THROUGH THE FIRE by Katie Ruggle

​I’ve been hearing about Katie Ruggle for sometime and it’s all been good. So, she’s been on my list of new-to-me authors to check out. I’m just not sure if this was the best one to start with mainly because it’s book 4 in a series and I always feel like I’m playing catch up when I do that. 
 
Even so, it was an enjoyable read.
 
The heroine, Kit Jernigan is smart, savvy, loyal, and funny, not to mention, she has an awesome dog, Justice, her K-9 partner. She loves her job and wants to do a great job and fit in, to find a home. Unfortunately, her human partners on the force don’t exactly make that easy for her. Still, she didn’t give up; rather she resolved to win them over. I really liked this about her. Kit wasn’t whiney, she wasn’t bitchy, she was nice—something we need more of in this world. She also had great instincts, which is important not just for police work, but for life in general. 
 
Wes March as the hero was a breath of fresh air. He was quirky—super smart (he makes the coolest gadgets), sweet, honest—just not a real people person. I love that he was there for Kit when she needed him, but he also stood back and let her do her job too. 
 
I loved watching this romance between Wes and Kit slowly unfold. While the romance was a strong plotline in the book, it wasn’t the main focus and that was okay. It seemed more realistic and built naturally. The two characters really “got” each other, but there were still those sweet moments of uncertainty that were so fun to watch. 
 
What I wasn’t too crazy about were the other police officers. I know it’s typical to razz the new person, but they went beyond that and were flat out jerks most of the time. They also came across as stupid, inept, and slightly corrupt. Given that I didn’t read books 1-3, I did have to guess as to their motives and I tried to give the characters and the author the benefit of the doubt. Although, based on other reviews, I think “dumbing down” the men was the author’s way to make Kit the hero of the story. 
 
As to the rest of the book, it was fast paced with lots of action and kept you turning the pages. I would recommend not reading this book until you’ve read the first three in the series.