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Rocky Mountain K9 Unit #1
Run to Ground
"Vivid and charming." -CHARLAINE HARRIS, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series
He lost his mentor.
He lost his K9 partner.
He almost lost his will to live.
But when a ruthless killer targets a woman on the run, Theo and his new K9 companion will do whatever it takes to survive-and save the woman neither can live without.
Grieving the death of his partner, Theo Bosco has no room in his life for distractions. Though his instincts scream that he should avoid Juliet 'Jules' Jackson, he can't seem to stay away. It doesn't help that Theo's new K9 companion has fallen head over paws with Jules's rambunctious family.Or that when he's with her, Theo finally knows peace.
When Jules rescued her siblings, whisking them away to the safety of the beautifully rugged Colorado Rockies, she never expected to catch the eye-or the heart-of a cop. Yet as Jules struggles to fight her growing attraction to the brooding K9 officer, another threat lurks much closer to home...
And this time, there's no escape.
Rocky Mountain K-9
Run to Ground (Book 1)
On the Chase (Book 2)
What People Are
"I love Ruggle's characters. They're sharply drawn, and vividly alive. I'm happy when they find each other. These are wonderful escapist books."-CHARLAINE HARRIS, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series
"Sexy and suspenseful, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough."-JULIE ANN WALKER, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author for Hold Your Breath
"Chills and thrills and a sexy slow-burning romance from a terrific new voice."-D.D. AYRES, author of the K-9 Rescue Series for Hold Your Breath
He lost his mentor.
He lost his K9 partner.
He almost lost his will to live.
But when a ruthless killer targets a woman on the run, Theo and his new K9 companion will do whatever it takes to survive-and save the woman neither can live without.
Grieving the death of his partner, Theo Bosco has no room in his life for distractions. Though his instincts scream that he should avoid Juliet 'Jules' Jackson, he can't seem to stay away. It doesn't help that Theo's new K9 companion has fallen head over paws with Jules's rambunctious family.Or that when he's with her, Theo finally knows peace.
When Jules rescued her siblings, whisking them away to the safety of the beautifully rugged Colorado Rockies, she never expected to catch the eye-or the heart-of a cop. Yet as Jules struggles to fight her growing attraction to the brooding K9 officer, another threat lurks much closer to home...
And this time, there's no escape.
Rocky Mountain K-9
Run to Ground (Book 1)
On the Chase (Book 2)
What People Are
"I love Ruggle's characters. They're sharply drawn, and vividly alive. I'm happy when they find each other. These are wonderful escapist books."-CHARLAINE HARRIS, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series
"Sexy and suspenseful, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough."-JULIE ANN WALKER, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author for Hold Your Breath
"Chills and thrills and a sexy slow-burning romance from a terrific new voice."-D.D. AYRES, author of the K-9 Rescue Series for Hold Your Breath
418 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2017
1287 people are currently reading
1764 people want to read
About the author
Katie Ruggle
20 books1,212 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 470 reviews
February 10, 2023
Too many loose ends
Full honesty: this book needs work. This is the most frustrating kind of read for me lately, these books that have POTENTIAL, but fall short. This book had potential. I wish this book could be rewritten or taken back to the drawing board, because it had so many good ideas that just failed on execution. I will go further into what needed polish and detail and what needed cut but first I will go over some of this book’s good points.
Good points
1. Premise. I love a good premise and this one was great. Jules has taken (literally, kidnapped) her four younger half siblings out of a bad family situation and is on the run with them. She is a bit of a grey character, which I like, she is a good person but has inadvertently involved herself with the mob (no specifics as to which one) as their accountant. She calls in a favour and arranges to change her and her siblings’ identities and moves to a small town in Colorado. Great start!
2. Adorable and complex canine character. Loved Viggy, the K9 bomb sniffing dog who has recently been traumatized by the death of his human partner. Viggy is going through some stuff and is unable to work with his new partner, our hero. But he comes out of his shell with Jules’ siblings and they help him heal. Heart melting!
3. Exciting conclusion. Won’t spoil it but it was an edge of your seat, tense ending with very heroic elements by both our hero and our heroine. Exciting!
What needs work
I NEED DETAILS!!
This book is under 300 pages and it lacked A LOT of detail to really allow me to immerse myself in the story.
1. Background for the heroine. We are never given details or REASONS why Jules’ siblings needed to escape their home situation so badly. It is only hinted at. The youngest, Dee, seems traumatized by some pageant culture stuff and the oldest, Sam, seems to have been molested by his step mother (maybe?) not sure. I really needed to know more about what they were running from to be able to buy in to their escape and to the dubious morality of what Jules is doing with them.
2. The hero, Theo, and his background. He was a cop who lost his partner and mentor to suicide and is now trying to retrain his mentor’s dog. He is also recovering from the loss of his own K9 to cancer. This story is heartbreaking but the above ⬆️, is pretty much all the detail given. Why is his new K9 SO traumatized? Did he witness the suicide? No idea, he just is sad I guess. Also, who was this mentor and how did he mentor Theo? Where is Theo’s family? Why did he need a father figure in Don? I needed some backstory here. It was very lacking. So I guess Theo is just sad and Viggy is just sad, but I had trouble buying in to their grief.
3. The middle. In all that this book was under 300 pages, the middle really DRAGGED. Less time needed to be spent on slice of life stuff and more depth and detail could have been hammered out here. I was very frustrated in the middle because the plot momentum pretty much stalled out. All these questions were up in the air and we were getting bits and pieces of eating breakfast or doing homework. I wouldn’t have even minded this if it had moved at least the romance part forward, but the mains weren’t even together most of that time so I found myself very bored. Which, granted, is easy for me to be, I bore easily, but still so much pacing was lost in the middle chapters that could have been used to build tension in either the suspense or the romance plots. Unfortunately it did neither which is why I had issues with the resolution of both, which I will get to now.
4. The bad guy. I won’t give spoilers here but the bad guy came out of nowhere. Very few bread crumbs were left in this plot line. There was a red herring character and actions on that character’s part were never explained. Also the bad guy revealed themselves, so the investigation didn’t uncover them, they just went crazy at the end and revealed their identity and I have to say, their motivations were kinda whack. I guess it was ok, but I just can’t buy in to the ending of a suspense being just ‘the bad guy went crazy for dubious reasons’. I need more complexity. Maybe a scene from their pov? I dunno. It just felt flat and needed more depth.
5. The ending. Again, no spoilers, but it ended without all of the open plot lines closed. I don’t know if it’s officially a cliffy, but it was definitely not nicely wrapped up for me. I hate ambiguity in an ending. I like a nice bow tied at the end of my books. That’s why I read mystery and romance. Both usually guarantee a nice, tight ending. This one didn’t give me that. So perhaps because this is a series I have to read on, and I will, I just hope the next one is better developed.
Overall this book was ok, but I just wanted more from it. I am hopeful that Ruggle can use her great ideas, talented writing voice, and commitment to accuracy and realism to flesh out a better, deeper plot and more complex suspense plot line in future books.
Her talents are ones I value very much in my fiction because it seems with so much bad Indy out there, these three things are very needed. So I will try this author again and hope that the next book in the series has more depth in character development, back story and DETAIL!
Full honesty: this book needs work. This is the most frustrating kind of read for me lately, these books that have POTENTIAL, but fall short. This book had potential. I wish this book could be rewritten or taken back to the drawing board, because it had so many good ideas that just failed on execution. I will go further into what needed polish and detail and what needed cut but first I will go over some of this book’s good points.
Good points
1. Premise. I love a good premise and this one was great. Jules has taken (literally, kidnapped) her four younger half siblings out of a bad family situation and is on the run with them. She is a bit of a grey character, which I like, she is a good person but has inadvertently involved herself with the mob (no specifics as to which one) as their accountant. She calls in a favour and arranges to change her and her siblings’ identities and moves to a small town in Colorado. Great start!
2. Adorable and complex canine character. Loved Viggy, the K9 bomb sniffing dog who has recently been traumatized by the death of his human partner. Viggy is going through some stuff and is unable to work with his new partner, our hero. But he comes out of his shell with Jules’ siblings and they help him heal. Heart melting!
3. Exciting conclusion. Won’t spoil it but it was an edge of your seat, tense ending with very heroic elements by both our hero and our heroine. Exciting!
What needs work
I NEED DETAILS!!
This book is under 300 pages and it lacked A LOT of detail to really allow me to immerse myself in the story.
1. Background for the heroine. We are never given details or REASONS why Jules’ siblings needed to escape their home situation so badly. It is only hinted at. The youngest, Dee, seems traumatized by some pageant culture stuff and the oldest, Sam, seems to have been molested by his step mother (maybe?) not sure. I really needed to know more about what they were running from to be able to buy in to their escape and to the dubious morality of what Jules is doing with them.
2. The hero, Theo, and his background. He was a cop who lost his partner and mentor to suicide and is now trying to retrain his mentor’s dog. He is also recovering from the loss of his own K9 to cancer. This story is heartbreaking but the above ⬆️, is pretty much all the detail given. Why is his new K9 SO traumatized? Did he witness the suicide? No idea, he just is sad I guess. Also, who was this mentor and how did he mentor Theo? Where is Theo’s family? Why did he need a father figure in Don? I needed some backstory here. It was very lacking. So I guess Theo is just sad and Viggy is just sad, but I had trouble buying in to their grief.
3. The middle. In all that this book was under 300 pages, the middle really DRAGGED. Less time needed to be spent on slice of life stuff and more depth and detail could have been hammered out here. I was very frustrated in the middle because the plot momentum pretty much stalled out. All these questions were up in the air and we were getting bits and pieces of eating breakfast or doing homework. I wouldn’t have even minded this if it had moved at least the romance part forward, but the mains weren’t even together most of that time so I found myself very bored. Which, granted, is easy for me to be, I bore easily, but still so much pacing was lost in the middle chapters that could have been used to build tension in either the suspense or the romance plots. Unfortunately it did neither which is why I had issues with the resolution of both, which I will get to now.
4. The bad guy. I won’t give spoilers here but the bad guy came out of nowhere. Very few bread crumbs were left in this plot line. There was a red herring character and actions on that character’s part were never explained. Also the bad guy revealed themselves, so the investigation didn’t uncover them, they just went crazy at the end and revealed their identity and I have to say, their motivations were kinda whack. I guess it was ok, but I just can’t buy in to the ending of a suspense being just ‘the bad guy went crazy for dubious reasons’. I need more complexity. Maybe a scene from their pov? I dunno. It just felt flat and needed more depth.
5. The ending. Again, no spoilers, but it ended without all of the open plot lines closed. I don’t know if it’s officially a cliffy, but it was definitely not nicely wrapped up for me. I hate ambiguity in an ending. I like a nice bow tied at the end of my books. That’s why I read mystery and romance. Both usually guarantee a nice, tight ending. This one didn’t give me that. So perhaps because this is a series I have to read on, and I will, I just hope the next one is better developed.
Overall this book was ok, but I just wanted more from it. I am hopeful that Ruggle can use her great ideas, talented writing voice, and commitment to accuracy and realism to flesh out a better, deeper plot and more complex suspense plot line in future books.
Her talents are ones I value very much in my fiction because it seems with so much bad Indy out there, these three things are very needed. So I will try this author again and hope that the next book in the series has more depth in character development, back story and DETAIL!
July 22, 2017
Ending ruined my rating! I am about to rant....
So I was really enjoying this book. It was fast paced, I LOVED the dog and the kids were not annoying. It dealt with really tough subjects but I liked the way those issues were handled (except for one). There was not much romance - very slow burn (I think only one sex scene in the book) but I was still enjoying it. The suspense was awesome. Right up until the every end. I listened to it on audible and I looked down and there were 4 mins left and the big secret between the MCs was not resolved and they went into the set up for the next book. Seriously WTF?! I am more than pissed! I cannot believe there is even a HFN when the heroine is still LYING to the hero! I have to call this a cliffhanger or it will be a one star POS that has no ending!!!! I am so disappointed in this author, whom I love, for not ending this book with any closure. It is not her usual style. But I would have never invested in it had I known. I feel cheated.
Safety gang
So I was really enjoying this book. It was fast paced, I LOVED the dog and the kids were not annoying. It dealt with really tough subjects but I liked the way those issues were handled (except for one). There was not much romance - very slow burn (I think only one sex scene in the book) but I was still enjoying it. The suspense was awesome. Right up until the every end. I listened to it on audible and I looked down and there were 4 mins left and the big secret between the MCs was not resolved and they went into the set up for the next book. Seriously WTF?! I am more than pissed! I cannot believe there is even a HFN when the heroine is still LYING to the hero! I have to call this a cliffhanger or it will be a one star POS that has no ending!!!! I am so disappointed in this author, whom I love, for not ending this book with any closure. It is not her usual style. But I would have never invested in it had I known. I feel cheated.
Safety gang
April 7, 2019
Run to Ground is book one in the Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series by Katie Ruggle.
This is my first taste at Ms. Ruggle and I enjoyed. This novel is a nice start to the series and a good introduction to the characters.
Jules Jackson has run out of time and needs to get her younger siblings out of the cruel clutches of relatives. With a little help from an unexpected source she and the kids go on the run and end up in the town of Monroe. It’s a quaint town hiding away in the Rocky Mountains, but it might not be the best hiding spot, even with new identities.
I liked the determination that Jules has. Her siblings are in a bad situation and legal means won’t work. She’s tried and failed. She is at the end and needs to help them… It was hard, scary, and overwhelming, but she got them away. The children each have issues; because of what has happened to them, but they stick with their sister and help her to get themselves out. I really enjoyed the children and when I found out what happened to them, I cried.
Theo Bosco… Love that name. He’s reeling from the loss of his human partner’s suicide and his previous canine partners death to cancer. He ends up with his former partner’s canine officer, but neither human nor animal are in a good places. They just aren’t working together nor are they healing. Can these two, who are so damaged, bond?
Theo and his partner find help in a new resident to the town. Theo knows she’s hiding something, but he can’t let it go nor can he stay away. I liked how the Jackson family helped both Theo and his canine find peace and camaraderie.
Theo and Jules fight their attraction. He’s got no time for a woman and she’s got secrets that could hurt her siblings if they are found. What I really enjoyed was seeing the grieving dog, Viggy, with the kids and how the kids and Viggy needed each other. Animals have a way of helping us heal.
It’s not all fun and romance. Their is a fear of discovery and a forbidding evil just waiting to strike. The suspense builds and it came as a total surprise to find out who was behind all the mayhem.
The secondary characters where also fun. I love Theo’s police buddies. They each added something to the story.
Narration: Callie Beaulie did a a wonderful job narrating this story. At times it was hard to listen. We learn about the kids and it’s implied that one was sexually abused. Then their is Viggy, our damaged dog. Just hearing how traumatized he is, well I felt for him and the kids. As for the voices - their are a lot of different characters to portray from man to woman to kids. She did a great job switching from adult to kid or man to woman. She also added a slit southern accent to Jules and it was done nicely.
Run to Ground was a nice start to the Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series. I enjoyed the narration and plan to continue the series in audio.
Rated: 3.5 Stars
This is my first taste at Ms. Ruggle and I enjoyed. This novel is a nice start to the series and a good introduction to the characters.
Jules Jackson has run out of time and needs to get her younger siblings out of the cruel clutches of relatives. With a little help from an unexpected source she and the kids go on the run and end up in the town of Monroe. It’s a quaint town hiding away in the Rocky Mountains, but it might not be the best hiding spot, even with new identities.
I liked the determination that Jules has. Her siblings are in a bad situation and legal means won’t work. She’s tried and failed. She is at the end and needs to help them… It was hard, scary, and overwhelming, but she got them away. The children each have issues; because of what has happened to them, but they stick with their sister and help her to get themselves out. I really enjoyed the children and when I found out what happened to them, I cried.
Theo Bosco… Love that name. He’s reeling from the loss of his human partner’s suicide and his previous canine partners death to cancer. He ends up with his former partner’s canine officer, but neither human nor animal are in a good places. They just aren’t working together nor are they healing. Can these two, who are so damaged, bond?
Theo and his partner find help in a new resident to the town. Theo knows she’s hiding something, but he can’t let it go nor can he stay away. I liked how the Jackson family helped both Theo and his canine find peace and camaraderie.
Theo and Jules fight their attraction. He’s got no time for a woman and she’s got secrets that could hurt her siblings if they are found. What I really enjoyed was seeing the grieving dog, Viggy, with the kids and how the kids and Viggy needed each other. Animals have a way of helping us heal.
It’s not all fun and romance. Their is a fear of discovery and a forbidding evil just waiting to strike. The suspense builds and it came as a total surprise to find out who was behind all the mayhem.
The secondary characters where also fun. I love Theo’s police buddies. They each added something to the story.
Narration: Callie Beaulie did a a wonderful job narrating this story. At times it was hard to listen. We learn about the kids and it’s implied that one was sexually abused. Then their is Viggy, our damaged dog. Just hearing how traumatized he is, well I felt for him and the kids. As for the voices - their are a lot of different characters to portray from man to woman to kids. She did a great job switching from adult to kid or man to woman. She also added a slit southern accent to Jules and it was done nicely.
Run to Ground was a nice start to the Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series. I enjoyed the narration and plan to continue the series in audio.
Rated: 3.5 Stars
June 9, 2017
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I really liked this book. I have been wanting to read Katie Ruggle for a while and since this was the beginning of a new series, I thought that this would be a good place to start. The fact that this is a series about a K9 unit also really appealed to me since I am a huge dog lover. I was hooked to the story pretty much right away and was really wondering how everything would work out. This was a really exciting read that kept me guessing until the very end.
Theo was hard to figure out at first. He really seemed to come across as closed off and almost rude. He has been through a lot recently. His K9 partner died of cancer and his fellow officer also died. He has a new K9 partner, Viggy, who had previously worked with the officer that died. Both Viggy and Theo are having a very hard time adjusting to the change and they are both deep in grief.
Jules whisked her 4 siblings off to safety and needs to stay under the radar. She has moved into a local home in need of a lot of repairs and has taken a job at the local diner. She really just wants to keep her younger brothers and sister safe and will do whatever it takes to make that happen. She does live with the constant fear that they will be discovered.
I liked Jules and Theo together a lot. They really seemed to compliment each other perfectly. This is a very slow moving romance and I thought that they relationship built at a realistic pace. The build up between the pair was wonderfully done and I was so happy when they finally came together. Theo just fit in with Jules and her siblings perfectly even with all of his grumpiness.
There were a few issues that I felt like Jules and Theo really needed to work out and I kept waiting for them to get around to it. It never did happen so I feel like there are a few issues that were not completely resolved at the end of the story. I would have also like to learn a bit more about the history of all of the siblings. A little bit more of a backstory would have been very welcome.
I would recommend this book to other fans of contemporary romance. I really enjoyed Katie Ruggle's style of writing and found this to be an exciting and fast paced novel. I can't wait to see what happens next in this great series!
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley.
Initial Thoughts
I really liked this one. There was a lot going on probably so much that it wasn't realistic at all but I didn't care because it was so much fun to read. Jules and Theo were perfect together and I loved the slow build up of their relationship. The ending seemed a bit too easy but it was overall an exciting read.
I really liked this book. I have been wanting to read Katie Ruggle for a while and since this was the beginning of a new series, I thought that this would be a good place to start. The fact that this is a series about a K9 unit also really appealed to me since I am a huge dog lover. I was hooked to the story pretty much right away and was really wondering how everything would work out. This was a really exciting read that kept me guessing until the very end.
Theo was hard to figure out at first. He really seemed to come across as closed off and almost rude. He has been through a lot recently. His K9 partner died of cancer and his fellow officer also died. He has a new K9 partner, Viggy, who had previously worked with the officer that died. Both Viggy and Theo are having a very hard time adjusting to the change and they are both deep in grief.
Jules whisked her 4 siblings off to safety and needs to stay under the radar. She has moved into a local home in need of a lot of repairs and has taken a job at the local diner. She really just wants to keep her younger brothers and sister safe and will do whatever it takes to make that happen. She does live with the constant fear that they will be discovered.
I liked Jules and Theo together a lot. They really seemed to compliment each other perfectly. This is a very slow moving romance and I thought that they relationship built at a realistic pace. The build up between the pair was wonderfully done and I was so happy when they finally came together. Theo just fit in with Jules and her siblings perfectly even with all of his grumpiness.
There were a few issues that I felt like Jules and Theo really needed to work out and I kept waiting for them to get around to it. It never did happen so I feel like there are a few issues that were not completely resolved at the end of the story. I would have also like to learn a bit more about the history of all of the siblings. A little bit more of a backstory would have been very welcome.
I would recommend this book to other fans of contemporary romance. I really enjoyed Katie Ruggle's style of writing and found this to be an exciting and fast paced novel. I can't wait to see what happens next in this great series!
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley.
Initial Thoughts
I really liked this one. There was a lot going on probably so much that it wasn't realistic at all but I didn't care because it was so much fun to read. Jules and Theo were perfect together and I loved the slow build up of their relationship. The ending seemed a bit too easy but it was overall an exciting read.
May 27, 2017
I was really looking forward to this new series by Ms. Ruggle. The premise of it seemed right up my alley with K9 officers and their human partners, a woman and her siblings on the run and hiding out in Colorado and a not so nice group of individuals with bombs and weapons. All the elements of a good series was there and the preview provided in After the End was very intriguing.
However, it took me a while to get through the book and for the most part I was disappointed. So what went wrong? I needed more character development, fewer open threads at the end of the story (and sometimes at the end of a scene) and the dialogue often seemed off and unnatural. I had a lot of highlights in this book followed by some of my snarky commentary - way too many snarky comments. And none of my highlights were positive - that's a telling statement as well.
First off, I wasn't enamored with the flashbacks in this story. Give me a solid prologue and I'm much happier. And this story would have worked really well with a prologue so the interruptive flashbacks weren't needed. And in addition to the flashbacks, the scene changes seemed to end abruptly and the transitions between scenes weren't always smooth. Now I did read an ARC, so some of the jumpiness could be resolved in the final edit.
The character development seemed to come in bits and pieces and some of the key characters didn't feel fully fleshed out. The whys of their back stories were pretty sketchy. I would have definitely liked more development of the bad guys. They had a way of appearing and disappearing but we never see much development of them.
Theo has lost not only his K9 partner, but his fellow "human" partner committed suicide. The why of the suicide is an open thread that you have to wonder if it's going to be picked up later in the series. Theo has been gutted by the suicide and feels guilty for not seeing the signs so he could have prevented his partner's death. Having lost his K9, he inherits his partner's K9, Viggy. He has internalized a lot of emotions and developed a really surly disposition which is really unappealing and it's hard to get vested in him. Maybe he needed to see a shrink? Plus his attitude and dealing with Viggy is downright off putting in parts of the book. Viggy is an excellent part of the story and seems to be every readers' favorite character.
Jules has "rescued/kidnapped" her younger siblings from her father and stepmother. The stepmother is an unknown quantity and the thread of Jules taking her siblings and hiding out in Colorado is one of the open threads that looks to continue through the rest of the series. The family unit is interesting, but I really think we needed more of their back story. What really went on with the kids? We get some glimpses into their past life, but I need more. Jules is supposed to be a professional accountant in her former life, but her thought processes come off more like a teenage version of herself.
Mentally Theo keeps using the term "squirrelly waitress" to describe Jules which I got tired of really quickly. Personally when I think of a squirrelly personality I generally think of a twitchy nerd, or an addict looking for drugs. The term didn't work for me and I cringed whenever it was written. A lot of time is spent on Theo and Jules, but for whatever reason, I never became vested in their relationship.
It felt like there were multiple plot points and subplot points and open threads are left all over the place. I had identified a number of scenes where elements of the scene were either left hanging or I didn't think all the elements were believable. I had major issues with the final suspense scene from doubting Theo's capabilities to asking why the back door of a crime scene was left unchecked. Standard operating procedures would have been to secure the crime scene including the front and back of the building.
I think if you took only the suspense plot scenes from the book and pieced them together without the romance development, you would find there isn't much cohesion or development. It's more like a loose, fractured plot. The suspense is started but then disappears with a relationship scene. I think it may be because you never see the investigation at work - just stand alone scenes. There is a fine balance in romantic suspense to make sure both the romance arc works and the suspense arc works. For me the suspense arc didn't work and left too much open and not enough closure.
The only thread that's tied in this book is the happily for now with Theo and Jules. And as this is a romantic suspense I don't consider my comment a spoiler - it's kind of a given from the very beginning. Everything else in the plot felt like an open thread waiting for the next book or even the next book after that. I get that this is a series. One major open thread is good, too many open threads - maybe not so good.
Although the series has solid potential, for me, it wasn't a stellar start. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC of this book.
However, it took me a while to get through the book and for the most part I was disappointed. So what went wrong? I needed more character development, fewer open threads at the end of the story (and sometimes at the end of a scene) and the dialogue often seemed off and unnatural. I had a lot of highlights in this book followed by some of my snarky commentary - way too many snarky comments. And none of my highlights were positive - that's a telling statement as well.
First off, I wasn't enamored with the flashbacks in this story. Give me a solid prologue and I'm much happier. And this story would have worked really well with a prologue so the interruptive flashbacks weren't needed. And in addition to the flashbacks, the scene changes seemed to end abruptly and the transitions between scenes weren't always smooth. Now I did read an ARC, so some of the jumpiness could be resolved in the final edit.
The character development seemed to come in bits and pieces and some of the key characters didn't feel fully fleshed out. The whys of their back stories were pretty sketchy. I would have definitely liked more development of the bad guys. They had a way of appearing and disappearing but we never see much development of them.
Theo has lost not only his K9 partner, but his fellow "human" partner committed suicide. The why of the suicide is an open thread that you have to wonder if it's going to be picked up later in the series. Theo has been gutted by the suicide and feels guilty for not seeing the signs so he could have prevented his partner's death. Having lost his K9, he inherits his partner's K9, Viggy. He has internalized a lot of emotions and developed a really surly disposition which is really unappealing and it's hard to get vested in him. Maybe he needed to see a shrink? Plus his attitude and dealing with Viggy is downright off putting in parts of the book. Viggy is an excellent part of the story and seems to be every readers' favorite character.
Jules has "rescued/kidnapped" her younger siblings from her father and stepmother. The stepmother is an unknown quantity and the thread of Jules taking her siblings and hiding out in Colorado is one of the open threads that looks to continue through the rest of the series. The family unit is interesting, but I really think we needed more of their back story. What really went on with the kids? We get some glimpses into their past life, but I need more. Jules is supposed to be a professional accountant in her former life, but her thought processes come off more like a teenage version of herself.
Mentally Theo keeps using the term "squirrelly waitress" to describe Jules which I got tired of really quickly. Personally when I think of a squirrelly personality I generally think of a twitchy nerd, or an addict looking for drugs. The term didn't work for me and I cringed whenever it was written. A lot of time is spent on Theo and Jules, but for whatever reason, I never became vested in their relationship.
It felt like there were multiple plot points and subplot points and open threads are left all over the place. I had identified a number of scenes where elements of the scene were either left hanging or I didn't think all the elements were believable. I had major issues with the final suspense scene from doubting Theo's capabilities to asking why the back door of a crime scene was left unchecked. Standard operating procedures would have been to secure the crime scene including the front and back of the building.
I think if you took only the suspense plot scenes from the book and pieced them together without the romance development, you would find there isn't much cohesion or development. It's more like a loose, fractured plot. The suspense is started but then disappears with a relationship scene. I think it may be because you never see the investigation at work - just stand alone scenes. There is a fine balance in romantic suspense to make sure both the romance arc works and the suspense arc works. For me the suspense arc didn't work and left too much open and not enough closure.
The only thread that's tied in this book is the happily for now with Theo and Jules. And as this is a romantic suspense I don't consider my comment a spoiler - it's kind of a given from the very beginning. Everything else in the plot felt like an open thread waiting for the next book or even the next book after that. I get that this is a series. One major open thread is good, too many open threads - maybe not so good.
Although the series has solid potential, for me, it wasn't a stellar start. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC of this book.
June 7, 2017
I loved Katie Ruggle’s Search and Rescue series so I was happy to hear she was writing a new series based in a town not too far from Simpson, Colorado.
Jules Jackson has just moved to Monroe Colorado with her four younger siblings. She actually kidnapped them to save them from her horrible stepmother, (seriously horrible!). With new identities and a guarantee from a shifty character that her stepmother wouldn’t be looking for them “or else” she’s sets off hoping to start their lives anew. When you’re trying to be stealthy and not draw attention, cops are the last people you want to notice you, yet the diner she works at is the stomping ground of the Monroe Police. Officer Theo Boscoe quickly notices Jules when her behavior screams “I’m on the run” yet that’s not the only thing that captures his attention. Jules is gorgeous and sweet, and any idiot can see she needs help and protection. And even though Jules knows she shouldn’t let Theo close she can’t help but let him in when she feels his desire to shield her, and feels his vulnerability. And hey, Theo has a super cute dog that just happens to love her family!
Theo isn’t without his own demons. He lost his partner and blames himself for not catching any signs of depression that ultimately led to his partner’s suicide. Add to that is his partner’s dog, Viggy, is depressed too after losing his handler, and it doesn’t seem like anything Theo does helps, except his visits to the skittish waitresses’ house. That’s okay, it was just another excuse to visit Jules! Viggy with Dee definitely tugged at my heart strings. Theo and Jules were a cute couple, and I was thrilled these two got some happiness in amongst all the troubles in their lives.
As the story progresses it quickly becomes clear that the danger of discovery is not the only thing Jules has to worry about in Monroe. This story was packed with action, thrills, and danger!
I love Katie Ruggle’s romantic suspense novels. Her characters are usually quirky in some way; different enough to be interesting. The beautiful, small mountain Colorado towns she sets her stories in are a draw for me, too. I do love the mountains with their sweeping views, pines, and clean air. The idea of a small town where everyone knows everyone appeals to me, fictionally at least. Not sure how that would actually be in real life, but I wouldn’t mind giving it a try someday. Can’t wait for On the Chase, Hugh’s story next!
A copy was kindly provided by Casablanca Book in exchange for an honest review.
This review is also posted at The Readers Den.
Jules Jackson has just moved to Monroe Colorado with her four younger siblings. She actually kidnapped them to save them from her horrible stepmother, (seriously horrible!). With new identities and a guarantee from a shifty character that her stepmother wouldn’t be looking for them “or else” she’s sets off hoping to start their lives anew. When you’re trying to be stealthy and not draw attention, cops are the last people you want to notice you, yet the diner she works at is the stomping ground of the Monroe Police. Officer Theo Boscoe quickly notices Jules when her behavior screams “I’m on the run” yet that’s not the only thing that captures his attention. Jules is gorgeous and sweet, and any idiot can see she needs help and protection. And even though Jules knows she shouldn’t let Theo close she can’t help but let him in when she feels his desire to shield her, and feels his vulnerability. And hey, Theo has a super cute dog that just happens to love her family!
Theo isn’t without his own demons. He lost his partner and blames himself for not catching any signs of depression that ultimately led to his partner’s suicide. Add to that is his partner’s dog, Viggy, is depressed too after losing his handler, and it doesn’t seem like anything Theo does helps, except his visits to the skittish waitresses’ house. That’s okay, it was just another excuse to visit Jules! Viggy with Dee definitely tugged at my heart strings. Theo and Jules were a cute couple, and I was thrilled these two got some happiness in amongst all the troubles in their lives.
As the story progresses it quickly becomes clear that the danger of discovery is not the only thing Jules has to worry about in Monroe. This story was packed with action, thrills, and danger!
I love Katie Ruggle’s romantic suspense novels. Her characters are usually quirky in some way; different enough to be interesting. The beautiful, small mountain Colorado towns she sets her stories in are a draw for me, too. I do love the mountains with their sweeping views, pines, and clean air. The idea of a small town where everyone knows everyone appeals to me, fictionally at least. Not sure how that would actually be in real life, but I wouldn’t mind giving it a try someday. Can’t wait for On the Chase, Hugh’s story next!
A copy was kindly provided by Casablanca Book in exchange for an honest review.
This review is also posted at The Readers Den.
May 8, 2022
In the past year, Officer Theo Bosco has lost not only his K9 partner, but also his mentor and fellow officer. Theo is having a hard time dealing with his grief and is surly to everyone...including the cute new waitress at the local diner. Jules Jackson is on the run with her younger siblings after kidnapping them away from their abusive stepmother. After obtaining new identities, they are living in a rundown house in a small Colorado community. The last things she needs is a cop asking questions about her. Jules sees Theo and his friends in the diner every morning and worries that they will check into her background. But when Theor finally smiles at her, Jules can't stay away from him.
Where do I start? Katie Ruggle is a new author for me, so I am not used to her writing style. I liked Jules and the fact that she dropped her old life to rescue her siblings. They are on the run and can't afford to be on the radar of the local police. Theo was a bit over-the-top in his questioning of Jules on their first meeting. Thankfully his behavior eventually changed as he got to know Jules. His K9 partner, Viggy, was the best part of the book. Theo inherited Viggy after his mentor died. They were not bonding at all. Viggy was also grief stricken after losing his human.
The suspense portion of the story was interesting. Jules is looking over her shoulder thinking that the police will track down her and the kids when they are involved in a shooting incident. Was she the target? Was the shooter aiming for the cops? Or was this just a random shooter?
The plot had potential; but the execution left something to be desired. Many actions in this story needed more explanation. We were given sketchy info about the stepmother and what she did to the kids. There were other characters in the story that were just vague. Several plot threads were left hanging. The worst thing to me was the fact that Jules and Theo have this big secret hanging between them, but just decided to ignore it. I'm still up in the air as to whether I will continue the series. My rating: 3 Stars.
Where do I start? Katie Ruggle is a new author for me, so I am not used to her writing style. I liked Jules and the fact that she dropped her old life to rescue her siblings. They are on the run and can't afford to be on the radar of the local police. Theo was a bit over-the-top in his questioning of Jules on their first meeting. Thankfully his behavior eventually changed as he got to know Jules. His K9 partner, Viggy, was the best part of the book. Theo inherited Viggy after his mentor died. They were not bonding at all. Viggy was also grief stricken after losing his human.
The suspense portion of the story was interesting. Jules is looking over her shoulder thinking that the police will track down her and the kids when they are involved in a shooting incident. Was she the target? Was the shooter aiming for the cops? Or was this just a random shooter?
The plot had potential; but the execution left something to be desired. Many actions in this story needed more explanation. We were given sketchy info about the stepmother and what she did to the kids. There were other characters in the story that were just vague. Several plot threads were left hanging. The worst thing to me was the fact that Jules and Theo have this big secret hanging between them, but just decided to ignore it. I'm still up in the air as to whether I will continue the series. My rating: 3 Stars.
August 20, 2020
Excellent book this is the first book of what promises to be a great series to read. Jules is on the run with her siblings she has taken them from their parents who are abusing them especially the mother. She is set up with a place to stay new identities, birth certificates, every they need to start again. Theo is a cop his partner has committed suicide and has left him lonely, depressed unable to find anything to be happy about until he meets Jules even though she seems jumpy. Theo meets her siblings and they help him and his k9 dog get a new lease for life. Jules knows she shouldn’t get involved with Theo because of her circumstances but she can’t stop it he is always their to save her. Theo doesn’t care what’s happened in her past just that he wants their future to be together Jules wants the same.
May 24, 2018
It's official. I'm addicted.
I really liked this book but there was a lot of it completely unresolved. But to be honest I'm not irritated by it, a little bugged but I'm also seeing this to be a pattern in Katie's books...
August 7, 2017
I requested this book and didn’t get approved. I was slightly bummed about it. I then requested book 2 and with a shrug I thought I wouldn’t get it. Colour me surprised that I did. Now I need any old excuse to buy a book and this was the perfect one. Seeing as I have book 2 I just have to buy book 1. I felt like reading a paperback so I did.
After a run of bad luck but with some good fortune thrown in Jules takes things to the extreme to protect her brothers and her sister. They start a new in Monroe, Colorado. You experience the struggles Jules and her family go through. They are such a wonderful family. Be it Sam, Tio, Ty and Dee.
Our heroine is strong although she has her doubts she always does the best that she can. She is loving, caring and not a martyr. The last couple of books have been like that with the heroines.
Theo Bosco is a shell of a man since he lost his partner. It has been a tough year for him but distraction comes in the form of a new waitress. He knows that she is hiding something but they get close. Theo is a reluctant Hero but he soon warms up to the bunch. He’s trying to get acquainted with Viggy his partner’s dog. But that is tough going but with the love of a little girl and a big family things change. Theo is broody and broken and I loved the sexy beast.
I really enjoyed this book. I am a fan of K9 books and yes as it’s fiction it might not be that way in real life but hence the word fiction. There were sweet moments, action (unexpected action) and some good twists in the development of the plot.
On a personal note if the excerpts at the back of the book had been included in the book I would have given it 5 stars instead of 4. It would have rounded off the book more and we would have had more reasoning why Jules went to the measures she did.
This is an author many will enjoy. She writes engaging characters and a great story full of banter, action and heartfelt moments laced with hope.
September 4, 2018
Hot mess. Some great things about this book, but so much that's not, so, I concentrate on the great things. The basic plot is wonderful - older sister kidnaps/rescues siblings from an abusive stepmother. The heroine - Jules shows some hutzpah in taking her siblings, disappearing and starting over in Monroe, CO. She also takes a very big chance falling in love with a cop. The hero - Theo is emotionally damaged because he didn't see the warning signs that led to his mentor/surrogate father's suicide. The story also takes it's time bringing him out of his depression and setting up the romance. Viggy, the K-9 dog - Loved Viggy! He was my favorite part of the whole book. His depression over the lose of his human partner and his inability to perform his duties just rang true. It was wonderful how Jules and her family brought life back to him.
Now, the Bad. The writing of implausible plot points just ruined it for me. Way to many "suspend reality" times to make this book enjoyable. The baddie and their motive was so far from left field that they just weren't believable. Overall, I just didn't like the writing.
Now, the Bad. The writing of implausible plot points just ruined it for me. Way to many "suspend reality" times to make this book enjoyable. The baddie and their motive was so far from left field that they just weren't believable. Overall, I just didn't like the writing.
June 6, 2017
This is one of those books that started out a little rough for me but the more I read, the more I got invested in the characters and their plight. By the end, I was hooked. It helps that there are 4 adorable children that you can't help but fall for and one K9 dog who needed a bit of healing.
Jules is risking everything for her 4 siblings and all she needs to do is keep a low profile. It's kind of laughable how she catches the attention of a cop her first day at work. Theo is immediately suspicious of Jules and knows she's hiding something. His instincts tells him that she is on the run but the more he's around her and her siblings, the less he cares.
You do have to suspend belief in a few places, but I liked these characters enough that I didn't really care that it wasn't realistic for Theo to ignore his cop instincts with Jules. It was heartwarming what Jules was doing for her brothers and sisters and I melted every time Theo interacted with these kids. The fact that he was grumpy and very standoffish made his tender care more sigh worthy.
This is a slow burn romance with a suspenseful plot. Some violence but not graphic. The kids suffered abuse and you learn enough to know why Jules steps up to help them. ARC provided by NetGalley.
Jules is risking everything for her 4 siblings and all she needs to do is keep a low profile. It's kind of laughable how she catches the attention of a cop her first day at work. Theo is immediately suspicious of Jules and knows she's hiding something. His instincts tells him that she is on the run but the more he's around her and her siblings, the less he cares.
You do have to suspend belief in a few places, but I liked these characters enough that I didn't really care that it wasn't realistic for Theo to ignore his cop instincts with Jules. It was heartwarming what Jules was doing for her brothers and sisters and I melted every time Theo interacted with these kids. The fact that he was grumpy and very standoffish made his tender care more sigh worthy.
This is a slow burn romance with a suspenseful plot. Some violence but not graphic. The kids suffered abuse and you learn enough to know why Jules steps up to help them. ARC provided by NetGalley.
April 5, 2019
This had the makings of a very good story.
There were parts that Katie would build up, but then she would leave/change topics. I would be stuck thinking...'so what happened?'
I'll probably continue with the series because the action is pretty good.
There were parts that Katie would build up, but then she would leave/change topics. I would be stuck thinking...'so what happened?'
I'll probably continue with the series because the action is pretty good.
July 6, 2017
Coffee Dates with Run to Ground
First Date: Ruggle hooked me from the first chapter as Jules gathers up her siblings and they embark on a new life far from the past they are trying to outrun. They move to a dilapidated farmhouse in the rugged town of Monroe, located in the Colorado Rockies where Jules accepts a job as a waitress at the local diner. Theo Bosco, an officer with the local police force, is grieving the loss of his former K9 companion and his human partner. He lost one to cancer and one to depression. Theo now finds himself saddled with a grieving K9. He has been walking around in a fog until the new waitress in town sparks his interest and curiosity. Theo is a bit grumpy, and it was delightful seeing him come back to the living as he gets to know Jules and her siblings.
Second Date: I loved the setup. We have a woman in hiding who gains the attention of local law and then finds herself falling for this sweet man and his dog. Ruggle took us into the daily lives of Jules as she and her siblings became acclimated to their new life. It provided humor and had me wanting to hug them all. Theo and Viggy (K9) slowly integrate themselves into their lives, and it was heartwarming and a tad scary. Jules is hiding a huge secret, one that would force Theo to make a decision. I am usually not a fan of secrets and believe in coming clean but in this case, there was more involved than just Jules, and the law doesn't always favor the victims.
Third Date: Throughout the tale, Ruggle weaved suspense including a shooting at the school to danger at the farmhouse. Ruggle did a great job with red herrings, and I for one was surprised as we entered the climatic ending and discovered who was behind these attacks. The threat of Jules being discovered also heightened the suspense, as nosy locals and her relationship with Theo put them all at risk. Ruggle sets us up for the next book, and I am already counting the days to the next audio release.
Callie Beaulieu is a new to me narrator whose narrated over 30 titles. A large majority of them are cozy mysteries and her voice suited RUN TO GROUND. Her voices captured the characters personalities and I found her pleasant to listen to. Her pacing, tone, and switch from voice to voice were delivered flawlessly. I love when a narration enhances the authors story and Beaulieu did just that. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer
First Date: Ruggle hooked me from the first chapter as Jules gathers up her siblings and they embark on a new life far from the past they are trying to outrun. They move to a dilapidated farmhouse in the rugged town of Monroe, located in the Colorado Rockies where Jules accepts a job as a waitress at the local diner. Theo Bosco, an officer with the local police force, is grieving the loss of his former K9 companion and his human partner. He lost one to cancer and one to depression. Theo now finds himself saddled with a grieving K9. He has been walking around in a fog until the new waitress in town sparks his interest and curiosity. Theo is a bit grumpy, and it was delightful seeing him come back to the living as he gets to know Jules and her siblings.
Second Date: I loved the setup. We have a woman in hiding who gains the attention of local law and then finds herself falling for this sweet man and his dog. Ruggle took us into the daily lives of Jules as she and her siblings became acclimated to their new life. It provided humor and had me wanting to hug them all. Theo and Viggy (K9) slowly integrate themselves into their lives, and it was heartwarming and a tad scary. Jules is hiding a huge secret, one that would force Theo to make a decision. I am usually not a fan of secrets and believe in coming clean but in this case, there was more involved than just Jules, and the law doesn't always favor the victims.
Third Date: Throughout the tale, Ruggle weaved suspense including a shooting at the school to danger at the farmhouse. Ruggle did a great job with red herrings, and I for one was surprised as we entered the climatic ending and discovered who was behind these attacks. The threat of Jules being discovered also heightened the suspense, as nosy locals and her relationship with Theo put them all at risk. Ruggle sets us up for the next book, and I am already counting the days to the next audio release.
Callie Beaulieu is a new to me narrator whose narrated over 30 titles. A large majority of them are cozy mysteries and her voice suited RUN TO GROUND. Her voices captured the characters personalities and I found her pleasant to listen to. Her pacing, tone, and switch from voice to voice were delivered flawlessly. I love when a narration enhances the authors story and Beaulieu did just that. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer
February 12, 2017
Another I wanted to love this book, I really did. I like the idea of a series about a K9 unit, and I enjoyed Ruggle's "Search and Rescue" series quite a bit. I simply never got completely invested in the story or the characters enough to care enough what happened in the storyline or with them. I especially disliked the flashbacks the first few chapters of the book. I'm not a huge fan of flashbacks; and it was only a few weeks, couldn't the author have put it in a prologue and go from there in present time? Also, Jules never told Theo the truth about her and the kids; even after starting a committed relationship with him. That lack of trust bugged me.
Still, I feel this to be a satisfactory read, and a small bump in the road. I will read the next book. I did love Viggy, and look forward to more K9 partners like him, as well as the other characters the reader is introduced to.
Still, I feel this to be a satisfactory read, and a small bump in the road. I will read the next book. I did love Viggy, and look forward to more K9 partners like him, as well as the other characters the reader is introduced to.
August 19, 2019
This is the first book in the Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series where we are introduced to a close team of cops and their K9 partners. Theo recently lost both his K9 partner and his mentor and with guilt and anger sitting heavily on him he doesn’t want anyone in his life. Especially not the new and beautiful waitress at the local diner. Jules will do anything to protect her much younger brothers and sister... so, she kidnaps them. Now in hiding from their abusive parents they are starting a new life in a new town. The last thing she needs is a cop, no matter how compelling, to start taking an interest in her and her siblings. But, there is someone dangerous in town, someone who could destroy the new found and fragile peace Jules and Theo have found…When I was looking for a romantic suspense book for the Military Mews challenge on Romanceopoly people kept recommending that I read Katie Ruggle. Turns out that it didn’t quite fit the challenge as I needed a military hero or heroine (the hero in this is part of law enforcement and not the military) but, I am still really glad that I picked this book up.
This isn’t the kind of romantic suspense where things are exploding and people are being shot, stabbed or otherwise attacked every few pages. This book is fairly low key in regards to action. This may not appeal to some readers; however, it was something I was pleased with. I was more interested in Theo and Jules developing relationship and getting to know Jules’ family. This book had a great small town romance feel to it, with the added edge of impending danger.
This is a good set up to this series, it felt like a few things were left unresolved, it felt more like a HFN rather than a HEA, which is part of the reason I didn’t rate it more than 3.5 stars. I felt like it needed more development between Jules and Theo to really cement them as a couple. However, it could be that this is done in the background of the other books. There was also definitely a lose thread in relation to Jules’ mysterious and criminal benefactor who helped her escape with her siblings, which judging from the last chapter will definitely be addressed in the next book.
A good start to the series and I look forward to reading the next book.
P.S. I ended up using this book for my Library (free choice) square on Romanceopoly rather than Military Mews!
*Reviewed by Suzanne❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤
May 25, 2017
Three and a half
Having thoroughly enjoyed this authors Search and Rescue series I really looked forward to getting my hands on this book. Still set in beautiful Colorado but this time it's the K-9 unit that the author tries to capture.
The story really begins with Jules a young woman who is desperate to get her younger siblings away from her stepmothers abusuve control. When I say desperate I don't use the word needlessly because Jules has been working for very shady characters indeed , the sort that get your pulse racing , your palms turning clammy and make you start to think about concrete boots! Yes she's at her wits end but help comes from the most unlikely source and it means Jules breaks the law and 'kidnaps' her brothers and sister!
Theo is in a bad place mentally . He's not quite got over the death of his canine partner but even more draining is the fact that his best friend took his own life. Theo exists in a hardened fog, just going through the motions really and the last thing he needs is the knowledge that he's letting down Viggy his new K-9 partner. So what will he do when a new waitress shows up who is obviously on the run and hiding something ? Has she been hurt, is she still in danger? Theo might not realise it but the hot , secretive waitress is about to wake up his emotions but it turns out that Jules really is in danger!
Theres quite a few flashbacks initially as this story begins which slightly irritated me as I wanted the plot to move along. That being said the characters here are very easy to like and there's a huge appeal to be had from Jules and her charming family. As if that wasn't enough of a cute factor the author also throws in fellow police officers who feel like Theo's family as they tease and generally wind him up. Then of course there's Viggy with his fears and sadness and he was just such a lovely touch.
This is fiction so most things are allowed but the big reveal at the end just didn't quite convince me. Plus I know Theo is a hero but what he does here didn't feel realistic. Oh and there's the little matter of just who helped Jules initially and how that arc will play out in future books. I really liked seeing this couple get their happy ending but unfortunately it's not my favourite book from this author . However as I've enjoyed her other books I will continue to read her stories but hope I don't have to suspend belief quite so much next time
Having thoroughly enjoyed this authors Search and Rescue series I really looked forward to getting my hands on this book. Still set in beautiful Colorado but this time it's the K-9 unit that the author tries to capture.
The story really begins with Jules a young woman who is desperate to get her younger siblings away from her stepmothers abusuve control. When I say desperate I don't use the word needlessly because Jules has been working for very shady characters indeed , the sort that get your pulse racing , your palms turning clammy and make you start to think about concrete boots! Yes she's at her wits end but help comes from the most unlikely source and it means Jules breaks the law and 'kidnaps' her brothers and sister!
Theo is in a bad place mentally . He's not quite got over the death of his canine partner but even more draining is the fact that his best friend took his own life. Theo exists in a hardened fog, just going through the motions really and the last thing he needs is the knowledge that he's letting down Viggy his new K-9 partner. So what will he do when a new waitress shows up who is obviously on the run and hiding something ? Has she been hurt, is she still in danger? Theo might not realise it but the hot , secretive waitress is about to wake up his emotions but it turns out that Jules really is in danger!
Theres quite a few flashbacks initially as this story begins which slightly irritated me as I wanted the plot to move along. That being said the characters here are very easy to like and there's a huge appeal to be had from Jules and her charming family. As if that wasn't enough of a cute factor the author also throws in fellow police officers who feel like Theo's family as they tease and generally wind him up. Then of course there's Viggy with his fears and sadness and he was just such a lovely touch.
This is fiction so most things are allowed but the big reveal at the end just didn't quite convince me. Plus I know Theo is a hero but what he does here didn't feel realistic. Oh and there's the little matter of just who helped Jules initially and how that arc will play out in future books. I really liked seeing this couple get their happy ending but unfortunately it's not my favourite book from this author . However as I've enjoyed her other books I will continue to read her stories but hope I don't have to suspend belief quite so much next time
August 30, 2019
3.5 Stars
This is the first book in the Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series where we are introduced to a close team of cops and their K9 partners. Theo recently lost both his K9 partner and his mentor and with guilt and anger sitting heavily on him he doesn’t want anyone in his life. Especially not the new and beautiful waitress at the local diner. Jules will do anything to protect her much younger brothers and sister… so, she kidnaps them. Now in hiding from their abusive parents they are starting a new life in a new town. The last thing she needs is a cop, no matter how compelling, to start taking an interest in her and her siblings. But, there is someone dangerous in town, someone who could destroy the new found and fragile peace Jules and Theo have found…
When I was looking for a romantic suspense book for the Military Mews challenge on Romanceopoly people kept recommending that I read Katie Ruggle. Turns out that it didn’t quite fit the challenge as I needed a military hero or heroine (the hero in this is part of law enforcement and not the military) but, I am still really glad that I picked this book up.
This isn’t the kind of romantic suspense where things are exploding and people are being shot, stabbed or otherwise attacked every few pages. This book is fairly low key in regards to action. This may not appeal to some readers; however, it was something I was pleased with. I was more interested in Theo and Jules developing relationship and getting to know Jules’ family. This book had a great small town romance feel to it, with the added edge of impending danger.
This is a good set up to this series, it felt like a few things were left unresolved, it felt more like a HFN rather than a HEA, which is part of the reason I didn’t rate it more than 3.5 stars. I felt like it needed more development between Jules and Theo to really cement them as a couple. However, it could be that this is done in the background of the other books. There was also definitely a lose thread in relation to Jules’ mysterious and criminal benefactor who helped her escape with her siblings, which judging from the last chapter will definitely be addressed in the next book.
A good start to the series and I look forward to reading the next book.
P.S. I ended up using this book for my Library (free choice) square on Romanceopoly rather than Military Mews!
This is the first book in the Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series where we are introduced to a close team of cops and their K9 partners. Theo recently lost both his K9 partner and his mentor and with guilt and anger sitting heavily on him he doesn’t want anyone in his life. Especially not the new and beautiful waitress at the local diner. Jules will do anything to protect her much younger brothers and sister… so, she kidnaps them. Now in hiding from their abusive parents they are starting a new life in a new town. The last thing she needs is a cop, no matter how compelling, to start taking an interest in her and her siblings. But, there is someone dangerous in town, someone who could destroy the new found and fragile peace Jules and Theo have found…
When I was looking for a romantic suspense book for the Military Mews challenge on Romanceopoly people kept recommending that I read Katie Ruggle. Turns out that it didn’t quite fit the challenge as I needed a military hero or heroine (the hero in this is part of law enforcement and not the military) but, I am still really glad that I picked this book up.
This isn’t the kind of romantic suspense where things are exploding and people are being shot, stabbed or otherwise attacked every few pages. This book is fairly low key in regards to action. This may not appeal to some readers; however, it was something I was pleased with. I was more interested in Theo and Jules developing relationship and getting to know Jules’ family. This book had a great small town romance feel to it, with the added edge of impending danger.
This is a good set up to this series, it felt like a few things were left unresolved, it felt more like a HFN rather than a HEA, which is part of the reason I didn’t rate it more than 3.5 stars. I felt like it needed more development between Jules and Theo to really cement them as a couple. However, it could be that this is done in the background of the other books. There was also definitely a lose thread in relation to Jules’ mysterious and criminal benefactor who helped her escape with her siblings, which judging from the last chapter will definitely be addressed in the next book.
A good start to the series and I look forward to reading the next book.
P.S. I ended up using this book for my Library (free choice) square on Romanceopoly rather than Military Mews!
February 28, 2017
Jumpy waitress Juliet Young first meets K9 Unit’s Theo Bosco at the breakfast bar, carrying the weight of her legal troubles on her shoulders as she sort of tries to make a new life for herself in Colorado. But clearly she is hiding something (and this falls on the wrong side of law enforcement), raising Theo's internal alarm and setting them on a course where they’re on opposing sides. Meanwhile, Theo is dealing with his own grief about his partner and dog, while having a hard time bonding with Viggy the Malinois, so we do witness his frustrations alongside Jules’s own problems.
Having enjoyed Katie Ruggle’s Search and Rescue series, this new K9 one looked as though it would be just as promising. But I couldn’t quite get engaged in ‘Run to Ground’ unfortunately; neither the characters nor the plot captured me from the very beginning. The constant flashbacks broke the narrative and the developing story somewhat, so I found myself disoriented from time to time this happened. In fact, I found myself more invested in Theo’s story than Jules’s however, wanting to know how his newfound partnership with Viggy was going to go but wasn’t too thrilled when there were still some secrets between Jules and Theo by the time the book ended. Still, I liked how Ruggle wrote about the struggles that law enforcement officers faced with their own K9 team and their partners, which made me still look forward to what would happen in later books.
*ARC by netgalley
(always grateful, mind)
Having enjoyed Katie Ruggle’s Search and Rescue series, this new K9 one looked as though it would be just as promising. But I couldn’t quite get engaged in ‘Run to Ground’ unfortunately; neither the characters nor the plot captured me from the very beginning. The constant flashbacks broke the narrative and the developing story somewhat, so I found myself disoriented from time to time this happened. In fact, I found myself more invested in Theo’s story than Jules’s however, wanting to know how his newfound partnership with Viggy was going to go but wasn’t too thrilled when there were still some secrets between Jules and Theo by the time the book ended. Still, I liked how Ruggle wrote about the struggles that law enforcement officers faced with their own K9 team and their partners, which made me still look forward to what would happen in later books.
*ARC by netgalley
(always grateful, mind)
November 22, 2018
I'm sorry to say this, but this story didn't make any sense at all. And it just cuts off at the end, without an epilogue, without closure.
I have no idea what happend in this book. Important things weren't explained. We get told certain details, but not the whole story. It was messy.
And at the end Heroine and Hero just say "I love you" to each other and that's it. No talking about the future, about their dreams, about them. She even hides a deep secret from him, why she's on the run. And he just shrugs it off, like it's nothing. Because he "trusts" her. And that's the ending. So bad.
And the "bonus" scenes at the end, well don't bother. I'm not going to read snippets of scenes that happened during the book at the very end. Either include them into the story or leave it.
I'm just really disappointed. I really liked the "Search and Rescue" series and thought that this would be the same. Oh well.
I have no idea what happend in this book. Important things weren't explained. We get told certain details, but not the whole story. It was messy.
And at the end Heroine and Hero just say "I love you" to each other and that's it. No talking about the future, about their dreams, about them. She even hides a deep secret from him, why she's on the run. And he just shrugs it off, like it's nothing. Because he "trusts" her. And that's the ending. So bad.
And the "bonus" scenes at the end, well don't bother. I'm not going to read snippets of scenes that happened during the book at the very end. Either include them into the story or leave it.
I'm just really disappointed. I really liked the "Search and Rescue" series and thought that this would be the same. Oh well.
October 31, 2017
i had some issues with this one. I won't go into them here. Suffice it to say i don't do well with books were one of the characters is lying to the other in a big way. And you know that the lie is going to eventually wreck everything so you just can't relax. Plus it's hard to believe their connection when one of them keeps something so important from the other.
Theo's a cop - with depression. i thought Ruggle did a good job fleshing out Theo's issues. He was a miserable person which made him an interesting hero. Jules is on the run - hiding from...something. You see where that can get awkward, right?
It felt like too much of the book was devoted to explosions rather than building an honest relationship. But i liked the dog.
Theo's a cop - with depression. i thought Ruggle did a good job fleshing out Theo's issues. He was a miserable person which made him an interesting hero. Jules is on the run - hiding from...something. You see where that can get awkward, right?
It felt like too much of the book was devoted to explosions rather than building an honest relationship. But i liked the dog.
April 8, 2018
Yes, I'm a complete sucker for dogs. Needless to say that Viggy, the grieving K9, completely stole my heart.
Err... the hero?
Ah, yes... not as much. At first, Theo's social manners came out as sorely lacking, and even if he kind of grew on the heroine as well as on the reader, the first bad impression stayed a bit too long.
Jules, the heroine, was a much more interesting character. Timid and awkward in appearance, she was capable of the most courageous actions for the sake of her siblings. Her adventures and her cute little family were the highlights of the novel.
Careful, there is no real cliffhanger here, but some major issues are left unresolved at the end. To be continued in the next issue ?...
4.5 stars.
Err... the hero?
Ah, yes... not as much. At first, Theo's social manners came out as sorely lacking, and even if he kind of grew on the heroine as well as on the reader, the first bad impression stayed a bit too long.
Jules, the heroine, was a much more interesting character. Timid and awkward in appearance, she was capable of the most courageous actions for the sake of her siblings. Her adventures and her cute little family were the highlights of the novel.
Careful, there is no real cliffhanger here, but some major issues are left unresolved at the end. To be continued in the next issue ?...
4.5 stars.
March 29, 2019
This is a nice warm story if you are OK with insta-love. Three guy in a K9 unit are best buds, and into their laps falls a young woman who is obviously running from trouble. They all want to defend her, but one falls hard. The plot aspects are fairly straight-forward, and the side characters, especially the siblings, are done quite well. Sex scenes are few and short, but appropriate to the story.
If you were attracted by the dog, the do play a part in the story, but it's not about them. There are other oddities that need to be ignored, but it all stays consistent, so just read through.
I will read the next.
If you were attracted by the dog, the do play a part in the story, but it's not about them. There are other oddities that need to be ignored, but it all stays consistent, so just read through.
I will read the next.
July 14, 2017
Run to Ground is a great story filled with suspense, lovable characters, an adorable dog, and a surly hero.
Jules has moved to Monroe, CO with her four siblings. Four siblings that she actually kidnapped from their abusive step-mother. With the help from some shady characters, Jules is able to get her siblings, escape across the country, and set up shop in a little town in Colorado. She knows she needs to lay low, however, it's becoming increasingly hard when one of the local officers who apparently frequent the diner where she works, takes an unsettling interest in her.
If I'm being honest on why I picked up the book, it's because of the cover and because of Theo. It's one thing to be a brooding bad-ass because you've seen some things. It's a whole other thing when you lose your K9 partner not even a year ago, lose your human partner to suicide, and then get tasked to partner up with his K9 who is a broken-down shell of a dog. I mean, this poor guy doesn't seem to be able to catch a break. Not to mention the poor pooch, Viggy, who is this quivering, pathetic mess of a dog. I mean, Theo tries to take him into the field and the dog is shaking, tail between his legs, hiding behind a couch in the middle of an operation. It was so heart breaking to watch and you could just feel the helplessness that Theo felt. Here he is trying to keep a hold on himself and yet he has this K9 that resembles a badly abused dog relying on him. So, yeah, I read this book because of Theo and Viggy.
Jules wasn't a bad character either. I mean, she dropped everything to get her siblings out of an abusive home. She makes the best with their run down house, her waitressing job, and having to care for four kids. She was a strong character who has plan after back-up plan in place to ensure the kids remained safe even if they were found out. Her dedication to the kids was heart warming. The kids were also great secondary characters. You know that the youngest wasn't abused in the normal sense, but she was kind of like her mother's doll. She was always paraded around in pageants even though she didn't want to be. The two twins seemed unharmed. However, the eldest definitely got the brunt of Mommy Dearest's attention. You kind of get a feeling early on that something isn't right with him. That something happened to him, even though all the kids seem to be happy go-lucky children. It isn't until later that your suspicions are confirmed. Needless to say, I felt really bad for those kids and really didn't want to see anything happen to them.
The whole time, I was wondering when Jules was going to be found out. Whether her step-mom found them, the police figured out who she really was, or the people who helped her decided to come sniffing around, I was always on the edge of my seat wondering when the other shoe was going to fall. It didn't help that Theo's new partner was heavily suspicious of Jules and that Jules kept seeing things in the woods behind the house. There was always that underlying fear that someone was watching them.
I'm so glad I decided to give this author a chance. It's not all that often that I purchase a book by a new-to-me author... actually I think this is the first time I've ever done it, but thankfully it pulled off. Run to Ground was brilliant. It had everything I was looking for. Plus, it wrapped up in a way that I was not expecting. I thought the author would take the cookie cutter approach to the story line but instead she did her own thing, and I loved it! I won't go into details because I don't want to ruin anything but let's just say that it was unlike any other on-the-run suspense romance I've read before.
Jules has moved to Monroe, CO with her four siblings. Four siblings that she actually kidnapped from their abusive step-mother. With the help from some shady characters, Jules is able to get her siblings, escape across the country, and set up shop in a little town in Colorado. She knows she needs to lay low, however, it's becoming increasingly hard when one of the local officers who apparently frequent the diner where she works, takes an unsettling interest in her.
If I'm being honest on why I picked up the book, it's because of the cover and because of Theo. It's one thing to be a brooding bad-ass because you've seen some things. It's a whole other thing when you lose your K9 partner not even a year ago, lose your human partner to suicide, and then get tasked to partner up with his K9 who is a broken-down shell of a dog. I mean, this poor guy doesn't seem to be able to catch a break. Not to mention the poor pooch, Viggy, who is this quivering, pathetic mess of a dog. I mean, Theo tries to take him into the field and the dog is shaking, tail between his legs, hiding behind a couch in the middle of an operation. It was so heart breaking to watch and you could just feel the helplessness that Theo felt. Here he is trying to keep a hold on himself and yet he has this K9 that resembles a badly abused dog relying on him. So, yeah, I read this book because of Theo and Viggy.
Jules wasn't a bad character either. I mean, she dropped everything to get her siblings out of an abusive home. She makes the best with their run down house, her waitressing job, and having to care for four kids. She was a strong character who has plan after back-up plan in place to ensure the kids remained safe even if they were found out. Her dedication to the kids was heart warming. The kids were also great secondary characters. You know that the youngest wasn't abused in the normal sense, but she was kind of like her mother's doll. She was always paraded around in pageants even though she didn't want to be. The two twins seemed unharmed. However, the eldest definitely got the brunt of Mommy Dearest's attention. You kind of get a feeling early on that something isn't right with him. That something happened to him, even though all the kids seem to be happy go-lucky children. It isn't until later that your suspicions are confirmed. Needless to say, I felt really bad for those kids and really didn't want to see anything happen to them.
The whole time, I was wondering when Jules was going to be found out. Whether her step-mom found them, the police figured out who she really was, or the people who helped her decided to come sniffing around, I was always on the edge of my seat wondering when the other shoe was going to fall. It didn't help that Theo's new partner was heavily suspicious of Jules and that Jules kept seeing things in the woods behind the house. There was always that underlying fear that someone was watching them.
I'm so glad I decided to give this author a chance. It's not all that often that I purchase a book by a new-to-me author... actually I think this is the first time I've ever done it, but thankfully it pulled off. Run to Ground was brilliant. It had everything I was looking for. Plus, it wrapped up in a way that I was not expecting. I thought the author would take the cookie cutter approach to the story line but instead she did her own thing, and I loved it! I won't go into details because I don't want to ruin anything but let's just say that it was unlike any other on-the-run suspense romance I've read before.
August 28, 2017
Run to Ground is the 1st book in the Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series by Katie Ruggle. This first book introduces us to Jules, her siblings, and Theo. Theo is still mourning the loss of his friend/mentor/and partner when he meets Jules; Jules has just moved herself and her siblings to Colorado to begin a new life when she catches sight of Theo. Neither is ready or willing to start a new relationship but things begin to heat up between the two until a deadly threat threatens to rip them apart before they even have the chance.
This was my first book by Katie Ruggle. The plot sounded so good that I just had to pick it up and give it a try. I was so happy to find out that I really, really did enjoy the plot. Everything seemed to really work together and make the story well rounded. I couldn't help but fall in love with all of the main characters in this story; Ruggle has a way of creating wonderful characters you can't help but love, villains that you instantly hate, and even throws in a few unknowns and curve balls.
One thing I didn't like about this book and seemed to dim my rating somewhat was that there felt like there was too much space where nothing was happening at some points. Another thing that I didn't really like was this book seemed to set up for the 2nd book really well, but things seemed to end to easily in this story. I still really enjoyed this book though, and my rating would probably be somewhere between a 3.5 and 4. I can't wait to continue on with the next book On the Chase. I enjoyed her storytelling ability and also plan on checking out Ruggle's Search and Rescue series.
This was my first book by Katie Ruggle. The plot sounded so good that I just had to pick it up and give it a try. I was so happy to find out that I really, really did enjoy the plot. Everything seemed to really work together and make the story well rounded. I couldn't help but fall in love with all of the main characters in this story; Ruggle has a way of creating wonderful characters you can't help but love, villains that you instantly hate, and even throws in a few unknowns and curve balls.
One thing I didn't like about this book and seemed to dim my rating somewhat was that there felt like there was too much space where nothing was happening at some points. Another thing that I didn't really like was this book seemed to set up for the 2nd book really well, but things seemed to end to easily in this story. I still really enjoyed this book though, and my rating would probably be somewhere between a 3.5 and 4. I can't wait to continue on with the next book On the Chase. I enjoyed her storytelling ability and also plan on checking out Ruggle's Search and Rescue series.
dnf
July 29, 2017I won't rate this book. If you want the rant on why I dnf'd it at 15%, keep reading.
I have enjoyed other books by this author, but Run to Ground was a complete miss for me.
I have enjoyed other books by this author, but Run to Ground was a complete miss for me.
May 26, 2017
After enjoying Katie's Search & Rescue series, I was more than excited to start a new romantic suspense series by her! This book had all the thrills and romance that fans can expect when it comes to a book by Katie. I will admit that I didn't like this book AS much as the books in her previous series, but still was an exhilarating read.
The main male character, Theo, was a little hard for me to warm up to at first. He was very demanding and moody. I understood why he was acting that way, but it was still hard to really like him. However, as the book went on, I saw how caring, dedicated, romantic, and determined he was. Julie, the other main character, was a delight. I really admired how much she cared about her siblings and how she was willing to do anything to keep them safe.
I thought the plot of this book was interesting, but I wasn't a huge fan of the flashbacks. The flashbacks felt a bit out of place and they kept taking me out of the story. I wish they all would have been condensed into a prologue or shorter. However, the plot as a whole was intriguing and fast-paced, which I really enjoyed!
The romance was as steamy and delicious as I was hoping it would be! Once I warmed up to Theo, I started shipping him with Julie SO HARD. I thought they made an adorable pair, and I would love to have more stories about them!
Overall, this was a heart racing and sexy read. Fans of Katie's other books and fans of romantic suspense will definitely enjoy this new story! I am excited to see what this series has in store for us next!
3 / 5 Fangs
*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
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The main male character, Theo, was a little hard for me to warm up to at first. He was very demanding and moody. I understood why he was acting that way, but it was still hard to really like him. However, as the book went on, I saw how caring, dedicated, romantic, and determined he was. Julie, the other main character, was a delight. I really admired how much she cared about her siblings and how she was willing to do anything to keep them safe.
I thought the plot of this book was interesting, but I wasn't a huge fan of the flashbacks. The flashbacks felt a bit out of place and they kept taking me out of the story. I wish they all would have been condensed into a prologue or shorter. However, the plot as a whole was intriguing and fast-paced, which I really enjoyed!
The romance was as steamy and delicious as I was hoping it would be! Once I warmed up to Theo, I started shipping him with Julie SO HARD. I thought they made an adorable pair, and I would love to have more stories about them!
Overall, this was a heart racing and sexy read. Fans of Katie's other books and fans of romantic suspense will definitely enjoy this new story! I am excited to see what this series has in store for us next!
3 / 5 Fangs
*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
September 9, 2017
4 stars
This was a really good story and beginning of the series. If you've read Ruggle's "Search & Rescue" series, then you wont be surprised to find that while the romance ends happily at the end of this story, there appears to be an overlying series storyline that probably wont be completed until all the books are complete (although I can't say positively).
Also, the story actually ends at page 351/408 (the 74% park on my Kindle). After that, there's some deleted scenes from Run to Ground that are interesting (until 377/408 aka 80% mark) and then we get the first 7 chapters of book #2, On the Chase.
Jules is the new waitress at the diner in Monroe, CO. Jules moved to the town with her 4 younger siblings, 3 brothers and a sister. Jules used to be a CPA but she had to leave that all behind when she broke some laws in order to rescue her siblings and keep them out of the hands of a terrible woman. Jules' main goal is just to keep her family safe and make enough money coming in to keep them afloat.
Theo is a K9 cop that works in the town of Monroe, CO. He lost his K9 companion a year ago to cancer and then his (human) partner killed himself 2 months ago. Theo is feeling a lot of guilt over not noticing his partner's depression before his suicide and is having trouble recovering from the lose of 2 individuals that meant so much to him. His partner's dog, Viggy, is supposed to be Thoe's new K9 partner but Viggy isn't handling things any better than Theo.
Theo and the other 2 K9 cops normally have breakfast in the diner every morning before their shift. They all notice Jules on her first day but Theo takes particular notice and realizes that she's nervous and probably is hiding something. It doesn't help things when he tries to talk to her to find out more about her but it turns out more like an interrogation than anything else. Theo's still broken (emotionally) and doesn't feel much in the way of emotions so the interest he feels in Jules is a surprise and prompts him to continue to think about her. Jules is freaked to have gained Theo's notice and she's not that great of a liar so she's hoping she can put Theo off and maybe he'll lose interest.
Theo's interest doesn't wain though, especially when Viggy comes out of his shell for Jules' siblings (particularly her younger sister, Dee). Theo sees this as a good thing and the more interaction they both have with Jules' family, the better they both do...Viggy not only responding well to the kids but also to Theo's improving attitude. There are a few instances of trouble though and when Jules is in danger, Theo is there to save her and her siblings. Jules tries not to fall for Theo but he's a really good guy and the more time she spends with him, the more she does fall for him. Theo knows that Jules is hiding something but he also realizes she's a good person and what she's hiding from is to keep her family safe so he doesn't push. There is another issue that comes up and is resolved by the end of this story and in the end, Jules and Theo are pretty firmly together (HFN verging into HEAerish?), even if Theo doesn't know everything.
This was a very enjoyable story. I really liked Jules and felt for her and what she had to do to keep her family safe. Theo was kind of grumpy at first but he was a good guy once he got pulled out of his (understandable) funk. The story wasn't perfect but it was very good and kept me engaged until the end...even if I wish some things hadn't been left unresolved I'd still recommend this story. :)
This was a really good story and beginning of the series. If you've read Ruggle's "Search & Rescue" series, then you wont be surprised to find that while the romance ends happily at the end of this story, there appears to be an overlying series storyline that probably wont be completed until all the books are complete (although I can't say positively).
Also, the story actually ends at page 351/408 (the 74% park on my Kindle). After that, there's some deleted scenes from Run to Ground that are interesting (until 377/408 aka 80% mark) and then we get the first 7 chapters of book #2, On the Chase.
Jules is the new waitress at the diner in Monroe, CO. Jules moved to the town with her 4 younger siblings, 3 brothers and a sister. Jules used to be a CPA but she had to leave that all behind when she broke some laws in order to rescue her siblings and keep them out of the hands of a terrible woman. Jules' main goal is just to keep her family safe and make enough money coming in to keep them afloat.
Theo is a K9 cop that works in the town of Monroe, CO. He lost his K9 companion a year ago to cancer and then his (human) partner killed himself 2 months ago. Theo is feeling a lot of guilt over not noticing his partner's depression before his suicide and is having trouble recovering from the lose of 2 individuals that meant so much to him. His partner's dog, Viggy, is supposed to be Thoe's new K9 partner but Viggy isn't handling things any better than Theo.
Theo and the other 2 K9 cops normally have breakfast in the diner every morning before their shift. They all notice Jules on her first day but Theo takes particular notice and realizes that she's nervous and probably is hiding something. It doesn't help things when he tries to talk to her to find out more about her but it turns out more like an interrogation than anything else. Theo's still broken (emotionally) and doesn't feel much in the way of emotions so the interest he feels in Jules is a surprise and prompts him to continue to think about her. Jules is freaked to have gained Theo's notice and she's not that great of a liar so she's hoping she can put Theo off and maybe he'll lose interest.
Theo's interest doesn't wain though, especially when Viggy comes out of his shell for Jules' siblings (particularly her younger sister, Dee). Theo sees this as a good thing and the more interaction they both have with Jules' family, the better they both do...Viggy not only responding well to the kids but also to Theo's improving attitude. There are a few instances of trouble though and when Jules is in danger, Theo is there to save her and her siblings. Jules tries not to fall for Theo but he's a really good guy and the more time she spends with him, the more she does fall for him. Theo knows that Jules is hiding something but he also realizes she's a good person and what she's hiding from is to keep her family safe so he doesn't push. There is another issue that comes up and is resolved by the end of this story and in the end, Jules and Theo are pretty firmly together (HFN verging into HEAerish?), even if Theo doesn't know everything.
This was a very enjoyable story. I really liked Jules and felt for her and what she had to do to keep her family safe. Theo was kind of grumpy at first but he was a good guy once he got pulled out of his (understandable) funk. The story wasn't perfect but it was very good and kept me engaged until the end...even if I wish some things hadn't been left unresolved I'd still recommend this story. :)
June 23, 2017
3.25 stars
It seems like there are so many loose plot threads that did not get wrapped up, so Run to Ground gets a knock for that.
full review
Once I saw the cover for Run to Ground, I knew I had to read it. I mean, look at that shepherd. That happy K9, with his happy wolfish grin. Viggy, sadly, was not quite so carefree in the story. Both Viggy and his handler, Theo, are battling PTSD, and it puts them both in danger many times. I can’t understand why that sad, traumatized dog was expected to effectively do his job, when what he really needed, as well as Theo, was intense therapy. It distressed me that both of them were suffering, and their department did not, or would not, see their compromised emotions.
Jules is on the run. After turning in a favor to a scary man, she is given the resources to liberate her siblings from her step-mother’s abusive control. Whisking them away from school, they flee to Colorado, where a run-down house has been made available to her, as well as a new van, to start their new lives. Jules is now in charge of four kids under the age of eighteen, and somehow she is managing this on her earnings as a waitress at the local café of their new tiny town. Terrified of discovery, she panics when she learns that several officers from the police department have breakfast in the café every day. Her nervousness immediately makes grumpy Theo suspicious, and he is determined to discover what the pretty new waitress is trying to hide.
The flashbacks in the first half of the book drove me to distraction. They never really explained what was going on with Jules’ step-mother, and how this woman had so much power over all of them. So instead of finding them enlightening, or meaningful for filling in background details, the flashbacks just irritated me. Throw the reader a bone, please?
I liked Theo, though his gruffness was also distracting. No wonder Jules was so jumpy every time his frowny face showed up on her doorstep. His only saving grace was Viggy. The poor emotionally battered dog came to life every time he was in the presence of Jules or her siblings. This dog needed to be retired, not put back out on the streets after the sudden suicide of his original partner. While Theo’s emotional upheaval was equally distressing, at least he was a human, capable of making his feelings known, should he have shed his tough guy image and sought the help he needed. Thankfully, they both found comfort with Jules’ quirky family.
The romance is a slow, slow burn, and I don’t think they kissed until almost 3/4 of the way into the story. This is not a complaint, but a head’s up to readers who like a hotter romance. I liked the slower pace of their courtship, where they didn’t trust each other at first and had to work for that trust. Too many romances have the characters ripping off their clothes in the first few chapters, and I find sex scenes without any convincing emotional connection between the characters boring. While I enjoy a blistering romance, I also enjoy the sweet ones.
It seems like there are so many loose plot threads that did not get wrapped up, so Run to Ground gets a knock for that. I am invested in the series enough to at least read the next volume, which will hopefully clear up some of the lingering questions I have.
It seems like there are so many loose plot threads that did not get wrapped up, so Run to Ground gets a knock for that.
full review
Once I saw the cover for Run to Ground, I knew I had to read it. I mean, look at that shepherd. That happy K9, with his happy wolfish grin. Viggy, sadly, was not quite so carefree in the story. Both Viggy and his handler, Theo, are battling PTSD, and it puts them both in danger many times. I can’t understand why that sad, traumatized dog was expected to effectively do his job, when what he really needed, as well as Theo, was intense therapy. It distressed me that both of them were suffering, and their department did not, or would not, see their compromised emotions.
Jules is on the run. After turning in a favor to a scary man, she is given the resources to liberate her siblings from her step-mother’s abusive control. Whisking them away from school, they flee to Colorado, where a run-down house has been made available to her, as well as a new van, to start their new lives. Jules is now in charge of four kids under the age of eighteen, and somehow she is managing this on her earnings as a waitress at the local café of their new tiny town. Terrified of discovery, she panics when she learns that several officers from the police department have breakfast in the café every day. Her nervousness immediately makes grumpy Theo suspicious, and he is determined to discover what the pretty new waitress is trying to hide.
The flashbacks in the first half of the book drove me to distraction. They never really explained what was going on with Jules’ step-mother, and how this woman had so much power over all of them. So instead of finding them enlightening, or meaningful for filling in background details, the flashbacks just irritated me. Throw the reader a bone, please?
I liked Theo, though his gruffness was also distracting. No wonder Jules was so jumpy every time his frowny face showed up on her doorstep. His only saving grace was Viggy. The poor emotionally battered dog came to life every time he was in the presence of Jules or her siblings. This dog needed to be retired, not put back out on the streets after the sudden suicide of his original partner. While Theo’s emotional upheaval was equally distressing, at least he was a human, capable of making his feelings known, should he have shed his tough guy image and sought the help he needed. Thankfully, they both found comfort with Jules’ quirky family.
The romance is a slow, slow burn, and I don’t think they kissed until almost 3/4 of the way into the story. This is not a complaint, but a head’s up to readers who like a hotter romance. I liked the slower pace of their courtship, where they didn’t trust each other at first and had to work for that trust. Too many romances have the characters ripping off their clothes in the first few chapters, and I find sex scenes without any convincing emotional connection between the characters boring. While I enjoy a blistering romance, I also enjoy the sweet ones.
It seems like there are so many loose plot threads that did not get wrapped up, so Run to Ground gets a knock for that. I am invested in the series enough to at least read the next volume, which will hopefully clear up some of the lingering questions I have.
April 4, 2019
3.5 Stars
Although you must suspend reality to accept the far-fetched plot events, Run to Ground is an enjoyable romance with really engaging characters. Jules Jackson is on the run and using an alias, along with her four siblings, who she stole away from an abusive step parent. She is a fierce and tender mama bear to her sibling-brood. Theo Boscoe is the snarly police officer who at first terrifies her, then rescues her, and then steals her heart. She finds herself dangerously attracted to Theo, given her fugitive status. Theo is a terrific damaged/hurting hero with an equally damaged/hurting K9 (no spoilers). The chemistry between them sizzles.
I’m on to the next one to see what happens next in this crazy town!
Although you must suspend reality to accept the far-fetched plot events, Run to Ground is an enjoyable romance with really engaging characters. Jules Jackson is on the run and using an alias, along with her four siblings, who she stole away from an abusive step parent. She is a fierce and tender mama bear to her sibling-brood. Theo Boscoe is the snarly police officer who at first terrifies her, then rescues her, and then steals her heart. She finds herself dangerously attracted to Theo, given her fugitive status. Theo is a terrific damaged/hurting hero with an equally damaged/hurting K9 (no spoilers). The chemistry between them sizzles.
I’m on to the next one to see what happens next in this crazy town!
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