Tag Archives: Katie Ruggle

Spotlight – Risk It All

09 Thursday Jan 2020

Posted by in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

I really enjoyed the first book in the series and I’m super excited to see what happens next … It’s near the top of my TBR pile so hopefully I’ll let you know soon!

*****

Risk It All

Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series

by Katie Ruggle

Publication Date: 12/31/2019

Blurb:

When bounty hunter falls for bounty, they’ll risk it all to save the one they love.

Cara Pax never wanted to be a bounty hunter—she’s happy to leave chasing criminals to her more adventurous sisters. But if she wants her dream of escaping the family business to come true, she’s got one last job to finish.

Too bad she doesn’t think her latest bounty is actually guilty.

Henry Kavenski is a man with innocence to prove. But when his enemies target Cara in an attempt to force his hand, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Deep in the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by danger on all sides, Henry and Cara will have to learn to trust their unexpected partnership if they want to make it out together—and alive.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2jMEG57

B&N: http://bit.ly/2RpIAz1

Apple: https://apple.co/366ZGWM

Kobo: http://bit.ly/368oHk6

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2PhbaQI

BAM: http://bit.ly/2sPbjmP

*****

Excerpt:

When the woman stopped the stroller next to the bus-stop bench and took a seat next to Kavenski, Cara knew something was up. For one, she would eat her phone if that woman would ever set foot on a public bus. Also, Kavenski, for all his hotness, was a big and intimidating guy. No one would casually plop themselves down next to a dangerous-looking stranger, especially with her baby right there.

With both Kavenski and the woman facing forward, it was impossible for Cara to see if they were talking. She was tempted to move closer to the pair to see if she could eavesdrop, but Kavenski had known she’d been following him earlier, and that made her hesitate. It was one thing for her to follow as he skulked around town, but this meeting seemed very shady and purposeful. He’d let her go once, but who knew what he’d do if she had incriminating information on him.

The woman turned her head toward Kavenski for just a few seconds, and Cara hurried to take a few pictures. With the oversize sunglasses, hat, and scarf, it was hard to get an idea of what the woman actually looked like, especially from a distance. The only things Cara was sure of were that she was white, tall, and fashion-conscious.

To Cara’s frustration, she saw that the woman’s lips were indeed moving. Once again resisting the urge to get close enough to listen to their conversation, Cara watched as the woman reached into the stroller and appeared to adjust the baby’s blanket. When she withdrew her hand, however, she was holding something white and rectangular.

Almost bursting with curiosity, even as her heart pounded from fear of discovery, Cara found herself leaning forward, straining to see what the woman had taken from the stroller. In just the split second it took her to pass the item to Kavenski, Cara was pretty sure it was a legal-sized envelope. Before she could see any other details or even take a few steps closer, he slipped the item into his jacket pocket.

The woman stood and pushed the stroller past Kavenski, and Cara realized that she would be passing right by. After a frozen second, she forced her gaze to her phone screen. Her hair fell in heavy curtains on either side of her face, hiding her profile from the woman’s view, and Cara was intensely grateful that she hadn’t pulled it back that morning.

The seconds seemed to tick by agonizingly slowly as the burr of stroller wheels and the sharp click of the woman’s bootheels drew closer. Cara didn’t breathe as the woman passed just five feet away, and her pounding heart was so loud it made it hard to hear if the footsteps were slowing.

When she couldn’t hold her breath any longer, she dared a pseudo-casual glance and saw the back of the woman a half block away. Sucking in a much-needed breath, Cara returned her attention to Kavenski, just in time to see him rocket off the bench right into rush-hour traffic. The movement was so sudden and unexpected that Cara jerked back a step, startled.

“What is he doing?” Without considering the wisdom of what she was doing, Cara bolted toward him, her eyes locked on his big, surprisingly nimble form as he played a terrifying game of Frogger with oncoming cars. Brakes squealed and drivers laid on their horns as Kavenski shot across the road to the far lane. Turning to face the SUV heading toward him, he raised both hands, palms out, like a traffic cop.

He faced down the oncoming vehicle barreling toward him. The tires squealed as the wheels locked, and Cara instinctively reached toward him as if she could somehow snatch him to safety. His huge frame actually looked small as the five-thousand-pound vehicle bore down on him.

Cara reached the curb, a useless shout of warning building in her chest. Kavenski stared down the SUV, not even flinching as it rocketed closer. Just inches from Kavenski, the vehicle lurched to a halt, rocking back from the force of the stop. Cara’s breath escaped her in a rush. She stopped abruptly, realizing that she had been about to run right out into traffic. She’d been so focused on Kavenski’s near death that she hadn’t even thought about her own safety.

As the driver of the SUV rolled his window down and screamed invectives, Kavenski turned and strode over to a small dog huddled in the center of the lane. Scooping up the tiny furball, Kavenski stepped out of the street, waving casually at the still-yelling driver to continue on his way.

Cara gave a small gasping laugh at Kavenski’s nonchalance. He was acting as if risking his life to save a tiny dog was no big deal, while Cara’s heart was still trying to pound out of her chest and her hands shook with an overdose of adrenaline. As if he’d heard her slightly panicked laughter, Kavenski met her gaze across the four lanes of traffic. They stared at each other for an eternal moment before the corner of his mouth kicked up in more of a grimace than a smile.

Excerpted from Risk It All by Katie Ruggle. © 2019 by Katie Ruggle. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

*****

Author Info:

When she’s not writing, Katie Ruggle rides horses, trains her three dogs, and travels to warm places to scuba dive. A police academy graduate, Katie readily admits she’s a forensics nerd. Connect with Katie at http://katieruggle.com/, https://www.facebook.com/katierugglebooks, or on Twitter and Instagram @KatieRuggle.

*****

Giveaway:

5 copies of In Her Sights

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7860/

*****

Book Review – In Her Sights

17 Monday Jun 2019

Posted by in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

In Her Sights

Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series

by Katie Ruggle

Five bounty-hunting sisters

Deep in the heart of the Rockies

Fighting to save each other

…and the men who steal their hearts

Bounty hunter Molly Pax fought hard for everything she has, turning the bail recovery business she shares with her sisters into an unqualified success. So when their sticky-fingered mother jumps bail and puts the childhood home up as collateral, Molly’s horrified. To make matters worse, every two-bit criminal in the Rockies now sees her family’s misfortune as their next big break.

She needs help, stat.

Enter rival bounty hunter John Carmondy: six feet of pure trouble, with a cocky grin to match. John’s the most cheerfully, annoyingly gorgeous frenemy Molly’s ever had the pleasure of defeating…and he may be her only hope of making it out of this mess alive.

While Ruggle’s latest is more suspense than romance, I had fun reading it.  There’s a lot going on for Molly – the sister, their mother, trying to catch the next jump, and keeping one step ahead of John.

I’m not 100% sure why she struggles so much with letting John close, but it does lead to some fun moments … and a few head-shaking ones full of snark on Molly’s side.  Honestly, if I was John I’d probably have walked away a long time ago but the man has grit, heart, and dedication (all good attributes for a hero).  Her resistance does throw a bit of a damper on their relationship so if you were hoping for more of a love story it takes a bit to get there.

There’s a ton of action, danger, and suspense to keep you busy while you wait, though.  Half the siblings are busy trying to track down their mom and figure out what’s going on with her.  The rest are trying to catch a pretty dangerous character in order to keep their house out of the hands of a sleazy bail bondsman.

Ruggle has always had a way at delivering extremely satisfying suspense elements and she proves herself again here.  I can see why some may have been disappointed at the lack of romance (and Molly pushing John away again and again) but I found it fun enough that it didn’t matter so much to me 🙂

(Start of a series with a cliffhanger of an ending, so be warned!)

Book Review – Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas

01 Monday Oct 2018

Posted by in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Once again, Katie Ruggle gives readers a page-turner!

*****

Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas

Rocky Mountain Cowboys #1

by Katie Ruggle

Blurb:

In the heart of the Rockies

In the arms of a cowboy

One white Christmas can change everything.

When firefighter and single dad Steve Springfield moved his four kids to a Colorado Christmas tree ranch, he intended for it to be a safe haven. But he never expected danger to follow them to his childhood home…

Or that he would come face-to-face with the one girl he could never forget.

Folk artist Camille Brandt lives a quiet life. As the town’s resident eccentric, she’s used to being lonely—until Steve freaking Springfield changes everything. Brave and kind, he’s always had a piece of her heart, and it doesn’t take long before she’s in danger of falling for him again. But as mysterious fires break out across the sleepy Colorado town, Steve and Camille will have to fight if they want their happy family to survive until Christmas…

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2NCsJeY

B&N: http://bit.ly/2NBz8r1

Apple: https://apple.co/2NyCCuk

*****

Excerpt:

As she started toward the store, Camille heard the jangle of sleigh bells and saw Steve jogging toward her, a draft horse that wasn’t Buttercup trotting next to him. She stopped, struck yet again by his rugged beauty and the picture-perfect scene of his strong form next to the huge, chestnut horse, their breath turning to steam in the clear, cold air. Even the sunny day seemed to exist just to be a perfect backdrop for Steve in this moment.

“Hey,” he said, not even breathing hard after his jog. “Glad I caught you before we had to head out to get another tree.”

The horse lowered his head to her shoulder and breathed puffs of warm air into her neck, making her giggle. “Who’s this?”

“Harry. He’s green, and we need to work on him respecting people’s boundaries, but he means well.”

“Oh, I don’t mind him breathing on me.” She rubbed the horse’s cheek as he lipped at her collar. “He’s very handsome.” But not as handsome as Steve, a wicked voice whispered. She firmly ignored it, knowing that she couldn’t focus on thoughts like that if she wanted to be able to have a conversation without blushing.

“He knows it, too. He’s like Ryan that way.”

When Camille let out a surprised laugh, Steve winced, rubbing his neck with the hand not holding Harry’s lead rope. “Sorry. That was rude.”

“Maybe,” she said, still amused, as Harry nosed at her pockets, probably checking for treats. “But it was also true.”

“Hey,” he said to Harry, giving the lead rope a sharp tug so that the horse backed up a few steps. “Quit trying to mug her for carrots.” He shot her a quick glance, looking uncharacteristically uncertain. “So…you and Ryan really aren’t…?”

“Aren’t what?” she asked, confused by the half of a question. As soon as she said it, though, she realized what he’d meant. “Oh! No. We’re not doing anything. I mean, he’s asked, a bunch of times, actually, which surprised me, since he’d pretty much looked right through me until you found me at the scrapyard—not that I was lost, of course—and he walked back with me and Sasha. Anyway, whenever he tries to drag me somewhere for lunch, I run away or tell him I can’t because I need to feed my cat.”

Steve gave his rare, booming laugh. “You turned him down because you needed to feed your cat? No wonder he’s so touchy when it comes to you.”

“He’s touchy about me? Why? I don’t think he’s all that interested.” Not really interested, the way she was in Steve. “I know he’s been persistent about trying to get me to go out with him—well for the last few weeks, at least—but I figured he asks out everyone he runs into, and most people don’t reject his offers, so I’m just a challenge.”

“It’s true he’s not used to being turned down.”

She shrugged. “He’ll need to get used to it with me. I’m just not interested.”

“Good to know.” Steve’s gaze seemed several degrees warmer than usual, and Camille found prickles of sweat beading under her coat as she tried to puzzle out his meaning. Why was it good to know that she wasn’t interested in his brother? The way he was eyeing her made her almost think that Steve was actually attracted to her.

Her breath caught at the thought, but she immediately doubted herself. Beautiful, kind, and strong Steve Springfield had to have just as beautiful, kind, and strong women falling at his feet on a regular basis. Why would he be interested in an almost-hermit who answered almost every question with a nervous monologue? Despite all that, she knew she wasn’t imagining the heat in his eyes when he looked at her.

Suddenly tired of not knowing what was going on in his mind, she blurted out, “Why is it good to know?”

He shifted closer, nudging Harry back when the horse took the opportunity to try to nibble on Camille’s coat again. With Steve this close, she could smell his evergreen and peppermint scent. His coat was unzipped slightly, showing his insulated flannel shirt underneath, and the urge to press her face against that soft-looking fabric was so strong that her breath caught. She jerked her gaze back to his. There was no missing the heat in his eyes now, especially as he tipped his head down so their faces were even closer. Her heart thrummed in her chest at his nearness, making it almost impossible for her to hear his words. “I wanted to ask y—”

“Steve!” Nate’s yell drifted from the store lot, cutting Steve off midword and smashing the perfect, crystalized moment between them. Closing his eyes for a moment, he let out a hard breath that stirred the strands of hair on her forehead before he turned toward his brother.

“What?” he called back, his voice a little growly.

Blinking as reality returned with a rush of cold air, Camille shifted back a step, needing some distance from Steve to get her thoughts working again. Even as she tried to tell herself that she’d imagined that moment, that he’d been about to ask her a normal, not-at-all-sexy question, she couldn’t keep the butterflies from tumbling around in her belly. Stop, she told them firmly. She should know better than to think that he’d be interested in her, and she needed to knock it off before she ended up embarrassed and hurt.

Despite the internal lecture, she still wanted to throw a pinecone at Nate’s head. Why did he have to shout right when Steve was getting to the interesting part? Now she was going to die of curiosity if she didn’t find out what he’d been about to tell her. She liked Nate well enough, but right now she wished he’d fall in a hole.

“You’re up!” Nate gestured toward a family clustered together by the edge of the lot. Even at a shout, Nate’s words sounded testy, and Camille felt a rush of annoyance. Couldn’t he have helped the family? Even as she thought it, she knew she was being unreasonable. This was why she shouldn’t indulge in daydreams about unobtainable firefighting ranchers. It stole all of her good sense.

Steve gave Nate a wave of acknowledgment before turning back to Camille.

“Duty calls,” he said with a slight, rueful grimace. His gaze lingered on her face for a charged second before he sighed and turned Harry around, being careful the horse’s oversized rump didn’t knock into her. As he started leading the gelding away, Steve glanced over his shoulder at her. “We’ll talk soon.”

With that completely unsatisfying ending to their conversation, he jogged back toward the family waiting in the lot. Realizing that she was staring after him like a lovestruck idiot, Camille forced her feet to move. She followed more slowly, watching as he greeted the parents and their three kids, tying Harry’s lead rope to the hitching post. As he put on the horse’s harness, he explained each step to the customers, letting the kids touch each piece with curious hands. When the smallest child toddled too close to one of Harry’s oversized hooves, Steve swept him up with the ease of long practice before handing him off to the boy’s dad.

Camille loved how he worked around the horse and the kids, calm and easy, but with a careful firmness that showed he wouldn’t put up with any nonsense. Although she wished they’d been able to finish their conversation, she enjoyed being able to stare at Steve to her heart’s content without him noticing. He stroked Harry’s thick, fuzzy neck absently as he listened to one of the kids, and she was transfixed by the movement of his hand, so firm yet gentle. As stupid as it was, she couldn’t keep her mind from dwelling on how that hand would feel against her skin.

As if he’d heard her thoughts, he looked straight at her, the corners of his mouth tucked in as if he were holding back a smile. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she knew she had to be bright red. If he hadn’t guessed the direction of her thoughts before, her vivid blush had to be giving her away now.

Completely flustered, she lifted her hand in an awkward wave. His smile stretched more widely, and Camille lost what little ability she had to act normally. It was time to retreat. Turning away from the tempting man in front of her, she hurried the rest of the way to her car, not allowing her gaze to stray in his direction. Once she got into the old Buick, she closed her eyes and shook her head at herself. Why couldn’t she have even a smidgen of game? Why had she given Steve that goofy wave?

Carefully backing out, she ran through their brief encounter in her mind. What had he been about to say before Nate interrupted? From the way he’d prefaced the question, it had felt as if it was going to be important. She huffed out a breath. Between thinking about this, her spying neighbor, the creepy night noises, and the industrious mice who shared her home, she’d never be able to sleep that night.

*****

Review:

Note: While this is loosely tied to Ruggle’s Rocky Mountain K9 Unit (Steve was a firefighter in Monroe) but other than realizing that some pretty bad things happened there this one pretty much stands on its own.

I absolutely love Steve & his kids and how they accept & understandd Camille.  She also brings her own unique views to this lovely family, adding a little softness that they all needed.  It’s sweet, heartwarming, and absolutely hilarious because she’s so awkwardly endearing when it comes to falling for Steve.  They made me giggle so many times 🙂  And his kids are just so darn adorable – smart, precocious, and brilliant.

There is a bit of danger in the story but it doesn’t take central stage.  Instead Ruggle makes sure to tie it in just enough to remind you that there is a bad guy out there but not enough to take away from all of the important emotional moments and the bonding between Camille & the Springfields.

*****

Giveaway:

3 copies of Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7692/

*****

Book Review – Through the Fire

21 Tuesday Aug 2018

Posted by in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Awkward, geeky, sexy Wes is my new book boyfriend!

*****

Through the Fire

Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series

by Katie Ruggle

Blurb:

He’s tall.

He’s dark.

He’s brutally handsome…

And he may be her only hope.

Kit Jernigan despairs of ever fitting in with her new tight-knit K9 unit—they’ve been through too much to welcome a stranger. So when a killer strikes, it’s a fight to convince her fellow officers to trust her long enough to catch the woman she knows is responsible.

She can’t do it on her own. What she needs most is a partner: local fire spotter Wesley March.

Wes knows in his heart that Kit is right, and he’s willing to leave his lonely tower to help her prove it. But the more time they spend together, the hotter the fire smolders…and the more danger they’re in. A member of the K9 unit’s inner circle is determined to have her revenge—no matter who gets burned in the process.

This time, it’s personal.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KPMej7

B&N: http://bit.ly/2KPMeQ9

Apple: https://apple.co/2NwGUiW

*****

Excerpt:

The snow crunched under Wes’s boots as he climbed. It was a beautiful day, with the late-afternoon sun shading to orange as it approached the mountain peaks it was about to hide behind, but Wes didn’t pay much attention to the scenery. He was intent on reaching the bat cave.

Despite its name, the bat cave was more of a rock overhang than a cave, but the bat part was true enough—it housed a good-sized colony of silver-haired bats. Researchers and animal-loving hikers frequently visited the location. Although Wes had gotten some striking photos at the bat cave, he hadn’t even brought his camera with him this time. He was more interested in the cell reception.

When the trail evened out, leading to a large, flat rock overhang, he pulled out his cell phone. Sure enough, he had reception. Finding his sister’s name in his short list of contacts, he called her. As he waited for her to answer, pacing back and forth across the granite ledge, he made a mental note to set up a cell-signal booster at the tower. He should’ve done it before, but he hadn’t missed phone service. Having to mindfully go somewhere with cell reception allowed him to control when and whom he called. It wasn’t enough now, though, not when there was someone he was hoping to call—as soon as he got her number.

“Wes!” Leila sounded winded. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” Well, nothing except his social skills when women—not including his sister—were around.

“Oh.” There was a pause. “I thought there was an emergency. You never call except for every other Sunday afternoon.”

“No emergency.” He tried to mentally plan out his question. “I need some advice.”

“Advice?” Another silence fell, and Wes could almost hear the gears in her brain turning. He smiled. Leila was even smarter than he was, and she was a whole lot more intuitive and perceptive. That’s why he was calling her. “Does this have something to do with a woman?”

“Yes.”

She squealed, the sound so excited that he smiled wider even as he winced and pulled the phone slightly away from his ear. “Are you dating someone? What’s her name? When do I get to meet her? What does she do? Is she funny? Pretty? Smart? A badass? Tell me details, Wes!”

“Answering most of your questions might be premature.” As much as he wanted to talk about Kit, Wes knew it could be dangerous. The more he said, the more real the possibility of something happening with her felt, and he didn’t want to build up hopes too high. After all, the more excited he got, the harder the disappointment would hit if she never wanted to talk to him again.

“Fine.” Although Leila was obviously trying to sound calm, Wes could tell that she was thrilled, and it made him wonder if he’d done the right thing by calling his sister. Now there might be two extremely disappointed people if nothing happened between him and Kit. “Just answer the basic ones, then. Are you dating?”

“No. We’ve only met three times.” He didn’t think their radio conversation counted.

“But you like her?”

“Yes. I like her.” It seemed like a barely adequate phrase to encompass the fizzing excitement he’d felt around her—and even later, when he was alone and thinking about her. “I’m…interested in her.” That didn’t seem much more accurate.

Leila let out another small squeal, and Wes looked up at the sky, even as he felt his face heat. “Sorry,” she said as if she could see his long-suffering expression. “That’s out of my system now. Back to basic questions. Is she interested in you?”

“I don’t know.” Crouching down, he absently picked up a few small pebbles, his brain fully occupied with the mystery that was K9 Officer Kit Jernigan. “That’s what I wanted to discuss with you.”

“Hang on. I think I need to get comfortable for this conversation.” There were a few rustling noises, and then Leila spoke again. “Okay. I’m ready. Let’s start with the first time you met. Tell me what happened.”

“I needed propane, so I refilled my tank at the station on the southeast side of town. I wanted to be back home before things got busy—”

“Wesley,” she interrupted. “I’ve been to your Podunk town, remember? It never gets busy. There are, like, ten buildings and eight people total.”

“The population of Monroe—”

“Nope. Don’t care. Tell me the story.”

It never hurt his feelings when Leila cut him off like that. In fact, he appreciated her directness. It was easier than trying to guess what a person was thinking by their body language or tactful words. “Four days ago, I was driving west on Mule Drive at six fifty-four, but I was forced to stop due to an SUV backing a small utility trailer into a driveway.” He frowned at the memory. “Attempting to back a small utility trailer into a driveway.”

“Go on. No, wait! Let me guess. Did you save this woman from getting run over?”

“No.”

“Oh.” She sounded disappointed. “Go on, then. What did happen?”

Wes smiled slightly. His sister was terrible at listening to stories. She didn’t have any patience, wanting to rush right to the conclusion instead. “After talking with the driver, I didn’t think she’d move the trailer into the driveway efficiently—which meant I’d be late—so I got out of my truck in order to help.”

“She was the driver?” Her voice was hushed, amusing Wes.

“Yes.”

“That’s so romantic!”

His eyebrows scrunched together. “It is?”

“Well, not really, I guess. I think I’m just anticipating that it’s going to be romantic soon. Go on… Get to the good part!”

He hesitated. “I’m not sure what you’d consider the good part.”

Her gusty sigh was audible. “Just tell me the rest. I’m dying of curiosity here!”

“I helped her get the trailer into her driveway and unhitched it.”

“And then?”

“She drove away.”

There was a long beat of silence. “That’s disappointing.”

“It was.”

“Did she tell you her name, at least?”

Wes found himself smiling. “Yes. Kit Jernigan.”

*****

Review:

I absolutely adored both Kit and Wes.  They are so fun together in all of their awkward cuteness and even though things happen pretty quickly you can feel the connection between the two of them.  Like all of the other couples in the series, they are a good match and have you rooting for them from the start.

Unfortunately there was a point just before the big climax where Ruggle lost me just a little.  Kit had all of the information she needed to make a few connections about what was going on and none of it was ever mentioned, by her or by Ruggle.  It was obvious but when it mattered Kit never even acknowledged the information.  Which was extra disappointing because she’d been so on top of things up to that point.

It’s a minor complaint, though, in an otherwise fun and exciting story.  There’s the danger and suspense that we’ve come to expect from this series, along with the right amount of camaraderie and romance to give you the feels to go with the thrills.  And while we may know who the bad guy is from the first but I will admit that the why totally surprised me.  (I was enjoying Wes & Kit too much to even want to guess 🙂 )

*****

Author Info:

A graduate of the Police Academy, Katie received her ice-rescue certification and can attest that the reservoirs in the Colorado mountains really are that cold. A fan of anything that makes her feel like a bad-ass, she has trained in Krav Maga, boxing and gymnastics, has lived in an off-grid, solar- and wind-powered house in the Rocky Mountains, rides horses, trains dogs, cross-country skis and travels to warm places to scuba dive. In addition to her romantic suspense books, she also writes spicier romances under the pen name Katie Allen. Connect with Katie at http://katieruggle.com/, https://www.facebook.com/katierugglebooks, or on Twitter @KatieRuggle

*****

Giveaway:

Enter to win a Katie Ruggle Prize Pack!

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7674/

*****

Book Review – Survive the Night

08 Thursday Mar 2018

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Survive the Night

Rocky Mountain K9 Unit, #3

by Katie Ruggle

He’s always been a haven:

For the lost. The sick. The injured.

But when a hunted woman takes shelter in his arms, this gentle giant swears he’ll do more than heal her battered spirit—he’ll defend her with his life.

K9 Officer Otto Gunnersen always had a soft spot for anyone in need. As Monroe’s very own Dr. Doolittle, he dedicates himself to rehabilitating the injured souls that cross his path—but for all his big heart, he’s never been in love.

Until he meets Sarah Clifton’s haunted eyes. Until he realizes he’ll do anything to save her.

All Sarah wants is to escape a life caught between ambitious crime families, but there’s no outrunning her past. Her power-mad brother would hunt her to the ends of the earth…but he’d never expect Sarah to fight back. With Otto and the whole of Monroe, Colorado by her side, Sarah’s finally ready to face whatever comes her way.

It’s time to take a stand.

Sarah lived an absolutely horrifying life before a slightly shady acquaintance helps her flee.  Said contact, who also helped both Jules & Grace (from the first two books), gets her hidden … unfortunately her brother has a big reach and she doesn’t stay hidden for long.  At that point the shenanigans begin.  And what action-packed shenanigans they are!  Luckily for Sarah she has Otto, along with Theo & Hugh, on her side.  And there’s not much that those guys can’t handle.

Some of Otto’s development and back-story might have been rushed a little bit, what with all the bad guys trying to get them.  But we do get a little glimpse of what made him such a gentle giant, with a big heart and a huge protective streak.  And it takes him all of about half a second to decide he wanted to give all his love and protection to Sarah.  He’ll take on just about anything to keep her safe and in his arms.  And he might have to.

I will admit that I was a little sad that the romance wasn’t as detailed as the action portion of this one.  It seemed to me that Ruggle balanced them a little bit better in the first two books … but man did she deliver an edge of your seat thrill ride with Otto & Sarah’s story.  I found myself glued to the pages and wanting to read just a little bit more, no matter how late it got.  That last third just about gave me an ulcer from all of the stress!  If you are looking for an exciting read, this one definitely cranks things up.

(While technically this one can stand on its own it does tie in to the first two stories.  Both Jules and Grace’s pasts come back into play and is tied in, well & logically, with Sarah’s.)

Book Review – On the Chase

05 Friday Jan 2018

Posted by in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

On the Chase

Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series

by Katie Ruggle

Injured in the line of duty,

His orders are simple:

Stay alive.

But when a frightened woman bursts into his life, Hugh and his K9 companion have no choice but to risk everything to keep her safe.

The sole witness to a horrific crime, Kaylee Ramay flees to the Colorado Rockies to start a new life. There she becomes Grace, a dog kennel employee desperately trying to avoid attention—especially from dangerously attractive K9 Officer Hugh Murdoch.

Because Hugh is tall, dark…and nothing but trouble.

Hugh is anxious to get back in the field after an act of heroism left him warming the bench.

Until then, he and his K9 partner Lexi spend their hours teasing the town’s mysterious newcomer. But when their simmering attraction is nearly cut short by a sniper’s bullet, Hugh’s mystery woman must come clean about the secrets she keeps…

Or both of them will pay the price.

 

After reading Run to Ground (with awesomely grumpy Theo), I wasn’t sure I was going to like Hugh.  He seemed a bit of an a$$ – one of those wisecracking jerks that is a little too much of a guy’s guy.  But I severely underestimated Ruggle’s skills!  I absolutely loved Hugh from the first page to the last and not once did I have an unkind thought about him.  He’s a truly good guy, cares about those around him, and wants to do good in the world.  Meeting Kaylee, who is definitely hiding something and who tugs at something in Hugh like no one before, has all of those hero feelings on high alert.

Kaylee is surprisingly engaging as well.  At first she seems a little too prissy but she quickly gets over her “city” ways and embraces her new situation.  Avoiding (and resisting) Hugh is harder than it should be (because the man is tenacious) but she starts to have trouble remembering why he’s bad news.

Just like with Run to Ground, Ruggle brings a good amount of danger to the second book in the series.  All of the elements work together beautiful and give readers a good suspense element to go with their love story.  But don’t worry if you missed the first story because she helps you keep up … but I’m pretty sure you should read them both because they are pretty darn good 🙂

Book Review – Run to Ground

08 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Run to Ground

Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series

by Katie Ruggle

First in Katie Ruggle’s thrilling new Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series.

He lost his mentor.

He lost his K9 partner.

He almost lost his will to live.

But when a killer obsessed with revenge targets a beautiful woman on the run, Theo and his new K9 companion will do whatever it takes to save Jules before they lose their last chance at a happily ever after…

Theodore Bosco, grieving the death of his partner, is reluctantly fascinated by secretive newcomer Jules. Although his instincts scream that he should avoid her, he can’t seem to stay away. It doesn’t help that Theo’s new K9 companion, Viggy, has fallen head over paws with Jules’s rambunctious family.

Or that when he’s with Jules, Theo finally knows peace.

When Jules kidnapped her siblings, whisking them away from abuse to the quiet anonymity of the Colorado Rockies, she never expected to catch the eye-or the heart-of a cop. All it would take is one wrong move and she’ll lose everything. Yet as Jules attempts to fight her growing attraction to the brooding K9 officer, another deadly threat lurks much closer to home. Someone’s gunning for Theo and Viggy, and they’re willing to take out anything…or anyone…who gets in the way of revenge.

**potentially minor spoilers ahead**

I feels so bad for Jules and her siblings.  While Ruggle never gives you 100% of what her stepmom did to them, you get enough to know it really wasn’t good.  And that she didn’t have a lot of choice but to get them out any way she could.  It’s not an easy choice but she tried to go the normal route and get legal custody but was thwarted time and again.  When you run out of options and you are desperate …

They end up in a little mountain town in Colorado.  And in the sights of a sexy, but super broody, K9 cop.  He’s dealing with some issues of his own, which makes him not the best of company right now.  Throw in a jumpy waitress who has reason to be afraid of the law and it sends his spidey senses tingling  🙂

I’m not sure how realistic it is to think that someone who is on the run would have ANYTHING to do with someone who could easily throw them in jail – and there is a lot of back and forth about it – but Theo does give her reason to trust him.  The fact that he so easily lets her keep her secret also might not be all that realistic but he’s willing to believe his gut that says she’s a good person and see how it plays out.  And since it looks like there is a chance that the rest of this series will be interconnected with Jules, we may get to see how that goes.

So that’s her side, but there is a whole other part of the story about his issues with the death of his partner, trouble with his new K9 partner, plus some baddies that do deadly things around town.  It all meshes well into a romantic suspense story that will have you caught up until the final unmasking … and ready to find out what happens when the next cop finds himself falling for a girl with trouble on her tail.