I was intrigued by the description of this book and was happy when I received an ARC. I did NOT expect it to be such a gut-wrenching look at love and loyalty.
I’ll be honest, the author kinda had me at “whiskey” anyway, but was still sucked in to the plot.
You know me, no plot recaps here. But the four Becker brothers and their mom are very interesting characters. The allusions to Jordan’s differences from the family and their father’s connection to the whiskey factory gave the story an air of mystery that I truly hope is explored in future books.
Both of these plot points were very subtle but were a nice addition to the romance, rounding out the story more thoroughly.
That being said, the story really belongs to Ruby Grace and Noah. I loved his strength and her grit, his grace and her loyalty. I thought the way their relationship built slowly was very effective and liked that there were nuances to it – there was emotion in addition to attraction.
And that is where the author was very successful. Ruby Grace’s actions and reactions were very true to form for a 19 year old Southern girl brought up to believe in doing what’s right for family.
Speaking of family, even though some may think that Ruby Grace’s family situation was beyond belief, I can attest that it was extremely indicative of small-town life. From everybody knowing everybody else’s business to the backroom dealings, it all happens.
I also enjoyed the references to various movies (whether they were intentional or not). I found Dirty Dancing, The Wedding Singer, and Runaway Bride, to name a few. Betty would love this book 😉 And by the way, she was a fantastic secondary character. I loved the role she played.
I’m new to this author’s books, but after reading this one, I am a huge new fan and can’t wait for Logan’s story. Color me excited to find a new author to explore!
On the Rocks by Kandi SteinerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I started reading this expecting a good romance, but what I actually got (in addition to that) was a surprisingly deep exploration of family expectations and dedication. I couldn’t put this book down, fell in love with the Becker brothers, and hope that the author continues to explore the history of Scooter Whiskey in future books, because I think there’s more to Patrick Scooter than meets the eye. Oh, and I had fun recognizing some movie references here and there. For more on that, visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. This review was written based on a complimentary pre-release digital ARC.
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