Best Laid Plans by Roan Parrish

A man who’s been moving his whole life finally finds a reason to stay put.

Charlie Matheson has spent his life taking care of things. When his parents died two days before his eighteenth birthday, he took care of his younger brother, even though that meant putting his own dreams on hold. He took care of his father’s hardware store, building it into something known several towns over. He took care of the cat he found in the woods… so now he has a cat.

When a stranger with epic tattoos and a glare to match starts coming into Matheson’s Hardware, buying things seemingly at random and lugging them off in a car so beat-up Charlie feels bad for it, his instinct is to help. When the man comes in for the fifth time in a week, Charlie can’t resist intervening.

Rye Janssen has spent his life breaking things. Promises. His parents’ hearts. Leases. He isn’t used to people wanting to put things back together—not the crumbling house he just inherited, not his future and certainly not him. But the longer he stays in Garnet Run, the more he can see himself belonging there. And the more time he spends with Charlie, the more he can see himself falling asleep in Charlie’s arms… and waking up in them.

Is this what it feels like to have a home—and someone to share it with?

Carina Adores is home to highly romantic contemporary love stories where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Garnet Run series!
For book one, Better Than People, click HERE.

 

 

Book 2
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Carina Press (Harlequin)

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is the slow, sweet story of a young man who finally finds a place to belong. Rye has spent years moving between temporary homes, so he has nothing to lose when his grandfather leaves him a house in a small town. Charlie is Rye’s opposite. He has always had a home, but he’s given up hoping for someone to share his life with.

Fans of the author will remember Charlie as Jack’s brother in Better Than People. This book has much of the same feel to it as the first book. This is gentle realism. Charlie’s life is slow. He runs his family business in an isolated community. He feels much older than his years. Caring for his brother after their parents’ deaths has left him with an overwhelming sense of responsibility. Rye is a breath of Seattle hipster in Charlie’s life. The culture clash is instant, but so is the spark between them. Rye is desperate for a sense of belonging and Charlie needs someone to love.

The pet obsession continues in this book. Charlie and Rye don’t quite have Simon and Jack’s menagerie, but they are both devoted to their cats. Charlie and Rye are more sociable than Jack and Simon, but both are quiet men. This is a gentle romance that focuses on personal growth as Charlie and Rye restore Rye’s grandfather’s house together.

Roan Parrish always writes beautiful characters and relationships. This book is missing some of the exquisite prose I loved in the author’s first books, but it is still a compelling, satisfying read.


Angie – ☆☆☆
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, you can read this as a standalone though. Charlie and Rye are so sweet, there is a lot of miscommunication though. I kept waiting for this book to pick up the pace, but it was just slow and a tad bit boring. When the cats are the best part of the book for me, that's a little crazy. But Marmont was awesome – made me want a cat!

 

 

ROAN PARRISH lives in Philadelphia, where she is gradually attempting to write love stories in every genre. When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.

Connect with Roan

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Facebook Group: Parrish or Perish (Roan Parrish Romance)

 

 

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Best Laid Plans (Garnet Run #2) by Roan Parrish to read and review.

Better Than People by Roan Parrish

It’s not long before their pet-centric arrangement sparks a person-centric desire…

Simon Burke has always preferred animals to people. When the countdown to adopting his own dog is unexpectedly put on hold, Simon turns to the PetShare app to find the fluffy TLC he’s been missing. Meeting a grumpy children’s book illustrator who needs a dog walker isn’t easy for the man whose persistent anxiety has colored his whole life, but Jack Matheson’s menagerie is just what Simon needs.

Four dogs, three cats and counting. Jack’s pack of rescue pets is the only company he needs. But when a bad fall leaves him with a broken leg, Jack is forced to admit he needs help. That the help comes in the form of the most beautiful man he’s ever seen is a complicated, glorious surprise.

Being with Jack—talking, waking, making out—is a game changer for Simon. And Simon’s company certainly… eases the pain of recovery for Jack. But making a real relationship work once Jack’s cast comes off will mean compromise, understanding and lots of love.

Carina Adores is home to highly romantic contemporary love stories where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters.

Book 1
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Carina Adores—Harlequin

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is a book that will appeal to introverts everywhere. Simon and Jack are two men who love animals – but find their relationships with people quite difficult. While Jack can be a bit surly and tends to avoid people, Simon suffers from crippling social anxiety. This is the story of the awkward, fumbling start to a very special relationship.

It probably says something about me that I love the animals in this book even more than the humans. Jack’s pack of heavily anthropomorphised dogs and cats are wonderfully entertaining. But the men are pretty wonderful too. Jack may not be great with the people in his life, but he lives for his dogs and he’s passionate about his art. Simon’s anxiety is debilitating but he too is passionate about his work, his grandmother, and Jack’s dogs. For obvious reasons, there is a definite lack of witty banter between these two but the chemistry between them is crazy hot and there is something really lovely about the quiet connection that builds between them.


Angie – ☆☆☆☆
I wasn't sure about this book because the last one I read by the author missed the mark for me. However, the blurb and title grabbed my interest, so I gave it a go. I'll have to say that I enjoyed this book. I learned so much about people with anxiety worse than mine that I now feel bad for thinking my anxiety sucked. Jack and Simon go from zero to sixty pretty fast, I think, for someone with as bad of anxiety as Simon. Jack and the animals just melt my heart. Pretty good book, glad I gave it a go.

 

ROAN PARRISH lives in Philadelphia, where she is gradually attempting to write love stories in every genre. When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.

Connect with Roan

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Better Than People (Garnet Run #1) by Roan Parrish to read and review.

Raze by Roan Parrish

Sometimes the walls we build to save ourselves have to come tumbling down.

For the last ten years, Huey has built his life around his sobriety. If that means he doesn't give a damn about finding love or companionship for himself, well, it's probably better that way. After all, the last thing he wants is to hurt anyone else. Until Felix Rainey walks into his bar, fresh-faced, unbearably sweet—and, for some reason Huey can't fathom, interested in him.

As the eldest of five kids, Felix Rainey spent his childhood cooking dinner, checking homework, and working after-school jobs. Now in his twenties, he's still scrambling to make ends meet and wondering what the hell he's doing with his life. When he meets Huey, he's intimidated... and enamored. Huey's strong and confident, he owns his own business—hell, he's friends with rock stars. What could he ever see in Felix?

As Huey and Felix get closer, the spark catches and soon they can't get enough of each other. But Huey's worked hard to avoid intimacy, and Felix threatens his carefully constructed defenses. Huey realizes he needs to change if he wants to truly put his past behind him—and build a future with Felix.

Roan Parrish’s pitch-perfect Riven novels can be read together or separately.

Book 3
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars

This is a sweet and angsty romance. A recovering addict, Dane has spent years creating a life full of structure and routines that keep him safe. He takes care of his sponsees, but he doesn’t let anyone get close. Felix is almost Dane’s opposite. For as long as he can remember, he’s been inseparable from his younger sister. So when she lands her dream job, Felix feels abandoned and lonely. Felix and Dane meet by chance and their improbable connection is awkward, frustrating, and kinda beautiful.

I really enjoyed Dane and Felix. Both are interesting, complex characters and they are both very loveable. I found their relationship as frustrating as they did – neither man has any communication skills and there were too many moments where I wanted to bang their heads together. Both Dane and Felix are prone to moping and overanalysing everything, so much of the book is spent in the characters’ heads – very little actually happens in this story. The result is a story that feels slow and there’s probably a little bit too much snowflake angst at times for me.

There is an age gap between Dane and Felix, but they are so well matched in other areas that it didn’t feel like a thing. Felix’ existential angst feels real and familiar as does his minimum wage job and his desire for meaningful work. This isn’t my favourite book by this author and I probably preferred the first two books in the series. I’m not sure I’m quite the right demographic for this series and I’m pretty sure urban millennials will relate to Felix and Dane’s relationship better than I did.

Also Available in the Riven Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

For reviews & more info, check out our Riven post.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

For reviews & more info, check out our Rend post.

Roan Parrish lives in Philadelphia, where she is gradually attempting to write love stories in every genre. When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.

Connect with Roan

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Raze (Riven #3) by Roan Parrish to read and review.

Rend by Roan Parrish

After a whirlwind romance, a man with a painful past learns to trust the musician who makes him believe in happy endings.

Matt Argento knows what it feels like to be alone. After a childhood of abandonment, he never imagined someone might love him—much less someone like Rhys Nyland, who has the voice of an angel, the looks of a god, and the worship of his fans.

Matt and Rhys come from different worlds, but when they meet, their chemistry is incendiary. Their romance is unexpected, intense, and forever—at least, that’s what their vows promise. Suddenly, Matt finds himself living a life he never thought possible: safe and secure in the arms of a man who feels like home. But when Rhys leaves to go on tour for his new album, Matt finds himself haunted by the ghosts of his past.

When Rhys returns, he finds Matt twisted by doubt. But Rhys loves Matt fiercely, and he’ll go to hell and back to triumph over Matt’s fears. After secrets are revealed and desires are confessed, Rhys and Matt must learn to trust each other if they’re going to make it. That means they have to fall in love all over again—and this time, it really will be forever.

Roan Parrish’s pitch-perfect Riven novels can be read together or separately.

Book 2
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B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars

The second book in this series isn’t as much a sequel as it is a companion novel to Riven. Rend is the story of Caleb’s ex-boyfriend, Rhys, and his husband, Matt. The story moves back and forth in time, exploring Matt’s life and the effects of Matt’s traumatic childhood experiences on his adult life and his marriage to Rhys. This book doesn’t standalone and readers will need to start with Riven to fully engage with this second book.

This is a dark story. Matt is a private, secretive character who is unable to love himself and unable to trust anyone else. When Rhys goes on tour for a couple of months, Matt falls apart. This book was hard work for me. Matt isn’t a particularly likeable character and he is an emotional mess. At the end, the writer talks about working elements of Gothic fiction into the book and all I could think about was how close the writing style came to proper Gothic melodrama. Matt spends much of the story remembering and working through past traumas and current emotions. There were times the intensity of his emotions was overwhelming for me as a reader. As a foster carer, I appreciate how the writer approaches childhood trauma and attachment disorders. As a romance reader who uses fiction to escape from my kids’ trauma issues, the book is a bit too heavy and a bit too close to real life for me.

I have mixed feelings about the unconventional structure of this romance. My geeky academic side likes the concept of playing with the classic structure of a romance by starting with marriage and working backwards and forwards from the traditional romance end point. The romantic in me feels that the unconventional structure made it difficult to fully understand or properly invest in the relationship between Rhys and Matt.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆
3.5 stars

This is the second book in the series, and whilst it can be read as a standalone, I think it is better for understanding Theo and Caleb and the reason that they are important to this relationship.

Overall, I enjoyed the outcome of this book, but it was told in a way which I found highly frustrating. There are times where moving backwards during a story to explain things works, here I was not entirely sure. I also found too much inner voice, and mostly insecure inner voice. Fundamentally I think I found the whole story rather odd. Matt was so clearly in need of therapy, from the very beginning. I felt his story was well explained, and even though he had not told Rhys everything, he was still obviously a man suffering from significant issues due to his mother abandoning him as a young child. Rhys was amazingly supportive, but never seemed to understand just how damaged and in need of security his man was – his only solution was to take him to bed to show him how much he loved him. It was a tactic he repeated, and Matt asked for many times. Even if they were enjoying themselves, Matt used it too often to forget, which made it slightly uncomfortable.

By the end I did feel that their future was much more likely to be good, but for most of the book, I wanted to point out the obvious!


Erica – ☆☆☆
Rend is the sequel to Riven, but can easily be read as a standalone. However, I do recommend reading Riven first, as the characters are introduced in that novel.

During Riven, we learned Rhys and Matt are a married couple, as Caleb and Theo are put through the paces. Rhys and Caleb are best friends and past lovers, their connection runs deep, with their partners joining the circle.

The whole of Rend is simply working the kinks out of a new marriage, when obviously Matt was not ready to marry in the first place. As our narrator, Matt suffers during the entirety, finding his footing as a husband, where he fits into Rhys' life, and what he wants in the future.

Matt counsels young adults who aged-out of the foster care system, which should have fit him perfectly. Other than the fact that he wasn't stable enough to hand out advice he himself did not take. He needed a therapist. ASAP. But no one thought to suggest this, not even his adviser at work.

Matt was abandoned by his father, then his mother, then by the woman he called aunt, ageing out of the foster care system. To say the man has baggage is an understatement. Upon meeting Rhys, Matt pretends this baggage doesn't exist, only moving forward from that day forth, but the past shapes the future, infected with insecurities, lack of confidence, and a weak self-worth.

In a nutshell, Matt never felt he was good enough, gauging his worst against everyone else's best.

Told in a stream of consciousness, not in linear timelines. There were pages where events mentioned took place in the far past, the distant past, the now, and even the next day. I would be reading along in what I thought was the present, then would be thrust in something that happened the next day at work, only to have the story shift back to what I assumed was the present (the day before the work day) and this chaotic writing style continued throughout the novel.

90% TOLD, hardly anything shown happening in the now other than sex scenes. Stream of consciousness. No linear timeline. Befuddling back and forth on the same page with nothing denoting the shift in time.

I wanted to become emotionally invested in this gritty, overemotional novel, but the writing style, the way the pacing didn't organically unfold, made it difficult to connect for me. Added to the fact that I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, since they were so in love from the start to finish, but it never fell (let that be a comfort to those reading reviews prior to purchasing).

The entirety of the plot is Matt working through his baggage with Rhys nonstop reassuring him, intermixed with redundant sex scenes. Character-driven, yet the character repeats the same things on every page for 300 pages, no matter what era in time was told, where I don't see an evolution of change over time, but the change occurring with a finger-snap.

I wanted to love the novel, empathizing with Matt, while some of his pain resonated deeply within me, but the execution of the novel itself took away from the experience. While I enjoyed the beyond insta-love beginning, there was little to no plot to support 300+ pages of what felt like the reader being thrust into a therapy session not hosted by a therapist.

Honestly, if the book had been written in a linear timeline, where all those flashbacks into the beginning of their marriage fell in line with the beginning where they met, my rating would have been higher. It starts off where they met. Then they are married. The reader misses the most important parts – the journey where they fell in love. They were in love and married and we just had to believe the author because we were told, not shown. The in-between bits are shown randomly when Matt thinks of them, mixed in with actual flashbacks to his past in foster care with his foster brother. The timeline/format/release of information killed the book for me.

Recommended to fans of the author and the series. I am curious to see where else the series is headed.

Also Available in the Riven Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

For reviews & more info, check out our Riven post.

Roan Parrish lives in Philadelphia, where she is gradually attempting to write love stories in every genre. When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.

Connect with Roan

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Roan (Riven #2) by Roan Parrish to read and review.

Thrall by Avon Gale & Roan Parrish Spotlight

Dating Sucks & Love Bites

Happy couple Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra have begun to garner national attention for their quirky New Orleans true-crime podcast, Shadowcast. When Lucy's brother Harker disappears while researching the popular new dating app Thrall, they're thrown into a real-life mystery. Aided by their social media expert, Arthur, and Harker's professor, Van Helsing, they follow the trail, hoping to find Harker before it's too late.

When their investigation crosses the path of a possible serial killer, the line between fantasy and reality begins to blur. And as they race against the app's countdown clock, so does the line between friendship and love. What starts as a flirtatious rivalry between computer-savvy Arthur and techno-averse Van Helsing becomes much more, and Mina and Lucy's relationship is tested in the fires of social media.

As they get down to the wire, the group discovers that nothing on their screens is as it seems—including their enemy.

A modern retelling of Bram Stoker's Dracula.

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B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

Arthur plucked the book from my hand and slid it onto the coffee table.

“Van, pay attention to me,” he said, mouth in a tempting pout.

“Rude, Arthur,” I said, grabbing the book and opening it again.

Arthur’s pout deepened, and he sighed, flopping onto the couch beside me. “Fine.”

He sulked on the couch for a few minutes, then his hand crept to my thigh, sliding between my legs as it moved higher. The words on the page became more difficult to focus on. I clapped a stilling hand on his and looked at him sternly.

“Rude.”

He huffed again, then inspiration lit his eyes. He toed off his shoes casually, dropping his socks on the floor. Then he wandered into my bedroom and I turned again to my reading. Just when I’d sunk back into the book, Arthur walked out of the bedroom, naked except for a pair of very tight, very sheer black underwear. His backside was pert and perfect, his cock straining the fabric of the underwear. When I looked up, he licked his lips.

I raised an eyebrow at him, then deliberately went back to reading. Arthur slumped, clearly disappointed that his ruse to distract me hadn’t worked. Then he dropped into the armchair, spread his legs wide, and hooked one knee over the arm, sheer black underwear making his genitals a perfect package between his spread legs. And right in front of me.

“How’s your book, professor?” Arthur murmured, voice like honey. He dropped a graceful hand into his lap and cupped his penis.

“Very absorbing.”

His hand began to move, stroking himself gently. I watched surreptitiously over the top of my book as he hardened beneath his own touch. As his erection swelled, the underwear became tighter and tighter, and his legs fell farther apart. Arthur’s head dropped back onto the cushion, lips parting as his breath came faster.

“Arthur.”

“Mhmm.”

“Are you trying to distract me?”

“No. Just taking things into my own hands, since you’d rather be reading.”

I let him continue, his cock thick and ruddy inside his underwear, arousal flushing his cheeks.

“That’s enough, Arthur. Stop.”

Arthur’s breath caught. “Wh-what?”

“You heard me. Remove your hand.”

Arthur looked at me, beautiful blue eyes hazy with lust. He removed his hand. I went back to my book.

“Vaaannn,” Arthur whined after a minute.

“You don’t have much restraint, do you, Arthur?”

Arthur groaned. “Oh, god, restraint, yes, please.”

His head was thrown back, hair mussed, firmly muscled chest rising and falling with quick breaths.

“Touch yourself,” I said. “Lightly. Slowly. Until I tell you to stop.”

Avon Gale

Avon Gale was once the mayor on Foursquare of Jazzercise and Lollicup, which should tell you all you need to know about her as a person. She likes road trips, rock concerts, drinking Kentucky bourbon, JRPGs and yelling at hockey. She's a displaced southerner living in a liberal midwestern college town, and she never gets tired of people and their stories – either real or the ones she makes up in her head.

Avon is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan at Handspun Literary Agency.

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Roan Parrish

Roan Parrish lives in Philadelphia, where she is gradually attempting to write love stories in every genre.

When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.

Connect with Roan

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Google+  ~  Instagram

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Riven by Roan Parrish

Two tortured musicians inspire each other to risk their hearts in this edgy and emotional novel.

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.

Book 1
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B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 Stars

Riven is a contemporary MM romance between an older blues musician and a young, reluctant rock star, solely focusing on their character development, within their relationship with one another and within themselves.

Slow paced, with a small cast of characters, I have to be honest how it took me several days to finish the novel. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but rather because there just wasn’t much going on to ‘hook’ me. It meandered at times, causing it to feel longer than its page count. With that being said, I did truly enjoy Theo and Caleb.

Theo is all about the music and the performance, and absolutely loathes the bells and whistles. He joined a band because he wanted a sense of community, camaraderie, of family. Being the lead singer, which means he is the frontrunner who has fans clamoring for his attention, jealousy and a divide keeps Theo from connecting with his bandmates in the way he wished he could.

Caleb had a good career as a musician, but he fell into all the trappings of being a star, including drugs. It took four stints in rehab, but it was basically maturity that has Caleb struggling to stay sane and sober. I felt this characterization was dead-accurate – the fear, the worry and panic. How he wants to be with Theo but not the celebrity that follows in his wake, how he wants to create music but not the trappings.

Theo and Caleb were hot together, a lot of chemistry and tension that was a bit too instantaneous for my liking. I need to be teased, have it drawn out and make me earn it. There was lust explored at the start of the novel, and the guys kept going there as they got to know each other on a deeper level. Prude, I am not, but I have to admit I skimmed the later sex scenes due to the abundance and redundancy.

The conflict was self-created. While I understood Caleb’s fear and hesitation, the ‘push you away’ was one or two too many times in a novel, removing the emotional impact while taking it into more of a frustrating-the-reader territory, when the reader knows they will eventually get there due to the genre. Able to predict the ending, I kept thinking, “C’mon, not again!”

Theo and Caleb resonated with me on an emotional level. I appreciated their struggles and growth as the novel progressed, and their connection felt real. The music intrigued me. However, the slower pacing, lack of any real conflict, the redundancy when it came to scenes/smexy time/relationship issues, and Caleb pushing Theo away a few times too many, this had my interests waning and contemplating DNFing the novel many times over.

The ending did give me the warm and fuzzies, so I’m pleased I persevered and do believe it was worth it.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is a full on angst-fueled romance between two tortured musicians. Theo is a reluctant rock star, the front man outsider in a band that both resents and needs his musical talents. Caleb is a washed-up Blues musician struggling to stay clean and away from the lifestyle that exacerbated his addiction.

There is an immediate connection between Theo and Caleb from their first meeting. But both men carry too much emotional baggage. Relationships require trust and vulnerability and neither Theo or Caleb can do either of these things. The result is an emotionally volatile push-pull relationship that I found exhausting and often infuriating as a reader.

The music is beautiful in this book and I love the way the author almost allows us to hear it. For me, the relationship between Caleb and Theo is so volatile that both men often seem childlike. Theo’s reaction to his success comes across as petulant and ungrateful. There were times I shared the band’s dislike for Theo because his arrogance and general misery aren’t terribly attractive.

I enjoyed the quality of the writing in this story more than I enjoyed the characters or their relationship. I’m probably older than the target demographic for this story and I think I’m a little too old for Theo’s emo angst. But as always, Roan Parrish’s writing is beautiful.


Angie – ☆☆☆
I have only read a few books by this author and seems like I am always in the minority on how I feel about each book. I almost didn't make it through this one. The insta-love between Theo and Caleb would have been fine with me, along with all the sex, I love sex in my books. However, I didn't connect with Theo or Caleb. I felt like some things were said over and over again, which drove me nuts. Then some of the story just seemed like filler to make the book longer or to try to make you like it more. Even the sex couldn't keep me interested. Theo and Caleb's story just wasn't for me but I am sure others will love it.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
I am a big fan of tortured rock stars who have had enough of fame and paparazzi – so this worked for me. It has to be said that Theo could have helped himself by communicating better with his band, as when he does finally they do tone their expectations down a bit.

Both Caleb and Theo clearly had an amazing talent, but not enough direction – so it was a bit frustrating at times to have them leading the story! They did, however, have wonderful chemistry, in every way, which kept the interest levels high even when their future together seemed so uncertain. The lack of supportive side characters who were integral to the story was noticeable – sure, there were both Rhys and Huey in Caleb's life, but their role seemed to be fixed around Caleb's fear of falling, rather than his chance at a clean future. And Theo really had no one except Caleb.

It was a different take on a rock star romance, and one which gave me pause for thought, and guaranteed that if I met them, we would eat out!

Roan Parrish lives in Philadelphia, where she is gradually attempting to write love stories in every genre.

When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.

Connect with Roan

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Riven (Riven #1) by Roan Parrish to read and review.

Invitation to the Blues by Roan Parrish Release Blitz

Eight months ago Jude Lucen fled his partner, his career, and a hospital in Boston after a suicide attempt. Now back in Philadelphia, he feels like a complete failure. Piano has always been his passion and his only escape. Without it, he has nothing. Well, nothing except a pathetic crush on the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen.

Faron Locklear came to Philly looking for a fresh start and has thrown himself into tattooing at Small Change. He’s only met Jude a few times, but something about the red-haired man with the haunted eyes calls to him. Faron is blown away by Jude’s talent. What he isn’t expecting is the electricity he feels the first time they kiss—and the way Jude’s needs in bed speak directly to his own deepest desires.

Jude and Faron fall fast and hard, but Jude has spent a lifetime learning that he can’t be what the people he loves need. So when the opportunity arises to renew his career in Boston, he thinks he has to choose: music, or Faron? Only by taking a huge risk—and finally believing he’s worthy of love just as he is—can he have the chance for both.

The Small Change series is set in the Middle of Somewhere universe and features crossover characters from that series. Each book can be read on its own.

Content warning: This book contains explicit discussion of depression, anxiety, attempted suicide, and feelings of worthlessness.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

“Hold this,” Faron murmured into my hair, and handed me the sketchbook. I held it so he could draw with his right hand as his left continued to explore my torso. He sketched our feet, his elegant and high-arched, and mine, bony and slender; his dark, mine pale. And all the while, his fingers sketched other shapes against my skin. He dipped into my navel and ran along my ribs, sending shivers down my spine. When he skimmed a fingertip over my nipple I gasped and tensed against him.

He traced my nipple until it was a hard peak, then squeezed it, and my hips jerked, making the sketchbook jump in my hand. Faron’s breath went rough and he nuzzled into my hair.

My heart was pounding and I knew he could feel it. I squirmed to try and take my shirt off, but I couldn’t quite get it. Faron stripped it off of me and ran sure fingers along my ribs. Then he traced the blue veins visible beneath my skin from my heart to where they disappeared under my waistband.

With my oversized shirt out of the way, the bulge of my erection in my jeans was obvious.

I drew my knee up, resting it against the back of the couch. He slid a hand up the inside of my thigh so slowly I held my breath, but he didn’t touch my hard cock and I shuddered with arousal.

“Jude,” Faron breathed, and I let the sketchbook fall between us as I went for the button on my jeans. I felt like I was made of pounding heart, flushed skin, raging need, and it felt like nothing I’d ever experienced. It didn’t even feel like sex; it felt like desire. It felt like what I knew sex was supposed to feel like but rarely had for me.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is a slow, sweet, and sometimes angsty story of a relationship between a musician and an artist. After a suicide attempt, Jude can’t face returning to his life in Boston and his job playing for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He is adrift in his hometown when he meets Faron, an artist who has struggles of his own.

Jude and Faron have a wonderfully sensuous connection from the start. Jude is hesitant, wary but also desperate to be understood. On the surface, Faron is confident and sexual but his self-assurance hides deeper vulnerabilities. I love the way the artist and the musician understand each other’s creativity. This story also offers a thoughtful and sensitive look at Jude’s struggle with his mental health issues.

I really loved this book. We get to catch up with familiar characters from earlier books and as always, Roan Parish’s writing is beautiful. I love the reflections on relationships, families, and art in this book and I love that the characters from earlier books haven’t settled into suburban heteronormative lives.

Roan Parrish lives in Philadelphia, where she is gradually attempting to write love stories in every genre.

When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.

Connect with Roan

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Invitation to the Blues (Small Change #2) by Roan Parrish to read and review for this tour.