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karlijnmerle's review against another edition
3.0
It was okay. I didn't touch me to the heart, but Beck and Dax are a lovely couple.
“How do you let go of the guilt of being alive?”
“By living the best fucking life you can.”
“How do you let go of the guilt of being alive?”
“By living the best fucking life you can.”
blupblup's review
Read the sample on amazon. I alredy have a bit of trouble with first person novels, but to add to that the writing was not that good and the two characters speaking felt exactly the same in their words.
dragonflyreads's review against another edition
4.0
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
I fell in love with Melissa Collins' writing during her Love series. She is a master at capturing love and loss. I first read her m/m Let Love Live truly and it broke me and hooked me to her future books. With that said, I was more than excited to dive into On Solid Ground the moment I heard of it's release.
Dax is a truly broken man and desperately wants to find himself after returning home post-war. Suffering from extreme anxiety and PTSD has landed him many attacks and with them, violence comes easy.
"How? How do you let go of the guilt of being alive?"
"By living the best fucking life you can."
Beck has had a very tough life starting with his less than steller upbringing. With wanting a more meaningful life, and dealing with the cards life has dealt, he's not wanting to bring too much stress to his already packed day to day.
"We don't become united; it's as if we've always been united somehow and these movements simply remind us that our other half was always out there."
Both men are trying to forget their pasts to have a better future. The real question is, is will their futures include eachother?
If you're looking for a new romance and aren't afraid of the m/m aspect, read On Solid Ground. It's a wonderful mix of angst, love, humor and the thought of a better life.
4.5 Stars
I fell in love with Melissa Collins' writing during her Love series. She is a master at capturing love and loss. I first read her m/m Let Love Live truly and it broke me and hooked me to her future books. With that said, I was more than excited to dive into On Solid Ground the moment I heard of it's release.
Dax is a truly broken man and desperately wants to find himself after returning home post-war. Suffering from extreme anxiety and PTSD has landed him many attacks and with them, violence comes easy.
"How? How do you let go of the guilt of being alive?"
"By living the best fucking life you can."
Beck has had a very tough life starting with his less than steller upbringing. With wanting a more meaningful life, and dealing with the cards life has dealt, he's not wanting to bring too much stress to his already packed day to day.
"We don't become united; it's as if we've always been united somehow and these movements simply remind us that our other half was always out there."
Both men are trying to forget their pasts to have a better future. The real question is, is will their futures include eachother?
If you're looking for a new romance and aren't afraid of the m/m aspect, read On Solid Ground. It's a wonderful mix of angst, love, humor and the thought of a better life.
4.5 Stars
jess_readsromance's review against another edition
5.0
Bloody amazing. I intend to read more by Melissa Collins. Very soon.
colleen_m's review against another edition
3.0
Quick, sweet read that had some character inconsistencies but overall, a decent story that should keep you entertained for a bit.
Title: On Solid Ground
Author: Melissa Collins
Series: On Solid Ground
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Main Characters:
Jacob “Dax” Daxton is a discharged Army soldier suffering from PTSD after having watched a comrade (and lover) die in his arms. He went into the army to avoid coming to terms with his sexuality and now that he no longer has the regimented routine of war to occupy his mind, he's back to trying to figure out how to deal with his life.
Beckett Ridge is a tattoo artist who's had his fair share of hurt in the past. Coming from a broken home, where his mother was less than useless, and his sister in and out of rehab, he could use a little happiness in his life.
Plot/Conflict:
Dax comes into the shop to get a tattoo done in remembrance of his of fallen comrade. But when he has a panic attack in the middle of the session, Beck’s response makes him realize that Beck is different, and could potentially be a new friend in California, if not more. But Dax is still trying to figure out how to cope outside the military, how to deal with his anxiety attacks, come out to his family, and find a job. Meanwhile Beck’s sister is back in rehab, leaving him with her young daughter to take care of. Their timing is awful, but if they can stick it out, there is definitely something there.
Loves:
Eh. I liked a lot about this book, but not a lot of loves.
Likes:
I liked Dax’s easy acceptance of his attraction to Beck. I went into this thinking he was seriously closeted, completely in denial, but he wasn’t, he’s had a relationship with a man before at least, while he was in the army. I liked the real portrayal of PTSD, and veteran services. This was definitely a highlight for me.
I liked the throw in of the dangerous element. Towards the end of the book, Beck’s niece turns out to be in danger, and Dax has to swoop in and save the day. This helped balance out the internal struggle drama between Beck and Dax.
Peeves:
So there was some drama, mostly in the form of half-formed jealousy due to miscommunication. Or lack of communication. That was annoyingly unnecessary and angsty.
There were a lot of subplots going on. Not too many to keep track of, but it was kinda weird for them to keep popping up and they didn’t always lend themselves to furthering the main story.
There were some incongruous moments for me with Dax. Here is this shy, PTSD ridden vet, who is terrified to make a move, and then once he is with Beck, he turns into a confident alpha male in the sack. It was a jarring switch, and then when we get back to Dax’s POV, he is back to being timid. He also switched from emotionally distant to in love ridiculously quickly.
Favorite Quote:
Title: On Solid Ground
Author: Melissa Collins
Series: On Solid Ground
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Main Characters:
Jacob “Dax” Daxton is a discharged Army soldier suffering from PTSD after having watched a comrade (and lover) die in his arms. He went into the army to avoid coming to terms with his sexuality and now that he no longer has the regimented routine of war to occupy his mind, he's back to trying to figure out how to deal with his life.
Beckett Ridge is a tattoo artist who's had his fair share of hurt in the past. Coming from a broken home, where his mother was less than useless, and his sister in and out of rehab, he could use a little happiness in his life.
Plot/Conflict:
Dax comes into the shop to get a tattoo done in remembrance of his of fallen comrade. But when he has a panic attack in the middle of the session, Beck’s response makes him realize that Beck is different, and could potentially be a new friend in California, if not more. But Dax is still trying to figure out how to cope outside the military, how to deal with his anxiety attacks, come out to his family, and find a job. Meanwhile Beck’s sister is back in rehab, leaving him with her young daughter to take care of. Their timing is awful, but if they can stick it out, there is definitely something there.
Loves:
Eh. I liked a lot about this book, but not a lot of loves.
Likes:
I liked Dax’s easy acceptance of his attraction to Beck. I went into this thinking he was seriously closeted, completely in denial, but he wasn’t, he’s had a relationship with a man before at least, while he was in the army. I liked the real portrayal of PTSD, and veteran services. This was definitely a highlight for me.
I liked the throw in of the dangerous element. Towards the end of the book, Beck’s niece turns out to be in danger, and Dax has to swoop in and save the day. This helped balance out the internal struggle drama between Beck and Dax.
Peeves:
So there was some drama, mostly in the form of half-formed jealousy due to miscommunication. Or lack of communication. That was annoyingly unnecessary and angsty.
There were a lot of subplots going on. Not too many to keep track of, but it was kinda weird for them to keep popping up
Spoiler
Dax’s father dying, Delaney’s final letter, the VA guys, Beck’s rape years back, etc.There were some incongruous moments for me with Dax. Here is this shy, PTSD ridden vet, who is terrified to make a move, and then once he is with Beck, he turns into a confident alpha male in the sack. It was a jarring switch, and then when we get back to Dax’s POV, he is back to being timid. He also switched from emotionally distant to in love ridiculously quickly.
Favorite Quote:
Life is like that sometimes. It backs you up into the corner, kicks you while you’re down, makes you question everything you know, who you are and then leaves you so bloody and beaten that gettings up seems impossible.
But then your lungs start working again. The beating of your heart rouses you from the coma you thought you were in. Your legs start moving once more, and before you know it, you’re standing - and running, fast and far away from everything you thought you ever knew about yourself, about the world.
wendylynnm's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this first book, Dax and Beck are such a great couple. They feed off of each others strengths and work on each others weaknesses. Each know that being a couple takes work but when one is dealing with PTSD anxiety and the other is dealing with a traumatic childhood, they learn quickly just how much work it will actually take to make their relationship work. Miscommunication, loss, murder and secrets build this book into a very good read. I always love a HEA in a book and truly enjoyed this one, plus I am looking forward to reading more about Dax and Beck.
picky_book_b1tch's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed the first part of the store and initially liked the both main characters but as the book progressed I kept hoping for one or the other to take some sort of control. They were all in then all out so many times I was getting whip-lash.
Miscommunication and misunderstandings are often used as a plot device in romances. I get it. These are cause most of the strife in real life romances as well. Sometimes though, in life and in fiction, things can blowout of proportion and seem like drama for the sake of drama. We all can name a drama queen or two. Unfortunately, this is the case with this book. I couldn't buy what the author was trying to sell.
I love Melissa Collins work and will continue to read her books. This one just fell short of what I have come to expect from her.
onceupon_a_bookdream's review against another edition
5.0
Sometimes you just need to reread your favorites. This one makes me happy 😊
bfdbookblog's review
5.0
4.5 stars (or tissue boxes which is how i might start rating books)
so, this book will put you through the ringer a bit. lots of emotion right from the start and a lot of broken characters - not just the MC's.
we meet dax first. even though he's suffering from PTSD and is suffering severe panic attacks he doesn't seem suicidal which is really what i expected. he wants to recover and figure out what to do with himself now that he's home. he knows he doesn't want to stay with his parents, he's just not sure what to do next - especially since they are unaware of his sexuality. his relationship with his brother is strained at best. he really feels he only has 1 person in his life and that's his best friend chloe. he ends up in california with her...the ocean air and beach are soothing to him.
dax meets beck when decides he wants to get a tattoo. as we get to know beck, he appears to have it pretty together. we quickly find out that's not the case and he's dealt with a bunch of bad stuff. he's dealing with as much guilt as dax is but they appear to calm each other when together which surprises them both. he is convinced he doesn't need to start a relationship right now with all the stuff he's dealing with but neither one of them can deny what's going on.
there are so many ups and downs through this book that it feels like a roller coaster ride. just when you think everything is going to work out, something else happens. the chemistry between them is palpable but every time they get their footing to try make things work one of them takes a step back. there is a bit of heartache and growth for them to get their happy ending. there were a couple of surprises near the end - both of which will require the aforementioned tissues. however, the epilogue completely makes up for that.
overall, it was a beautiful story that i'm glad i picked up.
so, this book will put you through the ringer a bit. lots of emotion right from the start and a lot of broken characters - not just the MC's.
we meet dax first. even though he's suffering from PTSD and is suffering severe panic attacks he doesn't seem suicidal which is really what i expected. he wants to recover and figure out what to do with himself now that he's home. he knows he doesn't want to stay with his parents, he's just not sure what to do next - especially since they are unaware of his sexuality. his relationship with his brother is strained at best. he really feels he only has 1 person in his life and that's his best friend chloe. he ends up in california with her...the ocean air and beach are soothing to him.
dax meets beck when decides he wants to get a tattoo. as we get to know beck, he appears to have it pretty together. we quickly find out that's not the case and he's dealt with a bunch of bad stuff. he's dealing with as much guilt as dax is but they appear to calm each other when together which surprises them both. he is convinced he doesn't need to start a relationship right now with all the stuff he's dealing with but neither one of them can deny what's going on.
there are so many ups and downs through this book that it feels like a roller coaster ride. just when you think everything is going to work out, something else happens. the chemistry between them is palpable but every time they get their footing to try make things work one of them takes a step back. there is a bit of heartache and growth for them to get their happy ending. there were a couple of surprises near the end - both of which will require the aforementioned tissues. however, the epilogue completely makes up for that.
overall, it was a beautiful story that i'm glad i picked up.
emlickliter's review
4.0
On Solid Ground by Melissa Collins – This series is on kindle unlimited. I started this series out of order, but the first two books go together. Book three can stand on its own though! Dax and Beck are both in a maelstrom of chaos, but when they are together nothing can stop them. Despite my Pandemic Pledge to avoid even a trace of sadness in my escapism, this series is worth the urge to cry for imaginary strangers! Happy Reading!