AotM: Rock Solid & Weight of the World by Riley Hart (Reviews+Giveaway)

ROCK SOLID

Amazon

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 Stars

Trevor's been sober for a year. He fights the cravings everyday. He spends his days helping his twin brother run their construction company, Rock Solid. He meets Simon when he puts in a bid to remodel his home. Simon is fighting his own demons. After being injured in a home invasion, the damage to the nerves in his hand leave him, a heart surgeon, unable to operate.

I'll be honest. I loved Trevor. I loved his struggle. I felt for him, and I just wanted to wrap him up and cuddle him. He was a lovable character, but Simon is another story. He was a pretentious, stuck-up, jerk-off!!! I wanted to punch him in his face most of the book. It's hard to root for a couple to get their HEA, when you don't like one of them. Okay, enough ranting about Simon.

The book was well written, and flowed well. When Simon pulled his head out of his butt, they had a good chemistry, and the sex was off the charts smoking hot. If Simon had been more likable, this would have been a 5 star read.

Still, it was enjoyable and I'd recommend it. I'd also love to see Blake and Jason's book(s).

WEIGHT OF THE WORLD

by Riley Hart & Devon McCormack

Amazon

The world’s an awfully big thing to carry by yourself."

Zack lost his job, his apartment, and his hope, which is why he ends up on the roof of a high rise, certain that one final step will solve his problems. But a mysterious stranger named Rob happens to be on the roof that night too. He talks Zack down, convincing him there's still hope left in the world. Zack thinks maybe he's right, which is why he's shocked when he turns on the news the next morning to find out Rob jumped himself. Disturbed and confused, he searches for answers, starting with Rob’s brother Tommy Rayburn.

It’s been Tommy’s job to take care of his brother since they were kids, taking the blows from their father so Rob wouldn’t have to. Tommy thought he could protect him, even if it meant carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Considering Rob threw himself off a building, he obviously couldn't.

Then he meets Zack, a friend of Rob’s who’s suspiciously evasive about how they knew each other. But they’re both grieving and determined to find out why Rob jumped. Answers don’t come easily, and soon they’re soothing each other with sweat-slicked, passionate encounters. Hot as things get in the bedroom, it doesn’t take them long to realize there’s more between them than mind-blowing sex and their pain. But the heaviness is still there, threatening to pull them under, and if they can’t open up with each other to lighten the load, the weight just might be enough to crush them both.

4.5 Stars 

Zack is at the end of his rope. Homeless and now jobless, he decides to end it all, but when he gets to the top of the roof he plans to jump from, he meets Rob, who convinces him he has so much to live for. The next day, Zack discovers that Rob met the same fate he was planning to by jumping off the roof to his death. Looking for answers as to why Rob would work so hard to save his life, and then take his own, he seeks out Rob's brother, Tommy. Together, as Zack and Tommy look for answers, they find so much more. They find comfort in each other, but what will happen when Tommy discovers the last person to see his brother alive, is the man he's come to have feelings for. Will he fight for Zack or will he feel betrayed and walk away? 

This was an emotional read. It deals with a very heavy subject matter, the aftermath of a suicide and who is left behind to ask why and what could I have done to help save this person, but it was handled very well. I loved that not only did we get Zack and Tommy's POV's, we also get a few chapters from Rob's POV, and this went a long way to making Rob feel like a true part of the book and not leaving him as just a part of the backdrop. Tommy and Zack were both likable characters. They had an amazing chemistry and the sex was explosively hot and plentiful.

The book is well-written, as a collaboration it seems maybe one POV was written by one author and the other POV by the other. One POV flowed better than the other. One POV was much more detail-oriented and more "telly" rather than "showy", and it didn't flow as smoothly as the other. I've never read anything by Devon, but I've read all of Riley's books except the menage ones, and I'm pretty sure I know whose POV she wrote.

While the book was dark in places, it wasn't all doom and gloom. Zack and Tommy share some passion, tenderness, love and laughter along the way. Very enjoyable and highly recommended!!

**I received an ARC from this author for an honest review ***

Tommy is strong and has spent his life taking care of everyone, regardless of the personal cost. And his proudest achievement is his brother Rob.

Rob has been raised, protected, supported and held together by his big brother since he was a small child. Rob decides to set Tommy free from this responsibility. His last act is to talk, encourage and provide hope to a man with none.

Zack takes the hope given to him from the random encounter with Rob but is haunted by Rob's death and his own inability to have been able to provide the same help. In trying to understand, Zack seeks out Tommy looking for answers.

Zack and Tommy work together to try to understand what happened with Rob. What starts out as seeking comfort from each other in an effort to get a break from their mutual grief turns to more when they start seeing outside of their grief.

Riley and Devon are freaking brilliant!!! This book is a beautiful, heartbreaking story of death, grief, anger, healing and love.

Zack and Tommy find a love that is only possible because of Rob. Rob is such a big part of this story and I did not expect that. I cried several times in the first half of the book. BUT, the last 40% may have included sobbing and me having to pause to clear my vision.

BUT don't go into this thinking it's only a grief stricken, depressing story that's going to require chocolate and ice cream. Don't get me wrong, those items won't hurt! This book is tragic and sad but it also has laughter, sigh inducing love, smoking hot sex, and beautifully broken men finding healing, life and love.

I can't recommend this book enough!

5 Stars!!!

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