Fish Out of Water by Katie Ruggle takes readers on an exhilarating journey deep into the heart of the Colorado Rockies. The story follows Dahlia Weathersby, a determined young woman on a mission to find her missing sister. Faced with the treacherous wilderness, Dahlia enlists the help of Winston Dane, a local hermit and survival expert. What unfolds is a captivating tale of adventure, survival, and unexpected romance. From the very first page, Ruggle captivates readers with her vivid descriptions of the majestic Colorado Rockies. She effortlessly transports us to the rugged terrain, making us feel as if we are right there alongside Dahlia and Winston. The author's attention to detail immerses us in the beauty and danger of the wilderness, creating a palpable sense of tension throughout the story. The dynamic between Dahlia and Winston is one of the many highlights of this book. Dahlia's charm and determination slowly chip away at Winston's gruff exterior, and their evolving relationship adds an element of warmth and humor to the narrative. Ruggle expertly balances their budding romance with the challenges they face, creating a believable and heartwarming connection that readers will root for. As Dahlia and Winston navigate the wilderness, they encounter various obstacles that test their limits. From long hikes through breathtaking landscapes to encounters with bears, the author keeps readers on the edge of their seats, eagerly turning the pages to see how the characters will overcome these challenges. The shared sleeping bag scenario adds an entertaining touch, adding both comic relief and intimacy to their journey. Ruggle's writing style is engaging and fast-paced, ensuring that readers are hooked from start to finish. Her use of witty dialogue and realistic character development breathes life into the story, making it easy to connect with the characters and become invested in their fates. Fish Out of Water is not just a simple adventure tale; it delves into themes of resilience, family bonds, and the strength of the human spirit. Dahlia's determination to find her sister drives the narrative, highlighting the lengths we would go to protect and save the ones we love. In conclusion, Fish Out of Water is a captivating and thrilling novel that seamlessly blends adventure, romance, and suspense. Katie Ruggle's skillful storytelling and compelling characters make this book a must-read for fans of outdoor expeditions and heartfelt journeys. Prepare to be swept away by the majestic Rockies and the indomitable spirit of Dahlia Weathersby as she embarks on an unforgettable adventure that will leave you breathless and longing for more.

This book was not my favourite. There was nothing that special about the characters or the romance.

The characters lacked any real chemistry. It felt like the author threw in every cliche in the book without bringing anything fresh or exciting.

On a positive note, the setting was fun. I'm a sucker for anything involving the wilderness, and that aspect kept me reading. But even the fun setting couldn't salvage this book.

Okay, so the cover and blurb of the book caught my attention so I decided to pick it up. The first half was pretty funny and the writing was engaging. Also the mystery behind Dahlia's sister being missing and sending a code was interesting. Everything was going on well initially but then I started to feel like I bare y knew anything about Dahlia & Winston. Also the connection I was feeling with Dahlia (because she was a city girl and all of that) just diminished I mean she was doing everything apart from focusing on how to find her sister. Wasn't that like her main motivation to come for a hike, to investigate? So that was a bit unrealistic but the romance between Dahlia & Winston was cute and overall, the book has a lighthearted vibe which I liked. The ending was a bit dramatic but it was a nice, fluffy read

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

As a huge, massive, gigantic fan of The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker, the cover and synopsis for Fish Out of Water thrilled me! City girl x grumpy boy forced together by unforeseen circumstances? Will always be all about it.

Set in mountainous Colorado, Fish Out of Water hits a lot of high notes as Dahlia sets off on a mission to rescue her sister with the help of the town recluse Winston. From the very first meeting, which happens only after she successfully evades the booby traps he designed to keep people out, the banter and chemistry between the pair was evident. The plot gets off to a quick start with this one. Sometimes, in cases like this, I find that the story can start to feel drawn out. But thanks to several exciting wildlife encounters, cold nights where each other became the only refuge, each chapter was a success.

And Winston was so lovely and unexpected! Though he started as a man of few words, his Dahlia drew all the best parts out of him. The care, humor, and vulnerability he came to display resulted in a believable connection though they only knew each other a little more than a week by the final page. Plus, as an added, spicy bonus, the guy blew his girl's mind! in a sleeping bag no less! with little to no experience! Readers in the mood for a romantic and mysterious winter read should keep their eyes on this release.

Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks and Katie Ruggle for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute, quick read! The characters were likable enough, and I liked the wilderness setting. There were some weird plot details that didn't really seem to fit with the story, but overall it was a pretty cute book.

Ok, so we have grumpy/sunshine, slow burn, AND a cinnamon roll male main character. LOVE IT. This was so incredibly cute, fluffy, and smoldery. I genuinely enjoyed this and can't wait to read more from this author!

This book was not as good as previous ones I have read by the author. the tone was a bit too frivolous and the heroine came across very ditzy. There was no insight into who the hero was besides a hot guy who growled.

Winston and Dahlia heat this book up really quick. It was a wilderness romance with adventure and a bit of "what's going on?" in a good way.

I just loved it! This was such a fun read and just what I was looking for. The romance is heartwarming, and I loved seeing Winston come out of his shell and respond to Dahlia. I will say that it was Dahlia that really stole the show for me. I so appreciated her as a heroine - she is smart, funny, and not afraid to put herself out there. They are the perfect opposites attract story. In terms of the plot itself, I appreciated the little bit of suspense to keep things interesting, and it was nice to read something a little lighter in tone. My only complaint is that I would have loved an epilogue, but I'm greedy like that. Can't wait for more from this author!

I was really intrigued about this book because I love books set in the mountains/wildnerness/small towns, all Rhodes lead here is my favourite book ever so I had high hopes going
In to this one. I have a lot of thoughts! I did not see the plot twist/why Rose went missing coming. It felt so random?? Like there was no inkling of anything of that sort happening in that area it was the furthest theory from my mind! So I guess being surprised is good in a way but it definitely didn't fit for me. I loved the scenery and the progression of their trip. Dahlia and Winston were super loveable characters and I was rooting them but I did feel like this was a bit too much of a fast burn for me personally. It was really sweet and I loved them together but I do think it was a bit quick! However this was really sweet and super entertaining! Would recommend it! Rated it 3.75 stars

I've never read a book from Katie Ruggle so I did not know what to expect diving into this one. The cover was the first thing that made me want to read it and I didn't know what to expect from the title alone. Overall it was an easy and enjoyable read with some funny elements. I really liked this romance novel,

This was my first book by this author and I had a good time. I am not much for romance books with mystery or suspense elements to them, and while I didn’t mind the mystery portion to this story, I would say that probably isn’t for me. It takes me out of the book. However, I don’t think that should be a critique of this book in anyway, just something to note for anyone else similar to me.

Otherwise this was a fun rom-com/opposites attract book that I would recommend to many people.

Easy, fast-paced, romcom with big city girl, small-town guy trope. The wilderness man was very endearing and the ONE SLEEPING BAG had me hooked.

This was such a fun, cute book. I really enjoyed the banter between Dahlia and Win, plus, loved how happy the story was overall. Definitely a feel good, pick me up HEA read

I don’t even know where to start with this book. It felt like it was written for me. Basically read this in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. I was hooked from page one.

Instantly fell in love with Winston. He’s everything I want in a MMC. Dahlia is the strong, confident FMC of my dreams.

It’s has everything I could want in a book. Loveable main characters with incredible chemistry, a forest adventure with some danger and of course, ONE TENT!!

I just loved this and I can’t wait to read more of Katie’s books.

If you love a stoic, grumpy hero who's really a marshmallow sweetheart and a strong, sassy, hilarious heroine, you’re going to absolutely flip for Winston and Dahlia! I’m so appreciative to Alyssa at Sourcebooks for bringing this one to my attention.

When her sister Rose disappears on her vacation in the small mountain town of Howling Falls, CO, Dahlia Weathersby goes to the last person in town who spoke to her sister. Unfortunately, he's a tough, scary, hermit of a guy who lives behind a seemingly impenetrable fortress. Dahlia somehow manages to breach his defenses and convinces Winston Dane to help her find her sister.

Since Rose's last known plans before she sent an SOS to her sister were for a hike up to the falls, Dahlia and Winston have several days of hiking ahead of them with winter closing in. Not all bad, since it means sharing a tiny tent and possibly sharing body heat to stay warm on those cold mountain nights.

This story is so much fun and adorably cute! Winston is full of layers and surprises he grudgingly divvies out, and Dahlia is bubbly, chatty, and a truly kind person. Their banter, one-sided mostly, is sassy and hilarious and kept me grinning from the first page to the last.

I couldn’t get enough of this mountain man whose inarticulate vocalizations do most of the speaking for him and the delightful city girl who helps people express their true selves through her makeovers. Hilarious, heartfelt, steamy, and charmingly entertaining, this will be one of your top romcom reads this year, so make sure you don’t miss it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced copy!

This one is a solid four stars. The voice was distinct, and very funny!! Just a few things threw me here, all past the 70% mark. At one point Dahlia loses consciousness, and Winston refuses to let them keep hiking for the day. And then they proceed to have a “sexathon.” Seems a little counterproductive if you ask me.

Additionally, the climax felt a little too perfect. It could have used some more fear or another twist or two. I also would have liked to see some more clues sprinkled throughout. Aside from the very beginning and the climax there were none.

Overall I enjoyed this! Giving me major Schitt’s Creek vibes

This book combined a cozy romance and an action adventure with hiking through the mountains, a missing person, romance, and a mysterious meth lab. Although this book was slow to start, the dialogue between the main character Dahlia and other characters as well as her self kept the book entertaining and enjoyable. I loved the kind of fast paced kind of slow burn aspect of the romance and the surliness of Winston and how even though he’s this big tough guy he’s just a marshmallow inside. I loved how you never really knew what would happen next and the spicy tent scenes were next level. This book also had an elaborate rescue mission and booby traps. I loved this book and the world building as well as the authors writing style, I’m definitely going to have to pick up more of her books.

This was an excellent grump sunshine, mystery/romance! I loved the vibes between the main characters. I loved that it actually had a mystery in it, unlike most romcoms! The spice was HOT!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

📖 𝘍𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘖𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦 𝘙𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦

"𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕? 𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒋𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒅 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒕-𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒏 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎!"

Dahlia Weathersby, makeover stylist from California, has come to the small Colorado town of Howling Falls after receiving an SOS message from her sister. Now her sister is missing and she’ll do anything she can to find her, including breaking into the property of the last man to see her, local hermit/mountain man, Winston Dane.

Right away, Dahlia see that Winston may come off as rough around the edges, but he’s a secret softy. She semi-blackmails him into helping her find her sister who went on a several day hike into the mountains.

This was a really cute, quick, fun read! Winston was such a great character, I loved everything about him being a cinnamon roll MMC. The tent makeover scene was freaking adorable. He was very protective of Dahlia and I loved that. Their pairing and chemistry was great! There was quite a bit of suspense during the big climax of this book that I didn’t see coming!

The story is told from Dahlia’s perspective only. I feel like we could have benefited from having a few chapters from Winston’s POV, but it was still a great story! This is a slow burn, low spice story. The one sleeping bag trope is seriously under-appreciated, I was here for all of those scenes!
Spice Level: 1.5🌶️

Tropes:
🍁 Grumpy x Sunshine
🏔️ Mountain Man x City Girl
🧁 Cinnamon Roll MMC
⛺️ One Sleeping Bag
💋 Makeovers
🔥 Slow burn