Survive the Night

SPOILERS AHEAD!
God this was so much fun! I had already decided that the second book in this series was going to be an all time favorite, but this book really solidified the whole series as a favorite of mine. Survive The Night felt like when a television show is in their third season and all the characters have settled into their personalities and you start to really appreciate the development, even if in this case it was happening in the background. I think of Theo, I loved the first book but his character didn't really make any mark on me as I read it, but somewhere between the second book and the end of the third I started to really love his character! I wish we could get 100 more additions to this series of women on the run showing show more up in Monroe just so I can catch up with my favorite people. Actually, it doesn't even have to follow that pattern of Espina sending women there. I would read anything set in Monroe.

I really have to applaud Katie Ruggle on the whole sequence beginning from when the first bomb dropped, all the way through the night, the back and forth POV between Otto and Sarah who were practically on opposite sides of town was riveting. All communications down, the town being silent and empty, I loved how apocalyptic it all felt!

"All Otto's instincts-which had been muttering at him that something was very, very wrong- turned up the volume, shouting at him to get out of the building."

Sometimes in suspense books, the threat is there but nothing really ends up happening that has lasting damage, not in this one, Monroe has a lot of rebuilding to do in the aftermath of Aaron's visit. I couldn't see how the titles of the first two books related to the plot, but this one was truly fitting. There's SO many fun moments between all the characters in this book, I was going to try and add some of my favorites but after checking my e-reader I realized it's a highlighted mess, there's just too many! I was not expecting Otto and Sarah to beat, Theo and Jules, or Hugh and Grace to the alter! It's so cute how Hugh is constantly making comments about Grace moving in with him, I was sure they would get married first but I also like that Grace is firm in her decision to take things slow.

"'We could go, too' Hugh gave Grace a hungry look. 'Have a double wedding.'
She made a big show of pretending to consider it and then shook her head. 'I'm having too much fun dating you.'
'C'mon, then, girlfriend.' Hugh ushered Grace into the house. 'Let's leave the lovebirds alone.'"

Sarah fits in perfectly with the group, I love the dynamic between the three girls'. I can't wait to start the next book. I think I already said this in my review for the second book but, the epilogues in this series are great, they feel like a teaser, almost like a post credits scene of a Marvel movie!
Lastly my obligatory Taylor Swift song that I'm assigning to this book is, Out Of The Woods. For no particular reason.. show less

I received a copy of Survive the Night by Jackie May from the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. The following review is reflective of my opinions and mine alone.

Alice Blanchett is the not-at-all beloved sister of crime lord, Aaron Blanchett and she is so used to having nobody on her side that when she receives a note in her dry cleaning telling her to be ready to escape, she doesn't dare to hope because who would be willing to go against her brother. But when her brother promises her to a cruel man to gain favour and form a partnership with an even bigger crime family, she hopes against hope that her unknown saviour will come through. Amidst the bombardment of her home, help comes in the unlikely form of her show more brother's associate who whisks her away and provides her with a new name and safe passage to a welcoming safe house.

Otto Gunnerson is every animal's best friend, always going out of his way to help an animal in need. When he meets his friend's new housemate, Sarah Clifton, he's speechless. And then awkward, then speechless again, and then awkward again. When Otto comes to Sarah's rescue one day, he offers up his underground bunker to the woman that's captivated him and rendered him tongue-tied.

Otto Gunnerson is really my ideal male gender mate. He's adorably awkward when presented with a woman he finds attractive and he'll bend over backwards to help an animal in need as you can tell the moment you meet him climbing up a dilapidated windmill to rescue a kitten for his friend's little sister. In addition to the rescued kitten, he's also taking care of a frightened horse, a neglected goat, and a litter of orphaned puppies, which turns out to be his 'in' to getting to know Sarah Clifton. Sarah (previously called Alice) is wary of men in general and while she's attracted to the viking-lumberjack LEO, she's also hesitant to get involved with Otto because she knows sooner or later she'll have to disappear again to stay ahead of her brother and pseudo fiance. But Sarah and Otto cannot ignore the heavy attraction building between them and finally decide to make the most of it while things are calm and before Sarah has to leave for parts unknown.

When war comes to Monroe, the ties that bind are tested and lives will be lost. What does the future hold for Sarah and Otto?

Survive the Night was my first approval on Edelweiss and I'm so very glad I was approved for it. I actually finished reading it back in January and was so reluctant to write this review because I didn't want to say 'goodbye' to it. I mean, I kept coming up with excuse after excuse not to finish writing it. I reorganised my books six different times in four weeks, I decided to learn Korean, I bingewatched Dollhouse and some Korean shows on Hulu and Netflix, I made pancakes, pretty much anything I could do to prolong my relationship with Survive the Night. That's why I'm going to warn y'all right now before we go any further. You will get emotionally invested.

From the very beginning readers will become attached to Alice as she endures her abusive life with her older brother, the head of a small crime family. When Alice is manhandled by the twisted creep that her brother chose as her betrothed as a means to attaching himself to a much larger criminal family, I wanted to raze the entire fictional country to the ground. I actually got a bit loud celebrating the explosive entrance her rescuer has at her bedroom window one night and I cheered Alice on as she climbed the roof then rappelled down the other side of the house, and holding my breath and biting a hole in my lip as she passed her brother's office. I chewed my thumbnail down to the quick as Alice struggled up the ravine with her 'bodyguard' and thoughts of what her brother would do if said 'bodyguard' caught her pushing her onward. When Alice, now called Sarah, meets Otto, the awkwardly adorable meeting made me feel embarrassed. With every awkward interaction between Otto and Alice, I was overwhelmed by their adorkable factor. And as the story progressed, I started morphing into one of those really wild ship fangirls that you see on tumblr.

Alice and Otto are both well-developed characters, adding their love story to the series and reintroducing couples from earlier in the series that will worm their way into your hearts and make you want to read their stories as well. You will fall in love with the mischievous twins, Ty and Tio, and want to fight Sam's demons for him. You will cheer Alice/Sarah as she becomes more and more sure of herself. But you'll also find yourself hoping she'll leave Monroe so you can have Otto all to yourself. My favourite part was how detailed Ms Ruggle was in her research for how to care for orphaned puppies. It reminded me of the days when I was bottlefeeding Manatee and Ozymandias' litter, an event that actually saved my life nearly 9 years ago. Let's just say that Otto was made for me.

Survive the Night is an emotional read all-around. I laughed at the kids' antics, I cried at sad animal moments (no animals were harmed or killed so don't worry), I nearly died laughing during the bull elk scene. The buildup of the final act had me looking like a strange cross between a caterpillar (a woolly bear, if you must imagine it) and a blanket burrito gone horribly awry. I'm avoiding telling you the entire plot even though I want to gush and gush and gush, but I won't. You'll need to grab a copy of your own to find out what happens to Alice and Otto.

I cannot properly express how intense the emotions were that I felt reading Survive the Night. Ms Ruggle truly knows how to keep a reader wrapped up in their blanket burrito waiting with bated breath with every turn of the page.

In the end, I'm giving Survive the Night by Katie Ruggle 2 flames for the sexy times and 5 out of 5 stars. That's right. FIVE STARS. I devoured this book in a few hours one night. After I had finished it, I immediately went to the kindle store and bought the first two books of the series and the first book of her other series because I needed more!

This is a copy of my review that can be found on my book blog, www.onceuponatimeireadabook.com show less

OMG, Otto. I'm not sure I have words enough to explain the awesomeness that is Otto. I mean, the guy took out a wall to make a double-wide stall to accommodate the rescue horse and rescue goat who wanted to be roomies--how can you not love this guy?

Survive the Night is the third book in the Rocky Mountain K9 Unit, and though it could be read as a standalone--a new couple, Otto and Alice/Sarah are featured, and Sarah is introduced here--there are some overarching plot threads that tie all the stories together and that look to be coming to a head in a future book if the epilogue is to be believed. No worries, though, you could start here and still have books 1 and 2 read before that happens ;)

This is one book that absolutely lives up to show more its title--the last third or so of the book takes place during one adrenaline-filled, pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat night; don't get that far unless you're prepared to do nothing but read until you're finished, because you won't be able to put it down! Sarah and Otto make a great team and a fantastic couple, and with the help of the rest of the series regulars kick some series bad guy butt--So. Much. Fun!

Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. show less

Survive the Night by Katie Ruggle
Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit #3

Captive of her family since childhood Alice Blanchett can hardly believe there is someone willing to help her escape her prison. When it finally happens there is a mad dash to freedom that sees her settled into Monroe, Colorado with two other women Mr. Espina has rescued in the past. Living with Jules and her siblings is a breath of fresh air and having friends in Jules and Grace a delight and blessing. The women have beaus and those beaus have a friend named Otto and of course Otto and Alice – renamed Sarah – will be attracted to one another. And, the beaus are police officers with K-9 partners – that only adds to the story.

The first time Otto sees Sarah he is speechless show more and so is she. Feeling awkward but interested they hope that their next encounter will go better. Well, their next meeting is over dueling elk and a wee bit easier. The third…awkward again…but…the attraction persists and when Sarah is found by her despicable brother and the man he wants her to marry things begin to heat up in more ways than one.

This is an action-packed suspense-filled romance with main characters that charmed me. Huge Otto and tiny Sarah are perfect for one another and oh so sweet together. Otto’s rescued animals are a delight and the finale stupendous…if perhaps a bit unbelievable. Two deserving but shy people find love unexpectedly and grab it with both hands in a book I could not put down.

There is a lead into book four that makes me think the evil stepmother from Jules and her siblings lives may make another appearance – hope she gets her comeuppance. I did not read book two, somehow missed it, and didn’t need it to thoroughly enjoy this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars show less

I have followed the Rocky Mountain K9 series from the start and was eager to read Otto’s story.

This installment differed from the first two as the focus was on the action and suspense arc while less attention was given to character development.

Survive the Night tells the story of Alice/Sarah who is a victim of abuse at the hands of her brother. She was a prisoner in her own home and was not allowed any social interaction with her peers. She longed for the day when she could escape. That day was closer than she thought. Her opportunity for escape came from an unlikely source. Here was a chance for freedom and a life without fear. This opportunity opened new doors for her. She made new friends and for the first time in her life; she show more knew what it meant to be in love. However, the thing she thought she had escaped would threaten her newfound happiness. Will she stand and fight for her happiness or will give up and accept what she believes is her fate to save those she loves.

The first ten percent of the story was heart pounding. There was a slight break in the action and suspense as the author focused on the developing relationship between Otto and Sarah. The action picked up again and what a ride it took me on. I have to admit though there were parts I found exaggerated. The scenes rivalled those one would expect to see in a movie.

I enjoyed spending time with the characters. It was pleasure catching up with those from the previous books. Otto and Sarah were delightful together. Otto was such a sweetheart. A lover of animals, kindhearted, gentle but can be a beast when those he loved are threatened. He was just the person Sarah needed in her corner.

I admired Sarah immensely. Despite her fears, her determination conquered. A taste freedom was enough to get her putting on her armour, push part her fears and claim the life she so desired.

As stated earlier less attention was given to character development, which was disappointing. I hoped to learn more about Otto. The information provided was minimal at best and it left me wanting to learn more.

The ending gives readers a brief view of what to expect in the next installment. I cannot wait to see what next Ms. Ruggle offers in regards to this series.

Conclusion/Recommendation
Fans of romantic suspense featuring a sweet romance, a sexy heart throb and intense action will enjoy Survive the Night show less

Alice, sister to Aaron, head of a crime family, finds her brother is intending to marry her off to someone in another crime family to secure his power. When an associate offers to rescue her and send her away undercover, she agrees and ends up in Monroe, CO at a safe house with Grace, Julie and Julie's siblings, all in hiding. Grace and Julie have paired up with 2 local cops in the K9 unit. Alice, renamed Sarah, finds herself falling for the third officer in the unit. However, before their HEA, she is tracked down and a major confrontation faces the whole town. This was another great action packed story, but not as believable as the first two in the series, too many holes in plot.

Survive the Night is book three in the Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series Katie Ruggle and as soon as my dog loving self saw the awesome cover and read the blurb my attention was peaked.

This third installment starts off with Alice being held captive by her brother who is planning on marrying her off to a man from the Jovanovic family against her will. He is using her as a pawn. A mysterious man helps Alice escape from her brother's highly guarded house and she ends up in small town Monroe, Colorado under a new name, Sarah Clifton. Her escape contact connects her with Jules and Grace along with a couple of police officers from the Monroe P.D. Sarah is to live with them until her brother and his goons are captured and she can consider herself show more officially safe. Jules and Grace were also on the run at one point and victims of the Jovanovic clan.

Enter canine officer Otto Gunnersen who is a viking type teddy-bear who rescues stray animals and cares for them at home. He has a horse, a goat, a cat and a pit-bull mix among others.

It is love at first sight for Otto, he is rendered speechless when he meets Alice/Sarah. 22-year-old Sarah falls for Otto pretty quickly also. He ends up offering to take her into his home temporarily because her brother and an associate have been arrested but his goons are still out there trying to get to her. As Sarah and Otto start to fall for each other, she knows she will never be able to live a normal life until her brother is in prison for good.

Otto is a sweetheart, he is a police officer, he rescues animals and shows Sarah nothing but respect and care. Sarah moves in with him and she gets a job in town and tries to start to create a life for herself. She has lived under her brother and her father’s rule her whole life and she finally knows what freedom feels like.

Author Katie Ruggle is great at building up suspense and at writing a kind beta hero which I enjoyed. The atmosphere and tension she created during some scenes were great and had me on the edge of my seat.

As far as the romance went, it moved along quickly but it made sense because these two are in the middle of danger and time is of the essence. I like that Sarah wanted to appreciate the time she had with Otto and not waste it. The same went for Otto, they wanted to live in the moment.

I had a few issues with Survive the Night mainly the suspension of disbelief needed while reading as well as the lack of backstory and character depth when it came to the criminals and their motives.

I wondered why were the Jovanovics and Sarah’s brother so evil? I know this is the third installment, but like I mentioned a little back story would have helped greatly as the book moved along. These evil characters were cardboard cutouts of bad guys. There was no depth to them. There wasn’t an explanation as to why Alice was living captive under her brother’s hold or what her brother is exactly into, but I read an uncorrected proof so maybe in the final edited copy they fill in the details. And towards the end of the story I just felt like it was all too over the top, there were helicopters, explosions, a small militia and all kinds of crazy sauce going on at this point.

So while the romance for the most part was sweet, the animal rescue part of the plot was nice and I liked the suspense and buildup, I wish I could have enjoyed this one a little more. I’d have liked to have seen more character development, backstory and a plot that was more realistic.

This one has gotten some great reviews and the series itself looks like a good one. I wouldn’t mind reading the first book to get a little more information as to the whys and hows.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive any kind of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. I am under no obligation to write a positive review. I received my free copy of Survive the Night (Rocky Mountain K9 Unit 3) via Netgalley and Sourcebooks.
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