Ashes of You

The Lost & Found Series, Book 5

By: Catherine Cowles

Narrated by: Ava Erickson, Sebastian York

Five years ago, I nearly lost everything. But there was a glimmer of hope on that darkest night. There was him—a stranger I could never forget. Now, I’m finally getting the fresh start I’ve longed for. But when I show up to interview for a nanny position in the small mountain town, the single dad has startlingly familiar blue eyes.

Eyes that have haunted my dreams for the past five years.

Lawson Hartley is everything I know I can’t have. Older, handsome, and my boss.

Not to mention the shadows in his eyes that tell me he has demons, too.

Still, he seems to understand me better than anyone I’ve ever met. So gentle and careful of my scars, yet somehow making me believe I’m stronger than I ever thought possible.

And when his lips touch mine, I’m lost. We find what we've been missing in each other. But the terrors of my past aren’t done with me yet, and this time, Lawson might not be able to save me...

©2023 Catherine Cowles (P)2023 Catherine Cowles

Best Book of the Series! ♥️

I am so sad that this series is over.  Catherine Cowles pens another winner and the best book of this series (I think I say that about each book, but they just keep getting better)! There is not enough stars to rate this book! I will miss listening to stories with these wonderful characters, so I guess I will have to re-listen to these books over and over again!
When Lawson opens the door to meet one of his nannies for an interview, he couldn’t believe that it was a woman that he saved years ago when he was on a search and rescue mission.  He never knew what happened to her and she never even knew that he was a cop.  Hallie was very broken from her past but was working through things, but was happy to get this job working for someone she trusted.  Law’s oldest son Luke was very resentful at first, but Hallie was able to break through over time with her kindness and loving personality.  The other 2 boys took to her right away.  This was a suspenseful book that broke my heart at times and other times, put it back together.  As with the other books in this series, having the family in the book was wonderful and I really enjoyed their loving antics.  It was great seeing Roan come to life in this book after coming out of his shell in the last book.  This book became my favorite of the series, and I devoured it in one sitting.  It was suspenseful, sad, loving, healing, and everything you can imagine.   The narration was so fantastic that I just can’t say enough about it.  The narrators put their hearts and souls into all the emotions that this book needed and made it such an enjoyable listen.  There was one part in the book that I couldn’t help but just sob out loud with Sebastian York’s narration.  Such an awesome book and narration.  You must listen to this book!!

So Good!!!

Lawson and Hallie really went through it in Ashes of You. Hallie survived an active serial killer five years ago. It was Lawson who found her just in time. Now, she works as his nanny, and both Lawson and Hallie healed together with his three children as a family. This romance was excellent, the character development was fantastic, and the suspense plot was so good. I loved everything about this book!

A great ending to this series!

Catherine Cowles wraps up the Lost & Found series nicely with Lawson and Hallie's story in Ashes of You!

This story delivers all the feels. There's that grand tension between single dad Lawson and his younger nanny, which is only complicated by the fact that Law is Hallie's hero, "Blue," who rescued her from a deranged lunatic five years ago. They never knew what happened to the other after the night he rescued her, but their worlds collide when she shows up on an interview to be the nanny for his three sons. That backstory just added so much to this single dad, age-gap, nanny romance.

The relationships that Hallie cultivates with the boys are wonderfully created as well. There is depth to all of those bonds, especially with sulky teenager Luke. Hallie gets to him in a way that no one else seems to be able to, and I loved how much he changed as a result of their friendship. I have loved getting to know the Hartley family throughout this series. They love hard, and they surround Hallie with friendship and love, and give her a warm place that she doesn't have in her own fractured family. I was so glad to see her brother Emmett and his husband be taken into the Hartley family fold!

As with the other books in this series, there is a thread of mystery running through the story, as the serial killer who abducted Hallie seems to be on the loose again. Is it a copycat? Is she actually in danger? There are some twists and turns with that subplot that kept me guessing all the way to the final reveal. Well done!

Sebastian York and Ava Erickson nailed the narration for this audiobook!

While I was sad to see the Lost & Found series come to an end, I'm excited for CC's upcoming series with Lawson's friend, Anson!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Law & Hallie!

As if we didn’t expect perfection for the final book in Cedar Ridge!?

Catherine has done it again. All the right plot, romance, suspense all wrapped into a perfect book.

I absolutely loved Lawson and Hallie’s story.

The sneaks into the new series main character was great also.

While I’m sad Cedar Ridge is done, I’m excited to see what’s next.

Deja vu

Too much like Cowles’ other books. Very predictable. No chemistry between two main characters. I like narrators, but not together.

5 stars

Despite the horror that Halle went through, this story was beautiful to me. For them both to overcome their immense struggles and find each other...I really loved this book. 5 stars.

Age Gap Perfection!

Ashes of You is a brilliant balance of romance, suspense, and laughs. Lawson and his boys are such a breath of fresh air and add so much depth to the story. Luke, Drew, and Charlie all add an important piece to the love story between Hallie and Lawson. Catherine Cowles has proven she can write romantic suspense time and time again, but her character development and her attention to details skyrocket her far beyond her peers. Her loveable secondary characters all play such an important role in her stories that it is hard not to get enveloped in it. The plot twists, red herrings, and surprises that come at every turn make it difficult to predict the outcome and keep you on the edge of your seat the entire ride.

This age gap romance is written so well. As one character struggles with the age gap, it is done in a very realistic way and not a weird "taboo" way. Age gap romances can be tricky to navigate and can turn cringy easily and that never happens here. This was the perfect way to end our stay in Cedar Ridge with the Hartleys (although I'm secretly hoping some of them show up in future books).

The performances in this book are incredible! Ava and Sebastian were perfectly cast as Hallie and Lawson.

Loveeee

What a perfect end to a perfect series. Loved Lawson and Luke so hard!!!! Hopefully Catherine will do a second gen one day.

Lawson

Lawson will forever be apart of my heart! Protective single dad wins every-time. I was so sad this series ended

My favorite in the series!

Ashes of You is by far my favorite book in the series. Oh what a beautiful story. One full of compassion, strength and hopefulness and a mystery that will keep you glued to your kindle. I loved this book!

- Single dad/nanny
- Age gap
- Close proximity
- Romantic suspense
- Heroine in danger
- Law enforcement hero
- Serial Killer on the loose

Lawson and Hallie were an absolute dream. You could feel their connection instantly. I absolutely devoured their passion and the close proximity tension between them. They were so obviously perfect for one another.

I knew Lawson was going to own me. Protective, caring, an amazing father… be still my heart. His devotion to his family, to the town and to Hallie made it easy to root for him. And, Hallie with her big understanding heart and bravery. If you love stories about women who have gone through so much trauma and hurt and who rise up to face their demons with grace, kindness and so much strength, you’ll love Hallie’s journey.

One of my favorite parts of the book is the relationship Hallie formed with Lawson’s boys. From an energetic six year old to a grumpy sixteen year old and a charmer thirteen year old in between, she took her time to really get to know them and understand their thoughts and hurts, especially with the oldest, Luke. I just loved the close-nit family they made.

Catherine Cowles has become one of my gold standard on how to properly deliver a small town romantic suspense. The way she weaves her story that has you fully convinced you know where it’s going but then you’re completely blindsided. Amazing. She has me second guessing and side eyeing every side character. It’s the best.

As I said before, I loved this book! The Lost & Found series as a whole has been so incredible. Book by book, it only got better and better. I’m so sad that the series is over but what a perfect way to end.
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Audiobook:
The narration was of course fantastic. I’m mean you cannot go wrong with Sebastian York and one of personal favorites Ava Erickson. These two really brought the characters to life.