How Catherine Cowles wRecked my Heart (two times)
From the moment that you open “Reckless Memories” (book 1) until the time you close “Perfect Wreckage” (book 2), you are immersed into the small town of Anchor Island. A place where everyone knows everyone, including the in’s and out’s of their daily lives. Relationships, breakups, births, deaths, and everything in between is up for grabs when it comes to town gossip- so everyone should proceed with caution because one misstep could lead you off the steep cliffs of the town’s good graces.
In “Reckless Memories”, we meet Isabelle “Bell” and Ford. They once held a bond that ran deeper than the oceans and was thick as any bond could be. Love was too small a word for the devotion they held toward one another. She was his girlfriend’s little sister, but his best friend. He was her first love. That was until tragedy struck, life was cut short (not just in the loss of Bell’s sister), and forces thrust Bell and Ford apart for far too long. Bad memories, hurt, and pain were all that was left between them. But, fate and family business drew them back together, only to find that love they thought they lost along the way was just misunderstanding and broken hearts. Setting out to right those wrongs, Bell and Ford form a friendship that we know won’t last long. The question is whether they are going down with the ship, or going to survive the rip tide?!
“Perfect Wreckage” picks up where book one end, but now we are following Kenna and Crosby (and still getting appearances from the others from Reckless Memories). Crosby is the town lawyer, who has been lusting around the beautiful Kenna. While he comes across as the town playboy, he has a heart of gold and a fist ready to fight for those he loves most. Kenna, with her beautiful soul and sacrificial tendencies to help her friends and loved ones, just can’t get past the skeletons she has buried so deep in her closet. It’s only so long that she’s able to resist Crosby, and she knows he’s not giving up on her anytime soon; so with lines drawn in the sand, they decide to try casual. They both have loved and lost so much in life that we know it’s a matter of time before they decide instead of trying to control the winds of life, they just need to adjust their sails and let love guide them safely to shore.
I absolutely LOVED both of these books, and Catherine is a top author for me! Her character development, storyline, and ability to capture and maintain her readers’ attention is magnificent. There’s also plenty of suspense in both of these stories- with secrets, plotting, and a bit of violence. So hold on tight because you’re in for some perfectly reckless memories! Keep doing your thing, Catherine, you have a beautiful way to make heartache and loss into pivoting moments of learning and growth in love.
Trigger warnings- pregnancy loss, violence, kidnapping
Til next time friends… Cheers to good books, strong cocktails, and YOU!!
