Bought the book on release day and reviewed on Goodreads back then. Also, shared on social media. Just updating it here:

Riot Street is a unique and tenacious story told through the voice of Avery Avalon, a character reminiscent of a modern day Holden Caulfield. Tyler King’s writing style illuminates a stark world with lush description placing the reader in the scene as the characters navigate their changing world. The characters discover not only more about each other but who they are themselves. The dynamic personalities created in this book jump from the page in this refreshing and thoughtful 5 Star read.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me as I found the heroine to be a tad bit immature. I absolutely love this herorl but found the heroine to be slightly awkward. Thank you for the opportunity!

Such a great and unique story .The characters are complex and we'll developed .The story is captivating and the writing flawless.Overall it was a great story .

Riot Street is one of those reads that really kicks the crap out of the romance stigma. There’s nothing fluffy here. Every page, every word, every bit of dialogue, has a meaning and purpose in the overall story. With that in mind, I invite all critics of the romance genre to read this book. My guess is they’ll be singing a different tune by the time they’re done.

The plot of Riot Street is complex and unique, but what really shines for me are the characters. Ethan and Avery are engaging and flawed and just so...real that as you read, you’ll start to feel like you really know them. And the slow-burn romance between Ethan and Avery is so exceptionally executed that you can’t help but root for them as a couple.

I won’t give anything away plotwise, but at the beginning of the story, it’s easy to see Avery as a character who needs guidance to overcome her past and learn how to live a productive, happy life. That’s not the case at all. Avery is a survivor who can flourish in any setting. She really only lacked confidence in her ability to remain strong in the face of setbacks and difficulties. Yes, Ethan helps her with that. But by the end of the story, Ethan needs Avery’s strength more than she needs his. I LOVED that role reversal, and it was really just another of many examples of this author and this story crushing the romance stigma.

Tyler King’s writing style is also fresh and super unique. It’s crisp and well-paced, clever and witty, emotive and descriptive without being overwrought and angsty.

Long-story-short: Riot Street is totally compelling, a perfect blend of swoony and emotional moments, witty dialogue, and beautifully complex characters. This one goes straight to the keeper shelf.

Full disclosure: We received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I felt like this book had one too many story lines for me to really get into it. Some of which felt out of place. The writing was good but I just couldn't connect with the characters.

Ever read a book's blurb and were still unprepared for the story held within its pages? That was me with RIOT STREET. I didn't expect half of what I got and I think that was what I loved most about it.

What else I loved:
📰 How naked and exposed the author allowed her characters to be. Both Avery and Ethan were devastatingly broken and at times neither one seemed able to subsist, mush less support the other.
📰 How the author tackled cult culture, not so much the day-to-day of that life, but it's aftermath. What was captured didn't appear to be contrived and had an honest if somewhat traumatizing feel to it.
📰 The way the author wove the authentic feel of journalism and I'm guessing that's from her own experience.

What didn't work for me:
📰 I was okay with the entire story being told from Avery's POV, although I felt that Ethan's perspective would have given these characters and their story more depth and more connection. However, I felt overwhelmed by the heavy usage of similes, metaphors and idioms. It was as if I couldn't go a whole passage without being bombarded. It happened during Avery's internal monologues, her narration, her conversations, and even her intimate moments with Ethan. So much so that it took away from the impact each element should have had.

At the end of the day, did I enjoy this story? Heck yeah. Avery and Ethan both found their way into my heart and I would definitely read from this author again.

Release Date: April 30, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Heroine - 1st person
Steam: 2.5 out of 5
Book Type: Standalone

This was my first book by Tyler King but it won't be my last. The writing drew me in from the first page but it was the depth of the story that had me hooked. The book as a whole was strong and powerful and I became invested in the happiness of these characters from the very start. I felt like I went on a journey with these two and I look forward to reading more from Tyler King in the future.

Riot Street is an incredible story. It's complex and gives you such an in-depth look into both main character's lives that it is extremely hard to put down.

Ethan wrote about Avery's childhood and is part of the reason she's had so many doors opened to her that might not have otherwise been there. She is wary of him at first because he does know all about her life and might even know more than she can even remember. The chemistry between these two is so intense however that it is only a matter a time before she opens up to him. It's almost like they are addicted to each other and neither can't break that. Only time will tell if it will last.

The writing is phenomenal! I couldn't wait to devour every word. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and couldn't wait to find out what happened next. This is a definite must read.

Riot Street was my first Tyler King book – and damn, what a read. Without a doubt, I will be keeping an eye on this author. This was such a fantastic read. It was so close to being a five star rating (in fact, a large part of me is screaming to hand out my first five star rating in many months). Honestly, it delivered so much. As soon as I started reading this one I found it was impossible to put down. I was well and truly addicted from start to end.

The first thing that grabbed me was the writing. Tyler King has a way with words – there is no way to deny that. In fact, there were so many brilliant lines that I was sending them to a friend with my own personal commentary attached. The writing is deep and emotional, yet there is an underlying humour to be found in places. Elegantly written, the writing manages to mix cynicism and true heart. It’s a talent – that’s the only way I can think to describe it. Not to mention the way it allowed us to easily enter the mind set of our main character. Within moments I felt like I was one with our leading lady, and as the story progressed her emotions became mine.

Honestly, the writing was a thing of beauty.

The story was just as amazing. It is a deeply emotional story, offering so much more than I’d anticipated. The synopsis had me believing there would be something big, but I wasn’t quite expecting all of the beauty I received throughout the story. Things developed beyond what I was expecting, more emotional impacts were thrown in than I anticipated. Every time I thought we’d reached the pinnacle point in the emotional manipulation, something more pulled my emotions all over the place. Honestly, the number of different subject matters touched within this one is amazing. I could list them all to prepare you for what is to come, to demonstrate how wonderfully complex the emotional side of this story is, but to do so would be to give you spoilers regarding what happened throughout. Just know this story is an onion – each time you unwrap a layer, a new layer appears.

Equally amazing are the characters. The characters are as complex as the story, being onions themselves. It’s a very character heavy story, with most of the drama and twists being in relation to character development. I positively loved this about the story. Each new thing that was unveiled about our characters helped me fall even more in love with them. Even when I was annoyed at characters, I found myself loving the development that was occurring. Because the development – it’s another thing that left me with a serious wow feeling. It’s done in subtle ways, but the changes that occur are drastic. Whilst I loved most of the cast from the very start, by the end of the story I was completely enamoured with every character that had popped up throughout the story. Everyone played a part; everyone worked their way into my heart. No character was left undeveloped, everyone was real, and I could easily imagine bumping into any of these people on the street.

Pretty much everything about this story pulled me in. The characters were amazing. The romance left me experiencing a wide range of emotions. The events of the story messed with my mind in the best way possible. It really was an extremely powerful read, easily one of my favourites of this year.

The only thing that stopped me from giving that full five star rating was that some of the events seemed a bit on the predictable side. Although there were many unexpected twists, although a lot was thrown into the book that left you riding a crazy rollercoaster, there were certain things that I saw coming well before they appeared. As I’m extremely hard to pull a five star rating from, little things like this can stop me from handing out said five stars. Therefore, whilst I may not have given this a full five star rating, it’s a very strong four-point-five star read that I believe will easily pull five star ratings from many other people.

Overall, this book was a truly beautiful read and I cannot wait to see what else the author brings to the table.

***I received an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review***

Sometimes I read a book, and when I'm finished I just can't say enough good things about it. That's how I feel with Riot Street.

Avery is working towards a successful career in journalism, while at the same time trying to outrun her past. Ethan is an established journalist who has a fascination with the past that Avery wants to shed. When they're together, there's a very palpable chemistry between the two, but Ethan has a few skeletons in his closet that inevitably come out to haunt him, which threatens everything between him and Avery.

This might be kind of spoilerish, because I'm going to discuss some parts of the plot that aren't revealed until later on. So if you don't want that, then please feel free to pass over this portion. I appreciate authors who present substance abuse in an authentic fashion, and who don't make it seem like it's glamorous or a desirable characteristic for their leading man or woman to have. So, when it came to Ethan and his addictions, I liked how honest and real King approached the topics. Addiction is an ugly thing, it often times costs the addict his/her relationship or career, and King portrayed that perfectly with what happened between Ethan and Avery.
The plot of this book was unique, and I liked that too. Avery has such an interesting background, one that made her stand out to me from any other female lead I've read. She's been through so much and had to overcome so much, and that in turn has made her into a strong, driven individual.

There was definitely chemistry between Avery and Ethan, and King did a great job of making that palpable and noticeable early on in the story. There was a slow burn to this, it wasn't any kind of insta-love. And Avery didn't try to fix Ethan either, which I also appreciate. Everything was handled in such a delicate, realistic fashion, and that made me feel like the story itself was more real. It was easy for me to put myself in Avery's shoes and empathize with her.

This wasn't a quick read, it did take some time to get into, but I'm glad that I stuck with it, because I loved it.

Kudos to King on crafting characters that come to life and have the same kind of flaws that those of us in the real world do.

If you're looking for a unique story with romance and angst, Riot Street is the book for you.

Five stars to this book!

“We’re both adults. Why should I deprive myself of the one person I want because we’re inconveniently employed?”

Another intriguing and complex story from author Tyler King.

Riot Street follows the story of Ethan and Avery. Connected by her past, Ethan and Avery are brought together by a job opportunity at Riot Street. Ethan has spent years trying to unravel Avery's family scandal. He is charming and yet unpredictable. All Avery wants to do is move on from her past, but despite her best efforts, her demons keep plaguing her. She finds solace and safety in the most unlikely place.....

Overall, I really enjoyed Riot Street. The writing is smart and sucks the reader in from the very first page. The story is beautifully written and you can't help but be drawn to Avery and want to know more about her story. I found Avery rather easy to relate to and I loved how complicated Ethan was.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Ethan and Avery together; seeing them navigate their way through all the obstacles and hurdles that life would thrown at them. Their love was a slow burn and I think that made their relationship even that more special. They had to work to get where they are and it showed them how important it is to fight for the things and people that you love.

Riot Street is a truly unique and special romance. I didn't see it coming, but am so very glad that I checked it out.

Rating ~3.5 - 4 stars

Avery "Echo" Avalon is newly graduated journalist, now working for Riot street. Avery's childhood had marked in a way that even after all these years she still has to deal with anxiety attacks and nightmares. She has always felt alone and has a difficult time connecting to people (which is understandable with her past). She is still trying to find who Avery really is.

Ethan Ash is award winning journalist and a author. He is the reason why Avery decides to take the job at Riot street. While on the surface Ethan may seem like cocky and arrogant journalist who would use any means to get the story, the reality is bit more complex.

This book is told from Avery's POV, it is about struggling with addiction, life, pain, finding peace, letting go and moving on and especially about finding yourself. The book itself is unique, the characters are very complex, the story more so but it's so worth a read!

Avery has struggled with a lot through her life and all of it alone and the transition she goes through in this book is great. She was a great heroine, she was stronger than she ever thought she was and she goes through a lot in this book but at the end she's stronger and more importantly she's happy with who she is. I ended up really adoring her.

Avery and Ethan share a past which doesn't make their interactions or their attraction to each other easier to deal with. Their connection, their attraction to each other is strong and later on the love they feel for each other is even more so. Avery and Ethan's story isn't exactly straight forward, Avery has walls (for good reasons) while Ethan likes to hide behind something different. Their journey to their happy ending isn't easy, it's filled with mistakes, up's and downs, secrets and love.

Quibbles: [spoiler]I wish we could have gotten Ethan's POV but since we didn't a bit more about him wouldn't have hurt, because and this my other quibble was that Avery's story evolved a lot around Ethan (it did from the start but really) especially somewhere near 60% it was a lot more about Ethan than Avery and it was just frustrating to have Ethan being so much there yet not knowing much about him? I had very difficult time with Ethan, sometimes his behaviour was understandable other times I hated what he was making Avery go through and I had really gotten to love Avery so....I also would have liked an epilogue.[/spoiler]

Even though I'm not a fan of one protagonist's POV in romance books, I really loved the writing in the book, it just flowed really well and made the characters stand out more.

Overall, this book ended up making me feel a lot emotions, made me love Avery and I was happy that she got her happy ending.

Riot Street led me on a very unsuspecting, thrilling ride! I loved Tyler King's writing style and also broadening my vocabulary while reading it.

Ethan wrote a book about a chapter in Avery's life, the chapter that she would like to forget.
"With everything you've been through in your life, no one would blame your for being a total mess, but you're not. Avery, you're probably one of the most well-adjusted people I've ever met. Prep school kids from Connecticut have more disorders."

This is a great page turner that will keep you invested in Avery & Ethan's roller coaster of life as they navigate the world of journalism and see who saves whom from their nightmares! I thoroughly enjoyed this smart and thoughtful contemporary romance that was a great breath of fresh air for me!

-4.5 stars-

I’ve had Miss King’s debut novel on my TBR list for many months, but have yet to get to it. So when I saw the opportunity to read Riot Street as an ARC, I was eager to give her writing a try. Her unique writing style is clear from the outset. It’s detailed, contemplative, and often wanders a bit between subjects, almost as if the narrator can’t ignore the background noise. As the story is told exclusively from the heroine’s point of view and this is my first book by the author, I wasn’t sure if this is Miss King’s trademark writing style or Avery’s character. Whatever it is, it both caught me off guard and pulled me into the story.

I found both main characters to be very unique and interesting. Avery is an aspiring journalist who is trying to make a career and name for herself while desperately trying to shed the ghosts of her past. Her voice comes through perfectly. I recognized her strength and uncertainty immediately, and despite her distinct experiences, it was easy to identify with her. The more I learned about her character, the more I appreciated that her thought process and the writing reflects her journalistic side- composed, analytical, and considering other people’s motivations for their actions or reactions. While this style does make the pacing a tad slower at times and took some getting used to, it resonates with Avery’s character and brings her to life. I found Ethan equally compelling. At first glance, he’s a typical contemporary romance hero- the ambitious, successful heartthrob working at the heroine’s place of employment. However, the reader gradually sees that veneer peeled back to learn there are secrets and hidden depths to his character. The romance between these two quickly develops, and yet it feels like a slow burn. I really respect the way the author wrote this couple’s story. It was powerful and sometimes tragic, but believable. Beyond the romance, the story of Avery’s itself is incredibly interesting once it all comes together. I really hadn’t anticipated many of the subplots or conflicts and I was picking up my e-reader at every available opportunity to know what happens next.

After this author’s first release, I heard a lot of praise about her style and ability to give a real quality to the characters and romance. I definitely saw that in Riot Street and would highly recommend it to those who want something a bit different from the typical contemporary romance.

I couldn't put it down. While I assumed this (as most romances do) would end happliy ever after, getting there was quite the adventure. The first two thirds of the book was much more fast-paced and captivating, but the lull towards the end didn't take away from watching Ethan and Avery figure out life and each other.

Tyler King is a new author to me, and certainly loved the book. Riot is a very touching story, its not only about personal struggles, but how if you have someone believing in you can make so much difference. Avery has been struggling, her past and her reality makes it hard for her to move forward. Ethan is a guy that will make you want to kill him and love him at the same time. They meet and they both find themselves helping each other in more ways than they thought possible.

Riot Street begins as a typical contemporary romance: young woman graduates from college, works for peanuts, writes an essay that goes viral overnight, gets dream interview. But that’s where the similarities to anything you have read before ends and the story veers off the traditional and expected course.

The story of Avery and her journey as a journalist unfurls slowly with details dropped like tiny little bombs when you least expect them. Intelligently written, the prose is poetic without being flowery, and sparse yet full at the same time. I found the writing to be both unique and intriguing.

The main characters, Avery and Ethan, give good snarky banter and one-liners, which creates an excellent break in the heaviness of their past. There is a depth to the characters, but it doesn’t seem to be meant to endear them to you. Instead, there is a feeling of sterility to the story that makes it difficult to decide if you are rooting for Avery or if you're just going to be an innocent bystander as she self-destructs.

For both Avery and Ethan, moving on is difficult when vestiges of your old, almost forgotten life keep popping back up to ruin your day. Throughout the first half of the book, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. However, when it does, it wasn’t in the direction I thought it would go. Instead of Avery needing rescuing as I expected, it was Ethan who needed saving. Like I said, this book turns the expected on it's head.

Anxiety, desperation, loneliness, heartbreak, devastation, ambition, and ultimately, growth are all themes woven into the story--sometimes delicately and sometimes more harshly. If nothing else, this story kept me on my toes and flipping pages to get to the conclusion.

Tyler King is an author to watch because I think there will be great things to come from her in the future. I enjoyed the intricate storyline, the layers of the complexity in each of the characters, and the unexpected angles exposed throughout the story. I recommend Riot Street for anyone who likes a little suspense mixed with their drama and romance. Just leave your expectations at the door and plan to discover each of the intertwined layers of this story as they unfold.

Received in exchange for a honest review.

This is my first book from Tyler King and it won’t be my last. I do need to say thought for me it was Ethan who made this book. I know Avery was a huge character but for me it was Ethan.

I loved the journey and soul search he had to go on. His struggles and darkness. His life wasn’t what everyone thought and his armor had kinks. For me he was real and in pain. He had so many things going on and he is so caring and honest with Avery. He isn’t always the easiest guy but he doesn’t let others not know where they stand either. When his life gets harder he does turn self destructive in my opinion. Avery is what grounds him. Ethan must go down a very dark and self destructive path to hit rock bottom and see and appreciate things. He also must hit rock bottom so he can come back and realize things. He needs to realize that his need for Avery is different than a crippling need but one that love gives. Avery needs to see this too. He needs to learn to cope and be himself. he also needs to discover himself and his strength and how to deal with things. His triggers and weaknesses, feelings and emotions and how to handle everything. He learns to face things head on and not use anyone or anything as a crutch. One thing that shines is his belief, support and love for Avery. This never wavers even when he does and he isn’t as strong as he once was.

Avery for me is a good character but I just liked Ethan more. She had to learn to deal with her feelings and past. How to be the person she was and the person she is and not hide aspects of her personality from herself and others. She needs to believe more in herself and those around you. Ethan helps in some ways but also hinders her. He hinders because of all he is going through. Helps because he shows her love and support and is there for her. These two are fun to watch together. We get some great conversation in the book and get to see what they are thinking and believe. I hated to see Avery go through what she did at work but also with her past. Her strength is in her survival and thriving despite all that she has gone through.

This is a entertaining story that has some series undertones. We see so many issues get dealt with and the characters show us that they have flaws. They show us it is okay to be flawed and scared. To not always have it together. The story is endearing and honest. The characters draw you in and their story keeps you reading. A wonderful book and I do hope that we get to see what happens after the hill at the end. I would love to know about Avery and Ethan later now that Ethan seems more put together and understanding of himself and his problems and now that he is facing things head on and coping, now that Avery sees she isn’t his crutch but the woman he loves.