Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas (Rocky Mountain Cowboys, 1)

I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book via Netgalley.

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 thought this was a cute story.
I almost put it down as there was not enough drama or intrigue for me.
I did feel that it would have been a better read with a little more of the "Mystery Firefighter" that was in the picture. Did he set the fire? Did he do other things? I did like the twist at the end.

Had there been more intrigue I would have rated it higher. I have no doubt that there are thousands that will enjoy this book.

Plot: A firefighter returns home and reunites with his quiet, contemplative artist first love. But danger lurks in this Colorado town, that threatens everything they both hold dear.

Holiday Cheer: Low.

Verdict: Dashing through the snow.

This review appears in Romantic Intentions Quarterly #3 - October 2018

I have not been disappointed in any of her books. Great writer. I would recommend them everyone.

Was a great book very interesting from the start and ending was exciting and a big surprise. Book was well written and not to wordie. Looking forward to her next book.

Great book.

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 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.

I enjoy Kate Ruggle which is why I asked for this arc. I almost passed on it as my brain is full of cowboys and I need a respite. I am thrilled I asked and received this arc. The romance was sweet, and I could see the story. I felt like I was there. I wanted to smack the busy body neighbor. Kudos to Camille her humor and dealing with it;
I knew who the culprit was at his first appearance. It threw me off, I thought no way. Love. love, love the kids. I want to meet them all. Read the book, indulge in Christmas, support the introvert. Thank you Sourcebooks and NetGallley for the opportunity to read this arc. I voluntarily leave this review and all opinions are my ownwn.

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.

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.