On the Rocks, an all-new standalone contemporary romance by Kandi Steiner is LIVE!
On the Rocks
by Kandi Steiner
Release Date: June 13, 2019
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 said Noah Becker was nothing but
trouble.
If only I had listened.
A stand-alone, contemporary romance.
My review: 5 stars
Small town romances are catnip for me, and On the Rocks was an excellent serving! The whiskey distillery was such a unique backdrop and both Ruby Grace and Noah were well developed and the slow burn of their developing romance and attraction was delicious. I'm looking forward to getting to know the other Becker brothers in what I hope are books of their own. Each brother has their own personality and adds to the story. Betty was a fantastic side character I hope we see more of as well.
Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Excerpt:
I watched
from the sidelines as Betty schooled Noah on the final dance scene from the
classic movie — and one of her favorites. Noah, bless his heart, took it in
stride. He held her hands, spun her gently, even went under water completely to
give Betty some sort of “lift” that made her feel like Jennifer Grey.
That was
when her smile was the largest — her eyes closed, face cast upward, arms out in
the same iconic flight stance that the actress had done.
If I wasn’t
laughing so hard, I might have cried at the sentiment.
After a
dozen more run throughs, Betty called for a break, and the two of them swam up
to the side of the pool where I sat. Betty took the lemonade I offered her,
sipping and hollering across the pool at Mr. Buchanan — who was seated under
the umbrellas. Noah rested his arms on the concrete edge, crossing them and
resting his head on his forearm before he peered up at me through lashes still
dripping with water.
His eyes
were an endless blue, the light from the pool reflecting off them like a
tropical dream.
“Enjoying
your entertainment this afternoon, Miss. Barnett?”
I bit my lip
against a smile. “Very much so, Mr. Becker. I never knew you were such a great
dancer.”
“Oh, you
should see me on the actual dance floor. I can two step and waltz and cha cha
with the best of them. And don’t even get me started on what happens when
‘Watermelon Crawl’ comes on.”
“I’m sure
it’s quite entertaining,” I mused, still dangling my feet in the cool water.
“When do I
get to see your dance moves?”
I barked out
a laugh at that. “Um, that would be approximately… never.”
“Never?” he
asked, popping his head up off his arms with a look of injustice. “But you’ve
seen all my moves, now. I show you mine, you show me yours. Isn’t that the
deal?”
“I never
agreed to that.”
He narrowed
his eyes, running his forefinger and thumb over the stubble on his chin before
he nodded. “I see…” Then, a wicked gleam came over those blue steel eyes, and
before I could so much as scream, his hand wrapped around my wrist, tugging
forward until I was off the ledge and under water.
I popped up
instantly, not even able to open my eyes against the chlorine yet before I was
swinging at him. “Noah!”
He laughed,
catching my advances easily and pulling me into him. I blinked several times,
shaking the drops from my eyes before I glared up at him.
“You jerk.
Mama’s going to kill me for ruining my hair.”
“Mama will
live,” he said, and then one arm wrapped around my waist, the other taking my
hand in a leading position. “Now, let’s dance, little lady.”
With one
pull of my hand and push of my hip, I spun away from him, reeling back in like
a yo-yo and falling in line with his steps before I realized what was
happening. Surprise ripped through me, brows shooting up to my hairline as he
somehow managed to smoothly twirl me around that metaphorical dance floor even
with water hitting us waist deep. My feet felt sluggish, the moves slower than
if we were in boots on a hardwood floor, but somehow, that made it even more
fun.
I laughed
and laughed as he danced me around — until he had the bright idea to flip me
like a swing dancer. I emerged from the water beating on his chest again, which
just made him laugh harder. And when we were breathless, Noah tugged me to the
side of the pool again.
“Thank you
for the dance,” he said, both of us still breathing heavily as he wrapped his
strong, rugged hands around my waist. For a moment, he just held them there,
the rough pad of his thumbs smoothing over my exposed hip bones. My smile fell,
chest still heaving as my eyes slipped to his lips.
I didn’t
know why I looked at them.
I didn’t
know why I couldn’t look away.
Noah
swallowed, tightening his grip on my hips before he lowered in the water a
little and helped push me back up onto the edge of the pool where I’d been
seated before. Once I was steady, he released his hold on me, backing away with
a distant look in his eyes that I couldn’t decipher before he tore them from me
and looked at Betty, instead.
About Kandi:
Kandi Steiner is a bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in
Tampa, FL. 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. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first
Harry Potter installment. 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 diehard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the
challenges of love as well as the triumphs.
When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds,
talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and
family. She enjoys live music, traveling, anything heavy in carbs, beach days,
movie marathons, craft beer, and sweet wine — not necessarily in that order.
Connect with Kandi:
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:
Emma Hart is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels and has been translated into several different languages.
She is a mother, wife, lover of wine, Pink Goddess, and valiant rescuer of wild baby hedgehogs.
Emma prides herself on her realistic, snarky smut, with comebacks that would make a PMS-ing teenage girl proud.
Yes, really. She's that sarcastic.
