5 stars.

"How strong the stories we told ourselves were. What power they had to shape how we saw the world, even when confronted with evidence to the contrary."

This book was breathtaking.

I just...I'm blown away by how much I loved this.

I loved Caleb and Theo. Their love for music, for each other, to be happy again, to find what makes them want to live.

"There was this moment before, the first note left my mouth, when everything changed. There was the before and the after, the quiet and the noise; the off and the on. It was the moment when I felt like I appeared, pushing everything that I was out of myself like the notes I sang were a strong-currented river, able to disgorge me."

Riven is an honest and beautiful book that makes you shake your head, want to throw your kindle and pull at your hair. But it's real and it's raw. And it makes you feel everything that the characters feel; their nerves, the fear, and the happiness. What it feels like to live in fear and not be able to do anything about it. Or that it takes you a while to find you happy place.

"I wanted to be the center of my own life again. I wanted to matter."

It was about Theo and Caleb being 'reborn' in a sense. And there isn't a book like this out there. And that is why there is absolutely nothing that I hated about this book or would change.

Readers Beware! Riven is raw, seductive, and highly addictive! Once you partake, you'll be hopelessly hooked and craving more, more, more . . . more of Theo & Caleb, more of their sensual, passionate story & music, more of this author's rhythmic, unique voice. What struck me like a lightning bolt about this story is the "honesty" resonating throughout, growing stronger & more demanding beat by beat. Although denied by both men for a long time, it drives both main characters to finally face the haunting, debilitating truths holding them each back individually.

There's little doubt that Riven is character driven - the story of two men consumed heart and soul by music in its purest form. Caleb's career has waned as he succumbed to the rock lifestyle and is now paying his penance - left believing that the only hope for his sanity and survival is giving up the very thing that keeps his heart beating - music and everything & everyone associated with it. On the other hand, Theo is riding the monster crest of fame, but he's drowning under the never-ending adoration of fans and the relentless pursuit of paparazzi - a reluctant rock star in that he hates the fame, lifestyle, and all it entails. He, like Caleb, lives for the music and songs reverberating in his head.

As this story opens, the two men meet and their erotic, passionate, troubled journey begins. Their chemistry is electric, and readers are gifted with love scenes that are highly combustible. Parrish's characterizations are authentic - so real and powerful and explosive that my heart overflowed with their truths and turmoil. There's a song from Dan Hill (later recorded by other artists) from way back that portrays Theo & Caleb and their conflicted emotions and inner battles best for me (it is not used in this book). I began hearing it in my head as this story played out and will quote it here as it describes the way I saw and felt these two men better than my own words can. The chorus goes like this:

Sometimes when we touch,
The honesty's too much,
And I have to close my eyes & hide.
I wanna hold you 'til I die,
'Til we both break down & cry,
I wanna hold you till the fear in me subsides.
(*by Dan Hill - Protected by copyright)

The honesty and love of these two men for music and each other is painful, all-consuming, & overwhelming at times as they work through their fears in an effort to move forward. And yet, through it all, they always feel genuine.

Riven is NOT your typical Rock Star story; in fact, there's nothing "typical" about this book. It's a gift, a rare treasure - one readers only dream of discovering once in a blue moon hidden among all the other books on the shelf. The sensuous yet mysterious siren of a cover seduced me into taking a closer look at this book, and the blurb sealed the deal. I decided to take a chance on it and am so glad I did. Roan Parrish has delivered a story and characters that will forever play in my head, heart, and soul. All I can ask is "More, please!" A Page Burning, Must Read!

Caleb and Theo's story is set in the spotlight of brilliantly talented musicians navigating adulthood and fame with a crushing amount of adverse childhood experiences weighing on both of them. Caleb is a recovering addict with a poor track record of sobriety, and he's falling for Theo, a reluctant rock star who loves the music but hates the fame.

I love the raw imperfections of Parrish's characters and Caleb and Theo reflect that beautifully.

4.2 out of 5 stars

Riven dives head first into the world of rock. We're right on stage with Theo as he screams his heart out into the crowd; so close to him you can practically smell the sweat on his skin and hear his ragged breathing through the ink on the pages. When Theo first meets Caleb, he's unsure of himself and his place in the world, despite being an adored after rock star. In fact, the fame makes him uneasy. Caleb, despite having troubles of his own, seems to ground Theo and give him a sense of home. Together, they work through various struggles that have the potential to rip them apart permanently and send Caleb's life spiraling back out of control.

While I would technically categorize this as insta-love, Parrish has a way of still making you feel invested in the characters and their budding romance. I have a tendency to get bored with insta-love stories because it's like, okay great--the protagonists are already together, some awful thing will happen and pull them apart, but they'll inevitably fall into their happily ever after. That's why we read books after all, right? For those sweet endings? I'm down for the happy endings, guys, don't get me wrong--but I need some grit; I need some misery and angst, and just that down and dirty, real-life stuff. Parrish certainly delivered on that.

WOW this book through for a loop. i absolutely loved theo. It was such a unique rock star book. Roan parrish has to be one of my favorite authors she has such an amazing writing style. i read this book in one sitting.

My gosh. I usually wait a day before writing a review because want to let what I read sink in and possibly go back over things that didn't mesh with me, but I'm busting with fanfreakingtastic things to say about Riven and Theo and Caleb that I can't wait.

As someone who had made horrible choice over and over again finding something that makes you happy is terrifying because what if you're just replacing one back habit with another? What if you let that person down when you slip up again? What if you ruin their life too?

Riven is a fantastically beautiful story about two men who are miserable. One is more than aware but refuses to do anything to change it out of fear. The other takes a while before he realizes he's even slightly unhappy.

Love and life is about doing what makes you happy with someone you make happy and vice versa. It's about risk taking and holding their happiness in your hands and knowing it. Those things make Caleb incredibly nervous. He's messed up before, many times but now he has to think about Theo and what messing up would mean. And Theo... He messed up but doesn't really see it until he meets Caleb. He's so caught up in just doing that he can't see his own discomfort.

Stick the two incredibly stubborn and passionate and talented men together and you have explosive chemistry with awkward moments and steamy sex. You have partnership and trust. New adventure and old. You have second chances and rebirth.

Riven is beautiful and honest and not in a way where you spend half that book thing "Seriously... Again? How overly dramatic!" There isn't really a cliche moon the entire book. You can feel the nerves and the fidgeting and excitement. The love and compassion and the intensity between the two men. When there is true honesty in a book it makes you feel like you're looking in a mirror and seeing yourself react and act the same ways. It's scary but makes the boom so much better... So much more. It makes you feel deeper than you would normally. Roan has done a beautiful job. I can't give this enough stars or recommend it enough.