Rock Solid by Riley Hart: #Review @RileyHart5

Rock Solid

(Rock Solid Construction, Book 1)

by Riley Hart

Length: 282 pages

Genres: Gay (M/M), Adult, Drama, Contemporary, Romance

Trevor Dixon has made too many mistakes to count. Sober for thirteen months, he’s determined to do the right thing: rebuild his relationship with his family, and help his brother get Rock Solid Construction off the ground. Failing them again isn’t an option. Too bad the first estimate Trevor goes on alone is for an uptight doctor with a superiority complex.

A hand injury took away the only important thing in Dr. Simon Malone’s life—performing heart surgery. He doesn’t do well with people and has no family, but being a damn good surgeon? He always had that. Now, he doesn’t know who he is. The last thing he wants to deal with is the young construction worker who blows his shot at remodeling Simon’s home.

Trevor and Simon form an unlikely friendship. The more time they spend together, the more Trevor starts wondering if maybe Simon’s not as straight—or uptight—as he thought…and maybe Trevor’s new attraction for Simon runs both ways.

There are too many reasons they shouldn’t be together: they have little in common, their age difference, Trevor needing to focus on his sobriety…yet there’s something about each other that they just can’t shake. They don’t feel so lost when they’re together. But with their footing so unsteady, forming a relationship that’s rock solid seems impossible. There’s blow after blow, and the last one just might be powerful enough to crack their foundation for good.

4 of 5 stars

My reaction to Rock Solid is complicated. The plot is intense; full of angst, drama, hurt, and emotional upheaval. Trevor and Simon are damaged, internally and externally. It's the darkness they see in each other that triggers their initial connection. As they fight to get through each day destructive behaviors, self doubt and guilt pummel their complicated relationship. It's a gut-wrenching story that I reacted to on a purely visceral level.

I'm glad I read it, but it's not for the faint of heart or a book that that I would recommend to readers looking for a hurt/comfort/heal story. Don't get me wrong, it has those elements, but this one will put you through the emotional ringer. Hart is known for her no-holds-bared writing style and Rock Solid hits that target and then some. With that goal in mind it's brilliantly written. She breaks her characters down, exposing the essence of their beings, before putting them back together in a better, but not perfect, way.

I loved it. I hated it. I will never forget it.

Riley Hart is the girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. She's a hopeless romantic. A lover of sexy stories, passionate men, and writing about all the trouble they can get into together. If she's not writing, you'll probably find her reading. Riley lives in California with her awesome family, who she is thankful for everyday.

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