Tropes:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Grumpy Sunshine
- Cop MMC, True Crime Podcaster MFC
- Romantic Suspense/Mystery
- Small Town
- Emotional Pasts

As always Catherine blows me away! This book is everything!!

Ridley and Colt’s relationship starts off on rocky terms but the affection grows with every push and pull and secret revealed. Ridley beats to her own drummer and Colt is strait laced. It shouldn’t work but it does!! Their banter is so great!

The nicknames, the town characters, and the animals added something so special to this story. I will forever laugh at “tooth hug” lol.

The mystery was weaved in flawlessly to the characters.
I love the podcast portion of this story and how that works so well with the suspense and intrigue. It’s so fun to me! I actually guessed the bad guy near the end and I’m so proud of myself. It may have taken me almost the entire book but I guessed it! My most favorite thing ever in Catherine’s book is guessing who done it. I am rarely right so I’ll celebrate my win hahah

I hope we are getting more from this small town and side characters because I do not want to let them go!!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC! This was actually my first book by Catherine Cowles and it absolutely not be my last! Romantic suspense can be hit and miss with me but this one was incredible. The book had a great plotline with the main character being the host for a popular true crime podcast trying to solve cold missing persons cases. Ridley was relatable and well written and you could really feel her emotions and the reason behind why she wanted to help solve these cold cases. Similarly, the MMC, Colt, had gone into law enforcement to help solve a missing persons case close to his heart, too. As the two main characters clashed at the beginning you could feel their chemistry the entire time. The book had enough twists and turns to keep interesting and I was surprised by plot points quite a few times which makes it a good read in my opinion. On top of the great thriller like plot, the romance was well done and beautifully written as well. This book is perfect for anybody who likes romance and wants a little more intrigue and interesting plot points. Colt and Ridley were a great couple. Loved this one so much! 5 stars from me and I highly recommend it!

All The Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles 🌌

New favorite Catherine Cowles book alert! I really, really loved this one. The mystery of it had me deeply invested, the setting sounded idyllic, and all the characters were uniquely their own. Plus some adorable animal sidekicks.

Ridley is a successful true crime podcaster and is about to start recording episodes for the next case she is focusing on. She travels to the small town of Shady Cove in hopes to interview and learn more about a young woman who was abducted but her attacker was never found. Ridley doesn’t think this attacker stopped after the first, in fact she thinks that it was the beginning of a string of attacks including her twin sister. She hopes to finally be able to solve who this person is not only for herself and her sister, but everyone who has been impacted. That includes the broody, small town sheriff she keeps running in to and brother to the young woman who was first attacked.

I had been in a bit of a reading slump going in to this book but knew if anyone was going to help pull me out, it would be Catherine. I was hooked immediately and didn’t want to put the book down. Ridley was a really enjoyable character to read about. So compassionate and caring to everyone around her and truly wanting to solve the case for everyone impacted despite how personal it was to her.

She’s the main focus of the book along with the case but it’s balanced so nicely with the romance. I almost want to call it a slow burn because Ridley and Colt start out disliking each other, for good reasons, and slowly come around to realizing they had the wrong first impressions. Some close proximity and tense moments help them both realize they were wrong about the other. Colt while overbearing and possibly too protective at times, had the best intentions and cared so much about those he loved.

I was suspicious of everyone trying to figure who was the serial attacker throughout the book and was happy with how things all tied up.

🏞️ small town
🔎 suspense / mystery
😠 dislike to lovers
🌤️ grumpy (him) / sunshine (her)
💕 includes dogs and cats
👏🏻 no third act breakup

dual POV
5/5 stars ⭐️
1.5/5 spice level 🌶️

🎙️𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐞
🚨 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨
☀️ 𝐆𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐲/𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞
🐈‍⬛ 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞-𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐭
🏡 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞
💔 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬-𝐭𝐨-𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬

Another fantastic book by Catherine Cowles (not that I am surprised in the slightest). I absolutely loved everything about this book. I loved Colt and his grumpy attitude, Ridley and her determination, Tater the three legged cat and her tooth hugs, Bowser and his laziness and of course the plot. I would 100% be a subscriber to Ridley’s true crime podcast trying to solve all these crimes right along with her.

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook while also reading the ebook. I felt so immersed in the story. I am already looking forward to taking a trip back to Shady Cove!

Thank you to Catherine Cowles, Dreamscape Media and Bloom/Sourcebooks for the ARC and ALC

Witty, suspenseful and spicy are the words that come to mind when I think about a Catherine Cowles book and this one was no exception. I think Ridley might be one of my favorite FMC that Cowles has written as of yet. Her perseverance to find the culprit to the disappearance and murder of several women and help their families find closure to heal is truly admirable. All the while she is able to maintain a positive attitude and find light even in the darkest of times, honoring her missing sister Avery.

Colt, on the other hand, is Ridley’s mirror character. The both went through similar situations with their sisters but they differ on how they went on to live their lives after the fact. I’ll admit at the beginning of the book Colt used to get on my nerves with the shitty way he treated Ridley. But we later understood that this came from a place of guilt and fear rather than hatred. Ridley and Colt definitely complement each other.

Cant wait to read the next book! Hopefully its about Emerson and a certain bartender 👀

Thanks again to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eArc✨

Ridley and Colt had such an intricate story that had me hooked from the start.

Ridley and Colt both have a history of guilt with feeling like they are the reason their sisters were abducted. Ridley travels the country and covers cold cases for her podcast, and just so happens to choose one in Colt’s small town. I loved every minute of watching Colt slowly accept his fate of working with Ridley instead of thinking she is a nuisance.

Colt was the perfect broody sheriff who makes sure everyone in his life is always safe. Ridley is much more carefree, and is living the way she thinks her sister would want her to be. I absolutely LOVEd the addition of old Mr. Bowser and Princess Tater. I am a massive fan of animals in any form, and I loved that these two brought comedy and security to the story.

As per usual with Catherine Cowles books and me, the writing is so good that the suspect is not even on my radar. This story really made me think and I loved that every few chapters the reader was lead to believe that someone else was a suspect. Watching Ridley and Colt work together to solve the case she was working on was funny but so entertaining. Ridley really tested Colt’s patience sometimes, but I love how protective he became over her.

I will forever be a massive fan of Catherine Cowles, but this book became my new favourite because it kept me guessing the. Whole. Time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

omg i think this is my new favorite catherine cowles book!! it has everything i always love from catherine in it like small town, suspense, swoon worthy mmcs, strong fmcs and more. but this one had an extra added element to the plot that i absolutely loved! ridley is a true crime podcaster and it made learning about the case and the building suspense so much more fun and intense! i seriously could not put this one down!

here’s what i loved:
🚐 catherine’s prologues always make me so weepy
🗝️ shady cove has all the best small town vibes
🚐 bessie!! ridley’s van is perfect
🗝️ ridley is so passionate about what she does and i love that she actually helps people and cares about them and the way she delivers their stories on her podcast
🚐 TATER!!! name a cuter three-legged cat who gives tooth hugs
🗝️ already in love with colt, the dislike/enemies to lover vibes are already feeling strong
🚐 the true crime podcast ridley runs “sounds like serial” is such a fun and unique element to the story, you could tell catherine did her research on that aspect and it felt like i was one of her subscribers listening in
🗝️ the suspense element is strong in this one and i was on the edge of my seat trying to piece everything together and solving the crime
🚐 when colt starts getting protective of ridley😮‍💨
🗝️ loved seeing how respectful ridley is of emerson’s trauma and so gentle with building that relationship
🚐 all the podcast interviews were so fun, i truly felt like i was in ridley’s head trying to solve everything
🗝️ that one lake scene!!!
🚐 the whole time i thought i had it figured out and let me tell you, i was wrong!! i love when catherine stumps me!!
🗝️ my heart was racing at the end but i was so happy to see everything play out the way it did and that true closure was found
🚐 colt & ridley shared such a deep connection and i loved getting to witness them grow closer and bond over that undeniable chemistry

overall, i think it’s cleared how much i loved this book! catherine stumped me once again but it was SO much fun being along for the ride. i wish this wasn’t a stand-alone because i really love these characters and this storyline

Once again, I fell in love with another Catherine Cowles book. If you love true crime podcasts, romantic suspense and small towns with personality, then make sure All The Missing Pieces is on your tbr!

Ridley is the host of the popular true crime podcast, Sounds Like Serial and her investigations have taken her to the small town of Shady Cove. Years ago, a teenager was abducted and the story is the prime case for her next season of her podcast. But Ridley has an ulterior motive: this case could also have something to do with her sister's disappearance.

While the town is friendly at first, the minute she begins to ask questions, she attracts the attention of Colt, the sheriff in town and with deep personal connections to the case. While Ridley and Colt start off on the wrong foot, soon they find common ground while working together to help solve the mystery that left an impact on the town.

I absolutely devoured Ridley and Colt's story. The tension and chemistry between them was perfect. I love a good enemies to lovers beginning and this was perfection to me. Ridley was such a badass woman and I loved how she took her trauma and became a force to try to help others like her. I also loved how she could be kind and empathetic with those who needed it, but also kept Colt on his toes like he needed to be. She was truly Chaos in the best way possible.

Colt is the type of swoony hero I expect from a Catherine Cowles book, but with a jug of protective man thrown in. I love how much of a protector he was to everyone in his life, and how that began to include Ridley. Watching his walls break down for Ridley was fantastic and I loved every moment, from the tooth hugs of Tater to the chemistry that combusted.

Even though I had a list of suspects (yes, it basically included everyone 🤣), I was totally wrong about the villain. This book had me guessing until the very end and the reveal was every bit as surprising as I expected it to be.

Catherine Cowles has done it again.

I can’t begin to tell you how much I love her books. They NEVER miss. They are the most perfect blend of spice, romance and true crime and it just hits.

This book was more true crime focused IMO and I loved it just as much. The story was so moving and intriguing. I’m always on the edge of my seat and I NEVER EVER guess who did it (much to my dismay and this was no exception).

Colt and his Chaos were so good together. He’s grumpy and tortured and she is the light in the darkness he just can’t see past. She’s haunted with her own story, but she lives every day to the fullest and it both annoys him and captivates him.

They are so good together. The banter, the romance and the spice were all top tier. I loved the town of Shady Cove and all the side characters and I can’t wait to go back there.

If you love true crime, and romantic suspense, THESE ARE FOR YOU. Go run and read Catherine’s whole backlog - she’s absolutely wonderful.

Catherine Cowels can do no wrong. Every book is just as amazing as the next. The way she writes brooding over protective grumpy men is unlike anything I’ve ever read. Talk about hot grumpy sheriffs. I think they have become my new type of men. The suspense in this book will keep you on your toes. There is no other person who can do romantic suspense like Catherine. This book was amazing I would give it 6 stars if could. In no time you’ll be loving Ridley and grumpy Law Man Colt.

Dual POV, first person
Spice: 2🌶️
Tropes: romantic suspense, true crime podcast host FMC, sheriff MMC, enemies to lovers, small town, forced proximity, “who did this to you?”

My romantic suspense queen does it yet again, y’all!
The twists, the turns, the spice, the swoon. It’s all there and so much more. And I loved every moment of it!

Ridley is a true crime podcaster dedicating her life to bringing closure to families after her twin sister goes missing. Her next season brings her to Shady Cove where she meets the sheriff. Sparks immediately fly between them as she starts to dig for information about an abduction 10 years prior.

Catherine is so good at writing strong independent women and Ridley is no exception. Her grief is strong, but she fights every day to be stronger. Catherine is also good at writing alpha men that are down bad over their women and that’s also what we get with Colt.
Oh my gosh I loved their banter and the fire between them! The chemistry is strong, but then you add in the forced proximity and super cute animals and their connection burns off the page.
The spice is wonderful and melds deliciously with the overall story. The romance and the suspense compliments each other beautifully which is a key factor to Catherine’s books.

Of course you also get a fun cast of characters that add excitement to the story. But this is a Catherine Cowles novel… no one is innocent. And I was side eyeing everyone! That meme of Charlie Day and his suspect board from it’s always sunny was me as I tried to figure it out. I ultimately was wrong (happily), but I was so close! And that’s one of my favorite things about CC books. Her reveals will leave you shook.

I cannot wait to see what this series has in store. I will say the teased couple at the end has me very excited!

✨ARC review✨

Romantic suspense and true crimes, the ultimate combination!

Ridley Sawyer lost her twin sister and never got closure after her disappearance. She dedicates her life to true crime, solving those cold cases to bring closure where she can. Along the way, she never stops looking for her sister. Colter Brooks is the local small town grumpy sheriff who doesn’t want an out of towner stirring up trouble and upsetting his citizens. Sparks fly between the two as they realize how similar they are and what really matters.

This was one of my quickest reads of the year, and Catherine just made herself one of my “must reads” authors! I never saw the ending coming and can’t wait for this book to live rent free in my head for the next few weeks.

This captivating small town romantic suspense has a sunshiney true crime podcaster heroine, a grumpy sheriff hero, a loveable three-legged cat and all the delicious enemies-to-lovers vibes. While I don’t want to further rehash the blurb, I will say that the plot of this one is interesting, engaging and I fell for this story hook, line and sinker. As you might expect with a story involving a true crime podcast this one does deal with some sensitive topics and while they are handled with grace, please read with care. The characters in this one are real, relatable and people I’d love to know. Ridley is fierce, loyal and has a knack for making friends with everyone from a high school student to a chess playing “grandpa” to members of a motorcycle club. Colt is a natural born protector and has a such a soft, loving heart under the pain that he wears as a shield. I think that Ridley and Colt are linked in a deep, profound way and I really like them for each other. I am a huge fan of Catherine Cowles and her signature style but this one had a slightly different feel – not bad just a bit different. While I liked the mystery/suspense aspect a little more in this one (and still couldn’t suss out the bad guy even though I trusted no one), I felt like the romance was less palpable and took more of a backseat. Make no mistake though; love still abounds. Time spent in the pages of this enjoyable read will give you plenty of heart, heat, humor and an emotional happily ever after that will leave you pleasantly satisfied!

4 stars! I love just about everything Catherine Cowles writes so I was so excited for this one! I really liked both Ridley and Colt. I thought it was interesting to see how they both delt with their life situations. The family/found family was also quirky and fun. I did enjoy the mystery of this one and it definitely was not what I was expecting at all. The reason this is a 4 star instead of 5 is because there was some repetitiveness (especially with the use of certain words), also the chemistry/ relationship development between Ridley and Colt didn't feel super strong or deep. I wanted to feel their connection a little more. All that being said I still very much enjoyed this book. I can not wait to hopefully read another book in this series with Emerson and Trey. Honestly, Trey was one person who made this book so good so I hope we get to see more of him. While, this was not my favorite CC book, it is definitely still a must read.

Thank you Catherine Cowles, NetGalley, and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

at this point consider me obsessed with anything Catherine writes. Right from the prologue I was hooked and couldn’t put the book down.

Ridley is a true crime podcaster who’s trying to figure out who’s behind multiple disappearances and decides to go back to what she believes is the first victim. When she arrives at the town she bumps into Colt the grumpy sheriff who doesn’t want her near the town.

Both Ridley and Colt suffer trauma they have to deal on the daily. They’re both ridden with guilt over everything that happened. Once Colt figures out what Ridley is trying to uncover decides they should work together.


The banter was chef kiss. Catherine truly knows her banter and honestly I was so obsessed.

Catherine’s mind always shocks me even when I semi discovered who the villain was she still managed to shock me.

I had such a good time reading this book 💜

Thank you thank you Catherine & Sourcebooks for the arc!!

True crime podcaster Ridley Sawyer seeks justice for cold cases while grappling with the unresolved disappearance of her twin sister. When her investigation collides with Sheriff Colter Brooks’ guarded small-town life, sparks fly, but danger looms as the case takes a deadly turn.

All The Missing Pieces is the first book in the Shady Cove series. This romantic suspense book contained grumpy/sunshine and forced proximity romance tropes. I appreciated the unique combination of a true crime podcaster heroine and a sheriff hero which got me invested in the story. Overall, it was an engaging read, but I found myself more interested by the suspense than the romance. The cold case plot was what truly hooked me and kept me turning the pages. There were moments where I thought I had figured out the culprit, only for the author to completely blindside me with unexpected twists which I loved. However, the romance between Ridley and Colt fell a bit flat for me. The dialogue felt too cliché and occasionally cringey. Ridley’s impulsive decisions sometimes annoyed me. Colt’s behavior while meant to be grumpy occasionally came across as outright rude which detracted from the charm of their dynamic. Given that Ridley is a true crime podcaster, I would have loved to see a few podcast episodes woven into the story to provide more depth and immersion. Overall, this was a solid start to the series and I’m excited to see which characters get their own stories next!

I love true crime and podcasts so once I could get my hands on this book, I was all in. Let me tell you, it was incredible from the first page. I do not even have the words to describe the emotions or thoughts while reading. Just when you have an inkling of what may happen next, boom you are sucked back in as nothing is as it seems. This author does not disappoint and this book is already one of my top reads of 2025. You are missing out if you do not grab this immediately.

Another Catherine Cowles banger!

Seriously I just love Catherine’s writing and stories and this was no exception!

Colt and Ridley were so good together. There was so much tension…until there wasn’t…and don’t even get me started on their cutesy nicknames for each other!

I enjoyed the crime podcast vibes and the investigation and it was just so perfectly well written.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks, NetGalley and Catherine for this amazing ARC opportunity!

I have been a fan of Catherine Cowles for several years now and somehow fall more in love with her books as a new one comes out. This novel focuses on Ridley, a podcast host who focuses on true crime, and Colter a small town sheriff. Both have secrets and have suffer significant trauma due to crimes that have happened within the area.

Ridley faces some opposition from Colt for reasons she’s doesn’t immediately understand however there is something about her that he cannot get past. This is an AMAZING novel for those who love true crime, suspense, romance, and a sweet HEA! I could not put this novel down and cannot wait to see where the rest of the series goes! This novel was so fun and I absolutely loved the characters.

(4.5) Guys, I did it. I actually guessed the bad guy. There was a little twist with the person. But still it happened.

I really enjoyed this one. The way the relationship between Ridley and Colt progressed. The way they each carried their past with them - how Ridley opened Colt up to a new method. They eventually supported each other and were a good fit. Even their banter when they were “enemies” was just so fun and satisfying.

I loved the small town of Shady Cove and the cast of characters that came with it. The way they were protective of Emerson but also opened to Ridley as she proved herself.

I think the only thing I wanted more of was resolution for Emerson. I would have loved to see more for her character, especially since this is a stand alone.

But all in all, a fantastic book. Def recommend.