REVIEW: Beautiful Exile by Catherine Cowles

In Beautiful Exile by Catherine Cowles, Artist Arden Waverly has tried to put the horror of her childhood behind her while still keeping an eye out for the man from her nightmares to reappear one day. Her found family, the Colsons, have been her comfort and her safety net over the years but Arden’s also learned how to handle herself, taking jiu jitsu lessons and keeping a knife or taser on her at all times. Good thing, too, when she’s surprised by a stranger at her brother’s gym. Holding a switchblade to Lincoln Pierce’s throat might not have been her finest moment. But oddly enough it only seems to intrigue the billionaire more. And Arden’s not sure what to think about that. As they’re forced to spend more time together while Linc stays in her brother Cope’s house next door, she realizes there’s more to him than she first thought. He’s not money hungry or ruthless. Instead, he has a huge heart–one that seems to be reaching out to hers. And that’s not something Arden is sure she’s ready for.

‘If I didn’t love him, I wouldn’t lose him. That was the rule I’d made in my head. It was completely ridiculous, but it was the only thing I had to hold on to.’

Lincoln knows from their first meeting that someone has hurt Arden deeply. Something that angers him to no end. But he’s knocked out at the way she handles herself and how she’s learned to watch out for her own safety. Something he’s sure the Colson’s have had a hand in. Not only does Arden’s haunting art call to Linc on a soul-deep level but her instincts and feistiness speaks to the same part of him that has had to rise above the darkness from his past. Before he even realizes it himself, he’s lost his heart to Arden. Not that he would have put up a fight. Because she’s utter perfection and everything he could want in a partner for the rest of his life. While Linc is willing to do anything to prove his worth to the artist, he had no idea that they’d be tested against deadly forces over and over. Good thing they’re both fighters, though, as it will take everything they have to make it to that happy ending he envisions for them.

“All my training and I just froze.”
A sick feeling slid through me. “What were you training for?”
Arden’s gray-violet gaze fully focused and collided with mine. “What to do in case they try to kill me again.”
“Who. Hurt. You?”

BEAUTIFUL EXILE was everything I hoped it would be, including raucous, often hilarious family scenes, a sweet & spicy romance, and the perfect amount of suspense to keep me on the edge of my seat.

“Hell,” Cope whispered, closer to me now. “You’re gone for her, aren’t you?”
“I’ve been gone for her from the moment she held that knife to my neck.”

CW: View Spoiler »Murder & attempted murder, alcoholism, suicide, verbal & emotional abuse, stalking, PTSD « Hide Spoiler

While I want *all* of the Colson siblings’ stories in Catherine Cowles’ Sparrow Falls series, Arden’s book is one I’ve been waiting for since the first time she graced the page in Fragile Sanctuary. And it didn’t disappoint. BEAUTIFUL EXILE did a deep dive into Arden’s past as well as that of her romantic interest, billionaire Lincoln “Linc” Pierce. Between them, they had enough darkness and trauma in their background that they probably should have had years of therapy, but they had each found healthy ways to deal with it. Not that the heavy stuff didn’t creep back in here and there. But when it did, that was when Linc and Arden’s relationship blossomed. Because they inherently knew what each other needed. And the trust that built from it was what helped them through the danger that kept coming their way.

Arden was the definition of a kickass heroine, as in one who could literally kick most people’s butts thanks to her jiu jitsu training. Her initial meeting with Linc had her holding a switchblade to his throat after he (she thought) snuck up on her. To me, it was just Arden being her feisty self, taking care of her personal safety. Some readers might find it harsh–but she *does* apologize for it later on and it becomes a running joke between not only Arden and Linc but the rest of the Colson family as well.

But I really loved Arden’s growth throughout the book. She went from being closed off and secluded to opening up to Linc, her family, and at the art gallery where she showcased her work. She was in a much better headspace at the end and along the way helped Linc come to terms with his past, too. He might have been less withdrawn than Arden, but he didn’t trust easily. Thankfully, he had a heart of absolute gold, just like Arden and the Colsons, so he was in the exact place he was meant to be with his newfound family.

I do want to note that Cowles outdid herself with the suspense thread. She’s so adept at throwing her readers off the trail of who is really behind the chaos and threats that I had about a dozen people in mind who could have been the culprit(s).

QOTD: Do you have a certain type of music you work or exercise to? Arden’s constant companion was hard rock & heavy metal.

Book Info:

Publication: Published: March 18th, 2025 | by The PageSmith LLC | Sparrow Falls #4

I should’ve known Lincoln Pierce was trouble from the moment I held my knife to his throat.

I’ve been running for most of my life, hiding away in a small town and hoping no one discovers who I truly am. The only problem is that I can never let anyone know the real me. Or at least that was true until my brother moved his best friend onto our shared property.

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

Oops.

But when all my carefully crafted lies come crashing down around me, it’s Linc stepping in to shield me. And when it looks like the person hunting me for all those years is back, Linc will do anything to keep me safe.

Only it’s not just my safety at risk. It’s my heart. Because when Linc touches me, I lose all sense. And when I truly get to know the broken billionaire, he’s so much more than a ruthless business tycoon. He’s the man showing me that it’s time to really live.

But I’m not the only one with secrets. Linc has them, too. And when the forces from our pasts emerge from the shadows, it’s with only one goal: to end the new life we’re building together. For good.