When right from the beginning I love the main character, a new author, to me, has me vested. That’s the case with Catherine Cowles' All the Missing Pieces. When she introduces a male character, a sheriff no less, who just fits the part to a T, and naturally they are going to be opposites, and you watch their meeting develop the story, add another plus for the author. Then lets get to the plot, a true crime podcaster roams the country to solve crimes in her little bus Bessie. She is quite successful but always looking for the answer to her twin sister’s disappearance years before. Could it be by a serial killer who got his start in the sheriff’s hometown? Add the plot twists, the delightful town characters who naturally fall for Ridley, our podcaster, Sheriff Cole protecting his town and his sister, and oh you can’t forget Tater. When the surprise ending hits, you’ll find yourself, like me, looking forward to the next book by Cowles and wishing you could meet the characters again. A totally A+ romantic suspense novel and I’ve now added Cowles to my favorite author list. Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC

DNF @ 12%, so I won't be rating this one on any of my review platforms.

All the Missing Pieces was a book I really wanted to like, and from the blurb, I <i>should</i> have. The author's books are constantly popping up in my timeline with rave reviews that made me hopeful. But there were many things that didn't work for me. It was overwritten, and I found some of the description was odd. (Acres of hair? Really?) The MFC was giving off 'not like other girl' vibes, but she was like so many other heroines I've read. The banter between the couple was annoying and so familiar. Unfortunately, this one just missed the mark for me.

All The Missing Pieces by Cathrine Cowles delivers a gripping suspenseful story with a plot that keeps you engaged. The twists and turns are well-crafted, and the mystery surrounding the characters’ pasts adds a strong layer of intrigue. However, the romance felt a bit too rushed for my taste. The “insta-love” dynamic didn’t allow for the tension and buildup I was hoping for. More banter and gradual development between the characters would have made their connection feel more authentic. Overall, a solid read for suspense lovers, but the romance could have been more compelling. 3.5 out of 5. Thanks Catherine Cowles for the eARC.

Catherine Cowles can do no wrong!! Her books never fail to suck me in and capture my attention from page one. She brings the swoons and the mystery.

This book was no different! I loved the true crime podcast element and how all the characters’ stories were woven together.

Ridley is sunshine and fire. She has seen the darkest and most sinister side of life, and she doesn’t let that stop her. She turned it into fuel to fight for a better place.

Colt is the grumpy to her sunshine. His view of the world has been defined by a dark time and it might just take Ridley’s light to show him the good in the world.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book!

Catherine Cowels does an excellent job of making you suspect everyone, while trying to figure out the who done it aspect of her books. This one completely took me by surprise! (And I love it when that happens).

This is an enemies to benefits to lovers, with a great cast of side characters, and a small town cast of characters that is unique. Colt and Ridley (of Chaos as Colt calls her), have great tension between them, the entire book.

This is definitely an emotional book, but also a lot of moments of hope. This is definitely one of my favorite Catherine Cowels books I’ve read.

I absolutely loved this book! I've been a fan of Catherine's for awhile, and she has the ability to weave such an inciting story every time! This is one of my favorites by her - the true crime podcaster was such a fun spin, and something I've not read before!

I will say - I'm a little biased, because Catherine had asked me a long time ago if she could name a cat Tater after my cat, Tater!

I can't wait for this book to be out in the world!

“You’ve had me breaking all the rules since the day I met you."
•

after her sister disappears the night before their college graduation, Ridley devotes her life and career to exposing cold case files through her true crime podcast. all the while, she’s also privately working to solve her sister’s case. in doing so, it leads her to the small town of Shady Cov — the place she believes to be the genesis of a series of heinous crimes and the key to uncovering what happened to her sister.

but first she has to break through the wall of overprotective townsfolk, including the grumpy sheriff who wants nothing more than for her to turn her van around and take her sassy three-legged cat with her as she leaves town. little does she know that Colt has a difficult history with cold cases himself. slowly but surely, these two warm up to one another enough to compare notes and potentially crack the case wide open.

while the subject matter is heavy, All the Missing Pieces wasn’t so intense that I couldn’t stomach the journey. I felt like I was alongside Ridley as she investigated the string of cold cases, while also feeling the deep emotions the cast of characters experienced.

I’m still relatively new to the romantic suspense genre, and of the Catherine Cowles books I’ve read so far, this is my favorite!
•

this and that:
♡ cat parents
♡ cold case solving
♡ dual pov
♡ frenemies-with-benefits
♡ hurt x comfort
♡ loathe-to-love
♡ open door spice
♡ podcaster x sheriff
♡ small towns
♡ suspenseful romance
♡ true crime podcasts
•

triggers:
☞ agoraphobia
☞ death of a loved one
☞ grooming (discussed, occurs off-page)
☞ kidnapping
☞ missing person
☞ murder (off-page)
☞ physical attacks and violence
☞ rape (mentioned, does not occur on page)

Oh you want to talk about All The Missing Pieces? Well, IT LEFT ME IN PEICES. Sobbing on the floor gasping for air but GAH DAMN I LOVED THIS BOOK.

Not only did Catherine give us a story full of love and hope and grief and light. But anyone who has ever lost anyone they loved can relate with Ridley. Any reader who picks up this book will feel the heart and soul that went into this book. Colt and Ridleys stories were painful but beautifully written and it made me want to hug them but also go hug my sister tight and never let her go.

"I’d gotten the privilege of loving Avery for twenty-two years in this life and forever in the next."

I have never met a Catherine Cowles man that I did not fall in love with and Colter Brooks is NOT the exception. This man is a specimen of the FINEST caliber 🥵 watching his grumpy side soften for Ridley as he learned more pieces of her story made me feel all warm and gooey inside. And Ridley, oh my strong brave girl. She was a light of hope in this story, never failing to rise no matter what was thrown at her. She is the sister we all deserve to have and the sister I hope I can live up to.

“Is it fitting that I’m laughing and crying when I’ve told you I love you?”

“Baby, you’re chaos. Of course it is.”

In this story we meet a new small town in the Catherine Cowles universe and as always it is charming and full of loveable side characters. I know this story is a standalone but there are so many characters I want to learn more about!

With an audiobook its important that the narrators embody the emotions of the characters, especially in a story such as this one. Andi and Sebastian did an amazing job. They had perfect voice inflections and I could feel the emotion that they were putting into the story as much as I felt the words. They brought Shady Cove to live in a way that made this book and audiobook one of my top reads of 2024.

But seriously. This book was something incredible. There are parts of this story that I will carry with me long after I've finished reading 🤍🧩

Thank you endlessly to Catherine and Sourcebooks for the ARC of this story!

Welcome to Shady Cove, California, an all new series by the queen of small town romantic suspense herself, Catherine Cowles. And if she was a queen before All the Missing Pieces, she’s a dang Empress now!

Ridley is a true-crime podcaster, traveling the country with her VW van, her paddleboard, her recording equipment, and her cat. When she gets to Shady Cove to look into a botched kidnapping attempt from over a decade ago. As more of the story comes to light, readers will be on the rollercoaster ride of a lifetime, racing the clock before it’s too late and someone silences Ridley before she uncovers what really happened. Add in a broody sheriff, who just happens to be big brother of said kidnapping victim, his town bartender best friend, and a host of other delightful townfolk and I hope we get to stay in Shady Cove a while. I loved these characters and this town.

All the Missing Pieces takes every element of a Catherine Cowles novel that you have come to love and expect and then dials them all up to eleven (hundred!). The banter is hilarious, the dirty talk will steam up the room, and the first time Ridley and Colt get together. No one is ready for that chapter! Red herrings abound and the reader will truly never see it coming. I even went in knowing that she had teased that this one was harder than most to predict the baddie and even deliberately looking for the out of the box character to be the bad guy I missed it. Catherine Cowles is one of the few authors that can keep me guessing right up to the very end. This is without a doubt my favorite Catherine Cowles book and though it is one of my last reads of 2024, it soared to the top of that list too! I never thought anything could beat Tattered Stars for me but at the very least, this one ties for top billing.

Catherine Cowles truly reigns supreme in the realm of romantic suspense. I was eager to discover how this tale would unfold, and once again, I found myself wrong as to who I thought the villain was. The ties that Ridley and Colt share with the plot were well portrayed. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and fell head over heels for yet another charming small town and its delightful cast of characters. The enemies-to-lovers theme was a fantastic start, and I adored all the characters, loved Colt (Law Man), Ridley (Chaos), Tater the cat (what a great name) and Bowser the dog. I can’t wait for more stories set in Shady Cove! 💜💜

*AHHHHHHHHH*

That’s basically how this book made me feel the entire time. I LOVED it! And what I found interesting and fun this time around is that it was a standalone (there are possible future books but not anything concrete at the moment). And having it as a standalone meant that I did not trust ANYBODY. I don’t care how good of a friend or family member you are, I had my eyes on scoping out who would be apart of that final reveal. AND I WAS STILL SHOCKED. The craftiness of CC’s writing and story telling continues to amaze me. Gosh I love her books.

The enemies banter was on point. I loved the sassiness and comebacks and the groveling and heat. It’s all there and such a delight. The loving family members and support system were strong and highlighted many wonderful side characters.

Obsessed with the audiobook. The narrators did a fantastic job and y’all know that dual POV is superior in all the ways. Not one negative thing to say, I could not get enough of this book.

Overall audience notes:

Romantic Suspense
Language: moderate
Romance: open door
Violence: moderate – high
Content Warnings: murder, attempted murder, ser!al k!ller, loss of a loved one

When my BBF said she was in love with Catherine Cowles writing, I knew I had to read her soon. I've been grabbing up her books since another author (Harper Sloan) absolutely raved about her, but never pulled the trigger because...huge TBR and all that. When NG offered a chance to read this story, I jumped on it and have not a single regret. This story has everything I love in a story. Suspenseful as heck... YES! A storyline that keeps you completely hooked...YES! Romance and steam... Absolutely! A thrilling and unsuspecting who done it...OMG YES!!! I love to "guess" who the perpetrator is and this one had me clueless and my jaw dropped when they were finally revealed. Off to put ALL this authors books on my TBR because I'm completely invested now!

5 stars
2 spice

Every single time I think I'll be able to guess the villain, I'm wrong. I even made a list with reasons as to who the villain could be. Fun fact! I was not even close.

I love a good enemies to lovers and Catherine delivered on this one. The banter was BANTERINGGGG! These two can't stand each other at the start and it's so good. Colt can't handle the outspoken, stubborn woman in a van with her three-legged cat.

Catherine did a great job of developing these characters. Colt really needs someone like Ridley to bring a little chaos into his life. He loves a routine and to have things in order. He likes the control. But Ridley takes his routine and throws it to the wind. She travels for her podcast and lives out of her van.

With any Catherine Cowles book, I find myself drawn into the world and walking with the characters. I love how easy it is to get lost in the book and drown out the rest of the world. This might be my fave CC book yet honestly!

tropes:
- law enforcement hero
- grumpy x sunshine
- enemies to lovers
- small town suspense
- forced proximity
- who hurt you?

I have no notes, this book was perfect! I cannot explain the experience that was reading this book because everything worked so well together.

Catherine is so good at creating characters that are relatable, complex, and emotional. And even though they’re going through hell they don’t let it take them under, they still look for the light and fight for love every day, and I love that so much.

I think this might be my favourite CC book yet, and I know that it’s a standalone but I desperately need more of Shady Cove and everyone who lives there!

Thanks to NetGalley and SourseCasa books for the eARC.

I loved this book so much! From the start I was hooked to figuring out how all the cases connected. I had my suspicions, but boy were they wrong! I absolutely loved Ridley and Colt together. They had such great chemistry together. This book blends mystery and romance together perfectly.

Wow this was such a beautiful book! I love everything by Catherine Cowles and I knew this would be no exception. Ridley is such a spitfire and I absolutely adored her spirit. But Colt?! My goodness that lawman is perfect. This had the perfect combination of romance and humor while still simultaneously being emotional and telling such a tragic but meaningful story. What a beautiful but haunting way these two lives intertwined. The townspeople were also such a riot and quirky. And you can’t forget the perfect animal sidekicks that brought levity to all the situations! I loved watching this enemies to lovers blossom and seeing them hunt down the bad guy together was phenomenal. Such an easy 5 stars!

All the Missing Pieces is a new, romantic suspense from Catherine Cowles and this delivers on small town, true crime, and suspense!

“Colt, you helped me find all the missing pieces. Even the ones I didn’t realize I needed.”

Ridley is a true crime podcaster (Sounds like Serial) who investigates cold cases hoping to find answers for families. She ends up in Shady Cove for a story she wants to work on that she has a personal attachment to as well. There she meets Colt, the grumpy sheriff in town who is not happy with her poking around in town. He has personal reasons why he doesn’t want her in town stirring things up, but he also isn’t a fan of anyone trying to come in town and exploit their tragedy. Over time, they both figure out more about one another and as Ridley breaks down the walls, he starts to help her on the case instead!

“Haven’t you figured it out yet, Chaos? You’ve had me breaking all the rules since the day I met you.”

I’m always a sucker for a Catherine Cowles book, she does romantic suspense so well and I couldn’t wait to see how this story played out! The prologue immediately grabbed my attention and I was along for the ride with Ridley. The personal, emotional connections both Ridley and Colt have to the story was just so well done. I really enjoyed this one, plus fell in love with another small town and slew of characters Catherine wrote! All the moments: Law Man and Chaos, Tater the cat, glow in the dark stars on the ceiling, Emerson (oh how I love her), Bowser the dog, all the side characters, the true crime aspect! Another win from Catherine Cowles, I hope we get more in Shady Cove! 👀

I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own!

In true Catherine Cowles style, the suspense was top-notch. No matter how many times I guessed who the culprit was, I was wrong 🤣

What stood out to me most about this book was Ridley’s resilience. Despite facing something horrifying, she didn’t become bitter—instead, she used her experience to help others. And I think that’s true strength.

The journey of healing felt so real and beautiful for all characters involved, offering an inspiring lesson.

All The Missing Pieces is Catherine's new standalone romantic suspense and it is absolute perfection. I loved every single second of it. It completely consumed me from the start, I was unable to put this book down, if I didn't have to sleep I would've finished in one sitting. It's that good. I don't know how she does it every single time but her words are just so gripping, the story was so intriguing, the characters had me rooting for them right from the beginning. The plot was intricately constructed and unraveled at the perfect pace keeping me utterly addicted throughout.

I loved Ridley so much, she is so fierce and strong. She goes after what she wants and doesn't give up. Colt is a grumpy sheriff with the softest interior. Once they finally get together it is a true explosion. They were a flame waiting to ignite. Their chemistry is off the charts, the tension was palpable and the way they care for one another was so heartwarming. As usual the side characters (found family) is one of Catherine’s strong suits, they were all absolutely lovable, every single interaction added value to the story and made me care for each of them even more. Tater the devil cat added the right amount of humor throughout.

A stellar romantic suspense that truly delivered on every aspect. It had it all. I really hope this is the start of a new series, because there is a lot of potential with some side characters here!! Absolutely loved it and can't find one single thing I did not enjoy. Highly recommend it!!

✨️Thank you to @sourcebookscasa & @catherinecowles for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an eARC. Ridley travels the country helping others find peace by helping to solve cold cases. She has been on this mission since her twin sister went missing and was never found. She may finally be close to solving her sister’s disappearance while looking into another case. A grumpy sheriff might be the extra help she needs to solve this case. Loved the suspense and romance. Enjoyed seeing the story of someone move forward after a horrible trauma. Cute light hearted moments with Tatter. A story I couldn’t put down.