I really struggled with this book which made me dnf at 40%, I had formed a lot of expectations about the book based upon the cover, and it felt like they wasn’t met when I was reading it? I didn’t see the outdoorsy romance that I was expecting?

Norah Pax is the computer geek of the Pax sisters, a group of bounty hunters. She's amazing on the internet but needs to work on the physical aspect of being a bounty hunter. How else will she be protected from skips?? This is where Dash comes in - big, burly MMA expert who will help her defend herself. The romance is great but so is the love between the sisters. Action from the start to finish. Technically part of a series but can be a stand-alone. Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for allowing me to read this advanced copy!

I really enjoyed the second in this interconnected series! The characters are so well formed, and I understood their motivations the entire time. I will definitely continue in the series and would love to read the author's backlist as well. I had a few issues with the pacing personally, and the plot felt like it jumped around a bit. I had a lot of fun reading it, though.

I'm trying to come up with a book by Katie Ruggle that I have not liked & I'm coming up blank. This series is great & this book does not disappoint. Norah has social anxiety and doesn't want to let her family down when the next bounty comes to call, so she hires Dash to up her game in self-defense. Dash, an ex MMA fighter, could not be more opposite when it comes to self-defense, but as a couple they rock.

This a fun read, I love that all the sisters are in each book as they continue their quest to find their bond-jumping mother who has used their home as collateral for the bond. The sister's lively banter and camaraderie make me wish I was part of their family. Looking forward to the next installment.

I received this advance review copy from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

Review: CROSSING PATHS by Katie Ruggle https://bit.ly/3GVTKHL
Publication Date: 05/13/2025
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 5 Stars

I love the Pax sisters and wondered how Norah’s book would go. I need not have worried, I loved it. Norah is a bit socially awkward and shy, so she has taken care of all the computer work and research. Now that she wants to get herself out there and suitably prepared, she hires Dash for self-defense lessons. The story is written in her POV which was perfect for his character and their relationship. She is the perfect counter point to Dash’s fierce, quiet countenance. I loved watching her bring out his soft side and humor as they worked through their romance. The romance was a slow burn, but perfect for them both.

The storyline was fun and exciting. So much going on from different directions – some old and some new. Through it all, I can only say that the sisters are a hoot! Their lively banter and camaraderie make me wish I lived there too. I can’t wait for more.

*Review copy provided by Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.

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Kindle https://amzn.to/4mkbvAE

I bit different than the typical romances I read. I was interested to read the authors background that that helped me see the story in a new light.

If you like shy women who want to be strong, and men who are strong yet can be heartfelt with the right woman, this is your book!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

WHY DATE A MOUNTAIN MAN? Because he can bring you to your peak.

Norah Pax loves working for her family's Rocky Mountain bounty-hunting business. But unlike her adrenaline-junkie sisters, she only enjoys chasing skips from the safety of her laptop. She has all the computer skills she could want, but her fighting technique is lacking―so when all hands are needed, she dredges up her courage to ask surly MMA expert Dashiell Porter to teach her everything she needs to know. Dash may be terrifying to most, but his unexpected gentleness makes her feel safe, and it isn't long before things begin heating up.

Dash is used to people slowly backing away when he enters a room, but a certain beautiful bounty hunter's earnest trust throws him off guard…and catches his attention. Yet as the two exchange punches and endearingly awkward flirtations, vultures circle. Every criminal in town has turned against the Pax girls, and they're willing to hit them where they're (supposedly) weakest: Norah. To keep herself and her family safe, Norah will need every new skill that Dash can teach her.

Good thing that Dash is ready to do whatever it takes to protect the gentle yet fierce bounty hunter who stole his heart.

This is the second book in the series that features Norah, the ishy younger sister who researchs skips for her bounty hunter sisters. Although she has three stalkers (yes, three!) she finds herlf and strength through self-defence lessons with her trainer who she, shockingly (lol) falls madly in love with.

I can always count on Katie Ruggle to write a good women in jeopardy story. Norah is strong of heart, but she’s not the most physical or athletic Pax sister. With Dash’s help she grows in confidence both physically and mentally and that is a very attractive trait in a romance novel. Dash himself is very physical, both in fitness and mental agility. He’s attracted to Norah from the start and as soon as he realizes she’s in trouble he’s all in. You got to love that in a hero!

Just as with Katie Ruggle’s other novels there’s a lot of action and adventure which makes this a very quick moving fun novel to read. I love the interactions between Norah and her sisters. There’s a lot of love on these pages, not just between the romantic leads. If you haven’t read any of Katie Ruggle’s other books, you really don’t need to read the series in order. This and all the other books can be read as stand alone’s, but you might get a little more enjoyment if you’ve read the other books first. Either way, you’re going to enjoy Norah and Dash’s story. Get ready for a fun ride!

I requested this title because I found the premise intriguing, but I didn't realize that I should have read other titles in the series first. While not strictly necessary to have done so, it certainly would have helped. I also thought I was getting a light romance read and was not expecting the main character to have three(!) stalkers. I read the whole thing but am not inclined to pick up any other titles in the series.

I love Katie Ruggle and every book I pick up of hers I know is going to be a good time! I’m really enjoying the bounty hunter sisters and have been rooting for them from book one. This one about Norah is so sweet, she’s awkward and introverted but pushes herself to try more and put herself out there. Dash is the big gruff “scary” guy that she falls for because he’s so honest she doesn’t have to constantly guess what he’s thinking or what she should do next. And even though both of these characters are on the quieter side the communication between them still made me giggle. Dash gives off the perfect amount of touch-her-and-die vibes all while staring adoringly at her like she’s the only person in his world. If you want a book with badass women and men who support them without overshadowing with laughs and butterflies and a few “hell yeah kick his ass again” cheers then definitely pick up a Katie Ruggle book…better yet, pick all of them up!

Norah is one of 5 sisters running a bounty hunter business in the Rockies. But she only investigates using a computer at home. She’s introverted and has social anxiety so she doesn’t do the running around stuff. But she has the balls to get herself to a gym for self defense classes with Dash. Dash is a muscle bound ex-fighter who grunts a lot rather than talk and who owns a local gym, thus the self defense classes. Then Norah and Dash end up having to deal with Norah’s three (!) stalkers and a bit of love starts to grow.

Told from Norah’s POV we get to see that she is so sweet and at once socially awkward and very brave. She takes things as they happen and as she finds and she really grows into a more workable,less awkward social mess. Just by taking the self defense classes she shows how brave she is and then in the way she creates a relationship with Dash and deals with her stalkers we see just how strong and brave a woman she is.

Dash is the strong silent, growls even, type. A mountain of a man. He definitely is protective of her but he also respects her and lets her lead sometimes. He’s scarred but beautiful in her eyes just as Norah’s scars of social anxiety and so on don’t detract from her sense of his beauty.

Great book. It is part of a series but can very easily be read alone. But that epilogue will catch your interest so you’ll look forward to the next in the series.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loving this was completely unexpected for me. I had low expectations going into this, but wow was I blown away. It was heartfelt and genuinely funny. Reminiscent of the golden age of romcoms.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This is the second book in the series that focuses on the youngest sister Norah, the introverted quiet sister whose main job is researching skips for her bounty hunter sisters. Norah finds her own independence and love (as expected) along the way even with 3 stalkers. Underestimated by her stalkers, Norah finds her own strength through learning self defense techniques with her trainer. Fun fast paced story to follow, but definitely read the first book in the series.

This was kinda fun. I'm out of the loop since I jumped in at book 2 but the author does a good job trying to catch the reader up to speed. There are some pretty serious things happening but I enjoyed the levity from the familial banter and beginnings of a sweet relationship. I liked how protective Dash was of Norah. They had good chemistry at the beginning but it felt awkward once they started getting physical. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

Crossing Paths is a fun, light-hearted adventure with Norah and Dash. The chemistry and banter between the two characters was enjoyable and propelled the story along, but some of the danger seemed incredibly far-fetched. This is a pretty light steamy romance so if you're looking to enjoy some fun banter, is an easy read!

This was my introduction to Katie Ruggle and the world the Pax sisters live in so I appreciated the intro at the beginning to catch me up to speed. I liked the premise. I like the Pax sisters being kickass bounty hunters. I’m not sure what Laken thought she could do with a stolen necklace, no matter how much money she needed. And Dash…I know this was really Norah’s story, but I definitely wanted more Dash!

Crossing Paths just wasn’t my favorite. The Colorado setting is always appealing, though it didn’t play much of a role in this book. But somehow the story just wasn’t particularly compelling, the bad guys didn’t feel all that threatening.and it was hard to understand what Noral and Dash saw in each other. There wasn’t much in the way of conversation between the two to provide insight into their romantic attraction. He was protective and very polite; she was anxious and uncomfortable around people she didn’t know very well. Sorry, I don’t get it.

This is book two in the Beneath the Wild Sky series by Ruggle. You don't have to read book one to enjoy this story, although it does add to it. Norah's story is just a perfect read. It was a fun, sweet romantic comedy. If you read Felicity's story in book one you will absolutely enjoy Norah's story. (I think Norah's story is my favorite).

This started out super fun. A family works together as bounty hunters. They each have their own job and responsibility. They all look out for one another. Nora works behind the scenes with her laptop where it's safe. That is until she meets Dash. Then things aren't her normal for her. I got a little bored with this one. Maybe it just wasn't what I was expecting.