Riven
A Novel
-
-
4.5 • 43 Ratings
-
-
- $4.99
-
- $4.99
Publisher Description
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 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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Parrish (Small Change) may well break readers' hearts with this deeply felt, perfectly paced contemporary about a reluctant rock star and the recovering addict he falls for. Theo Decker, lead singer for the superhot rock band Riven, is tired of touring. On a break, an exhausted Theo meets washed-up musician Caleb Whitman by (believable) chance in a Brooklyn dive bar, and the chemistry between them is immediate and explosive. But Caleb is just out of his fourth stint in rehab, trying to kick a heroin addiction, and far from sure that he can hold on to his sobriety, especially if he ventures into Theo's rock-and-roll world. The author's sensitive portrait of an addict in recovery adds depth and layers to the story. Caleb's oscillation between drawing Theo closer and pushing him away makes it clear that he believes he has nothing meaningful to give until he realizes that love could be the key to his healing. This contemporary is generous and tender in all the right ways.
Customer Reviews
Riven
Totally enjoyed this book! Was especially drawn by the way Parrish writes the musicians’ love for, and immersion in, their music.
Riven
Well written and overall a good effort. The dueling first person narratives just didn’t work for me as the two men sound the same. First person requires a distinctive voice (think Holden Caulfield). One is hard enough, two is well beyond most writers. The story would have been stronger in third person from Caleb’s POV.
A very moving story.
Riven is the first story I've read by Roan Parrish but I do have other books of hers on my TBRL (to be read list). It was a very moving story and had me in tears by the end. Two tortured guys who need each other but it takes time for Caleb to comes to terms with that.
Caleb is a recovering addict who had a promising music career but his addictions created major problems for him. Once he gets sober he stays away from that lifestyle because he doesn't want to be drawn back into it.
Theo hears Caleb singing one night while he is walking home and he is drawn to him. They begin a relationship but run into problems when Theo tries to convince him to give music another chance. Caleb doesn't want to be drawn back into all of the things that go along with the life of a musician; he's afraid for his sobriety.
Caleb and Theo have a rough road to their HEA. Theo isn't really happy playing in the band Riven; he wants to make music with Caleb. Caleb has to overcome his fears so that he can get back to his music and be with the man he loves.
A very emotional story which I really enjoyed.
A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.