Spotlight and Review: Run to Ground by Katie Ruggle

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Nadene @ Totally Addicted to Reading in 2017 new release challenge, 4 stars, COYER, eArc, Katie Ruggle, Netgalley, Review, Romantic Suspense, Sourcebook Casablanca / 13 Comments


Title: Run to Ground 
Author: Katie Ruggle 
Series: Rocky Mountain K9 Unit #1 
Genres: Romantic Suspense 
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 
Published: 6 June 2017 
Pages: 416 
Format: eARC 
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Reading Challenges: 2017 New Release, Netgalley and Edelweiss, COYER
Buy :  Amazon |BN | iBooks| 

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.

This is my first Katie Ruggle book and it will not be my last.  Run to Ground is the start of a brand new series, which I believe is off to a good start.  I must admit that I was sceptical about accepting this book for review as the author was new to me. I had promised myself I would not accept new review requests from authors I did not work with before, but after reading the synopsis, I could not resist. Yeah, I know I am weak, but it was all worth it, in the end.

What the story is about.

Run to Ground tells the story of Juliet Jackson a young woman, who along with her siblings are on the run. Their journey led them to a small mountain town in Colorado where they met a surly K-9 police officer who goes by the name of Theo Basco.  His determination to uncover the mysteries of Juliet would place them both on dangerous ground.
My Perspective
The Story

Being a huge fan of this genre, I could not wait to dive into this book.  From the moment I began reading, I knew I made the right decision. This story as all the elements I look for in this genre. A fast-paced plot, a slow burning romance, nail-biting moments and draw dropping twists that will have you thinking “What the Hell”. I did not want the story to end and when it did, it left me literally wanting more. There were issues regarding the main characters which, I was expecting to be resolved, unfortunately, this did not happen. Therefore, I was left with many unanswered questions. I guess these will be addressed in the books to come. The story is well written and engaging.
The Main Characters

I admired Juliet for the risks she was willing to take to ensure the safety of her siblings. Her actions aptly demonstrated the true meaning of love. Few people would be willing to give up their cushy life for one which entailed being on the run so that someone else would be safe.
Theo was a complicated character. His mannerisms bordered on being rude and insufferable, which made him seem unlikeable. However, as the story evolved the reasons behind his behaviour became clear. He is having difficulty coping with the loss of his K-9 partner and losing his friend and mentor.
I loved them both together. They complemented each other well. Juliet brought out his softer and protective side. She made him feel alive. The cop in him knew she was running from something, but the man in him did not care about these secrets, He was more interested in getting closer to her. It was a pleasure watching Theo bond with Juliet and her siblings.  There was wariness on both sides, but eventually, they managed to move past it and was able to build a semi-solid relationship
.
I appreciated how the romance developed in this instance. No insta-love moments here, which I am sure most readers like myself would appreciate. The romance, which was sweet with a hint of spice moved at a normal pace.
Supporting Characters.

I loved how Theo’s friends looked out for him. It would seem on the surface, that he did not like how they hovered out of concern, but deep down he did care. I enjoyed the camaraderie that they shared. It was fun and entertaining.
As it relates to Juliet’s siblings, their love for each other was clear as day. However, I was hoping for more where their stories were concerned. There is a hint of abuse, but this was not explored.  I was left to make assumptions about what had transpired.
Conclusion

The ending was satisfactory, in spite of the issues I mentioned earlier. The epilogue hinted at exciting things to come, which makes me eager to get my hands on the next book in the series.
Recommendation

If you love romantic suspense and stories that feature a brooding hero, an adorable dog then you will enjoy Run to Ground.
Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit Series:
Run to Ground (Book 1)
On the Chase (Book 2)
Survive the Night (Book 3)
Her shoulders lifting and dropping again in a sigh, Jules stiffened her spine. She just needed to be confident. She also needed to not let the cop’s air of authority—as well as his muscled forearms and pretty dark-brown eyes—reduce her to the babbling idiot she’d become the last time he’d been at the diner. For goodness’ sake, she’d messed up her name. Her name. If she wanted to survive in her new life, she needed to step up her game. Firming her jaw, she picked up a coffeepot and headed to Theo’s table.

 He watched her, his frown deepening with each step, and she fought the urge to slow or, better yet, turn tail and run.
“Morning.” She turned the mug in front of him right side up with shaky fingers. His wary eyes—almost black and alarmingly perceptive—took in everything, including, she was sure, her obvious unease. “Did you need a menu?”

 Jules caught herself before he could respond.
“Sorry.” Her flush prickled her chest and moved up to her face to warm her cheeks. “Of course you don’t need a menu. You probably know everything on there by now. Well, I’m guessing you do. I’ve only seen you here once, but Megan mentioned you’re a regular.”

 Abruptly, Jules stopped talking. More of the nervous babble pressed on her lungs, wanting out. Afraid to open her mouth again in case she started talking and wasn’t able to stop until she told this man—this police officer!—everything he shouldn’t know, she forced a smile and stayed quiet. She was turning out to be a terrible felon.

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13 responses to “Spotlight and Review: Run to Ground by Katie Ruggle”

  2. Kristin

    I haven’t read her books either but this book has got me with severe grabby-hands syndrome. I love the dynamics of the characters and your review has me wanting to pick this book up even more. While everything may not have been explored or laid out for the readers, hopefully it will be addressed in the coming books.

    Reply
  7. Heidi

    I have heard so many good things about this author. I think the romance sounds like it is done right, so I would like it. Thanks for the helpful review.

    Reply