REVIEW: Across the Vanishing Sky by Catherine Cowles

In Across the Vanishing Sky by Catherine Cowles, When Braedyn “Brae” Winslow decided to uproot her eight-year-old son Owen’s life and move to Starlight Grove, California, to search for her best friend, Nova, she had no idea she would find the place she belonged. Or that a former FBI hacker named Dexter “Dex” Archer would shatter the walls she so carefully built around her heart. From their first eye-opening meeting, Brae was both amused by and attracted to Dex. But her focus has to be on solving the missing person’s case of her soul sister, Nova. Because it was in Starlight Grove that the unthinkable happened. Nova disappeared into thin air a year ago. And the local sheriff could care less.

Dex has been battling his own demons and that of his family for years. Knowing the darkness that lives inside him thanks to his evil father, he steers clear of relationships–especially with single moms. He’s not built to be a family man. Dex is, however, uniquely skilled at helping track down missing people and dishing out a tiny bit of vigilante justice along with the help of his brothers and great uncle. So, when he realizes his new next-door neighbor is working Nova’s case on her own, how can he not help? But as he spends time with her and her awesome son Owen, Dex knows he’s falling for the tight-knit duo. Something he never expected. It’s also something he’s been craving if he’s being honest–that connection, friendship, and a forever kind of love that might just be enough to allow some healing to happen.

‘The lines of legality got a little blurry when you were trying to help find the people the rest of the world had forgotten about.’

A story that fans have been (not so) patiently waiting for, ACROSS THE VANISHING SKY was the start to a whole new small town romantic suspense series featuring the Archer family, whose past was filled with darkness and controversy. Readers might recognize our hero, Dex, as the hunky former FBI hacker who swooped in to help save the day in a few of Catherine Cowles’ books. Although, I have to say that finally getting to know Dex, his four brothers, and their great uncle Waylon at home in Starlight Grove? Absolutely priceless.

Cowles never disappoints with her romances. But boy didn’t she hit the mark with Dex and Brae’s story. From their funny meet cute–he might have been a tad…naked–to their bickering to the intriguing dynamics between all the Archers, this was one addictive book. The layer of suspense I’ve come to expect from Cowles’ stories was on point. I always try to guess who the bad people are before the reveal, and I was so close this time! But she threw in a few twists and turns (and a red herring or two) that will have ripple effects in future books, I have no doubt.

TROPES & VIBES:

• Small town romantic suspense
• Morally gray hacker
• Single mom on a mission
• Semi-naked hero meet cute
• Hurt/Comfort
• Mysterious disappearance
• Bigfoot obsession
• Found Family

CW: View Spoiler »Abduction, torture, murder, domestic abuse « Hide Spoiler

As much as ACROSS THE VANISHING SKY was about a hacker trying to right the wrongs of his family’s past and a single mom searching for her sister of the heart who was abducted in Starlight Grove, this was just as much about found family, friendship, healing, redemption, and community. And I can’t wait to take a trip back to northern California to visit the Archers to see who the brothers rescue next.

QOTD: Dex’s Uncle Waylon had an animal sanctuary on his ranch. If you had the means and opportunity, what types of animals would you rescue?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: March 3rd, 2026 |  Bloom Books | Starlight Grove #1

He spent a lifetime trying to escape his dark past…but to save her, he’ll wade back into the shadows.

Braedyn Winslow never expected to return to Starlight Grove—the town that took everything from her. Not after her best friend, the one who’d sacrificed so much for her, vanished without a trace. But with a young son to raise and a past that won’t stay buried, Brae is back…and determined to uncover the truth.

She just didn’t count on the brooding, reclusive mountain man living next door.

Dex Archer is the stuff of local legend—silent, rugged, and surrounded by whispers of his and his brothers’ violent father. But Brae sees through the scowl and his parentage to the man beneath: fiercely loyal, unexpectedly kind…and just dangerous enough to protect her when someone starts warning her off her search.

The closer she gets to the truth, the harder it is to stay away from Dex. And as things get more perilous, Brae realizes the only person she can rely on is the one man who swore never to trust again.

Only someone isn’t happy that Brae has been digging, and they’ll do anything to stop her. But Dex? He’ll do anything to save her, even slip back into the dark…