“I feel like the more you know about me, the more you want to learn.”
“I really do. I want to know all about you.”

Dahlia and Winston. After receiving an emergency text and not hearing from her sister, Dahlia rushes to Howling Falls to find her sister. She blackmails the towns grump to help find her, and they embark a hike through the mountains while there’s a blizzard happening.

I have to rate this a 2.5-3 stars because although I was enjoying it in the beginning, it was starting to get slow throughout the entire book. I was also getting tired of reading about their hike and how they had to camp during a blizzard. It was so also frustrating that there was a whole chapter dedicated to her giving him a makeover…while they’re camping…and the fact that they hooked up? Like they should be focusing on finding Dahlia’s sister.. It was just weird. This book was unnecessarily long.

🏔️READ IF YOU LIKE🏔️:
- grumpy x sunshine
- witty banter
- opposites attract
- he’s a mountain man, she’s a city girl
- only one sleeping bag
- virgin hero
- cozy mystery author
- locking pinkies
- hiking & rescued missions
- strangers to lovers
- forced proximity: out in the wilderness
- tiny mountain town

cw: death of loved one, mention of suicide, shooting, kidnapping, drugs

Thank you @sourcebookscasa and @netgalley for the advanced copy! Fish Out of Water is available on February 13, 2024!

I went into Fish Out of Water knowing nothing, because I prefer to do that whenever I can. Something I was not expecting about this book was the mystery component. That, plus the romance, plus the mention of a ton of foods especially at the beginning, made my brain equate it to a cozy mystery novel. I love cozy mysteries, so I was very pleased to draw this comparison.

The cozy mystery vibes did die down though as the book went on and it became more of an romance/adventure novel. Due to this, it was pretty fast paced. I liked that the story moved along quickly enough for me to not lose interest. At this point, it shifted more to a romantic suspense novel.

Something that did stay consistent was that it was a romcom throughout. There was a lot of funny dialogue and I liked the way the main characters interacted with one another. It was very fun to see the progression in the way their relationship with one another and how it evolved throughout the story.

There were a couple reveals in this book as well, which I didn’t predict. I liked how those reveals impacted the storyline as well and that they weren’t super obvious.

Lastly, the ending was very satisfying! It was a great conclusion to the story and I was happy to see how everything played out.

I liked the writing and I’ll definitely be reading more by this author in the future!

Read if you enjoy...
🔎 Mystery
🌧️☀️ Grumpy/sunshine
⛺️ Only one tent
🏕️ Adventure

I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley!

Dahlia is in a small mountain town looking for her missing sister and enlists the help of local grumpy hermit Winston. He’s apparently skilled at survival while hiking, so he helps her through the mountains. These two are full of banter and shy flirty glances, and apparently Winston is a stealth cinnamon roll. The forced proximity of the hike and huddling in the tent for warmth turns into huddling for more than just warmth. As we get closer to possibly finding Dahlia’s sister, we get to see some crazypants out-of-nowhere plot when we we’ve just been quietly hiking through the woods thus far. Super fun and sweet and we get some third-act adventure too.

This book was absolutely adorable and made me laugh out loud in multiple places! Winston (my only gripe would be the choice of name... It just doesn't suit a rugged mountain man as he's portrayed) is the epitome of the grumpy trope complete with growls and grunts. Add in Dahlia, full of sunshine and positivity, and they're perfectly matched. Dahlia's personality is infectious and she seems like someone you'd love having in your life, down to her weird little quirks. This was my first read from Katie and I will definitely be checking out her other books. Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the copy to review.

2.5 stars (rounded up).

"Fish Out of Water" by Katie Ruggle was a mixed bag for me. I think the premise is really difficult to accept off the bat. Considering what happens in the first few percentage points of the book, what happens really wouldn't fly at all in the real world. It was difficult for me to suspend my disbelief... I honestly have an easier time believing alien or minotaur romances, at least those are fantastical ones with a purpose. The romantic suspense angle of this story was "meh" for me despite being a unique premise (which it definitely gets points for). Unfortunately, the romance was lacking, and the suspense wasn't all that thrilling. I never really felt like Dahlia's sister Rose was ever in real danger, especially not with a cover like this one. After the first third of the book, there's no real urgency for Dahlia and Winston to find Rose. There are no real stakes, and I never once felt like she was in real danger. It's way too light and fluffy to be a romantic suspense novel. I also didn't buy into Daliah and Winston's attraction and ultimate romance. It happened too fast and too casually. There was no tension, we didn't have to wait for it at all. You can't (well, you *shouldn't*) fall for someone who blackmailed you?!?!? Uhhh...?? There was some sweetness between them, but no real connection that drew me into caring if they made it or not. One of the most annoying things about this book is how repetitive it is. I lost count of how many times Ruggle describes Winston as some variation of "large." He bursts at the seams of his shirts, needs a quadruple XL sleeping bag, towers over Dahlia, and is beefy and imposing... or how many times he "grunted" in response to something Dahlia said. Get some new synonyms, good lord! While I got through this book rather quickly, I didn't love it, which is unfortunate because I love the grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, and opposites attract tropes.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katie Ruggle, and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Fish Out of Water is a fun summer read that mixes romance and mystery, with charming main characters and lots of chemistry. Dahlia heads to the Colorado rockies to find her missing sister after receiving an emergency text from her. She takes local hermit, Winston with her to help her hike in attempt to find her sister. I really enjoyed the mystery of the book, and loved the romance between Dahlia and Winston. The suspenseful ending made it hard for me to put the book down. It was my first book by Katie Ruggle but I will definitely be checking out more in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

An SOS text, a sexy town recluse, a bit of outdoor shenanigans, a sprinkle of murder, and a whole lot of fun.

If Dahlia can trust the local town hermit who happens to be cute and slightly mysterious but at the moment the only one willing to help her. Careful, the sexy lumberjack vibe might be too distracting when she finds herself needing someone to help her stay alive!

One wild idea, a crazy adventure in the snowy mountains, one sleeping bag and a virgin hero. Oh, and a missing person that will leave you needing to read more! Refreshing, flirty, fun, and a whole lot of shenanigans. Get your macgyver on and discover your next must read.

Happy Reading! I really hope there will be more from Katie soon!

I’ve read many Katie Ruggle books. And while many are suspecful, this was a bit more easy going. It’s about our outgoing, sunshine FMC, Dahlia. Her sister is lost in the Rocky Mountains. And of course who can help her find said sister? Winston, our grumpy survivalist. And who doesn’t enjoy a little forced proximity in the woods? Overall, it was a bit lower stakes then I was expecting, but I enjoyed it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
🌶️🌶️

I didn’t know what to expect going into this but I enjoyed it. It’s a super quick, rom-com, mystery with some added spice.

I liked the dynamic between Dahlia and Winston overall. There was some parts of this book and Dahlias character that I didn’t love or felt like it was a bit annoying, but other than that I enjoyed the rest of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own

This was definitely a very fun read and a good change of pace for me, personally, because I hadn't read a good rom-com since the summer months. This novel has a foregone conclusion of the 'enemies to lovers' trope but it has a few interesting twists and turns along the way. I enjoyed Dahlia's determination to look beautiful so she could feel beautiful while hiking in the woods with a stranger to, ostensibly, save her sister. That the stranger is a handsome, well-built man makes the journey easier.

I did not finish at about 45%. I was having trouble connecting with the characters. The book did not capture my attention. I had a hard time with the insta love aspect. There were some humorous parts that I did enjoy. I also enjoyed the outdoor/adventure vibes.

Made it to 17%. I’m not into these characters at all. I like Dahlia. She’s quirky and funny, but there’s no way what she does in the beginning would ever fly IRL. Winston seems like he’s going to be a good guy, despite his booby traps, but apparently you never get his POV, so not sure how this would play out.

3 Stars This is the first book I’ve read by Katie Ruggle and it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. The cover scream cute rom com, which is definitely what it should be filed under. The genre listed and the description made me think this would be more romantic suspense, especially since the main character is searching for her missing sister. I thought there would be more angst and a more serious tone, rather than the lighthearted tone there was. And part of that is just the fact that the main character didn’t seem to take her missing sister that seriously.

Fish Out of Water was my first read by Katie Ruggle and it did not quite meet my expectations.

I think it was a me problem because when I read the premise of the book which mentioned the disappearance of the main character's sister, I expected a more angsty/emotional read. Therefore, I was a taken aback by Dahlia's behavior at times given the circumstances.

Again, it may just be a me problem.

Fish Out of Water was an adorable, sweet, spicy cinnamon roll romantic adventure. This novel was a quick and quirky read, and I could not get enough of our couple! Dahlia and Winston made a charming, and hilarious pair. Katie takes us on an uproarious field trip through the woods with these two distinctly opposites-attract characters. Sweet and clever city girl Dahlia is searching for her missing sister and enlists the help of our grumpy, cinnamon roll hero (yes, this review deserves the use of cinnamon roll twice, because I've never read a more ooey gooey sugary spice romance). The hilarity and hijinks that ensue take no breaks from page one. The laughs are loud, the peril edge of your seat (yet not overwhelming), and a heart-eyed romance, that's bound to curl some toes.

Flibbertigibbet - a frivolous, flighty, or excessively talkative person.

This book was sort of cute but I think perhaps not for me. It was silly, lighthearted, and easy reading so I can definitely see someone who likes very soft no angst romcoms enjoying this! For me it just felt empty.

The categories on NetGalley were Romance and Mystery/Thriller and I know the author has a lot of other Romantic Suspense so that’s what I was expecting,, but I didn’t feel like it was suspenseful at all. While there is a bit of adventure and one slightly suspenseful scene at the end, overall it just felt like a generic romcom.

The characters were so cliche - The MMC is a “hermit” mountain man, physically large and handsome who communicates mostly in grunts. The FMC is a flibbertigibbet, she was obsessed with outward appearances and could not stop talking at any time (silence is creepy according to her). And while I’m all about doing whatever makes you feel empowered, and I believe in the transformative power of makeup, she was putting a full face of makeup on each day while hiking in the woods during a blizzard which just felt so shallow - if you genuinely think your sister’s life is in danger, why are you taking the time to put a full face of makeup on?

I don’t know. Overall it was easy reading but not memorable in a good way. If I hadn’t had an ARC I would have DNF’d early on but I pushed through and I regret it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this arc! This book was cute, but I wasn’t expecting steamy content. The bio for the book could have been worded differently so that readers knew what to expect.

*Received as a free ARC*
A delightful romance from a new to me author! Very light and fluffy, while defeating some romance tropes. With added mystery just for fun! I enjoyed myself immensely and burned through it very fast. Dahlia is a very cool character. Will be on the lookout for more books by this author!

DNF at 40%. I’ve really enjoyed a lot of other Katie Ruggle books and was excited to see this one - looked like maybe a move to more commercial romance but was still ready to give it a shot! Unfortunately this really didn’t work for me. Gone Too Deep was a similar plot but worked much better for me. I kept hoping I would get more into it if I just pushed a little more but found myself doing other things because I just didn’t want to pick this back up and that’s when it’s time for me to stop. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free review copy.

It was my first time reading this author, and I enjoyed it - part romance, part suspenseful mystery, and a whole lot of fun! There were parts, particularly at the beginning, where I felt like screaming at the heroine because it felt like Cher Horowitz potentially walked into a slasher movie, but I was ultimately won over. If you like a grumpy/sunshine, one bed, opposites attract situation with a side of wilderness and mystery, then definitely check this one out. I'll surely be seeking out more of Katie Ruggle's books in the future!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for gifting me with an ARC to review! All opinions are my own.