This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.

 Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
 Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
 Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.75

you’re my home

First Impressions
Fragile Sanctuary was such an amazing read! I had seen some mixed reviews on it, so I did put it off for a little while, but I am more than thrilled that I decided to finally pick this one up because it was beyond beautiful and it truly captured my attention once the story really got started. I think the only issue readers will have first glance is the first 10-15%, push past that and it will draw you in. There are aspects to the heroine's character that might be hard to get through, but there is a good reason for it. There are many poignant moments that enter the story, a true "twin flame" type of romance, with some strong levels of suspense and some surprises that I promise you won't see coming which is one of the aspects of Cowles writing that I truly love reading.

 “Why are you putting up with me?” I asked, my voice little more than a hoarse whisper. Shep’s eyes locked with mine. “Because everything about you screams that you’ve been fighting alone for too damn long, Thorn. You need someone to help carry the weight for a little while. I might not be able to fix everything, but I can help carry the load.”

First Line
How many ways could you kill someone in your mind? Nikki and I had gotten creative over the past few months, coming up with some real gems.

The Main Protagonists
 The Hero: Shepard Colson
 The Heroine: Thea

 “You’re worthy, Shepard Colson. You don’t have to fix anything to be that. You don’t have to dig a million trenches or replace feet of corroded piping. You’re worthy just for who you are.”

Summary
Thea is on the run from an abusive and manipulative ex, and she had to escape any technology fingerprint, and took nothing with her except her feline, and escape to a remote cabin and is learning to settle in this town of Sparrow Falls. Thea doesn't trust anyone, and she also has to be very careful how she interacts with others and keeps her life as simple and minimalistic as possible. She still battles some PTSD from her ex and is slowly working her way to trusting those around her. But when her best friend's brother reaches out to her to help her in a tough spot, she discovers a true connection with another man that she never imagined that she would find. But she wonders how long can she truly be safe or will she put the man she loves in the crosshairs of someone more dangerous than she imagined?

 “I like you. Even when you were prickly as all hell, I admired it. There’s something real about you. An honesty you don’t see a lot these days. And there’s kindness. You might try to hide it beneath those thorns you love so much, but I’ve seen it. And, somehow, it’s more potent since you’re not using it for show. You’d rather have no one see you extending a hand to someone else. That’s why.”

What I Loved
Delicate Escape is the second book in the "Sparrow Falls" series and this one completely warmed my heart in every single way. I had no doubt that I would enjoy this one, but I was a bit put off by some of the reviews I saw, but no worries, this author KNOCKS it out of the park and with a prickly heroine no less which are heroines I normally struggle with but she really worked for this tortured golden hero who deserved to be loved and accepted as she does. In fact, I think it made sense for them to be together, because she understood that type of pain and self betrayal and damage and sees the man inside.

 “But we can’t let one bad experience sour the rest of our lives. We can’t let the bad win. Make us stop living. If we lock ourselves down, we don’t just keep out the bad. We keep out the good, too.”

Their romance is slow at first. Thea doesn't trust easily, but Shep is so easy around her. He is careful and respectful of her boundaries, and only pushes when its what she needs. We really see how delicate he is with her and knows that she is running from a dark past, and at first only wants to be her friend. We see his true love and generosity for others, how he truly wants to help others and has such an open kind heart. This is the kind of man you want to marry and build a life with. Where is my golden boy Shep of my own?? haha

Once the romance really gets going, is where you will have a hard time putting this one down. There is such a intense emotional connection between them and this is where the philosophy of the yin yang really fit Shep and Thea. They both have tortured pasts, and are trying to find some comfort in their lives and learn how to see the other in a very real way. It was so interesting seeing how their relationship developed, because once Thea starts to learn to trust others, is where she begins to truly shine. And the way that Shep sees past the thorns to see the genuine hurt woman beneath was so captivating.

 “Doesn’t take a lifetime to see a change in someone. Sometimes, it just takes one honest moment to reach them.”

The actual plot of the story was quite interesting, I am not sure I was really expecting how it was resolved. To be honest I never know what to expect when I go into a Catherine Cowles, but in this one, we really see something so different. I loved how the villain (other than her ex) was someone I gurantee NO ONE will see coming. Its someone that is the last person you see as a villain and I loved how Cowles will add in these twists and turns. I do wish her books had a bit more stronger feelings of suspense in them though. But she makes it work to appeal to readers that aren't fans of suspense like I am.

What I Struggled With
The beginning 10-15%. This is the hardest part of the book to get through. The heroine has a hard shell and is very prickly and doesn't trust anyone. But once you see past the thorns of the character and she learns to slowly open herself up to Shep, the book just BLOSSOMS!

 “We can’t always see a person’s capacity for evil. But that doesn’t make us culpable. It just means we see the good in those around us.”

Narration
I did do half of this book in audio and it was just brilliant. If you love audiobooks, then I highly recommend this in audio and it has amazing narrators alongside it!

 “Your heart is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced. Beautiful because it’s been broken. Those cracks let it become something else entirely. Stronger. Wiser. The fiercest defender of anyone who needs it. And the gentlest confidante for anyone who needs understanding. You see it all. And you don’t look away. You come alongside without judgment, and you simply love. You can’t ask me to walk away from that after I’ve experienced it. It would be like living in the sun, only to exist entirely in darkness.”

Overall View
Delicate Escape was an astounding, heart stopping romance that will leave you breathless. It takes aspects of the human condition and delivers such poignant heart melting moments to make you literally swoon!

 “You saw parts of me I didn’t think I’d ever let anyone into. You saw all of me. Healed things I didn’t even know were still broken. And there’s only one woman I’ve ever loved. You.”

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Light Romantic Suspense
Character Types: Blue Collar Hero, Prickly Heroine, Goldien Retriever/Cinnamon Roll Hero, Tortured Hero, Abused Heroine
Themes: Small Town, Tear Jerker, Prickly Heroine, You Touch Her and Die, Heart/Emotionally Touching, Pining Hero
Tropes: Opposites Attract, Unrequited Love

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A mix of both but more plot than relationship.

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Jennifer Ryan
Josie Jade
A.L. Jackson

Song This Book Inspires
Say Yes to Heaven by Lana Del Rey

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes

Steam/Spice Explanations

Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.

Narrators:
Erin Mallon, Teddy Hamilton