The Scenic Route was fast-paced and absolutely ridiculous (in a fun way). There are two main story lines - Felicity, a bounty hunter, trying to capture Dino, a militia member, and Felicity and Bennett falling in love. There was also a third, minor story line around Felicity’s mom accused of stealing a valuable necklace and jumping bail.

If you are good with suspending disbelief and want an over-the-top, easy read, this could be a great option. Unfortunately though, this just wasn’t for me.

This book is an instance where I think the story moves too fast. While I love that the plot progressed quickly, it came across jarring when something dramatic was happening on basically every other page.

Additionally, because of how much happened in the plot, the characters didn’t feel well developed. I never found myself caring greatly for Felicity (neither her love life nor her professional achievements since she didn’t seem to take the work seriously herself). Meanwhile Bennett felt more like a stereotype (attractive, silent yet protective type) verse a character flushed out with motivations and personality.

I was given a free copy of this book; I’m leaving an honest and voluntary review.

Katie Ruggle's romantic suspense are my favorite kind of romantic suspense - equally funny and edge-of-your-seat tense, swoony and steamy, and without the unthougtful cop/military praise we often see in the genre. I love Felicity, a strong, take-no-shit bounty hunter and quiet PI Bennett, although I wish we'd gotten a little more suspense here and a little fewer hijinks (as fun as the hijinks were!).

3.5 stars

This book was very… odd. It was like a romantic comedy suspense so I couldnt really figure
Out what the vibes were. It also starts with felicity and her sisters trying to catch their mom and then all of a sudden Felicity’s tracking down someone else. (This is the first book in a series so I imagine finding their mom is a recurring theme throughout the rest of the books??) it just felt like a weird left turn that didn’t really connect. Also because of all the bounty hunting I felt like there wasn’t really a lot of development between the two mc’s. Their relationship felt super rushed and surface level

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the ARC!

A fantastic concept that fails to deliver.

The first 25% of this book is spent introducing back to back minor characters to the point you never get to know either main character. There are so many minor characters that the author took time at the beginning of the book to explain who they are before the story even begins. While I can understand the author's desire to revisit old characters, it's to the absolute determent of the main characters in this one.

The story is further hurt by an instalove plot that comes out of absolutely nowhere when the only thing we know as readers is that they find each other hot. The action is fun at times, but without any connection to the characters it's hard to be invested.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Me encantó.

Cuando vi la portada pensé que sería algo un poco más tranquilo, eso no significa que sea un romance oscuro, nada más lejos de la verdad, pero pensé que tendría que ver con caminatas. Lo sé, me hice una propia historia que no tenía que ver con la verdadera trama.


Bennet trabaja como investigador privado y su última misión tiene que ver con la madre de Felicity. Tendrá que seguirla para poder encontrar a la madre y recuperar un collar muy valioso, pero cuando ve a Felicity empieza a sentir cosas que nunca había experimentado.


Felicity es un cazarrecompensas y trabaja junto a sus hermanas. Para no perder su casa tendrá que hacer equipo con Bennet para encontrar a su madre y en el camino se enamorará de él.

Gracias NetGalley, al publicita y a la autora por proporcionarme el ARC a cambio de una honesta reseña.

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

I really enjoyed Katie Ruggle's Fish Out of Water, so I wanted to see how another of her books would stack up. I once again managed to snag a book in the middle of a series, as is my usual.

Pros: Any plot points from previous books are pretty quickly and efficiently recapped without slowing the story too much. The Pax sisters, while not interacting with each for large chunks of this book, come across as caring and professional, and the mystery with their mother seems like a thread of plot to keep the readers engaged beyond the romantic interactions.

Cons: The main setting for this book is the setting of a completely different series, and THAT'S where I had problems. Perhaps if I had read the other series and known those characters better, I would have liked them more; as it was, I found the interactions awkward and forced for the most part. This really affected my enjoyment of the book, especially when the similarities between the male lead and another character kept getting pointed out.

All told, it's mostly a fine book, but a few things caused enough displeasure to warrant a star knocked down. I think reading the Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Series first might make a difference, but I can't say for sure.

For sensitive readers, this book contains depictions of violence, sexuality, loss of agency, and neglect.

I just finished reading "The Scenic Route" by Katie Ruggle, and I can't express how much I loved it! This book is such a fantastic mix of romance, comedy, and adventure that had me hooked from the very first page. Ruggle's writing flows so naturally, and she has a real knack for blending humor with suspense. I was really surprised by the amount of funny moments, I mean, the “weed mobile” scene? Loved it.

Felicity and Bennett are such relatable characters. Felicity, as the strong and disciplined bounty hunter, initially seems a bit standoffish, but I loved how quickly she opened up to Bennett. He’s socially awkward but in the most endearing way, and his instant crush on her is just so sweet. The romance between them felt genuine and beautifully paced, with just the right amount of tension to keep me invested. I found myself feeling those butterflies again, which is such a rare treat!

The quirky small-town setting and the “Murder Club” added so much charm to the story. I adored the supporting characters, especially the dynamic between the chatty Lou and the serious Ronny. They brought so much humor and heart to the narrative.

Overall, "The Scenic Route" is a hilarious, romantic, and suspenseful read that left me smiling long after I turned the last page. I’m so grateful to NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC, and I can’t wait to dive into more of Ruggle's work!

I’m a Katie Ruggle fan and love that the bounty hunting sisters are back! An easy, fun, quick summer read!

So, I enjoyed Fish Out of Water by this author, but I struggled to get into The Scenic Route, and ultimately it fell flat for me. The premise of a bounty hunter falling for the PI who is stalking her (for a job, but still) had the potential to be written really funny or really creepy, and for me it felt like the latter. The illusion of chemistry between the main characters had a very weird vibe and I just struggled to connect with them. I think this book could be a good fit for someone who enjoys mysteries with a side of romance, but I wouldn't go into it expecting a swoon-worthy love story.

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

Felicity is a bounty hunter who is after her own mother for skipping with a small fortune. Bennett is a PI who follows Felicity. Together, they learn to find love.

Suspense and romance all in one. Really enjoy it. Unique plot with great characters. I enjoy all the LOL scenarios and shenanigans that the characters get into. Great fun.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I’ve read other books by this author that I enjoyed. This one missed the mark for me a bit. The MMC is surveilling the FMC at the start of the book and she realizes it. He follows her to another town and she really asks no questions. Also I like a romantic suspense but both the romance and the suspense were lacking.

Me gustó la sección de Conoce a los personajes. The scenic route es el primer libro de una serie, pero esta interconectada con otra y en la sección antes mencionada hace un resumen rápido de los libros anteriores para que una vez que salgan se pueda saber quién es quien. Aparte sirve como promoción porque te dan ganas de leerlos.

Bennett es investigador privado, está investigando a Jane porque al parecer robó un collar muy valioso.

Felicity es cazarrecompensas hija de Jane y sabe que su mamá es culpable. La señora se escapó y ella junto a sus hermanas están tratando de atraparla para evitar perder su casa, porque la señora puso en garantía la casa para su libertad condicional y si no se presenta a su audiencia la perderán.



Ojala Bennet tuviera mas povs, esos dos no fueron suficientes. Quería leer como estaba obsesionado con Felicity.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sinopsis en español:


A Felicity Pax le encanta su trabajo. Anhela emociones fuertes y ser cazarrecompensas le da eso en abundancia. Entonces, cuando su ex...

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Descripción
¿Por qué salir con un montañés? Porque escalarlo te dejará sin aliento.

A Felicity Pax le encanta su trabajo. Anhela emociones fuertes, y ser cazarrecompensas se las da con creces. Por eso, cuando su madre, de la que está distanciada, desaparece con una pequeña fortuna en su poder, Felicity la persigue como lo haría con cualquier otro capón. Lástima que no haya regateado con el cada vez más irritante (y exasperantemente atractivo) detective privado Bennett Green pisándole los talones.

Bennett tiene un trabajo que hacer, y si eso significa seguir de cerca a Felicity... bueno... ha tenido misiones peores. Incluso aunque esté 99% seguro de que la cada vez más intrigante cazarrecompensas lo está llevando a una búsqueda inútil por las Montañas Rocosas.

Está decidida a hacerlo si tiene que recorrer interminables y peculiares pueblos de montaña para deshacerse de él... pero no pasa mucho tiempo antes de que la distracción prevista de Felicity se convierta en un misterio que vale la pena resolver... y Bennett se convierta en el socio inesperado que nunca se dio cuenta que necesitaba. A medida que las cosas se calientan, Felicity tendrá que decidir qué es lo más importante para ella: mantenerse un paso por delante del "enemigo" o darse la libertad de vivir la aventura de su vida.










Primer libro que leo de Katie y en definitiva no será el último.

No sé qué poner para no hacer spoilers porque vale la pena leerlo sin saber mucho más haya de la sinopsis y ya.

Misterio✔️
Romance✔️
Traición✔️
Acción✔️
Persecución✔️
Comedia✔️

Tiene todo para disfrutarlo.




Gracias NetGalley, al publicista y a la autora por proporcionarme el ARC. Me encantó.

So I previously LOVED Fish Out of Water by Katie Ruggle, so I assumed I would love this one too. Honestly, I didn't really vibe with this book. A lot of it felt forced, I didn't really love any of the characters, speaking of which, there were MANY and I had problems keeping them all straight. While this plot was unique and interesting, it didn't quite land for me.

Suspense, fun, and laugh out loud scenes between the two main characters, Felicity Paz and determined (and large) P.I. Bennett Green. Bennett is stunned by the feeling of attraction that he has when he first observes Felicity. When she realizes that he is watching (she says stalking) her, they end up working together to track a man who skipped out on bail. Felicity, along with her siblings, run a bond recovery and bounty agent business. They are also tracking (and trying to arrest) their mother who has been accused of stealing a famous and priceless necklace. From their visit to the town of Simpson, to their visit to the Coffee Spot and the members of the local “murder club” and their spouses (including a member of law enforcement), an unfortunate trip to the Freedom Survivors compound, a side trip to Las Vegas where they find themselves in even more trouble and back to Simpson. Will they ever catch their “man” or have they wasted their time…but maybe their road trip wasn’t a total waste of time? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a nice summer read, beach or no beach! Pick it up and give it a try!

Private investigator Bennett is looking for some missing jewels and is detoured by running into his target’s daughter Felicity. She’s a bounty hunter with a thieving mother who skipped bail and is trying to track her mom with her sisters. However, Bennett is her new stalker, so Felicity zigs while her sister zags to try to get the stalker away from her mother. Felicity and Bennett end up in a cozy mountain town to search for yet another bail jumper, this one with ties to a local militia and a history of dealing meth. It’s a fun adventure as Felicity finds new friends and allies in the town, along with tons of enemies. It’s all sorts of action-adventure in this book, and Felicity and Bennett grow closer as they survive all their wacky scenarios. Super crazy and chaotic and messy, and now I want to go back to Ruggle’s previous series to read more about the couples from this mountain town.

This is only my second read by Ruggle (I read Fish Out of Water, which I absolutely loved), and I’m thinking I really need to check out more of her backlist! Seeing her bio makes more sense now and why a lot of her titles are focused on law enforcement characters and plots, if she went through the academy…

The Scenic Route is about a bounty hunter who I figured was going to be more like a Janet Evanovich character, but boy, was it completely opposite! This one was fast-paced, exciting and steamy! The pair of Felicity and her tail, PI Bennett, are both chasing her mother, who has been on the run for a while but just popped up and stole something valuable from Felicity and her sisters.

While Felicity is both following her mom and trying to shake her tail of Bennett, the pair end up teaming up in more ways than one… if you know what I mean, nudge nudge, wink wink. I thoroughly enjoyed this storyline and if you enjoy yourself some romantic suspense, and some steamy romances, with great unexpected surprises, this book is definitely for you!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, and this is my honest feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book before release.

☆ grumpy/sunshine
☆ insta love
☆ bounty hunter and private investigator

This is my second Katie Ruggle book and definitely won’t be my last!

Felicity and Bennet are complete opposites and just so great together.
Just overall and really fun, steamy, suspenseful romance and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

The Scenic Route is a lighthearted romantic suspense featuring a plethora of quirky side characters and a bit of humor.

You’ll enjoy this book if you like:
💖 Romantic suspense
💖 Insta love
💖 Grumpy/sunshine
💖 Atmospheric adventures
💖 Unconventional family dynamics

This was my first read by Katie Ruggle, but it won’t be my last. Overall, it was a fun read from beginning to end!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up


*While this book can be read as a standalone, to get insight into the Pax family history and more of the sister’s stories - check out the Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.