What Caz Read

Beautiful Exile is the fourth book in the Sparrow Falls series by Catherine Cowles and as always with Catherine’s books I absolutely loved it.

Arden is such a unique character. She’s reclusive and despite her trauma she is strong and fierce but there’s also walls in place that stop her from letting other people into her life.

Linc is a billionaire businessman who also has some painful secrets of his own and he sees right through Arden and knows there’s more to her than meets the eye.

I loved how protective Linc was of Arden and how he had her back from the moment they met. Arden tries to keep her distance but as she and Linc become close they’re able to find solace and comfort in each other.

The books in the Sparrow Falls series all have elements of grief and trauma in them and as someone who has experienced both of those, I think the subject matter is handled respectfully and I love seeing mental health being represented in a romance book. I also really like the healing aspect of these stories; the protagonists don’t have their issues magically resolved when they fall in love but they are given help and support, which is much more realistic.

The sibling banter is always one of my favourite aspects of this series and the Colson family group chat and its multiple name changes didn’t let me down.

This book is the perfect combination of small-town vibes mixed with suspense. I always try and work out who the villain is but I’m always wrong!

– small town
– romantic suspense
– brother’s best friend
– found family
– heroine in hiding

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Publisher: PageSmith LLC
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1951936723

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Here’s the synopsis

I’ve been running from the past for most of my life, hiding in a small town and hoping no one discovers who I truly am. Which was working just fine until my brother moved his best friend onto our property.

Now, I’m stuck trying to avoid the brooding billionaire’s probing questions and piercing stares. And it doesn’t help that I almost killed him the first time we met. Oops.

But I can’t ignore him forever. And when all my lies come crashing down, it’s Linc who steps in to shield me.

Only, it’s not just my safety at risk—it’s my heart. Because when Linc touches me, I lose all sense.

We might be building a life together. But Linc and I both have secrets and it’s only a matter of time until the forces from our pasts come back to tear everything apart. Forever.