Riven

By: Roan Parrish

Narrated by: Chris Chambers, Iggy Toma

Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's Summary

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.

Contains mature themes.

©2018 Roan Parrish (P)2018 Tantor

A rockin good listen

I actually added this book to my library in late November, 2018. I listened in January and just listened a second time over night. Let me first tell you that I love rocker romance. I also love male/male romance. I don’t enjoy romantic comedy, funny or light romance of any sort, the darker the better. While this is not a dark romance, in the truest sense, it is not the happiest of stories. These men are musicians, gorgeous and tatted up, talented and miserable. They stumble into each other in a bar, one night stand material for sure. One is a sad man whose career in music has ended in unhappiness, the other is a young and reluctant misfit. As their lives unfold they hurt one another, heal each other and fall deeply into a forever love. This book is beautifully written, flowery in parts and stark in others. There is a bit of humor a lot of tears and, some very hot and sexy parts. Roan Parrish shows us loneliness, drug addiction and fear and how these things are overcome in heroic and very ordinary ways. Now, a word to the narrators. Chris Chambers and Iggy Toma become these men. They are the perfect choice and pair as beautifully as any couple could. I love them both. Iggy Toma was my “boy crush” last year. I think this will still be his year. I sincerely hope the two of them continue to work together.

4 people found this helpful

ummm, top shelf

I have become an absolute front of the line, can't wait for the next book, FAN of Roan Parrish. His books suck me in from the first page and I don't want to stop till the end.
Iggy Toma , I've been a fan since the first book I heard him narrate, and Chris Chambers was impressive as well. THANKS FOR THE GOOD READ

1 person found this helpful

Excellent story, perfect narration!

I love Roan Parrish. This book is just lovely. It’s a wonderful story of people battling with themselves to simply live and create.

1 person found this helpful

Emotional; Raw

I listened through Roan Parrish‘s Somewhere Series and fell in love, so I had to snag this book up right away.

This book I found was very emotional, it sucks you in slowly until you don’t want to stop listening because you don’t want to leave the characters.

Theo and Caleb are both battling things inside themselves and it was almost as if like recognizes like. Sure they have the connection of music and sexual attraction, but I think they also saw something else too.

Theo struggles with fame and wanting to be a part of something more. Caleb is struggling to stay clean and though that is a feat in and of itself, it’s also learning his limitation and know how strong he really is. I think the book needed to have a little faith in themselves.

The story really is raw and necessary; I think if you pick up this book you will enjoy these two as much as I did.

I enjoyed the narration, I liked Caleb’s narrator a little bit more his voice has that gruff deep thing that I love. Theo’s narrator was perfect for Theo if that makes any sense he just has that youngish vibe that Theo seems to have.

10 people found this helpful

I love Rock Stars!

Riven was well narrated. It was a really and I mean really good story about the life of Theo and Caleb. The way they met, the way they loved each other and all in between towards their HEA. I could hear the music they made together, and Theo with his band members. MM Rockstar romance is the best. Well done. I highly recommend. ENJOY!

Absolutely in love

I’m soooooo happy I stumbled across Roan Parrish as each story I listen too I fall more in love with! Five big beautiful stars

Iggy Toma as the voice of Theo is magic! I adored Theos character and Iggys voice brought all the quirk and beauty Roans words portrayed.

Would have been better as a duet, but...

This is a great audio.

My only complaint about the performance, and it's a small one, is Chris Chambers needs to work on his breath control when using the mic. You can often hear his breath intakes before speaking, which could be annoying. 

Otherwise, Iggy Toma and Chris Chambers both did a wonderful job overall. Their character voices are great, the pacing and timing was aural perfection, and I would have been perfectly happy and content if either one had narrated alone. 

Because while I enjoyed listening to both narrators, the fact that it was dual narration did adversely affect my enjoyment. (See my "I hate having to listen to two different interpretations of the same role in the same book" rants from the past.)

Look, Riven's a good audio. But I'm not going to lie...I truly believe this would have been award-winning awesomeness had it been a duet narration instead. 

If you can't afford duet or ensemble narration, stick to a single narrator. All I'm saying.

**~~**~~**~~**~~**

Riven took my expectations of a rock star romance and completely obliterated them. This is unlike anything I thought it was going to be. I anticipated it being good because I have yet to be disappointed by a Roan Parrish novel, but I didn't realize how invested I would be in these characters.

In sweet, naive, Theo.

In broken, but mending, Caleb..

Upon finishing I could only think, "I'm wrecked." and had a book hangover for a day or two where I couldn't get the story or Theo and Caleb out of my head. The best kind of wrecked.

“If you’re looking for a prize, you ain’t lookin’ for love. Love isn’t a reward. It’s not something you deserve or don’t deserve.”

The writing is almost lyrical, and pulled me in like some of my favorite music that I can listen to and let the world disappear. I got lost in this book. 

I loved so much about Riven, from the dual POV that let me get inside the heads of these two incredible characters, to the way it flowed, to the way it ended, to the way it made me feel. And, man, did it make me feel so much. 

I'm wowed by this story. I just...I loved this so much.

“I don’t need the world to love me and I don’t need my parents to love me. I just need you to love me. Because I love you.”

Highly recommended!