Two tortured musicians inspire each other to risk their hearts in this edgy and emotional novel. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY LIBRARY JOURNAL “Riven is the romance you must read next. You’re welcome.”—Suzanne Brockmann, New York Times bestselling author of Some Kind of Hero Theo Decker might be the lead singer of Riven, but he hates being a rock star. The paparazzi, the endless … 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.
Roan Parrish’s pitch-perfect Riven novels can be read together or separately:
RIVEN | REND
Praise for Riven
“[Roan] Parrish may well break readers’ hearts with this deeply felt, perfectly paced contemporary. . . . The author’s sensitive portrait of an addict in recovery adds depth and layers to the story. . . . Generous and tender in all the right ways.”—Publishers Weekly
“Riven has it all: off-the-charts chemistry, heart-wrenching emotion, and a captivating storyline that grabs you from page one.”—Sloane Kennedy, author of The Protectors series
“Roan Parrish turns her signature lyrical prose to the world of rock and roll, and the result is both beautiful and off-the-charts hot.”—Jenny Holiday, USA Today bestselling author of One and Only
This ebook includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
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Very good lovestory with a rockstar twist!
Reluctant rock star Theo Decker just found out the tour he desperately wants over is going to be extended. Coming home for a few days, he’s out walking about when he hears a tune that draws him in. He meets Caleb and they immediately connect through the music. I was so hooked on this book already by this point.
Caleb is on another try at recovery and occasional trips into the city are all he can take without risking his hard fought sobriety. But when he meets Theo, he’s enthralled with him and he too feels the connection that Theo feels.
There are lots and lots of feels here — Theo’s love of music and performing versus fame and everything that brings. And then there’s Caleb — he’s afraid of so many different things, but he wants Theo and he’s starting to trust his love of music again. They work together. I really loved this couple. I loved how they talked about music and how it was so important to both of them. Riven went so much deeper into the music than most of the rock star romances I have read.
I really enjoyed Riven, especially the portrayal of Caleb’s addictions and his struggles with recovery. Theo is just adorable in his naivete and his love for Caleb. Not only are they smoking hot together, but they really talk to each other and I loved that about this book.
Nicely done!
The reluctant rockstar and the recovering addict
There are not a lot of books for me that I actually don’t want to keep reading because prolonging the ending means I get to spend a bit longer wrapped up in the world created by the author and I can pretend for a little while more that the characters are real and the story is actually something that happened. Riven by Roan Parrish is a book I really didn’t want to finish – and the fact I have devastates me and I know I’ll be doing a reread of this one again before Rend comes out in November.
“If you’re looking for a prize, you ain’t lookin’ for love. Love isn’t a reward. It’s not something you deserve or don’t deserve.”
“Oh, yeah, so what is it then?”
“Fuck if I know,” he said. “But I sure as hell know what it isn’t.”
Theo Decker is the lead singer of rock band Riven and he is amazing at what he does – but, deep down, it’s not what he truly wants. Stumbling around New York late one night, he finds Caleb Whitman singing in a bar and this chance meeting brings about a connection neither of them can deny. Caleb and Theo have their own inner demons to battle – especially Caleb as a recovering addict, 12 months out of his fourth stint at rehab and hoping to not have to go back. What makes these two so good together… well it’s not only the palatable chemistry, the way they feel so comfortable around each other or the incredible sexual connection … it’s what they are able to bring out in one another… HOPE!! Hope to return to music, hope to do what they want for once, hope for a real lasting relationship, hope to start over… and it’s this sense of hope that I truly connected with. I shed some real tears as I read this story because the way in which Roan writes makes Caleb and Theo so real that I couldn’t help but feel what they felt and fall in love with them as they fell in love with each other.
“The hope on his face nearly tore me apart. Because it was all for me. This man, standing in front of me, was dreaming a dream for me, and it was humbling as fuck.”
I wish I could better put into words why I loved this book so much! It’s not just a “rockstar romance”, it’s not just a “mm romance”, it’s not even just a “romance” novel…. it’s a book that will burrow deep into your soul and take you to a place where you, too, can truly believe anything is possible. Sometimes the right book falls into your lap at the right time, and Riven has been the book I needed for what is coming up in my own life right now… and I couldn’t be more grateful!!
nicandbooks rating
Amazon/Goodreads rating
Let me start off by saying I’m not sure what it is about this cover but I love it. Riven was such a great rock star romance read. I absolutely loved Theo and Caleb and I also enjoyed the side characters. You have two people who are broken in very different ways trying to do what’s right for them but realizing that everything has its risk and sometimes the risk is worth reward. They just have to have enough faith and love to take that leap. This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I definitely look forward to reading more of her work. I would definitely recommend this book. It’s a great book for readers that enjoy a good m/m romance read.
Ok first, the cover to this is cool. Secondly, I just want to wrap Caleb and Theo in bubble wrap and keep them in my pocket.
Theo is a rock star, but more of a self-conscious, twitchy, shy guy with a talent for music and just wanting to feel accepted and loved. He’s stuck on a path that makes everyone happy but him, his upbringing was kind of sad (he had never even carved a pumpkin, the poor sweetheart).
Caleb is a fallen star, afraid to take any step in case he trips again. He’s just as talented as Theo, but living a shell of a life. Every time they make progress, he pulls away from fear and it just breaks my heart for them both.
There is some fierce chemistry, some deliciously sexy scenes, but they are even better because throughout you can just feel the connection. Riven was an emotional book that pulled me in. It was told from dual pov with a happy ever after and was a great journey from page one to done.
Riven is an emotionally charged, character driven story that grabs hold and doesn’t let go even after that last page is turned. Oddly enough, this isn’t a book I would normally pick up. I rarely read rocker romances and if it looks angsty, I’ll usually shy away. We get enough angst in every day life, right? But, something about the fabulous cover caught my eye. There’s just something about it that is almost seductive, and the description hinted at something more than the norm for rocker romances. More is certainly what I found – in spades.
Occasionally, we find characters that are almost defined by their flaws and with some, those flaws are what draw the reader to them. That is case with Theo and Caleb. From struggling with sobriety to finding out that fame and fortune aren’t what it’s cracked up to be, both have their issues to deal with and often feel completely alone in their respective worlds. However, the way they deal with those issues is part of what makes them so great together, that and finding their solace in the music.
I particularly liked that neither our lovable guys was hiding on the relationship front. They’re both out and proud and that isn’t a source of contention as is so often relied on for the big obstacle to overcome in these stories.
In the end, Riven isn’t so much about the glamorous life of rockstar, but what happens after the lights have gone down and the crowds are all gone – the loneliness that longs to be filled by that one person who can make us feel whole. So, while it is emotional and intense, underneath the angst lies hope. It’s wonderfully written and passionate. These characters and their love story is one that will stay with you long after you’ve read that last page.
When I heard Miss Parrish was writing a rock star romance, I was intrigued. That intrigue only grew once I saw the gorgeous cover of Riven. Rock star romances were my first trope of choice when I began reading contemporary romances years ago, so I’ve read a lot of variations. I’ve also read many of this author’s works, and while I’m always in awe of her ability to weave words and bring a scene to life, I didn’t know quite what to expect going into Riven. I shouldn’t be surprised, but I was.
Riven had just enough colorful descriptions, palpable emotions, and unique characters to set it apart from the standard rock star romance, while managing to keep the characters accessible and the story believable. Both Theo and Caleb had a bit of the tortured musician vibe and, despite being in very different places in their lives and careers, they understood each other incredibly well from the start- especially when music was involved. I loved their chemistry- both the smoldering physical side and that strong, easy connection that felt “right”. It was woven into the dialogue, actions, touches, and their thoughts, and I never once questioned these two belonged together.
Though the characters were broody and dealt with serious issues, I’d consider Riven a relatively low angst book. The writing flowed beautifully and I didn’t want to put it down at all. To cap it off, the ending was perfect. I’m always a sucker when a book takes an unexpected direction, and the major resolution in Riven did just that. As a fan of this author, I shouldn’t have been surprised Riven was different than expected, but it was and I absolutely loved everything about it, so much so that I fully expect it to remain a top favorite for a very long while.
*eARC received via Netgalley. The author and publisher had no influence over this review*
***4 ‘Dismantle the Star’ Stars***
The cover was the bait. It’s stark simplicity drew me in and after reading the blurb I decided to give it a go because I like M/M and I like rockstar romances, so why not? And I was pleasantly surprised by Riven. Not, that I had gone into it with any true expectations since this is my first book by the author. But it was more than I thought it would be. There was a flow to everything that captured my interest and had me needing to know how Theo and Caleb would tackle their demons and get their HEA and in the end it all worked for me.
Theo is a star, but doesn’t really see it. He’s not entirely naive. He knows he has talent and that people “know” him, but he’s the guy that’s about the process and creating the art and that’s what I loved about him. He just wanted to be. He is also that person that doesn’t want to let other down, so he pushes himself and goes against what his heart and mind are telling him he truly needs.
Caleb has a lot of demons to fight and though he’s stumbled in the past, he’s determined to stay on the straight and narrow, even if it means isolating himself from everything that once made him whole. I really liked Caleb, even when those internal conversations ~ which were more like spontaneous outbursts of random sounds ~ occurred in his head. He’s sweet, compassionate and a man who is trying hard to be a good man, even though he already is.
Theo and Caleb’s journey starts off hot and heavy, but isn’t insta-love ~ at least not as far as I was concerned. Insta-Lust. Insta-Interest. Yes, but love, No. The physical attraction is there, and they are HAWT together, but their connection through music was even more intense, and though much of it did go over my head, the mutual respect and awe they had for each other was obvious. What I found the most interesting was how the power balance between them shifted around a lot. Sometimes Caleb was the stronger of the two, while Theo was in others. The dynamic was fascinating and I loved watching as they both grew as their relationship progressed and thought they fit each other perfectly.
I’m very happy that I decided to give Riven a go. The writing was engaging, the pacing was good and I enjoyed the dual 1st person POV’s. As for the supporting cast of characters, Rhys and Huey were the hands down favs, but my feelings towards the Riven crew are a little…tepid. I understood why they felt, acted and reacted the way they did to things, but when I look at everything, I just wasn’t that impressed, though if I had to pick a favorite it would be Ethan because, in the end, at least he tried. So, if you are a fan of character driven romances and like M/M romances and music, then I’d say give this one a looksie.
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~