Book Title: Fish out of Water: and there’s only one sleeping bag!
Author: Kate Ruggle
Narrator: Casandra Myles
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Rom Com
Pub Date: February 13, 2024
My Rating: 3.3 Stars
Pages: 336

Dahlia Weathersby sets out to find her sister Rose who went missing in the Colorado Mountains. Rose has gone off the radar several times so at first Dahlia has doubts but finally decides if anything happens to her sister she will responsible.
.
Once in the mountains she successfully evades the booby traps the local recluse designed to keep people out, However when Dahlia meets Winston Dane, the local grumpy hermit it doesn’t take long for Dahlia to find Winston attractive.
Winston knows the outdoors and is willing to help dahlia although he doesn’t want to talk.to her or anyone!

Thus the story begins . . .

This was my first Kate Ruggle and I enjoyed reading more about her.
She has written several series based in the Rocky Mountains. She believes in the old adage “write what you know”, Katie Ruggle lived in an off-grid, and solar- and wind- powered house in the Rocky Mountains until her family lured her back to Minnesota. She is a graduate of the Police Academy, and earned her ice-rescue certification You can connect with Katie at http://katieruggle.com/, https://www.facebook.com/katieruggleb...,or on Twitter @KatieRuggle

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this early Audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 13, 2024.

Felt like I was reading two different books, one with a missing sister and the other where the MCs fall in love. Somewhere halfway into the book the MCs forgot the missing sister and got stranded in a blizzard inside a tent. The romance was cute, the reclusive MMC was a big cinnamon roll and their relationship was cute together.
Audio narration was good the narrator was very clear and engaging.

Great opposites attract rom com. It had a suspenseful element thrown in as well. I was not expecting that but enjoyed it. Fun lighthearted, quick paced mystery great for book clubs.

This was a super cute grumpy/sunshine pairing. I thoroughly enjoyed their interactions and you get so much time with them together since they head out into the woods to find Dahlia's sister. The had a bit of suspense to the storyline so not only did the couple keep me entertained but I was also very intrigued to find out what happened to Rose, Dahlia's sister. Fun listen!

Fish Out of Water by Katie Ruggle is a wonderfully quirky blend of rom-com and romantic suspense. Dahlia receives an emergency text from her sister, before suddenly losing all contact. She jumps on a plane and heads to Colorado to track her sister down. The only problem is that no one takes her seriously when she tries to go to the police for help because their coded phrase is "Tell Mom I said hi." Doesn't exactly scream "urgent."

With nowhere else to turn, Dahlia breaks into the compound of the local recluse/survival expert, Winston Dane, blackmailing him into helping her. After a bit of sleuthing and the gathering of supplies, together they head off into the wilderness, retracing her sister's steps. Wild animals, unexpected snow, and *just one tent* are some of the obstacles they face before they finally find her sister...and things only get more dangerous from there.

I've read other Katie Ruggle books, but this one definitely was a lot funnier/cheekier/cheesier than her others. The other series I've read have been 100% romantic suspense. Fish Out of Water reads more like a rom-com with a tense third act.

Cassandra Myles narrates the audiobook. Her voice came across as a little whiny at first, but after a few chapters, my ears got used to it, and it was an enjoyable experience from there. One narrator made sense because it's a single POV book--we only see through Dahlia's eyes.

Winston is grumpy, reclusive perfection. And he's a virgin! Love that in a MMC. If you don't typically do romantic suspense but maybe want to dip your toe in? This would be a fun, low-stakes introduction.

I wanted to love this story, but it was just…. Odd. Tonally, it didn’t make much sense. Dahlia’s sister went missing in the wilderness, and she (Dahlia) was on a mission to try to find her. So, in theory, she was worried and it was a serious situation. But, too often, she was more interested in the details of items of clothing, or in getting it on with the handsome local hermit she recruited to be her guide. She repeatedly seemed annoyed when she remembered that she should, in fact, be worried, rather than randy. And then things got even more outlandish, and more atonal. There either needed to be a better marrying of the two plotlines and genres, or the story just needed to pick one or the other and focus on that alone. In the end it was a case of the sum being less than its parts. I was still entertained enough to read all the way through, even as I was simultaneously perplexed.

Cassandra Myles did a decent job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Katie Ruggle, Sourcebooks Casablanca, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

New genre unlocked: cozy mystery romcom. Yes please! This is a super fun, new to me concept that I’m sure will be a favorite - I’ll be checking out more from this author. This story follows Dahlia and Winston as they try to track down Dahlia’s sister who is missing in the snowy Colorado wilderness. (Why the cover looks like mid July, I’m not sure 🤔). This was so entertaining and funny!

I had a bit of a tricky time connecting with the our FMC and with the audiobook narrator. I also felt the mystery plot and the romance plot didn’t mesh cohesively. “Why are we smashing with we should be sister finding!?” kind of thing. This book may not be my absolute favorite from start to finish but I liked it enough to say it worth checking out for a funny, cozy read.

3.5 ⭐️
Audiobook ARC - thank you netgalley, Kate Ruggle, and dreamscape media

This was a cute outdoorsy romance, especially if you are a fan of insta-love. These two were in love in three days. It felt a little weird since Dahlia thought Winston was a creepy hermit went they met.

Some of the banter felted stilted and awkward at times. I could have also gone without reading every five seconds about Winston’s right eyebrow and all the emotions it was conveying. It got weird quickly.

The narrator did a great job bringing the characters to life. I could really feel the emotion in her voice. If you decide to read this book, I’d go with the audio version.

This book has a strong voice, an interesting plot, whimsical characters, and physical comedy. Personally, I’m not a fan of physical comedy, so the story sort of dragged for me. But I can understand why others would enjoy it. The narration fit the tone of the book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Katie Ruggle for this copy of Fish out of Water in exchange for an honest review!
Overall: 3.5 Stars out of 5
Fish out of Water is a fun adventure romance telling the story of a makeover artist traveling to Colorado in search of her sister after receiving an emergency code text. Along the way she meets Winston, a former military specialist who joins her the search for her sister. The story is funny and cute, with some slow burn spice.

I enjoyed the comedy and humor but did not enjoy the narrators voice at all. I listen at high speeds (3x) and the narrators voice came across chipmunk style at that speed. I still was able to understand everything but definitely not my favorite narrator.
Overall the story was fun and cute for a quick read!

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.

🎧 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.

This was my first Katie Ruggle boook. I went in blind, so I was a little surprised that this had a romantic suspense element to it, the cover semms very rom-com. I enjoyed both aspects of the book. The rom-com grumpy/sunshine trope and the romanctic suspense searching for your sister who may be in danger. This book kept me interested and was a fun story.

Thank-you to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for the advanced listener copy. It was a good listen. 3.5 stars.

Absolutely hilarious and lovable characters. I’ve laughed so much listening to this!!! Thank you NetGalley!

When Dahlia's sister goes missing, Winston, a mountain survival expert, accompanies her on her search. Can Dahlia's citygirl ways survive in the wilderness? Can Winston get out of his grumpy ways to actually have a conversation with Dahlia? 

The grumpy/sunshine trope was in full force in this book as well as the one bed trope - or one sleeping bag in this case! I enjoyed reading how the two characters fell for each other but at times felt like their relationship overtook the main issue of looking for Dahlia's sister. I loved the ending and enjoyed the narration, which was extremely well done. I didn't realize Katie Ruggle had written so many other books! This is my first by her and I now look forward to reading more.

This book was not my fav. I am totally on board with instant love, but I felt that elements of this book were cringe-worthy and unrealistic. For example, her breaking & entering and the booby traps, just seemed a bit excessive for a Smalltown hermit. I also just didn’t like either lead character. The female character felt superficially developed and the male character seemed to lack depth, intrigue and attraction.

Their interactions in the tent during the snow storm on the way to find her missing sister were awkward. It didn’t read like a love scene you were entranced by, it felt like a YA book virgin moment and had me feeling uncomfortable. I liked the banter in the book, and some of the dialogue was good, but the writing also felt like it lacked creativity.

By the end of the book when they get her sister back from the meth lab kidnappers, it felt like I was reading an entirely different book. The suspense element overlayed with the rom com theme just didn’t marry the way it could have.

Overall, I just wasn’t entertained but the love story, the plot or the ending.

Best of luck to everyone on this book :)

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙮 𝙈𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝘽𝙀𝘼𝙍𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚, 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 & 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙚𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙠𝙮 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙚.

📍 Read if you like:
• The Colorado Wilderness
• Grumpy/Sunshine
• Romantic Suspense
• Insta Love

I went into this book with a completely different mindset, I wasn’t expecting it to have triggers such as gun violence.

The cover completely threw me off, I was expecting this to be a lighthearted romance - and while it had its moments, the mystery side of the story was a lot heavier. I honestly should’ve read the synopsis beforehand, but the story was still a good read.

This was a mix of romance, comedy, and mystery - each genre was portrayed well in my opinion. The story starts right away with the mystery, Dahlia is trying to figure out what happened to her sister Rose after she sends her a message asking for help.

The story is set in the wilderness of Colorado and I absolutely loved that. It was so atmospheric and the wilderness was portrayed so well in this book. While the suspense was alright in this, I personally would’ve enjoyed the romance part more.

This story started off on a good note, I was enjoying it and was intrigued by the story. Again, I didn’t realize this had a mystery aspect to it before reading it. I definitely judged it on the cover alone. However, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending. It wasn’t bad by any means, it’s just not an ending I like.

I did, however, really enjoy the grumpy/sunshine in this and the one tent trope in this was absolutely phenomenal. I enjoyed the humor scattered throughout and I thought the audiobook was great.

This was an overall great romance read with a suspense subplot. While some of the elements weren’t my fav, I still enjoyed the story as a whole. I could definitely see myself reading more from this author.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Kidnapping, Sexual Content, Abandonment, Drug Use, Gun Violence

this was a fun little mystery romance! A very quick read for me, probably because it was so cute and suspenseful at the same time :)
I thought the characters were cute and fun, also being brave and wild as they go on their quest. I love seeing sweet, loving heroine with the sweet and strong “hermit” hero. Overall, I really enjoy this story, it kept me hooked and captivated, and swooning the whole way through.
thank you for the ALC!

Thank you Netgalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and dreamscape media for the free e-Arc, and ALC. The opinions are my own. I love the cover however the story was so out of left field, not possible and the insta-love more then I could stand. The last few books I've read were insta-love and cemented I am not a fan....

Synopsis: Dahlia comes to the Colorado Rockies in search of her missing sister. She recruits town local Winston Dane to accompany her on the hike.

Then opposites attract was done so well in this book as you have a chatty beauty influencer from the city and a grumpy wilderness guide coming together. Their lighthearted and teasing dialogue mixed with their hiking adventures made for an engaging story. However, a this was told in a single POV, I never felt like I really knew Winston and would have loved more insight into his emotions and feelings. The one other piece I did not love was Dahlia’s approach to finding her sister. She seemed almost too nonchalant, especially when she first got to town.

I listened to the audiobook and had a lot of fun with the story!

Read if you like:
-Grumpy/sunshine
-Side mystery storyline
-City girl meets country boy
-Virgin MMC
-Open door romance
-Hiking/ outdoor activities

I thought this was a really cool concept! A rom com with action and a mystery sounded like it could be a movie! However, this book just didn't do it for me personally.

Things I liked:
I loved how body and mind positive Dahlia was. It was really cool to see her owning her talents and helping everyone in the small town with their confidence.
The Grumpy/ Sunshine was super adorable and done really well.
The mmc was a virgin, and I loved being able to see his vulnerability while exploring!

Things I didn't like:
If your sister is missing, why are you constantly wasting time putting makeup on when you are camping?
I'm not a fan of Instalove.
I didn't like the description of the town people. Saying this white couple walking towards us or this black man is really unflattering and unnecessary.
There were only 16 chapters in this book! No one likes long chapters.
I know Winston is grumpy, but we got 4 word answers from him for the first 45% of the book. So when they did fall, it was like, how? He barely said a paragraph. This book would have benefitted from a dual point of view.

The action the last 88% of the book was really cool, again loved the mystery of looking for her sister. This book had one spice scene, and the rest were closed door look backs. If you want a light-hearted camping mystery with a heavy emphasis on makeup, this book is for you!!

Thank you, Netgalley and Dreamscape Media, for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!