Run to Ground (Rocky Mountain K9 Unit, #1)

by Katie Ruggle

• ISBN10: 149264305X
• ISBN13: 9781492643050
• Publish Date: 6 June 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[Melanie]

My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.

I became a fan of Katie Ruggle with her Search & Rescue series. So I jumped on this book when I saw it was available. It has the same first responder in a small town feel to it. It is set in a small town not far from the Search & Rescue series. There is even a character cross over, but feel free to start with this book. You will not be at all lost if you haven’t read Search & Rescue before starting this series (though I highly recommend S&R just because it is fun).

Both the hero and heroine of this story have a lot of baggage. The hero just lost his partner (as in he is a cop and his cop partner). His partner was not just his partner, but also his mentor and best friend. So you can imagine the devastation when his partner commits suicide. Now Theodore Bosco has been partnered with his partner’s dog. The dog is also devastated and doesn’t want to work. They are both very broody.

Jules has her own baggage. She is on the run. She has kidnapped her three brothers and her sister. Her father has alzheimer’s and her step-mom is evil, but plays the mother of the year routin well in front of other people. She will never get custody of them, no matter how good of a lawyer she finds. That is when she is offered help from an unexpected relative of her former boss (who is now in prison). She is relocated to a small town in Colorado, which is far away from Florida and her family.

This is another fun story from Katie Ruggle. I love the characters that she writes. I really loved Jules and Theo. I loved Jule’s oldest brother, Sam the best. He is really a great kid. They are all great kids, but there is just something about Sam-I-Am, that I loved. Viggie, Theo’s bomb dog, was another great character. It can be so hard on the pets when their owner died, but Viggie wasn’t just a pet, but a work partner too. They were always together. I completely believe that a police dog would refuse to work after the death of the human partner.

Narration
This is my first book with Callie Beaulieu narrating. I will admit that I was a little bummed when I saw that they didn’t continue with the same narrator that they used for the Search and Rescue series, Rachel Dulude. I really liked Rachel. After listening to Callie, I do enjoy her narration, but not quite as much as Rachel’s. There were some time where I think it was a little hard to tell who was talking, some of the voices were similar and I think she broke out of a character’s voice more than once. I do have to give her a big plus for voicing Sam. He has a really bad stutter and she did a great job of getting his stutter down. I think the voices of the other kids were good too. Still a good listen.

**I like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

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 PerspectiveThe StoryBeing 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 CharactersI 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.ConclusionThe 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.RecommendationIf you love romantic suspense and stories that feature a brooding hero, an adorable dog then you will enjoy Run to Ground.

[kimbacaffeinate]

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

[thebookdisciple]

3.5 stars. I didn't love this as much as her Search and rescue series but I have hope for the series.

[EBookObsessed]

This was an interesting start to a new series but I give it a “cliff-hanger” since I not 100 percent satisfied with the end and I hope we finish the story.

Juliet Young had no option left to her but to grab her abused younger siblings and make a run for it. She is now hiding under the name Julie “Jules” Jackson formerly of Arkansas. Jules thought running to a quiet, small town in the Rocky Mountains would be a safe place to lay low but she didn’t realize that small towns like to ask questions and take note of new arrivals.

Jules has also caught the attention of the police officers who frequent the diner where she works. Young and single, they notice the pretty new waitress. They also note how jumpy she is and how practiced her answers are. There is no question that she is running and hiding from something, but they would never guess how bad.

Theo is surly by nature, but he has also had a very bad year losing his partners, both human and K9. He is now supposed to partner with his mentor’s dog, Viggy, but Viggy is as much shattered by the death of his human as much as Theo is.

Theo tells himself that he is simply checking up on Jules because of her odd behavior, but soon both Theo and Viggy are enchanted with the whole family.

Falling for and opening her house up to a police officer is a pretty stupid move, and Jules knows it but she also can’t help how attached she is becoming to Theo.

This was a great story and it greatly held my attention. I had to know what was going to happen when Theo found out about Jules. There was also an element of something stalking Jules and whether it was someone on behalf of the abusive step-mother or Jules’s shady ex-boss, was a mystery. This is the first book of a new series and like the prior series, it appears that it will have a common thread through the series so be prepared that you won’t get all your answers right away. It is a good story and great new characters so I am definitely in it ’til the end.

[Amanda]

I didn't think Katie Ruggle could get any better. I was wrong.

After Ruggle's Search and Rescue series, I was eagerly anticipating her next. The Colorado mountains, sexy police officers, dogs, and danger? Sign. Me. Up. Run to Ground is the start of a series that promises to be heart-stopping, for its suspense and romance.

Theo and Viggy, recovering from the death of their partner, are in rough shape, at least until Jules shows up. Jules is packing a whole lot of secrets with her and her siblings, and that colors her interactions with Theo. But the two are drawn to each other, and sparks fly. In some cases, literally.

Despite a resolution and expected HEA, there's enough left unresolved that I wouldn't be surprised if complications from Jules's past pop up in future books. In fact, I'm counting on it.