Riven by Roan Parrish

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Blurb:

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.
 

REVIEW:

Wow!  Just wow! Riven by Roan Parrish is one of those books that stays with you for a while. I find it to be a very powerful book, one in which I found myself in love with  the characters and the story immediately.

It is an emotionally packed tale of two musicians, both of whom have a lot of emotional baggage. Theo is a current Rockstar, but he doesn't like the lifestyle. He only loves the music.  The rest of his life is slowly driving him mad.  Theo is just one of the sweetest characters ever. He constantly sacrifices his own desires for the rest of his band's desires. He is so caring, kind, and gentle. He is searching for approval and acceptance constantly.

When Theo meets Caleb, he is simply in awe of Caleb's musical talent. Theo is an absolute loner and living each day in fear of allowing himself to enjoy life. He is basically a hot mess. He is out of rehab and is living in fear of slipping again. He fears that anything that makes him happy, or that he loves or enjoys will cause him to hit the drugs and alcohol again. Thus, he wants to shut out the world.

Both men are broken and trying to figure out how to live again. Together they start to pick up the pieces of their lives and start figuring out what they want and need. Being together gives them strength that they've each been missing for a long time.

Music is a wonderful theme in this story. Music resonates so deeply with many people. And it is overwhelmingly powerful. It has the ability to make you happy and to make you sad. It can be a helpful thing in your life or a bad influence on you. It can bring people together to tear people apart.

Another huge theme is addiction. Caleb's life is in ruin from his addictions. And those addictions had such a strong hold on him that he finds himself unable to move on from them. The author does a fabulous job with her descriptions of the hold addiction can have on people.

Riven is an absolutely wonderful read.  Roan Parrish does a fantastic job with these two broken men. At times you will find your heart breaking. And often you will find yourself so engrossed by this book that you will forget everything else in your life. Please, read this book and enjoy this incredible journey!