I have been putting off reading this series until all three books were out. I knew I would want to binge read them, as Kandi just has a way of making you fall in love with her characters. On the Rocks was exactly what I needed right now with everything going on in the world.

I really loved the romance between Ruby Grace and Noah. I did want a little more around the bad boy Noah though as you really do not get much about his back story (besides with his family). Speaking of family, I really enjoyed how positive Noah and his family life was portrayed. He had a positive relationship with both his mother and deceased father. The little glimpses we get into this story were very heart warming.

This one is hard for me to explain. So much happens with Ruby Grace, but not much really happens within the story at the same time. I do not know how to explain that though. I am really happy to know there are several more books following the brothers though. You get very little of them within this story and I was expecting a little more buildup.

Overall, I still really loved this one and cannot wait to jump into the next one. ( )

4 .2 stars

Beautiful story with all the southern charm I've come to love from this author. This book didn't have the tug at my heartstrings moments that I've come to expect from this other though. The ending was a HFN as well but it still was good. ( )

I wanted to love this, but it just didn't hold my interest. I found myself skimming and looking ahead. Maybe it just wasn't the right time for me to read this and another day I would have been more into it. This is the first book in a new series by this author. I may try the next to see if my interest changes. Go ahead and read On the Rocks if you are a fan of NA romance. ( )

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4.25 Stars

Stratford, Tennessee is known for its whiskey and in the town you're known by your last name and your reputation. Noah Becker's is simple; he's wild, he's the handsomest barrel raiser around, and his last name no longer sits at the top with the Scooter's and the Barnett's. Ruby Grace Barnett, daughter of the mayor and engaged to a future president, is all legs, confidence, and wedded bliss. At least, that's what she wants people to see, for some reason Noah is able to see her drowning, able to see her desires and wishes, able to pull honesty from her mouth. What starts as a friendship gives way to something more, but the ring on Ruby Grace's finger keeps her in line, until a devastating revelation shakes her world to its core. Noah doesn't know how to be her friend when she's all he can think about, but Ruby Grace holds all the answers and power, she's the one who gets to choose what her forever looks like. Is she meant to be the politician's wife or is she meant to chase her dreams, the ones she's set aside for a future mapped for her?

"It was always in the cards for me. And it was all I ever wanted. At least, that's what I thought."

On the Rocks by Kandi Steiner is both classic Kandi-angst while also somehow being a totally unique story from her. Ruby Grace is a picture of, well her middle name, grace, while Noah is the country boy with dirty jeans and a taste for whiskey, Tennessee whiskey. They're on two different paths and yet in the heat of summer, under the pressure of wedding planning and questions of what's next, those paths cross. I loved these two, I loved how even with such a big age gap they feel so alike. Kandi Steiner perfectly captured that small town atmosphere, I know, I live in one now. Everyone knows everyone, gossip is hot off the press daily, and age doesn't mean a thing when you're out in the woods by the fire. These two just click, with Ruby Grace alighting something in Noah he'd started doubting he'd fine, and Noah making Ruby Grace realize her hopes and dreams are valid. Their friendship isn't easy, you might not believe me when I say these two throw insults at each other quite often, but the passion between them is. I don't mean lust passion either, though that's there, they both have a passion for life that is often a missing characteristic in book characters. These two come alive under the summer sun, under the night sky, in the lake and in the pool, as they take on adventures together unaware, or maybe unprepared to admit, where their friendship is heading.

"'No, you see me with your soul.' She swallowed, eyes flicking up to mine before they fell back to mouth. 'And I feel you with mine.'"

Okay, okay, I know so many of my reader fans are absolutely against all things OW/OM, but Kandi hit this out of the park. At its base, this is friendship and lust, and a coming-of-age moment that maybe could've been avoided had Ruby Grace's life not been flying at the speed of light towards collision with her unable to control the direction. This is youthfulness, recklessness, and above all, an all-consuming feeling of being out of place that drives the characters in this direction. This isn't the easy path, this isn't just one night, Kandi Steiner perfectly captures the dread, the fear, the angst that can drive two together when everything is falling apart. More than that, things don't come to a head until, in my opinion, things are irreparable anyway.

"His dark hair in my hands, my dark heart in his."

On the Rocks isn't your typical contemporary romance, no this one is filled to the top with angst, but it's the kind of angst that doesn't come just from falling in love. Kandi Steiner tackles family honor, expectations, and the fear of facing one's future so perfectly. It's a small town story with both romance and scandal and coming-of-age weaved into the pages. It's a book about owning one's truth and figuring out the rest along the way. I so enjoyed this book and am so excited to see what the other Becker brothers have in store for us.

ARC provided. ( )