I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

Loved everything, EVERYTHING, about this title. My biggest complaint would be that I wanted to read more! I appreciate the difficulty of writing a cozy rom-com set in a high stress situation, and I think the author achieves that balance pretty well. Really, if you like the grumpy x sunshine trope, this is solid gold. It hits the tropes, and hits them well. I also really appreciate the author's expression of what it means to be a make-up artist for Dahlia (and others), as it is respectful and insightful..

For sensitive readers, there is some violence, graphic sexuality (I found this content to be more minimal than I expected, in all honesty, but there are descriptions of sexual acts), an off-screen reference to an incident of police violence, drugs, and some depictions of misogynistic behavior,

City meets Country in a Rocky Mountains backcountry setting and a missing person is at stake.

It has been a few years since Katie Ruggle released a book and I was over the moon excited when I got the word Fish Out of Water was releasing. While it is released as a standalone and a contemporary romance, I could see this being the beginning of a new series and it felt more like a mash-up of romcom and suspense harkening back to her earlier books.

Fish Out of Water has a funny start which drew me in quickly. The heroine, Dahlia, who is city pretty to her core coming to the rescue of a sister who sends her a coded text that something went wrong on a simple hike. There’s no way Dahlia can go up into those mountains alone for a rescue so she breaks into Mr. Crabby’s compound and coerces silent and reserved Winston Dane to lead her in.

Dahlia got on my nerves a great deal with her personality of constant chatter and pushiness which stood out particularly because Winston’s response was a grunt or silence. I couldn’t blame him because she roped him in. Dahlia gets the narration so Winston is something of an enigma especially since he’s the big and silent type. But, on the other hand, there was chemistry. They were funny in a grumpy-sunshine way and the forced proximity of sharing a tent led to the reclusive virgin showing he still had game that steamed up Dahlia’s world.

The sexual attraction and building romance definitely has the forefront and I did have the urge to tap them on the shoulder and remind them they were looking for a missing person out there in the sticks. I was curious to know what was up with Dahlia’s sister.

The end was something of a rush when the romance, the suspense, and the happily ever after came together right in a row. I forgot how her books did that. I would have wanted a bit more relationship development and felt that two weeks was fast for some of the decisions they were making, but fiction, right?

And so, in summary, I am happy as a bug that Katie Ruggle is back in the writer’s chair and I look forward to her quirky rustic romantic suspenses. I’d recommend this one for those who like a blending of romcom with suspense in a wilderness setting.

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed this book. It was short and fun to read. Winston Dane is so loveable as the grumpy hermit in the mountains. He helps Dahlila to search for her missing sister, but they fall in love along the way. I did feel the ending of the book was rushed. The romance is the main plot of the story. I would have liked to know the sister a little more. I plan to read more books by Katie Ruggle, her writing was fun to read.

🌟: 4.25/5
This book was exactly the kind of humor-filled, swoony romance mixed with just a dash of suspense that I needed.

I was flying through the pages of this one because it was just pure fun, and I was hooked from the start. The banter between Dahlia and Winston was absolutely everything, and I loved the "grumpy hermit meets sunshine city girl" dynamic that they had. Their chemistry was completely believable, and I was living for each and every one of their interactions.

Something I really appreciated about this one was how, despite being completely out of her element, Dahlia was an incredibly competent leading lady. The author was able to present Dahlia as a fashionable, makeover-obsessed city girl, without ever having her be construed as over the top or annoying. I mean, come on, my girl was (spoiler alert) picking the padlock on the fence outside of Winston's compound with tweezers and proceeded to avoid ALL of his booby traps (I consider myself a fairly competent and intelligent person, and I don't think I would have been able to do that) and BLACKMAIL him into helping her and for that I will forever love her.

My only minor complaint is that I would have liked more build-up to the mystery surrounding Dahlia's sister's disappearance. The catalyst to the story is that she received an "SOS" text from her sister, and now has taken it upon herself to track her sister down, with the help of Winston. While there are some mysterious clues, namely the map with the strange location marked on it, most of the story focuses on the fun vibes of the romance between Dahlia and Winston, until they get to the location on the map (which is when the suspense comes in). Don't get me wrong, I am here for all the fun vibes, but I would have liked some of the suspenseful element to have been threaded more effectively throughout the story.

That being said, this book was such a good time to read. It was a fun romance with just a touch of suspense that was super easy to fly through, and I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you're in need of a palate cleanser in between denser reads.

I had a good time reading this book, even though it wasn't anything mindblowing, and that's okay. Not every book is going to be a 5 star read, but that doesn't mean that anything less than that is bad.

This book was simple and straightforward, her sister goes missing and she elicits the help from the broodiest guy there is. She slowly manages to chip away at the walls of ice that he has put up, and they fall for each other.

The spice was great, the banter was fun, each and every one of the characters lovable, but it just wasn't as gripping as I'd hoped it would be.

And that's my only gripe with this book. It felt like it couldn't choose between being an action/thriller, or a romance book, and because of that it sort of floated somewhere in the middle. I think if it had leaned more into one of those sides, I would've found the storyline a lot more interesting, but sadly in the end I just couldn't get a 100% into either the romance or the action storyline.

Still, this was a really fun, simple book, and a definite easy read, and I will be trying out other books by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Fish Out of Water is about Dahlia, who finds herself in the middle of “the wilderness” trying to find her sister, Rose. Rose apparently has been unreachable since sending out her secret sister code for help. Eliciting the help of a recluse, who may or may not be hiding serial killer tendencies but is really a nice guy according to the local bartender, Dahlia starts the mission to find her sister. Winston Dane aka recluse has reluctantly extended his help. And the adventure begins! If you’re familiar with Katie Ruggles’ books you know that this is forte, the difference being Fish Out of Water is a more lighthearted and often times dips in the romcom genre and a little bit of action romance. Fish Out of Water will have you falling in love with the quirkiness of Dahlia and the befuddlement of Winston all the while keeping your curiosity in finding out what really happened to Rose! Guaranteed keeper!

Okay I loved this one so much from Katie! This was such a fun one for me to read as a new to me author. And can we talk about how STUNNING the cover is?! I am obsessed! I loved the banter and chemistry of Dahlia and Winston. it was a fun, fast paced book for sure. Between the suspense and laughter that it gave me what I was wanting! I cant wait to read more of Katie's books!

Fish Out of Water by Katie Ruggle is a forced proximity/grumpy vs. sunshine romance set in the picturesque town of Howling Falls.

Dahlia, an LA based makeover consultant, has come to town in search of her sister, who sent an emergency text. Winston, a hermit lumberjack author, gets roped into the rescue mission.

A quick paced and over the top wilderness adventure.

This is a story all about the banter. This dialogue is quick and witty throughout. Dahlia's sister is missing, so she decides to track her down from her last known location, a small Colorado town. When she arrives in town, she ends up working with Winston, the turn hermit to find her sister. Together they go out with one tent to find her.

Along with the great banter, there is a lot of discussion about self acceptance and finding your person out there.

This was a very fast moving romance set against a search for a missing woman. I am not sure it totally worked, but the setting was interesting and the characters were intriguing.

Fish Out of Water by Katie Ruggle is an adventure romance and the story of Dahlia and Winston.
 
Dahlia isn’t very keen on nature, but when her sister disappears on a hike, she heads to a small Colorado town to find her. She is a very bossy and confident person who isn’t afraid to ask for help. I really liked her and her positive outlook on life.
 
Winston is the local hermit, and he is an author and survival expert. He keeps to himself and is very grumpy. I liked how you get to know him better with each page and he is such an attractive mountain man.
 
Dahlia is definitely good at wrapping Winston around her finger to help her. However, the beginning felt very forced and Dahlia blackmails him and that leaves a bit of a sour taste. My favorite part was when they stayed together in nature and there was only one sleeping bag. But once they got a lot closer, the plot line with the missing sister went flying out the window and it was resolved very fast and left me wanting more. I liked the romance, but this book was trying to incorporate too many things at once and I wish it would have focused on one aspect more in depth.
 
Overall, if you’re looking for a fun romance read, give this one a go. 3,5 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

Unfortunately this was a bit of a let down for me. The blurb sounded so promising. It was definitely funny and I love the forced proximity trope but the Dual POV didn't work for me in this one and the story just felt forgettable. It was still entertaining but I wouldn't say that I was very eager to pick the book back up.

What was this? I have no idea what the goal here was. The ditzy airhead of a lead does not at all fit with the missing sister plot line. Single point-of-view writing was very limiting. The characters have zero depth, and the romance plot is non-existent. Halfway through, we know nothing except that Dahlia is good at applying makeup and Winston is hot.

Some questions I have: How does Dahlia suddenly know all about Winston and his fame in some very niche interest community? And why does this not come to mind until AFTER she starts blackmailing him? Why is the missing sister automatically treated as some nefarious missing persons case instead of a hiker search and rescue? Why is everyone so dumb??

My conclusion: both sisters are idiots, and Winston is senseless for going along with it.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

This book is cute, cute, cute - from the secret code to the not-safe-to-be outdoors sisters, it's charming all the way around. The perfect weekend read!

This seemed like a book up my alley… but sadly it was so one dimensional. I felt like the nc had no original thought and the mountain love interest grunted more then spoke. A girl can only take so many snorts and grunts in one chapter. The premise was a great idea. The cover… deceiving. It takes place in winter time and has nothing to do with a pretty lake.
I just felt like it feel flat like the pancakes the love interest decides to make for the mc after she trespasses on his property… she is suppose to be looking for her sister but that story line goes sideways once she meets the love interest. I really really wanted to like it. But this felt like a bunch of tropes thrown into a bag and jumbled together to create a story. DNF and no regrets

Fish Out Of Water by Katie Ruggle
"Why date a mountain man? Because he knows how to pitch a tent."
I was hoping for a rugged book boyfriend, but instead found myself on a very forgettable camping trip.

This is a book that requires the reader to suspend reality, and since I just wasn't expecting that, I'm not sure I ever succeeded.

-the story starts abruptly by getting tossed right in, and I wished for a chapter prior to chapter one in order to have a bit more backstory about who Dahlia was and to explain her relationship with her missing sister
-it's just too far-fetched that Dahlia broke into the Fort Knox style home of town grump Winston with no second thought for her own safety; how did Dahlia have these skills???
-I really wanted more of a take-charge personality from Winston; he was supposed to be rugged!
-I'm not sure I ever warmed up to either Dahlia or Winston or believed in their romance
-audiobook narrator, Cassandra Myles, helped make this book more entertaining, and I think she did the best she could with what was provided to her

Overall, I wanted something different than what this book delivered. I can see this one (maybe) being fun as a mountain roadtrip audiobook or camping read - just remember to suspend reality a bit!

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Dreamscape Media for the complimentary copies to read and review.

This was one of the cutest rom-coms I've read in a while. Outgoing makeup artist meets quiet hermit while on a quest to find her missing sister. I loved their outdoors adventure that led them to find more than just what they thought they were looking for. New author for me and I'll definitely read another. Thanks #netgalley and #KatieRuggle

Fish Out Of Water was an insta love romance novel. You will have to suspend belief a little as there are some inconsistencies. She just magically knows how to do certain things which she really shouldn't, or the fact that she's having s*x while looking for her disappearing sister, it just felt off to me.

The relationship between both characters just didn't work, it felt forced, it felt so fast… Within a few days they’re already talking about if they will live here or in the city, it was just very fast for me. You never truly got to know the characters either. They honestly didn't get to know each other, they just magically knew after 2 days what the other wanted in the bedroom and everything was perfect, it was missing the spark. The single POV also made him entirely forgettable and he just fell flat.

The “suspense” part of the book was honestly weird, it did not feel suspenseful and once her sister was found, it ended. I needed more explanation, more depth. I don't even think that was a necessary add on to the story.

This one missed the mark for me and left me entirely unsatisfied. I'm sad because that cover is adorable.

🎧 The narration by Cassandra Myles was enjoyable. I didn't feel like it was amazing but she did a good job with the characters. Although it's not her fault that they lack depth and are honestly unlikeable. If it weren't for her I don't think I would've finished.

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @dreamscapemedia for my free ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Katie Ruggle's Romantic Suspense books so when I saw this gem I was all over it! Whilst this has less suspense than her other books there is still an element there, although the comedy is the driving force.

Dahlia should be everything I hate. She comes across initially as shallow and a Hollywood darling.
Coming from a rich family she should be your typical horrible rich girl. But Dahlia is fun, stubborn, smart and loyal. When her half-sister Rose disappears and sends a cryptic SOS message Dahlia rushes to her rescue. It doesn't matter she has not one clue about the wilderness or survival. She descends on this small town as a woman on a mission.

Winston was one of the last to see Rose before she disappears and Dahlia sets off to meet the grumpy loner. Their meeting is kind of epic and sets the tone for the comedy in the book. He's grumpy, stand-offish, a survival expert and an author to boot!

Their escapades are fun, entertaining and hilarious. My absolute favourite was #Flactus! Is the romance and steam a tad misplaced? Yup. Did it stop me enjoying the steamy blizzard? Heck no!
Winston is supportive and protective but cracks his shell around Dahlia, admitting to things that go against is hottie grump façade. Dahlia is more than a makeover whizz - she's like a life coach, cheerleader and amateur hiker all rolled into one. But this girl has the tenacity of a honey badger let me tell you!

I would love to revisit this little world!

Fish Out of Water is a different type of book for Katie Ruggle. You still get her grumpy, mountain man hero, but in more of a rom-com type vibe. But, if rom-coms happened in a rugged wilderness hike up a mountain to find a lost sister. The wildness adventure if what made this book seem very much like Ruggle's previous books, but it isn't as suspenseful. Even Winston isn't super grumpy or anything. Dahlia is bubbly and fun, and has that can-do attitude. While admirable, it kind of distracted from the fact her sister is missing and could be dead. She doesn't really seem to take it seriously.

If you were a fan of her previous books, Fish Out of Water might not be a good pick for you. If you loved the suspense and intense moments in her previous books, you aren't really getting that here. This is much more contemporary romance with a lighthearted vibe than romantic suspense. It is pretty spicy too! However, if you enjoy the lighthearted romance with some mystery, you could really enjoy this! I think some fans of Katie Ruggle will struggle with it because it is a departure from her previous books, but only in some aspects.