Shep! I'm praying we get Kye and Fallon!!!😏🙏🤞 I honestly love this entire found family and I can't wait for each of their stories!🥰
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-
8,222
$14.79
4.5
-
115
$4.99
4.2
-
100,022
$8.39
4.3
-
155,575
$6.33
4.6
-
140,302
$13.49
4.3
-
88,556
$9.59
4.4
-
94,890
$11.66
4.3
-
154,085
$2.99
4.3
-
143,196
$9.47
4.1
-
80,003
$13.48
4.3
-
54,062
$14.99
4.4
-
59,745
$16.19
4.2
-
107,613
$8.99
4.4
-
94,673
$8.53