Listen... it's no secret that Catherine Cowles has become one of my all time favorite authors (if not the author holding steady in the number one spot) so when I heard she was releasing not only a new book but one that featured a true crime podcaster as the FMC I think I actually dug and laid down in my own grave. As a true crime podcast fanatic I was literally salivating to get my hands on this book and see where she'd take us.

I adored how nuanced and layered both Ridley and Colter are in this book. IMO Catherine Cowles always does such a good job at providing fully fleshed out characters with pasts and current motivations that really brings to them to life on and off the page. I read this months ago and I'm still a little bit (okay, a lot) obsessed with Ridley. I wanted to throat punch Colter a few times in the beginning for how judgmental and assuming he was in regards to her and who she is as a person, but in hindsight I think his initial impressions and thoughts/comments really set the stage for an emotional impact when he finally started to come around.

All in all, I was fully sucked into this story once I started and couldn't put it down... but I've come to expect that with anything she writes. I'd highly recommend reading if you love true crime, suspense, small town settings, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, etc. in your romance books.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to Catherine Cowles and her team for gifting me an ARC of this book.

All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles was my first book I've read by here and I had a great time reading/listening to the audiobook! It makes me excited to start more of her books. 4.5 stars!

With romance and mystery being my two favorite genres, I felt like this was a perfect blend of both!

Thank you Catherine for the ARC and PR package with the incredible goodies inside. Excited to read more of your backlist.

This was not my favorite. I was hoping this would hook me on CC’s writing and push me to dive into her other series, but unfortunately this standalone fell flat for me. I loved the premise of the story but truly wished it was just a mystery instead of a romantic suspense. I didn’t feel invested in the FMC and MMC’s relationship at all.

I don't usually listen to audiobooks but I really enjoyed how the narrators brought the story to life. Ridley is a traveling true crime podcaster who clashes with the local sheriff when she comes to town to solve a case. When Ridley uncovers new evidence in a case that puts her in danger, the sheriff has to step in and protect her. A small town, close proximity, enemies to lovers romance that is Catherine Cowles at her finest.

Catherine Cowles has done it again folks. I ended 2024 on a high after reading this one! Not only did it get 5 stars from me, but it made it to my top reads of 2024 list.

Ridley Sawyer is a true crime podcaster that has an emotional tie to the work that she does. She begins a new project that takes her to the small town of Shady Cove to research and report on a kidnapping case that’s gone cold. On her first day in town, she gets into it with the town’s hot and grumpy sheriff, Colt. Ridley and Colt can’t seem to stop bumping into each other and despite their rocky initial meeting, they team up to hopefully find answers to the cold case.

No one does romantic suspense like Catherine Cowles. She has truly mastered the perfect blend of romance, suspense, twists, and of course comedic relief (looking at you Tater!). I was so invested in the story and so eager to see what would happen next. I’ve read all of Catherine’s book so I’m no stranger to playing the guessing game when it comes to the bad guy, but this one truly had me staring into space SHOOK.

Ridley and Colt were the perfect contrast, the grumpy sheriff and the bubbly podcaster living in an RV with her three-legged cat. Ridley made it her job to push all of Colt’s buttons and I love love loved it. There’s so much chemistry between these two that when we get to the “f it” moment I was kicking my feet.

Sebastian York and Andi Arndt narrated this one and did a fantastic job! I love having the audio of Catherine’s books because they’re some of my go-to rereads so I definitely recommend the audiobook for this one!

Hoping we’ll get more from this world because there are some characters I’d love to get to know better 🤞

I’m always excited to read a romantic suspense book, because I don’t read them nearly enough and that is another one of my goals this year. Read more suspense!! Catherine Cowles never fails to give us a solid romantic suspense story. She has a way of making us care about each small town and its cast of characters, while keeping us on our toes with the mystery she weaves.

I liked the unique premise of this one, where a true crime podcaster sets out to put the pieces together in finding what she believes to be a serial unaliver. She is met with resistance from the local sheriff but they soon find themselves working together to solve the crimes. Both are living with grief and guilt, and soon Ridley and Colt find a connection that neither expected. This one had twists, turns and heart racing moments, that had me guessing until the very end. And I’m really hoping we get a love story for Emerson!!!

Romance and true crime podcasts are two of my favorite things in life, and this book had both, so I just had to pick it up—and let me tell you, I was not disappointed.

The characters (especially Ridley) felt so lifelike, their emotions so raw that I often found myself crying and laughing right alongside them.

The story follows Ridley, a true crime podcaster who lost her twin sister just before college graduation. The police never recovered her body—only a keychain Ridley had gifted her, stained with blood. Unable to move on, Ridley starts investigating on her own and discovers that her sister might not have been the only victim. There were others. So, she heads to a small town to solve the cold case of Emerson’s abduction, believing the same person might be responsible. The only issue? The hot sheriff Colt—Emerson’s older, overprotective brother—wants nothing to do with an outsider digging up painful memories for views. But as danger closes in and threats turn to violence, Colt might not have a choice but to let her help.

The mystery kept me on the edge of my seat. The author did a fantastic job making sure readers trusted no one—I found myself side-eyeing everyone. That was so well done! However, I have to admit the ending left me a little disappointed. It felt like the whole mystery could’ve been solved much earlier if someone had just looked at a certain thing and made the obvious connection.

Still, this was such a compelling read. I loved the atmosphere, the tension, and the chemistry between the leads. If you're a fan of romantic suspense with a strong mystery element, this one is definitely worth checking out.

I absolutely love this this one especially the audiobook. The mystery element of Ridley hosting a crime podcast to find the bad people has this one case close to personal. She wants to find her missing twin sister and the small town of Sheriff Colter Brooks may have a common denominator for a case that went cold over 10 years ago. I loved the meet cute Ridley and Colter had and loved watching their romance developed. All the missing pieces leading to the reveal I didn't guess at all. This was a great pace read. I highly recommend it.

Narrators Andi Arndt; Sebastian York are a great fit for this series. Andi for sure put the emotional impact to her performance.

I received this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦. 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭…✨

🔍true crime podcaster x sheriff
🏞️small town
🔍enemies to fwb to lovers
🏞️three-legged sassy cat
🔍suspense
🏞️grumpy x sunshine

all the missing pieces is my no.1 book by @catherinecowlesauthor 😍

this book was quite emotional so please read tw because it deals with feelings of grief which were quite hard to read at times💗

ridley is a true crime podcaster with a tragic past, her twin sister went missing and she won’t rest until she knows what happened to her. it is ridleys mission in life to try and help victims and their loved ones get some closure by investigating unsolved cases, often involving missing people💗

colter brooks is a grumpy cop in a small town, with an equally tragic past. he’s not a fan when ridley comes storming into his small town bringing chaos in her wake, and what it might mean for the people he loves most💜

these two had a rocky start but the tension was tensioning from the start🤭 there was so much passion and fire between these two, they were inevitable. they just needed to let the other in and realise that they shared the same goal, and what they could accomplish when they worked together👀

overall this book was a classic catherine cowles small town, suspense that had me questioning EVERYONE. i swear, i have trust issues because of this woman!!! as usual, i did not guess the unsub correctly 😂 but would it really be a catherine cowles book if i could?🤭

thank you @catherinecowlesauthor for an ARC & ALC of this book, the narrators did a fantastic job bringing colt & ridley to life 🫶

Ohh I had such high hopes for this one but I think it really fell flat :( I found that I wasn’t gripped by this book, or excited to pick it back up at any point, it wasn’t bad by any means just not high stakes or exciting enough for me to be hooked on it!

This follows Ridley, a true crime podcaster who visits Shady Cove to try and solve a string of abductions and murders over the last decade, as she believes it’s the same person who took her twin sister. It’s a small town, everyone knows everyone’s business and people don’t take to kindly to her at first, especially not the sheriff Colt, who happens to be the victims older brother.

It has really good tropes-
Grumpy x sunshine
Small town
Romantic suspense
Dislike to love

However I just did not feel connected to Colt or Ridley at all throughout this and I didn’t believe in there initial connection either. I did like Ridley’s character she was so fiery, and I liked that about her, but I didn’t think the balance of romance and plot worked well

I thought the twist felt SO flat, I thought it was going to be something twisty and clever but it just revealed someone who you may not have seen coming and that to me felt average 🤷🏽‍♀️ I didn’t find the investigating or anything exciting or page turning it was a bit slow I think for me!

All the Missing Pieces is the first book in the Shady Cove series by Catherine Cowles. This is the first book I’ve read by the author, and I really enjoyed it!

As much as I enjoy mysteries, I’ve never gotten into the true crime podcast space, but I was very curious when I saw this book! This actually made me want to find a new podcast to listen to!

I thought this book was fascinating! I read it in a day because I had to know how things would work out! As this book unfolded, I found myself more engrossed and on the edge of my seat.

This was more NSFW than I expected, but not in a bad way! It was definitely part of the character development! I really liked the characters and hope we’ll get to know them more!

I loved the narration by Andi Arndt & Sebastian York!

I look forward to what will come next in the Shady Cove series. This book seemed to be tied up nicely with a bow, so I’m very curious to see where the author will take us next!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

All the Missing Pieces (Shady Cove #1) by Catherine Cowles
Narrated by Andi Arndt & Sebastian York
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: General Fiction (Adult)
Published: January 7, 2025

Catherine, imo is the queen of romantic suspense and with the added element of a true crime podcaster with a deep drive from a life experience made this a very bingable book!
I loved the MC’s so much! The tension was amazing and when it turned to “enemies with benefits”. I adored the unfolding story of a similar pain and finding healing together.
As always you also fall in love with all the side characters and pets.

I loved this book so much. I am so thankful that I got to read this book. I loved the themes, and I thought that a normal person solving an incredible missing persons case was incredible. I really loved our relationship between our grumpy sheriff and our happy true crime podcaster. Catherine Cowles always writes amazing love interests and has great twists and plot points! She is INCREDIBLE!

New Favorite Catherine Book! I'm a fan of true crime documentaries and podcasts, so this book spoke to me on that level as well as an emotional one... Because boy does Catherine put us through it in this one. I knew what was going to happen the moment we started the prologue. Catherine put my heart in a vice grip and didn't let it go until the end of the story.

This is an Enemies to Lovers, small town suspense. Our FMC runs a true crime podcast and helps solve cases along the way. An opportunity presents itself to Ridley, which brings her to shady cove, as well as our Grumpy Sherrif Colt. Ridleys case brings these unlikely two together, can she help Colt solve his sisters attack? can these two learn to work together?

I loved, seeing Colt start to warm up to Ridley, even though Shes been through trauma and loss, Shes still more of the sunshine when it comes to her and Colt. seeing these two become closer and the relationship grow, I completely loved!

Also in true Catherine fashion, I was wrong with my guess' for who the bad guy was.

Gosh I absolutely adored this book. It also might be my new favourite by Catherine.
The grumpy sunshine and low key rivals to lovers. The barber was FANTASTIC! The working together and the way he protects her once he relaised he’s being a giant oaf haha.

Plus the mystery and the side characters. One thing I love about Catherine’s books, is that the characters are explained so well, down to their quirks and mannerisms, that you’d think they were real. I read these books and I’m like, there’s no way this isn’t real.

Catherine puts so much detail into her characters, they jump off the page and leap right into your heart.

I also love that the FMC has her podcast about cold cases and serial unalivers. And then he is the sheriff. Perfect coupling right there. And the nickname “chaos” ughh love:
4.8⭐️
1.5-2🌶️

All the Missing Pieces
by: Catherine Cowles
5 stars
1.5 spice

the suspense. THE SUSPENSE IN THIS BOOK YA'LL. whew I will go on the record I will never be able to guess a Catherine villain correctly and I'm not even mad about it.

When you read the prologue and first chapter in this book, you're already so invested because of the shocking sadness. The FMC and the MMC cross paths because she is trying to solve a cold case, and she feels like there is a connection in the small town. AND BOOOYYYY IS THERE.

Not only is there a grumpy MMC there but there is all kinds of other connections as well. No matter how hard they try to push each other away Ridley and Colter have a pull between them neither of them a shake and i. am. here. for. it.

I gasped, was shocked. all the above. One of my fave suspense books she's written to date.

Thank you Catherine and team for the ability to read and review!!

This might just be my favorite Catherine Cowles book to date.
I loved the Podcast aspect of this book. It was true Romantic Suspense at it finest.

Another book by Catherine where she deserves a chef’s kiss for another amazing book written. She blows me away with her storylines and characters. I always try to play cop and figure out who the suspect is, another wrong prediction on my side.

Ridley had a tragic loss her senior year and from there she decided to dedicate her time to running a podcast to helping others find peace in cold cases. She arrives in the small town, Shady Cove, and she is ready to jump on in on a case. The small town had so much charm and I loved all the side characters in town. Ridley lives in her VW bus so staying at a camp ground was totally fine with her. I loved that her 3 legged cat would paddle board with her!

Colt is the town’s Sheriff. He’s all grumpy and broody. Ideal MMC! He’s also very protective over his sister, who happens to have connection to Ridley’s new case. Ridley and Colt have not the best friendship in the beginning. If anything they didn’t trust one another and hated each other. Over time their hate turned to lust to friendship.
This story was soo good! I didn’t feel like it was rushed at all, the storyline kept me on my toes and I loved all the characters!

Tropes:
Small Town
Slow Burn (62%)
Grumpy/Sunshine
Protective Sheriff/Fiesty Podcaster
Enemies to Lovers
Secret Identity
Forced Proximity
Romantic Suspense

This book had it all, including a heavy dose of heartbreak. Ridley and Avery's story broke my heart as well as Emerson's and Colt, and despite all the sadness the quirky amazing characters add so much to this book and help to lighten the mood a bit, the perfect bit. I never saw the ending coming, and I usually figure it out. The audio book was amazing, love me some Andi Arndt.

Apparently I haven’t learned my lesson to trust no one in a Catherine Cowles romantic suspense novel because once again I was guessing anyone but the actual villain.

All the Missing Pieces was another 5⭐️ read from this author. I loved every minute of it starting with the meet cute that involved a three-legged cat named Tater who gives “tooth hugs”. I will be adopting his language for my cats from now on.

I really enjoyed the true crime podcaster angle and the why behind Ridley chasing down older cases even though I’m not a fan of podcasts in real life. The banter and snark between Ridley and Colt was fantastic and the sparks between them were electric.
This one sucked me in immediately and I didn’t want to stop listening.

@offmicandi and @sebastianyork_official
were fantastic choices as narrators.

🎙️ small town romance
🚔 enemies to lovers
🎙️romantic suspense
🚔 grumpy/sunshine
🎙️ forced proximity
🚔 sheriff hero who she calls Law Man
🎙️ true crime podcaster heroine who he calls Chaos