Rating: 3.75 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Martin Graham is as tough as they come. He’s had to be. He’s spent ten years building his company up from nothing and doing so while progressively going blind. Now, Martin’s on the verge of making a deal that will take his business to the next level, but it means traveling and Martin isn’t known for playing nice with his assistants. This leaves Martin scrambling to find a competent assistant before the biggest meeting of his professional career.
Brock Littleton needs a job. Despite being armed with an MBA, he can’t find work and the bills are piling up. When the offer from Graham Consolidated comes through, Brock takes the opportunity, despite the fact he’s overqualified. He finds Martin to be demanding and exact, but that’s nothing Brock can’t handle. Sparks fly as the men work together to turn Martin’s dreams into a reality, but a misunderstanding and a new job offer could cripple their fledgling relationship.
On Shaky Ground is a quick, relaxing read by Andrew Grey and has that author’s distinctive writing style and voice. Crisp and clean, Grey’s writing is always smooth and rarely feels out of place. The story here isn’t anything new, but it’s a solid offering and while there aren’t any big wow moments, there is an enjoyable story on offer and I like that consistency. Grey’s works are generally dependable reads with just enough depth to keep readers coming back for more and I’d say on the whole that On Shaky Ground fits that mold.
Brock and Martin are partially dimensional. They don’t feel flat by any means, but they don’t have as much depth as I’d prefer. I felt like we needed more information about their individual backstories and their evolving relationship. It wasn’t exactly insta-love, but there was this sense of the action moving too fast, which I think is maybe the biggest issue with On Shaky Ground. All of it seemed rushed. Things were moving far too quickly for realism and, as a result, the story was a tad weak, but the characters suffered more. They didn’t have any time to evolve or grow and so they don’t feel fully realized. I appreciate that the plot covers a relatively short period of time and that will change the overall affect of what it may accomplish, but with more fleshing out, Brock and Martin might have become more engaging. I think an example of this was Martin’s blindness. Given the impact it has on his life, we aren’t given much insight into the challenges he faces. More development of this, or any other aspect of his character, would have given him more dimension overall.
On Shaky Ground is an easy read that offers up decent writing and a sweet story. The pacing seemed rushed and really didn’t give the story or its characters enough space and time to completely develop. But this one is perfect for beach reading and if you’re a fan of Andrew Grey, you’ll find plenty to enjoy.
A review copy of this book was provided by Dreamspinner Press.
