I’ve loved Calder Cruz from the moment he taught me how to fly. Racing down a mountain and giving me the release I so desperately needed. My understanding. My safe space.
Hadley has fought for a life of her own ever since her sister’s kidnapping. When she was drowning in expectations and family pressures, Calder was always the one who understood her.
Until one night changed it all. From best friends to strangers in a single breath.
She’s like a fire that lives inside me. Even when I thought it was all burned out, there were still embers that lived in my bones.
Calder knows what it’s like to almost lose the people he loves most. He’ll never make that kind of mistake again. Working at the fire station and taking care of his daughters are the only things he needs.
All it takes is a single moment to make him realize how wrong he is. A split second of coming close to losing the woman he has always loved.
But as long-buried embers light anew, there are those who lurk in the shadows. And they’ll do whatever it takes to extinguish that flame for good…
My Thoughts:
After Hayes and Everly, I couldn't wait to dive into Hadley and Calder's story. A friends-to-lovers trope is full of the deep, soul-wrenching moments and Catherine Cowles did not disappoint in this!
Calder put Hadley into the friend zone (big no-no when it's obvious there is attraction!) then commits the ultimate sin of pushing Hadley into the enemy zone. Everyone in Hadley's life, especially her mother and Calder, were putting her in a box, hopeful that they could keep her safe. Instead, they being to suffocate her. I love her wild, open, free spirit.
As much as I adored the love story between this pair, Birdie and Sage stole the show for me. They are incredibly sweet girls who have been dealt some difficult situations that girls their age should never have to experience. But with Hadley, she sees them for the individuals that they are. If only she could find someone who accepted her in the same way....
Just as Hadley is breaking free of the chains the have held her down for so long, her life is put in danger. The suspense was perfectly paced and crawled under my skin, leaving me breathless and fearful for a woman I grew to admire throughout the book. Standing up to her mother was a monumental moment that I enjoyed being messy. Too often these issues are wrapped up with an apology and a pretty bow. I like that the forward progress is slow and realistic.
The love between Hadley and Calder is one I spent the evening dreaming of after reading. Their banter is fun and denial of what is just under the surface between them is incredibly sexy. Together, they are a delicate balance of responsibility and adventure. It made for some sizzling moments!
I received a complimentary ARC for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
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Book 1 of the Tattered & Torn Series:
Tattered Stars
Be brave. Just for sixty seconds. Twenty breaths.
One night changed them both forever.
Their lives shattered, beyond repair, with jagged edges and pieces askew.
Now, Everly has a chance to make things right. To bring healing to the place where everything fell apart. But it means facing the family her father almost destroyed, and the boy with the dark eyes—now grown—who still haunts her dreams.
Just one breath away from having your life ripped out from under you.
The last thing Hayes wants is another reminder of all the ways he failed sixteen years ago. When Everly drives back into Wolf Gap, his only mission is to get her to leave. For his family’s sake, and for his own, those demons need to stay buried for good.
But everything about this woman is a surprise, from her spine of steel to the sanctuary she hopes to create with the land her mother left behind. And Hayes is powerless to stay away.
As a careful friendship sparks into something more, someone watches. And they’ll do anything to tear it all apart…
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About the Author:
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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