Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas by Katie Ruggle starts off in the most usual way when Opposites attract, I am a huge fan of Author Katie Ruggle.

For this book I put up the “Do Not Disturb” sign. LOL

Steve is a firefighter for the Born fire department and has suffered many loses the biggest is the death of his wife. Father of four, he helps run the families Christmas tree ranch. One of his children also suffers with social anxiety, which is a huge battle of its own.

Camille being the towns oddity, a bit of a eccentric person. Camille isn’t comfortable around people, it makes her twitchy. Goodness did I enjoy this heroine. I wanted to dig deeper in getting to know her.

Trouble is stirring for Camille and Steve, they just don’t know it yet. Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas is a fabulous story that has heart, family drama and a few twist that caught this reviewer in surprise. Well played Author Katie Ruggle.

Rated 5 Stilettos by Deb!

I am a huge fan of Katie Ruggle and her books. She will always be an automatic read for me.

This one was a good, sweet, shocking read. I literally carried my kindle with me to read on the ride to dinner tonight because I wasn't willing to stop reading it. I wanted to know who the bad guy was.

I gave this book three stars because so much of the beginning and middle of the book was repetitive. But I would still recommend this to anyone who likes this author, or romantic suspense.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book kicks off a new series from Katie Ruggle. Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas is blurbed as suspense, and there is some tension at the beginning regarding why the Hero and his children are living in small town Borne, but the rest of the book (until about the 95% mark) is lacking suspense. The romance is satisfactory. The hero and his family (including the secondary characters of his brothers!) are engaging and interesting. The heroine seems passive at first but grows stronger throughout the story. Being the first in a series is what made this book less compelling for me. There is an uneven amount of times spent setting up the series, so the suspense seems less than desirable. based on the secondary characters and other enjoyable reads from Katie Ruggle, I will keep reading the series.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

After everything that has happened Steve has one choice to make. Keeping his children safe and helping out at his families ranch. How could there not be a Rules were made to be broken and seeing Verity was a sure sign he would enjoy every single moment. Having her by his side will change everything and he would finally get what he wanted. better decision. No matter he lost his job and uprooted his family yet again he needs to ensure their safety. Camille has led the life of a eccentric recluse making beautiful metal sculptures. Meeting the man she had a teenage crush on May finally bring her out of her shell.

We start this new series off with a side character from a previous series getting his HEA. Do you need to read the previous series to get in to this one? Nope...Just pull up a chair and enjoy!

Steve is a firefighter who's wife died a while ago. He's been a single dad of four, working hard and trying to give his kids what they need in life, but has been surrounded by events he'd like to put behind him. So he moves back to his hometown and family with the hopes of safety and happiness. One out of two ain't bad, right?

Camille is an eccentric artist who is known for being quiet and to herself. That is until her neighbor reports her missing and the entire Fire Department and Search and Rescue are out looking for her. Add in the fact that Steve is the one who finds her and she's completely flustered. So much so that she's babbling and spewing out the mouth. Oh boy....what is she going to do?

This really is a family feel good book. The relationship between Camille and Steve is very cute, but the kids kind of steal the show for me. Don't worry. There is still drama too, but it's overshadowed by the awesomeness of love. Great first book to a sure fire series.


reviewed by Christina

I’ve been wanting to try Katie Ruggle for a bit but I didn’t want to dive in during the middle of a series—and I’ve not had time to start from the beginning— so when Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas (book one in the new Rocky Mountain Cowboy series) showed up I was eager to dive in.

Here’s what’s going on. To keep his kids from harm, Steve has returned to his childhood home, which happens to be on a Christmas tree ranch. He never imagined that when he ‘rescued’ Camille, the girl he could never get out of his head, that he would truly have to rescue her from someone out to cause her harm. Now that she’s living with him and his family and feelings are developing, harm is still lingering around the corner and Steve will do everything in his power to keep them safe.

I could not put this book down. Steve and Camille were amazing together and kept me smiling until the end.

I really liked Camille. She’s quiet but fierce in her own away and definitely unique. She forages for scrap metal and makes these amazing metal sculptures. She’s also a bit awkward in public situations so that’s made her a bit of a recluse but when she encounters Steve and his kids she finds herself opening to them. Steve was such a great guy; he’s a protector and a bit assertive without being a typical alpha male. He takes great care of his children and is determined to do all he can to protect them and Camille.

The romance was cute. It wasn’t an in your face type of romance, it was more subtle as they figure out how to be in a relationship. They’re both awkward so they found themselves stumbling around the issue rather than just addressing it head on and I found that to be endearing.

I found Steve’s kids to be fun and entertaining. Each of them were so unique and knew what they wanted and were determined to get it. They were so accepting and welcoming of Camille.

Okay, so I liked the suspense/mystery aspect what I didn’t like was person behind it. Even though I had a feeling of who was behind everything, I wasn’t thrilled with the reasoning. I just didn’t feel like had enough substance.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. Not only was it such a charming Christmas story, it was such a great introduction to a new-to-me author and I look forward to reading more.

Having read several of this author's works before, I had weathered a lot of ups and downs with her various series, but have enjoyed them on the whole and have become a fan of her work. Imagine my surprise when this one changed the dynamic again and made me enjoy her work even more!

I loved Steve and his family, both his kids and his brothers! I loved the camaraderie and love that they all plainly shared. I really wanted to see more of the brothers' stories, and then the twist came! Now, I really want follow up with the brothers! I also found it very easy to connect with Camille. Every scene with her shyness and awkwardness showcased really had me feeling for her! I was so glad that she connected with Steve and allowed herself to fall for him and his children!

I loved the slow burn of the romance between Steve and Camille, and felt it fit just right for the season and events of the book, not to mention the characters themselves. On the whole, the book just worked for me, and I can't wait to see more in the series!

What a fun and sexy read! It doesn't get sexier than a single dad/cowboy/firefighter! I really enjoyed this read! Steve and Camille had great chemistry. I loved their story and I thought the author did a great job blending Camille into Steve's ready-made family! A wonderful Christmas read!

Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas is the first novel in Katie Ruggle's new Rocky Mountain Cowboys series, and since I thoroughly enjoyed her K-9 series, she pretty much had me at "cowboy". And what a pleasant surprise to see Steve Springfield, whom we met in that series, starring as the hero, rancher and volunteer fireman in this one. Add a Christmas theme, a shy heroine (Camille Brandt) with social anxiety disorder, Steve's four smart and quirky children, one of whom also has social anxiety disorder, a mysterious stalker, a gossip hungry and hilarious next-door neighbor, and I knew I was going to enjoy this book and I did indeed. It gets 5 stars from this reader.

The setting for this novel is the small town of Borne, Colorado. It's where Camille found herself as a child, taken in by her grandmother after her mother died, and it's at the local high school where Steve Springfield first caught her eye, she a lowly freshman, and he a handsome, head-turning senior. Now a widower, Steve has very recently moved back to town after two previous moves, wanting a safer place to raise his children, and what better place than this small town, his family ranch, his brothers, and an ongoing Christmas tree business complete with gift shop.

Camille is living in her late grandmother's house with her cat, and seldom ventures outside except for the rare grocery run and to collect odd pieces of scrap metal for her art--she makes one-of-a-kind metal sculptures out of these scraps, and when her busybody and utterly hilarious neighbor, Mrs. Lin, calls the search and rescue squad one day, telling them that Camille's been missing for 48 hours, and was last seen heading out into the woods (Mrs. Lin is a bit of a spy), the search is on, and "Steve-Freakin'-Springfield!" is the one who finds her--and yes, that's exactly what she says to him. She's shocked to discover that people are looking for her, she had gone home the night before and returned to the scrap pile again that morning, and she's utterly humiliated to be the source of all this attention, but she's thrilled to see her high school crush again.

Camille considers herself to be a socially inept dork, and is only truly comfortable with her cat and her artwork. She had a huge crush on Steve back then, when he barely noticed her in high school, except to notice that she was pretty and extremely shy. Steve and his handsome brothers were among the popular kids, and eventually Steve moved away, married, and lost his wife to cancer 8 years earlier, only recently returning to Borne. There's quite a demand for Camille's artwork, and she makes a deal with the Springfield brothers, bartering her art to sell in their gift shop, in exchange for old barn wood and metal scrap for her art, and putting her in close proximity to Steve and his wildly creative children.

When Camille dozes off in her workshop and wakes to find it engulfed in flames, she barely gets out alive as the fire trucks arrive and it's Steve who won't let her so back into the blaze to find her cat, Lucy, so it's Steve to the rescue again. The house is a total loss, and leaves Camille with only her cat and the clothes on her back--no money, no ID, nothing, except for an unwanted invitation to stay with Mrs. Lin, but Steve convinces her to take refuge at his home until she can get her bearings. His children are already fond of her, and she bonds with them almost immediately. But was the fire arson? And who was the man dressed in fireman regalia whom nosy Mrs. Lin noticed on Camille's front porch late one night? Could he be stalking her? Could he be responsible for the fire? And why?

Once Camille is safely ensconced at Steve's home, and helping out at Steve's ranch and the gift shop, we also have a slow building romance between these two characters, and the continuation of Camille's close bonding with Steve's children--all wonderfully drawn by Ms. Ruggle. Add in the busy gift shop, the success of Camille's artwork, a quaint Christmas tree cutting tradition with a horse and vintage wagon ferrying customers to and from the tree farm to cut their own trees and this novel hit just the right warm and charming holiday notes for this reader.

There's more suspense to follow, more family bonding, one huge red herring of a suspect, a shocker of a denouement and, of course, an HEA ending to follow, making this one charming, sweet, sexy, and exciting Christmas romance read. As the excellent kickoff to a new series, I suggest that you don't miss this one.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

While I enjoyed the author's writing and liked the characters, this story was extremely slow and boring. The hero and heroine were hardly ever together and didn't even hold hands, admit their attraction, or kiss until three-quarters through the book--not good for a romance. There was also very little discernible plot; we got hints, but mostly is was a lot of watching the characters work in the hero's shop...secondary characters bombarding us...and endless dialogue and/or introspection that failed to move the story forward.

I honestly wish I'd liked it more, because I *did* like the heroine's work and the hero's children's personalities.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

3.25 Hearts Ok who doesn’t like a cowboy romance? And who doesn’t like a holiday romance? So lets put them together and it should be explosive right? Well not exactly. I liked this book but not as much as I hoped.

The characters were a bit all over the place. Or we get to know them and then they are gone. The kids are cute and the main characters really had a lot of potential. But I found the story a bit slow going.

It wasn’t that it is a bad story it just didn’t rock my jingle bells.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Steve has returned to his hometown with his 4 kids. He goes to work on his family’s farm, volunteering as a firefighter/search and rescue team member. He gets called out to help find a girl he remembers from high school. Turns out she’s not lost but looking for scrap metal for her art.

Camille is the town oddball, hermit, eccentric artist. She lives in the house she grew up in. Her grandmother raised her and left her the house when she passed. Camille rarely ventures out in public, disliking small talk or gossip, going to town at weird times to decrease the likelihood of running into people. Camille is sweet, socially inept and a great metal artist.

When Steve “finds” her, she is reminded of her crush on him in high school. He remembers the cute girl he “saved” in high school. The romance was odd, a bit stilted and slow going.

The author, IMHO, worked way too hard at casting aspersions on the wrong person. The obviousness of it all telling you that it wasn’t the perpetrator. It didn’t take long for me to start rolling my eyes every time an insinuation was made.

I liked Steve’s kids and their interactions with Camille. The over the top, annoying neighbor was ridiculous and served one purpose that could have been handled much better and not been so irritating.

SPOILERS AHEAD
I don’t like to do spoilers, but there isn’t a way to address the following without them.

The villain wreaks the havoc he does because he is mentally ill. His brothers cover up his crimes so he doesn’t go to jail, and send him off for “therapy”. Are you freaking kidding me?! And Camille is ok with it?

This is the second book in a row that I have had multiple issues with from this author. It may be time to take a break.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

“Steve-Freakin’-Springfield!” Camille awkwardly calls her high school crush to his face. I feel the same. A single-dad firefighter cowboy… be still my heart, right? Oh yeah, I’m right. Another adorable, humorous, slightly spicy slow burn romance in the crisp winter of Colorado mountain country.
Review

Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas is the beginning of a new series. However, if you are a person who prefers to read from the beginning if there is even a slight connection to previous books then let me give you the down lo. Start with the four Search & Rescue books where Steve was introduced and then progress through the four K-9 Unit books where he was also a side character. And, then, here you are ready to see where Steve went to get his own story.

And, quite the story it was. Steve, a widower of several years and single dad of four precocious kids, left his two previous towns as a firefighter because of the danger to his kids (see previous series to know Steve is not exaggerating the danger). He decided to come back to his hometown of Borne and the family ranch which he and his three brothers are running as a Christmas Tree ranch during the season for the extra money. He takes up as a volunteer firefighter and one of the first people he encounters outside of home and work is Camille Brandt whom he always thought was nice and pretty.

Camille has always been awkward and shy, artistic and something of a geek. Social disaster does not even cover it. The only person more reclusive is Joe Springfield the brother to her unrequited high school crush. Steve is the epitome of perfect in her eyes from his kindness back in high school to his heroic gestures and swoony dad moves with his kids. Camille is used to hiding in her workshop making amazing metalwork art out of junk, but now she is distracted and wanting a bit of the down home country Christmas charm she sees out at the ranch with Steve and the kids. When her house burns down and she doesn’t want to stay with the old gossip across the street, Camille finally gets her chance.

Holiday romances bring out the nostalgia in me and I am open to lots of sweetness, charm and holiday setting. Christmas in the mountains on a Christmas tree ranch hits the spot. It didn’t hurt that there is a wonderful quirky family and an even more awkward and quirky heroine. This book took its time over fun little activities and growing pain moments with the kids, holiday family times, and a romance that has to wrap around work, chores, kids, and a fire. Steve and Camille were adorkable together and I loved how the author didn’t ignore his widower raising a family, but also didn’t make it a dwelling point, either. The slow build of attraction and easing into a physical relationship after the friendship was just right.

I was a little thrown off over the minor suspense element, but not necessarily in a bad way. It was one of those where I had my suspicions, but thought I was really reaching until no, I was right. Makes me really curious about what will be next in the series because there was a family dynamic among Steve and his brothers that was touched on, but I’d like to see developed now that this first story is complete.

So, another engaging story from Katie Ruggle and a great start to a new series. Those who enjoy their country cowboy family-style Christmas and slow burn romance should definitely reach for this one.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Firefighter Steve is not so great at making choices since he started out at Simpson, CO in Search and Rescue before the murder and arson started, and he moved his kids to Monroe, CO at the beginning of Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit and that place went to hell and everything was blowing up, then he moves back to his hometown of Boone, CO and things aren’t any safer. Steve should have learned by now that all that snow makes people crazy and he should move his family somewhere warm.

We met Steve Springfield and his daughters in the first Katie Ruggle novel, On his Watch, when his girls get lost in the snowstorm in the mountains while on a school trip. Again, why would you take a school bus of kids out in a snow storm to visit a state park? Is is a Colorado thing?

Steve’s wife died eight years ago and left him to care for their four children. We question his decision to leave his hometown and the quaint, family-run tree farm which is featured in this book and move to towns were everything blows up, but other than that, Steve seems to be a very good Dad and has four very smart and polite children.

Camille is a socially awkward artist who is simply misunderstood. Orphaned and raised by her grandmother, Camille didn’t blend well with the others in school. She has a hard time making friends and as we start the story, she is seen by the town as a hermit and an oddball. Camille certainly remembers Steve-Freaking-Springfield. Camille has had a crush on him since she was only a high school freshman.

When I say Camille is socially awkward, I mean really awkward. We all have that moment when to talked to someone we just met…or babbled maybe the right word, and you really wish you had a do-over so you an erase that conversation. But Camille has that with every conversation. It is only around Steve and his children that she feels comfortable, and it is not that she entirely stops babbling, but that they seem to understand her and accepts her flaws and all.

That is good especially when Camille’s house burns down and she has no where to go. Steve immediately offers to take her home with him. Camille feels so comfortable with Steve’s family and for the first time she truly fits in. The problem she fears most is if they decide they don’t want her around anymore, her heart won’t just be broken, it will be shattered in five little pieces because she falls for the whole family.

I certainly empathized with the shy, awkward Camille, and enjoyed her getting her HEA. Like all the other Katie Ruggle stories, this one had a nice flow and a good balance between romance, excitement and intrigue. This is also the only book she has out that seems to be a stand alone. Even though Steve has brothers for a possible series, this one doesn’t have an underlying, unfinished mystery. So if you have had Katie Ruggle on your list of authors to try, pick up Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas for a taste of what makes her stories so enjoyable.

Hoooo boy, I haven't had a good Book Rage in a while. Buckle up, spoilers ahead.

The romance was charming. The heroine was great, the hero's kids were great, the hero was just kind of....there.

The creepy neighbor lady was rididuculous. One scene of ridiculously OTT creepy neighbor behavior, then gone for the rest of the book. Why? To jackhammer in one bit of foreshadowing for the RIDICULOUS villainy.

Speaking of ridiculous villainy, what the ACTUAL FUCK. Guess what? You'll never guess, so I'll tell you. The villain has...wait for it...a mental illness. I know. It's the fun nental illness = villainy shortcut for authors who are too lazy and/or too deadline-stressed to write an actual human villain.

But wait! There's more!

The mentally ill villain doesn't go to jail because he's really just a nice guy who didn't really mean to burn down all those buildings and nearly kill the heroine and his niece and those five horses. So he just goes to "therapy." That's it, just..."therapy."

And the stalker arsonist gets to go to "therapy" instead of jail because his brothers cover up his crime. The hero of this book is a firefighter, and he ALTERS AN ARSON SCENE to make it look like an accident so his stalker arsonist brother doesn't go to jail.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUUUUUCK THAT IS NOT OKAY

The ending of this book is a complete mess of completely unnecessary garbage.

4.5 stars

Camille is a very interesting character she is very quiet and withdrawn from people almost to hermit status withdrawn. She is an artist that specializes in metals and sculpting. Finding her passion after a great personal loss allowed Camille to focus on new ideas and gave her a way to support herself. Watching her personality unfold throughout the story was fun. Steve knew exact how to support her in all the ways she needed.

Steve is returning to town after a tragic loss in his life and is attempting to rebuild his life, and the lives of his four children. His family is very well known in town and operates a tree farm and gift shop. Along with his family commitments he is trained in firefighting and rescued Camille when she needed it the most. I loved to watch how he interacted with his children, he supported them when many parents would have tampered their spirits.

Steve and Camille have a very sweet slow developing relationship that allows the readers to savor everything that happens. Camille is a shy character who we see blossom over time and she really engages well with all of Steves’ children. The characters in Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas pulled in many other elements as well, Mrs. Lin is everybody’s nosy neighbor who has good intentions at heart but really bad follow through. Ryan…. I’m hoping will grow on me more, his first impression wasn’t a good one, I’m hoping to hear more about the Springfield brothers. The plot flows nicely along and is easy to follow, it would easily be a recommended book for any romance readers.

Another super read from Katie and a great start to a new series. This is Steve and Camille's story and I was so excited to final;y read Steves books and I have to admit though there was not as much suspense as we usually get in this book I was not disappointed it as another good well-written book that I did not want to put down I cannot wait for the next one.

<a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2018/11/16/rocky-mountain-cowboy-christmas-by-katie-ruggle/" target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart</a>

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

OMG. <strong>Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas</strong> is the best holiday book I've ever read. I have a new understanding of awkward and embarrassed or introvert. Also, these people have a proper appreciation for bacon.

The world is similar but not exactly the same as other romantic suspense by this author. It is set in a small Colorado town. The characters are so well developed. I feel as though I know them and love or avoid them accordingly.  The children and animals play important roles as well. I LOVE when they do.

The best thing is there IS a plot beyond the romance. Even within the romance, there are the layers of people learning about themselves, the couple and their family. The icing on the cake -  is it is hilarious.  Highly recommended.

&nbsp;
<blockquote>I told Steve Springfield the story of my first period. There was no other option. Camille was going to have to move.</blockquote>
<blockquote>She gave them a little wave and then settled into her seat between Steve and Micah, who sat hunched forward, gripping his program a little too tightly. Leaning into him, she murmured, "How much do you want to run out of here right now?"

He sent her a sideways look before refocusing on his crumpled program. "A lot."

"I thought about sitting out in the truck for the whole thing, but I figured I'd get pretty cold out there for an hour."

He snorted and tilted the program so she could see the list of performances... the long list. "Two."

"Two... hours?" Why couldn't she be in the shop, alone, working on Steve's Christmas present right now?

"Yep. Sometimes longer." He looked slightly less hunched, and one corner of his mouth had turned up. Camille was glad her misery had made him feel better. "I've been to lots of these."

"Do they at least have cookies at intermission?"</blockquote>

I really enjoyed this Colorado-set Christmas story mostly because of the slow, considered way that the author opened up the social anxious, shy heroine. You could see the moments of her beginning to relax around the hero's family, connecting with his kids in ways that made sense for each child's individual personality. It felt natural and brought out the full-fledged details of each characters' personalities.

Combine a single dad, a small town, 4 adorable kids, and an awkward artist and you have Rocky Mountain Christmas Cowboy! Steve is back in his small home town of Born and working on his family's Christmas tree farm. He is a widow with 4 kids and is settling into life back home with his brothers. Camille is the town hermit. She is social awkward and quirky. I loved her! There were times her uncomfortableness in social situations was so relatable! And I totally agree with her-if you can find a way to do things that don't involve interacting with people, you are winning!

Steve's kids are great! They are older (like 10-16 year olds) and have such fun personalities. I loved seeing Camille interact with them because she connected so well to them. Steve's brothers are interesting as well. Ryan is a major flirt and really confuses Camille. Overall, I loved all these characters! All of them create such a fun story that I was sucked in right away. I forget how much I adore Ruggle's characters. She writes such wonderful people.

The setting will put you in the holiday mood for sure! Steve's family's farm is a Christmas Tree farm that uses horses to pull the trees! There is a small subplot of mystery regarding fires in town, but the focus is on the characters. Seriously, Ruggle can do no wrong in my book!