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Becker Brothers #1
On the Rocks
Noah Becker is nothing but trouble.
That's what Mama told me when I was a kid, kicking his pew in church and giggling at the games we’d play. It's what the town said when his father died and the Becker brothers went wild. And it's on repeat in my mind the day I walk into the whiskey distillery where he works to buy a wedding gift for my fiancé.
He's trouble.
Dirty, sweaty, rude trouble.
No matter how many times I repeat it, I can't escape Noah in our small Tennessee town. And the more I run into him, the more he infuriates me.
Because he sees what no one else does.
He sees me—the real me.
The me I'm not sure I'm allowed to be.
I'm Ruby Grace Barnett, the mayor's daughter. Soon to be a politician's wife, just like Mama and Daddy always wanted. Soon to fulfill my family's legacy, just like I always knew I would.
Until the boy everyone warned me about makes me question everything, like whether the wedding I'm planning is one I even want.
Everyone says Noah Becker is nothing but trouble.
If only I had listened.
That's what Mama told me when I was a kid, kicking his pew in church and giggling at the games we’d play. It's what the town said when his father died and the Becker brothers went wild. And it's on repeat in my mind the day I walk into the whiskey distillery where he works to buy a wedding gift for my fiancé.
He's trouble.
Dirty, sweaty, rude trouble.
No matter how many times I repeat it, I can't escape Noah in our small Tennessee town. And the more I run into him, the more he infuriates me.
Because he sees what no one else does.
He sees me—the real me.
The me I'm not sure I'm allowed to be.
I'm Ruby Grace Barnett, the mayor's daughter. Soon to be a politician's wife, just like Mama and Daddy always wanted. Soon to fulfill my family's legacy, just like I always knew I would.
Until the boy everyone warned me about makes me question everything, like whether the wedding I'm planning is one I even want.
Everyone says Noah Becker is nothing but trouble.
If only I had listened.
340 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2019
5672 people are currently reading
17381 people want to read
About the author
Kandi Steiner
78 books14.5k followersKandi Steiner is a USA Today and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author living in Tennessee. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.
An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. Her love for writing started at the ripe age of 10, and in 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.”
She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a hopeless romantic and found herself bursting at the seams with love stories she was eager to tell.
When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, planning her next adventure, or pole dancing (yes, you read that right). She enjoys live music, traveling, hiking, yoga, spending quality time with her family (fur babies included) and soaking up the sweetness of life.
CONNECT WITH KANDI:
➜ NEWSLETTER: kandisteiner.com/newsletter
➜ FACEBOOK: facebook.com/kandisteiner
➜ FACEBOOK READER GROUP (Kandiland): facebook.com/groups/kandilandks
➜ INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/kandisteiner
➜ TIKTOK: tiktok.com/@authorkandisteiner
➜ PINTEREST: pinterest.com/authorkandisteiner
➜ WEBSITE: www.kandisteiner.com
Kandi Steiner may be coming to a city near you! Check out her “events” tab to see all the signings she’s attending in the near future:
➜ www.kandisteiner.com/events
An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. Her love for writing started at the ripe age of 10, and in 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.”
She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a hopeless romantic and found herself bursting at the seams with love stories she was eager to tell.
When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, planning her next adventure, or pole dancing (yes, you read that right). She enjoys live music, traveling, hiking, yoga, spending quality time with her family (fur babies included) and soaking up the sweetness of life.
CONNECT WITH KANDI:
➜ NEWSLETTER: kandisteiner.com/newsletter
➜ FACEBOOK: facebook.com/kandisteiner
➜ FACEBOOK READER GROUP (Kandiland): facebook.com/groups/kandilandks
➜ INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/kandisteiner
➜ TIKTOK: tiktok.com/@authorkandisteiner
➜ PINTEREST: pinterest.com/authorkandisteiner
➜ WEBSITE: www.kandisteiner.com
Kandi Steiner may be coming to a city near you! Check out her “events” tab to see all the signings she’s attending in the near future:
➜ www.kandisteiner.com/events
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,512 reviews
July 17, 2023
4 stars
I love a good ol' small town country romance, and I love Kandi Steiner's writing, so I had a feeling this book would be a win for me. And I was right. It was sweet, sexy, light-hearted, with just the perfect amount of angst.
Ruby Grace Barnett is the daughter of the mayor and was raised to be a wife of a politician. She didn't think it would happen when she was 19, but here she is engaged. Everything is going according to plan until she runs into Noah Becker. Noah genuinely cares for Ruby and makes her think about her wants, her dreams, and if she's really willing to give up her entire life for someone else. Someone who doesn't support her dreams.
Even though this was first and foremost a romance, it was also very much a book about a woman finding herself and coming into her own.I love self discovery books. I love watching people dig deep and come out on the other side better than before. And I love when they find someone who can bring the best out in them. Noah brought out the very best in Ruby Grace and made her see herself in a different light.
As always, Kandi's writing was wonderful. That is always a given! After reading On the Rocks, I'm super excited for these other Becker boys to get their own books. I'm looking forward to reading more books about this family/set of characters.
Overall I loved this slow-burn love story! If you're looking for a romance that will make you swoon and smile big with fabulous couple with the best banter, pick this one up!!
“I’ve heard some of the best adventures come from finding yourself a little lost,”
I love a good ol' small town country romance, and I love Kandi Steiner's writing, so I had a feeling this book would be a win for me. And I was right. It was sweet, sexy, light-hearted, with just the perfect amount of angst.
Ruby Grace Barnett is the daughter of the mayor and was raised to be a wife of a politician. She didn't think it would happen when she was 19, but here she is engaged. Everything is going according to plan until she runs into Noah Becker. Noah genuinely cares for Ruby and makes her think about her wants, her dreams, and if she's really willing to give up her entire life for someone else. Someone who doesn't support her dreams.
“If you were mine, Ruby Grace, your dreams wouldn’t come second to anything.”
Even though this was first and foremost a romance, it was also very much a book about a woman finding herself and coming into her own.I love self discovery books. I love watching people dig deep and come out on the other side better than before. And I love when they find someone who can bring the best out in them. Noah brought out the very best in Ruby Grace and made her see herself in a different light.
As always, Kandi's writing was wonderful. That is always a given! After reading On the Rocks, I'm super excited for these other Becker boys to get their own books. I'm looking forward to reading more books about this family/set of characters.
Overall I loved this slow-burn love story! If you're looking for a romance that will make you swoon and smile big with fabulous couple with the best banter, pick this one up!!
June 17, 2025
4.75!!
I loved this book😭 the vibes were perfect and Noah was the sweetest. Protective, attentive to her needs, helping her to put herself first. I need the rest of the books neowww
I loved this book😭 the vibes were perfect and Noah was the sweetest. Protective, attentive to her needs, helping her to put herself first. I need the rest of the books neowww
June 11, 2019
"Anyone can lead an ordinary life. . But the best adventures are reserved for the ones brave enough to be extraordinary”.
ON THE ROCKS: Is a full length, small town stand alone romance novel by Kandi Steiner. Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives'.
A slow burn cute summer days read!! Books like this are my weakness, from friends to lovers, a bit of drama, a little bit of angst, to swoony moments, throw in a few sighs, a small town, and get ready to fall in love with our hero like I did. He got my heart pumping, throw in a whisky on the rocks and I was in my happy place. This was a cute, hate to like you, add in their attraction towards each other which simmered in the background utterly made for a sweet easy to get into kind of read.
Their story started many moons ago in church where she'd sit behind him kicking his pew. She'd just been a young girl back then and he'd been fresh out of high school.
The first time I'd laid eyes on him, I was only nine years old, and he was the cute boy who sat in the pew in front of me in church.
Five years later Ruby Grace is back in town to plan her special day which is taking place in just six weeks time.
Meet our nineteen year old Heroine, Ruby Grace Barnett she is the daughter of the town's mayor and has been groomed at a young age to not only be the perfect daughter but to also become a wife of a politician one day just like her mama.
"I was marrying someone with the same political heart as my father, and his father, and his father's father. It was what my family had always wanted for me. If anything, Anthony was more-he didn't just want to be mayor, he wanted to be president. And I would be his first lady."
Ruby Grace had always had aspirations of helping children, battered woman right down to the homeless. So marrying her husband to be would allow her to put her passion to good use.
Twenty-eight year old country boy Noah Becker is on the other side of the spectrum, him and his three brothers are carefree and wild, they are notorious for making trouble wherever they go but work alongside each other at Scooter Whiskey Distillery.
"Tennessee whiskey was a part of me. It was in my blood. I was born and raised on it, and at twenty-eight, it was no surprise to me that I was now part of the team that bred and raised the most famous Tennessee whiskey of the world."
He was happily single but was waiting for that more factor to come into his life, he was striving for a timeless love that his parents had.
The day she encounters Noah Becker whilst purchasing a barrel of whiskey for her husband to be, is also the exact same day her life turns upside down as he asks Grace some hard questions which really hit home. To bumping into each other at their local watering hole, to slowly becoming friends he made her feel like a girl without the world on her shoulders, carefree and happy but on the other hand he also made her question her future..
"Everything was perfect, and if you asked any of my friends, they’d say I was the luckiest girl in Tennessee. So then why did it feel like I was drowning?"
* Teasers used are off the authors facebook page *
ON THE ROCKS: Is a full length, small town stand alone romance novel by Kandi Steiner. Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives'.
A slow burn cute summer days read!! Books like this are my weakness, from friends to lovers, a bit of drama, a little bit of angst, to swoony moments, throw in a few sighs, a small town, and get ready to fall in love with our hero like I did. He got my heart pumping, throw in a whisky on the rocks and I was in my happy place. This was a cute, hate to like you, add in their attraction towards each other which simmered in the background utterly made for a sweet easy to get into kind of read.
Their story started many moons ago in church where she'd sit behind him kicking his pew. She'd just been a young girl back then and he'd been fresh out of high school.
The first time I'd laid eyes on him, I was only nine years old, and he was the cute boy who sat in the pew in front of me in church.
Five years later Ruby Grace is back in town to plan her special day which is taking place in just six weeks time.
Meet our nineteen year old Heroine, Ruby Grace Barnett she is the daughter of the town's mayor and has been groomed at a young age to not only be the perfect daughter but to also become a wife of a politician one day just like her mama.
"I was marrying someone with the same political heart as my father, and his father, and his father's father. It was what my family had always wanted for me. If anything, Anthony was more-he didn't just want to be mayor, he wanted to be president. And I would be his first lady."
Ruby Grace had always had aspirations of helping children, battered woman right down to the homeless. So marrying her husband to be would allow her to put her passion to good use.
Twenty-eight year old country boy Noah Becker is on the other side of the spectrum, him and his three brothers are carefree and wild, they are notorious for making trouble wherever they go but work alongside each other at Scooter Whiskey Distillery.
"Tennessee whiskey was a part of me. It was in my blood. I was born and raised on it, and at twenty-eight, it was no surprise to me that I was now part of the team that bred and raised the most famous Tennessee whiskey of the world."
He was happily single but was waiting for that more factor to come into his life, he was striving for a timeless love that his parents had.
The day she encounters Noah Becker whilst purchasing a barrel of whiskey for her husband to be, is also the exact same day her life turns upside down as he asks Grace some hard questions which really hit home. To bumping into each other at their local watering hole, to slowly becoming friends he made her feel like a girl without the world on her shoulders, carefree and happy but on the other hand he also made her question her future..
"Everything was perfect, and if you asked any of my friends, they’d say I was the luckiest girl in Tennessee. So then why did it feel like I was drowning?"
* Teasers used are off the authors facebook page *
June 12, 2019
All the stars for this one
I devour it, On The Rocks has everything I was expected and even more!It was an amazing story that will stay with me forever, I have all the feelings with this one!Kandi Steiner delivers a heartwarming,intense,romantic,powerful story!
I can't even express how much I adored Ruby Grace and Noah, the relationship between these two was something magical.I could feel everything they went through.They were flirty, with tension and angst.They have some really intense and swoon moments.
I fall in love with On The Rocks from page one, the writing was flawless and at some point poetic!On The Rocks is one of these stories that will make you smile,laugh and cry.Get ready for an intense roller coaster with Noah and Ruby Grace.
I devour it, On The Rocks has everything I was expected and even more!It was an amazing story that will stay with me forever, I have all the feelings with this one!Kandi Steiner delivers a heartwarming,intense,romantic,powerful story!
I can't even express how much I adored Ruby Grace and Noah, the relationship between these two was something magical.I could feel everything they went through.They were flirty, with tension and angst.They have some really intense and swoon moments.
I fall in love with On The Rocks from page one, the writing was flawless and at some point poetic!On The Rocks is one of these stories that will make you smile,laugh and cry.Get ready for an intense roller coaster with Noah and Ruby Grace.
June 25, 2019
3.5 Stars
Overall Opinion: This was an enjoyable forbidden romance read. It was actually better than I thought it would be and if it wasn't for the ending I would've rated it higher. I liked both of the mcs, I enjoyed their friendship to more type relationship, and I enjoyed the overall message being about the h going after her own dreams and not letting them get lost in a relationship. Just FYI -- I wouldn't necessarily call this a "second chance romance", which I remember seeing about this, because they weren't together or have any type of relationship before they were reunited.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Ruby Grace and Noah's story. Ruby Grace returns to her hometown to prepare for her wedding and runs into Noah at the whisky distillery that he works at when she goes to buy her fiancé a wedding present. Noah is shocked at how much Ruby Grace has changed from the annoying kid that would always kick his pew in church and he is drawn to her instantly. Noah feels protective over her when he realizes that she isn't happy in her polished and perfect seeming life. Ruby Grace finds peace with Noah's unexpected friendship during the whirlwind her life has become and they start to develop stronger feelings. There is some family drama, some hot sexy times, and some sad moments...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Ruby Grace and Noah's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well (see closure section below).
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H (Hero) rating: 4.5 stars. Noah. I really liked him. He was an excellent mix of alpha, hot, loyal, and sweet.
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Ruby Grace. I liked her. She was smart, sassy, and sweet.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No, but heavy kissing between h and fiancé.
Cheating: Yes
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This is my biggest complaint by far! What was that?! I get that the author is probably setting it up for another book in the series and we might have more closure with this couple there-- but really?! I had so many unanswered questions and I really wanted to experience their HEA! I would classify this as a HFN ending, but barely tbh .
Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers
Overall Opinion: This was an enjoyable forbidden romance read. It was actually better than I thought it would be and if it wasn't for the ending I would've rated it higher. I liked both of the mcs, I enjoyed their friendship to more type relationship, and I enjoyed the overall message being about the h going after her own dreams and not letting them get lost in a relationship. Just FYI -- I wouldn't necessarily call this a "second chance romance", which I remember seeing about this, because they weren't together or have any type of relationship before they were reunited.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Ruby Grace and Noah's story. Ruby Grace returns to her hometown to prepare for her wedding and runs into Noah at the whisky distillery that he works at when she goes to buy her fiancé a wedding present. Noah is shocked at how much Ruby Grace has changed from the annoying kid that would always kick his pew in church and he is drawn to her instantly. Noah feels protective over her when he realizes that she isn't happy in her polished and perfect seeming life. Ruby Grace finds peace with Noah's unexpected friendship during the whirlwind her life has become and they start to develop stronger feelings. There is some family drama, some hot sexy times, and some sad moments...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Ruby Grace and Noah's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well (see closure section below).
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H (Hero) rating: 4.5 stars. Noah. I really liked him. He was an excellent mix of alpha, hot, loyal, and sweet.
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Ruby Grace. I liked her. She was smart, sassy, and sweet.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No, but heavy kissing between h and fiancé.
Cheating: Yes
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This is my biggest complaint by far! What was that?! I get that the author is probably setting it up for another book in the series and we might have more closure with this couple there-- but really?! I had so many unanswered questions and I really wanted to experience their HEA! I would classify this as a HFN ending, but barely tbh .
Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers
April 3, 2021
⭐ 3.5 stars ⭐
➾Small town romance
➾Friends-to-lovers
➾Age-gap (9 years)
➾Forbidden love
Okay, so I have mixed feelings with this book tbh. I was in love with the first chapters, but then I got bored😭 because nothing interesting was happening. BUT, suddenly the last 65%/70% was exciting, beautiful and sooo good! I know, I don't understand my feelings either, lol.
It's like there were many things I didn't quite like, but in the other hand, there were things that really kept me reading although I thought I wouldn't finish it.
The story itself wasn't bad, it was well constructed, but the instalove didn't make the love story interesting as I thought it would be. I'm such a sucker for small town romances, so that's why I chose this book. It may sound like the book wasn't worth it, but it really was.
✦ Characters ✦
🥃 Noah Becker: At first, I wasn't connecting with his character, but he kept growing in me until I fell in love with him😍
Everything he did and said related to Ruby Grace was -hands down- one of my favorite things!! He was such a great man, like damn, he never gave up for what he wanted. Nothing felt wrong about him, it's like page by page his character just kept flowing.
"If you were mine, Ruby Grace, your dreams wouldn't come second to anything."
"Because I didn't know I was empty. Not until she poured into my life."
🥃 Ruby Grace Barnett: She was awesome! I connected with her thoughts and feelings, despite the fact that some of her decisions were questionable, I understood why she made them. She was strong, perseverant, lovely and very sweet. I really liked the fact that she always wanted to help whenever she could. I mean, yes! She wasn't only "the pretty and rich girl", but she also had real dreams and achievements.
"It was the first time I felt the high of my own personal drug-helping others. It was the spark that gave way to a flame that burned brightly in me ever since."
"He was just a shadow as he held me, his kisses touching me like a sweet, soft, summer midnight on a tropical island."
"If he was a dream, I would sleep, just so I could keep him a little longer. I'd sleep, and maybe - just maybe - I'd wake on a day where I got to keep him forever."
✦ The romance ✦
As I said, it was instalovie because they fell in love in just 5-6 weeks, BUT I have to be completely honest and say that although in the first half of the book I didn't like the instalove, in the other half I couldn't help but fall in love with it😩❤️
Ruby Grace and Noah were meant for each other without a doubt! The chemistry, the feels and mainly their friendship were exactly what I wanted when I started reading.
"Those hazel eyes I'd love to stare into all summer were as bright and golden as the sun that peaked in behind her."
Having said that, some things that didn't work for me were that there weren't enough scenes of them being actually together🥺 because some chapters didn't add anything interesting to the story, and I wanted more evolution in their friendship/relationship.
Also the ending was a bit rushed for me. The author left an important problem (imo) pending, like why? Now I don't know how they solved that sh*t, but anyway, it's not a big deal😬😂
Overall, I enjoyed this book despite those issues. I will continue with the series, can't wait to read Logan's story!! 😍
"I was thankful I could finally show her what I'd wanted to all long - that she could be in love and be loved while she had a life and dreams of her own."
➾Small town romance
➾Friends-to-lovers
➾Age-gap (9 years)
➾Forbidden love
"You deserve to have the things you've dreamed about, Ruby Grace," I said. "And when you marry someone, you become a team. It's not all about him and his dreams and his achievements. You are not just a sidekick."
Okay, so I have mixed feelings with this book tbh. I was in love with the first chapters, but then I got bored😭 because nothing interesting was happening. BUT, suddenly the last 65%/70% was exciting, beautiful and sooo good! I know, I don't understand my feelings either, lol.
It's like there were many things I didn't quite like, but in the other hand, there were things that really kept me reading although I thought I wouldn't finish it.
The story itself wasn't bad, it was well constructed, but the instalove didn't make the love story interesting as I thought it would be. I'm such a sucker for small town romances, so that's why I chose this book. It may sound like the book wasn't worth it, but it really was.
✦ Characters ✦
🥃 Noah Becker: At first, I wasn't connecting with his character, but he kept growing in me until I fell in love with him😍
Everything he did and said related to Ruby Grace was -hands down- one of my favorite things!! He was such a great man, like damn, he never gave up for what he wanted. Nothing felt wrong about him, it's like page by page his character just kept flowing.
"If you were mine, Ruby Grace, your dreams wouldn't come second to anything."
"Because I didn't know I was empty. Not until she poured into my life."
🥃 Ruby Grace Barnett: She was awesome! I connected with her thoughts and feelings, despite the fact that some of her decisions were questionable, I understood why she made them. She was strong, perseverant, lovely and very sweet. I really liked the fact that she always wanted to help whenever she could. I mean, yes! She wasn't only "the pretty and rich girl", but she also had real dreams and achievements.
"It was the first time I felt the high of my own personal drug-helping others. It was the spark that gave way to a flame that burned brightly in me ever since."
"He was just a shadow as he held me, his kisses touching me like a sweet, soft, summer midnight on a tropical island."
"If he was a dream, I would sleep, just so I could keep him a little longer. I'd sleep, and maybe - just maybe - I'd wake on a day where I got to keep him forever."
✦ The romance ✦
As I said, it was instalovie because they fell in love in just 5-6 weeks, BUT I have to be completely honest and say that although in the first half of the book I didn't like the instalove, in the other half I couldn't help but fall in love with it😩❤️
Ruby Grace and Noah were meant for each other without a doubt! The chemistry, the feels and mainly their friendship were exactly what I wanted when I started reading.
"Those hazel eyes I'd love to stare into all summer were as bright and golden as the sun that peaked in behind her."
Having said that, some things that didn't work for me were that there weren't enough scenes of them being actually together🥺 because some chapters didn't add anything interesting to the story, and I wanted more evolution in their friendship/relationship.
Also the ending was a bit rushed for me. The author left an important problem (imo) pending, like why? Now I don't know how they solved that sh*t, but anyway, it's not a big deal😬😂
Overall, I enjoyed this book despite those issues. I will continue with the series, can't wait to read Logan's story!! 😍
"I was thankful I could finally show her what I'd wanted to all long - that she could be in love and be loved while she had a life and dreams of her own."
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June 14, 2019 NOW AN AMAZON TOP 50 BESTSELLER!
ON THE ROCKS
A brand new, small town, country romance from bestselling author Kandi Steiner.
Available in Kindle Unlimited!
US ➔ amzn.to/2F6GgGg
UK ➔ amzn.to/2WEAOW0
And now, an EXCLUSIVE Goodreads sneak peek inside!
---------------------------------------------------
Annie blanched. “Wait, I meant we would like to leave,” she said, gesturing between her and Travis. “As in, the two of us. You should stay. Have some drinks, catch up with people.”
“Catch up with who, exactly?” I probed. “The girls I thought were my friends in high school before you and I both found out the hard way that they only hung out with us for our money? Or how about the boys who, even after graduating, are still boys, and are already tripping over themselves with the urge to ask me out… even though they know I’m engaged?”
I glanced over at a group of guys I recognized from high school — some of them graduated, some of them seniors now — and they all looked away simultaneously, sipping on their beers and pretending like they hadn’t been staring.
Annie chuckled. “Okay. Fair point,” she said, but then her eyes flicked somewhere behind me. “Well, would you look at that. It’s your buddy from the distillery.”
I turned, following her gaze over my shoulder, and immediately locked eyes with Noah Becker.
He was standing with his younger brother, Logan, as they filled their cups from the keg. He smirked when I saw him, saying something to Logan before he started toward me, and I whipped back around, eyes wide.
“He’s walking over here,” Annie whispered as Travis pulled to the side, saying goodbye to his buddies.
“I noticed. Come on, let’s head out,” I murmured through clenched teeth, but before I could take even one step, Noah Becker was standing in the space in front of us.
“Ruby Grace,” he mused, holding one of the red cups in his hands toward me.
“Noah,” I nearly seethed. I didn’t take the cup he offered. “We were just leaving.”
“We were just leaving,” Annie corrected, gesturing to her and Travis, who was a few yards away with his buddies now. “But, Ruby Grace, you were thinking of staying, weren’t you?”
“No, I wasn’t.”
Noah smirked, first at Annie, then at me. “I saw you were empty handed. Thought I’d be a gentleman and bring you another beer.”
“That was so nice of you,” Annie said, practically melting in a cartoonish swoon.
I glared at her.
“I don’t drink beer,” I told Noah, my glare still on Annie.
“Oh, I didn’t realize. Is it a man’s drink, too?”
I rolled my eyes. “Honestly, yes. And it’s carby. I have a wedding dress to fit into.”
Noah kept his gaze on me, but the corner of his mouth twitched a little at that comment. “Suit yourself,” he said on a shrug. Then, he lifted the cup he’d been offering me to his lips and drained it in three clean swallows before he stacked the other full one inside the now empty one.
“Classy,” I mumbled.
“Thanks. One of my many party tricks.”
I waited for him to walk away, but he didn’t. He just stood there, one hand wrapped around that cup as his free one dipped inside the pocket of his faded blue jeans. I hated that I noticed the way they fit him, the way they hung off his hips, the edge of his brown belt just barely visible under the navy blue t-shirt he wore. It had a logo on it that I wasn’t familiar with, but combined with the low orange light of the fire, that shirt set off the cobalt in his blue-gray eyes in a mesmerizing way. His thick biceps strained against the fabric of the sleeves, and when I glanced at his face again, I realized he was checking me out, too.
His gaze was fixed on my legs.
I cleared my throat, crossing my arms over my chest as I shifted my weight. “Aren’t you a little old to be here?”
“Aren’t you a little young?” he countered, taking a sip of his beer as his eyes scanned the scene behind me like he was suddenly bored.
I scowled. “Look, if you came over here to berate me, feel free to leave.”
At that, his eyes snapped back to me. He pinned me with that gaze, like I was a child or his next target — which one, I couldn’t be sure.
“I came over here to bring you a beer,” he reminded me. “I was trying to be a gentleman, and I was going to apologize for upsetting you earlier this week at the distillery. But now, I’m not sure why I bothered.”
Noah shook his head, his shoulder brushing mine a bit as he walked past me with my mouth hanging open like a fish. I blinked several times, digesting what he’d said before my cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Annie cringed. “I don’t think he’s being a creep, Ruby Grace,” she said as Noah walked away. “It seemed like he was trying to apologize. Maybe you should let him.”
I closed my eyes, letting out a long exhale before I turned, jogging after him. “Wait!”
He paused where he was, turning as I caught up to him. I swallowed when our eyes met again.
“I’m sorry,” I said, running my hands back through my hair before I let him hit my exposed thighs with a slap. “I didn’t mean to be so rude. It’s just…” My voice faded, and I had a laundry list of excuses I wanted to spew — about the stress of the wedding, the fact that my best friend had toted me to a party I didn’t even want to go to and then wanted to leave an hour in — but, I knew Noah Becker didn’t want to hear my problems, so I stopped there. “It’s just been a hell of a week.”
Noah nodded, waiting.
“Anyway,” I continued. “Thank you for the beer, even though I didn’t take it. And for apologizing for the distillery.” I paused again. “I guess I should probably apologize for that day, too.”
Noah tilted his head a little, his eyes curious. “So, are you going to?”
I rolled my eyes. “Can’t you just not be a brat?”
He chuckled at that, sipping from his cup. “I don’t think anyone has ever called me a brat, outside of my mom.”
“Mom’s always right.”
“Touché,” he said, tapping his cup with one of the fingers that held it before he nodded over his shoulder. “Come on. Let’s ditch this place for a while.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
“You don’t want to be here,” he reminded me. “And honestly, I’m bored out of my mind. There are some stables down by the creek. Let’s go for a midnight ride.”
“We can’t just ride someone else’s horses.”
“One of them is mine.”
That shut me up.
I shifted, tucking my hair behind my ears as I looked around us. People were already watching, whispering, wondering what in the world Ruby Grace Barnett was doing talking to a Becker boy.
“We can’t leave together,” I said, lowering my voice as I folded my arms back over my chest. “People will see.”
Noah furrowed his brows like he didn’t understand it, but when he followed my gaze, noticing the group of girls around my age with their eyes on us, he nodded in understanding.
“Ah,” he said, sliding his free hand back into his pocket as he took another drink of his beer. “I see. You still give a fuck what other people think of you.”
“No,” I said quickly, too quickly, blowing my faint attempt at nonchalance.
Yeah. Clearly he’ll believe that.
The truth was I did care — more than I wanted to admit. Our town loved to talk, and the last thing I wanted was to be the subject of anyone’s gossip.
“No, that’s not it,” I said again, voice more steady, though it was still a lie.
“Mm-hmm.”
“It’s not,” I argued again, like a child. “I don’t care what anyone in this town thinks of me.”
“Okay. Prove it, then,” he said, draining what was left of his beer before he tossed it in one of the trash cans nearby. He didn’t look over his shoulder to see if I was following him, just started off in the direction of the stables in the distance.
ON THE ROCKS
A brand new, small town, country romance from bestselling author Kandi Steiner.
Available in Kindle Unlimited!
US ➔ amzn.to/2F6GgGg
UK ➔ amzn.to/2WEAOW0
And now, an EXCLUSIVE Goodreads sneak peek inside!
---------------------------------------------------
Annie blanched. “Wait, I meant we would like to leave,” she said, gesturing between her and Travis. “As in, the two of us. You should stay. Have some drinks, catch up with people.”
“Catch up with who, exactly?” I probed. “The girls I thought were my friends in high school before you and I both found out the hard way that they only hung out with us for our money? Or how about the boys who, even after graduating, are still boys, and are already tripping over themselves with the urge to ask me out… even though they know I’m engaged?”
I glanced over at a group of guys I recognized from high school — some of them graduated, some of them seniors now — and they all looked away simultaneously, sipping on their beers and pretending like they hadn’t been staring.
Annie chuckled. “Okay. Fair point,” she said, but then her eyes flicked somewhere behind me. “Well, would you look at that. It’s your buddy from the distillery.”
I turned, following her gaze over my shoulder, and immediately locked eyes with Noah Becker.
He was standing with his younger brother, Logan, as they filled their cups from the keg. He smirked when I saw him, saying something to Logan before he started toward me, and I whipped back around, eyes wide.
“He’s walking over here,” Annie whispered as Travis pulled to the side, saying goodbye to his buddies.
“I noticed. Come on, let’s head out,” I murmured through clenched teeth, but before I could take even one step, Noah Becker was standing in the space in front of us.
“Ruby Grace,” he mused, holding one of the red cups in his hands toward me.
“Noah,” I nearly seethed. I didn’t take the cup he offered. “We were just leaving.”
“We were just leaving,” Annie corrected, gesturing to her and Travis, who was a few yards away with his buddies now. “But, Ruby Grace, you were thinking of staying, weren’t you?”
“No, I wasn’t.”
Noah smirked, first at Annie, then at me. “I saw you were empty handed. Thought I’d be a gentleman and bring you another beer.”
“That was so nice of you,” Annie said, practically melting in a cartoonish swoon.
I glared at her.
“I don’t drink beer,” I told Noah, my glare still on Annie.
“Oh, I didn’t realize. Is it a man’s drink, too?”
I rolled my eyes. “Honestly, yes. And it’s carby. I have a wedding dress to fit into.”
Noah kept his gaze on me, but the corner of his mouth twitched a little at that comment. “Suit yourself,” he said on a shrug. Then, he lifted the cup he’d been offering me to his lips and drained it in three clean swallows before he stacked the other full one inside the now empty one.
“Classy,” I mumbled.
“Thanks. One of my many party tricks.”
I waited for him to walk away, but he didn’t. He just stood there, one hand wrapped around that cup as his free one dipped inside the pocket of his faded blue jeans. I hated that I noticed the way they fit him, the way they hung off his hips, the edge of his brown belt just barely visible under the navy blue t-shirt he wore. It had a logo on it that I wasn’t familiar with, but combined with the low orange light of the fire, that shirt set off the cobalt in his blue-gray eyes in a mesmerizing way. His thick biceps strained against the fabric of the sleeves, and when I glanced at his face again, I realized he was checking me out, too.
His gaze was fixed on my legs.
I cleared my throat, crossing my arms over my chest as I shifted my weight. “Aren’t you a little old to be here?”
“Aren’t you a little young?” he countered, taking a sip of his beer as his eyes scanned the scene behind me like he was suddenly bored.
I scowled. “Look, if you came over here to berate me, feel free to leave.”
At that, his eyes snapped back to me. He pinned me with that gaze, like I was a child or his next target — which one, I couldn’t be sure.
“I came over here to bring you a beer,” he reminded me. “I was trying to be a gentleman, and I was going to apologize for upsetting you earlier this week at the distillery. But now, I’m not sure why I bothered.”
Noah shook his head, his shoulder brushing mine a bit as he walked past me with my mouth hanging open like a fish. I blinked several times, digesting what he’d said before my cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Annie cringed. “I don’t think he’s being a creep, Ruby Grace,” she said as Noah walked away. “It seemed like he was trying to apologize. Maybe you should let him.”
I closed my eyes, letting out a long exhale before I turned, jogging after him. “Wait!”
He paused where he was, turning as I caught up to him. I swallowed when our eyes met again.
“I’m sorry,” I said, running my hands back through my hair before I let him hit my exposed thighs with a slap. “I didn’t mean to be so rude. It’s just…” My voice faded, and I had a laundry list of excuses I wanted to spew — about the stress of the wedding, the fact that my best friend had toted me to a party I didn’t even want to go to and then wanted to leave an hour in — but, I knew Noah Becker didn’t want to hear my problems, so I stopped there. “It’s just been a hell of a week.”
Noah nodded, waiting.
“Anyway,” I continued. “Thank you for the beer, even though I didn’t take it. And for apologizing for the distillery.” I paused again. “I guess I should probably apologize for that day, too.”
Noah tilted his head a little, his eyes curious. “So, are you going to?”
I rolled my eyes. “Can’t you just not be a brat?”
He chuckled at that, sipping from his cup. “I don’t think anyone has ever called me a brat, outside of my mom.”
“Mom’s always right.”
“Touché,” he said, tapping his cup with one of the fingers that held it before he nodded over his shoulder. “Come on. Let’s ditch this place for a while.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
“You don’t want to be here,” he reminded me. “And honestly, I’m bored out of my mind. There are some stables down by the creek. Let’s go for a midnight ride.”
“We can’t just ride someone else’s horses.”
“One of them is mine.”
That shut me up.
I shifted, tucking my hair behind my ears as I looked around us. People were already watching, whispering, wondering what in the world Ruby Grace Barnett was doing talking to a Becker boy.
“We can’t leave together,” I said, lowering my voice as I folded my arms back over my chest. “People will see.”
Noah furrowed his brows like he didn’t understand it, but when he followed my gaze, noticing the group of girls around my age with their eyes on us, he nodded in understanding.
“Ah,” he said, sliding his free hand back into his pocket as he took another drink of his beer. “I see. You still give a fuck what other people think of you.”
“No,” I said quickly, too quickly, blowing my faint attempt at nonchalance.
Yeah. Clearly he’ll believe that.
The truth was I did care — more than I wanted to admit. Our town loved to talk, and the last thing I wanted was to be the subject of anyone’s gossip.
“No, that’s not it,” I said again, voice more steady, though it was still a lie.
“Mm-hmm.”
“It’s not,” I argued again, like a child. “I don’t care what anyone in this town thinks of me.”
“Okay. Prove it, then,” he said, draining what was left of his beer before he tossed it in one of the trash cans nearby. He didn’t look over his shoulder to see if I was following him, just started off in the direction of the stables in the distance.
June 16, 2019
*****4.5 STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}
”You are the heroine just as much as he is the hero. And if he loves you, he will support you and your dreams just as you’ve supported his and will continue to in the future.”
“If you were mine, Ruby Grace, your dreams wouldn’t come second to anything.”
”ON THE ROCKS” is a slow build, sultry summer romance read that is sure to be a hit with Kandi Steiner fans! The plot is filled with angst and drama. Enough to keep readers thoroughly entertained. It’s got a sweet and sassy heroine, a Hero who’s impossible not to fall head over heels in love with, and a secondary character that nearly steals the whole show.
Ruby Grace is about to marry the man of her dreams. He is devoted to her and on his way to becoming a powerhouse in the political arena. Her parents love him and are so proud of her. To everyone, it looks like she’s got the world at her feet. So why does she feel like she’s drowning? And how is it that the biggest "player" in town is the only one who can see through her facade? Noah is ten years older than her and they don’t run in the same social circles, but that doesn’t stop the sparks from flying between them when Ruby Grace shows up at Scooter Whiskey to purchase her fiancé a wedding gift.
Noah may not have ever been in a serious relationship, but he knows what love looks like. He’s seen it with his parents. Noah wants what they had and knows that someday the right woman will come into his life. He’s blindsided by the fact that it happens to be the one woman he can’t have. Ruby Grace is too young and definitely off limits. Noah knows he needs to stay away, but can he when he knows in his heart she is his true soulmate and is about to make the biggest mistake of her life?
Here are my overall ratings:
Hero: 5
Heroine: 4.5
Plot: 4
Angst: 4.5
Steam: 4
Chemistry Between Hero & Heroine: 5
”ON THE ROCKS” is currently available! It’s a one-click must!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2KfzmD4
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/OnTheRocks
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}
”You are the heroine just as much as he is the hero. And if he loves you, he will support you and your dreams just as you’ve supported his and will continue to in the future.”
“If you were mine, Ruby Grace, your dreams wouldn’t come second to anything.”
”ON THE ROCKS” is a slow build, sultry summer romance read that is sure to be a hit with Kandi Steiner fans! The plot is filled with angst and drama. Enough to keep readers thoroughly entertained. It’s got a sweet and sassy heroine, a Hero who’s impossible not to fall head over heels in love with, and a secondary character that nearly steals the whole show.
Ruby Grace is about to marry the man of her dreams. He is devoted to her and on his way to becoming a powerhouse in the political arena. Her parents love him and are so proud of her. To everyone, it looks like she’s got the world at her feet. So why does she feel like she’s drowning? And how is it that the biggest "player" in town is the only one who can see through her facade? Noah is ten years older than her and they don’t run in the same social circles, but that doesn’t stop the sparks from flying between them when Ruby Grace shows up at Scooter Whiskey to purchase her fiancé a wedding gift.
Noah may not have ever been in a serious relationship, but he knows what love looks like. He’s seen it with his parents. Noah wants what they had and knows that someday the right woman will come into his life. He’s blindsided by the fact that it happens to be the one woman he can’t have. Ruby Grace is too young and definitely off limits. Noah knows he needs to stay away, but can he when he knows in his heart she is his true soulmate and is about to make the biggest mistake of her life?
Here are my overall ratings:
Hero: 5
Heroine: 4.5
Plot: 4
Angst: 4.5
Steam: 4
Chemistry Between Hero & Heroine: 5
”ON THE ROCKS” is currently available! It’s a one-click must!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2KfzmD4
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/OnTheRocks
July 4, 2019
4 stars
"If you were mine, Ruby Grace, your dreams wouldn’t come second to anything.”
I’ve read ‘A love letter to whiskey’ by Kandi Steiner recently, and I was obsessed with that book and her writing, so I decided to read more of her books, starting with this one. and it was SO SWEET!
"Well, I’ve heard some of the best adventures come from finding yourself a little lost,”
Ruby Grace is back in town and about to get married at the age of 19. She is the mayor’s daughter who was raised to be a politician’s wife, her parents couldn’t be more proud. But after she encounters Noah Becker, the town’s biggest player, everything changed. Noah started caring about her and questioning her decisions. Then slowly their friendship will turn to something more.
He was a lightning storm, fun to watch from afar but dangerous to dance with.
Noah Becker is the player you can’t help but fall in love with. He’s so sweet, supportive, and caring. He’s got that bad boy persona, but has such a great loving heart. *swoon*
Honestly, I didn’t like Ruby much, but I liked watching her grow and stand for herself. I like how she managed to discover herself and what she really wants.
"But you can’t steal something that’s already yours.”
This was a super sweet slow burn romance with a swoon worthy hero that I really enjoyed. I loved their sweet romance so much and how it slowly turned from friendship to love. The ending was a little bit...over dramatic? But it worked out somehow with this book. I really wanted the truth about what happened to their father to come out, because they -and their mother- really deserve it. But now that there will be another book, I hope that it will be mentioned. Can’t wait to read Logan’s story. This was a really sweet summer read.
*Thank you Melanie, (I would tag you if I know how) your review encouraged me to read this book*
"Anyone can lead an ordinary life, child,” she’d said to me one lazy afternoon. “But the best adventures are reserved for the ones brave enough to be extraordinary.”
Song recommendation:
Arabella by Arctic Monkeys
Wonderful tonight by Eric Clapton
Girls like you by Maroon 5
"If you were mine, Ruby Grace, your dreams wouldn’t come second to anything.”
I’ve read ‘A love letter to whiskey’ by Kandi Steiner recently, and I was obsessed with that book and her writing, so I decided to read more of her books, starting with this one. and it was SO SWEET!
"Well, I’ve heard some of the best adventures come from finding yourself a little lost,”
Ruby Grace is back in town and about to get married at the age of 19. She is the mayor’s daughter who was raised to be a politician’s wife, her parents couldn’t be more proud. But after she encounters Noah Becker, the town’s biggest player, everything changed. Noah started caring about her and questioning her decisions. Then slowly their friendship will turn to something more.
He was a lightning storm, fun to watch from afar but dangerous to dance with.
Noah Becker is the player you can’t help but fall in love with. He’s so sweet, supportive, and caring. He’s got that bad boy persona, but has such a great loving heart. *swoon*
Honestly, I didn’t like Ruby much, but I liked watching her grow and stand for herself. I like how she managed to discover herself and what she really wants.
"But you can’t steal something that’s already yours.”
This was a super sweet slow burn romance with a swoon worthy hero that I really enjoyed. I loved their sweet romance so much and how it slowly turned from friendship to love. The ending was a little bit...over dramatic? But it worked out somehow with this book. I really wanted the truth about what happened to their father to come out, because they -and their mother- really deserve it. But now that there will be another book, I hope that it will be mentioned. Can’t wait to read Logan’s story. This was a really sweet summer read.
*Thank you Melanie, (I would tag you if I know how) your review encouraged me to read this book*
"Anyone can lead an ordinary life, child,” she’d said to me one lazy afternoon. “But the best adventures are reserved for the ones brave enough to be extraordinary.”
Song recommendation:
Arabella by Arctic Monkeys
Wonderful tonight by Eric Clapton
Girls like you by Maroon 5
December 19, 2019
but why do i wanna listen to country songs and drink whiskey after reading this??
not gonna lie, the whole heroine being engaged thing threw me off because cheating . but honestly the whole situation was complicated and filled with movie-type drama that sometimes i forget the heroine was even engaged.
i don't condone any kind of cheating and there was a little bit of emotional cheating here but this book was just so C U T E.
why? because NOAH
Noah was just so swoony and to be honest, he's every girl's dream. i mean come on,
i just -
want another one? alright guys i gotchu.
i mean...
COME ON.
anyways, were there a lot of cheesy moments though? hell yes but they made my day sooo not complaining.
I just love Noah. and Ruby Grace? yeah i liked her too but her selflessness annoyed me at times but i understood her and kinda admired her for it.
"You're not meant to be a puppet in some man's sideshow, Ruby Grace. You're meant to be his entire world."
i really loved how Noah always put Ruby Grace first and became her personal cheerleader in hopes of making her dreams come true. their relationship reminded me of Faye, Rhys, and Tamlin from the ACOTAR series, where the fiance of Ruby Grace is like Tamlin and he treated our heroine like a trophy whereas Noah, like Rhys, treated her like an equal and helped her find her true self without any man or anyone overshadowing her dreams. that's basically what happened here. i love that.
and can i just say, I LOVE small town romance because i almost always tend to become attached to the characters because they're relatable and when they do mundane things i just feel comfortable? home-y? is that just me??
anyways, i can't wait to read Mikey's book because apparently it's a childhood best friends to lovers story and i could already feel the angst from his blurb.
not gonna lie, the whole heroine being engaged thing threw me off because cheating . but honestly the whole situation was complicated and filled with movie-type drama that sometimes i forget the heroine was even engaged.
i don't condone any kind of cheating and there was a little bit of emotional cheating here but this book was just so C U T E.
why? because NOAH
Noah was just so swoony and to be honest, he's every girl's dream. i mean come on,
"Kissing Ruby Grace wasn't like kissing a normal girl. It was like kissing royalty, like kissing a goddess, like being hand-picked by the heavens to surrender your heart forever in exchange for just one, tender, earth-shattering moment."
i just -
want another one? alright guys i gotchu.
"Just looking at her was a blessing. I felt her presence swell into my chest, filling me up in some way that I never would have realized before. Because I didn't know I was empty. Not until she poured into my life."
i mean...
COME ON.
anyways, were there a lot of cheesy moments though? hell yes but they made my day sooo not complaining.
I just love Noah. and Ruby Grace? yeah i liked her too but her selflessness annoyed me at times but i understood her and kinda admired her for it.
"You're not meant to be a puppet in some man's sideshow, Ruby Grace. You're meant to be his entire world."
i really loved how Noah always put Ruby Grace first and became her personal cheerleader in hopes of making her dreams come true. their relationship reminded me of Faye, Rhys, and Tamlin from the ACOTAR series, where the fiance of Ruby Grace is like Tamlin and he treated our heroine like a trophy whereas Noah, like Rhys, treated her like an equal and helped her find her true self without any man or anyone overshadowing her dreams. that's basically what happened here. i love that.
and can i just say, I LOVE small town romance because i almost always tend to become attached to the characters because they're relatable and when they do mundane things i just feel comfortable? home-y? is that just me??
anyways, i can't wait to read Mikey's book because apparently it's a childhood best friends to lovers story and i could already feel the angst from his blurb.
June 12, 2019
OMGGGGG! All the sweet, all the swoon, all the feels! I fell hopelessly in love with Noah and Ruby! Every moment of their beautiful romance gave me feels. I melted, swooned, cried, laughed, and swooned more. It’s a dreamy, sweet, heartfelt story with the perfect touch of angst that ruined me. Such an incredible start to a series (each book is a stand-alone, featuring a new couple). The Becker brothers are BEYOND yummy, and I can’t say enough good things about On the Rocks. It’s my favorite Kandi Steiner book to date. Seriously amazing! Cue the MAJOR book hangover!
June 11, 2019
"Anyone can lead an ordinary life. . But the best adventures are reserved for the ones brave enough to be extraordinary”.
There is something about small town romance that gives us all of the feels. Whether it’s the knowledge that some of these characters have known each other since they were kids, or the fact that there’s this unexplainable type of connection with the most of the residents in the small town or the love you feel when these characters stand up for you. Either way, there’s something to be said about small town romance: They’re freakin good!!
From a young age Ruby Grace Barnett has been taught to be the perfect daughter. From her mannerisms, to having a hair out of place and all the way down to her every day wardrobe attire, she was groomed to be the perfect daughter. When you have parents in the political circle, perfection is a must and if you want the perfect future husband, then you give them nothing less.
Noah Becker is a down to earth good ol fashioned family man at heart. Growing up with his three other siblings, he’s had the perfect example of what true love looks like and he wants nothing more than to have that one day. For now, he’s perfectly content with a no strings attached relationship every now and then and he doesn’t see that changing anytime soon. That is until a red headed beauty throws his world off kilter and makes him want the impossible: Her.
What happens when you find the love of your life and the timing couldn’t be more wrong? You fight like hell to make it right. This story not only showed how these characters fell in love, but we saw the most important thing that was the strong foundation for that love and it was friendship. I really enjoyed seeing Noah and Ruby Grace’s bond and I loved their banter that they had with each other from time to time. It was really refreshing to see that coming from both of the characters and I admired that they took their time in a sense.
I have always been a fan of this author’s writing and this story is no different. Her words felt effortless and even though it wasn’t the type of emotional read that I thought I was going to be getting, I still enjoyed the heck out of it and highly recommend that you read this one!
*Teaser used is from the author's site.
May 6, 2023
thanks to this book i now know the proper ways to drink a glass of whiskey. not that i ever will use this knowledge to a practice. or maybe i will. who knows. i'm pretty good at being a rebel. it's a useful knowledge nonetheless. but whiskeys aside..
this book has all the ingredients to a perfect romance. it's just a matter of whether the author cooks it to my liking or not. and much to my delight, she did. there were just a couple of things i didnt agree with. the ending of this book reminds me of taylor swift's speak now.
this book has all the ingredients to a perfect romance. it's just a matter of whether the author cooks it to my liking or not. and much to my delight, she did. there were just a couple of things i didnt agree with. the ending of this book reminds me of taylor swift's speak now.
July 11, 2023
4.75 stars.
We follow nineteen years old soon to be wife of an ascending political figure, Ruby Grace —accessory the daughter of a Tennessee town’s mayor.-And twenty eight years old Noah Backer aka the town’s heartbreaker. Those two could not be more polar opposite from each other even if they wanted to. Ruby is an uptight snobby rich girl meanwhile Noah is a down-to-earth and easygoing family guy.
I think the romance or the storyline in general is a hit or miss. Ruby stays engaged to her not-so-nice "fiancé" through all the book even if she knew she was clearly developing feelings for Noah. The two of them became friends eventually and couldn’t stop the way they gravitated -unwillingly-to each other. The forbidden/ impossible storytelling was frustrating at times and the plot twist near the end was another layer of frustration as well. (I’m willing to overlook it because I knew it was kinda inevitable knowing the author’s penchant for third act breakups) All in all,their love story was beautifully heartbreaking.❤️🩹
I loved the way Noah tried to cheer-up her confidence to show her that she’s more than a doll that should parade at her husband’s arm and be fully devoted to him.
At first Ruby’s age bothered me a little and then I understood the author’s choice. It fitted better the optic in which the personnage could be easily modeled and manipulated like the way she was by her own mother, to reflect her exact replica —always inclined to put her husband’s needs before hers and to stand behind him agreeing to never being his equal.— (absolutely hated the mom btw) and to be so torn by the plot twist and made finally the wrong choices..
I loved a lot of side characters (ofc not Ruby’s family💀) especially the eighty yo Betty and Ruby’s best friend. The Becker’s family dynamic was a pleasant addition to the story, I enjoyed their family dinners scenes and I’m pretty excited to read about each brother.
I’m genuinely intrigued by their father’s death, we might have more answers in the second book.
❛ I love the way you see me,”
“I just see you with my eyes.”
“No,” she argued, her lips centimeters from mine, her sweet breath invading my senses.
“No, you see me with your soul.” She swallowed, eyes flicking up to mine before they fell back to my mouth. “And I feel you with mine. ❜
We follow nineteen years old soon to be wife of an ascending political figure, Ruby Grace —accessory the daughter of a Tennessee town’s mayor.-And twenty eight years old Noah Backer aka the town’s heartbreaker. Those two could not be more polar opposite from each other even if they wanted to. Ruby is an uptight snobby rich girl meanwhile Noah is a down-to-earth and easygoing family guy.
“If you were mine, Ruby Grace, your dreams wouldn’t come second to anything. "
I think the romance or the storyline in general is a hit or miss. Ruby stays engaged to her not-so-nice "fiancé" through all the book even if she knew she was clearly developing feelings for Noah. The two of them became friends eventually and couldn’t stop the way they gravitated -unwillingly-to each other. The forbidden/ impossible storytelling was frustrating at times and the plot twist near the end was another layer of frustration as well. (I’m willing to overlook it because I knew it was kinda inevitable knowing the author’s penchant for third act breakups) All in all,their love story was beautifully heartbreaking.❤️🩹
"Thank you, for talking to me, for being my friend when you didn’t have to be.” Her brows bent together, a shade of pink tinging her cheeks. “I never feel more like my real self than I do when I’m with you."
I loved the way Noah tried to cheer-up her confidence to show her that she’s more than a doll that should parade at her husband’s arm and be fully devoted to him.
" She didn’t know who she was.
Then again, did I at nineteen?"
At first Ruby’s age bothered me a little and then I understood the author’s choice. It fitted better the optic in which the personnage could be easily modeled and manipulated like the way she was by her own mother, to reflect her exact replica —always inclined to put her husband’s needs before hers and to stand behind him agreeing to never being his equal.— (absolutely hated the mom btw) and to be so torn by the plot twist and made finally the wrong choices..
I loved a lot of side characters (ofc not Ruby’s family💀) especially the eighty yo Betty and Ruby’s best friend. The Becker’s family dynamic was a pleasant addition to the story, I enjoyed their family dinners scenes and I’m pretty excited to read about each brother.
I’m genuinely intrigued by their father’s death, we might have more answers in the second book.
March 15, 2021
💛🧡❤️
"Every experience is an opportunity, no matter how trivial it may seem. Some of my best ideas and most memorable achievements began from a seemingly ordinary day."
"Every experience is an opportunity, no matter how trivial it may seem. Some of my best ideas and most memorable achievements began from a seemingly ordinary day."
August 9, 2022
Take The Last Song movie, the Sweet Home Alabama movie, and the two songs ‘Love Story’ and ‘Speak Now’ by Taylor Swift - mix it all together, jumble a few things around, maybe take a few things out… and bam! - you get all the feels of this book.
The entire time I was reading this story, those four things just kept playing on repeat in my head. Somehow this book gave me the perfect comfort movie vibes without feeling too movie ish (if that makes sense) and I really loved it for that.
It had such a good southern small town feel to it - there were horses, whiskey, coyboy boots and hats, jean shorts, summer nights, traditional town parties, treehouses, small town gossip and conspiracies… everything about it was just a vibe.
As for the romance, it was a forbidden slow burn with a guy falls first/guy falls harder situation. There was jealousy, pining, possessiveness, “I’m going to kill whoever it was that made you cry” overprotectiveness, a bunch of good banter, and more.
It was a bit dramatic at times (cue in the classic movie feels) - and I’m not putting a stamp on this story saying it was absolutely perfect in every way shape and form - but I don’t really have anything to complain about and I really enjoyed my time reading it. So that’s that.
Also, I really appreciated how the epilogue was so open ended and wasn’t one of those ‘married with the perfect house, a dog and a kid on the way’ situation - I think the epilogue was so perfect for the story and it really brought the whole book home for me —— Can’t wait to read more of the Becker Brothers soon
The entire time I was reading this story, those four things just kept playing on repeat in my head. Somehow this book gave me the perfect comfort movie vibes without feeling too movie ish (if that makes sense) and I really loved it for that.
It had such a good southern small town feel to it - there were horses, whiskey, coyboy boots and hats, jean shorts, summer nights, traditional town parties, treehouses, small town gossip and conspiracies… everything about it was just a vibe.
As for the romance, it was a forbidden slow burn with a guy falls first/guy falls harder situation. There was jealousy, pining, possessiveness, “I’m going to kill whoever it was that made you cry” overprotectiveness, a bunch of good banter, and more.
It was a bit dramatic at times (cue in the classic movie feels) - and I’m not putting a stamp on this story saying it was absolutely perfect in every way shape and form - but I don’t really have anything to complain about and I really enjoyed my time reading it. So that’s that.
Also, I really appreciated how the epilogue was so open ended and wasn’t one of those ‘married with the perfect house, a dog and a kid on the way’ situation - I think the epilogue was so perfect for the story and it really brought the whole book home for me —— Can’t wait to read more of the Becker Brothers soon
July 3, 2019
4 STARS!
At the tender age of 19, Ruby Grace is getting married. And she's happy about it . . . mostly. Her older, charismatic fiance is on the brink of political stardom and she likes the idea of them taking on the world's problems together.
So why does she feel so smothered?
As wedding preparations steam-roll forward, Ruby Grace finds some much needed breathing room by hanging out with Noah, one of the the town's notorious Becker brothers.
But I'll be honest and tell you that while Ruby Grace was likable, I wasn't her biggest fan. Her self-sacrificial, strap-me-down on the altar of martyrdom personality really got on my nerves. But she was believable and I understood her . . . and her attraction to Noah. :D
Noah, Noah, Noah. OMG, yes! yes! yes!
So if you're not offended by the premise of an engaged woman finding herself through a 'friendship' with another man, I definitely recommend. This was very readable!
"If you were mine, Ruby Grace, your dreams wouldn't come second to anything."My first Kandi Steiner - and it was a winner!
At the tender age of 19, Ruby Grace is getting married. And she's happy about it . . . mostly. Her older, charismatic fiance is on the brink of political stardom and she likes the idea of them taking on the world's problems together.
So why does she feel so smothered?
As wedding preparations steam-roll forward, Ruby Grace finds some much needed breathing room by hanging out with Noah, one of the the town's notorious Becker brothers.
He was all down-home country, and I was refined country royalty.Gotta love a bad boy/good girl, wrong side of the tracks romance!
But I'll be honest and tell you that while Ruby Grace was likable, I wasn't her biggest fan. Her self-sacrificial, strap-me-down on the altar of martyrdom personality really got on my nerves. But she was believable and I understood her . . . and her attraction to Noah. :D
Noah, Noah, Noah. OMG, yes! yes! yes!
It was silly to even think it when we hadn't so much as held hands, but I felt it - some sort of deep possessiveness over a girl I'd never have.He made for a fabulous Southern hero; hot, confident, mischievous, blue collar, loves his Mama, goes to church, loyal . . . I could go on and on.
I didn't know I was empty. Not until she poured into my life.He made this book for me.
So if you're not offended by the premise of an engaged woman finding herself through a 'friendship' with another man, I definitely recommend. This was very readable!
June 12, 2019
4.5 Stars
Everything was perfect, and if you asked any of my friends, they’d say I was the luckiest girl in Tennessee. So then why did it feel like I was drowning?
To a certain extent, Ruby Grace Barnett’s path in life was set before she was old enough to have a say in the matter. The daughter of the town mayor, she always knew politics was in her future. Whether as the wife of a politician or running for office herself, Ruby Grace envisioned herself spending her life helping others and giving back. Now nineteen and engaged to an up and coming candidate, she’s finding out reality may not be as sweet as she’d envisioned.
Noah Becker was the older boy who used to sit in the church pew in front of Ms. Ruby when she was a little girl. Something about Noah always fascinated her, but the age difference made getting to know the ten years older hottie impossible. When she sets out to buy her fiancé an expensive barrel of locally made whiskey and Noah’s tasked with helping her, the two have their first face to face meeting in years and sparks fly. No, that’s too simple. These two freaking ignite! But only under the surface for now.
The truth was, I could have stayed in that old, grimy warehouse full of whiskey barrels with Noah Becker all day. He made me laugh, and for that one hour in time, I wasn’t just Anthony Caldwell’s future wife. I wasn’t a smile and a handshake and a side kick. I was just me.
I absolutely loved Ruby Grace and Noah together. Normally a ten year age difference at this stage of life doesn’t work for me, but Ruby Grace is an old soul at the age of nineteen and with her already engaged, the age difference between her and Noah wasn’t an issue for me. The growth both characters go through at the hands of the other is what made the story for me. Before Noah, no one had ever asked Ruby Grace what she wanted for a future now that she’s engaged. It was expected she’d just keep on keepin’ on with the politician’s wife lifestyle laid out before her. When Noah asks her what SHE wants out of life, a light bulb goes off and Ruby Grace begins to think about herself for a change. Likewise, Noah’s growing feelings for Ruby Grace was the catalyst he needed to make some life changes of his own.
The relationship between the main characters isn’t the only positive aspect of On the Rocks. I bumped my rating from a 4 star to a 4.5 based on the way Kandi Steiner managed to make me invested in the Becker brothers family history and the distillery drama I’m guessing will carry through the series. Sometimes side stories can either distract me or bore the ever loving crap out of me, but luckily that’s not the case here.
As a Kandi Steiner virgin, I couldn’t have picked a better way to pop my cherry, so to speak. On the Rocks has all of the emotion and heart I’ve come to expect from a good romance. Combine that with a slowish burn heat and hot as hell explosion when these two come together and I’m a happy lady.
ARC provided by Social Butterfly in exchange for an honest, voluntary review
Everything was perfect, and if you asked any of my friends, they’d say I was the luckiest girl in Tennessee. So then why did it feel like I was drowning?
To a certain extent, Ruby Grace Barnett’s path in life was set before she was old enough to have a say in the matter. The daughter of the town mayor, she always knew politics was in her future. Whether as the wife of a politician or running for office herself, Ruby Grace envisioned herself spending her life helping others and giving back. Now nineteen and engaged to an up and coming candidate, she’s finding out reality may not be as sweet as she’d envisioned.
Noah Becker was the older boy who used to sit in the church pew in front of Ms. Ruby when she was a little girl. Something about Noah always fascinated her, but the age difference made getting to know the ten years older hottie impossible. When she sets out to buy her fiancé an expensive barrel of locally made whiskey and Noah’s tasked with helping her, the two have their first face to face meeting in years and sparks fly. No, that’s too simple. These two freaking ignite! But only under the surface for now.
The truth was, I could have stayed in that old, grimy warehouse full of whiskey barrels with Noah Becker all day. He made me laugh, and for that one hour in time, I wasn’t just Anthony Caldwell’s future wife. I wasn’t a smile and a handshake and a side kick. I was just me.
I absolutely loved Ruby Grace and Noah together. Normally a ten year age difference at this stage of life doesn’t work for me, but Ruby Grace is an old soul at the age of nineteen and with her already engaged, the age difference between her and Noah wasn’t an issue for me. The growth both characters go through at the hands of the other is what made the story for me. Before Noah, no one had ever asked Ruby Grace what she wanted for a future now that she’s engaged. It was expected she’d just keep on keepin’ on with the politician’s wife lifestyle laid out before her. When Noah asks her what SHE wants out of life, a light bulb goes off and Ruby Grace begins to think about herself for a change. Likewise, Noah’s growing feelings for Ruby Grace was the catalyst he needed to make some life changes of his own.
The relationship between the main characters isn’t the only positive aspect of On the Rocks. I bumped my rating from a 4 star to a 4.5 based on the way Kandi Steiner managed to make me invested in the Becker brothers family history and the distillery drama I’m guessing will carry through the series. Sometimes side stories can either distract me or bore the ever loving crap out of me, but luckily that’s not the case here.
As a Kandi Steiner virgin, I couldn’t have picked a better way to pop my cherry, so to speak. On the Rocks has all of the emotion and heart I’ve come to expect from a good romance. Combine that with a slowish burn heat and hot as hell explosion when these two come together and I’m a happy lady.
ARC provided by Social Butterfly in exchange for an honest, voluntary review
June 10, 2019
Anytime I hear Kandi is coming out with a new book, I mark my calendar and count the days until that book is in my hands. The minute a copy of On the Rocks landed on my kindle, I devoured that book!
Ruby Grace Barnett is back home in Stratford, Tennessee and ready to marry the perfect man in six weeks. The perfect man who she can be the perfect politician's wife for. The day she encounters Noah Becker is the day her life turns upside down. Noah is nothing but trouble, and he's not afraid to ask Ruby Grace the hard questions. Does she want to be married so young? What about her own future? Ruby Grace is scared to answer those questions, but the more time she spends with Noah, the more she realizes the truth she's been trying to ignore, as well as some feelings she knows she should not be feeling...
Starting this book, I was very wary it was a romance between a 19-year-old and a 28-year-old. I don't typically like the girl being super young, but Ruby Grace was presented very mature for her age. She was such an altruistic person and I loved how selfless she was. When it came to her relationship with Noah, they really because friends first, which made me such a fan of their romance. Neither one jumped in head first, but instead got to know each other and really understand each other before more feelings came about.
I love small town romances, and this had all of the small town romance vibes and more. The town was very important to the plot of the story and how Ruby Grace made her decisions. I also enjoyed how important their families were to the story. We don't really get anything from Ruby Grace's sister, but I loved Noah's family and how important they were to him, especially his mom. The characters were built up very well so that I already can't wait for book two in this series!
Overall, this was a super sweet romance that hit the spot for me. I loved the slow burn of Ruby Grace and Noah's relationship and the drama that unfolded by the end of the book. As usual, I was sucked into this book and became obsessed with this romance! All romance fans need to read On the Rocks!
Ruby Grace Barnett is back home in Stratford, Tennessee and ready to marry the perfect man in six weeks. The perfect man who she can be the perfect politician's wife for. The day she encounters Noah Becker is the day her life turns upside down. Noah is nothing but trouble, and he's not afraid to ask Ruby Grace the hard questions. Does she want to be married so young? What about her own future? Ruby Grace is scared to answer those questions, but the more time she spends with Noah, the more she realizes the truth she's been trying to ignore, as well as some feelings she knows she should not be feeling...
Starting this book, I was very wary it was a romance between a 19-year-old and a 28-year-old. I don't typically like the girl being super young, but Ruby Grace was presented very mature for her age. She was such an altruistic person and I loved how selfless she was. When it came to her relationship with Noah, they really because friends first, which made me such a fan of their romance. Neither one jumped in head first, but instead got to know each other and really understand each other before more feelings came about.
I love small town romances, and this had all of the small town romance vibes and more. The town was very important to the plot of the story and how Ruby Grace made her decisions. I also enjoyed how important their families were to the story. We don't really get anything from Ruby Grace's sister, but I loved Noah's family and how important they were to him, especially his mom. The characters were built up very well so that I already can't wait for book two in this series!
Overall, this was a super sweet romance that hit the spot for me. I loved the slow burn of Ruby Grace and Noah's relationship and the drama that unfolded by the end of the book. As usual, I was sucked into this book and became obsessed with this romance! All romance fans need to read On the Rocks!
June 15, 2023
Quick, Only 99 CENTS!!!
4 We Were Meant To Be Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
There are some people who are meant to happen...they cross paths at a time when never in a million years they would think they were destined...but somehow, someway Fate, Life, or the Big Kahuna in the sky knows better and brings them back together to work out whatever is necessary to have their HEA.
In, On the Rocks by Kandi Steiner, this is exactly what happens.
Ruby Grace Barnett has always known she was meant to make her family happy. As the Mayor's daughter, she was raised to become a politician's wife. Ruby Grace had wanted other things too...but they all got cut short when her college boyfriend proposed out of the blue. He had all the makings of someday running for president and he wanted to get things rolling with the perfect image. Ruby Grace fit that bill and before you could say wait a minute, the ring was on her finger and her mother became a wedding planner from hell.
Now Ruby Grace was no longer carefree. She was going to be a wife and even though only 19...she had to act a certain way and make sure everything was perfect. She was doing her fiance's duties when she went to the Scooter Whiskey warehouse to purchase the personal blend of whiskey as her groom's wedding gift.
Noah Becker was part of the Scooter Whiskey legacy. His father and the original Scooter built this brand from the barrel up. When the Scooter partner died, their dad was left out and pushed aside. Tragedy happened and the Becker father died leaving the four sons and mother to grieve. They were a solid close-knit family and they all miss their dad every day. All of the sons work at the distillery and Noah is one of the best barrel makers around. He also is easy on the eyes and charming as hell.
When the boss asks Noah to handle the underage purchase of the wedding barrel, Noah agrees to make sure it is done carefully...it is for the Mayor's daughter.
Noah goes out to the lobby to collect Ruby Grace and she is acting like a society woman twice her age...pacing up and down the sidewalk with the cel up against her ear and with sunglasses hiding more than half her face. She turns to see who is there to assist her and has to collect herself when she sees it is Noah. She continues to act uppity and Noah was not going to have it.
He takes her out to where the special barrels are kept and asks her what she is looking for.
Such a simple question and it becomes a very complicated quandary for Ruby Grace because it isn't just what type of flavoring of whiskey that is at stake...This innocent question begs to ask what is Ruby Grace really wants out of her life and is the "Perfect Politician Husband" truly the right man for her. Noah asks more of Ruby Grace and wants her to see she is of value, more than a prop...and before they both realize it...fate has brought them together to show each other the way to what each of them deserves.
This love story has both of these characters playing friends who should be together. Due to Ruby Grace being engaged, Noah decides he will be the friend Ruby Grace needs. This doesn't deny the feelings he has for her...he just wants to help her see what he knows she deserves in a relationship.
Noah was a wonder and I adored him. Ruby was young and it took a realization of many things for her to see Noah as the man he was.
This could be the beginning of a new series and boy, oh, boy it delivered on everything a first entry needs. So many seeds were planted to cause us to wonder what could be happening in another story about another brother. Can't Wait
On The Rocks (Becker Brothers #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Neat (Becker Brothers #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Manhattan (Becker Brothers #3)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Old Fashioned (Becker Brothers #4)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
4 We Were Meant To Be Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
There are some people who are meant to happen...they cross paths at a time when never in a million years they would think they were destined...but somehow, someway Fate, Life, or the Big Kahuna in the sky knows better and brings them back together to work out whatever is necessary to have their HEA.
In, On the Rocks by Kandi Steiner, this is exactly what happens.
Ruby Grace Barnett has always known she was meant to make her family happy. As the Mayor's daughter, she was raised to become a politician's wife. Ruby Grace had wanted other things too...but they all got cut short when her college boyfriend proposed out of the blue. He had all the makings of someday running for president and he wanted to get things rolling with the perfect image. Ruby Grace fit that bill and before you could say wait a minute, the ring was on her finger and her mother became a wedding planner from hell.
Now Ruby Grace was no longer carefree. She was going to be a wife and even though only 19...she had to act a certain way and make sure everything was perfect. She was doing her fiance's duties when she went to the Scooter Whiskey warehouse to purchase the personal blend of whiskey as her groom's wedding gift.
Noah Becker was part of the Scooter Whiskey legacy. His father and the original Scooter built this brand from the barrel up. When the Scooter partner died, their dad was left out and pushed aside. Tragedy happened and the Becker father died leaving the four sons and mother to grieve. They were a solid close-knit family and they all miss their dad every day. All of the sons work at the distillery and Noah is one of the best barrel makers around. He also is easy on the eyes and charming as hell.
When the boss asks Noah to handle the underage purchase of the wedding barrel, Noah agrees to make sure it is done carefully...it is for the Mayor's daughter.
Noah goes out to the lobby to collect Ruby Grace and she is acting like a society woman twice her age...pacing up and down the sidewalk with the cel up against her ear and with sunglasses hiding more than half her face. She turns to see who is there to assist her and has to collect herself when she sees it is Noah. She continues to act uppity and Noah was not going to have it.
He takes her out to where the special barrels are kept and asks her what she is looking for.
Such a simple question and it becomes a very complicated quandary for Ruby Grace because it isn't just what type of flavoring of whiskey that is at stake...This innocent question begs to ask what is Ruby Grace really wants out of her life and is the "Perfect Politician Husband" truly the right man for her. Noah asks more of Ruby Grace and wants her to see she is of value, more than a prop...and before they both realize it...fate has brought them together to show each other the way to what each of them deserves.
This love story has both of these characters playing friends who should be together. Due to Ruby Grace being engaged, Noah decides he will be the friend Ruby Grace needs. This doesn't deny the feelings he has for her...he just wants to help her see what he knows she deserves in a relationship.
Noah was a wonder and I adored him. Ruby was young and it took a realization of many things for her to see Noah as the man he was.
This could be the beginning of a new series and boy, oh, boy it delivered on everything a first entry needs. So many seeds were planted to cause us to wonder what could be happening in another story about another brother. Can't Wait
On The Rocks (Becker Brothers #1)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Neat (Becker Brothers #2)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Manhattan (Becker Brothers #3)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Old Fashioned (Becker Brothers #4) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
May 8, 2020
#1 On The Rocks – 2.25 stars
#2 Neat – 3.5 stars
#3 Manhatten – 2.5 stars
#4 Old Fashioned – 3.5 stars
Well, we're off to a good start... 🥴
WHAT I LIKED
↳ The Becker Brothers! I love the relationship Noah, Jordan, Michael and Logan have with each other and their mother. I would love to be part of their Fridays family dinner and their weekly game evenings! Each of the brothers love their mummy so dearly and it's heartwarming to see. Tight knitted and supporting families are the best.
↳ Logan Becker, our dear hero. Because I like Logan, I do think he deserves so much better than Ruby Grace. Sorry to say that, because he's so charming and sweet, he does not deserve to play the second fiddle.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
↳ First and foremost, the heroine of the story, Ruby Grace Barnett. I found her absolutely awful and annoying. It didn't started well when she pulled out a a tube of hand sanitiser after meeting Noah and kinda looked down to him. She was playing a role her family forced her in, but it made her look so unlikable. Further, how she always find things to blame on Noah like saying that everything was fine before she meet him. Let me quote:
Wait a moment, ma'am. As far as I know, it takes two to tango, but whatever. Just blame it on the man. As if YOU are not the one engaged and should know better than constantly hanging out with someone you find attractive. Oh god, I really could not stand her. They would have kissed on that porch if Mikey had not interrupt them and that's already cheating and you know how I feel about cheater (they can burn in hell just saying).
↳ The whole FALLING-IN-LOVE-WHILE-ENGAGED-TO-SOMEONE-ELSE trope is not good and by not good I mean goddamn awful. I would have been totally fine not seeing Ruby Grace and Anthony kissing and making out. What's the point of Noah befriending Ruby Grace for 60% of the book but can not go further cause girl is engaged. It always ends in cheating (emotionally or physically it doesn't matter) or/and the OW/OM turns out to be a prick to justify the cheating/break-up whatsoever. In this case it was both. Yay for me. Living my best life here as you can see. To no one surprise Anthony turned out to be a. major asshole who only used Ruby Grace as a pawn and didn't really give one fuck about her. I hated how the other guy/girl always gets villainized to make the main characters look better. Anthony and Ruby Grace's wedding preparation were like THE major plot line of the story, that it tainted the romance between Noah and Ruby Grace for me.
↳ The Barnett family. Get them out of my eyes please. Thanks for reminding me that politicians are shit people and not good fathers and not good husbands. So when Ruby Grace found out that Anthony doesn't really love her, she wants to cancel the wedding (go girl! first time that I thought that she did something smart...) BUT of course that's not possible cause Mommy and Daddy Barnett made a deal with Anthony and his father to marry off their daughter to pay Daddy Barnett's gambling debts. After a breakdown of Ruby's mother telling her that if she does not marry Anthony, she may as well turn her back to her whole family and ruined their reputation. Cause Ruby is such a good girl and can't ruin her family she agrees to continue with the wedding. And I'm here like
Why girl why? You're parents literally SOLD YOU to the highest bidder. They were never good parents to begin with. Your sister knew to get the fuck out of that country years ago and here you want to play the hero?! No thanks. I know I sound like a cold hearted bitch, whereas Ruby Grace did it because she's kind and has a big heart, but her family did not deserve it. Hero complex is something that is super annoying.
When Noah said he would have done the same for his family, I get it. His family is great. We see they have a tight bond, but the Barnett's... nope you got into this mess so solve it on your own, don't drag your daughter in it.
– So the first book was't really promising, so I'll keep my expectations for the rest of the series low, but I'm here for the brother relationships anyway and so far that hasn't let me down 😂
#2 Neat – 3.5 stars
#3 Manhatten – 2.5 stars
#4 Old Fashioned – 3.5 stars
Well, we're off to a good start... 🥴
WHAT I LIKED
↳ The Becker Brothers! I love the relationship Noah, Jordan, Michael and Logan have with each other and their mother. I would love to be part of their Fridays family dinner and their weekly game evenings! Each of the brothers love their mummy so dearly and it's heartwarming to see. Tight knitted and supporting families are the best.
↳ Logan Becker, our dear hero. Because I like Logan, I do think he deserves so much better than Ruby Grace. Sorry to say that, because he's so charming and sweet, he does not deserve to play the second fiddle.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
↳ First and foremost, the heroine of the story, Ruby Grace Barnett. I found her absolutely awful and annoying. It didn't started well when she pulled out a a tube of hand sanitiser after meeting Noah and kinda looked down to him. She was playing a role her family forced her in, but it made her look so unlikable. Further, how she always find things to blame on Noah like saying that everything was fine before she meet him. Let me quote:
Noah had crossed a line. He shouldn't have held me the way he did in the pool, with his hands on my hips, his chest so close to mine. And then on his porch, he'd stepped into my space like he owned it, like I was his and not Anthony's.
Wait a moment, ma'am. As far as I know, it takes two to tango, but whatever. Just blame it on the man. As if YOU are not the one engaged and should know better than constantly hanging out with someone you find attractive. Oh god, I really could not stand her. They would have kissed on that porch if Mikey had not interrupt them and that's already cheating and you know how I feel about cheater (they can burn in hell just saying).
↳ The whole FALLING-IN-LOVE-WHILE-ENGAGED-TO-SOMEONE-ELSE trope is not good and by not good I mean goddamn awful. I would have been totally fine not seeing Ruby Grace and Anthony kissing and making out. What's the point of Noah befriending Ruby Grace for 60% of the book but can not go further cause girl is engaged. It always ends in cheating (emotionally or physically it doesn't matter) or/and the OW/OM turns out to be a prick to justify the cheating/break-up whatsoever. In this case it was both. Yay for me. Living my best life here as you can see. To no one surprise Anthony turned out to be a. major asshole who only used Ruby Grace as a pawn and didn't really give one fuck about her. I hated how the other guy/girl always gets villainized to make the main characters look better. Anthony and Ruby Grace's wedding preparation were like THE major plot line of the story, that it tainted the romance between Noah and Ruby Grace for me.
↳ The Barnett family. Get them out of my eyes please. Thanks for reminding me that politicians are shit people and not good fathers and not good husbands. So when Ruby Grace found out that Anthony doesn't really love her, she wants to cancel the wedding (go girl! first time that I thought that she did something smart...) BUT of course that's not possible cause Mommy and Daddy Barnett made a deal with Anthony and his father to marry off their daughter to pay Daddy Barnett's gambling debts. After a breakdown of Ruby's mother telling her that if she does not marry Anthony, she may as well turn her back to her whole family and ruined their reputation. Cause Ruby is such a good girl and can't ruin her family she agrees to continue with the wedding. And I'm here like
Why girl why? You're parents literally SOLD YOU to the highest bidder. They were never good parents to begin with. Your sister knew to get the fuck out of that country years ago and here you want to play the hero?! No thanks. I know I sound like a cold hearted bitch, whereas Ruby Grace did it because she's kind and has a big heart, but her family did not deserve it. Hero complex is something that is super annoying.
When Noah said he would have done the same for his family, I get it. His family is great. We see they have a tight bond, but the Barnett's... nope you got into this mess so solve it on your own, don't drag your daughter in it.
– So the first book was't really promising, so I'll keep my expectations for the rest of the series low, but I'm here for the brother relationships anyway and so far that hasn't let me down 😂
June 8, 2019
5 Stars!!!
“I cross my heart
And promise to
Give all I've got to give
To make all your dreams come true
In all the world
You'll never find
A love as true as mine” -George Strait
Those lyrics truly encompass the very core of this story. I didn’t know in the direction this story would go and I will say it wasn’t what I thought, but I was not at all surprised. And in actuality, it was the best way it could’ve gone. It was everything and perfect.
Small-town romances are some my favorites. I love the feel of the down-home goodness. How relatable the characters are and how you feel the connection like they’re some of your closest friends. The all around feeling of family you feel right down to your bones. And Kandi had me feeling all that and falling hard for the small-town of Stratford, Tennessee and it’s people.
“Anyone can lead an ordinary life but the best adventures are reserved for the ones brave enough to be extraordinary.”
Ruby Grace has come back to town to plan her wedding. Though she would never admit to anyone that it’s a wedding she’s not sure she even wants to have. She’s young and has dreams and aspirations, but now feels her role is to be a dutiful wife and be there for her future husband. So, she lets go of her dreams and what she wants, that is until Noah Becker enters her life. And Noah makes her question everything.
“You deserve to have the things you’ve dreamed about, Ruby Grace,” I said. “And when you marry someone, you become a team. It’s not all about him and his dreams and his achievements. You are not just a sidekick.”
Noah Becker, what can I say? I didn’t know my heart would be claimed so early on while reading a book, but Noah claimed it within seconds. He is everything a man should be. Kind, considerate, selfless, caring and loving. He’s a family man through and through and would do anything for the people he loves. And there was a reason why he crossed paths with Ruby Grace, because she would need him more than she’s ever needed anyone.
“No, you see me with your soul.” She swallowed, eyes flicking up to mine before they fell back to my mouth. “And I feel you with mine.”
Noah and Ruby Grace were everything. Their connection was so powerful and was felt through the pages of this book. The chemistry between these two is undeniable and electric. It’s no surprise that the flames they create burn scorching hot. One of the things I loved the most was how Noah will stop at nothing to make Ruby Grace realize that she doesn’t have to settle and fit a role her parents want for her. And down to Noah’s core he fought to make Ruby Grace’s dreams come true. And that right there epitomizes who Noah is. He will do anything and everything to make Ruby Grace happy and that the world is hers, she just has to take it.
“I didn’t realize how much a kiss could feel like a vacation. I didn’t realize how much a person could feel like home.”
On the Rocks brought the emotions as well as the laughs. A small-town romance filled with swoony moments and witty banter. With characters I couldn’t get enough of. And the Becker boys I desperately wanted more of. The perfect start to a series that is already addicting and intoxicating. I can’t wait to return to the picturesque town of Stratford, Tennessee.
Definitely recommend!
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book*
“I cross my heart
And promise to
Give all I've got to give
To make all your dreams come true
In all the world
You'll never find
A love as true as mine” -George Strait
Those lyrics truly encompass the very core of this story. I didn’t know in the direction this story would go and I will say it wasn’t what I thought, but I was not at all surprised. And in actuality, it was the best way it could’ve gone. It was everything and perfect.
Small-town romances are some my favorites. I love the feel of the down-home goodness. How relatable the characters are and how you feel the connection like they’re some of your closest friends. The all around feeling of family you feel right down to your bones. And Kandi had me feeling all that and falling hard for the small-town of Stratford, Tennessee and it’s people.
“Anyone can lead an ordinary life but the best adventures are reserved for the ones brave enough to be extraordinary.”
Ruby Grace has come back to town to plan her wedding. Though she would never admit to anyone that it’s a wedding she’s not sure she even wants to have. She’s young and has dreams and aspirations, but now feels her role is to be a dutiful wife and be there for her future husband. So, she lets go of her dreams and what she wants, that is until Noah Becker enters her life. And Noah makes her question everything.
“You deserve to have the things you’ve dreamed about, Ruby Grace,” I said. “And when you marry someone, you become a team. It’s not all about him and his dreams and his achievements. You are not just a sidekick.”
Noah Becker, what can I say? I didn’t know my heart would be claimed so early on while reading a book, but Noah claimed it within seconds. He is everything a man should be. Kind, considerate, selfless, caring and loving. He’s a family man through and through and would do anything for the people he loves. And there was a reason why he crossed paths with Ruby Grace, because she would need him more than she’s ever needed anyone.
“No, you see me with your soul.” She swallowed, eyes flicking up to mine before they fell back to my mouth. “And I feel you with mine.”
Noah and Ruby Grace were everything. Their connection was so powerful and was felt through the pages of this book. The chemistry between these two is undeniable and electric. It’s no surprise that the flames they create burn scorching hot. One of the things I loved the most was how Noah will stop at nothing to make Ruby Grace realize that she doesn’t have to settle and fit a role her parents want for her. And down to Noah’s core he fought to make Ruby Grace’s dreams come true. And that right there epitomizes who Noah is. He will do anything and everything to make Ruby Grace happy and that the world is hers, she just has to take it.
“I didn’t realize how much a kiss could feel like a vacation. I didn’t realize how much a person could feel like home.”
On the Rocks brought the emotions as well as the laughs. A small-town romance filled with swoony moments and witty banter. With characters I couldn’t get enough of. And the Becker boys I desperately wanted more of. The perfect start to a series that is already addicting and intoxicating. I can’t wait to return to the picturesque town of Stratford, Tennessee.
Definitely recommend!
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book*
June 12, 2019
I have only one question: When will the film based on this book be released?!?! 😍🙏
📚 “I just see you with my eyes.”
“No,” she argued, her lips centimeters from mine, her sweet breath invading my senses. “No, you see me with your soul.” 📚
Ruby-Grace Barnett, the mayor's 19-year-old daughter, returns home to plan her wedding and to become a woman everyone expects her to be. She left college after her engagement to a young politician with great ambitions and left her own dreams behind... until Noah Becker came into her life. 💥
28 year-old Noah works in the whiskey distillery and known as the "bad boy"- but he's just waiting for the right woman... Since his father's death in a terrible tragedy, he feels responsible for his mother and three brothers- and for some reason, towards Ruby Grace too. ❤ The two meet when she comes to buy a whiskey barrel as a wedding gift to her future husband and they cannot be any different - yet Noah learns that under all the glamour looks, Ruby Grace is just a girl, too. 🙏
📚 "You’re not meant to be a puppet in some man’s sideshow, Ruby Grace. You’re meant to be his entire world.” 📚
Noah understands her more than her family or fiance ever could, and she finds herself spending more time with him... But Ruby Grace is engaged to another man, so Noah is willing to only be her friend, as long as he can be a part of her life and help her. 😍 Beside him, no one ever asked her what she wanted... Was she even ready to get married? Was she willing to give up her dreams? Will she be happy? Because sometimes all we need is just a little push… 💣💥❤
📚 "I didn’t know I was empty.
Not until she poured into my life." 📚
Ruby-Grace is young, so there were times when she behaved according to her age, but she developed amazingly during the book. 👏
And Noah…? That man stole my heart! 😋 My favorite male type is the macho man who's not afraid to cry! But what I loved most about him (and I loved A LOT!) Was that he was determined to make Ruby Grace understand she didn't have to abandon her dreams for anyone and fought to make them happen for her- IF THIS IS NOT SEXY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS!!!🔥🔥🔥
📚 “If you were mine, Ruby Grace, your dreams wouldn’t come second to anything.” 📚
At first I was afraid I was going to read another familiar pattern (Recently I read a lot of them) about the engaged woman and the man who conquered her... But it was much more- friendship, dreams and Self-fulfillment and selfless real love. 👑😘
At first it took me some time to connect to the plot, but once it happened- I was addicted! To the characters, the story, the writing... 💃
Their story reminded me the movie "The Notebook" so as soon as I finished reading, I forced my husband to watch it with me again! (Needless to say, he doesn't like the author right now... LOL) 😂😂😂
📚 “I think I want to do it,” she whispered after a while.
I groaned. “Me, too, woman, but I need water. And a protein bar. And, like, at least thirty more minutes.” 📚
It was a perfect slow-burn novel... 🔥 It burned my stomach like I had a glass of whiskey because I wanted them to have the happy ending they deserved... 🙏 I loved their friendship and I felt the connection between Ruby-Grace and Noah in every word. 😍
There are still many open questions about the secondary plot and I hope to get all the answers in the next books in the series. 😉
📚 “You aren’t the first girl to come into my life, Ruby Grace, but you are the first girl to come into my life and leave a mark.” 📚
So if you are looking to read a romantic passionate novel that will remind you that true love is not a selfish one - this is the PERFECT book for you!!! 💝💝💝
I cannot wait to read about the other Becker boys! 💃❤
*** I received an ARC from the author for an objective review ***
📚 “I just see you with my eyes.”
“No,” she argued, her lips centimeters from mine, her sweet breath invading my senses. “No, you see me with your soul.” 📚
Ruby-Grace Barnett, the mayor's 19-year-old daughter, returns home to plan her wedding and to become a woman everyone expects her to be. She left college after her engagement to a young politician with great ambitions and left her own dreams behind... until Noah Becker came into her life. 💥
28 year-old Noah works in the whiskey distillery and known as the "bad boy"- but he's just waiting for the right woman... Since his father's death in a terrible tragedy, he feels responsible for his mother and three brothers- and for some reason, towards Ruby Grace too. ❤ The two meet when she comes to buy a whiskey barrel as a wedding gift to her future husband and they cannot be any different - yet Noah learns that under all the glamour looks, Ruby Grace is just a girl, too. 🙏
📚 "You’re not meant to be a puppet in some man’s sideshow, Ruby Grace. You’re meant to be his entire world.” 📚
Noah understands her more than her family or fiance ever could, and she finds herself spending more time with him... But Ruby Grace is engaged to another man, so Noah is willing to only be her friend, as long as he can be a part of her life and help her. 😍 Beside him, no one ever asked her what she wanted... Was she even ready to get married? Was she willing to give up her dreams? Will she be happy? Because sometimes all we need is just a little push… 💣💥❤
📚 "I didn’t know I was empty.
Not until she poured into my life." 📚
Ruby-Grace is young, so there were times when she behaved according to her age, but she developed amazingly during the book. 👏
And Noah…? That man stole my heart! 😋 My favorite male type is the macho man who's not afraid to cry! But what I loved most about him (and I loved A LOT!) Was that he was determined to make Ruby Grace understand she didn't have to abandon her dreams for anyone and fought to make them happen for her- IF THIS IS NOT SEXY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS!!!🔥🔥🔥
📚 “If you were mine, Ruby Grace, your dreams wouldn’t come second to anything.” 📚
At first I was afraid I was going to read another familiar pattern (Recently I read a lot of them) about the engaged woman and the man who conquered her... But it was much more- friendship, dreams and Self-fulfillment and selfless real love. 👑😘
At first it took me some time to connect to the plot, but once it happened- I was addicted! To the characters, the story, the writing... 💃
Their story reminded me the movie "The Notebook" so as soon as I finished reading, I forced my husband to watch it with me again! (Needless to say, he doesn't like the author right now... LOL) 😂😂😂
📚 “I think I want to do it,” she whispered after a while.
I groaned. “Me, too, woman, but I need water. And a protein bar. And, like, at least thirty more minutes.” 📚
It was a perfect slow-burn novel... 🔥 It burned my stomach like I had a glass of whiskey because I wanted them to have the happy ending they deserved... 🙏 I loved their friendship and I felt the connection between Ruby-Grace and Noah in every word. 😍
There are still many open questions about the secondary plot and I hope to get all the answers in the next books in the series. 😉
📚 “You aren’t the first girl to come into my life, Ruby Grace, but you are the first girl to come into my life and leave a mark.” 📚
So if you are looking to read a romantic passionate novel that will remind you that true love is not a selfish one - this is the PERFECT book for you!!! 💝💝💝
I cannot wait to read about the other Becker boys! 💃❤
*** I received an ARC from the author for an objective review ***
May 28, 2020
Now that I have finished the Becker Brothers series, I thought it would be time to go back and give each book a proper review rather than just my initial thoughts before I jumped into the next book. Because with this series it is impossible to read one book and not want to jump straight into the next one, hence the shameful lack of reviews!
This first book introduces us to the world of Scooter Brewery and the town that revolves around it. This is the Brewery, that whilst not in name, the Becker family were instrumental in the establishment and development of. It is also the Brewery where the father of the brothers lost his life. As such, the Becker family are working hard to ensure that their father and grandfathers legacy is never forgotten, which means that three out of the four sons work at the Brewery in different capacities.
The first of those brothers that we meet is Noah, the second oldest and sinful delicious, bad-boy barrel raiser. Who meets Ruby Grace, the daughter of the Mayor when she comes to the distillery to pick a special barrel as a wedding present for her future husband. But sparks fly and things are not what they seem...otherwise let's face it there would be no book!
To be honest, I think what made me love these books more than anything was the characters and their development throughout both each book and the series as a whole. At the start of this story Ruby Grace is young, immature at times and lacking the strength to stand up for herself. However, as the story progresses we see Ruby Grace come into her own as a person and develop and what I loved the most about this is that as much as Noah challenged her is ways that aided this development, most of it was Ruby Grace herself. Noah just feel for her in the midst of it all. Noah is just all round delightful and a great book boyfriend. Betty was sassy and sweet and everything that you want from an older character who acts as a guide/support for the younger group. And the brothers as a whole had me excited for and every one of their books.
The pacing of the book is good, the author does spend some time building the world for us but it doesn't detract from the pacing of the book. The angst level gets a little high at times but it works for the story and the steam level is moderate (the characters chemistry is off the charts but there is limited sex scenes) especially compared to what I normally read but I was completely ok with that because I was there for the relationship.
Throughout the romance there is a secondary plot unfolding which involved the death of the Becker Brothers father and in each book we get a little more towards that story. And I have to admit that kept me hooked and jumping from one book to the next.
Overall, I loved this read, On the Rocks and Neat are my favourite books in the series as whole but I loved each and every piece.
5 stars for On the Rocks and I did indeed order the paperback version of the books so that I could have them on my shelves for re-read at any time that I want!
***** Original Review*****
This was such a truly delightful and easy read.
I enjoyed it so much, don't get me wrong it has all the romance cliches (great cast of characters, amazing old woman, hero's family are adorable, a couple of good little angsty bits and just enough loose ends that I want to read the next book but not enough that I am not totally satisfied with the ending) but those cliches are great and just what I needed.
I enjoyed this so much that I am ordering the paperback copy as I type so that I have it as a reminder to re-read it when I need a pick me up.
5 stars for On the Rocks
This first book introduces us to the world of Scooter Brewery and the town that revolves around it. This is the Brewery, that whilst not in name, the Becker family were instrumental in the establishment and development of. It is also the Brewery where the father of the brothers lost his life. As such, the Becker family are working hard to ensure that their father and grandfathers legacy is never forgotten, which means that three out of the four sons work at the Brewery in different capacities.
The first of those brothers that we meet is Noah, the second oldest and sinful delicious, bad-boy barrel raiser. Who meets Ruby Grace, the daughter of the Mayor when she comes to the distillery to pick a special barrel as a wedding present for her future husband. But sparks fly and things are not what they seem...otherwise let's face it there would be no book!
To be honest, I think what made me love these books more than anything was the characters and their development throughout both each book and the series as a whole. At the start of this story Ruby Grace is young, immature at times and lacking the strength to stand up for herself. However, as the story progresses we see Ruby Grace come into her own as a person and develop and what I loved the most about this is that as much as Noah challenged her is ways that aided this development, most of it was Ruby Grace herself. Noah just feel for her in the midst of it all. Noah is just all round delightful and a great book boyfriend. Betty was sassy and sweet and everything that you want from an older character who acts as a guide/support for the younger group. And the brothers as a whole had me excited for and every one of their books.
The pacing of the book is good, the author does spend some time building the world for us but it doesn't detract from the pacing of the book. The angst level gets a little high at times but it works for the story and the steam level is moderate (the characters chemistry is off the charts but there is limited sex scenes) especially compared to what I normally read but I was completely ok with that because I was there for the relationship.
Throughout the romance there is a secondary plot unfolding which involved the death of the Becker Brothers father and in each book we get a little more towards that story. And I have to admit that kept me hooked and jumping from one book to the next.
Overall, I loved this read, On the Rocks and Neat are my favourite books in the series as whole but I loved each and every piece.
5 stars for On the Rocks and I did indeed order the paperback version of the books so that I could have them on my shelves for re-read at any time that I want!
***** Original Review*****
This was such a truly delightful and easy read.
I enjoyed it so much, don't get me wrong it has all the romance cliches (great cast of characters, amazing old woman, hero's family are adorable, a couple of good little angsty bits and just enough loose ends that I want to read the next book but not enough that I am not totally satisfied with the ending) but those cliches are great and just what I needed.
I enjoyed this so much that I am ordering the paperback copy as I type so that I have it as a reminder to re-read it when I need a pick me up.
5 stars for On the Rocks
June 13, 2019
“Well, I’ve heard some of the best adventures come from finding yourself a little lost.”
Kandi Steiner is one of my all time favourite authors and when you mix that with a small town, angsty slow burning romance, I am guaranteed to love it. Kandi’s writing is always flawless with her well thought out plots and her well-developed characters who always take me on a journey that is positively unforgettable. On the Rocks drew me in from the very first word right up until the last. I read this in one sitting and the more I read, the more I wanted to slow down, take a breath and let every beautiful moment this story had to offer sink in.
Ruby Grace Barnett is the daughter of a politician and has been brought up to be perfect in every sense of the world. Ruby Grace’s life is going to plan; every intention she had always sought after has occurred and the direction of her life was heading the way it was meant to be. That is, until she runs into Noah Becker and her life as she knows it turns on its axis.
Noah is the perfect carefree country boy who, along with his three brothers, are known for causing trouble and havoc wherever they go. He is very happily single with his no strings attached hook-ups, but is on the search for something more, someone he can give his heart to and someone he can love for the rest of his life. A trait he learnt from the love his parents shared.
“I never feel more like my real self than I do when I’m with you.”
I adored Noah and Ruby Grace’s relationship and how it developed; from friends to something more. I loved the way Noah challenged Ruby and how he made her question everything she knew up until the day she saw him in the whiskey distillery. The development of Ruby was probably my favourite part of this story; once her layers were pulled back, she morphed into this happy go lucky person and I could literally see the weight of the world lift from her. It takes someone truly special to show you how magical life could be if you just step back and really question what you have been told to believe your whole life and how happy you could actually be.
On the Rocks was the ultimate small-town slow burning romance with the perfect amount of angst. I adored this story and fell in love with these characters and their journey of self-discovery. If you are looking for your next romance to leave you with the biggest smile on your face, then I urge you to one click this gem; it truly is spectacular and you’ll be left with all the feels imaginable.
August 14, 2022
4.5 Stars
OMG! This was so good!!! I am a basket case of emotions right now and am still sniffling from my crying fest. A MUST READ!
✔️ Angst
✔️ Age gap (28 vs. 19)
✔️ Forbidden romance
✔️ Dislike to love
✔️ Snark
✔️ Emotional
I loved everything about this addictive story. I cried from the pure emotion I felt between the characters, which is a testament to Kandi Steiner's outstanding writing. While there is OM drama and a , something that usually annoys me, it didn't bother me in the slightest here. I thought I would hate the heroine but Steiner made you not only understand Ruby Grace but sympathize with her. As for Noah, hot damn was he perfection. Book boyfriend worthy a thousand times over! If you want a story that's going to hit you right in the feels and make you root for the couple's happy ending, this is an excellent choice.
I connected with and related to this story on a deeply personal level, which is partly why I found it so emotional. As someone who got married at 18 and somewhat regrets getting married that young, I understood Ruby Grace on a level I may not have otherwise. Her fears are my regrets. I understood every fear she has because I've lived it. I won't get into the plot as to not spoil it, but I haven't related to or connected with a character's hardships this much in a long time. (Also another reason this book made me cry).
I fking loved the climax of this story and the emotional, tug at my heart manner in which Noah and Ruby Grace found their way to one another. I bawled like a little baby from how perfect it was. If an author can invoke that kind of emotion from me out of pure happiness, I know I've found a go-to, auto-buy author. I took off a half star from how abrupt the ending seemed. . Noah's brother, Logan, will be getting his own book soon and I can't wait!! Also maybe his brother Mikey?! AH I NEED IT!
Standalone - Other books within series:
Book 1: On the Rocks → 4.5 Stars
Book 2: Neat → 4 Stars
Book 3: Manhattan → 4 Stars
Book 4: Old Fashioned → 4 Stars
OMG! This was so good!!! I am a basket case of emotions right now and am still sniffling from my crying fest. A MUST READ!
✔️ Angst
✔️ Age gap (28 vs. 19)
✔️ Forbidden romance
✔️ Dislike to love
✔️ Snark
✔️ Emotional
I loved everything about this addictive story. I cried from the pure emotion I felt between the characters, which is a testament to Kandi Steiner's outstanding writing. While there is OM drama and a , something that usually annoys me, it didn't bother me in the slightest here. I thought I would hate the heroine but Steiner made you not only understand Ruby Grace but sympathize with her. As for Noah, hot damn was he perfection. Book boyfriend worthy a thousand times over! If you want a story that's going to hit you right in the feels and make you root for the couple's happy ending, this is an excellent choice.
I connected with and related to this story on a deeply personal level, which is partly why I found it so emotional. As someone who got married at 18 and somewhat regrets getting married that young, I understood Ruby Grace on a level I may not have otherwise. Her fears are my regrets. I understood every fear she has because I've lived it. I won't get into the plot as to not spoil it, but I haven't related to or connected with a character's hardships this much in a long time. (Also another reason this book made me cry).
I fking loved the climax of this story and the emotional, tug at my heart manner in which Noah and Ruby Grace found their way to one another. I bawled like a little baby from how perfect it was. If an author can invoke that kind of emotion from me out of pure happiness, I know I've found a go-to, auto-buy author. I took off a half star from how abrupt the ending seemed. . Noah's brother, Logan, will be getting his own book soon and I can't wait!! Also maybe his brother Mikey?! AH I NEED IT!
Standalone - Other books within series:
Book 1: On the Rocks → 4.5 Stars
Book 2: Neat → 4 Stars
Book 3: Manhattan → 4 Stars
Book 4: Old Fashioned → 4 Stars
April 17, 2020
I got it why many readers fall in love with this series. I have to admit I also swoon. This is a very beautiful story of finding yourself and set your heart free to love someone your hearts wanted. The author done a good job contrasing obligation and love.
I like Noah. He is that perfect friend/ boyfriend you wish you have growing up. Someone who always hold you close and understand you no matter what. Someone who can see with his entire soul.
The story itself is simple. The slow chemistry between Ruby Grace and Noah is really eye opener. Its slow but very romantic. I can not help myself falling in love too.
In short this is a very good read to start my weekend.
4 stars
I like Noah. He is that perfect friend/ boyfriend you wish you have growing up. Someone who always hold you close and understand you no matter what. Someone who can see with his entire soul.
The story itself is simple. The slow chemistry between Ruby Grace and Noah is really eye opener. Its slow but very romantic. I can not help myself falling in love too.
In short this is a very good read to start my weekend.
4 stars
June 12, 2019
Title: On The Rocks
Author: Kandi Steiner
Kandi Steiner has never let me down with her books and this one is no different.
She has come to become one of my favourite authors... a one-click buy ...she never disappoints.
On the Rocks is a splendid small town romance that just oozes everything we love about a romance story. A slow burn romance that has just the right amount of angst, forbidden love, an age-gap and an emotional storyline that captures your attentions and hooks you until the very end.
I feel like if they make a movie out of Noah and Ruby's story, I would watch it again and again. It's truly a wonderfully romantic story that just gives you all those goosebumps and the rush of feelings you want (and need) from a small town romance.
I admit, I loved the characters and the plot line but the piece de la resistance for me was the ending. Oh gosh did I enjoy the ending and I think a lot of people would appreciate the empowering ending to the storyline too.
March 20, 2020
**2.5 Stars**
The Becker Brothers! Their bond and the family dynamics were amazing. Also their close bond to their mother after their father’s death was a highlight for me. It’s obvious to see and feel that his death shook them all and they had to step up and take responsibility. Their chats, them playing cards and when their mother gave them advice was where I felt emotion from the characters.
Sadly the romance aspect of the story didn’t work for me at all and I’m very disappointed. I think it’s because I didn’t like or connected with Ruby Grace. There’s a nine year age gap between her and Noah, she’s nineteen and he’s twenty eight, but for some reason it felt more. Her getting married at nineteen was a little far fetched too. She just came off a little immature. They’ve known each other from when Ruby Grace was a kid but it didn’t work in their favor connection wise. It only made the chemistry between them feel forced and awkward. I needed more build up.The overall story was okay though fairly predictable.
I’ve read other books from this author which I adored so it pains me that On The Rocks didn’t work for me. Thankfully Steiner has laid some good foundation for the other Becker siblings, so I’m going to continue reading this series cause their family bond is what made this book shine. I’m clearly in the minority so don’t let my review stop you from reading On The Rocks.
2.5 stars
The Becker Brothers! Their bond and the family dynamics were amazing. Also their close bond to their mother after their father’s death was a highlight for me. It’s obvious to see and feel that his death shook them all and they had to step up and take responsibility. Their chats, them playing cards and when their mother gave them advice was where I felt emotion from the characters.
Sadly the romance aspect of the story didn’t work for me at all and I’m very disappointed. I think it’s because I didn’t like or connected with Ruby Grace. There’s a nine year age gap between her and Noah, she’s nineteen and he’s twenty eight, but for some reason it felt more. Her getting married at nineteen was a little far fetched too. She just came off a little immature. They’ve known each other from when Ruby Grace was a kid but it didn’t work in their favor connection wise. It only made the chemistry between them feel forced and awkward. I needed more build up.The overall story was okay though fairly predictable.
I’ve read other books from this author which I adored so it pains me that On The Rocks didn’t work for me. Thankfully Steiner has laid some good foundation for the other Becker siblings, so I’m going to continue reading this series cause their family bond is what made this book shine. I’m clearly in the minority so don’t let my review stop you from reading On The Rocks.
2.5 stars
June 11, 2019
Release Date: June 13, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
SO. DAMN. GOOD!!!! WOW. Kandi Steiner blew me away with On the Rocks! The slow burn, the angst, the indecision, the LOVE. WOAH! I am in complete awe right now. This book is EVERYTHING. I haven't read one of her books in a while now and decided to read an early copy because I enjoyed the books in her Palm South University series. But this one is so DIFFERENT. So BEAUTIFUL. And such a PERFECT forbidden love story! I just can't even fathom what some of her other contemporary romances are like. If they are like this you can guarantee I will be binge reading them soon! Gah! It's just so good. Clearly, I highly recommend this one. It's a top favorite of 2019!!!
On the Rocks combines some of my favorite tropes in the romance genre:
• Age Gap
• Forbidden
• Slow Burn
And it's a southern romance. - YES!!!!!
So imagine my delight when I realized all of this was combined into this beautiful love story! I was ecstatic. Kandi Steiner doesn't hold back in this one. Her characters are raw, honest, and entirely believable. I can understand why certain decisions were made and then later regretted. I can understand the indecision, the torture (on the soul, not in a scary or dark way), and the hurt. And I can also understand why in the end, the characters opened their eyes and hearts even if it was at the cost of others (although I don't think this "cost at others expenses" was their burden to bare). Readers will feel the emotions, the butterflies, and everything else within these pages because of how it it written! It's truly amazing!
I won't get into the plot of the story too much. But I'll say that there is a forbidden romance that occurs within the book that will take you on an emotional roller coaster to an HEA. I only wanted to throw my iPad once LOL.
If you have a chance to read On the Rocks I highly recommend it! I can't even begin to describe how amazing this book felt to me. And as a blogger who reads A LOT of books, this means so much! Make sure to grab your copy when it goes live on June 13, 2019!
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
SO. DAMN. GOOD!!!! WOW. Kandi Steiner blew me away with On the Rocks! The slow burn, the angst, the indecision, the LOVE. WOAH! I am in complete awe right now. This book is EVERYTHING. I haven't read one of her books in a while now and decided to read an early copy because I enjoyed the books in her Palm South University series. But this one is so DIFFERENT. So BEAUTIFUL. And such a PERFECT forbidden love story! I just can't even fathom what some of her other contemporary romances are like. If they are like this you can guarantee I will be binge reading them soon! Gah! It's just so good. Clearly, I highly recommend this one. It's a top favorite of 2019!!!
On the Rocks combines some of my favorite tropes in the romance genre:
• Age Gap
• Forbidden
• Slow Burn
And it's a southern romance. - YES!!!!!
So imagine my delight when I realized all of this was combined into this beautiful love story! I was ecstatic. Kandi Steiner doesn't hold back in this one. Her characters are raw, honest, and entirely believable. I can understand why certain decisions were made and then later regretted. I can understand the indecision, the torture (on the soul, not in a scary or dark way), and the hurt. And I can also understand why in the end, the characters opened their eyes and hearts even if it was at the cost of others (although I don't think this "cost at others expenses" was their burden to bare). Readers will feel the emotions, the butterflies, and everything else within these pages because of how it it written! It's truly amazing!
I won't get into the plot of the story too much. But I'll say that there is a forbidden romance that occurs within the book that will take you on an emotional roller coaster to an HEA. I only wanted to throw my iPad once LOL.
If you have a chance to read On the Rocks I highly recommend it! I can't even begin to describe how amazing this book felt to me. And as a blogger who reads A LOT of books, this means so much! Make sure to grab your copy when it goes live on June 13, 2019!
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