ARC Review: Run to Ground by Katie Ruggle

Run to Ground
Author: Katie Ruggle
Series: Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit (Book 1)
Publication: Sourcebooks Casablanca (June 6, 2017)

Description: 

He lost his mentor.
He lost his K9 partner.
He almost lost his will to live.
But when a ruthless killer targets a woman on the run, Theo and his new K9 companion will do whatever it takes to survive—and save the woman neither can live without.

Grieving the death of his partner, Theo Bosco has no room in his life for distractions. Though his instincts scream that he should avoid Juliet 'Jules' Jackson, he can't seem to stay away. It doesn't help that Theo's new K9 companion has fallen head over paws with Jules's rambunctious family.

Or that when he's with her, Theo finally knows peace.

When Jules rescued her siblings, whisking them away to the safety of the beautifully rugged Colorado Rockies, she never expected to catch the eye—or the heart—of a cop. Yet as Jules struggles to fight her growing attraction to the brooding K9 officer, another threat lurks much closer to home...

And this time, there's no escape.

My Thoughts: Julie is on the run after kidnapping her three younger brothers and her younger sister from her abusive stepmother. They find themselves with new names and identity papers in Monroe, Colorado. Jules gets a job as a waitress in the local cafe. One of her first customers is K9 cop Theo Bosco who is dealing with the guilt he feels at the death of his partner and also dealing with his partner's dog Viggy who is going through a depression of his own.

They are immediately attracted to each other but it isn't really the right time for either of them. The last thing Jules needs is a cop looking into her business. And Theo is in a state of numbness that makes it hard for him to function let alone begin a relationship. But Viggy loves Jules' brothers and sisters and is a different dog around them. Theo also finds himself feeling again when he is around Jules and the kids.

But Monroe is not the quiet town Jules was hoping for. The first day she registers the kids for school there is a bomb threat and lockdown. When the lockdown is lifted, a shooter starts firing shots as Jules, Theo and fellow officer Hugh when they leave the building. Hugh is hit and so is Theo though his vest protected him. There is an investigation but no shooter if found. Meanwhile, Jules is dealing with a really creepy customer who has decided to come to the diner and sit in her section every day. She fears that he is a detective sent by her stepmother.

The action heats up and so does the relationship between Jules and Theo. This was an entertaining story. I liked Jules and her protectiveness in regard to her brothers and sister. I liked the kids who all had distinct personalities.

This book begins a series and I'm eager to see what happens next.

Favorite Quote:

"For yesterday. At the store. Hugh can be..." Theo grimaced and stared into his coffee, as if searching for the right word.

"A good friend," Jules finished, and his gaze jumped back to hers.

Although he scowled, there was a hint of amusement there, too. "I was thinking more along the lines of an obsessive stalker."

She laughed. "Sometimes, the line between a good friend and an obsessive stalker is a fine one."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.