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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I truly wanted to be able to rate this one a little higher, but the plot and character development fell a little flat. Ridley was fantastic and everything you'd aspire to be after a tragic event/loss, but Colt... oh, Colt. I'm always down to read an enemies to lovers with some great banter, and the banter was certainly there.. But his character showed very little growth, and he was just kinda mad all the time. I'm hoping we get another book from Emerson's POV (hopefully with Trey?).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder
Minor: Sexual assault
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
This book follows Ridley, a podcaster who travels around the country investigating cold cases and sharing them with her audience of armchair detectives for additional tips on the cases. Her twin sister disappeared when they were in college and has never been found, and Ridley has channeled that loss into a desire to help others find their own missing loved ones. When she gets to Shady Cove to investigate her latest case, and to meet the victim who is still alive in this case, she is immediately met with opposition by Colt, the grumpy but hot town sheriff. The small town isn’t happy to have an outsider sticking her nose into a past that they don’t want to relive. The investigation quickly becomes dangerous for Ridley, and tension with Colt slowly begins to thaw…
I loved this book! Couldn’t at all predict the person who was actually behind the murders, and I loved Ridley’s positive but realistic outlook on life despite all that she’s been through.
Read if you love: grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, touch her and you die, romance mixed with mystery
I loved this book! Couldn’t at all predict the person who was actually behind the murders, and I loved Ridley’s positive but realistic outlook on life despite all that she’s been through.
Read if you love: grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, touch her and you die, romance mixed with mystery
mysterious
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles completely snuck up on me in the best way. This book gave me two of my absolute favorite genres (romance and mystery/thriller) all wrapped into one story, and it seriously delivered. Plus, it had one of my fave tropes: enemies to lovers. Like… yes please, sign me up for the tension and the slow-burn sass.
Ridley and Colt were such a solid pairing. Colt had that broody protector thing going on (but not in an overbearing way, thankfully), and Ridley was headstrong, curious, and had a lot of emotional depth. I loved watching their walls come down, but I’m not gonna lie, I actually found myself even more into the mystery than the romance at times?? The case had me hooked. I was lowkey playing detective in my head the whole time, trying to piece everything together with Ridley as she dug deeper into the town’s secrets.
And speaking of the town, I was obsessed with the whole small-town vibe. We got this cozy, community feel with a fun cast of characters that made it feel real. I loved exploring the town right alongside Ridley and slowly peeling back all the layers. Also, special shoutout to Emerson Trey, they were such standouts and would totally read a book dedicated to just their dynamic.
Now, why wasn’t this a full five-star for me? Well, the plot did lean a little predictable at times. The big reveal at the end did catch me off guard for a second, but I also had a moment earlier in the book where I suspected that character, so it wasn’t a total jaw-drop moment. I was hoping for a bit more of that “WHAT JUST HAPPENED” shock factor. Still, it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the ride.
Oh and this might sound small, but I loved the short, digestible chapters. They were the perfect length to keep me going without that “ugh, how many pages till the next break?” feeling. It made the whole book super bingeable and easy to fly through.
Overall, this was such a good read. A perfect blend of heart, suspense, healing, and tension. If you’re into small-town mysteries with emotional romance and just enough danger to keep things interesting, All the Missing Pieces is definitely worth picking up. Catherine Cowles knows how to write characters that feel real and stories that pull you in from the first page.