Book Review: Through the Fire by Katie Ruggle

Through the Fire

When I received the ARC for “Through the Fire,” I was happy and sad at the same time. Happy because I will finally find out who is helping the heroines in the first three books escape from bad situations. Sad, because I know it is the final book in the series and I will be saying goodbye to vibrant characters that are lovable and memorable.

But, before I shed any tears, author Katie Ruggle first made me laugh and then fall in love with Kit Jernigan and Wesley March.

With three alpha males as heroes in the first three books, Ruggle did a gender swap and made the K-9 cop female. Kit Jernigan is not the usual cop nor is she the usual alpha female. She sounds so normal and quite frankly, so relatable that readers can easily identify with her. She has insecurities with her job and uncertainties on how she deals with a man she is romantically interested.

As for Wesley March, he is the run of the mill genius/socially awkward (tongue-in-cheek). Think Sheldon Cooper cooped up in the mountains without his wacky friends and only the birds and the forest for company.

Kit and Wesley’s romance is a story to itself. But, this is the fourth and final book of the Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit tetralogy, so the mysterious man who was just in the background from book 1 is finally revealed. He is evocative of Charlie, in “Charlie’s Angels.” We hear him, but we never see him, that is until now.

“Through the Fire” is a romantic thriller at its core. So, though Wes and Kit’s romance take center stage many times, it must share the limelight with the mystery and suspense aspect. And OMG, these moments should not be missed. Ruggle once again showed mastery of her craft as she wove all the characters into the story, introduced new ones while also keeping Wes and Kit as the hero and heroine. And don’t forget the dogs! All four of them did their part.

So, we arrive at the teary part. It is hard to say goodbye to the series. I got so invested with brooding Theo, funny Hugh, helpful Otto and now, genius Wes. Julie, Grace, Sarah and Kit are very strong women and I would like to know how they fare with their alpha males.

With congratulations to the author out of the way; I will now have to comment on the cover, which by the way, though beautifully executed, I find that it is not representative of the story. This comment is not for the author, but more for the cover designer and the editor who approved it.

The first three books have the K-9 Officer in the cover. Logically, it should be Kit on the cover. Why was Kit not on the cover? Is it because she’s female?

Perhaps, is it because, a hunk showing of his abs on the cover sells more books? That one I can understand. So, logically, it should be Wes on the cover. He had been described as a bearded guy. The model in the cover only has stubble of a beard. I needed to look closely to see it.

No matter how I look at it, there was really no logic for the male model they chose to be on the cover. Don’t get me wrong, he is good looking and should be on the cover, but not for this book, in my opinion.

That said, I’m still giving this book 5 STARS. “Through the Fire” is Rated M for Mature due to violence.

Through the Fire by Katie Ruggle
Sourcebooks Casablanca
Romance
Pub Date 28 Aug 2018

He’s tall.
He’s dark.
He’s brutally handsome…
And he may be her only hope.

Kit Jernigan despairs of ever fitting in with her new tight-knit K9 unit—they’ve been through too much to welcome a stranger. So when a killer strikes, it’s a fight to convince her fellow officers to trust her long enough to catch the woman she knows is responsible.

She can’t do it on her own. What she needs most is a partner: local fire spotter Wesley March.

Wes knows in his heart that Kit is right, and he’s willing to leave his lonely tower to help her prove it. But the more time they spend together, the hotter the fire smolders…and the more danger they’re in. A member of the K9 unit’s inner circle is determined to have her revenge—no matter who gets burned in the process.

This time, it’s personal.

Wood lookout tower Photo by Jens Johnsson; Woman Photo by Christian Acosta; Man with camera Photo by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash