Lovin' los libros

Welcome to my stop on the On Solid Ground blog tour hosted by Xpresso Tours!

To see the full tour schedule please click HERE.

 

My Review:

 

I read and reviewed MK's In Too Deep earlier in the year and it was such an emotionally, heartbreaking story. Our main character Gracie has been through so much, so when I saw MK was writing a sequel my heart skipped a few beats. She has been beaten down emotionally and physically by her ex-boyfriend Noah and I hated how he manipulated her. Her self-confidence and self-esteem have been shredded to pieces by this guy. While Gracie has finally broken the vicious cycle known as Noah Foster, she is still dealing with the aftermath he has left. I was so proud of her at the end of the first book and I love that she is learning to stand on her own two feet. The best part? She doesn't have to do it alone. As I said before, she has a great support system- and her biggest cheerleader of all happens to be Jake Rockwell, Noah's former friend.

 

All I can say is this: JAKE. <3 Damn, I have so much love for that boy. SO. MUCH. LOVE. In the first book Jake understood that Gracie needed to be the one to take charge and cut ties with Noah. As much as it killed him to give her tough love, she really needed it in the end. Their relationship with each other is absolutely beautiful and it shows Gracie that love can be pure and healthy. This is something she never had with Noah.

 

Jake and Gracie's relationship is really tested in On Solid Ground. Gracie is still haunted by nightmares of Noah and she hates that she haves these nightmares while she's safe in Jake's arms. She should be able to give her whole heart to him- not one that has been fractured by Noah. This really eats away at her and she begins to question whether or not she jumped into a relationship with Jake too fast after she finally let go of Noah. She wonders if she's getting better because she has the strength to or if it's because she has Jake to constantly lean on. As much as Gracie loves Jake, she knows that she has to focus on her healing and growing stronger. In order to do that, Gracie must make some decisions regarding their relationship that will test them both in ways they never thought possible.

 

Watching Gracie transform from a broken, shattered girl to a strong, vibrant, self-assured woman is absolutely my favorite part of this book. She has so many good people in her corner that are there to encourage and help her along the way, but ultimately she is the one who has to make peace with her past and we see her take steps to do that in a variety of ways. Music is such a huge outlet for her. She begins playing the guitar and writing again, two things that made her happy in the past. Gracie ends up connecting with Calon Ridge, lead singer of a local band called Alternate Tragedy. Calon and Gracie actually met at a party during her sophomore year and shared a moment during one of her break ups with Noah. They shared a connection then and it is evident they still do. Calon is an intense character and he intimidates her. I was ready to despise Calon because it's clear he has feelings for Gracie, but he actually ended up being another pillar of strength and encouragement for her. Both of them can relate to one another on a creative musical level and he is the one who can help her achieve her goals of playing and learning to perform in front of others. Calon harbors some pain of his own, having lost someone very special to him. I am really proud of the fact that although he has feelings for Gracie, he sees how much she loves Jake and respects that.

 

Naturally, seeing Gracie spend time with Calon is not easy for Jake. He is jealous of Calon- he doesn't feel he can compete with someone like him. Gracie is still fragile and vulnerable and he is afraid Calon could sweep her off her feet and take her away from him. Both Gracie and Jake have their jealous moments, but both of them must learn to trust and believe in the other's love.  

 

Becki is another bright spot in this story. She is a friend of Gracie's and watching them reinforce their friendship is beautiful. Becki is hyper, wild, but a good friend to her. She is the source of fun Gracie needs to help her come out of her shell and I liked watching them spend time together.

 

This is Gracie's story of healing and I think MK did a great job of telling it. Gracie really learns a lot about herself and her self-worth and self-confidence levels soar in this one. Jake's love for her is absolutely breathtaking and beautiful and some of the things they say to one another made me tear up. (I want my own Jake!) Gracie develops new friendships that ground her and keep her chin pointed up. But most importantly, she finally is able to confront her past and the people that made it the way it was and be able to look back on it with a sense of closure and move forward into the life she always deserved.

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