"Ghosts of the past and hopes for the future were a dangerous cocktail."

Yeah, you guessed it. I found another rockstar romance that led me to a new-to-me author. I've found some amazing rockers and some even more amazing authors this way, and Riven was indeed #AMAZING.

Look out Roan Parrish, you have a new fan, so prepare to be stalked. I can't describe the experience of reading this story more clearly than by saying that you made me feel your words. You put me in the heads and hearts of your characters and made me love them, flaws and all.

Theo has been tagged by the media as The Reluctant Rock Star. Nobody can deny he's extremely talented. His fans and his band members agree that his songwriting, vocal ability, and concert performances are outstanding. It's all the rest of it that sucks. Joining an established band as the lead singer is a daunting experience when the other band members have a longstanding relationship and can finish each other's sentences. Talent alone is not enough to make him fit in and he can't help feeling like he's on the outside of that relationship. The question is, are they making him feel that way or is it all in his head? And then there's photo shoots, album covers, videos, and interviews. While his bandmates are excited and thrilled at the process and attention, he'd rather be home alone writing songs. While they love being recognized and gushed over by fans, he'd rather remain anonymous. WTF?

When faced with all his blessings he feels ashamed of these feelings. He has so much to be grateful for. However, there's some truth in the statement, "If I learned anything in this business, it's that getting what you thought you wanted doesn't necessarily feel anything like what you thought it would." Fan acceptance doesn't replace previous rejection. Record sales don't equal love and support. Being in the spotlight doesn't erase those times he was ignored. He feels alone in spite of rarely being by himself.

He heard Caleb before he ever saw him. His music called to him as he walked by a bar, at night, wearing his hat to hide from his fans. He was drawn to the guitar playing but once he got a look at him he couldn't avoid his lustful thoughts. Their chemistry was immediate, both musically and physically. Would one night be enough? It would have to be because Theo was leaving on tour the next day...

Caleb knows that Theo is the last thing he needs at this stage in his life. He didn't let on that he recognized him, but he knows Theo is the lead singer of the successful band, Riven. He's made a point of isolating himself, living a loner lifestyle. He doesn't want the eyes that are constantly following Theo to find him. But he wants him...

Okay, I set it up for you. Two sexy, talented, very broken musicians who suck up all the oxygen in the room when they are in it. The irresistible force that pulls them toward each other and the many very good reasons why it's not a good idea. But let me tell you, for such a bad idea, it feels oh so good to both of them. And as for this virtual voyeur, I give their performance two thumbs up. And I'm not talking about their music (wink-wink).

I really enjoyed the music industry details in this story. The songwriting process, the concerts, the touring, and the recording. And I really loved the author's writing style. I will most definitely be looking forward to whatever she has for her readers next. The line forms here...

I got what you’d expect from Roan Parrish, a great story, great characters and great love scenes. Seriously, these sex scenes are so incredibly steamy. She never ever disappoints and Caleb and Theo are to excellent characters to add to her already stellar repertoire. I loved that they were both musicians and I love how the both brought out the best in each other. I really enjoyed this one.

Riven is a wonderful contemporary M/M romance told in dual 1st POV. We’ve got a famous lead singer who loves music – creating it, sharing it – but hates the attention of being a rock star. He falls for a slightly older former musician (jazz/blues?) who is a recovering addict trying to put his life together again in a quiet cabin, surrounded by all the vegetables he’s planting as a way to refocus and give him purpose. These two have amazing chemistry, cute moments, fun interactions, and yes, fucking hot as hell sex. I loved these two together, loved seeing them work things out for themselves as well as work things out as a couple. And the writing! How did I forget that Roan’s writing is so fucking beautiful? She has a way of describing things that’s just . . . gah, I can’t even explain it – hence why *I* am not a writer! Just trust me that once again Roan Parrish delivers with this emotional, sexy, and beautiful romance.

4 ½ Stars

RIVEN is a compelling look at a pair of wonderfully real characters trying to navigate separate situations not entirely of their making. It’s soft and layered and almost unbearably sexy, with an excellent side BFF (Rhys) and a nuanced understanding of addiction.

More simply put, this book is everything I want and nothing I don’t.

Riven follows reluctant rock star, Theo Decker. He is the lead singer of rock band, Riven, however the vast majority of the time.. he abhors it. He doesn't hate the music, but he hates everything that comes along with being famous. Until one night he meets recovering addict and "has-been" Caleb Blake Whitman. He plays this dark, haunting song that pulls at Theo and they share this one sexy, hot night together. Unbeknownst to either one, they can't stop thinking about the other. The story continues to follow both men as they try to turn this love affair into.. dare I say.. a relationship?

I liked Theo as a character. He was shy, anxious and a klutz, but when he was on stage.. he was pure magic. All that stuff that made him a regular guy, just melted away and he became this genius powerhouse. He actually kind of reminded me of Adam Lambert (lol).

Caleb on the other hand, I hate to say it.. but I found him kind of annoying. Yes, I understand that he was a recovering addict and wanted to do what ever it took to stay away from the situations that made him want to start using again. However, it felt like he was constantly using that as an excuse and ends up pushing Theo away. Several times.

The dual POV gave an insight into both characters equally and it just flowed, like the story wouldn't of made sense if it were only told from only one character. As that may be, my favourite part of this novel was the cover. It's a beautiful, captivating cover that just draws the reader in.

Regrettably, this book just didn't do it for me. I felt nothing pulling me in, nothing enticing me to keep reading. I am certain this is just my feelings toward the book and that many, many people will love this one. If you're someone who is into M/M romance novels, I'm positive you will enjoy this.

Rated 2.5/5 stars (rounded up to a 3).

When you open a book and you connect to the characters instantly and they touch you deeply, it's already a good sign. If the story speaks to you then you are on a good way to your next favorite. Roan Parrish is a new-to-me author and this is what happened to me when I started reading Riven.

Theo lives everybody else's dream. He is the lead singer one of the most popular bands, Riven. He and his bandmates sell buckets of records and make a ridiculous amount of money. The problem? Theo loves performing but hates hates the fame that comes with being a superstar. On a short stop at home while touring he meets Caleb and they connect instantly through music.

***His tongue was an instrument, and he kissed me like he was playing a song, coming on strong, easing off, building to a crest, changing the rhythm.***

Caleb is a recovering drug addict and a former well known musician. These days he doesn't perform anymore - too big is the fear to fall back into old patterns. His one-night-stand with Theo suits him just right because the gorgeous man is drug-material and he just can't replace one addiction with another. But the rockstar is nothing if not tenacious and a couple of weeks later he shows up at Caleb's doorstep, temptation personified and a delicious dance of push and pull begins.

First let me gush a little about these two characters. How cute were they? Seriously? On-stage Theo is a charismatic frontman who wraps his audience around his fingers. He captivates people with his voice and words and talent.
Theo had a way about him that got people in the palm of his hand. He was human but glamorous; effortlessly cool but vulnerable.

Off-stage he is adorably shy and awkward. He's also extremely forgiving but I never felt that he was a doormat. There was something very refreshing about his honesty. Theo doesn't know how to not show his feelings. They just bubble out of him and it's what makes him so extremely lovable. I wanted to wrap him up in bubble wrap and keep him safe because he needed somebody to give him love and safety. There were so many thoughtful and sweet things he did for Caleb, he was incredible.

***Out of nowhere, I felt my chest tighten and my throat seize, suddenly close to tears. In all of this, somehow, Theo had managed to remind me of who I was. Who I wanted to be. Who I could be again.***

Caleb fears nothing more than a relapse but he lets this fear rule his life. He stays in his old farmhouse and takes up planting vegetables and basically goes through the motions. Theo rattles something inside of him and it scares the living daylights out of him. Caleb pushes Theo away, again and again, and faithful, sweet and forgiving Theo totally has Caleb's number so it's easy for him to forgive the man he's falling in love with. Usually I get really annoyed when there is too much pushing away going on - not with Caleb. It was so clear right from the start, so understandable why he did it. There just wasn't a reason to be mad at him. His fears were totally valid - a relapse was a possibility, but little by little he realized that Theo was his strength and not his weakness. These two were multi-layered characters who had a wonderful and easy connection, in tune with each other.

Theo has some issues too but he loved with an open heart and had an astonishingly positive outlook. I swear to God I choked up a couple of times because his loneliness really got to me. Caleb's need for distance was really hard on him.

***Caleb told himself the story that no one could depend on him because he’d break their trust.
And what stories had I told myself? That I was unlovable. That I had to earn the right to be cared for. That unless I made myself indispensable, I would be tossed away.***


I found myself utterly charmed by the whole cast of this book. Not only the two main characters were delightful, Caleb's best friend Rhys was amazing too. It was so good to see that Caleb had somebody who loved him with all his deficiencies and flaws and was just a rock for him when things got really hard.

Riven is a fast read and kept me invested throughout the whole story. I just couldn't stop - I was riveted and enthralled, I hurt and was sad, I laughed and smiled and I was happy when I closed the book leaving Theo and Caleb in a good place. Roan Parrish has a beautiful writing style. The dialogues are actually very close to how people really talk. If you're insecure or awkward there are lots of uh's and ah's and um's. I actually liked that. But her descriptions were beautiful and sometimes beautifully haunting.

***I turned to him and watched him listen to the song I’d written for him. The song that had gathered inside me, that I’d held tight all these months and finally unspooled for him in the early morning light. The song that told him all the things he already knew, but in the language we both felt deeper than words.***

Ms Parrish has a new fan. I will now go forth and buy all of her backlist because this was one of the most beautiful MM stories I've read. This book is written with heart and feeling - it's a story this author can be proud of.

This new book by Roan Parrish carved its way into my head and my heart and won’t leave! Both main characters are extremely well-drawn, and you understand their motivations and passions very quickly—and then you keep getting to know them deeper and deeper. The author explores both the driving need of artists to create art, and to find their voice…and also very realistically describes the challenges of being an artist in today’s market driven economy and trying to stay true to yourself. The author expertly puts you in each character’s headspace and makes you FEEL their pain and struggles, as well as their hopes, fears and insecurities. This one broke my heart a couple of times, in different ways, for both characters. I fell in love with Theo pretty quickly and was so rooting for him to be loved and understood…and then Caleb…wow Caleb got to me even deeper than Theo. I’ve never been an addict, but the author made me believe Caleb’s struggles. They felt very real, and so understandable…and so frustrating! This was a very emotional read for me…and then there was also this layer of incredibly HOT HOT HOT… Kind of blew my mind, honestly. This book is steamy, romantic, and emotional—and believable. I believed in these characters, and I hurt for these characters. Thank you for the roller coaster, Roan Parrish. I’m looking forward to my next ride!

A very emotional book but not without some really charming amd funny moments. I finished it in one sitting so it's quite gripping too. Theo is completely endearing and I liked that he very unlike any other rockstar characters I have come across. I also liked how both Caleb and Theo discovered things about each other. And how sometimes Caleb's feelings for Theo mirror the readers'. Overall it is one of the best romances I have read.

Riven is a fantastic story and I truly enjoyed how Theo and Caleb slowly came together. It was a tough road but I truly loved how the music spoke to both of them and in the ways they were there for each other. Calebs as a recovering addict is so deeply unsure of himself and just wants to not be disturbed which becomes at odds with Theo as a rockstar even if he doesnt like his own fame. Their arguments over this were realistic and understanding as well as full of pain as they figured out what would be best for them. Theo's choice about the industry was believable if fraught in its own right. And I absolutely loved this book so much

I haven’t read a lot of romance with rock stars in them. For some reason, I never read one when they were the big thing. So, I saw Riven up for review on Loveswept’s NetGalley page, I decided to request it. Plus, I love romances were both parties are damaged. It makes the romance more realistic and the big “I Love You” scene so much sweeter to read. Another reason I requested the book was because of the cover. I loved it. Simple with only the headshot of the model.

The romance aspect of Riven was intense. I got goosebumps because their attraction carried off my Kindle. Of course, Caleb tries to go and ruin it all. But I could understand why he fought it so hard. Every single relationship he ever had been ruined by his actions. He felt that it would be better keeping people at arm’s length. Then he met Theo. On Theo’s end, he craved affection. He did come across as a little too needy during parts of the book. His neediness both made me like and dislike him. He was shattered every time he and Caleb fought. It got old after a while.

The sex scenes were amazing. They were so hot and dirty. Man were they dirty. I did think that the sex scene also got repetitive after a while, though. I understand tops and bottoms (look it up if you don’t know) but I wanted to see Theo on top at least once. There was also one sex scene that made me want to throw up in my mouth. I won’t get into it but I will say that I hope Theo wiped well because Caleb did what he did. Other than those two complaints, I loved the sex scenes!!

I couldn’t understand why Theo never finished a sentence. A good part of his sentences ended in “…..“. Which drove me bat-poop crazy. I hate it what the character always trails off. I get why the author had Theo do it but still.

Speaking of Theo, I liked how his character was written. He was damaged but not as bad as Caleb was. His damage came from his parents being distant and cold to him. That affected him in everything that he did. He chased men for the warmth he got during his sexual encounters. So I understood when he clung to Caleb and why he was so upset when they fought. I do think that what happened with the band should have happened earlier. Theo would have been way happier.

I loved Caleb. The author did a great job of capturing the rocky slope that he dealt with to keep his sobriety. He spoke candidly of relapsing to Theo and made no promises that he wouldn’t do it in the future. I also liked the fear he had about his music and not being able to play. A very real fear considering what went with the lifestyle before. I do think that he could have been a bit nicer to Theo about certain things. But he wasn’t. Even that turned out in his favor.

The end of Riven was emotionally charged. I cried when Caleb did what he did for Theo. I cried for Theo. I cried because of everything that was said. I cried. So, be warned, it is a tear-jerker.

What I liked about Riven:

A) Theo and Caleb’s romance

B) The hot sex scenes

C) The realistic view of Caleb’s recovery

What I disliked about Riven:

A) Theo coming across as too needy

B) Theo not finishing sentences

C) A certain sex scene.

I would give Riven a rating of Adult. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read Riven.

There are trigger warnings in Riven. They are: Talk of past drug use, talk about past alcohol use, talk of emotional neglect of a child. If you are triggered by any of these, I would suggest not reading this book.

Riven is a book that I would recommend to family and friends. This is also a book that I would reread.

I would like to thank Loveswept, Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Riven.

All opinion stated in this review of Riven are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

This book was a complete mixed bag for me. I'm guessing that my feelings about it are due at least in part to my current state of mind. First - the positives:

I genuinely enjoyed the writing here. It's beautifully lyrical and wonderfully engaging. This was easy to read and it did draw me in easily in the beginning. I was also completely fascinated by Caleb - I wanted more of him. I would have almost preferred this narrative be flipped to center more on Caleb and less on Theo.

Unfortunately, the storytelling was a little off for me and I didn't connect with Theo very well. The constant melancholy that bordered on whining. I also didn't really connect with Theo and Caleb's relationship. It came on fast and furious and I didn't FEEL that. It was all sexual to me which - when it comes to m/m books, I need a stronger emotional connection to carry me through the story. That's what I'm here for and that's not really what I found. Or at least I didn't find it quickly enough to save the story for me.

In the end, I didn't feel connected enough with the characters or their storyline to finish this story. It will definitely appeal to most m/m readers, I think. It was just a miss for me.

This was such an amazing book!!!! I couldn't put it down, the music culture, the LOVE STORY, the constant forgiveness the characters had for each other. The beginning and ending were kind of weak, but from middle was AMAAZZZZINGGGGGG. Such a character-driven work. I'm in love. Roan Parrish's writing reminds me so much of Layla Reyne and I loved it.

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3 <b>Riven </b> stars

This book was one of those hard to rate books. Our main characters fall madly in lust and have sex day one .which is fine . But I never really felt anything more with them. I never connected with them or truly their sex. It seemed sex was the answer to everything for them which took away from the story. I enjoyed each characters flaws and sad stories . But I wasn't moved and I didn't connect. The writing flows really well and the music aspect is really good. I needed more from both characters and this would have been a 4 for me. I think it was a good book to venture into the Mm world so I'll check out a few more Mm books. I think this author is on the right track and I can't wait to see her other releases because the author can write I just didn't get sucked in. I think the side character stories didn't fully pan out as well. I hated the riven band because I didn't like any of them. I think Caleb' s history is a little more developed and rounded and oddly it paints Caleb in a bad light haha.

I think Caleb was better liked and was given a better story in this ...so we feel bad for both singers one is at the top and one has fallen from grace . But I feel Caleb has a more realistic and researched role in it all. I liked that they both saved eachother but I do believe if there was more drama or if it was so easy of a resolution it would have added more and enhanced everything

*earc provided by netgalley*

I am so wowed by this book. I can barely collect my thoughts about it. It blew me away, I was not expecting to love it this much, but it's definitely my favourite book that i've read by this author yet. Roan Parrish is truly gifted at writing these moody, lyrical, dark and dreamy romances. The devotion to music cuts through the writing so sharply it's hard not to yearn for the artists and songs that are put forth in Riven.

I found the pacing of this novel to be incredible. It wasn't necessarily unpredictable, but It did do MORE than most other romance novels that present a steady build up of plot and romance until about 85% in where theres One Big Conflict, then at 90% it's resolved and so comes the HEA. This story had a lot of minor twists and turns that made it seem fuller, meandering delightfully through both Caleb and Theo's music scenes as well as their relationship.

Now the characters. The story is about two musicians. Caleb, former rockstar and recovering addict, and Theo current rockstar, who hates his fame. From the start I thought that I would come to love Theo best out of the two because of his relatable anxiety and vulnerability and naiveté, but It was actually Caleb and all the parts that show him to be both incredibly weak and incredibly strong that got to me the most. So much of his narrative arc is about being so scared of failure that you are hesitant to try. And being so convinced that youre not enough that you don't know how to deal with being told that you ARE enough. A couple side characters really had Caleb's back throughout the story (Huey, who I think was Caleb's sponsor, and Rhys who is Caleb's best friend and ex lover) and those side relationships were just as emotional and important to me as the central romance. Trigger warning for drug addiction; Caleb's addiction is talked about at length and he uses a lot of metaphors comparing doing drugs to other things in his life.

I really can't put my finger on it, but Parrish writes music stories like no one else i've read. In any other novel where theres a band and these fictional songs all throughout, it always feels very cringy and distinctly fake but Riven feels extraordinarily real. My reading experience felt so genuine and raw. This is definitely a book you'll want to preorder. A romance that'll break you and a story that will move you and make you see how important it is to take care of ourselves before we take care of other people.

This was a well written and masterful tale. It was well beyond the usual rock star trope in a great way. It certainly has Roan Parrish's characteristic style which is a wonderful thing. It's a masterful story of learning to appreciate friendship, learning who you are, the romance of being alone as one falls in love.

When I started reading RIVEN, I was all giddy. Finally a book about one, no two musicians that doesn’t follow the usual stereotype. I read a lot of novels, romance novels that use the music industry as a backdrop and they are usually horribly cliched. Definitely 5* on how the author handles the subject matter and how she develps the music side of things.
I just wish she had NOT felt the need to add this super cheesy, and unbelievable Epiloge. The book was perfect how it ended. All that happened from there was totally for fantasy lala land. ***Spoiler Aler*** Writing songs, producing the songs, putting them on a record and putting them out there in less than four months? DIY? Dream on, baby! Also, the whole thing with remodeling Theo’s apartment as a studio (!) and renting it out (!) and letting acts who couldn’t otherwise afford it doing so…. that’s calld “indepenent label”. So yes, this was really over the top unnecessary.
***Spoiler Alert over***
So, one star less. Leaves us at 4 stars
How did I end up at 3 stars? Well… the book is very formulaic. It reminded me too much of a book I absolutely love and have read multiple times. It’s absolutely the same basic story. From the walks, to the the ex-boyfriends, to the important plot points. It’s not exactly a rip-off but given that these two authors share the same agent, I am pretty sure Roan Parrish did her duties. She even uses some very exquisite vocabulary multiple times, which only appears once (!) in the original story and her over-using it doesn't make it any better. So. 3 stars. Someone who has never read many other m/m stories before, will be totally delighted. Those who did, might not so much because they will see the pattern.
I=== I received a copy of this book as an ACR on Netgalley. Thank You.===

First, and because I rarely notice these things lately since I read mainly ebooks, check out this cover. It's simple, and striking, and fits what's inside. Practically a miracle.

Second: Wow. Just wow. I loved this book so hard. I loved the MCs, I loved the world that was built. The conflict was real without completely overwhelming the relationship. It was lovely being immersed in the music, whether in the MCs heads (especially Theo's) or in the concert/band scenes. Caleb's demons are real, and you sense he'll always struggle with them, but that being with Theo makes it possible for him to hope for better than only that struggle on a daily basis.

Roan Parrish always brings the feels. Having them woven into the music scene just made it that much more of my romance catnip.

What a roller coaster this was!

Roan Parrish has a knack for emotional, heartfelt characters and stories, and <i>Riven</i> falls right into her niche with a powerful story of music, love, addition and ultimately, getting what you want despite the odds.

Theo, the lead singer of Riven, doesn't like being a star. He loves music, but the burden that comes along with being internationally known isn't at all what he wants. When he meets Caleb, who is recovering from an addition to drugs and alcohol, he finds a kindred spirit who he wants nothing more than to have in his life. But Caleb is guarded--he doesn't trust himself yet. And these two must work through their individual demons to be happy together for the long haul. Their journey isn't easy, but it's so good. The budding relationship and ultimate conflict between these two was such a joy to read. Looking forward to more books in this series, and from Roan overall.

I really liked it (4 out of 5)
This is my first book by this author and I did really like it, The story itself was kind of an emotional one dealing with the positive and negative effects of stardom and addiction. The relationship these two developed was pretty intense at times, I felt the love and connection they both shared for music and song writing was the highlight of the whole book. Look forward to reading more. I would recommend.

Riven was.. so so good. It took me on a wild ride and didn’t let me go until the end. The book was very well written, and the characters were so fitting for this book.