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.
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What I thought about Raze
What I thought about Raze
In this third installment of the Riven series by Roan Parrish, readers get Huey's story, a character that was introduced early in the series and has been a solid friend and "go-to" guy throughout this series. I was excited for his story.
One fateful night during karaoke at the bar, Felix and his sister Sofia end up singing a Riven song, Huey records then, and the world changes for all three of them in short order.
Sofia ends up with a singing gig and Felix is alone with no one to take care of for the first time in his life. It unsettles him greatly and has him reaching out to Huey. They'd connected on some level in the few shorts times spent together. Felix really is adorable -- he's a natural-born caretaker and super sweet -- but he's really having a personal crisis. This is where Roan Parrish shines for me -- I could feel Felix's pain so well in her words.
Huey has lived the years in recovery in a very regimented way and while he's attracted to Felix and wants to let him in, he's not exactly all-in on having a relationship. He's much more comfortable helping his sponsees instead of exploring what he could have with Felix. Of course, this becomes a source of insecurity for Felix and eventually everything blows up between them.
They both get help from Theo, Caleb, Rhys and Matty, previously introduced characters in the series.
Raze is really a story of two people at major crossroads in their lives. Even though I found Felix a little needy and whiney at times, I did love them together, especially how Felix smoothed Huey's rough edges. They complemented each other perfectly.
Roan Parrish's words just have a way a sliding across my mind in the easiest way and I find it easy to connect with how she describes some of the most basic of emotions in a very beautiful way. The complexities of recovering from addiction are also explored in Raze.
If you are looking for a highly introspective and emotional M/M romance, Raze and the Riven series might be for you.
An ARC was provided for review.
About 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.
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