An Amazon Best Book of the Month!“Vivid and charming.”—CHARLAINE HARRIS, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse seriesHe’s tall.He’s dark.He’s brutally handsome… through too much to welcome a stranger. So when a killer strikes, it’s a fight to convince her fellow officers to trust her long enough to catch the woman she knows is responsible.
She can’t do it on her own. What she needs most is a partner: local fire spotter Wesley March.
Wes knows in his heart that Kit is right, and he’s willing to leave his lonely tower to help her prove it. But the more time they spend together, the hotter the fire smolders…and the more danger they’re in. A member of the K9 unit’s inner circle is determined to have her revenge—no matter who gets burned in the process.
This time, it’s personal.
“Gripping suspense, unique heroines, sexy heroes.” —CHRISTINE FEEHAN, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit Series:
Run to Ground (Book 1)
On the Chase (Book 2)
Survive the Night (Book 3)
Through the Fire (Book 4)
What People Are Saying:
“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
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Through the Fire is book four in the Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series by Katie Ruggle.
I’ve enjoyed the audiobooks for this series. Each novel brings us a new couple to fall in love with and keeps the previous characters in the story.
We are treated to the small town of Monroe and it’s tough men and women who live in and around it as they deal with the troubles from outside forces that come their way. The author has weaved an ongoing plot arc around the women who end up in this town and who are hiding from organizations that want them dead. In Through the Fire the author twists this idea around in that it’s not the heroine on the run, but a new female K9 police officer Kit Jernigan who is about to get involved in the happens in Monroe and her love interest, Wes March, a nerdy, somewhat awkward, but handsome fire watcher.
This tale picks up shortly after Survive the Night. We are treated to action, suspense, and geeky moments. Kit’s first meet with Wesley is a bit awkward and then she is soon meeting her fellow officers Theo, Hugh, and Otto. This meet kicks off her instincts and she knows something is off.
The suspenseful plot that started in Run to Ground with Jules and her siblings is wrapped up here. Sam stole my heart in book one as did all the kids, but here we get to spend more time with him as Kit helps him to train a dog.
The romance was a slow sweet burn. Wes is such a sweet man, if not a little awkward. When Kit and Wes interacted they made me grin. I will say Ruggle did surprise me with the ending. I never saw it coming. I also loved the HEA and that this group of men and women all becoming good friends.
Narration: Callie Beaulieu has been the narrator for this series. She’s done a stellar job with the voices, capturing the emotions, and building up the suspense. I’d recommend the audiobooks for the Rocky Mountain K9 Unit.
**Note: I did win a complementary paperback ARC copy, but deiced to listen to the audio from my library instead.
Rated: 4 Stars
Caution: Do not start this book right before bed or you won’t get enough sleep because you have to read it cover to cover. Speaking from personal experience.
As a long time Katie Ruggle fan, I was highly anticipating Through the Fire. For the most part, Ms. Ruggle delivered. Kit, a petite, half Korean police officer placed in a fish out of water situation is everything I needed in a heroine right now. Her fire (see what I did there?) and ability to trust her own instincts in the face of doubters and danger was inspiring.
Are you ready to hear about Wes?? Let me just say: NERDY, RECLUSIVE, MOUNTAIN MAN HERO. Do you need to know anything else? Maybe that he’s described (hilariously) as a hairy Rapunzel because he lives in a fire watch tower? Wes is adorable. His instant fascination and respect for Kit as both a woman and a police officer is a thing of beauty to read. Ms. Ruggle knows how to write a good beta hero.
The plot revolved around Kit moving into town and trying to find a murderer/arsonist with her adorable bloodhound Justice. The suspense plot was fast paced and satisfying with plenty of heartwarming moments to balance out the thrills.
I had trouble with the lack of romance in the book. I loved Kit so I didn’t mind following her interactions with her fellow police officers and the crazy townspeople, but I enjoyed her sweet encounters with Wes much more and felt a little dissatisfied about the quantity of them. Wes was much more of a periphery character than a main one.
Through the Fire is the fourth book in Ms. Ruggle’s Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series. I have read all of the previous books which is why I was shocked and kind of horrified with how the other members of the K9 unit (the previous books’ heroes) were portrayed in this novel. They came across as bumbling, incompetent jerk faces in this novel. I understand Kit was new to their team, but constantly treating her as an adversary and preventing her from doing her job correctly for their own personal reasons was pushing my buttons in all the wrong ways. I’m glad I read Theo, Hugh, and Otto’s books previously because after their characterization in this book, I don’t think I would have gone back for their stories.
Overall, I really enjoyed this romantic thriller. It’s a quick and satisfying read with enough twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. Kit is easy and fun to root for and Wes is my new book boyfriend crush.
One last note: the cover of this book bugs me. All of the other books have the men of the K9 unit on the cover, Justice is Kit’s dog, not Wes’ and she’s the member of the K9 unit. I would have loved to see her represented on the cover. I think it would have made much more sense for the story.
**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads, so here is my review.
Kit Jernigan and her K9 Justice are starting a new job in Monroe Colorado, but when they reach the town, she can’t believe her eyes. It looks like a blown up movie set, the town looks deserted. She notices some people at the VFW and when she goes inside, she sees a few fellow officers. But the offices are kinda stand-offish. They don’t really know her and after what happened with their last lieutenant, who can blame them.
Wes March is the local fire spotter, when he sees smoke, he calls it in. But they can’t save the house. Wes is interested in getting to know more about Kit. He even calls his sister about dating and advice about girls.
While Kit is keeping an eye on Elena, the latest of Jules “friends”, everyone else is trusting her. But Kit has a gut feeling that Elena is not telling all of the truth.
Van Kit get the evidence she needs to make everyone see that Elena is not who she seems? Will Wes ask her out on a date? Will the other officers give Kit and Justice a chance?
I love this series and I think Kit, Wes and Justice might be my favorites so far. While this series gets better with each book, I wonder how much more the town can take? If you like a story that is a great romantic suspense, then this series is for you. So sit back and enjoy, I hope you love it too.
**Wicked Reads Review Team**
Through the Fire is book 4 in the series but takes a slightly different trop than the previous books. Kit isn’t one of the girls Mr. Espina saved. She is a K9 officer who takes a job in Monroe. The first person she meets is Wes, the fire service lookout. These two are adorable! Wes is certainly a beta hero and I found his awkwardness so endearing. Kit and Wes are both outsiders. Kit’s suspicion of what is going on in the tiny town only further her status as outsider. But, she is a good person and a great cop. The action centers more around the other town newcomer, Elena, and Jules (from book 1) and her siblings.
I enjoyed getting back into this world and getting some resolution to Jules’ story. I felt that at times, Kit and Wes were more a vehicle for a conclusion to Jules story which was disappointing. They are such wonderful characters it would have been good to have more focus on them. However, for anyone who is invested in the series like I am, this book is delightful. I am assuming its the final book in the series, so I would have liked an epilogue, but overall, an enjoyable read.
I enjoyed this one so much, it kept me glued to my kindle. Kit’s spider senses are on alert, something is not right in this town. She has her eyes on this woman, is she all that she seems?
I loved Wes, what a great couple they made along with the pooch.
There were some great twists and turns in this book and I didn’t see that coming.
What’s with the book cover though, the heroine is the main character with her K9?
An entertaing read though I’d advise to read the previous books for an insight into the characters and town.
Through the Fire by Katie Ruggle
Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit #4
Kit Jernigan arrives in Monroe, Colorado with her bloodhound, Justice, ready for her first day of work only to find she is running late with a trailer on the back of her vehicle unwilling to easily line up and back into her new driveway. To her rescue comes a rather different sort of hero who guides her into the perfect spot to leave that trailer before heading off to work.
Her reception by the other policemen on staff is not warm but she does get through it and quickly is out on the job at a house fire that proves to have a murder victim inside. One murder, then another and perhaps more by a rather crazy and surprising culprit with a motive darker than most I have read is finally unearthed and eventually dealt with. Of course the three men from the previous book, the women they ended up with, the siblings of one of the women, dogs aplenty, the mountain folk and mysterious Mr. E make an appearance and have parts in the story even though this is also the finding of a HEA for Kit and Wesley “Wes” March. Who is Wes? Well, a rather quiet, definitely large, seriously intelligent, almost hermit-like and unusual man who proves to be just what Kit needs to complete her life…just as she completes his.
This is the end of this series and it was good. It provided closure for the women in Monroe while leaving me wondering if perhaps Mr. E would get a story with a HEA of his own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks-Casablanca for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars
Let me first off saying I have only read book 1 in this series and to tell you the truth it was over a year ago and I have read over 300 books since then so I really don’t remember it all that much. That being said you don’t need to read the first 4 books in this series to read this one, though I did feel I missed somethings that happened before but not enough to not enjoy this book. Kit is new to this town and doesn’t get the most welcome feels. Though she doesn’t feel wanted by her fellow officers she still tries her best to do what’s right. She meets Wes the eccentric fire patrol officer. They both have an instant attraction to each other. Kit tries to solve who is an arsen-murder even if her fellow officers don’t want to tell her everything. With the help of Wes things finally come to a head at the end.
*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
Back in the quiet (but recently not so much quiet) town of Monroe, the past is about to come to a head. Kit is the newest K9 officer and she’s lucky enough to have her K9 partner, a tracking bloodhound, right when a series of arson cases pop up in Monroe. The towns experienced murder, betrayal, and bombs…what’s some more crime?
Suspicious of her new department despite her best efforts, Kit is independent in her own search for the truth. Alongside her bloodhound, she encounters one stoney but surprisingly nerdy watchtower foremen, Wes. Particular in his ways and insanely smart, the two strike up a relationship as town outsiders. But Kit has more than a new town and a new man to overcome. The interloper lighting all of the fires seems to be coming for her, and it’ll take someone brave enough to the face the flames to fight this foe.
While I loved the other RM K9 novels, Kit’s story was tough for me at first. There’s a lot of characters from the first three that are thrown at her and readers right in the beginning. Sometimes I found it hard to follow or catch up to what was going on. However, I LOVED Kit and Wes’s interactions. The quiet mountain man who loves his solitude finding solace in a woman…#swoon. While the story is more on what’s happening to the town of Monroe and it’s new residents rather than a love story, it’s still highly entertaining. I wanted more Kit and Wes but definitely got plenty of them with some PG interaction. All in all, a fun addition to this suspense/action romance that’s kept up the action and was certainly never boring!
Loved it! True to form Mrs. Ruggle has created characters that you feel you have known your entire life. Wes and Kit (and Justice, too) are adorable. Wes is so endearing, geeky and lovable I could not get enough of him. The story has action, suspense, humor, romance and unexpected surprises.
It’s thoughtful, complex, jam-packed with adventure, adrenaline, twisted turns and an investigation that will collide with previous investigations that have formed throughout this series. It will eventually come full circle and test Kit and Wesley, in more ways than they can ever imagine.
A page-turner from the very first word to the last word. Get caught up in the excitement of Kit’s journey. Starting over and under some adverse conditions, along with her beloved, trusted K9 (he is truly remarkable) and it’s ultimate journey to love. It’s dramatic, it’s heated suspense, it’s doing your utmost to protect those you come to care for even when you are feeling so out of place and that everyone is hiding something from you.
When you have wonderful and former series characters you want more to their story, and this story delivers the more… even when at times, you wanted to shake some of those guys (Kit’s Police team) so bad for not listening to Kit and keeping key information, and closely guarded secrets from her is not helping matters.
I’ve loved reading Kit and Wesley’s story. It’s a fabulous weekend reading of mystery, dramatic suspense to unravel and keep you engrossed. Sweet tender moments, wonderful, quirky characters, and it’s small-town atmosphere that has suffered horrendous tragedies of late. Katie Ruggle definitely gifts you a fabulous, detailed story with that element of revenge, intrigue, and uncertainty added to all the goings on that come with small town living.
If you aren’t familiar with Katie’s – Rocky Mountain K9 Unit… you will want to invest time to go back and read, to gain a better appreciation and understanding of what has lead to the events and why Kit has to work so hard to gain the trust, respect and even friendship of her fellow officers in THOUGH THE FIRE Bk 4. A definite recommend reading this entire series.
I received a free advanced copy of this book from Netgalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
I did not read the previous 3 books, so like the main character, Kit Jernigan, I was clueless as to the apocalyptic events which had happened previously in the small town of Monroe, Montana. After 8 years of working in the Gold Mill, Wisconsin PD and K9 unit, she discovered that not only was her partner corrupt, but when she blew the whistle on him, she was the one that was ostracized. So, she was moving to little Monroe with her K9 partner, Justice, but instead of a peaceful little town, she finds a burnt out town and on her first day, a murder covered up by arson. Her fellow policemen are not only wary of her, but are hiding something. However on her first day she also meets shy, hunky, genius, idiosyncratic fire spotter, Wesley March. Using the skills she has honed as a policewoman, Kit has a suspect, but can she convince her fellow officers, before the murderer strikes again?
From the very first page, with a murder and stolen identity, this fast past book keeps the reader engaged. I had a hard time putting it down. The skillfully developed characters are riveting and the magnetism between Kit and Wes endearing. And there are dogs. The only cons are two inconsistencies: why would Wes who is a loner and socially inept, have condoms in the fire tower and why would a 8 year veteran police officer ever go anywhere without her service weapon? The story wouldn’t work otherwise, but still doesn’t make sense to me. Despite that, I highly recommend this very exciting suspenseful romance.
I absolutely adored both Kit and Wes. They are so fun together in all of their awkward cuteness and even though things happen pretty quickly you can feel the connection between the two of them. Like all of the other couples in the series, they are a good match and have you rooting for them from the start.
Unfortunately there was a point just before the big climax where Ruggle lost me just a little. Kit had all of the information she needed to make a few connections about what was going on and none of it was ever mentioned, by her or by Ruggle. It was obvious but when it mattered Kit never even acknowledged the information. Which was extra disappointing because she’d been so on top of things up to that point.
It’s a minor complaint, though, in an otherwise fun and exciting story. There’s the danger and suspense that we’ve come to expect from this series, along with the right amount of camaraderie and romance to give you the feels to go with the thrills. And while we may know who the bad guy is from the first but I will admit that the why totally surprised me. (I was enjoying Wes & Kit too much to even want to guess 🙂 )
**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**
4 1/2 STARS!
An explosive ending! With a return to Monroe, Colorado, Katie Ruggle brings us another story in her Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series. If you’ve been reading this series, you will recognize most of the supporting cast from previous books. We see Otto, Hugh, Theo and all of their significant others join forces to protect the next secretive addition to Jules’ house, but the new law in town is suspicious from the start. Will Kit be able to fit in with this existing team, or will her doubting nature make them hesitant to bring her into the fold? This storyline was exciting with danger flaring often. The ending was quite explosive and left us with a satisfying resolution. Really enjoyed it!
Kit Jernigan and her K9 partner Justice are new in town and not sure what to make of the ravaged town they drive into. It seems the town folk have had some issues of late, and she’s not sure what exactly it is she’s walking into. Her team seems to have a lot of secrets and don’t seem willing to trust her with much. Will she be able to prove her worth before danger strikes?
Wesley March is a brilliant loner who keeps to himself with his inventions in the forest service fire observation tower he works in. He doesn’t receive many guests and doesn’t venture off of his mountain very often, but the one time he does, he runs across Kit arriving in town. He’s intrigued by her, and that doesn’t happen very often. He’s socially awkward, but he knows there’s something about her that is drawing him like a moth to a flame.
Kit Jernigan is the new K9 officer in Monroe with her tracking dog Justice, the bloodhound. They just left their last home when Kit turned in her corrupt partner and things got uncomfortable. Looking for a fresh start, Monroe seemed like a quiet mountain town to settle in for her new job. She learns pretty quickly that Monroe isn’t as quiet as she thinks.
Wesley March is the local fire spotter who rarely comes to town. He’s a genius with math and electronics but lacks the social skills that make him comfortable around people. He rarely comes to town until he meets Kit, who seems to draw him out of his shell.
I loved Wes and Kit so much. I’m such a fan of quirky characters and I loved how Kit was so charmed by Wes. It breaks my heart a little when Wes struggled with reading her at times but Kit knew exactly how to set him at ease.
On top of such great main characters, I loved seeing all the characters from the previous books. We finally got to see a resolution to the unresolved issue from book one’s characters. The only thing I wish was different was the cover of the book. The main character is police woman with a k9 dog so I think the cover should reflect that.
I really enjoyed this series and highly recommend it. It has a little bit of everything from action, suspense, and a bit of romcom. Add in dogs and children and I was just as charmed by these characters.
Another action-packed read that had just the right mix of romance and suspense – it was hard to put this one down!
After the ending of the last book in the series I wasn’t sure what else could possibly happen in Monroe, and I just loved how this story played out. Introducing Kit as a new character was the perfect way to tie up all the loose ends and bring closure to this series, adding the right ingredient to keep the series fresh. Kit was awesome – she was fierce, had such a way with people and animals, and was the perfect addition to the group of alpha males that this series has focused on.
Wes had that smart, sexy, and just a bit dorky thing going, and even though he was a bit socially awkward – all right, maybe more than just a bit – he was still able to make connections with people…especially when those people included Kit. I loved the banter between Wes and Kit – she definitely got him and even from their first meeting you knew there was going to be great chemistry between the two.
In the middle of Kit and Wes’s romance is the danger that seems to follow every time a new woman shows up at Jules’s house. Kit finds herself right in the middle of things, so not only is she trying to fit into the tight-knit group of the K9 Unit that Theo, Hugh, and Otto make up, she’s also become a target herself. It was great to see Kit go toe to toe with the guys, standing her ground and not letting them box her out, and trusting her gut on things. I also loved that Wes saw Kit as the capable and competent officer she was, letting her do her job and following her lead, offering support when she needed but not getting in her way.
My only complaint about this one is with the cover. This story focuses on Kit, who is a female, and I wish the cover would have represented that. I don’t mind a hot guy, but I just wish that for this book the cover would have been different.
All in all, a great end to this series that I would highly recommend.
I received an advance reader copy from the publisher via NetGalley which I voluntarily reviewed.
Throug the Fire by Katie Ruggle is a suspenseful Romantic Suspense with twists and turns and a few surprises. Is was my first time Katie Ruggle, but I hope to read more. I do feel “Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series”, Book #4, should be read in order. While it was not difficult to catch up, I think one book builds on the order.
This is the story of Wesley March, hot, local fire spotter and Kit Jernigan, local K-9 officer. Set in a small mountain town, Monroe. A new twist on an old plot, this time the female is the savior. Steady paced, with action, Romance, a murderer, suspense, passion, a tracker bloodhound, and more. Unpredictable and unique. Although, I did feel like the ending was missing something, it was an enjoyable and satisfying read. #NetGalley, #ThroughtheFire,#RomanticSuspense,#Sourceboobs
“I voluntarily received a complimentary copy, however, these are my honest opinions. I was in no way required nor compensated to write a review.”
Rating: 4
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewer: AprilR
Oh Kit, I just wanted to reach through my book and smack those cop partners of yours. Oh my word honey I was wearing that frustration with you! I appreciate the hunky nerdy Forest Ranger. I hate that it pointed out to me I must be a tad prejudice because I felt a little uncomfortable with Wes. I would reread this book again, and I don’t read too many books twice. This is book 4 in the series. It appears to be the closer for the series, but that is just my opinion, I have no facts. Thank you Sourcebooks, NetGalley and author Katie Ruggle for the opportunity to read this arc I recommend this to one and all! You can read it without reading books 1-3. I think if you do that you will s hare in Kits frustration, being the newbie, seeing all the side glances, etc. Feel her pain so to speak.
Great plot! Thanks again,
Ok, so I’m just gonna be very honest here. Although I marked this a 4 star rating, I’m actually giving it a 3.5. It would have been a solid 4 if not for ONE MAJOR THING. What you ask? The COVER!!! What’s wrong with the cover? Keep reading….
Kit has been a cop for about eight years. After blowing the whistle on a co-worker and having her friends turn on her, she’s decided to move to a new town and start over. What she didn’t know is that after she interviewed for her new job in Monroe, the town has gone through a few…changes. Starting a new job is hard enough. Fitting in as a half Asian newbie when there’s drama on the first day is down right impossible.
Wes is the fire lookout for the City. He’s also the man who no one really knows because he lives in his tower all year long, only going in to town in the early morning hours to pick up what he needs. Needless to say, he’s not much of a people person. He’s rugged, hairy, extremely smart and ridiculously shy. But once he meets Kit, there’s just something about her that’s making him step outside his comfort zone to learn more about her. Now if the town can just stop blowing up, burning down or having kidnap victims, he might get a date.
I really enjoyed this story line. I enjoyed the newbie coming in to town and trying to fit in, “earning” her keep. I even enjoyed reliving the “Jules” story (you have to read the first one). Here’s where things started to irritate me. Look at the cover again. Do you see a rugged man with lots of hair? Do you see a half Asian girl with black hair? Nope. The only thing that’s true to the story line is the bloodhound. Seriously. That’s it. This is a MAJOR pet peeve of mine. The cover HAS to match the story or else I spend most of it wondering if I’m reading the right story or if someone else is going to be coming in to the story. It’s very distracting. #sorrynotsorry
Now. Take away the cover. The cute innocence of Wes and Kit’s newbie status were a perfect match. I honestly loved revisiting Jules and the kids. I fell deeper in love with Sam. I can happily say that the gadgets Wes creates has spurred some ideas of my own. At least ones I can buy (LOL). All in all, very cute story. I just wish the cover didn’t “taint” my opinion as much as it did.
This one, for me, was more of a 3.5 star rating. Having only read one of the previous 3 books in the series, I felt at times confused with the cast of secondary characters.
The book centers around K-9 deputy Kit Jernigan, newly hired to force in Monroe. Her introduction to the new town was less than friendly . Since her visit for her interview, the town has suffered great devastations.
Kit is a strong character and her love interest, Wes, the fire spotter in the forest, is nerdy , brilliant and very lovable.
Her co-workers, main characters in the previous books, don’t seem to trust her. That was a turn off, since they were heroes in previous books.
The plot was engaging, and mostly dealt with the mystery and less with the romance.
The best part was the last 1/4 of the book and the final chapter wrapping up the story and the series.
That said, the cover does NOT depict the story. Kit is a gal and the cover shows a male character.
I was entrusted this copy by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
Great book, loved it.