I have been trying to figure out a way to share all these books I read with you but still include other non-review posts on the blog. One method I have come up with was to share the reviews for an entire series (or pair) of books in one post. I will do my absolute best to keep spoilers out of these posts in case you plan to read the books, but there is a slight chance that even the synopsis of a book can give away the result of the previous book. So if you don't want to know anything at all about the later books in a series that might giveaway something in the first book STOP READING NOW!
I had received Gone Too Deep by Katie Ruggle in a raffle basket at the Fall In Love With New England convention last fall. Being the 3rd book in the series, I needed to read the first two books. I downloaded the first books, never expecting to become so wrapped up in the characters or storyline that I ended up reading every one of these books in less that 2 weeks. These are Suspense Romance, normally out of my reading genres but they completely captured me. So here are my reviews of the entire series, and if it captures your attention, guess what? I have a giveaway for you at the end. So the series starts with a novella, I didn't read it first and while not necessary, I suggest starting there.
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I had received Gone Too Deep by Katie Ruggle in a raffle basket at the Fall In Love With New England convention last fall. Being the 3rd book in the series, I needed to read the first two books. I downloaded the first books, never expecting to become so wrapped up in the characters or storyline that I ended up reading every one of these books in less that 2 weeks. These are Suspense Romance, normally out of my reading genres but they completely captured me. So here are my reviews of the entire series, and if it captures your attention, guess what? I have a giveaway for you at the end. So the series starts with a novella, I didn't read it first and while not necessary, I suggest starting there.
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Synopsis: "In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder...
Ice rescue diver Derek Warner never meant to be a hero. But when two little girls go missing, he's the first in line to bring them home-even if that means scouring the wilderness with the woman he once loved and lost, Artemis Rey.
Artemis has never stopped wanting Derek. Now, racing to find the girls before it's too late, minutes turn to hours. Night falls. Old flames rekindle. And a danger grows in the darkest wilderness that may be more than even the Search and Rescue brotherhood can hope to face..."
My Review: I unfortunately didn't notice this book until I had read pretty much the rest of the series. It is still a great read to pick up at any point in the series but it would have been best to read before the first book as it introduces us to the main characters of that first book. With that said, I really liked Derek, Artemis was good too but her name just didn't work for me and it kept throwing me off. This book also makes the series name a little more clear as a search and rescue mission is what starts it all. I love the hints and foreshadowing of the series long mystery in this one too. All wrapped up with a good dose of romance and steam to melt that rocky mountain snow.
My Rating: While I wasn't a big fan of Artemis, I did love Derek and I loved getting to see the beginnings of the rest of the series, especially when characters are first meeting, it really is a great set up to the series. I give it a rating of Three Paws and a Stump Wag.
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 Synopsis: "In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder...
As the captain of Field County's ice rescue dive team, Callum Cook is driven to perfection. But when he meets new diver Louise "Lou" Sparks, all that hard-won order is obliterated in an instant. Lou is a hurricane. A walking disaster. And with her, he's never felt more alive...even if keeping her safe may just kill him.
Lou's new to the Rockies, intent on escaping her controlling ex, and she's determined to make it on her own terms...no matter how tempting Callum may be. But when a routine training exercise unearths a body, Lou and Callum find themselves thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse with a killer who will stop at nothing to silence Lou-and prove that not even her new Search and Rescue family can keep her safe forever."
My Review: I picked this book up months after it sitting on my shelf and proceeded to consume it in less than 48 hours. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, I was thinking maybe it would be a classic hero protects the girl and they fall in love, but I was so off the mark. It ended up being a little more suspense and a little murder mystery and a whole lot bad-assery. I ended up completely falling in love with the characters, Lou is such an upbeat and determined character, annoying at times but always rock solid. Then there is Callum, oh how I love the grumpy gruff men who eventually show a soft spot. There is never a dull moment from the start of the book to then end, some of it was predictable but it all made for a great read.
My Rating: This series really kicks off with a bang, some really fun and interesting characters, a lot of banter and of course a lot of danger and page turning action and suspense. I give this one a rating of Four Paws.
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Synopsis: "In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder...As a Motorcycle Club member and firefighter, Ian Walsh is used to riding the line between the good guys and the bad. He may owe the Club his life, but his heart rests with his fire station brothers...and with the girl he's loved since they were kids, Rory Sorenson. Ian would do anything for Rory. He'd die for her. Kill for her. Defend her to his last breath-and he may just have to.
Every con in the Rockies knows Rory is the go-to girl for less-than-legal firearms, and for the past few years, she's managed to keep the peace between dangerous factions by remaining strictly neutral. But when she defends herself against a brutal attack, Rory finds herself catapulted into the center of a Motorcycle Club war-with only Ian standing between her and a threat greater than either of them could have imagined."
My Review: Oh how I adore this book, it is such a great combination of suspense, action, romance and total badass characters! I was not really expecting this book to be Ian's book but I really enjoyed it once I got into it. Rory is by far my favorite character so far in this series, such a fun combination of naïve and total badass, she is a gun toting, socially awkward and a blushing innocent. Ian is also a great character, so conflicted with his legally questionable MC history and attachments and his do-good firefighter career. Of course everything has to come to a head and it certainly does with a flash and a bang, repeatedly, this book is so action packed and danger filled you have to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. And it all happens in a tiny town where everyone knows everyone (and everyone's business), nosy neighbors and those looking out for their own. I so enjoyed this book and will be jumping right into the next book!
My Rating: I definitely have a little bit of a girl crush on Rory, she is so totally bad-ass and yet a little naive and awkward. I love the suspense that gets your heart racing and the pages turning. I also really like how this book fit into and developed the over arcing storyline. I give it a rating of Four Paws!
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Synopsis: "In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder...
George Holloway has spent his life alone, exploring the treacherous beauty of the Colorado Rockies. He's the best survival expert Search and Rescue has, which makes him the obvious choice to lead Ellie Price through deadly terrain to find her missing father. There's just one problem-Ellie's everything George isn't. She's a city girl, charming, gregarious, delicate, small. And when she looks up at him with those big, dark eyes, he swears he would tear the world apart to keep her safe.
With a killer on the loose, he may have no choice.
Ellie's determined to find her father no matter the cost. But as she and her gorgeous mountain of a guide fight their way through an unforgiving wilderness, they find themselves in the crosshairs of a dangerous man in search of revenge. And they are now his prey..."
My Review: Okay we are over half way into this series and are introduced to one new character and one relatively new character (or at least undeveloped so far). After the last book Fan the Flames I didn't think anyone could really beat out Rory and Ian but George just blew them all out of the park. George is a big bear of a man, a little anti-social and very rugged. Ellie is a city girl who wants to fix everything but is a little unprepared for mountain life. I loved both of them but especially George, with all of his non-vocal conversations and his healthy fear of moose and mountain tracking and survival skills. Anyway, enough of my raving about George, my newest book boyfriend. This story is action packed and full of danger, from wilderness, mountain snow, shootouts, stalkers, etc. there is not a dull moment in the book. It also builds on the series long plot lines, with a few Holy Sh - Sugar! moments. Definitely my favorite book in the series!
George Holloway has spent his life alone, exploring the treacherous beauty of the Colorado Rockies. He's the best survival expert Search and Rescue has, which makes him the obvious choice to lead Ellie Price through deadly terrain to find her missing father. There's just one problem-Ellie's everything George isn't. She's a city girl, charming, gregarious, delicate, small. And when she looks up at him with those big, dark eyes, he swears he would tear the world apart to keep her safe.
With a killer on the loose, he may have no choice.
Ellie's determined to find her father no matter the cost. But as she and her gorgeous mountain of a guide fight their way through an unforgiving wilderness, they find themselves in the crosshairs of a dangerous man in search of revenge. And they are now his prey..."
My Review: Okay we are over half way into this series and are introduced to one new character and one relatively new character (or at least undeveloped so far). After the last book Fan the Flames I didn't think anyone could really beat out Rory and Ian but George just blew them all out of the park. George is a big bear of a man, a little anti-social and very rugged. Ellie is a city girl who wants to fix everything but is a little unprepared for mountain life. I loved both of them but especially George, with all of his non-vocal conversations and his healthy fear of moose and mountain tracking and survival skills. Anyway, enough of my raving about George, my newest book boyfriend. This story is action packed and full of danger, from wilderness, mountain snow, shootouts, stalkers, etc. there is not a dull moment in the book. It also builds on the series long plot lines, with a few Holy Sh - Sugar! moments. Definitely my favorite book in the series!
My Rating: Oh my sweet, silent George! I am in love! But besides George this book was crazy, a lot of action, even more suspense and some totally blow your mind twists at the end that will have you on the floor. I give it a rating of Four Paws and a Stump Wag!
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Synopsis: "In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder...It's all come down to this...
Daisy Little has lived in agoraphobic terror for over eight years. Trapped within a prison of her own making, she watches time pass through her bedroom window. Daisy knows she'll never be a part of the world...until the day she becomes the sole witness of a terrible crime that may finally tear the Search and Rescue brotherhood apart for good."
My Review: After the way the previous book in the series, Gone Too Deep, left off with a crazy plot twist I was really excited yet a little nervous to pick this book up. I had so many theories running around in my head and I wasn't sure where Ruggle was going to take this book. I was a little thrown off with meeting Daisy, she was only briefly mentioned in the earlier books and even then I had her pictured as much older. While I feel like Daisy was mostly used in this book to move the series long plot line along, I did really enjoy her and was especially happy to see Chris getting a little love. This was definitely an adrenaline filled book with a lot of danger and a few rather crazy twists throughout the book. I love how Katie Ruggle kept you on the edge of your seat and the pages turning. While the ending is pretty satisfying and does wrap a lot up, I was very happy to find out that there is a novella that takes place after.
My Rating: So at the end of the previous book we found out who the bad guys were and it was a matter of just catching them in the act and putting them away. I was kind of expecting a little more of a blah book since the big twist and reveal already happened, but luckily Ruggle kept us into the story with some really creepy bad guy moves and an oh so sweet hero. I give this one a rating of Three Paws and a Stump Wag.
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Synopsis: "For fans of sexy, brooding ice divers
Motorcycle Club bad boys turned firefighters
Tall, dark, and silent wilderness guides
And cops with hearts of gold...
The end is just the beginning.
What happens after happily ever after? Now that the murderer has been caught and the arsonist is behind bars, the town of Simpson, Colorado has returned to its sleepy, picturesque former glory. Yet for the heroes of Search & Rescue, work is never done...
...especially not if the extraordinary women if their lives have anything to say about it.
Told in alternating chapters focusing on four unforgettable romances, this slice-of-life novella catches up with fan favorites from Katie Ruggle's Search & Rescue series—proving once and for all that the end is just the beginning.
After the End is the fun and heart-warming epilogue novella to the exciting Search & Rescue series by Katie Ruggle."
My Review: I really wasn't ready to let go of these characters so thank goodness Ruggle wrote this little novella. Each of the couples gets their own little chapter (and we get a good look at the men as each chapter has its own cover). We get to revisit all of our favorites and find out how their life is going after the crime streak has been resolved, their lives are moving forward and I get a little giddy with each story. The final story about Chris & Daisy also nicely connects it to the next series, starting with Run to Ground.
Motorcycle Club bad boys turned firefighters
Tall, dark, and silent wilderness guides
And cops with hearts of gold...
The end is just the beginning.
What happens after happily ever after? Now that the murderer has been caught and the arsonist is behind bars, the town of Simpson, Colorado has returned to its sleepy, picturesque former glory. Yet for the heroes of Search & Rescue, work is never done...
...especially not if the extraordinary women if their lives have anything to say about it.
Told in alternating chapters focusing on four unforgettable romances, this slice-of-life novella catches up with fan favorites from Katie Ruggle's Search & Rescue series—proving once and for all that the end is just the beginning.
After the End is the fun and heart-warming epilogue novella to the exciting Search & Rescue series by Katie Ruggle."
My Review: I really wasn't ready to let go of these characters so thank goodness Ruggle wrote this little novella. Each of the couples gets their own little chapter (and we get a good look at the men as each chapter has its own cover). We get to revisit all of our favorites and find out how their life is going after the crime streak has been resolved, their lives are moving forward and I get a little giddy with each story. The final story about Chris & Daisy also nicely connects it to the next series, starting with Run to Ground.
My Rating: I loved this last little moment with each of the couples in the series, I liked seeing them move on with their lives and settling down into routines. It also lead us right into her next series of Rocky Mountain K9s. I give this one a rating of Four Paws.
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Full Series Rating: I can't believe how much this series sucked me in, I seriously couldn't even think about another book or anything else, I just wanted to keep reading these books. I adored all the different and unique characters that Ruggle developed, they were all well developed and identifiable as individuals. While each book had it's own plot, they all worked well together towards the series long plot line. Each book and each character added something. I am so in love with all of these characters, I can definitely see myself revisiting this series often! I give this series overall a Four Paw rating!
Now since I loved this series so much, I want everyone to read it (or at least those of you who like romance) so I have a little giveaway for you. I have for you Kindle Ebooks of books 1-4 of this series to give to one lucky winner. (Both the novellas are free on Kindle). You just have to enter below in the Rafflecopter widget. You must be 18 because these are adult books with adult themes. Also, you must be willing to give me your email address to send the gift ebooks to. Thank you and I hope you will all give this series a try!
