I enjoy reading Katie Ruggle's books. She has well-developed characters and strong storylines. This one does not disappoint. The banter between the characters is fun and the setting being Christmas makes this a really good read.

I enjoyed the story but the two adult characters annoyed me. Their banter seemed more immature than the kids.
The mystery will keep you guessing, I didn't see that coming at all.
It's a sweet second chance romance set at Christmas time when miracles happen.

Wanting to keep his kids safe, single dad Steve Springfield moved back to his family's Christmas tree ranch. The last person he expected to walk back into his life is Camille, an eccentric artist who seems to have an unwanted fan. Along with his brothers and the rest of the town, Camille and Steve hope to survive as they fight to find the person behind recent fires.

I adore Katie Ruggle's writing style. I love that her characters are all different and so damn lovable. Katie never fails to keep me on the edge of my seat with the suspense. I can never quite catch on to the baddie before the big reveal. He or she is always one step ahead of me, which I friggin' love. The element that I enjoyed the most in Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas was that the baddie isn't your typical villain. I feel like Katie took a risk with this particular story-line and it worked. I loved that and it stayed with me long after I finished the book. Now I'm curious about how she's going to continue with the series. Is it going to follow Steve's brothers? That'll be interesting since I couldn't stand Ryan. Or will it be random citizens of the town? Either way, I am excited for the series and I sincerely hope I'll be able to stay on track. Probably won't happen, but damn it, I'm going to try.

4.5 Stars

Steve Springfield was a secondary character from Katie Ruggle’s previous series and he now has his own story. As a firefighter in the past two series, he’s moved back to his home town of Born, Colorado on the family ranch to escape the dangers that went down back in Monroe. Raising his four children as a single dad offers enough excitement without adding murder and mayhem to the mix. Back home, he and the family are very busy with their Christmas tree business and gift shop. The ranch sounded so very picturesque, making buying a Christmas tree a memorable experience, hauling the tree with horses and selling unique Christmas gifts in their shop.

Steve is still a firefighter, although a volunteer one now, and this is how he runs into the beautiful, but painfully shy Camille.

Camille had a mad crush on Steve while in high school. He was good-looking and popular, but also very kind. Even if Camille didn’t have anxiety interacting socially, she was three grades behind Steve and so they didn’t cross paths much back then. Now that he’s back in town and circumstances have thrown them together, Camille is falling hard for Steve and his kids. Steve is even more irresistible than he was in school, and his kids are unique and intelligent. Somehow with all her social awkwardness, she just clicks with them.

I loved Camille and Steve! Camille got so nervous around Steve and would just babble whatever came into her head. Words would just spill out of her mouth before she had time to edit, and I would just laugh! It was hilarious! She was sweet, awkward and endearing. Luckily, Steve wasn’t the type of guy to play games so Camille’s forthright admissions worked out well for them. Steve’s kids were fun, and I enjoyed seeing Camille get to know them and get close. She fit right in!

The fires in Borne added an edge of danger to the story, culminating in an action packed, thrilling conclusion. I was surprised to find out the identity of the culprit! Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas was a heartwarming, sweet romance, set in a beautiful Christmas Winter wonderland, but was also a suspenseful story that put me on the edge of my seat more than a few times. Loved the mix!

This is an achingly romantic and heartfelt story. Rocky Mountain cowboy Christmas is just perfection - it has endearing characters, great dialogue, with witty banter and entertaining storyline. This book just has it all. Definitely a new favourite by this author.

Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas by Katie Ruggle
Rocky Mountain Cowboys #1

Competitive siblings – brothers – the Springfield boys were just that but as adults that should all be behind them, right? Perhaps not. When Steve returns to the family Christmas tree ranch with his four children and is called out on a search and rescue mission he is first to find Camille Brandt, local artist and shy eccentric. The fact that perhaps she was not really “lost” and is very nervous at the attention leads Steve into taking the spotlight off of her in his own way.

Camille creates sculptures using found metal and seems rather awkward with most adults though a bit easier with children. She ends up taking some of her sculptures to sell at the gift shop that is part of the Christmas tree ranch and meets Steve’s oldest son, Will. She then meets the rest of his children and enjoys spending time with them. She soon finds she is not as awkward with Steve and his children as with other people and their relationship (he’s a widow) takes off.

Throw into the story a peeping tom with an agenda, competitive brothers, Christmas events, some animals and a fun romance and you have a wonderful story that left me with a smile on my face.

I love this author and know that when I see her name a quality book will be provided for me to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks-Casablanca for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 starsWow-just Wow
ByCatKon September 27, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
I just love the way Katie Ruggle weaves her stories and reveals her characters. I was immediately drawn into the story through Camille Brandt’s narration reflecting her inability to deal well with social situations. This truly hit close to home since many people I know deal with social anxiety and I know how hard they work daily to just deal with social situations. Ms Ruggle beautifully addressed this anxiety in such a nonjudgmental way, allowing others an opportunity to appreciate how difficult interactions with people can be! Steve Springfield is a wonderfully supportive partner and father. The interactions between Camille and Steve keep you rooting for this precious couple to find their happiness together. I hope to read more about the Springfield family in the future!
As with all Ms Ruggle’s stories, there is an element of mystery. I must admit, I did pick the wrong person as the villain! I hope Ms Ruggle continues this series, I’m eagerly awaiting to hear about the rest of the Springfield brothers-especially Joe!
I have received an ARC of this book for an honest review-I planned on reading this book regardless if I had a arc or not!

This is a really nice way to introduce another new series from this author. There is a new aspect that we have to look forward to. I love how the kids are and how they think. The same with Camille and Steve.

This made me fall in love with the author more. I look forward to the next book in this new and exciting series.

I requested an e-arc of this book from NetGalley because I loved the description of the heroine Camille as a folk artist who is a bit of a hermit. I was less sure about the hero being a single dad with four kids because I can get irritated with kids in a romance fairly quickly, but these kids were a lot of fun. That's really how I'd describe the whole book - a lot of fun. Many of the conversations and interactions between the hero and heroine seemed like the textbook definition of adorkable and made me grin as I read. The weaker spot for me was the suspense plot and the way all of that was handled at the end, but I honestly didn't care much because I enjoyed the characters so much.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN COWBOY CHRISTMAS by Katie Ruggle. This was such an enjoyable read. I adored Camille - she is quirky and a bit eccentric and a joyful soul. Steve is rugged and sexy but down to earth and a wonderful dad. Together, they might not seem to work but, they seem to balance each other out perfectly. Ms. Ruggle has written a delightful tale that shows the awkwardness of dating and getting to know another. There's the struggles of parenthood, especially for a single dad, as we see through the actions of his four children. The children all brought such heartwarming edge to this tale too. Ms. Ruggle roped me in right away and I couldn't put it down. There's romance and love, of course, but also a bit of mystery and danger too. It's a perfect holiday read! (recieved ARC for honest review)

You know how sometimes you meet a secondary character in a series and think, "Hmmm...he's intriguing. I'd like to know more about him." but his role in the series isn't significant enough to warrant his own book? And then, you meet him again in the author's next series? Still intriguing but still, no story. And then...one day you're in the goodie room at a conference and you pick up an advanced copy of an upcoming book by said author. You don't read the back cover blurb because she's one of your favorite authors and you know you'll be reading the book, no matter what it's about. Then, later, you open the book and read the first few pages and suddenly you realize...OMG!...it's his book. It's Steve - freaking - Springfield's story! Yeah, to say I was excited would have been a massive understatement. But then you start to worry. You've been anticipating this story for almost three years...through eight books. What if it doesn't meet your expectations?

It met my expectations. I read the entire book in one day. Then I read it again. And, recently, I read it for a third time. Once again, Katie Ruggle has penned a story that's funny, suspenseful, and emotional, filling it with everyday characters who are so vibrant, complex, and real that I forget they're characters and begin to think of them as actual people. Steve is such a good guy and a great dad. I adored him. And Camille, well, she's someone I just want to wrap up in a big, warm hug...except that would probably freak her out so much that she'd go running from the room. Steve's kids (who range in age from 10 to 15) come close to stealing every scene they are in but he and the kids are a package deal and I can't imagine enjoying this book - or Steve and Camille's relationship - as much as I did without all four of the kids. Each of them is unique and interesting in their own right. I'm hoping their characters will continue to develop throughout the rest of the series. Setting this first book in the new series at Steve's family Christmas tree ranch brings his three single brothers into the equation as well. I love how Ruggle digs into family dynamics - and dysfunction - in her books and I can't wait to find out what she has in store for the Springfields.

Another of Ruggle's strengths is her ability to slow build suspense throughout a story as she once again does in this book. It's not in your face but over your shoulder, always there, as it builds to a climax with a twist that I never saw coming. I'm very curious to see how that twist factors into the rest of the series.

If you enjoy romantic suspense with characters who will capture your heart and twists and turns that will leave you guessing, all wrapped up in a beautiful Colorado, postcard-worthy, Christmas tree ranch, then you'll want a copy of Katie Ruggle's Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas under your tree this year.

If you're interested in going back to when Steve Springfield and his family were first introduced to readers, pick up a copy of On His Watch, the prequel novella to Katie Ruggle's debut Search and Rescue series. It's currently free.

4.5 Stars

Rocky Mountain Cowboys #1, I love it when new series start with the Christmas book! Yes Christmas books already and I'm so thrilled I started with this one I love Katie Ruggle she's pretty much an auto buy in paperback for me. A nice little bonus is the map at the beginning that shows where all her towns correlate to each other, I think it's cool and makes everything a little more realistic and easier to picture in my head.

Have you meet Steve? If you have read the other two series Ruggle has written than chances are you have. Steve Springfield is a single dad of four rambunctious kids (at this point three of them are teenagers) and firefighter extraordinaire, and since the last town he lived in was kind of blown up he moved his kids back to his hometown to live with his brothers and help run the Christmas Tree ranch. Camille Brandt is an eccentric artist who makes something beautiful out of scrap metal. Raised by her grandmother and still living in the same house she grew up in she always been the shy one and her social awkwardness hasn't gotten any better with age. When her too-nosy-for-her-own-good-neighbor calls 911 because she thinks Camille didn't come home after walking into the woods last night Steve and the VFD get called in to assist Search and Rescue. Steve finds Camille in the junkyard perfectly alright, warm, absolutely adorable, and thoroughly embarrassed. To take attention off of her he feigns getting stuck just so she can make a getaway with out all the fuss. Out of all the Springfield boys Steve was always Camille's favorite, he won her heart as a teenager when he played hero and now again years later for what he did in the junkyard. Steve is completely taken with Camille, she grew up even more beautiful than he could have imagined and she's brilliant, funny, so incredibly talented, and best of all she gets along and understands his kids (they are extraordinary kids). Steve and Camille are aware of the attraction between them and as scared as Camille is she's willing to step out of her comfort zone to spend time with him but soon Camille needs Steve to be her hero once again this time it's a life or death situation.

Overall, I loved this book! Katie Ruggle writes socially awkward characters so well. Her active setting is so good I'm definitely in the Christmas mood wishing it was snowing and Christmas time already. I love Steve's kids they are all pretty amazing and great comic relief for the story. Camille and Steve are pretty amazing too they have a great story; Camille is all alone in the world and when tragedy strikes Steve is there to help and be her rock. It was a great story with great characters. Can't wait for more!

Katie Ruggle excels at building fun characters who live on the edge of society. Those oddball characters that are slightly dorky and immediately endear you to them. Camille Brandt has always had trouble talking to people. She second guesses what she should say and do in social situations so tries to avoid them as much as possible. When Steve Springfield moves back to town with his four kids, Camille’s crush from high school immediately blooms again. Watching her face her struggles trying to speak normally made Camille so identifiable. Who hasn’t felt like that at one point in their life? I rooted for her so hard!

You may recognize Steve Springfield from the Search and Rescue series. He’s a firefighter and was always in the story but on the peripheral. It was so nice to get to know him and all of his kids! I know the Rocky Mountain Cowboy series will probably be about all of Steve’s brothers, but I want some YA books about Steve’s kids. They were so fun and unusual. Zoe is an inventor- blowing things up occasionally, Micah is the hermit artist, Will the adopted joyful oldest son, and Maya the youngest and sweetest little thing. Seriously these kids rocked and need their own stories!

Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas was a great start to this series. Katie Ruggle has proven herself again with some great characters, a solid love story, and of course she throws in just a hint of danger adding that tension that works so well in her novels. This was my first Christmas novel of the year and even though we are only approaching October, I was in the Christmas spirit right away.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I was given an ARC of this novel for my honest review and it was honest!

Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas by Katie Ruggle has one of the kookiest, most likable female lead characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about in any book. Camille is an interesting personality that even before I was invested in the romance I wanted to know more about this character. I will say that I have enjoyed Ms. Ruggle’s Search and Rescue books in the past, but this one is the best of the best.

Steve Springfield has moved back to town with his four children. He is a firefighter and single dad but handles the pressure well. His four children, 2 boys and 2 girls each have a distinct personality that adds depth and charm to the story. I fell hard for this family, their loss, their resilience and their ability to accept and love. Just the family for Camille.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas

Sweet mother of all that is holy! Fireman Steve is a cowboy!!! I’ve wanted Steve to have his own book since Simpson, then he didn’t get it in Monroe either....but this was worth the wait!

I didn’t think I was gonna see past Steve but his children are fantastic. After moving them from Simpson and Monroe back to his hometown to help with his family’s Christmas tree farm, we finally get a peek into his life. Steve’s been a widower for 7 years, trying to raise his four sensitive, creative, funny and brilliant (and ohmygosh they’re brilliant) children by himself.

Celeste had harbored a crush since high school on Steve (can you really blame her?!) but she’s always been the self imposed town weirdo. Rather spending time on her beautiful eccentric artwork than with people. When her house burns down, she’s forced into Steve’s house...and heart. Can I get an ‘awwww’? Cause seriously, this story was so sweet I’m pretty sure I have a new cavity.

I loved how Celeste connected with each one of Steve’s kids. She was too sweet with the sensitive and artistic Micah, supportive of Zoe’s brilliant tinkering and we all fell in love with Will and Maya.

I did NOT like Steve’s two brothers, Ryan and Nate, for good reasons. But I want to see more of the reclusive Joe.

This was a sweet holiday story. Perfect for reading on a cold winters night curled up under a blanket.

I am so glad Steve got his own book. This is such a sweet story with fun characters. I normally do not like a quirky character, but Camille makes me smile. Her quirkiness is so endearing that you can’t help but like her. I really enjoyed the family aspect of this story (and Steve’s kids are a hoot). It is nice to see “real people” in what could be a “real story”. Great start to what I know will be a great series.

Single dad Steve Springfield moved his four kids to a Colorado Christmas tree ranch of his childhood home where he expected them to be safe. He also never expected to come face to face with the one girl he never forgot.

Folk artist Camille Brandt lives a quiet life. She's used to being lonely. And when Steve Springfield shows up everything changes. When mysterious fires break out Steve and Camille will have to fight to keep their family together and to survive until Christmas.

My Review: As you all probably know, I have been obsessed with Katie Ruggle's books since discovering them last spring. I wasn't sure what was next after reading the final book of the K-9 Unit series, but I am thrilled that we have the start of a new series. Not only do we have a new series but it kicks off with Steve, who has been a minor side character through both series so far, and we get cowboys! We are also introduced to Camille and I immediately related to her, she suffers from social anxiety and I definitely get it, especially around the holiday season. As with Ruggle's previous books we get a bit of romance and some serious suspense and danger. I loved the family and close knit community feel combined with all the Christmas vibes, it really got me ready for the holiday season, and more in this series!

I've been waiting for Steve Springfield's story since, well, since the very first Katie Ruggle book I ever read ( On His Watch ). It's been a long time coming and while it was sweet and satisfying in some ways, in others, it was far less than it could have been.

Steve-freaking-Springfield has come home to Borne, needing to keep his children safe. Both Simpson and then Monroe have proven way too "hot". Given the events in both Simpson and Monroe, I'd have to agree with him. This is especially true given the nature of his children, and the fact that they could have been blowing up the towns. But here, he's with his family; his children are with his family; and he is a volunteer firefighter. He's a steadfast, conscientious, and loving man and father.

Camille Brandt is basically a shut-in. (Where have I read that before?) Frankly, given the nature of the characters we meet, I'd want to be a shut-in too. Not one of them seems like a nice person! Gossipy shame-mongers that they are, Borne doesn't seem like a good place for Steve to be raising his kids. But, Camille perseveres and is kind to her tormenters. She's an artist with an artistic nature, but also a techy, as she exhibits later. Her primary medium is metal, but she works in a lot of mixed media. She's fun and quirky. She has a backbone!

It all starts when nosy neighbor Mrs. Lin calls in a missing persons report on Camille and Steve and family are dispatched as part of the search and rescue. And Camille and Steve just click. It escalates later in a fire which brings Camille directly into Steve's home and life. And how sweet that is! The kids (who resemble Jules' ( Run to Ground ) siblings a little too much, frankly) are awesome! I love how the girls are the tech wizards here. I love how Micah is the sensitive artist and how Will is just so much like his father.

Steve's family unit with his kids is just the best. The love fairly leaps off the pages and then Camille's addition to the family group is seriously sweet. The kids embrace her every bit as much as Steve does. It's a wonderful, if slightly implausible, dynamic that exudes warmth. The greater Springfield family just seems tailor-made for Camille, who has no family left. This is the bulk of the book.

But, Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas is supposed to have fires, and lots of them. Hmmmm... where are the fires? Well, there are 2 in the book and they are significant ones. But the rest of the fires alluded to in the back cover blurb? They are mentioned once and only once. All that awesome suspense I was expecting? Not there. There is only one other incident that is even remotely suspenseful. One! Don't get me wrong, I loved the sweet love story, but this is supposed to be a suspense and there was just no build-up, no tension, no nothing.

And then suddenly, bam! There's this thing and it's huge and it's out of left field and the perpetrator is a 100% total shock and I'm left reeling because it's the last quarter of the book and all of a sudden I feel like I've been dropped into a different book entirely. Plot and pacing needed work, for sure.

But, Ruggle did get me invested in the rest of the Springfield family, even if I think they all need redemption stories. Every last one of Steve's brothers has serious issues. If Ruggle can rehabilitate them successfully, she could have one hell of a series on her hands. I'm hoping she can.

I'm not usually too terribly fond of kids featured in my romance books (don't judge me!), and holiday-themed stories don't often capture my interest. Until I read this book, that is!

What a delightful book this turned out to be. I enjoyed all the characters, but I especially loved Camille. I loved her total dorkiness. Being one of the dorky smart kids in school myself, I felt an affinity for Camille. I also share her hatred of crowds, so it was easy to relate to her. I found her comments extremely funny. I also totally adored her relationship with Steve. He had a bit of bashful dorkiness to him, despite his heroic nature and good looks. The shyness at the beginning of their romance rang true, as did their playfulness and laughter in bed and when snuggling.

I also liked all the kids, which is rare for me in books except for an occasional book here and there. Not having kids myself, I don't know how true to life they were; they seemed to get along ridiculously well and were all very good kids. But they were entertaining and sweet and you just want to hug them all. The setting of the story was all very perfect for a Christmas. It seemed like a holiday paradise.

There was also some suspense in this book. I thought it was just too obvious who the "bad" guy was. Yeah, right. I was totally wrong and ended up being very surprised, which added to my enjoyment. Throw in a cat, horses and a goat, and we had the perfect cast. I so look forward to more books in this series.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and my thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.