ARC REVIEW Risk it All by Katie Ruggle

Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters #2, This was such a fun read. I like that it gives you a brief recap at the beginning of the book to catch you up if you haven't read the first one or just a refresher if you have. Cara is not a skip trace like her other sisters she prefers the research when she's not studying to become a teacher but with the crap going on with her mom and two of her sisters concentrating their efforts on finding her she tries to help out unfortunately she just gets herself into danger. Accused murder Henry Kavenski is the skip she decides will bring in enough money to help support the family, but she soon realizes she is in way over her head and decides to drop it for one a little less violent crime related but even then it turns out not to be as easy as she thinks.


Henry spots Cara her first day of following him and when he catches her trying to break in to his hotel room he thinks she's properly scared off but when she accidentally sits down at his booth in a sleazy bar tracking someone else down he warns her that there is more to that case than she thinks. Following her to return something as inconsequential as a bottle of aspirin may not have been smart but he had to make sure she dropped looking for the other skip. In doing so he might have just put her in more danger.

Cara gets kidnapped and thankfully Henry shows up when he did and saves her even if they end up driving the car off the road and have to trek two day through the cold mountains before they get to a town all the while dodging bad guys. Overall, it was a great read. I loved the twist at the end, I was hoping it would be something like that and I'm glad the story worked out the way it did. Katie Ruggle is an auto buy for me as soon as I see the paperback in the store it goes in my cart. I always enjoy her characters, Cara is sweet and stronger than she thinks, Henry is a strong silent type (my favorite). Ruggle ties humor in so well with the action. The entire story was enjoyable.

ARC REVIEW In Her Sights by Katie Ruggle

Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters #1, new series centered on a family run all female bail recovery business. The Pax girls, all five of them, run the business out of their run down Victorian home while their mother unfortunately lives with them, off of them is more appropriate. I so enjoyed this book, it's Katie Ruggles usual style, lots of action with romance and humor. Third person POV but it stays with Molly Pax, it doesn't alternate between characters like her previous books have. I liked that change, normally I am a noisy reader I like knowing everything but this added a certain feel to it that I found I quite enjoyed.

Molly Pax has always been the responsible one, she has been more mother to her younger sisters than their actual mother. Molly, Felicity, and Charlie mainly do the footwork as the bounty hunters while Norah sticks to research and backup, Cara helps out when needed but she's also a full time college student. Everything has been going smoothly until their mother gets arrested, again, only this time it's a big deal and she made bail using the house as collateral. The sleazebag who posted their mother's bail is now threatening to manipulate things so he can take away their house, unless they go after a particularly dangerous skip, Sonny. With no way out it Molly agrees splitting man power between finding their mother who has disappeared and finding Sonny. Molly teams up with John Carmondy a fellow bounty hunter to track down Sonny. What makes Sonny dangerous is his fondness to explosives as Molly and John find out multiple times.   


John and Molly have a rivalry going on at least Molly thinks so but John does it so he can spend time with her. Molly is paranoid and thinks John just wants to hire her or steal her skips, she doesn't believe her sisters when they tell her John likes her. Molly doesn't see it until she's working with him side by side. Getting to know him while working so closely together has her feeling going from confused to all in. As they get closer and closer to finding Sonny the more of a mess they seem to find themselves in and her sisters are having no luck in finding their mother.

Overall, this was a fun read another great read from Katie Ruggle. I loved the characters each sister has a unique personality that is sure to make their book just as entertaining as this one. You can't have a Ruggle book without a dog in this case the doggo is a great pyrenees named Warrant and he's a big ball of lovable fluff.  Book releases March 26, 2019.

ARC REVIEW Rocky Mountain Christmas Cowboy by Katie Ruggle

Rocky Mountain Cowboys #1, I love it when new series start with the Christmas book! Yes Christmas books already and I'm so thrilled I started with this one I love Katie Ruggle she's pretty much an auto buy in paperback for me. A nice little bonus is the map at the beginning that shows where all her towns correlate to each other, I think it's cool and makes everything a little more realistic and easier to picture in my head.

Have you meet Steve? If you have read the other two series Ruggle has written than chances are you have. Steve Springfield is a single dad of four rambunctious kids (at this point three of them are teenagers) and firefighter extraordinaire, and since the last town he lived in was kind of blown up he moved his kids back to his hometown to live with his brothers and help run the Christmas Tree ranch. Camille Brandt is an eccentric artist who makes something beautiful out of scrap metal. Raised by her grandmother and still living in the same house she grew up in she always been the shy one and her social awkwardness hasn't gotten any better with age. When her too-nosy-for-her-own-good-neighbor calls 911 because she thinks Camille didn't come home after walking into the woods last night Steve and the VFD get called in to assist Search and Rescue. Steve finds Camille in the junkyard perfectly alright, warm, absolutely adorable, and thoroughly embarrassed. To take attention off of her he feigns getting stuck just so she can make a getaway with out all the fuss. Out of all the Springfield boys Steve was always Camille's favorite, he won her heart as a teenager when he played hero and now again years later for what he did in the junkyard. Steve is completely taken with Camille, she grew up even more beautiful than he could have imagined and she's brilliant, funny, so incredibly talented, and best of all she gets along and understands his kids (they are extraordinary kids). Steve and Camille are aware of the attraction between them and as scared as Camille is she's willing to step out of her comfort zone to spend time with him but soon Camille needs Steve to be her hero once again this time it's a life or death situation.

Overall, I loved this book! Katie Ruggle writes socially awkward characters so well. Her active setting is so good I'm definitely in the Christmas mood wishing it was snowing and Christmas time already. I love Steve's kids they are all pretty amazing and great comic relief for the story. Camille and Steve are pretty amazing too they have a great story; Camille is all alone in the world and when tragedy strikes Steve is there to help and be her rock. It was a great story with great characters. Can't wait for more!   

  

ARC REVIEW Through the Fire by Katie Ruggle

Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit #4, I knew I shouldn't have started this book at night, at bedtime I got a sudden case of "Insomnia" and could not sleep. I even went as far as putting the book down but then the characters started whispering in my head telling me I was missing something so picked up the book and started reading again and around four o'clock in the morning I finished it and was finally able to fall asleep. Funny how that things work, huh? If you have read any of my previous review for this series you know how much I love this series and this author you also know I love the strong silent types and really smart ones too, Wesley March fits that bill to a T.

Kit is the newest member of the Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit and she has her bloodhound. It's her first day on the job and it already is starts off with a bang, or should I say a blazing inferno. Luckily the newest K-9 is trained in tracking people and Justice, Kit's bloodhound, is up to the task unfortunately Justice leads them straight to Jules' house. Jules has a new "Old Friend" visiting and everyone but Jules takes her at face value. Jules knows Justice wasn't wrong tracking the scent to that house, and later after another incident the same thing the bloodhound leads them straight to Jules house. It's bad enough that Kit doesn't feel like she fits in but she knows her co-workers aren't telling her everything and they don't trust her yet. So far the only one who really believes her is Wesley March. Wes is the Fire Watcher set just outside the city limits upon meeting Kit he feels a connection to her, and Wes is a loner he lives at the watchtower all year round, rarely makes it into town for supplies but after meeting Kit he finds any excuse to see her. Kit is quite taken with Wes as well. 

The Peace never lasts for long in Monroe and soon the life Jules and the kids have built here starts to fall apart with the appearance of yet another stranger. Overall, this was a great conclusion to the series. Wes is so freakin' adorable I want one of my own. Justice and the other dogs make the book along with the kids. Katie Ruggle never ceases to amaze me with the crap she puts her characters through. The series is really one that should be read in order because it all ties in together but it's a great series.     

ARC REVIEW Survive the Night by Katie Ruggle

Rocky Mountain K9 Unit #3. The strong and silent type does it for me yet again and this time he's great with animals and kids, it's official Otto has replaced George as my favorite Ruggle hero. It's so cute Otto and Sarah get so tongue tied around each other they usually end up saying the first thing that comes to their head like, "Your mouth is pretty" or long silences. I loved this one, not just for Otto and Sarah but it was almost non stop from the introduction of Sarah, formerly known as Alice- I like that name better, and Mr. Espina who was able to rescue her from a horrible marriage to a very bad man and her villainous brother to the very end it kept on going, aside from the brief down time Sarah had when she first arrived in Monroe and was getting to know everyone especially the viking/lumberjack, Otto.

For most of Alice's life she lived in a bubble, he father was overprotective but she managed to sneak out a bit and spend time with some of the staff, when her father died and her brother Aaron took over things became worse and now with the crime family, Jovanovic, in dire straights with the two main leaders in prison Aaron hopes to take over but first he  needs a way into the family, that's where Alice comes in. He plans to marry her off to the psychotic Logan Jovanovic. Lucky for Alice the mysterious Mr. Espina spirits her away before that can happen. Alice becomes Sarah and moves in with Grace, Jules, and Jules' brothers and sister in a dilapidated farmhouse in the tiny town of Monroe Colorado.

Otto is a gentle giant, and goes out of his way to help animals, he has a way with them. He also gets tongue tied around beautiful women so when he first meets Sarah it renders him speechless. Pretty soon Otto talks to her more than anyone else. Sarah has been sheltered so much she, like Otto, is tongue tied and is endeared and flattered by Otto, not to mention all the dirty thoughts she's had about him since meeting him. Sarah is in Monroe long enough to start feeling safe when her brother and Logan show up at the farm house. Luckily Otto was already on the way to the house. After they are dealt with Jules and Grace fill in Sarah on their story and Jules finally tells Theo the full truth of why her brothers, sister, and herself needed to disappear. While Grace and Jules stories are briefly explained at this part it might not be enough for some people to say this can be read as a standalone, personally I would read the first two books before this one. But it doesn't stop at that first attack and pretty soon the whole town is in danger. Sarah and Otto get separated and Sarah proves to herself that she is strong enough to survive this and with Otto at her side she can survive the night.

Overall, I thought this was the best one yet, the romance between Otto and Sarah is light and easy compared to the rest of the story and it kind of balances out. I loved how they were both the shy temperament but when the shit hit the fan they both proved to be strong when they have to be, they work well together. Just one question, How in the Hell did they find her in the first place and why were none of the characters asking that question????       

ARC REVIEW On the Chase by Katie Ruggle

Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit series book two picks up right where the first one left off. The first couple of chapters following Kaylee and how she ended up needing to go into hiding. Kaylee went from thrift stores to Rodeo Dr. is finally living the life she always dreamed of living as a child with a job she loves and now a Disney Prince perfect boyfriend, until she sees something she's not suppose to and has to go into hiding to save her live. Hugh still recovering from his gunshot wound from the last book is on medical leave and it is driving him crazy with boredom. He starts to get a funny feeling like someone is watching him but before he can talk it over with Theo he meets Grace. Grace is a high school friend of Jules visiting, only Hugh knows that just about everything that comes out of her mouth is lie, and he's determined to find out why.

Kaylee, or Grace as she is now called, hates that this is what has become of her life her college degrees, her job, her nice new clothes are all gone to her and she is now sharing a house with one bathroom with five other people and back to wearing thrift store clothes; but she's alive and she doesn't know who she can trust. Grace not trusting Hugh and vise versa leads them into some kind of silly arguments and with Hugh's sense of humor he can get annoying, but all that just hides the attraction that both of them are trying hard to ignore. But then Hugh's truck blows up and when Hugh and Grace finally do kiss they get shot at. That's when Grace comes clean about who she is and why she's hiding, she's afraid that he found her. Hugh also has problems it's not her they are after a drug lord who runs drugs through the town has put a hit out on Hugh and Grace is just caught in the crossfire. Between Kaylee's issues, the drug lord, and the drug running MC going through town causing problems it is an action filled, romantic, and sometimes funny (because Hugh's humor is meant to annoy and he succeeds) book.

Overall, this was another win for me. I like how Kaylee is making the relationship go at a normal pace. Lexi, Hugh's Belgian Malinois and K-9 partner, has a personality all her own and it was fun to see what mess Jules' twin brothers would get into next. Kaylee does have some personal growth that the kids and Hugh help her with so she's not as shallow at the end of the book. I love Kaylee and Hugh together with his sense of humor she can take it and give back just as hard.  

ARC REVIEW Run To Ground by Katie Ruggle

First book of the new Katie Ruggle series, Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit, Run to Ground is an intense read. It is a great story about second chances and moving on from grief. Katie Ruggle as with her last series has an overall story arc that isn't concluded in this book, so it is going to be important to read the series in order. I loved the book so much I don't even mind the semi-cliffhanger. Theo, Jules, Viggy, and the kids are all great characters and the mystery behind Jules and the kids is very intriguing.

Theo lost his K-9 partner to cancer and a year later his mentor commits suicide. Theo isn't the only one feeling the grief of losing someone close to him, Viggy is having a hard time adjusting to losing his person (Viggy is a Belgian Malinois). Theo and Viggy are also having a hard time adjusting to their new partnership, Viggy isn't doing his job and Theo feels lacking and doesn't feel like he deserves a new partner; they are both depressed and just muddling through. Jules and her four siblings (Sam, Tio, Ty, and Dee) are starting with a clean slate, on the run from Dee's mother. A horrible woman whose evil has yet to be completely revealed. Jules basically kidnapped her own siblings to get them away from the abuse they are suffering from and now with new identities they just need to keep a low profile but the good looking angry looking cop that comes into the diner every morning doesn't help Jules nerves.  

Theo knows the new waitress at the diner is hiding something, him and the other K-9 officers are pretty sure she's on the run from something. At first Theo is determined to find out what but he starts to spend time with her and her siblings that it becomes less and less important especially since there is a cop killer on the loose and Jules has been targeted by a creepy guy who they suspect blew up her barn. This family seems to be exactly what Theo and Viggy needed, little Dee helps Viggy over his grief and Jules helps Theo find and renew his purpose.

Overall, I loved this book so much I don't even mind that it ended with a sort of cliffhanger (more of a hook). The story lead to an unexpected twist and had some great action. The romance does fall second to the suspense but there is also quite a bit of character development and the first couple of chapters flip flop from past and present, but it is very well done.

ARC REVIEW In Safe Hands by Katie Ruggle

In Safe Hands is the conclusion to the story arc for the series. So far someone has tried blame Ian for the headless guys murder, someone has tried to kill Lou, and silence Ellie and her father. In the end of the last book, no I'm not going to say it although it was kind of an eye roll for me, it revealed the murder. Know with me being disappointed with the whodunnit I didn't know what to expect with this one. I was pleasantly surprised. Katie Ruggle kind of blended together Rear Window, Gaslight, and CopyCat with her own crazy good story. This book is definitely more of a thriller than a suspense. Daisy Little our heroine suffered a huge trauma and it left her agoraphobic. Afraid to leave the house she has trapped herself inside locking the world outside her house safely on the outside. Besides her father her only link to the outside world is Sheriff's Deputy Chris Jennings. Chris feels responsible for Daisy, not only because he love her but he was also the one who saved her all those years ago.

Much like Jimmy Stewart's character in Rear Window, Daisy watches her neighbors and one night sees something she can't explain. What looks like a man carrying a dead body out of the empty house next door and placing it in an official Sheriff's SUV. Daisy confides in Chris who starts looking into it but soon things start happening, things she can't prove things that are making her doubt her sanity. But Chris is there to reassure her that she is not, he even introduces her to Lou, Ellie, Rory and their significant others. Together they talk about the previous events and how they all connect and how Daisy's incidents are connected as well. They even figure out the common denominator in all of it which leads to a very exciting climactic conclusion.

Daisy and Chris are so cute the way they danced around each other. It's obvious they have feelings for each other but because what happened they both feel guilty for two different reasons and that is what's holding them back. But once the truth gets out there is no holding back for either of them. Overall, this exceeded my expectations. it was a great read and I hope this is not the end of the series.        

ARC REVIEW Gone to Deep by Katie Ruggle

Mmmmmm George. Ok Gone Too Deep is 3 in the Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue series by Katie Ruggle. I noticed something while reading this book. I really have a thing for the strong silent types. (probably because IRL my hubby won't shut up) I want a George of my own, I'm gonna hug you and kiss you and love you forever, sorry I sometimes channel Elmyra Duff.

The on going whodunnit finally reveals whodunndidit. I was disappointed with it, not so much the who but it was predictable. I just kind of rolled my eyes and thought eh go figure. I loved everything else about the book. I really love reading books where the main characters are freezing their asses off while I'm boiling in 100+ degree weather.

Ellie is the daughter of Baxter Price, the man who identified the victim in book one. He called Ellie to tell her he loved her and that they were after him and they were trying to kill him. Ellie knows her father suffers from paranoid delusions all part of his PTSD, and after that call she got really worried about him and tracked him down. She tracks him to the tiny town of Simpson, Colorado. Ellie strikes up an insta-friendship with Lou who helps her find out exactly where her father is. The only problem now is that Ellie now needs a guide to take her out there and while the over friendly and kind of creepy and unsettling Joseph Acconcio would be more than willing to take her, her best bet is the silent, broad, tall, gorgeous, and bearded George Holloway. George can't resist the over her head clueless Ellie he normally doesn't take people up the mountain but he's not going to let Joseph take her up. Everything goes relatively smoothly until they get robbed, yes robbed in the middle of the forest, George's camping gear is the only thing taken due to some quick thinking, then there is an avalanche and woo a bunch happens. They are are running for their lives because the thugs who robbed them are trying to kill George for...well reasons. George and Ellie fall for each other, of course, but with the differences between them they are both unsure how to handle everything when the journey is over.

Overall, move over Ian Walsh it's time for George! I loved how Ellie was able to draw out the shy George and get him from grunting to actually speaking in sentences. This was a really exciting book and the characters I just love all of them, well except for Joseph he's an ass. What I like about Katie Ruggle's writing she pulls you in, you really want to know what happens to these people next. She is also so knowledgeable about what she's writing about it makes it all the more realistic.      

ARC REVIEW Katie Ruggle's Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue series

Katie Ruggle's Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue series started the beginning of this year with the (still free!) prequel On His Watch followed by Hold Your Breath and Fan the Flames. With more to come this year. For the exception of the prequel there is a continuing mystery which keeps you reading the series. As a whole I love this series so far, the characters are all very relatable with their personal issues and attitude. The on going mystery starts with Callum and Lou in Hold Your Breath when Lou is going through a training exercise and accidentally finds a dead body weighted down in the frozen over lake. Lou a former lawyer decides that she's the only who can figure out what's going on. The mystery of the whodunit and the why are still a mystery that continue over into Fan the Flames where sexy sexy fireman/biker Ian is being framed for the murder of the dead guy. Even after the book is over the mystery continues, not that it leaves you with a cliffhanger this story arc is the only thing that carries through the books everything else ends, happily.

This is a great starter. It has a brief but funny intro to all the characters, an exciting plot, and some steamy chemistry. For Derek, Artemis has been and will be the only girl for him, but years ago he gave her up because he didn't want to drag her down with his criminal activities. Artemis moved on married someone else and then divorced that someone else and now has been longingly watching Derek from afar. But when the school organizes an educational field trip for the kids that involve the Search and Rescue team to explain what they do and how they do it brings Derek and Artemis together. Even more so after the demonstration turns into an actual search and rescue for two sisters. Derek and Artemis search together and get stuck in a snowstorm. Lots of mishaps happen and most importantly they talk. They talk about the past and what happened with her marriage and what led to the divorce, and why he did what he did; then they kiss and makeup.  

Overall this was a short, exciting, and fantastic read. I'll remind you again this one is still FREE!

The first book of the series is a great one. Lou and Callum have such a funny start. Louise Sparks is a firecracker! She brings a little bit of chaos into Callums clean and organized life. Lou doesn't see it right away because she's new and doesn't know Callum like everyone else but he acts differently around her and once it's pointed out to her she acts on her feelings. If it wasn't for her stalker things might have never happened. Lou's stalker is subtle at first but like most things quickly escalate and Callum is there to protect Lou. To top it all off Lou is trying to discover the identity of the dead guy she discovered. Lou is all for a fling with Callum but she just got out of a very controlling relationship and controlling parents she wants to embrace her freedom to do what she wants. And what she wants now is to find out who the dead guy is, who killed him, and why? Callum is stubborn and he isn't about to let Lou do all that on her own and risk her life doing it especially since she has a stalker on the loose. Callum just has to convince Lou that he doesn't want to control her just protect her.

Overall, I fell in love with this book. it is funny, exciting and Callum is sweet as hell.

Book two brings us Ian story. The bad boy biker Fireman, rwar. Ian is being framed for the murder of the dead guy Lou discovered in book one, but Lou knows for a fact that he is being framed because the so called "evidence" wasn't on the body when they first dragged it out of the lake. Ian is trying to figure it out on his own but the woman he has been in love with since he was a kid has become the focus of some stalker type problem. Rory was raised by paranoid doomsday preppers. She has been trained to be the same, never letting anybody close and always able to protect herself any given situation, even the zombie apocalypse. After her parents died and Rory was running the gun shop on her own Ian made himself a permanent fixture in her life slowly biding his time until she is comfortable enough around him to let him in. But her problems are linked to his MC and he is ready to turn against them and his step father to protect her. Rory never knew she had so many friends, being socially awkward she never knew how to communicate with people unless they were talking about guns but when Ian gets arrested she rallies the troops to help. Rory has alway been in love Ian and with a gentle push from Ian she finally lets him in.

Overall, this is a great story about a socially awkward woman and the wicked hot bad boy. The best part is that it's not over yet.