“All the Missing Pieces” is the first book in the Shady Cove series by Catherine Cowles.
Publication date is 7 January 2025

I devoured this audiobook in less than 24 hours.
The main characters are Riley, a true crime podcaster and Colt, the grumpy sheriff from Shady Cove.

The story is a perfect combination between romance and suspense that keeps you hooked. From the beginning I knew this would be a 5 ⭐️ read.

The narrators Andi Arndt and Sebastian York play the part of the sunshine and grumpy characters to perfection. It was a pleasure listening to them bringing the story to life.

There are many things that I liked about the book, from the writing, the smart plotting and suspense to the banter between the main characters, their relationship development and finally the unexpected conclusion. Also there are adorable pets, including a three legged cat that gives “tooth kisses” 😘 , great side characters and emotional moments.

This became one of my favorite books from this year.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the ALC.
Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

oh catherine cowles the woman that you are!!!!

i absolutely loved this book just reading it, but the audio made it 10x better!! i binged the entire thing yesterday afternoon and just could not get enough of colt & ridley once more.

CC has always been one of my favorite suspenseful romance authors, i think she is absolutely phenomenal at creating all sorts of scenarios that have you guessing the entire time what in the hell is happening, with this one the twist at the end absolutely knocked me on my ass lol my jaw was on the FLOOOOOR.

i really enjoyed the concept of this book, this is my first book where a MC is a true crime podcaster and it was super fun, i liked that she had a really big stake in her career and one hell of a reason for doing what she does. i have been a big true crime person since i was around 12, forensics really caught my intrigue back then so naturally i became a listener of tc podcasts and i feel like you can definitely tell who is in it for the weird or wrong reason and who is genuinely doing this to help others. so for ridley to be super passionate in the way that she was i loveeeeed

this was a phenomenal grumpy x sunshine, colt was such a fucking asshole lol and all ridley gave him was sassy cheer and killed him with kindness, it made their interactions a ton of fun!!

im so excited to see where this series will go, i think its off to one hell of a start 🤠

Oh-em-gee, this book was like, totally amazing! Imagine a spicy grumpy-sunshine vibe mixed with edge-of-your-seat suspense, and you’ve got a winner, babe. From the second the fiery podcaster and the broody sheriff locked horns, I was living for the drama, the tension, and those electric moments where you just know something big is about to go down.

The main girl? Absolute queen vibes. She's all heart and fire, chasing the truth with her true crime podcast while dealing with her own past. And the sheriff? Ugh, he’s gruff but has layers, ya know? Watching these two butt heads and then come together? So. Freaking. Satisfying. Not to mention, the twist in the mystery totally blew my mind—I did not see that coming! Like, jaw on the floor, sis.

Also, the small-town vibes? LOVE. The side characters were fab, and I was obsessed with the sheriff’s adorable pupper (low-key the star, not gonna lie). Everything about this story just worked—the romance, the suspense, the feels—it was all so on point. If this is how the series starts, then sign me up for all the Shady Cove books, stat! Five shiny stars for this absolute gem. ✨

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion!

This book didn’t do it for me. I wanted a little bit more thrill, but I really liked the overall concept. I am used to reading a bit more scary/thrillers so I should not have expected this out of it. Felt a bit YA at times

I've loved Catherine Cowles' books for a while now, so I was so excited to read her first traditionally published one. It did not disappoint! I love the way she seamlessly blends romance, mystery and suspense. I hope this is the start of a new series for her because I can't wait to read more.