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A review by bribreez
Beautiful Exile by Catherine Cowles
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
4.25
4.25⭐️/ 3🌶️
Back in the small town of, Sparrow Falls, this next installment followed, Arden, the quiet yet strong artist with a background of jujitsu to protect herself against any potential danger, and the hockey team owner and billionaire, Lincoln “Linc” as he started building his own home in the town where Arden and her adopted family lived. Catherine Cowles once again brings an added level of suspense and danger alongside the romance side of this on going series. Arden was someone who had always been guarded and mysterious in the previous books so, to see more of her and learn about her backstory was eye opening and revealed a lot about this young woman who had some darkness and pain from her past still lingering in the present day. If you love a romantic suspense storyline with a billionaire MMC who becomes overprotective, says things like, “Who. Hurt. You.”, forced proximity, found family, and more then you’ll want to read this book.
Back in the small town of, Sparrow Falls, this next installment followed, Arden, the quiet yet strong artist with a background of jujitsu to protect herself against any potential danger, and the hockey team owner and billionaire, Lincoln “Linc” as he started building his own home in the town where Arden and her adopted family lived. Catherine Cowles once again brings an added level of suspense and danger alongside the romance side of this on going series. Arden was someone who had always been guarded and mysterious in the previous books so, to see more of her and learn about her backstory was eye opening and revealed a lot about this young woman who had some darkness and pain from her past still lingering in the present day. If you love a romantic suspense storyline with a billionaire MMC who becomes overprotective, says things like, “Who. Hurt. You.”, forced proximity, found family, and more then you’ll want to read this book.
The further I get into this series, I more I find myself drawn or intrigued by the characters such as, Arden. In the past books, Arden was someone who kept a close eye on everything around her, but also keeping her solitude. As someone who appreciates their quiet and alone time, Arden was someone I could understand in that aspect. I loved how Arden wasn’t a “damsel in distress”, if anything she was very capable of protecting herself since she was trained in jujitsu and mixed martial arts curtesy of her adopted brother, Kyler. Arden was also very artistic and used a variety of methods to create her artwork which earned her a great reputation within the art world. As much as Arden had her adopted family surrounding her with love and compassion, there was still the lingering pain and fear from her past in the background of her mind. Just as things seemed to be going well, out of nowhere Arden’s peace of mind was taken away when someone threatened her.
Of course our story wouldn’t be complete without the perfect counterpart to complement our main lead, and that character was, Lincoln or more commonly called, Linc. Linc was a billionaire, the owner of a successful hockey team, and overall great business man and kind friend. The moment Linc set eyes on Arden or more accurately Linc had a knife to his throat, he immediately fell for her lol. Nothing like almost getting knifed at the gym early in the morning to get you falling in loveeeeee. Linc was a great man, and I loved seeing his progression over the story going from outgoing and flirty to protective, a man in love, and wholeheartedly all about Arden. I especially loved the scene when Linc bought all of Arden’s artwork at the auction her gallery was holding. Linc used his money however he saw fit, and most of the time it was used towards making Arden happy or supporting her in any way possible.
Like Catherine Cowles’s previous books, there was still that added suspense lingering in the background of the story that little by little built up towards a dramatic moment towards the end. I didn’t see the plot twist coming, and I guess in a way it worked out since it tied other characters into the story. I had earlier suspicions that maybe Linc’s dad would play a role in a future book maybe potentially with Linc’s sister, Ellie coming to Sparrow Falls, but oh well guess I was wrong. Nonetheless, the bit of suspense was good, and I was more than happy once it got to Arden and Linc’s happy ending especially in the epilogue which was heartwarming and good vibes. Overall, another good book in Sparrow Falls series, and I’m really curious to see who will be the next couple in the next book. Definitely recommend this series if you’re looking to read a bit of a romantic suspense story with overprotective MMC’s, found family, small town, lovable characters, and more.