Reviewed by Susan65
Title: Riven
Author: Roan Parrish
Heroes: Theo & Caleb
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 235 pages
Publisher: Loveswept
Release Date: May 29, 2018
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Theo Decker might be the lead singer of Riven, but he hates being a rock star. The paparazzi, the endless tours, being recognized everywhere he goes—it all makes him squirm. The only thing he doesn’t hate is the music. Feeling an audience’s energy as they lose themselves in Riven’s music is a rush unlike anything else . . . until he meets Caleb Blake Whitman. Caleb is rough and damaged, yet his fingers on his guitar are pure poetry. And his hands on Theo? They’re all he can think about. But Caleb’s no groupie—and one night with him won’t be enough.
Just when Caleb is accepting his new life as a loner, Theo Decker slinks into it and turns his world upside-down. Theo’s sexy and brilliant and addictively vulnerable, and all Caleb wants is another hit. And another. That’s how he knows Theo’s trouble. Caleb can’t even handle performing these days. How the hell is he going to survive an affair with a tabloid superstar? But after Caleb sees the man behind the rock star, he begins to wonder if Theo might be his chance at a future he thought he’d lost forever.
Review:
Well, this was a riveting, but somewhat depressing, read. The story of a reluctant rock star, and another singer who was on the climb up, then voluntarily lost it all. But, before I get into my review, let’s look at the cover, shall we. That is a work of beauty, isn’t it? Now, where was I? Oh yeah, Theo is living the rock star life but hates it…literally, he just wants to play music and be ignored otherwise. His relationship with his band mates is strained, he is socially awkward, and not a little bit affected by his past. Not your typical rocker.
Now Caleb took the music life to the extreme and came out of it an addict. He loves the music, but he was killing himself and so the only way he could “recover” was to leave that life behind. So what is an addict to do when he falls for a rock star? These two were like oil and water…they wanted to be together but life conspired against them. I loved the musical connection between Theo and Caleb. Music is what brought them together, what keeps them apart, but what ultimately created a bond that was everlasting, and in the end, love finds a way.
This is not an frou-frou read, by an stretch of the imagination, so don’t go in looking for starry eyes and smooth sailing to that happy ending. Many parts are downright heartbreaking, and sometimes you will want to smack both of these guys. Caleb’s fear of falling off the wagon was palpable. You understand the strain that being with a rock star, not matter how much he wants to be there, scares him to death. And Theo with his need to be enough for someone. These two have the stakes piled up, but they are both really good guys and you can’t help but cheer for them to figure it all out. And when they do, the closure was perfect. Simply, perfect.
Overall Impression: I really liked it
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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