Katie Ruggle writes romantic suspense, adventure romance, and mountain-set romcom suspense. Her books often use Colorado wilderness, search-and-rescue teams, K9 officers, bounty hunters, dangerous secrets, and slow-burn romance.
Most of her books give each couple a complete romance ending. The suspense arcs are more connected than they first appear, especially in Search and Rescue, Rocky Mountain K9 Unit, and the Pax-sisters books.
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The most important rule is this: read each series in order, and read Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters before Beneath the Wild Sky.
Fast Route Through Katie Ruggle’s Books
- For classic Katie Ruggle romantic suspense, begin with On His Watch or Hold Your Breath.
- For K9 romantic suspense, begin with Run to Ground.
- For the newer adventure-romance side of her catalog, begin with In Her Sights, then continue into The Scenic Route after Risk It All.
- For the newest release, go to Take a Hike, but only after reading the earlier Pax-sisters books if you want the family arc in the right order.
Katie Ruggle Books in Publication Order by Series
Search and Rescue Books in Order
Search and Rescue is the best starting point for readers who want Katie Ruggle’s original romantic-suspense style. The series is set around the Field County Search and Rescue team in the Colorado Rockies.
The romance changes by book, but the murder and arson threads make the full series stronger in order.
- On His Watch (2016): A prequel novella where ice rescue diver Derek Warner searches for two missing girls with Artemis Rey, the woman he never truly left behind.
- Hold Your Breath (2016): Ice rescue captain Callum Cook and new diver Lou Sparks find a body during training, pulling the team into the first major murder thread.
- Fan the Flames (2016): Firefighter and motorcycle-club member Ian Walsh protects Rory Sorenson after her firearms business places her in the middle of a dangerous conflict.
- Gone Too Deep (2016): Wilderness expert George Holloway guides Ellie Price through the Rockies to find her missing father while a killer turns the mountains into a trap.
- In Safe Hands (2016): Chris Jennings must protect Daisy Little after her isolated life makes her the only witness to a crime that threatens to tear the team apart.
- After the End (2017): A follow-up novella that checks in with the Search and Rescue couples after the main suspense arc has closed.
Rocky Mountain K9 Unit Books in Order
Rocky Mountain K9 Unit follows officers and dogs in Monroe, Colorado. It is more connected than a loose procedural series, so publication order is the safest path.
- Run to Ground (2017): K9 officer Theo Bosco is grieving his former partner when Jules Jackson and her siblings arrive in town with danger close behind.
- On the Chase (2017): Kaylee Ramay hides under a new identity after witnessing a crime, but K9 officer Hugh Murdoch keeps getting too close to her secrets.
- Survive the Night (2018): Otto Gunnersen shelters Sarah Clifton from a violent criminal-family past, shifting the series toward a broader fight for survival.
- Through the Fire (2018): New K9 officer Kit Jernigan and fire spotter Wesley March investigate a killer connected to the unit’s inner circle.
Rocky Mountain Cowboys Books in Order
Rocky Mountain Cowboys is currently a single-book series. It can be read alone.
- Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas (2018): Firefighter and single father Steve Springfield returns to a Christmas tree ranch, where old feelings for Camille Brandt collide with suspicious fires.
Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters Books in Order
Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters introduces the Pax sisters and their family bail-recovery business. This is the key bridge into Beneath the Wild Sky.
- Any Means Necessary (2019): A novella included in the Turn the Tide anthology, introducing the Pax sisters’ bounty-hunting world before the full novels begin.
- In Her Sights (2019): Molly Pax must protect her family home after her mother skips bail, forcing her to work with rival bounty hunter John Carmondy.
- Risk It All (2019): Cara Pax takes one last bounty before leaving the family business, but her target Henry Kavenski may be innocent.
Beneath the Wild Sky Books in Order
Beneath the Wild Sky is marketed as a separate series, but it continues the Pax-sisters thread. Read Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters first if you want the cleanest continuity.
- The Scenic Route (2024): Felicity Pax chases her missing mother through the Rockies while private investigator Bennett Green shadows her for his own case.
- Crossing Paths (2025): Norah Pax, the computer-skilled sister, asks MMA expert Dashiell Porter for training after the family’s enemies begin targeting her.
- Take a Hike (2025): Charlie Pax sets a trap for her missing mother while helping firefighter Kieran Byrne clear his name in a murder investigation.
Standalone Katie Ruggle Books
These books do not need to be placed inside the main suspense-series sequence.
- Fish Out of Water (2024): Dahlia Weathersby hires reclusive mountain man Winston Dane to help find her missing sister after a hiking trip goes wrong.
Katie Ruggle Anthologies and Optional Extras
- Turn the Tide (2019): A multi-author romantic-suspense anthology that includes Katie Ruggle’s Pax-sisters novella Any Means Necessary.
This anthology is optional for casual readers. It is useful if you want the earliest available look at Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters.
Recommended Katie Ruggle Reading Order
This order keeps the connected suspense arcs and family threads in the cleanest sequence.
- On His Watch (2016): Start here for the Search and Rescue prequel and the earliest look at Field County.
- Hold Your Breath (2016): Continue with the first full Search and Rescue novel, where the central murder thread begins.
- Fan the Flames (2016): Read second among the main novels because Ian and Rory’s story expands the local danger.
- Gone Too Deep (2016): Keep this in position so the wilderness-danger thread builds naturally.
- In Safe Hands (2016): Finish the main Search and Rescue arc here, where Daisy’s witness role matters most.
- After the End (2017): Read this after the four main novels because it works as an epilogue, not an entry point.
- Run to Ground (2017): Move to the K9 series with Theo, Jules, and the Monroe setup.
- On the Chase (2017): Continue with Kaylee and Hugh before the series widens into larger town danger.
- Survive the Night (2018): Read Otto and Sarah’s story third because it raises the danger around Monroe.
- Through the Fire (2018): Finish Rocky Mountain K9 Unit with Kit and Wes because it resolves the unit’s inner-circle threat.
- Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas (2018): Place this here as a standalone Christmas romantic suspense before the Pax-sisters books.
- Any Means Necessary (2019): Read this optional novella before In Her Sights if you want the earliest Pax-sisters setup.
- In Her Sights (2019): Begin the main Pax-sisters arc with Molly and the family home at risk.
- Risk It All (2019): Continue with Cara’s bounty, because this is the direct lead-in before the later Pax-sisters continuation.
- Fish Out of Water (2024): Read this standalone whenever you want a mountain-set romcom suspense break.
- The Scenic Route (2024): Return to the Pax sisters with Felicity, whose book is also listed as Beneath the Wild Sky #1.
- Crossing Paths (2025): Continue with Norah after the family danger has already been established.
- Take a Hike (2025): Read Charlie’s book last among the current Pax-sisters releases.
Where The Scenic Route Fits
The Scenic Route needs special handling.
It is listed as Beneath the Wild Sky #1, but Katie Ruggle’s own book page also describes it as picking up after Risk It All. That makes it both the start of a newer branded series and the continuation of the Pax-sisters storyline.
The practical answer is clear: read In Her Sights, then Risk It All, then The Scenic Route.
Chronological Order
There is no separate verified chronological order that improves the experience.
Katie Ruggle’s books are best handled by publication order within each series. That protects case reveals, team relationships, recurring characters, and the gradual handoff from the earlier suspense books to the later Pax-sisters adventures.
Katie Allen Books in Order
Katie Ruggle also writes erotic romance as Katie Allen. These books are a separate pen-name bibliography and should not be mixed into the Katie Ruggle romantic-suspense continuity.
Sanctuary Books in Order
- Private Dicks (2009): Ex-cop Isaac Rhodes and his partner Nate Washington move from private-investigation tension into a romantic and dangerous missing-child case.
- Hideout (2010): Officer Peter Giordano protects witness Trevor Haas until trial, but their safe house becomes tangled in local secrets and murder.
Research and Desire Books in Order
- Erotic Experiments (2010): Scientist Claire and bouncer Ed are thrown together when danger from her lab turns their attraction into a fight to survive.
- Natural Selection (2012): Darwin Bloom and Tom Cooper face the consequences of Darwin’s engineered past while trying to hold onto a fragile relationship.
- Carnal Chemistry (2017): A man hiding from rogue government agents falls for Lauren Hayes while trying to keep her away from the danger hunting him.
- Double Dose (2017): Daphne is kidnapped by escaped supersoldiers and must navigate danger, attraction, and the truth about the men holding her.
Off Guard Books in Order
- Acting Lessons (2017): Aspiring actress Topher takes a fake-girlfriend job and finds herself drawn to the one man she is supposed to avoid.
- Baking Lessons (2018): Baker Leah and uptight landlord Hamilton move from daily friction into protection and desire when a threat enters her life.
- Marriage Lessons (2018): Annabelle and Louis slide from professional closeness into fake marriage, shared living, and the risk of real vulnerability.
Katie Allen Standalone Books
- One-Two Punch (2008): Beth’s boxing lessons lead to a complicated romance with Harry and Ky while a stalker turns the relationship into a danger plot.
- Breaking the Silence (2008): Will and Jenny’s developing romance is tested by past trauma, jealousy, and violence that forces both characters to rebuild trust.
- Blindsight (2008): Cassie’s psychic visions pull her into a murder mystery and threaten her quiet life with the local sheriff.
These are separate from the Katie Ruggle suspense series. Include them only if you are building a complete author bibliography across both names.
Katie McCarthy Books in Order
Katie Ruggle is also launching romantasy as Katie McCarthy.
- Secrets of the Omega Court (planned January 19, 2027): Lucy Collins is pulled into a hidden Varra court after being kidnapped to heal a dying omega, beginning The Claiming series.
This is a separate continuity from the Katie Ruggle romantic-suspense books.
Latest Katie Ruggle Release Status
The latest published Katie Ruggle book is Take a Hike, released in November 2025.
The next confirmed book on Katie Ruggle’s official site is Secrets of the Omega Court, written as Katie McCarthy and scheduled for January 19, 2027.
No additional Katie Ruggle romantic-suspense title after Take a Hike is reliably confirmed at this time.
FAQs
What Katie Ruggle book should I read first?
Start with Hold Your Breath if you want the first full Search and Rescue novel.
Start with On His Watch if you want the Search and Rescue prequel before the main series begins.
Are Katie Ruggle’s books standalone?
The romances usually stand alone by couple. The suspense plots and recurring casts work better in order.
Do I need to read On His Watch before Hold Your Breath?
It helps, but it is not mandatory. On His Watch is a prequel novella, while Hold Your Breath is the first full-length Search and Rescue novel.
Is After the End necessary?
Only if you want closure for the Search and Rescue couples. It should be read after the main Search and Rescue books.
Where should I read The Scenic Route?
Read it after Risk It All. It is Beneath the Wild Sky #1, but it continues the Pax-sisters story after Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters.
Is Fish Out of Water part of a series?
No. It is best treated as a standalone mountain-set romantic comedy suspense novel.
Are Katie Allen books part of the Katie Ruggle order?
Only in a complete author bibliography. Katie Allen is a separate erotic-romance pen name and not part of the Katie Ruggle romantic-suspense continuity.
What is Katie Ruggle’s newest book?
The newest Katie Ruggle book is Take a Hike, published in 2025.
What is Katie McCarthy?
Katie McCarthy is the name Katie Ruggle is using for romantasy. Secrets of the Omega Court is scheduled for 2027.
Conclusion
Katie Ruggle’s cleanest reading order starts with Search and Rescue, moves through Rocky Mountain K9 Unit, and then follows the Pax sisters from Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters into Beneath the Wild Sky.
For a direct starting point, choose Hold Your Breath. For the newer adventure-romance path, choose In Her Sights and continue through Take a Hike.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.