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Beneath the Wild Sky #1
The Scenic Route
Why date a mountain man? Because climbing him will leave you breathless.
Felicity Pax loves her job. She craves excitement, and being a bounty hunter gives her that in spades. So when her estranged mother disappears with a small fortune in tow, Felicity chases her like she would any other skip. Too bad she didn't barter on having increasingly infuriating (and infuriatingly hot) PI Bennett Green on her tail.
Bennett's got a job to do, and if that means shadowing Felicity…well…he's had worse assignments. Even if he's 99% sure the increasingly intriguing bounty hunter is leading him on a wild goose chase through the Rockies.
If she has to drag her PI tail through endless quirky mountain towns in order to shake him, that's what she's determined to do…but it isn't long before Felicity's intended distraction turns up a mystery worth solving—and Bennett becomes the unexpected partner she never realized she needed. As things heat up, Felicity will have to decide what's most important to staying one step ahead of the "enemy" or giving herself freedom to experience the adventure of a lifetime.
The Rocky Mountains get unBEARably hot in Katie Ruggle's brand-new series packed with adventure, action, tall dark & scruffy heroes, and a sense of quirky humor that will be your next perfect escape.
Books by Katie
Fish Out of Water
Hold Your Breath
Run to Ground
In Her Sights
Felicity Pax loves her job. She craves excitement, and being a bounty hunter gives her that in spades. So when her estranged mother disappears with a small fortune in tow, Felicity chases her like she would any other skip. Too bad she didn't barter on having increasingly infuriating (and infuriatingly hot) PI Bennett Green on her tail.
Bennett's got a job to do, and if that means shadowing Felicity…well…he's had worse assignments. Even if he's 99% sure the increasingly intriguing bounty hunter is leading him on a wild goose chase through the Rockies.
If she has to drag her PI tail through endless quirky mountain towns in order to shake him, that's what she's determined to do…but it isn't long before Felicity's intended distraction turns up a mystery worth solving—and Bennett becomes the unexpected partner she never realized she needed. As things heat up, Felicity will have to decide what's most important to staying one step ahead of the "enemy" or giving herself freedom to experience the adventure of a lifetime.
The Rocky Mountains get unBEARably hot in Katie Ruggle's brand-new series packed with adventure, action, tall dark & scruffy heroes, and a sense of quirky humor that will be your next perfect escape.
Books by Katie
Fish Out of Water
Hold Your Breath
Run to Ground
In Her Sights
352 pages, Paperback
Published July 30, 2024
124 people are currently reading
1502 people want to read
About the author
Katie Ruggle
21 books1,218 followersA fan of the old adage “write what you know”, Katie Ruggle lived in an off-grid, solar- and wind-powered house in the Rocky Mountains until her family lured her back to Minnesota. When she’s not writing, Katie rides horses, trains her three dogs, cross-country skis (badly) and travels to warm places where she can scuba dive. 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. You can connect with Katie at http://katieruggle.com/, https://www.facebook.com/katieruggleb..., or on Twitter @KatieRuggle
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
August 5, 2024
⚠️CAUTION⚠️
extreme adorableness, might steal your heart
extreme adorableness, might steal your heart
September 27, 2024
3 ˖⁺‧✮
dnf 75%
i found this book not as interesting as i hoped. plot was engaging and interesting, especially mystery and murder club meetings. but, everything else wasn’t as great. both characters were sweet but had weird personalities. i didn’t notice when stalking was turned into help? it happed so fast. she was irritated by him and then next page they were together. i think it was just me but i was so confused with their relationships.
i definitely think third pov fit this storyline. and even though this book didn’t have me hooked, writing was relatively easy and enjoyable to read.
i dnf this book because i just wasn’t invested anymore. with everything going on in the book i started to lose details and couldn’t keep up.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with the arc of “The Scenic Route”.
dnf 75%
i found this book not as interesting as i hoped. plot was engaging and interesting, especially mystery and murder club meetings. but, everything else wasn’t as great. both characters were sweet but had weird personalities. i didn’t notice when stalking was turned into help? it happed so fast. she was irritated by him and then next page they were together. i think it was just me but i was so confused with their relationships.
i definitely think third pov fit this storyline. and even though this book didn’t have me hooked, writing was relatively easy and enjoyable to read.
i dnf this book because i just wasn’t invested anymore. with everything going on in the book i started to lose details and couldn’t keep up.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with the arc of “The Scenic Route”.
August 4, 2024
This was fun, adorable, and ridiculous. Where is my not-on-purpose stalker?
August 16, 2024
I picked up Scenic Route because I was hoping for something I could turn my brain off and just go with the flow and mission accomplished. The start of the book does summarize couples that are side characters in this book that had their own books in prior series by the author. Because of how many side characters have had their own stories already, this does have a feeling of being dropped into the midst of shenanigans already in process. Still, it smooths out pretty well and was still enjoyable for me. As a note, a couple friends said that this series picks up where an unfinished series may have ended and found that frustrating, as well as some of the similarities between the two. I was originally going to read one of the other sister's books from the other series first, but decided to go with this one instead.
Felicity (h) and Bennett (H) were funny and cute and made a fantastic team once Bennett moved past “stalker” level to “assisting” level lol. He’s a PI investigating Felicity’s mom for theft of a necklace that his client ensured. Felicity and her sisters are trying to nab their mother themselves because she’s bounced on her bail and put their home up as collateral, in addition to the sisters being bounty hunters who catch bail skippers anyway. But with Bennett taking an interest in their activities, Felicity and her sisters plan for Felicity to pursue a bail skipper in the opposite direction of where another sister will be hunting down their mother, to act as bait to lure Bennett away. No one expects things to get out of control with trying to catch their guy or for Bennett and Felicity to bond and fall in love, but that’s what happens. I laughed a lot, but there are also some heavier moments involving a less than legal militia.
Written in third person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and both are experienced (no details given that I can recall).
Bennett was a sweetheart who blushed easily and was awkward. Felicity was competent but faltered on this case in some interesting ways. Some of her mistakes were chalked up to being without her normal sister partner. I did wish that she was a little less impulsive though at times and that Bennett was a little more strong-willed in places to keep them more on track considering they’re both professionals. Because this is low angst, you may need to suspend some disbelief, but they did make for a cute couple. Some steamy times are included, but it’s not heavy on the explicit details and the focus is on their teamwork and the chase they’re on.
Side characters abound as I already mentioned. The murder club girls are hilarious and there’s no angst there either, with information shared pretty quickly. A lot of easy trust floating around in this author’s books but it does make for a lighter read and faster pace I guess. It was fun to see familiar faces from the first book I ever read by this author too. I do want to read more about Felicity’s sister who gets compared to a female version of Bennett and her book is next and I generally enjoyed the dynamic of closeness and support the sisters shared.
The story does get wrapped up in dramatic (and suspenseful) fashion with some tense moments involving the bail skipper. Felicity’s mom’s plot line is still in the wind though and might stretch out for multiple other books would be my guess. It’s a HFN ending on the romance, but with them being partners and sweetly together. Then a last lead-in to the next book with the quieter sister. I enjoyed this story, it’s not one I’ll likely reread though.
Felicity (h) and Bennett (H) were funny and cute and made a fantastic team once Bennett moved past “stalker” level to “assisting” level lol. He’s a PI investigating Felicity’s mom for theft of a necklace that his client ensured. Felicity and her sisters are trying to nab their mother themselves because she’s bounced on her bail and put their home up as collateral, in addition to the sisters being bounty hunters who catch bail skippers anyway. But with Bennett taking an interest in their activities, Felicity and her sisters plan for Felicity to pursue a bail skipper in the opposite direction of where another sister will be hunting down their mother, to act as bait to lure Bennett away. No one expects things to get out of control with trying to catch their guy or for Bennett and Felicity to bond and fall in love, but that’s what happens. I laughed a lot, but there are also some heavier moments involving a less than legal militia.
Written in third person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and both are experienced (no details given that I can recall).
Bennett was a sweetheart who blushed easily and was awkward. Felicity was competent but faltered on this case in some interesting ways. Some of her mistakes were chalked up to being without her normal sister partner. I did wish that she was a little less impulsive though at times and that Bennett was a little more strong-willed in places to keep them more on track considering they’re both professionals. Because this is low angst, you may need to suspend some disbelief, but they did make for a cute couple. Some steamy times are included, but it’s not heavy on the explicit details and the focus is on their teamwork and the chase they’re on.
Side characters abound as I already mentioned. The murder club girls are hilarious and there’s no angst there either, with information shared pretty quickly. A lot of easy trust floating around in this author’s books but it does make for a lighter read and faster pace I guess. It was fun to see familiar faces from the first book I ever read by this author too. I do want to read more about Felicity’s sister who gets compared to a female version of Bennett and her book is next and I generally enjoyed the dynamic of closeness and support the sisters shared.
The story does get wrapped up in dramatic (and suspenseful) fashion with some tense moments involving the bail skipper. Felicity’s mom’s plot line is still in the wind though and might stretch out for multiple other books would be my guess. It’s a HFN ending on the romance, but with them being partners and sweetly together. Then a last lead-in to the next book with the quieter sister. I enjoyed this story, it’s not one I’ll likely reread though.
did-not-finish
August 10, 2024DNF at 6%.
As I started this book, everything felt like something I had read before. After a little online search, it's because the author started a series about the same 5 sisters as this series is based around. I don't understand why the author would do this!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
The beginning is such a close match to the other series that I cannot enjoy myself. Why would she not only start a new series that's based around the same family as the other series, but redo the timeline? I don't want a book that overlaps so much.
Boo.
As I started this book, everything felt like something I had read before. After a little online search, it's because the author started a series about the same 5 sisters as this series is based around. I don't understand why the author would do this!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
The beginning is such a close match to the other series that I cannot enjoy myself. Why would she not only start a new series that's based around the same family as the other series, but redo the timeline? I don't want a book that overlaps so much.
Boo.
July 25, 2024
The Scenic Route serves up a bounty hunter and a private investigator who team up to catch a criminal on the run. That right there had me completely SOLD!
The main characters, Felicity and Bennett are complete opposites. The two of them as a duo was highly entertaining and at times ridiculous which I definitely found myself gravitating towards!!
I have such a love for great side characters and the murder club was fantastic! Sign me up!!
The double cheek kiss is the worst! Let's just say because of that I almost kissed my father in law the first time we met. Awkward!! Ha Ha Ha!!
I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one in the series!! My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for this gifted copy.
The main characters, Felicity and Bennett are complete opposites. The two of them as a duo was highly entertaining and at times ridiculous which I definitely found myself gravitating towards!!
I have such a love for great side characters and the murder club was fantastic! Sign me up!!
The double cheek kiss is the worst! Let's just say because of that I almost kissed my father in law the first time we met. Awkward!! Ha Ha Ha!!
I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one in the series!! My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for this gifted copy.
August 20, 2024
3.5 Stars
I was excited when I figured out The Scenic Route revisits and continues the bounty hunting Pax sisters’ story from Katie Ruggle’s Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series! This one centers on Felicity Pax and a PI Bennett Green sent to find the necklace that their mother stole, however they end up chasing after a “skip” that takes them to Simpson, Colorado. This town is well known to Ruggle’s fans as it’s the setting for her Search and Rescue books. The past couples, (Lou and Callum, Ellie and George, Daisy and Chris, Rory and Ian), of that series factor in heavily to the story and it was fun “hanging out” with the old gang again!
Felicity and Bennett’s romance was a little insta-lovey but understandable with them thrown together while trying to find and apprehend her bail jumper.
The Scenic Route was fun with silly hijinks! I’d say this was more of an action romance than a mystery. I look forward to Nora’s story next!
A copy was kindly provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
I was excited when I figured out The Scenic Route revisits and continues the bounty hunting Pax sisters’ story from Katie Ruggle’s Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series! This one centers on Felicity Pax and a PI Bennett Green sent to find the necklace that their mother stole, however they end up chasing after a “skip” that takes them to Simpson, Colorado. This town is well known to Ruggle’s fans as it’s the setting for her Search and Rescue books. The past couples, (Lou and Callum, Ellie and George, Daisy and Chris, Rory and Ian), of that series factor in heavily to the story and it was fun “hanging out” with the old gang again!
Felicity and Bennett’s romance was a little insta-lovey but understandable with them thrown together while trying to find and apprehend her bail jumper.
The Scenic Route was fun with silly hijinks! I’d say this was more of an action romance than a mystery. I look forward to Nora’s story next!
A copy was kindly provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
January 6, 2025
Was hoodwinked by the pretty cover.
I wanted backpackers-adventure-romcom cuteness a-la Matthew Lillard in Without a Paddle but it gave creepy stalker(but it’s okay cause he’s hot *cue eye roll) team up with his victim to track down (and I quote) “the militia” and “the bomber” a-la Katherine Heigl in One for the Money. If in the movie Katherine Heigl & Gerard Butler were the worst bounty hunter and private investigator on the planet.
Also it’s described as a standalone first in a series so why were we thrown into the middle of a story with too many other couples to count and forced to hear about their romance backstory?
I did like the murder mystery club a-la Golden Girls. They were cute
I wanted backpackers-adventure-romcom cuteness a-la Matthew Lillard in Without a Paddle but it gave creepy stalker(but it’s okay cause he’s hot *cue eye roll) team up with his victim to track down (and I quote) “the militia” and “the bomber” a-la Katherine Heigl in One for the Money. If in the movie Katherine Heigl & Gerard Butler were the worst bounty hunter and private investigator on the planet.
Also it’s described as a standalone first in a series so why were we thrown into the middle of a story with too many other couples to count and forced to hear about their romance backstory?
I did like the murder mystery club a-la Golden Girls. They were cute
April 7, 2024
I’m not that into insta-love, but Bennett made it sounds so cute and adorable, I kind of forgot they knew each other for a small amount of time. And, I mean, only one bed is always a great trope… you know how it’s going to end every time!
I loved Felicity Pax. Loved how she can handle herself, how she’s small but not fragile, kicks ass but she appreciate being protected by Bennett.
And Bennett, man of few words… He made me think of so many men in my life. I loved how Felicity could read him like an open book.
I devoured the book. Couldn’t put it down. Now I need to read all the previous books so I can know how Felicity’s sisters came to know their partners 😅😂
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casa for the ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I loved Felicity Pax. Loved how she can handle herself, how she’s small but not fragile, kicks ass but she appreciate being protected by Bennett.
And Bennett, man of few words… He made me think of so many men in my life. I loved how Felicity could read him like an open book.
I devoured the book. Couldn’t put it down. Now I need to read all the previous books so I can know how Felicity’s sisters came to know their partners 😅😂
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casa for the ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
August 3, 2024
Oof, all of the warm fuzzies, the sexy swoons, the fun tropes, and the fun banter revisiting all of our Simpson, CO friends from the Search and Rescue series. Love adorable, grumpy, awkward Bennet and fierce, resourceful, kickass Felicity!
Would highly recommend reading Hold Your Breath and/or Gone too Deep by this author before this book, and maybe even the Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters books that come before this one.
Would highly recommend reading Hold Your Breath and/or Gone too Deep by this author before this book, and maybe even the Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters books that come before this one.
August 4, 2024
2/5
Before the plot even starts, before prologue, we're introduced to 6 couples (yes, 6!) and 2 women who apparently dont even have their own book yet? Who apparently will be important to the plot of the book.Im'm already exhausted. It's worth to mention, that the note from the author starts by saying that The Scenic Route is the first book in the new series... And according to NetGalley it's a standalone book.
If it's a standalone, why do I need to know all these characters from the previous books and series? Not only was Introduced to he backstory of each characters but also how they fell in love. It was completely unecessary. If the book was well-written - which I now doubt it - then we don't need all of this introduction because we can find out who they are from the context clues of the plot.
But I digress.
The story was interesting, and faced paced. Bit everything was fast paced. Both the investigation and the love story. I'm not a fan of I sta lust and the way the male main character was so in love with her and accepting of that fact was weird but it wa dthe sudden realization a Nd acceptance of female love interest that was jarring to me. So they shared a bed a couple of times, got married drugged in Vegas (more of that later) and had sex and they're suddenly in love? They knew each other for a week. If even that.
And while I usually love surprise Vegas weddings none of the description actually suggested anything like that. In fact it did the opposite of that. Because according to the blurb, they were supposed to be dating during the investigation - there was none of that. And, the female lead was supposed to make a decision, whether to be with him or not. Like it was literally in the description. That she would struggle with that choice, be conflicted etc.
There was none of that either.
Why include the "why date a mountain man" and "Felicity will have to decide what's most important to her: staying one step ahead of her "enemy" or giving herself a freedom to experiece adventure of a lifetime" of you're not gonna deliver? Felicity just went along with it with no hesitation, there was no decision to make???? She was just like "yup okay whatever" what was that???
Also, the Vegas wedding. It raised some suspicions that weren't confirmed??? But it took me out of this book and made me hate and distrust Bennet immediately. Because it was like that: Felicity and Bennet were on a stakeout in a bar, someone spiked their drinks and in the high state they decided to get married. Okay. Fine. The questions arose the next morning: because Bennet remembered everything while Felicity didn't. And Bennet's a big guy so if the dose was small... Did he knew what was happening? Was he just drugged and went along with this? Because she was. Or, more nefarious, if the dose was small enough, was he only a little tipsy, but still able to make good decisions and then decided to just marry her while she obviously couldn't give him her full consent given the state of her at the time? Those were literally the question Felicity ahs and she just... Brushes them off?? Excuse me?? If someone I trusted(or began to trust) did something like this to me while I was vulnerable and unable to say no, I would be horrified. Not horny. That would be it, the trust would be broken and no amount of grovelling would ever get it back (and there was none of grovelling. None at all). And the author just brushed the issue off! After Felicity's initial freakout, she just brushed it off and never mentions it again. Seriously?? No, don't do that! If he took advantage of her, that's not cute or romantic!! It's horrifying!
Another thing that annoyed me: the murder club. All of those women (especially Lou) were horrible and nosy and just the worst. And the female lead who was supposed to be a bounty hunter, so someone smart, just told them all the truth with no hesitation? She didn't even know them. But she immediately spilled the beans and then was surprised that the guy she was after knew about her being there? Please. Let's apply some logic here.
While it was a fun book, everything unravels when you think about it. I took offence about the consent (or lack thereof) and how it was brushed off. Just no. It took me out of the story and I couldn't enjoy it after that.
Like seriously, did he know hat was happening? Because if he had the same dose of drug as she was, there was no way he was that high. His body built and mass would protect him somewhat. If he was tipsy, he could still make decisions and then decided to take advantage of her. I hate that. That ruined the book for me (even more than over the top third act drama - and it wasn't even wrapped properly. What about their mom? And I was seriously thinking that Charlie book would be next since she was on the case AND was mentioned the most -and in epilogue we got Nora, very randomly?? Makes no sense. There was no build up to it at all. Ughhh. (Also a note from me but if authors do epilogues, make them about the main couple. Don't bring out the entire new pov that aha nothing to do with the main couple, it's not wanted nor needed. If you want to set up the next book, leave context clues and easter eggs throughout the plot instead. It's much more satisfying that way.
Before the plot even starts, before prologue, we're introduced to 6 couples (yes, 6!) and 2 women who apparently dont even have their own book yet? Who apparently will be important to the plot of the book.Im'm already exhausted. It's worth to mention, that the note from the author starts by saying that The Scenic Route is the first book in the new series... And according to NetGalley it's a standalone book.
If it's a standalone, why do I need to know all these characters from the previous books and series? Not only was Introduced to he backstory of each characters but also how they fell in love. It was completely unecessary. If the book was well-written - which I now doubt it - then we don't need all of this introduction because we can find out who they are from the context clues of the plot.
But I digress.
The story was interesting, and faced paced. Bit everything was fast paced. Both the investigation and the love story. I'm not a fan of I sta lust and the way the male main character was so in love with her and accepting of that fact was weird but it wa dthe sudden realization a Nd acceptance of female love interest that was jarring to me. So they shared a bed a couple of times, got married drugged in Vegas (more of that later) and had sex and they're suddenly in love? They knew each other for a week. If even that.
And while I usually love surprise Vegas weddings none of the description actually suggested anything like that. In fact it did the opposite of that. Because according to the blurb, they were supposed to be dating during the investigation - there was none of that. And, the female lead was supposed to make a decision, whether to be with him or not. Like it was literally in the description. That she would struggle with that choice, be conflicted etc.
There was none of that either.
Why include the "why date a mountain man" and "Felicity will have to decide what's most important to her: staying one step ahead of her "enemy" or giving herself a freedom to experiece adventure of a lifetime" of you're not gonna deliver? Felicity just went along with it with no hesitation, there was no decision to make???? She was just like "yup okay whatever" what was that???
Also, the Vegas wedding. It raised some suspicions that weren't confirmed??? But it took me out of this book and made me hate and distrust Bennet immediately. Because it was like that: Felicity and Bennet were on a stakeout in a bar, someone spiked their drinks and in the high state they decided to get married. Okay. Fine. The questions arose the next morning: because Bennet remembered everything while Felicity didn't. And Bennet's a big guy so if the dose was small... Did he knew what was happening? Was he just drugged and went along with this? Because she was. Or, more nefarious, if the dose was small enough, was he only a little tipsy, but still able to make good decisions and then decided to just marry her while she obviously couldn't give him her full consent given the state of her at the time? Those were literally the question Felicity ahs and she just... Brushes them off?? Excuse me?? If someone I trusted(or began to trust) did something like this to me while I was vulnerable and unable to say no, I would be horrified. Not horny. That would be it, the trust would be broken and no amount of grovelling would ever get it back (and there was none of grovelling. None at all). And the author just brushed the issue off! After Felicity's initial freakout, she just brushed it off and never mentions it again. Seriously?? No, don't do that! If he took advantage of her, that's not cute or romantic!! It's horrifying!
Another thing that annoyed me: the murder club. All of those women (especially Lou) were horrible and nosy and just the worst. And the female lead who was supposed to be a bounty hunter, so someone smart, just told them all the truth with no hesitation? She didn't even know them. But she immediately spilled the beans and then was surprised that the guy she was after knew about her being there? Please. Let's apply some logic here.
While it was a fun book, everything unravels when you think about it. I took offence about the consent (or lack thereof) and how it was brushed off. Just no. It took me out of the story and I couldn't enjoy it after that.
Like seriously, did he know hat was happening? Because if he had the same dose of drug as she was, there was no way he was that high. His body built and mass would protect him somewhat. If he was tipsy, he could still make decisions and then decided to take advantage of her. I hate that. That ruined the book for me (even more than over the top third act drama - and it wasn't even wrapped properly. What about their mom? And I was seriously thinking that Charlie book would be next since she was on the case AND was mentioned the most -and in epilogue we got Nora, very randomly?? Makes no sense. There was no build up to it at all. Ughhh. (Also a note from me but if authors do epilogues, make them about the main couple. Don't bring out the entire new pov that aha nothing to do with the main couple, it's not wanted nor needed. If you want to set up the next book, leave context clues and easter eggs throughout the plot instead. It's much more satisfying that way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2025
What an awful book.
August 22, 2024
Picture this: you’re browsing through romance books, skimming titles and glancing at covers. You find a couple of books that look interesting, but nothing stands out… Until a splashy book cover with orange skies, pink mountains, and two intrepid hikers crosses your view. The blurb promises a bounty hunter heroine leading a private investigator “on a wild goose chase through the Rockies” where she passes through “endless quirky mountain towns in order to shake him.” It sounds good, right?
The blurb is a lie.
Our crime-fighting duo visits ONE quirky mountain town, and they stay there for the entire book. There’s no camping, no bears, and certainly no scenic routes (which seems ironic given this book’s title). In fact, the only scenic route is the one the plot takes. It meanders from scene to scene without offering any resolution for Felicity’s missing mother. Did the person who wrote the blurb even read this book?
And then there’s the romance. It’s very insta-lust/insta-obsession (especially on his end), which I’m not really into. There’s one scene in particular where If someone took advantage of me when I was in a vulnerable state, I don’t know how I could continue trusting them.
And I know what you’re going to say… “but Camille, it’s all part of their relationship arc. The end justifies the means.” To that, I would say I LOVE relationships with rocky starts. Beauty and the Beast is one of my all-time favorite stories. But there’s a difference between that setup and what happens in this book. In the classic fairytale, Belle and the Beast spend months building an emotional connection. And Belle doesn’t realize she loves him until after she’s been reunited with her father and is in a safe place. In this book, and I hate how this is never addressed.
If you can get past that, I think there are several things you might like about this story. I love the witty banter and dialogue between the characters. Some of their lines made me laugh out loud! I also like how this book is a relatively quick read. It’s only 352 pages, and a fast reader can finish it in a day. While this isn’t a book I’ll be racing to reread, I can see people who like fast-paced romances and small-town settings enjoying this. Overall, I’m rating it 2.5/5 stars.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley; all opinions are my own.
The blurb is a lie.
Our crime-fighting duo visits ONE quirky mountain town, and they stay there for the entire book. There’s no camping, no bears, and certainly no scenic routes (which seems ironic given this book’s title). In fact, the only scenic route is the one the plot takes. It meanders from scene to scene without offering any resolution for Felicity’s missing mother. Did the person who wrote the blurb even read this book?
And then there’s the romance. It’s very insta-lust/insta-obsession (especially on his end), which I’m not really into. There’s one scene in particular where If someone took advantage of me when I was in a vulnerable state, I don’t know how I could continue trusting them.
And I know what you’re going to say… “but Camille, it’s all part of their relationship arc. The end justifies the means.” To that, I would say I LOVE relationships with rocky starts. Beauty and the Beast is one of my all-time favorite stories. But there’s a difference between that setup and what happens in this book. In the classic fairytale, Belle and the Beast spend months building an emotional connection. And Belle doesn’t realize she loves him until after she’s been reunited with her father and is in a safe place. In this book, and I hate how this is never addressed.
If you can get past that, I think there are several things you might like about this story. I love the witty banter and dialogue between the characters. Some of their lines made me laugh out loud! I also like how this book is a relatively quick read. It’s only 352 pages, and a fast reader can finish it in a day. While this isn’t a book I’ll be racing to reread, I can see people who like fast-paced romances and small-town settings enjoying this. Overall, I’m rating it 2.5/5 stars.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley; all opinions are my own.
February 17, 2025
I cannot with how refreshingly cute this book was. I started February wanting to read all romances and this was a wonderful start to the month. It had all the great vibes of a fun romantic comedy.
Highly recommend for a quick paced and lighthearted read. The author has other books in the same universe but reading out of order didn’t seem to have an effect on this story.
Highly recommend for a quick paced and lighthearted read. The author has other books in the same universe but reading out of order didn’t seem to have an effect on this story.
July 31, 2024
so cute and fun!!! felicity and bennett were so fun and i loved their insta-love. if you want a lighthearted, and suspenseful story with grumpy/sunshine and only one bed - you need to read this one!!!
thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc copy <3 i had so much fun reading this one!
thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc copy <3 i had so much fun reading this one!
July 25, 2024
A very light romantic suspense I think that's been written to appeal to contemporary romance fans (the cover is obviously in the same vein).
It's fine, I liked both characters but the set up didn't really make sense why Felicity would do this side mission to distract Bennet.
Insta-love doesn't really hold up when you don't see that persons perspective.
It's fine, I liked both characters but the set up didn't really make sense why Felicity would do this side mission to distract Bennet.
Insta-love doesn't really hold up when you don't see that persons perspective.
dnf
October 11, 2024Frankly, this book bamboozled me and I DNF'd it at 20%. Why on earth would Katie Ruggle start a new series ("Beneath the Wild Sky") but have it be about one of the sisters from her previous Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series, which already has two books in it? Indeed, why not just make this book the next one in that series? Is this book a rewrite of Into the Fray, listed as book #3 in that series but seemingly never released? Even the overarching plot is the same - their bail-jumping mother putting up their house as collateral etc. - so this book seems to take place at about the same point in the timeline as In Her Sights. Truly baffling.
My breaking point however was when the FMC in this book walked into a coffee shop in a small town and immediately met Lou, the star of Ruggle's OTHER romantic suspense series, Search & Rescue. Before you can blink, she's friends with all 4 FMCs of that series and they're inserting themselves into her investigation into a local meth dealer. Excuse me while I sit down, because my head is spinning.
The cherry on top - the MMC goes from stalker to helper so suddenly you don't even realise it, and seemingly for no good reason other than the author decided "ok time to end that conflict now". I was annoyed, confused and frankly uninvested.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC but I have to question - what on earth is going on with Katie Ruggle right now?
My breaking point however was when the FMC in this book walked into a coffee shop in a small town and immediately met Lou, the star of Ruggle's OTHER romantic suspense series, Search & Rescue. Before you can blink, she's friends with all 4 FMCs of that series and they're inserting themselves into her investigation into a local meth dealer. Excuse me while I sit down, because my head is spinning.
The cherry on top - the MMC goes from stalker to helper so suddenly you don't even realise it, and seemingly for no good reason other than the author decided "ok time to end that conflict now". I was annoyed, confused and frankly uninvested.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC but I have to question - what on earth is going on with Katie Ruggle right now?
May 20, 2025
I do read books based on their covers and for that reason, among others, I can’t rate this book that high.
I read this book, hoping for a cute backpacker/adventure to con and this had suspense, shooting and skulls. Not what I signed up for!
It also claims to the the first in a series that can be read as a standalone… yet the amount of characters/couples that were introduced was overwhelming. I gave up trying to keep them straight.
I believe Ruggle has picked out some covers to get different readers interested in her books and quite honestly I feel it has backfired. It doesn’t match the story and left me feeling hoodwinked.
1.75 stars
I read this book, hoping for a cute backpacker/adventure to con and this had suspense, shooting and skulls. Not what I signed up for!
It also claims to the the first in a series that can be read as a standalone… yet the amount of characters/couples that were introduced was overwhelming. I gave up trying to keep them straight.
I believe Ruggle has picked out some covers to get different readers interested in her books and quite honestly I feel it has backfired. It doesn’t match the story and left me feeling hoodwinked.
1.75 stars
October 18, 2024
3.5 stars
While the majority of this book is from Felicity’s POV, the author is a genius with her choice to give Bennett’s POV a few times. The story starts with Bennett’s POV but quickly switches over to Felicity. We don’t get his voice again until almost the end…with perfect timing.
Bennett is an amazing cinnamon roll. He just sits back and watches Felicity do her thing while gently trying to keep her safe. To go in all alpha would not have gone over well with tough, independent Felicity and he knows that. But he doesn’t seem to take a backseat to appease her, he seems to enjoy watching her work and marvel at her strength and intellect.
As Felicity gets to know Bennett, you can see her falling in love. These two are so cute together! The secret looks and non-verbal understanding are spot on for a couple you just know will go the distance. This couple had to deal with only one blanket, graduating to only one bed later in the book. They have forced proximity and an accidental wedding along the way, too. While I wouldn’t say this is a rom-com, it is a lot of fun.
For those who have read this author’s previous works, you know she had a big gap between published works. While this is officially listed as the first book in a series, she has on her website that it is also book #3 in her Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series. Don’t fret if you haven’t read those books, she has a handy who’s who at the beginning of the book and points you to which book the characters are from. Regardless, I’m happy to see this author putting her work out there again.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
While the majority of this book is from Felicity’s POV, the author is a genius with her choice to give Bennett’s POV a few times. The story starts with Bennett’s POV but quickly switches over to Felicity. We don’t get his voice again until almost the end…with perfect timing.
Bennett is an amazing cinnamon roll. He just sits back and watches Felicity do her thing while gently trying to keep her safe. To go in all alpha would not have gone over well with tough, independent Felicity and he knows that. But he doesn’t seem to take a backseat to appease her, he seems to enjoy watching her work and marvel at her strength and intellect.
As Felicity gets to know Bennett, you can see her falling in love. These two are so cute together! The secret looks and non-verbal understanding are spot on for a couple you just know will go the distance. This couple had to deal with only one blanket, graduating to only one bed later in the book. They have forced proximity and an accidental wedding along the way, too. While I wouldn’t say this is a rom-com, it is a lot of fun.
For those who have read this author’s previous works, you know she had a big gap between published works. While this is officially listed as the first book in a series, she has on her website that it is also book #3 in her Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series. Don’t fret if you haven’t read those books, she has a handy who’s who at the beginning of the book and points you to which book the characters are from. Regardless, I’m happy to see this author putting her work out there again.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
August 10, 2024
The Scenic Route by Katie Ruggle is an action-packed, forced proximity of a romantic suspense between rival bounty hunters.
I have read approximately 10 Katie Ruggle books so I was so excited to see she wrote another one. If you are someone that’s read their other series, you will be ecstatic like me to find lots of fun cameos from previous books. However, this could be read as a standalone. As a fan of their other work,I do recommend her other series too.
Scenic Route is great for fans of…
🩷 Romantic Suspense
🩷 Rival Blunty Hunters
🩷 Family Drama
🩷 Forced Proximity Teamup
This is the type of book that is an almost equal parts of romance matched with the heartiest suspenseful mystery/thriller. I love the action adventure of a complex mystery and the twists & turns that follow….when you add a tension filled romance that starts with a suspicious rivalry with a middle of humor & steam & ends with the kind of a love that you cheer for & honestly what more could you ask for?!
This author & her several series got me through a very difficult time, so I am always grateful to find out when they are writing more books & I have the chance to share my love for them. I hope I get to read more from Katie Ruggle!
If you are a fan of the enthralling mix of captivating mystery & romance, I recommend trying The Scenic Route by Katie Ruggle.
Massive thanks to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Casablanca for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.
I have read approximately 10 Katie Ruggle books so I was so excited to see she wrote another one. If you are someone that’s read their other series, you will be ecstatic like me to find lots of fun cameos from previous books. However, this could be read as a standalone. As a fan of their other work,I do recommend her other series too.
Scenic Route is great for fans of…
🩷 Romantic Suspense
🩷 Rival Blunty Hunters
🩷 Family Drama
🩷 Forced Proximity Teamup
This is the type of book that is an almost equal parts of romance matched with the heartiest suspenseful mystery/thriller. I love the action adventure of a complex mystery and the twists & turns that follow….when you add a tension filled romance that starts with a suspicious rivalry with a middle of humor & steam & ends with the kind of a love that you cheer for & honestly what more could you ask for?!
This author & her several series got me through a very difficult time, so I am always grateful to find out when they are writing more books & I have the chance to share my love for them. I hope I get to read more from Katie Ruggle!
If you are a fan of the enthralling mix of captivating mystery & romance, I recommend trying The Scenic Route by Katie Ruggle.
Massive thanks to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Casablanca for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.
August 4, 2024
Light and funny romcom disguised as a bounty hunter chase 🏕️
The character / personality aspect was my favorite part, even though Bennett's whole "silent imperturbable mask" wasn't really credible as he regularly reacted and appeared as an awkward softie almost immediately. Comparing him to George who had no emotion and didn't say a word when Bennett often spoke and smiled, it was a bit far fetched.
I was really disappointed by their relationship starting off a bit too early for my taste. By the 70% mark they're already happily in love..... The tension was broken too fast, there barely was any tension as both were into the other and barely resisting.
I really did enjoy the one-bed one-blanket moments 🛏️ as one does.
Overall a sweet vibe but it felt like the author was going through the motions of writing a romcom, like she did with the previous how many stories (since a million couples are introduced at the beginning and appear throughout the story) than actually giving life to a unique story and characters. The bounty hunting thing was original though it was really fun!
[Arc review, honest opinion]
The character / personality aspect was my favorite part, even though Bennett's whole "silent imperturbable mask" wasn't really credible as he regularly reacted and appeared as an awkward softie almost immediately. Comparing him to George who had no emotion and didn't say a word when Bennett often spoke and smiled, it was a bit far fetched.
I was really disappointed by their relationship starting off a bit too early for my taste. By the 70% mark they're already happily in love..... The tension was broken too fast, there barely was any tension as both were into the other and barely resisting.
I really did enjoy the one-bed one-blanket moments 🛏️ as one does.
Overall a sweet vibe but it felt like the author was going through the motions of writing a romcom, like she did with the previous how many stories (since a million couples are introduced at the beginning and appear throughout the story) than actually giving life to a unique story and characters. The bounty hunting thing was original though it was really fun!
[Arc review, honest opinion]
July 8, 2025
Felicity Pax and her sisters are successful bounty hunters, but when their own mother skips bail leaving their family home in jeopardy they have to treat her like any other skip. But they're not the only ones looking for Jane, and unfortunately PI Bennett Green is stalking Felicity as a way to get to her mother.. So Felicity is tasked with leading Bennett on a goose chase through the Rocky Mountains while her sister keeps searching for Jane. While visiting a small mountain town, they find a new mystery to solve with the local militia.
From the cover and the description, I thought they would be hiking through the mountains which isn't the case. But we did get to revisit some of the previous book characters in the small town of Simpson, which was fun.. I loved Bennett's character, so awkward and silent, but you could tell from the start how he felt about Felicity and I especially loved his snuggly protective nature. And the epilogue at the end had me wanting to dive into Norah's story and also find out the continuing story of the chase for Jane..
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
From the cover and the description, I thought they would be hiking through the mountains which isn't the case. But we did get to revisit some of the previous book characters in the small town of Simpson, which was fun.. I loved Bennett's character, so awkward and silent, but you could tell from the start how he felt about Felicity and I especially loved his snuggly protective nature. And the epilogue at the end had me wanting to dive into Norah's story and also find out the continuing story of the chase for Jane..
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 23, 2024
This was a good read, different to anything I’ve read in a while. It gave me Stephanie Plum vibes which worked for me. This is written in the third person but still from one character’s POV - so their specific feelings/thoughts. The description made me think there would be more from Bennett’s POV (him guessing he should’ve followed Charlie) but there were (I think) only two chapters, one at the start and one at the end, neither of which were about what he thought was happening with which one to follow. I think I would have enjoyed the story even more getting to see a bit more from Bennett and not just from Felicity but there is a chance that I didn’t realise a chapter was Bennett and not Felicity. The group in Simpson and the “murder club” make me want to find out what else has happened in this little town before a Pax sister comes through.
July 26, 2024
The Scenic Route is a lighthearted romantic suspense featuring a plethora of quirky side characters and a bit of humor.
You’ll enjoy this book if you like:
💖 Romantic suspense
💖 Insta love
💖 Grumpy/sunshine
💖 Atmospheric adventures
💖 Unconventional family dynamics
This was my first read by Katie Ruggle, but it won’t be my last. Overall, it was a fun read from beginning to end!
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
*While this book can be read as a standalone, to get insight into the Pax family history and more of the sister’s stories - check out the Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
You’ll enjoy this book if you like:
💖 Romantic suspense
💖 Insta love
💖 Grumpy/sunshine
💖 Atmospheric adventures
💖 Unconventional family dynamics
This was my first read by Katie Ruggle, but it won’t be my last. Overall, it was a fun read from beginning to end!
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
*While this book can be read as a standalone, to get insight into the Pax family history and more of the sister’s stories - check out the Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 17, 2025
2.5 starts - this one felt like it dragged on with the plot.
Lots of cases happening in one book. Chasing a dangerous bail jumper, that old creepy militia, dead bodies, road trips. Socially awkward MMC was a nice change.
Did love seeing all the happily married couples from the past series - George & Ellie, Callum & Lou, Ian & Rory, Daisy & that one dude. Good for them and bringing back the murder club was fun.
These covers are doing nothing for the books. Neither lead really looks like either character and the cartoon design makes this seem less action-y and adventurous as it really is.
Can't take a golf cart rescue seriously though lol.
CW for ACAB and police abuse of power and being super racist towards the Hawaiian FMC. Glad that was called out/corrected.
Lots of cases happening in one book. Chasing a dangerous bail jumper, that old creepy militia, dead bodies, road trips. Socially awkward MMC was a nice change.
Did love seeing all the happily married couples from the past series - George & Ellie, Callum & Lou, Ian & Rory, Daisy & that one dude. Good for them and bringing back the murder club was fun.
These covers are doing nothing for the books. Neither lead really looks like either character and the cartoon design makes this seem less action-y and adventurous as it really is.
Can't take a golf cart rescue seriously though lol.
CW for ACAB and police abuse of power and being super racist towards the Hawaiian FMC. Glad that was called out/corrected.
March 4, 2024
Katie Ruggle's romantic suspense are my favorite kind of romantic suspense - equally funny and edge-of-your-seat tense, swoony and steamy, and without the unthougtful cop/military praise we often see in the genre. I love Felicity, a strong, take-no-shit bounty hunter and quiet PI Bennett, although I wish we'd gotten a little more suspense here and a little fewer hijinks (as fun as the hijinks were!).
I do think it's helpful to have read two books about Felicity's sisters first, but definitely not necessary.
Thank you Sourcebooks and Edelweiss for the ARC!
I do think it's helpful to have read two books about Felicity's sisters first, but definitely not necessary.
Thank you Sourcebooks and Edelweiss for the ARC!
August 8, 2024
a cutesy, predictable romcom that was light and refreshing. I did the audio. I got lost & bored a couple of times. I think it was the narrator or my ADHD lol. but the plot was easy enough to follow that I was able to dive right back in and catch up. I loved the MMC and thought the chemistry was there between him and FMC even if it was instalove. the bounty hunting and stuff
was cool, I didn’t know whodunnit til the end. The one bed trope is always a fav for me. I give it 3.5 stars/5 stars
was cool, I didn’t know whodunnit til the end. The one bed trope is always a fav for me. I give it 3.5 stars/5 stars
April 29, 2025
2.5⭐️ writing style wasn’t my cup of tea (if the main character described her internal monologue as a mental shrug one more time i was going to lose it). grumpy/sunshine trope was over-exaggerated imo, and biggest pet peeve was that the first chapter was from bennett’s pov and then never again. what was the point of that
May 19, 2025
What a fun ride! This book will hit the spot for those that are looking for adventure and danger wrapped up in one. This book was written in 3rd person POV with dual narrators. It does have language and lots of spice for those who are sensitive to such things.
I really liked learning about the Pax family and can't wait to read more of this series. I have read Ms. Ruggle before and she likes her settings in the wild! (although we do get to Vegas in this one).
I really liked learning about the Pax family and can't wait to read more of this series. I have read Ms. Ruggle before and she likes her settings in the wild! (although we do get to Vegas in this one).
August 8, 2024
This was cute and I really enjoyed the backstory and setting of the novel. Starting off with a stalker PI was really smart and unique, however, I think the book would’ve been better if it was dual POV first person. I also didn’t feel like I knew anything about who the characters are.
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