Riven

This book that may not be for everyone. Not even die hard romance lovers as it involves a same sex couple. I don't want anyone to be surprised or offended when finding this out. I did find it was good to know that you didn't have to be a fan of the rock scene or 17 years old, to appreciate or understand the music. These people genuinely loved their music and treated it as a part of their very hearts and souls.. What is beautiful foremost about this book is the way the author…Roan Parrish…writes about the music and the guys that play it. If music could morph into a solid material it would literally roll off the pages when she describes it. Not all of the story can be described as "beautiful'...But it is hopeful. Throughout the novel, show more we get to watch these messy, broken men find pieces of themselves they didn’t even recognize were even missing…and we see them become stronger individuals. Parrish also did an incredible job with Caleb’s addictions and accurately depicting the ways addictions can rule a life, even when sobriety is achieved. They’re always around the corner waiting. Caleb’s struggles to resist were both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time…but with Theo he had a second chance. I love the last paragraph and line that described them listening to the song that Theo wrote for Caleb. “The song that gathered inside me, that I had held inside all these months…the song that told him all the things he already knew, but in the language we both felt deeper than words.” show less

This review has sat blank before me for a while. This book felt deeply personal, funny, stilted at times..but for me, it was upstaged by a secondary character. And the reasons are personal things you may not give a shit about. But this is my review.

"Do not quote AA to me, you absolute fucker."

The romance was good, it was touching. Sometimes I cried a little. In this case though, I've been Rhys, who is neither hero. He's a secondary character.

There were so many times, having already separated us by eleven billion emotional miles (mine, not his), the addict in my life would call me sobbing, needing me. Every time I looked at him, I knew he was my sorrow and I was his hope. I would do whatever I needed to to keep him safe, but what I had show more done & did do had forever broken us. And so had what he had done. I knew we loved each other, and forever would, and that never ever was I going to be his person again. So, for whatever reason, I felt like Rhys and Caleb was an incredibly compelling, heartfelt dynamic. I understood how Rhys loved him exactly. I understood the triumph Rhys can feel even though you know he's a little heartbroken (though moved on).

"You really fucked up."
"What the hell do I do?"
"Uh. Well you know I'm not much for grand gestures, but you should probably apologize for being a massive blockhead. And--I dunno--maybe consider telling him you love him back.

I just started at him, my mind a blank. Rhys face-palmed and glared at me. Then he grabbed the bag of chips we'd been eating.

"You don't even deserve these, I'm taking them with me."


And then Rhys leaves him his shoes (but not the chips), and it's so intensely beautiful piece of love and friendship along w/ self-preservation. I could've read about them, nand Rhys and Mathew, and though I did really enjoy the romance between Caleb and Theo, it didn't feel as central for me as that enduring friendship. YMMV.

I have to tip my hat to Roan Parrish, because I assume she used material from one of my favorite This American Life episodes how personal enduring beliefs can be wrong--and the moment you realize they are incorrect. (SUCH A GOOD EPISODE) Here is was the belief that unicorns were extinct, and had existed once. show less

Not a lot happens in the background to the relationship arc. And even with that, while the arc follows the MCs, Theo and Caleb, falling more deeply for each other, just as much, it follows each of their journeys to that place where they find peace within, especially Caleb. That's how much they give each other.

But it's also the setting - that marvellous slip of a farm 1.5 hours from New York, in Stormville, where Caleb seeks to rebuild himself in his vegetable garden, taking long walks, sitting on his old couch or in his screened in porch... That setting provides a balm to this reader too!

Roan Parrish writes so beautifully about love and vulnerability. And narrators Chris Chambers and Iggy Toma deliver. Iggy Toma, whom I've heard so show more much, can be quite distinctive with his flat, slightly nasal voice - I associate him with frat boys! - but here I thought he did a good job of disappearing into the character (Theo).

(Later) I wish now that I'd read the 3 books in the Riven series in order instead of reading book #1, Riven, last. Rhys, Caleb's best friend, and his partner Matt, are introduced in book #1, such that I'd love to read more about them. Turns out I did, ages ago, when I read Rend - their story - and I can't remember if I finished it, but I remember finding it very heavy and heartbreaking. I didn't have the benefit of their introduction in the first book. Fortunately, I now have a library that has a copy, and I don't have to squeeze it into my slim Hoopla monthly allocation. show less

Wow. This book was beautifully written and I’m feeling overwhelmed by the feelings it evoked in me.

Theo is a popular reluctant rockstar who doesn’t understand why he is so popular and can’t believe that he is deserving of being loved. Caleb is a former musician who is one year out of rehab, trying to get his life back together . When these two meet, sparks fly and from their first meeting, it’s so inevitable that they have to be together.

The character development is great in this book. The journey of Theo realizing what he wants from his life and Caleb trusting himself to dream of a future are amazingly written. Their internal struggles are very realistic and it was good to see them follow their own paths and find a way back to show more each other every time they separate. Their love story is absolutely beautiful and I was rooting for them from the get go. They also take time getting to know each other and it was wonderful watching them grow together.

The book is also full of musical terminology, aspects of creating music, the way Theo and Caleb visualize and feel their way through their writing process - it’s qll very enthralling and I wished I knew more about music. I think the author did a great job incorporating the intricacies of creating music as well as the negative affects the fame can have on a musician. Theo and Caleb’s struggles were very different and the author handled them each in a very individual way.

Overall, this book was a great experience and I would definitely reread it in the future. show less

Book review: Ah, that ending. So worth reading again!!!

ARC review:

I read the last line, smiling and in tears (which you'd think would be common for romances, but it really is not), and then had to wander away for minutes before I could write this.

Now, I realize how like a really great song the novel is. I wish that had occurred to me while I was reading it. Each character is beautiful - this IS Roan Parrish, after all - and each of our main guys has his hills to climb and quicksand to escape. But once they make a connection, as stressed as it gets, it is fiercely strong. That is the single most gorgeous part of the story.

The ARC was wonderfully formatted and nearly error-free. Joy! And now I get to read the novel as it appears in the show more wild - and I rarely re-read these days. Yes read this one! show less

Since Judith found the best Theo in her review here's another picture of that beauty.

Because hot damn, this is how I saw Theo!



And Caleb:



I have a strong adoration for all of Roan Parrish's uke boys ever since Natural Enemies and The Remaking of Corbin Wale. But his time even though I absolutely adored Theo, I loved Caleb more.

Caleb is broken. He is a recovering heroin addict, he has demons, he is vulnerable and scared and the fear of falling back on the drugs is strong in him. And he is so goddamn real! Every choice, every time he hides in his protective shell, every panic attack and every time he pushes Theo away brings him more and more out of the pages of the book and into the 3D world.

Theo on the other hand is a sunshine. A show more reluctant famous rocker. A naive and beautiful soul who just wants to be part of something and be loved. He was the gentle breeze on the beach while Caleb was the storm. Absolutely adored this book!

There is a pattern in Roan Parrish's books that make them so appealing to me. All the MCs are very creative. They have jobs that make others smile, be them botanists, pastry chefs or singers or songwriters.

Looking forward to reading Rend. show less

I loved Caleb and admired his strength, but I was unsure about Theo. Most of the time I was under the impression he needed a therapist more than anything else and that he was forming an unhealthy attachment to Caleb because of his issues. It all worked out in the end, but I've spent the whole book wondering which way Theo will go as a character and feeling uncomfortable about it.