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Reckless Refuge (The Wrecked Series Book 4) Kindle Edition

by Catherine Cowles (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,782 ratings
See all formats and editions
There were shadows I was running from.
Ones that haunted and taunted.
Ones that made it so I had no choice but to disappear.

I’d spent years hiding from the world.
My little island haven, the only assurance of safety.

It all changed the moment he showed up at my door.
The hint of pain in his eyes told me that something haunted him, too.
And I couldn’t help but be drawn closer.

But finding the person I needed most came with risks I never expected.
And when our ghosts find us again, neither of us may make it out this time.
Previous page
  1. Book 4 of 5
    The Wrecked Series
  2. Print length
    349 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    May 11, 2021
  6. File size
    4240 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Popular Highlights in this book
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  1. “Not one thing about you is ugly. The only thing those scars prove is that you can walk through fire and survive. I can’t think of anything more beautiful than that.”
    Highlighted by 224 Kindle readers
  2. “I love you. Your strength and empathy. Your determination and fire. The way you see things in me no one ever has. I know it’s soon, but hiding the truth doesn’t feel right either. I’ve been holding onto those words for weeks, and I need you to know they’re yours.”
    Highlighted by 176 Kindle readers
  3. “What are you thinking?” she asked. “About how you make me want to be a better man.” There was nothing for a long moment, then she spoke. “You’re already one of the best men I’ve ever known.”
    Highlighted by 154 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Addictive, truly suspenseful, and utterly romantic, this is a top read of the year!" - Samantha Young, New York Times Bestseller

"Reckless Refuge is absolutely UNPUTDOWNABLE! Beautifully written. Flawlessly executed. An unforgettable 5-Star MUST READ!" - A.L. Jackson, New York Times Bestselling Author

"Beautiful, emotional and riveting. Catherine Cowles pens a romantic masterpiece that remained in my heart long after the final page was turned." - K.C. Lynn, Bestselling author of the Men of Honor series

"If ever there was a time to use the word "unputdownable," it's with this book!" - Carol the Goodreads Addict

"Reckless Refuge has everything I could want in a romance - small town charm, broken lovers finding solace in each other's arms, and a suspenseful plot line that captivated me from the jump. The Wrecked series is without a doubt one of my favorite series and Reckless Refuge sits firmly at the top as my favorite." - Sarah, Sarah Luvs Romance

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08DG93WRG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (May 11, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 11, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4240 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 349 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,782 ratings

About the author

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Catherine Cowles

Catherine Cowles

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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.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
2,782 global ratings
Amazing Story of Learning to Live Again
5 Stars
Amazing Story of Learning to Live Again
⚓Age-Gap⚓Small-Town⚓Romantic Suspense."I wanted that. Someone who wanted to step between me and all the bad things in the world. Not because I couldn’t handle my own battles, but simply because they loved me.".Review: This is book 4 in The Wrecked Series. I have loved each book more and more in this series. Catherine is a master at hooking you right from the Prologue making it so you are dying for more..Shay has done her best to live off the grid on Harbor island. She loves her quiet life as the caretaker..Brody is an artist needing a change and to escape recent events in New York. He sets out for a change of scenery and lifestyle to see if he can get back what he once had..When the owners of Harbor island decide to sell it, Shay is worried she may lose her job and safe haven. When Brody shows up as the new owner, there is a pull that neither one understands. Shay has endured so much pain and heartache that my heart just broke for her. No one should have to endure what she did. Retreating from everyone in order to keep herself and those around her safe. With Brody and Shay both running and hiding from the demons of their past, whose demons will catch up to them first? This book was everything I dreamed of and more. The suspense that kept me guessing and being suspicious of everyone around them. Guessing right on some things and being completely wrong on others. I couldn't get enough of this book. The friendship that developed and evolved into more, the protectiveness of Brody and the other guys made my heart swoon. I absolutely love that we get to still see the other characters in this series so prevelently. The updates and warmth of this group have stolen my heart. I just can't get enough of them. I am so excited for Hunters book next! I listened to the audiobook for the 2nd half by Sebastian York and Ava Erickson. Ava is my favorite and I love Sebastian. They were perfect to bring Brody and Shay to life. Sebastian's deeper voice for our slightly older hero and Ava's sweet voice for our beloved heroine were absolutely perfect. Everyone needs to read this book and for sure this series!
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Top reviews from the United States

Katherine
5.0 out of 5 stars a good mystery
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2024
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Another great mix of work. I love how the series is interconnected but if you read out of order you wouldn’t be to loss. Shay is so strong and resilient and Brody helps ensure that she does not give up. They pair up well together and they make the other better more whole. I love this family we have meet on the islands.
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Jennifer J.
4.0 out of 5 stars Shay and Brody
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2023
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This book was a lot darker than the first three books. Both Shay and Brody had darkness in their pasts and they were both running from something. Because of their pasts there was a lot more suspense in this book and so much going on. I loved the plot and both Shay and Brody were awesome characters. There was a definite theme of overcoming fear in this book.

When Brody bought an island across the country to get a fresh start and escape the horrors that had infiltrated his art, he never expected to find his soulmate in the form of the scarred island caretaker. Shay was a hard nut for Brody to crack. He knew she felt the same pill he did, but he didn’t understand why she fought it so hard.

Shay hadn’t let anyone get close to her in years. But with each day spent with Brody, the easier it is to let him in. After years of solitude and running from her psycho brother, she was finally ready to let Brody in.

Both Brody and Shay had a lot of past trauma, but that’s what made them so perfect for each other. When one faltered, the other was there to stand strong. There was a good amount of back and forth with Brody and Shay, but the romance in this book brought much needed light to their lives.

I loved that Shay finally realized what she had been missing and slowly let Brody and the residents of Anchor in. I loved the suspense and the underlying theme. Both Shay and Brody were new characters to this series and they were well developed and fit in seamlessly with Ford, Bell, Kenna, Crosby, Caelyn, and Griffen. This couple was a great addition to the series.
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Sue's Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping plot with a slow-burn romance and a murderous psychopath. Five chilling stars!
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2022
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I wouldn't say I "enjoyed" this rather dark tale about a murderous psychopath, but the gripping plot, slow-burn romance and likable characters (except for the bad guys) certainly kept those pages turning! Here's why. (WARNING: Some spoilers ahead, but I won't reveal the ending.)

(1) The gripping plot. Our heroine (Shay) works as a caretaker on Harbor, one of a chain of small islands off the coast of Washington State. Harbor is the only place she feels safe from her psychopathic brother (Michael), who murdered their parents and nearly stabbed Shay to death when he was eleven and she was twelve. Sentenced to twenty years for the murders, Michael is now twenty-one and eligible for parole from a juvenile facility. Will he somehow manage to locate Shay's secret refuge and finish what he started? The chilling possibility becomes all too real when bodies--brutally stabbed to death--start turning up on a neighboring island soon after Michael's release, and he sends menacing letters to Shay.

(2) The slow-burn romance. I'm not a fan of insta-love, so this story's slow-burn romance was perfect for me. Our hero (Brody) is an artist whose paintings were replicated by a serial killer on the bodies of his victims. Devastated that his paintings had been "weaponized" in this way, Brody leaves New York City and purchases Harbor--an island solely inhabited by its lovely and frightened young caretaker. A romance between these two damaged but beautiful souls is inevitable, of course, and I relished every minute of its slow, tantalizing burn as their sweet friendship turns into love.

(3) The likable characters. Despite the horrific trauma that sent Shay into hiding eleven years ago, she possesses a kernel of courage that sustains her. "Feel the fear and do it anyway," she tells herself. Until now, her only friend is "Evergreen 13"--someone she met and chats with online. Gradually, with encouragement from Brody (I love that guy!), Shay leaves her self-imposed exile on Harbor and makes friends with people on the neighboring island of Anchor: Caelyn and Griffin, Bell and Ford, Hunter, and Sheriff Parker Raines. She even plays her violin in public for the first time in years. But the thing that amazed and puzzled me the most about Shay was her steadfast love for her brother despite all the pain and suffering he inflicted on her. Is it possible to love and hate someone in equal measure? I don't have an answer.

The plot culminates with the inevitable final confrontation between good and evil, as Shay is kidnapped by Michael and his evil cohort. It's a chilling, heart-stopping scene that ends with . . . well, read it yourself and find out! Kudos for flawless proofreading, very limited profanity, and sex scenes that generate enough steam without being overly explicit. This gripping plot easily earns five stars and my enthusiastic recommendation!
2 people found this helpful
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BookAddict
5.0 out of 5 stars “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2021
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Holy wow!! Just when I think this amazingly gifted storyteller can’t get any better, she gives us this story. She's dıpped her toe đeeper into romantic suspense, really more of a romance draped in a psychological thrıller, and my well-read little mind is completely blowņ!

Shay and Brody's story had me on the eđge of my seat, gņawing my fingernails to ņubs, and screąming at my Kindle more than once. I needed a bunch of kava and chamomile with this one, but my heart, once it returned to normal, was happy sighing all over itself by the end of this mesmerizing booķ.

Shay is the caretaker of a small private island near our now-familiar Anchor Island. She keeps to herself and maintains a low profile when she has to go out in public, and she likes it that way. When the owners of the island decide to sell Harbor Island, Shay's servıces are included in the sale, but she's apprehensive about who the new owner will be.

Brody James has made a name for himself in the New York City art world, going from a graffiti-painting teenage punķ running from the polıce to a highly sought after artist of world renown. When things with Brady's art go horrıbly wrong in the most public way possible, he leaves the city for the seclusion of Harbor Island a continent away.

This book, y'all, this book! It has everything! Romance, of course, with betrayal, deep fesťering woųnds, trust issues, good versus evıl, higher callings, forgiveness, and healing. All woven together perfectly in a story that held me cleņched in its grıp and left me breathless!

Some of those bıg name thrıller writers better watch their back, because there's a new girl in town whose work will easily make me set their booķs down to read this one. Seriously, pick your favorite top ten best seller, and this book is equally as good, if not better. Plus we get a tender, tentative romance with such a rewarding HEA it will make your heart soar!

Easily on my list of top ten booķs ever, this one is as extraordinary as it is fulfilling. Run to the 1-Click now and don’t miss this rıveting, emotıve, unparalleled read!
7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Leitor Kindle CamAll
4.0 out of 5 stars Hooked from the first pages!
Reviewed in Brazil on October 20, 2022
Verified Purchase
Ms. Cowles has a way to hook me from the first pages. I never begin one of her books in the evening bc I know I will not stop reading until I finish it bc I will need to know all the answers.
Great job!
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Ein Kunde
4.0 out of 5 stars Psychological Thriller
Reviewed in Germany on November 2, 2023
Verified Purchase
Great storyline, increasing suspension, individual and developing characters.

I only missed the warnings coming often with this kind of story that they might contain scenes with trigger potential. If a sadistic psychopath torturing people isn't your thing, you should skip this book of the great series.
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Vicky MacDonald
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it so much
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 10, 2021
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I absolutely loved Reckless Refuge. After getting glimpses of Shay in the previous book I was intrigued what her story was going to be and who she was running from.

Right from the very first few pages of the book I was completely hooked. I needed answers straight away and I could not stop reading it until the book was finished. I shut out the real world and immersed myself in Anchor and Harbor instead.

Catherine always has a way about her writing that I absolutely love. It’s almost magical and whimsical. I don’t want to give any spoilers so I won’t say much about it but the way Catherine described the music and paintings was so beautiful and imaginative that I was wishing I could see and hear it in the room with me.

I don’t want to give any spoilers so instead will just list some of the things I loved most:

- Shay - I loved her strength and vulnerability

- Brody - let’s face it all of Catherine’s heroes are perfectly written and Brody doesn’t disappoint. I love how unique the reasons were for Brody to make the choice to move to the island.

- Brody and Griffin’s friendship. I loved getting to see Griffin letting more people into his life.

- So happy we got to see a lot more of Hunter in this book. I can’t wait to read his story but I hate seeing the guilt he is carrying from Reckless Memories

- I was apprehensive reading a book with 2 new characters since the characters from the previous 3 books were such close knit but I should have known better. Shay and Brody are brought into the friendship with such ease it was like they always belonged there.

I loved the new characters we were introduced to in this book and I really hope they get their own stories (I’m pretty sure one of them is mentioned in a blurb of a future book up for preorder already). I also really hope we get a book about Parker. He deserves his story.
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Ms Read O'Lot
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great story
Reviewed in Australia on May 16, 2021
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Another wonderful story the handsome artist who is definitely not starving. And the scarred but brave women hiding from her past.
The story follows the same arc, but is so worth the read.
Was it bad of me to want the bad guy dead and not in prison?
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Book Maniac Forever
4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Mix of Romance and Suspense!
Reviewed in Canada on August 7, 2022
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4.5 STARS
Reckless Refuge was another incredible addition to the Wrecked Series. We didn't know a lot about Shay, having seen her just in passing in the previous novel of the series, but I was soon hooked by her situation.

The young woman is isolated on a small island by her own making, hiding from her psychopath brother. The arrival of the new owner of her safe haven, Brody, brings change in her life. The man is an artist from New York, trying to forget about troubling events that happened in his life. They slowly develop a beautiful friendship that turns into so much more when the undeniable attraction between them sparks a fire.

This novel had a great intrigue and kept me on my toes with all the suspense surrounding murders on the surrounding islands. It was also nice to get more of Bell, Ford, Kenna, Crosby, Caelyn and Griffin. This group of characters is truly fantastic! I'm now so eager for Hunter's story!!
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