I wanted to love this series but I just couldn't connect. with it. The suspense element was decent but I don't think it was balanced enough with the romance and I was not getting the connection between the characters at all. There were some nice written heated scenes and I enjoyed those. I stopped and started this one several times and ultimately skimmed until the end because I wanted Rory and Ian to get their HEA.

I had read the previous book in the series and was looking forward to this one. However, no matter how many times I tried, I just could not finish it. I don't know why.

Couldn’t finish this book is just not for me. Couldn’t connect with the storyline or the characters

Sadly on this occasion this wasn’t for me and was a DNF

I really like the Rocky Mountain setting and the backdrop of the Search and Rescue Team in this series. The story of Ian and Rory made a good followup to the first book. These two were really interesting characters, and I enjoyed watching their romance develop. The storyline kept my interest and I found this one to be a very enjoyable reading experience.

What’s it About? Firefighter Ian Walsh came from a tough background, a Motorcycle Club known for its criminal activity, and while Ian’s left that life behind to dedicate himself to firefighting, he feels he owes the Club that he still considers family. Meanwhile his childhood friend, Rory has become the go-to person for legal and illegal firearms and she’s manage to stay neutral when it comes to warring motorcycle clubs but when she is forced to defend herself against an attack, she finds herself in the middle of an all out gang war with only Ian to help her.




Overall reaction to the story? I’ve never read a Katie Ruggle book before and while I had a problem with the super slow pace of the romance, I did enjoy the set up and the heroine’s background. I’m definitely keen on reading the previous books in the series and also continuing with the series from this book on.



Describe the hero in five words: Dangerous. Loyal. Smart. Stubborn. Caring.

Did you like him? Sort of.

Why? I had a hard time getting a read on Ian in the beginning. Was he a good guy? Was he a bad guy? Was he conflicted? See, he’s a firefighter and has strong instincts to protect those who need protection but at the same time he felt he owed something to the motorcycle club he used to belong to. A club that had some shady dealings and definitely committed criminal acts. Ian was even in on some of those acts in the past. So just where did he fall as a character? I think he was a bit of both, he was a hero at heart but at the same time he considered a group of dangerous, no-good criminals family. I saw that as a weakness because if it came down to it, would he turn away from his “family” for the better? By the end of the book I still didn’t have this answer but I did like him and definitely understood why Rory was drawn to him like a moth to a flame.



Describe the heroine in five words: Stubborn. Loyal. Intelligent. Tough. Dangerous.

Did you like her? Yes.

Why? Rory had a very isolated upbringing and in a complete 360 spin, now owns a gun shop where she sells firearms legally, and illegally. What a difference right? I actually liked this about her because her upbringing could have made her a boringly innocent heroine but while she did have an air of innocence, Rory was anything but boring. She was awkward one moment, then facing down a threatening biker the next. To me she was the bigger bad ass between her and Ian. A female arms dealer? Talk about having to face twice as many challenges.



Let’s talk about the romance: So Fan the Flames had one issue in my opinion and that was how slow the romance was to go anywhere. I mean, Ian and Rory had known each other for a long time and each secretly had feelings for the other for just that long. So what was the hold up? I didn’t expect them to jump into bed with one another but the snail’s pace of a romance didn’t do much by the way of sexual tension or any kind of buildup. That was a big disappointment to me. These two were in a prime position to really heat up the pages but nope, the slow pace actually made the heat fizzle out by the time anything remotely sexy happened between them.


How about that supporting cast? Fan the Flames is part of a series that I have yet to read from the beginning but there are a few characters from past books that make appearances and that got me curious about the series in general.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. I think longtime fans will enjoy this book but if you’re new to author Katie Ruggle like I am, then don’t expect a whole lot of heat. Rory and Ian play it too safe with their romance for it to be called a "hot" romance. However, I have heard that this is not how Ruggle's romances are usually done.

HOLY SHIT!!!! How did I not know about these books before? My mind is blowing, my heart is stolen and I am in love.

I was not expecting to be in awe of the story and writing even before finishing the first chapter. This was the most amazing slow burn romance. Oh God how I love Ian!!!! He is so swoony and I loved the whole good guy badass thing about him. He is also an utter sweetheart. I want to be best friends with Rory. She is such an amazing, strong character. I wanted to hug her and also go on adventures together,

After reading this story, I am 100% a Katie Ruggle fan for life. I'm going to binge read her books and then twitch and pester her to give me more of her stories.

I was disappointed with the second book of Search and Rescue by Katie Ruggle.
I really enjoyed the suspense of this book. But it was lacking with the romance. It didn't hardly have any romance until around the 70% mark. Maybe a little later than that. And I think with the amount of suspense this book had it definitely needed more romance.
Ian and Rory are something. I liked Ian and Rory but I wasn't really feeling a connection between them until after the 50% mark. And I really wanted too.
I loved that Rory could take care of her self. She was kick ass. Ian was the same.
I really just wished there had been more romance in this book. I needed more between Ian and Rory.