River Larsen is a world traveler, truth-seeker, and tantric healer. He’s a master of loving all—and no one. Both his past and his spiritual path warn him against attachment. When he falls for his surrogacy client and coffee magnate, Brent McKay, River tells himself it’s a temporary idyll, a beautiful encounter they’ll both enjoy and move on from like mature adults. Only his heart misses that memo. memo.
Brent McKay hasn’t been interested in sex since his wife died two years ago. When he goes to Expanded Horizons sex clinic in Seattle for help, he meets River Larsen, a sex surrogate specializing in reiki massage and tantric sex therapy. Brent never expected to be interested in a man, but River’s light-filled spirit, inner peace, and electric touch bring him back to life. Brent’s loyal heart is ready to commit again. But how can he convince River that love can last forever—if you just have faith?
The Redemption of River features a widower who surprises himself, a gorgeous hippy who thinks he’s a dandelion puff, an age gap, midlife discovery of bisexuality, foodie Seattle, a houseboat, dogs, a trip to Mumbai, and tantric secrets. (You know, the ones that let you have sex for hours. Those secrets.)
The Redemption of River takes place in part at the Expanded Horizons sex clinic and is thus book #4 of the Sex in Seattle series. It features a brand new couple and can be read as a stand-alone.
more
4.5+stars– How did I not know about this series?
I’m honestly floored the Sex in the Seattle series slipped past me but what a great book to start with. I loved how unique The Redemption of River was from the characters, the storyline, the romance, and the setting, it was all so original and well developed. Although this is the fourth book in the series, it can absolutely be read as a standalone…just be prepared to find yourself planning to read the series in its entirety like I did.
A second chance at true love after the loss of a partner always promises an emotional read. While that was definitely true in The Redemption of River, this book also didn’t feel heavy or full of emotional turmoil as some books featuring widows. I loved the approach in the book, especially with Brent struggling with his sexual desire after losing his wife. The May-December pairing was incredibly unique given how Brent and River meet and I loved that the book felt spiritual and hopeful yet remained relatable. I also loved how both characters developed and grew in different parts of The Redemption of River. And then there was the romance…it was peaceful and heartwarming but still included all those yearning emotions as well. If you’re looking for a very different sort of read and unique characters who will stick with you, I highly recommend The Redemption of River.
*Reviewed for Signal Boost and Alpha Book Club*
3.75
I was really excited to read this book.
I liked the first two books in the Sex in Seattle series, and I loved The Mating of Michael, so I had high expectations…
Well, i’m a bit disappointed.
Maybe a slow burn was not what I needed because I struggled to finish it.
The first half was to slow for me.
I liked the spiritual atmosphere but some times it felt like it was too much…
I felt their true emotions just towards the end.
I loved Brent and his openness: after losing his wife he doesn’t want to waste time and I appreciated the way he acted.
I kinda hated River tho.
Don’t get me wrong, he is not a bad guy but I think he used his spirituality and his nomadic nature to run away from things that scared him.
But he really redeemed himself in the end.
And the ending is the part i liked the most
In general it’s a good series so give it a chance.
A rating. I’ve loved this whole series, but I think this is my favorite. I am fascinated by chakras and naturalistic things so reading River’s philosophy, study, and practices was so interesting. I feel the need to get back into yoga, study my chakras more, and I have to find someplace to get some kombucha (I’ve never had it). I loved getting to see the growth and development between Brent and River and just simply loved this entire story!
I definitely recommend it!
After the death of his wife, Brent’s sexual life is non active, he has trouble feeling it at all. On friends’ advice, he ends up at a therapist who gives him some options.
When Brent reads the bio of River Karsen: Tantric massage and energy work. Certified massage therapist. Licensed Reiki healer. Trained at the Sacred Triangle tantra ashram in India. His first thought was ‘wow, interesting guy’
His first session was, for me, already glorious, just like River. River is as his bio suggests, spiritual to his core. There are more sessions and all very sensual and healing. Afterward, Brent can’t get River out of his mind or heart.
With a fresh head, Brent, who owns a coffee shop chain, wants to innovate his shops. Here is where he needs River. Karma is good for them.
Together they work on the new concept for a new brand. They are both in learning modus.
River never stays long at one place, never, so there is an ultimatum.
Watching all the deep layers of River was fascinating, a beautiful free spirit meant for love with a capital. It was wonderful to watch him watch Brent and Brent’s people.
All the thoughts running through his head.
Meeting River was, for Brent, an eye-opener. The way the author describes the whole matter about Chakras, energy, healing, and Tantric sex was intense and intriguing. The lingam massage was overwhelming, it was deeply sensual and arousing af. The World Wide Web says about Tantric sex: ‘the weaving and expansion of energy’ it can intensify orgasm enormously. Yep, a good way to describe it !!
Two open spirits come together was magnificent to watch, it was extremely beautiful.
While this was a more than excellent story all activity around the business was, for me, a lot to take, I already would been satisfied with less. The slow burn was really slow.
On the other hand, there is the blooming friendship and love story with both men which will never be enough! River and Brent had caring and lovable souls and marvelous projected.
The whole story was beautifully written, intriguing, sensual, warm, considerate and delicate.
A big hug for Harrison because dang was he wise at the right moment!
The process and exact moment of River’s redemption was magnificent I cried happy tears.
Highly recommended!
What a wonderful story!
Brent and River meeting was not only meant to be but, I believe, something that happened over and over in previous lifetimes.
Their immediate connection was so strong and flawless. One was not meant to be without the other. Brent may have been a little surprised at first but quickly felt how very right it was.
Wonderfully story! The writer did such a wonderful job of weaving together the two men in a story that I was unable to walk away from.
Highly recommend this story.
I received an ARC for my honest review of the work.
An awesome book about healing, changing perspectives, and discovering who you are and what you want. This is very much a slow burn book. There is no high anxiety or tense situations. Just two men feeling all of their emotions and finding their way forward together. It was beautiful and so very moving. There was a wealth of knowledge on eastern practices such as tantric sex and chakras and it was incredibly interesting for someone with little to no knowledge already. At times, the story was a little too slow for my taste, but overall I quite enjoyed it.
The Redemption of River is book four in the Sex in Seattle series by Eli Easton. This is a M/M, age gap, friends to lovers romance that can be read as a stand alone.
Brent McKay is thirty nine years old and lives in Seattle Washington. He owns a string of successful coffee shops. It’s been two years since Brent lost his wife to cancer. He just can’t seem to get past his grief. He’s lost all interest in sex. Desperate for help, his friend recommends him to Expanded Horizons, a sex clinic. He will not only attend therapy but will see a sex surrogate.
River Larsen is twenty six years old and is a free spirit. He is a healer and practices not only massage but tantric healing. He is constantly seeking new ways to heal, new things to learn. River has learned throughout his life not to count on any one person for anything. He’s been let down constantly by the people that should have held him up. Instead, River loves everyone. Currently, River is house sitting in Seattle for one year which is how he came to work as a sex surrogate for Expanded Horizons.
During their sessions, River was able to help Brent tremendously. He finally released the grief his body has held inside for so long. But something else happened during those sessions. For the first time ever, River felt attracted to his client. He didn’t let it be known and was perfectly professional. But it baffled him. He believed all things happened for a reason, that Brent was put in his path for a purpose. Only time would tell what it was.
Brent couldn’t stop thinking about River. Their sessions have ended but he was constantly on his mind. A chance meeting, fate once again aligning their paths, brought them together again. River awakened the creative side of Brent that had been asleep for so long, and a new idea is formed. An idea he wants River to help him with. It will also force them to spend time together, get to know each other better. Brent has never been interested in a man before, but he knows what he’s feeling for River is real.
It was a beautiful thing watching these two men fall for each other. This is a slow burn romance. River cares deeply for Brent but he is honest from the start that he is not a stay forever man. He needs to keep moving, learning and experiencing new things. It’s what his mother always told him, that they were dandelion puffs, floating wherever the breeze takes them.
This author must have had to study a great deal with all of the details included in this book of River’s beliefs and practices. My one complaint is that there was a LOT of description and after awhile, I found myself skimming some of those sections. It was a sweet, sexy romance, though, and you can’t help but want things to work out for these two. I loved the ending. I’m sure it will stay with me for quite a while. I haven’t read the previous books in this series and look forward to going back and reading them as well.
What a wonderful and sensual story, I loved it!
I’ve only read about ten books by Eli Easton but several of those have affected me deeply. The Redemption of River is one. There was so much in this story that wasn’t something I’d ever imagined myself enjoying. There’s a lot of mystical and holistic stuff going on and I didn’t really understand a lot of the terms. But – you know what? That didn’t make a bit of difference to my enjoyment of this story. I thought it was simply wonderful and kind of magical.
Please read the excellent blurb for details about the story. I also want to reiterate that while this is book four in a series there is absolutely no problem reading it as a standalone. I haven’t read the first three books but I sure want to read them now because this one was so fantastic.
The connection between River and Brent was palpable and the tantric scenes were intense and sensual. It was kind of wonderful to watch how Brent is helped by River and how he comes out of the pretty dark place he’d been in after the death of his wife. He certainly never expected to fall for a man but his easy acceptance of that fact was refreshing. He never wanted to hide their relationship and that was also a nice change from most bisexual awakening/out-for-you stories that I’ve read.
I could go on and on about how much I loved this story – I couldn’t put it down – but that might get a bit boring. Just read it for yourself; I don’t think you’ll be sorry if you do.
A copy of this book was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
The Redemption of River is an incredible, sensory treat. It’s so amazingly written that I felt myself all the sensorial experiences the characters have lived through, either by touch, sight, taste, smell or hearing. But what I absolutely appreciated about the book was that it offered a wonderful spiritual experience. It’s obvious that the author did an extensive research on eastern practices and believes, to then put it on page in a comprehensive and detailed manner, and somehow also magical.
River and Brent’s voyage has been one lesson after another, and it was beautiful. I don’t just mean the tantra, travels and all the teachings, but all the things they’ve learned about themselves. You’ll have to read the book and witness their connection, because it seemed as if their souls recognized each other: “as though their lives were two meteors moving through space, their arcs on a collision course, despite the two of them being from entirely different galaxies.”
At times it felt like River and Brent really came from different galaxies, considering their opposite upbringings, education and life choices. It reached a point that grounded Brent couldn’t anchor River, and each chose different paths. It brought me to tears seeing how unhappy they both were because of not finding a middle ground for what they needed. But, all things considered, they needed the separation, because it gave them the opportunity to look deep into their hearts and evaluate their priorities.
Reading this book was a wonderful experience, both thanks to the romance between River and Brent and to the way it gave me a different awareness of the world.
Breathtaking.
After days and days of no reading, I’m out of my funk.
The Redemption of River by Eli Easton is lovely.
-Hurt/Comfort/Healing
-Age gap (12 years)
-Friends to lovers
-Deep spiritual connection
-UST
-Slow burn
-Wonderful relationship development
-I fell in love with River & Brent, and it was awesome to catch up with past characters.
-I have to admit that I was afraid Brent’s wife might become an ever-present ghost in the story, but fortunately, it never felt that way.
Some questions people may have:
1. Can this be read as a standalone? Yes, it can.
2. Are the characters in this book in a monogamous relationship? Yes, they are.
Are the couple in these series monogamous? Yes, they are- though, in book 3, Michael does continue with his work. In my opinion, his job shouldn’t be considered stepping out on his relationship.
One of my favorite books this year!
5 Stars!
· PLEASE TELL ME JUSTIN GETS A BOOK?
· Without spoiling anything: can Harrison get a short? I would love to know if everything worked out.