A review by lezreadalot
Riven by Roan Parrish

4.0

Hope. And wasn’t that just the fucking scariest craving of all.

I haven't read a Roan Parrish book in a while, and every time I do, I forget how effortlessly she makes me fall for her characters, no matter the genre she's writing in. Rockstar romance isn't my favourite, but it definitely helped that this was a quieter sort of romance. We have Theo, the reluctant lead of a new and popular band, who feels alienated by his bandmates, and uncomfortable with his new-found fame. Then we also have Caleb, an older recovering addict and a former musician, trying to put the pieces of his life back together after his fourth time in rehab.

Their romance was so, so lovely. They had their misunderstandings, and their drawbacks, but it felt like a natural progress of the relationship, rather than unrealistic drama. They were so perfect for one another. I love stories like this, of people who are damaged and hurting in different ways, but still manage to find love through each other. Healing through music! I loved it. I especially loved the portrayal of Caleb's addiction and recovery, the fact that it was an ongoing struggle for him, the conversations that he had with his sponsor, the ways in which he struggles to believe that he could be good enough for Theo. At the same time, his addiction wasn't treated like a failure on his part. This was just so wonderful, and so sexy, and it did what few books about music can actually make happen for me: it made me wish that I could listen to their original songs. Parrish just described them so vividly and so wonderfully and made it all come alive. Her writing is just so good!

Listened to the audiobook as read by Iggy Toma and Charlie Chambers, and they made for a great duo. They played off of one another really well and I love their voices. I'm not sure how much I'm interested in the other books in this series but since it's Roan Parrish, I might one day give them a try.

Content warnings:

Spoiler

past drug addiction and alcohol abuse

I made my song into a fist, and I punched the only way I knew how.