So this was very cute! I liked the mystery, and the characters were fun. The entire plot is simultaneously preposterous (the booby trapped yard! the agreement to go camping! the actual camping!) and approachable (that no one believed Dahlia's explanation of the SOS text except Winston), which made it more entertaining. I would be friends with all of these people.

I received a free copy of the ARC for this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I volunteered to read and review an advanced readers copy of Fish Out of Water through Net Galley . This story is sensational . Entertaining from start to finish . Dahlia is so quirky and amusing . Winston is the perfect man for her with his quiet demeanor . I absolutely loved this story . Dahlia Weathersby arrives in Howling Falls after receiving a text from her sister Rose requesting help . While looking for some answers about Rose's disappearance She gets a lead about Rose talking to Winston Dane the town hermit . With no one thinking there's a problem . Dahlia sets out to talk to Winston and get answers . Dahlia convinces Winston to help her and their adventure begins but what an adventure especially when things turn smokin hot and then dangerous . This story is spectacular . I highly recommend taking the time to read .

Why I read it: There was a “Read Now” promo for this book on NetGalley and because I read a lot of Katie Ruggle previously, I picked it up. (Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance copy; this is my honest review.)

Review #insixwords: Katie Ruggle nails the grumpy-sunshine trope.

More:
*He’s grumpy, she’s sunshine.
*Single POV; you only get his grump through her view. (It’s a very nice grump.)
*Katie Ruggle has a trademark grumpy mountain man who’s secretly a cinnamon roll and that shows up here. Everyone in town is scared or unnerved by MMC except FMC.
*Is it a little ridiculous how the FMC “stealths” her way into the local hermit’s compound? Yes. Is it fun anyway? Absolutely.
*Forget one bed, there’s one sleeping bag.
*Forced proximity: they trek through the mountains in cold, snowy weather in search of her sister. (It’s also kinda like a road trip, but without a vehicle or permanent lodging. Tents only.)
*FMC is a city dweller and unprepared for a trek through the mountain, but she is not helpless.
*This is less cop and military centric than Ruggle’s previous books. MMC is former military turned cop trainer turned mystery author. (Bad things happened during the cop trainer as led to his hermit and writer lifestyle.)
*After the 2020 uprising in Minneapolis (and elsewhere), the mainstream perception of cops/military shifted and I do think Ruggle attempted to write a romantic suspense that took that into account. But this will not appeal to people who believe ACAB and haven’t read a Katie Ruggle or aren’t fans of romantic suspense.
*Despite writing stories set in the Rocky Mountains, Ruggle lives in Minnesota. And Minnesotans love a local connection.

Recommendation: This is a lighthearted grumpy-sunshine romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously (in a good way), with a trek through the mountains and a little bit of danger.

My first read by Katie Ruggle, and i enjoyed this so much. I liked the cover and didn't know what to expect, but this was a well-written, fast-paced rom-com mystery. I liked that there was comedy, romance, and a mystery plot because it complemented the book well. When Dahila's sister goes missing she goes to the mountains to try and find her. She also easily convinces the grumpy local hermit, who had seen her briefly, to go with her and help her find her sister. There's hiking, a wilderness journey with tent setups, only one sleeping bag, chemistry, and clues as they try to find Dahilia's sister. The romance was lovely and though it was an opposite attracts, the main characters complimented each other well. There's a steamy scene in the wilderness and two people trying to stay warm in the cold. The book's ending had a lot of action, and I enjoyed the thrill and how it ended. If you need mystery that's also a fun romance, you should read this! Thanks to the publisher for this arc.

The protagonist felt immature, and I just didn’t want to hang out with her. I stopped after chapter 1 (8%) but I imagine it’s a solid three stars for readers, four for the right ones.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC.

I’ve read and loved Katie Ruggle’s romantic suspense novels for years, so when I saw she was writing a rom com I was immediately in! And this book didn’t disappoint, it had everything I loved about her other books with some hilarious moments thrown in. I can’t wait to read what she writes next.

This was my first read from this author that I discovered from another author's Instagram story. I didn't know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised!

This story was fast-paced and funny while having a small element of suspense. Having a sister of my own I enjoyed that relationship dynamic, and I also loved seeing a high-maintenance fmc where that trait isn't considered a bad thing!

Can't wait to read through the rest of this author's work.

I am a huge fan of Katie Ruggle, I have read and re-read her Search and Rescue series multiple times and it's one of my favourite romantic suspense series ever! I went in to this one expecting it to be similar, and while a lot of the same elements were there, this was def a way lighter book than I was expecting. I unfortunately didn't connect much with the FMC and the MMC was a little confusing to me. He was described as a grumpy hermit, but he seemed to go along with the FMC almost immediately and I would of preferred more slow burn in regards to them connecting. This is a cute, fluffy romance with some outdoor elements and an interesting plot but it missed that extra grittiness that I am used to from her books!

This was so good! I’m disappointed in myself that I haven’t read more of Ruggle’s publications. This was my first, and I will most certainly be seeking out more in the future.
What an adorable grumpy - sunshine tale (one of my fav tropes).
Loved the characters internal (and external) dialogue. I thought the FMC was funny and comedic at appropriate times and the MMC was grumpy and protective but a closer little softie.
I enjoyed the added element of the search and rescue embedded in the novel. It made it more than just a cutesy romance. I’m not sure that I’ve read another novel similar to this, so bonus points for that!
For folks who might like a sprinkle of spice, but not heavy on the spice, I think this would be perfect!

*semi spoiler so stop if you haven’t read the book yet*
I did think it was a little strange that they said “I love you” after knowing each other for barely over a week, and they are going to be living together, but I’ll let it slide.

I would have read this entire thing in one sitting but I was literally so exhausted I dropped my kindle on my face and changed my page thrice before giving up.

It was shockingly cute, funny, and had the perfect amount of intensity and drama. I loved how ride-or-die Dahlia was for her sister, and how confident Rose was in that knowledge. I also loved that their 911-text to each other was delightfully backhanded.

And WINSTON. The man was so awestruck by the sheer audacity of Dahlia that there was not a chance he was letting her out of his sight. He saw exactly what he was the moment she rolled up ready to throw hands with someone who could level her with one and he was all in for it. We love a monster truck of a man with a squishy marshmallow interior.

(We are suspending disbelief for their romantic woodland experience because you know those two were both so stinky they just didn’t notice. SO stinky and gross.)

Great and wonderful and sweet, would allow Winston and Dahlia to be my sister-tracking guides in the wilderness.

I don't have strong feelings about this book one way or another. It's reasonably funny and Dahlia is an entertaining lead. The writing is pretty good, the pacing made sense and we have a plot that keeps the story moving.
However, there are several things that kept this from being a great read. For one, the storyline is a bit too similar to another one of the author's book (Gone Too Deep). In that book the FMC goes to look for her father in the Colorado Mountains and pressures a local loner into guiding her through the mountains. Said loner is the strong, silent, brooding type while the FMC is a typical city girl. Sound familiar? I respect sticking with what you know and what's working, but the way the story unfolds is a bit too similar to me. Fish Out Of Water comes up short in comparison partly because we don't really get to know Winston, the love interest. His main characteristics are being not very talkative, lifting an eyebrow and/or shoulder, being good at hiking, and liking the heroine's ramblings. I would have liked to have more insight into his character and emotions, he remains very flat throughout and there's no kind of growth. Dahlia at least becomes better at hiking.
The next thing is that the MCs essentially hook up while trying to find Dahlia's missing sister, who they think has been kidnapped. Personally, if my sister was suspected to be kidnapped, I would not be in the mindspace to joke around with some dude and hook up in a tent. It just feels weird, especially considering how everything turns out in the end.
Also, why did the sister have the time to send an emergency code text, but couldn't simply type "I am in trouble"? Seems to me like it wouldn't really make a difference, except for making Dahlia's worry more believable to the actual police.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily read and reviewed the book.

Dahlia isn't made for the woods, but when her sister is in trouble, Dahlia will do anything to get to her—even if that requires tracking down a reclusive (hot, young) mountain man to be her wilderness guide. (Oh, the *hardship*.)

I'd like all of my romance novels from here on out to take place in the woods, please and thank you. Between that and Dahlia's very cheerful willingness to go out of her comfort zone (see: the vast majority of the book taking place in the woods), I had a fine old time reading this. I acknowledge and accept my predictability in being drawn to yet another hiking book, but...keep them coming, please.

Do note that the book requires a willingness to suspend disbelief. How Dahlia manages to stay quite so sunshine in this *very* grumpy-sunshine book (more on that on a moment) even when her sister is missing and perhaps worse defies all logic; later revelations about Winston, while certainly not impossible, feel unlikely without a bit more fleshing out of his character. Suspending disbelief is not my strength, but I make exceptions, and I guess romance-in-the-woods-with-a-game-heroine is one of them. Dahlia's game-ness is really important here—she makes no bones about the fact that she doesn't know the first thing about hiking and camping, but she never complains or loses her cool over it, because a bit of discomfort isn't her biggest priority.

Now, the trope: it's trope-ing. I'm on record as being, well, *over* the proliferation of a small number of tropes in recent romance, but it doesn't get in the way here, perhaps because I haven't read all that much of this particular trope of late or perhaps because it seems more realistic than some other tropes (easier to imagine a talkative person winning over an outwardly surly person than it is to imagine quite so much fake dating as I see in romance novels). It also helps a lot that Winston is never really all that grumpy—shy and reserved, yes, but never snappish.

Dahlia's sunshine-ness goes a bit far at times, though—for example, I struggled to believe just how much she manages to relax and flirt and take her time and so on when she's worried about her sister. (To be fair, the situation is unclear—for much of the book we don't know if Rose is dead in a ditch following her SOS or if the SOS was more along the lines of 'I'm going through some things and want you to process them with me'.) I also find it hard to believe that there's not a word of concern about minor things like body odor after multiple days of strenuous hiking and...other activities...because although that sort of thing is definitely not romance-novel sexy, it is hiking-and-camping realistic (and...I'm a bit literal sometimes).

Still, if you can suspend some of that disbelief, this is fun and hit the spot. I don't reread romance all too often, but I'm sticking this on a just-in-case mental list of 'books that might re-entertain me when I'm dreaming of the woods and want something light'.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

I love everything about this. Katie Ruggle is a star. Such cozy vibes and so camp. This is a must read for valentines day.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cute mystery romance. A fun book that I read in one day. I loved the characters and the romance between the heroine and the loner hero. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed reading this novel. Winston's character was the highlight for me - he was grouchy and growly,, but also considerate and helpful. I liked his story and how he interacted with Dahlia. Dahlia's character was feisty and loyal, putting her sister's needs above her own.

This book was written by one of my favorite authors, however, this book didn't have the same feel as her prior books. While this novel had some charm, the suspense part of it felt forced. and not similar to her other books. This had all the components to be a great read, however it fell short for me. I'm giving it 3.5 stars, but rounding up to 4 stars. I remain a fan of the author and am keeping her on my must read authors' list.

This was an adorable, albeit totally unrealistic romance read.

Dahlia learns that her sister has gone missing in the mountains and she immediately heads there to find her. She begins a but of a preliminary investigation into what the people in town know and it leads her to Winston, a burly hermit with fantastic tracking abilities, living behind a locked gate. She is warned that he isn’t friendly, but she will stop at nothing to get the help of this mountain man.

Her charm is all she needs to acquire Winston’s help and the two trek out to look for her sister. The attraction between them is immediate and I enjoyed their romance.

If you’re looking for cute and fluffy with a little bit of humor, this is your book. If you’re looking for any semblance of believability, this is emphatically not one I’d recommend. There were so many eye rolling moments, but it was cute none the less.

They say don't judge a book by it's cover, but I'll be honest.. I definitely clicked on this one because of it's cover. And I was NOT disappointed.

I LOVED it! Dahlia was both fabulous and hilarious. She had a perfect blend of sass and quirky heroine in her to make you love her character. And Winston was the best!

I will definitely be rereading this one!

Fish out of water was a quick, fun read that follows Dahlia as she arrives in a small town in the Rocky Mountains and enlists the help of a local wilderness expert to help her search for her missing sister. Rural settings and camping are some of my favourite things to read about so between the description and the stunning cover I knew I had to pick this book up as soon as I saw it.

I absolutely loved Winston but unfortunately didn’t end up liking Dahlia, who spent most of the book focused on anything but her missing sister. I don’t have a sister, but if I did and they stopped while I was missing to eat at a diner or do a full face of make up while camping in a blizzard instead of coming to search for me I don’t think we’d be speaking.

Despite not connecting with Dahlia, the story was engaging and I finished it in less than 24 hours. I really enjoyed the romance and the way Winston gradually opened up to Dahlia throughout the book. The ending was a little far fetched but I appreciated that there was no third act break up.

This book had be at a single shared sleeping bag. A great big survivalist bear of a man and a city girl out of her element and they HAD TO SHARE A SLEEPING BAG. I'm IN!

So. Dahlia and Winston. She's a concerned sister who doesn't have a whole lot of wilderness know-how, but she's willing to pull her weight and learn whatever needs to be learned if it means making sure her sister is okay. He's a big cinnamon roll loner who isn't about to let Dahlia head out into the mountains alone when she went to so much trouble to break into his house to find him. Okay, it wasn't quite like that, but Dahlia's sunny personality and her determination to do what needs to be done to help her sister sort of wins Winston over.

Or maybe it was just that the two of them sparked off one another from the first.

Regardless, soon the two are heading into the wilds and getting to know one another. Frankly, they both like what they see. Dahlia likes Winston's grunts and almost-smiles. Winston is comfortable in Dahlia's presence. One cold night has them sharing a sleeping bag and one chilly blizzard has them sharing even more than that.

A little danger, a bear, a sweet makeover for a sweet guy, long looks, steamy kisses, a man who can't help falling for his charming companion, and a lady who is utterly smitten with her big silent guide. BIG HEART EYES ALL AROUND!

Not my usual romcom. Still romance focused, but a bit of drama/mystery/suspense as well, which is not the norm for me. It was a good book with solid characters, and I recommend you read it if looking for a romdram.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Fish Out of Water to come out February 13, 2024.