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Fragile Sanctuary  By  cover art

Fragile Sanctuary

By: Catherine Cowles
Narrated by: Zachary Webber, Andi Arndt
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Publisher's summary

The scowl should’ve been my first clue to stay far away from Anson Hunt. The sexy smirk and the fact that he’s my brother’s best friend? Reasons two and three. Not to mention, he’s the new contractor working on my house.

He’s everything I’m not: grumpy, rude, and more than a little attached to his solitude. It doesn’t matter how many times I try to kill him with kindness; the man simply won’t crack. Until he sees me shatter. Because when my world comes crashing down around me, Anson is the one catching me as I fall. And as so-called accidents start plaguing every part of my life, it’s Anson who steps in to keep me safe.

As he does, I can’t help but feel a flicker of heat. And it only takes a single moment for that spark to ignite into flames, engulfing us both. But Anson’s a man with secrets, and they have a price. When they’re revealed, neither of us will make it out unscathed…

©2024 Catherine Cowles (P)2024 Catherine Cowles

About the Creator

Writer of words. Drinker of Diet Cokes. Lover of all things cute and furry, especially her dog. USA Today bestselling author Catherine Cowles has had her nose in a book since the time she could read and finally decided to write down some of her own stories. When she's not writing, she can be found exploring her home state of Oregon, listening to true crime podcasts, or searching for her next book boyfriend.

About the Performer

Zachary Webber is an actor and musician whose audiobook repertoire spans hundreds of titles, several of which have earned him Audies, SOVAS, and Audiofile Earphones Awards, most notably from EL James’ Grey series. Zach is an accomplished film actor and comedian as well, having appeared in Meg Ryan’s Ithaca, indie features Running Wild and Shut Up and Drive, and appearances on Comedy Central with his sketch comedy group, Sasquatch Comedy. He’s vocals and violin for synth-pop band Night Darling, has completed a solo EP as Brood Faye, and lives in Los Angeles with his cat, Turkey.

About the Performer

Audiobook narrator, producer, and coach Andi Arndt has narrated hundreds of titles for all major publishers across many genres, and she also works with many of today's bestselling indie romance authors as a narrator and founder of Lyric Audiobooks. The recipient of multiple Audie, Earphones and Voice Arts Awards, twice named to AudioFile Magazine's Best Voices of the Year, Andi was inducted into the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame in 2018.

What listeners say about Fragile Sanctuary

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Stellar performance

Talk about phenomenal performance. I swear to you Zach’s voice was made for Anson’s character. And Andi… she was Rhodes to a tee. Her voice was sunshine on a dreary day. I adored the characters, the small town and all the words. Listening to this audiobook was an experience I wish I could relive over and over again.

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Perfectly cast!

I am thrilled!! There is a new Catherine Cowles world to dive into. I couldn’t wait to meet a new batch of friends and neighbors haha. It did not disappoint. I’m looking forward to finding out what stories and secrets every character has to reveal.
This series starts with Anson and Rhodes (love the name). Grumpy-Sunshine at its best. I loved that despite her tragic beginning Rhodes has the best outlook on life. She is the perfect amount of sunshine to brighten up Anson’s dark past. So much was here in this book. I loved almost the two stories happening side by side. Anson’s past that was never far behind mixed with Rhodes and her increasingly frightening present. I couldn’t read fast enough. I had to know what was going to happen. I am pleased to say I did not see it coming with this story. An absolute thrill ride to read.

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Exceptional Story & Listen🎧 Riveting & Emotional!

Wow, I love, love, loved this book, Catherine Cowles never ceases to amaze me with her brilliant mind and ability to create stories that not only captivate my attention, but tug at my heartstrings, too, a story that will stay with me for a very long time. “Fragile Sanctuary” is the first book of her new “Sparrow Falls” series and is a small-town romantic suspense featuring Rhodes and Anson. There are some great secondary/support characters and I am looking forward to their stories, too. Rhodes suffered from a devastating loss when she was 13 and her life was forever changed. Fourteen years later, she is ready to face her past and returns to her childhood home with plans to bring it back to its glory. She has her brother Shep working on the house and he brings in his friend Anson, a restoration specialist. Rhodes and Anson’s first interaction did not go so well, the man is a grump like no other, but Rhodes does not let that bother her. Rhodes is living on the property while the house is being worked on, so she gets to see Anson often, and she sees beyond the facade he has put up. Anson has had his share of loss and not only did he build a wall around his heart, but he prefers to keep his distance from everyone. Despite everything Rhodes has been through, she has a sunny disposition, which warms Anson's icy demeanor. It was wonderful to watch their relationship blossom, and I thought they were great together and for each other. When her past comes back to haunt her, he goes into protective mode. And when his past comes back to haunt him it, he remembers why he never allowed himself to get close to anyone and his guilt surfaces over what happened in the past. I loved how everything played out in this book, all the layers to the story and the complexity of the characters. As always, the writing, plot and world building are phenomenal, as are the character growth and development. The story has the perfect balance of drama, angst, mystery, thrilling suspense, heartfelt emotions and steamy romance. The suspense storylines are well crafted; each time I thought I had it solved, I was proven wrong, resulting in a surprising ending. Catherine Cowles, thank you for another amazing story and emotional rollercoaster ride. 

🎧📚🎧 Andi Arndt and Zachary Webber did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life and did so with a complete understanding of who they were portraying, and I loved how they took each role and made it their own, sounding believable and just as I imagined the characters to sound. Webber’s Anson was spot on, perfectly grumpy, and he grew as his character did. Arndt was just as amazing as Rhodes, grasping her sunny demeanor. Both were fabulous performing the roles of the secondary characters, too. They set the right tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and had you feeling them all. These two entertaining storytellers are a pleasure to listen to and their performance elevates this already amazing story to another level. Thank you for another fabulous listen.

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LOVED IT!

Great start to a new series! You can never go wrong with the dynamic narrating duo of Andi Arndt and Zachary Webber. They are the best at bringing the characters to life. I lived the chemistry between the two characters. I know I will be listening to this book again and again.

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Amazing amazing amazing!!!

Loved this so much. You never disappoint with your stories. And the narrators were perfection!!

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Holy moly

I love this book. What a great start to an amazing series. Catherine’s has easily become my favorite author. Now the long wait for the next one. Narrators were perfect for this book. You can never go wrong with those two. Catherine has a great mind for writing awesome the best romance stories.
Now those that want to read a great series start with “Whispers of you” this series comes after that one and is so good that i promise you won’t be disappointed

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Loved it

Narration is awesome 👏🏻
Story and characters are amazing. Love Super Granny 😂 All the siblings are great, leaving me intrigued to learn their stories.
Eager for the next installment!

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WOW!!!!

My mind was blown….. Just when I thought I knew who it was. I love the way this author does Romance & Suspense. Can’t wait for the next book!!!!

As for the narration it was PERFECTION! These two are my favorite, Andi A & Zackary W can read a phone book & I’ll buy it!!!!
Great start to the series

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Simply Phenomenal!!

This is a stunning story! Rhodes lost her family in a fire at age thirteen. She bears the scars of her near escape. Years later, she is ready to refurbish the home and face her memories. Taken in by her best friend's parents, she has multiple “chosen siblings”. Her brother Shep heads the construction on the house. Anson, his best friend from college, is assisting. Anson is broody and withdrawn. He has his own past issues.

Foster pups and kittens, simple kindness, splashes of color, and a breaking down of walls. When sabotage and attacks occur, real feelings become impossible to deny. Edge-of-your-seat-action, danger, intrigue and being there for your person. An absolute stunner of a story!

I thoroughly enjoyed this audio - the narration added greatly to my enjoyment.

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Exceptional

Wow…another amazing story. So excited for Thea/Shep story. I hope we get a story for every sibling! You really feel for every one of them, wanting to know more. This story had so much feeling. I loved every emotion that came from their story. 2 of the best narrators bring the story to life. AMAZING!!!!

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