Ok so I love all book covers and this was a cover request for me. This is book 3 in a series and I’m curious about book 1 & 2. I really liked this book and I’m happy I got to read it.

Huey and Felix were cute and balanced each other out well and I like that they had their own things going on that were way different and I do like that they were able to have too very separate dynamics of lifestyles and were able to merge together. I liked that Felix didn’t judge Huey for having been an addict and he didn’t feel the need to bring it up like “oh what happens if you do relapse.”

I feel like sometimes Felix was immature and acted like a baby but then again this is his first relationship. I was happy to see them change and grow and be able to learn from one another. A great read and I’m glad I was able to get this from NetGalley and Roan Parrish. Raze is out July 2.

Raze is the third book in Roan Parrish’s Riven series. I have not read the first two, but when I saw Raze offered on NetGalley I remembered ctkat1’s very positive review and decided to request it anyway. I’m glad I did. Raze is out July 2.

This was in many ways a sweet book to read. There are times when I need a heavy dose of emotional angst in my falling in love story. Raze had some good angst. Felix and Huey are both messes who are trying so hard to keep it together and be good adults. Huey has been sober for many years, but owns and runs a bar. He spends a lot of his time sponsoring recovering addicts. Felix has been taking care of his mother and siblings since he was barely a teen. They find each other at a moment when both of their lives are changing.

One of Huey’s employees talks him into hosting karaoke nights at the bar. Felix and his sister Sofia attend and sing a Riven song together. Huey, impressed by how well Felix sings sends a video of his performance to Theo, former Riven lead singer. Things happen and suddenly Felix’s sister is singing with Riven and going off on a tour. For the first time, Felix is alone and having to think about what he wants for his life. Huey has maintained his sobriety with a strict schedule and sponsoring the newly sober.

I really appreciated that neither fixed the other. They created spaces that gave the other room to grow, but there was no magical love cure. At some point soon, I’ll go back and read the first two books.

Readers can always count on Roan Parrish to deliver authentic characters toting excessive baggage while battling personal demons - be it addiction, ghosts, and/or their own insecurities. They're usually their own worse enemy, heavily laden with firm beliefs about their own fate in life along with the certainty they dare not deviate from their designated course. Until something . . . or someone crashes into their world, sending it spinning out of control. As in previous books in the Riven series, Raze relies heavily on a character-driven plotline that seduces readers with different points of view while encouraging them to become intimate with each character.

Huey is big, strong, and always in control with a rigidly structured daily routine that serves as a defense mechanism keeping him on the straight and narrow path of sobriety. His size and demeanor make him appear intimidating, uncaring, and quite stoic as he continually shores up the carefully constructed walls around his heart. And then, on karaoke night at his bar, a very young, timid, long-haired man steps up to the mic and rocks Huey's world sending sensuous vibes sparking between them like shooting stars. While he's tempted, there are so many reasons Huey knows he can't open that door.

Felix is a sweet, innocent twenty-five year old guy who's an outstanding singer, but an even better caregiver - of everyone but himself. An endearing aura of purity and innocence surrounds him, making him appear even younger than he is. And yet, Felix summons the courage to step out of his box and awkardly ask Huey out . . . on a date. I'm not sure who was more stunned - Huey or Felix. As the story unfolds, these two very different men in two different phases of their life come together as the proverbial "odd couple" - one an older, gentle giant fearful of letting his guard down and allowing another to invade his personal space, and the other a youthful man full of hope and wonder, needing to find his place and purpose in life before fully committing to another.

As always, Parrish's writing flows with a lyrical and fluent ease that lures readers in. With simple gestures like hand holding, hugs, and kisses, she paints a beautiful picture of two men falling helplessly in love - one reluctantly, one eagerly. While the sexual energy is off the chart with several spicy 5-Alarm scenes, I appreciate that Parrish dials it back a wee bit in Raze by trusting the character and relationship development to carry the story without the overabundance of fully loaded sex scenes. Likewise with the high angst as it's definitely lower than in previous books. I suspect some readers may find the plotline a little too low-key as there aren't any over-the-top explosive scenes in Raze, but rather a series of smaller yet no less intimate moments and "firsts" in these characters' lives which I greatly enjoyed. I know series' readers will be as delighted as I was to find Theo & Caleb, along with Rhys & Matt, appearing in support roles in this book. All in all, while Riven remains my favorite of the series, Raze is an emotional, heart-touching Must Read!

My Rating: 4 Intimate Hearts . . . And that's the truth!

With each installment in the Riven series, my expectations have been completely obliterated every time. Roan Parrish has a way of taking the most mundane, daily elements of life and manages to make every moment special. None of these stories are anything like I thought they would be, and I've been blown away every time.

I loved the way they push and pull with each other, I was very happy the drama and angst weren't over-the-top, and that Felix and Dane, despite their age difference, fit so perfectly with each other.

"I loved him in a way that felt like it shattered me and held me together all at once."

I loved this. I loved Felix and Dane 😍, I loved the side characters, super loved the dual POV, and the way the words spoke to me on a different level. I love this series, and I'm almost ridiculously excited for more.

"Yes," he choked out. "Yes to everything with you always."

Dual POV, smoking hot sex, some angst, and a wonderful HEA ending. Absolutely recommended!

4.5 Stars

OMG! Huey's story was so worth the wait. This was a very character driven story and Huey and Felix were awesome characters. Felix has given his all for his siblings and Huey has focused all his energy on his sobriety, when they meet each is mystified that the other could be interested in them. I absolutely loved going with them on their journey to their happy ending.

While this can be read as a stand alone reading the first two books really rounds out the character's world.

I really liked this one. I can relate to wanting to have my world ordered, even though that is not always best. This one was great!

I received an e-ARC of Raze by Roan Parrish from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved the first two books in this series and I was excited to get the chance to read this one early.

I was really looking forward to Huey’s story and it did not disappoint! Roan Parrish writes emotions and personal growth so well. There was not a lot of “action” in this story, just a lovely tale of two people coming together to find their forever person and overcoming a lot of personal baggage that stands in the way of their relationship. Huey is a recovering addict who has overextended himself trying to give back, and Felix had to grow up fast and be responsible for his younger siblings from an early age. We get to see them learn to communicate their needs and wants in an open and honest way. This book comes alive in small moments, looks, and touches. It’s so beautifully written.

I give this book five stars. If you like Roan Parrish, you will love this book. If you like books that create emotional space, you will love this book. I highly recommend it.

3.25?

this book was really good. it hit too close to home at times and surprisingly was thought inducing. i feel like it's a type of book that would hit people differently, and can be enjoyed in different ways. saying this, this book was really hard for me to push through at the beginning. it was flat and there was a lot of details that i didn't care for. i was enjoying it but kept thinking about DNFing it because i felt like the genre isn't fit for me. like there's zero plot... it's just about the characters and usually i enjoy books like this but i have to REALLY like the character or for them to be at least interesting. the characters of these book weren't one dimensional but as people i just didn't care enough about them. also the relationship although cute at moments, and like solid at the end... some parts of it were a lil cringe or like just weird.

there's a lot of parts where this book redeemed itself. i found myself really emerged in the family dynamic and shit made me pause and think for a while. i liked the inner dialogue of the characters, sobriety after substance abuse/addiction was handled well, and i loved that aspect of the story.

i think if i had read this book at a different time i would've enjoyed it more, but oh well.

I love Roan Parrish. I enjoyed her Middle Of Somewhere series. I had yet to start the Riven series so starting reading it with book #3 I was unsure of doing but it lead me loving all the characters so much that I went from reading book 3 to book 1 then 2!

This book centers about Huey, who is a past drug user turned bar owner and sponsor for N.A.
It's also about Felix, a so very caring eldest sibling who put the needs of his entire family over anything he hoped or dreamed of for himself.

Reading Felix give the ultimate sacrifice for his sibling and watching as she lives out a dream and leaving him all alone to cope in the aftermath was pretty heartbreaking. But some how during that time, a bond between Huey and Felix develops and that has them both leaning towards the other in some of their hardest, most trailing moments.

There's miscommunication, hope, self doubt, not trusting themselves doing what they should be doing but seeing them grow closer and work out the dust and doubt between themselves is sweet to see.

Full of loveable side characters (from Riven and Rend (books 1 & 2), I fell in love with these characters and their journey.

Roan writes characters you're able to fully invest yourself in and I'm only sad I waited so long to read this series!

Everything about the story and characters felt realistic, genuine, and flowed nicely. I want to immediately pick up the first two so I can learn some more about the other characters!

Genre: MM Romance
Steamy?: Yes
Cliffhanger?: No
Can be read as Standalone?: Yes
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

As expected, Roan delivers another captivating story with lovable damaged characters who find healing in and with another. I liked this one but didn’t love it, unfortunately. Roan is no less talented in this effort by any means - it just felt like things tried to be a bit too deep, to the point where I couldn’t get a solid grasp of what the true internal struggles were. Don’t get me wrong – I understand the surface struggles of addition and codependency but their effects on the characters didn’t feel clearly articulated.

But this was definitely a heartfelt enjoyable read that fans of Roan won’t want to miss.

I love Huey and Felix. Both characters felt so real and relatable and I was just rooting for them the whole time. I definitely recommend this book if you've enjoyed the first two.

Also, just let me say thank you to Roan Parrish for the way they have portrayed Caleb and Huey in recovery. This is my favorite thing about these books because as someone in recovery themselves, it's nice to see it actually done right and to not feel so alone. :')


Also!!!!!! this book has BDE.

I didn't know what to think going into this book because the first one was just ok but the second blew me out of the park. This one falls sort of in the middle, a solid four stars because it kept me engaged the entire time and I really wanted their story to work out well. The characters were flawed and they knew it. The ending was sweet and I'm glad they got their HEA.

A solid addition to the series! Each character’s background and history were so well thought out and every action they took in the present could be traced back to them. I felt that I really understood Felix and Dane so I was really rooting for them.

Such a gorgeous story.

I haven't read Roan Parrish before and it looks like I'm going to go and look up a few books after this.
An author whose writing makes you want to devour more is an excellent sign.

Reading 'Raze' was no chore. The words were effortless, lovely, and made me feel like I was being included in something precious, secret even.

We're in the heads and thoughts of Felix and Huey. Both very smart, very caring, very giving characters, and use to putting other people first.
Huey carries a lot of hurt, and seeing him deal with that pulls at your heart. Seeing as I haven't read the previous books in the series I know nothing about him, but it didn't take me long to figure out that he's just a good guy who needs his own happiness.
Felix is someone use to putting others first and with circumstances drastically changing in his life he needs to figure out how to want and dream for himself. He's also quite adorable as he navigates his pursuit of Huey and attempts to build a relationship.
Both of these characters are achingly sweet. Seeing them work out how to be together, learn to let go of constantly giving to others and be a little selfish for themselves, and build on their lives is really special. This book feels a little more intimate than others.

Huey's friends are cute. Their love and support for Huey is apparent. And their want for him to be happy definitely helps Huey, even if he won't admit it at first. I'll definitely need to read up on them.

The elements of this story are all rather unobtrusive but together they just captured me completely. Just a brilliant read.

Raze is the third book in the Riven series. The story of Felix and Huey was such a journey of love and fighting hardships that made their story amazing! It was great to see such growth and change with these characters.

I would definitely recommend this book and series to others. I can't wait for more from this author

I wanted to love this,I really did but something just wasn't pulling me into this.It started off promising enough but I just got bored and felt disconnected to the story.


Huey and Felix both had issues and I honestly got them,especially Felix.Yes,he might have been a tad needy and insecure but that's the kind of character I love.I really admired the way he sacrificed his own life and put his family first.


Huey just infuriated me.Period.I hated the way he treat Felix at times.Again,he had demons he was dealing with but I kind of became indifferent to them.


Have to mention the covers for this series.Honestly some of the most stylish book covers ever.


Overall,just ok for me.

This third book fits in perfectly with the rest of the series, both in tone and character, while at the same time bringing something entirely new. Huey has been around since the beginning, but discovering the details of his life was a joy. Felix steps into this series as compelling as any of the other main characters we have grown to know and love.

This review will be posted on my blog Jun 18, 2019 @ 06:47
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The descriptive bit: Raze is the third book in the River series by Roan Parrish. Huey is a recovering addict who runs a bar and has scheduled his life down to the most minute details. When he’s not working or working out, he’s sponsoring other folks from NA.

My thoughts bit: I absolutely loved this book and I haven’t even read the first two in the series. Let me tell you, I have just purchased the first two books in the series! That being said, don’t worry if you haven’t already plunged into the series, I didn’t have any trouble keeping up with the story. I would recommend starting the series from the beginning just so that you get to enjoy the story from the very beginning.

This book was a delicious tangle of love, angst, hurt, and passion. When Huey is working in his bar one night and sees Felix Rainey onstage singing karaoke, his curiosity is piqued. But the thing is, Huey has spent his sober life building walls and protecting himself from anything different, challenging or new. He lives his life as routinely as he can.

Huey is shocked when he finds out that Felix is interested in him. Felix is everything Huey isn’t. He’s open and emotional, young and vivacious and … spontaneous. Felix is the oldest in his family and has helped to raise his brothers and sisters. He’s a nervous wreck when he asks Huey out… and is stunned when Huey says yes. And thus it begins!

The romance between Huey and Felix was adorable and heartbreaking and I loved every moment of it. There was something very infectious about Felix. I loved the way that he struggled to say the things he needed to but was completely open at the same time. He was sweet and adorable and if Huey hadn’t wanted him, then I certainly would have willingly brought him home.

Huey is a complex character and I really appreciate the way that Parrish wrote him. I had a friend who was in NA and the realness of some of Huey’s thought patterns really worked for me. There’s been a lot of pain in his life and the way he found to deal with it was to cut off intimacy. So where does that leave Felix? It leaves Felix not knowing quite where he stands with Huey and wondering if he’s even being realistic about their feelings. For all his sweetness and loving nature, he’s realizing that he’s lost himself over the years because he’s been so busy taking care of everyone in his family.

The relationship between these two men is beautiful. It’s real and flawed and full of mistakes and fuck-ups and it’s so well-written.

An NA sponsor and bar owner falls for a man he sees singing karaoke in his bar one evening. Together they end up falling in love and helping each other solve their poor coping mechanisms. I adored this story and I really think the author handles potentially triggering plot lines excellently. While both characters are flawed their growth and humility were excellently navigated through the this well written story. Overall it's a warm yet heart wrenching story that is wonderfully done.