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Risk the Fall
RivenI’ve never been great at letting people in. Life is easier if I bury my feelings. People tend to let you down, which is only proven when my best friend, Rex, accidentally kills a man and lets me take the fall.When I get out of prison, the last thing I want is to go back to Clayton, Oregon, but it’s where my grandma lives, the only person who’s always had my back. My plan is to stay out of trouble, steer clear of my old crew, save up, and the second we can, leave town for good.ParrishI want nothing to do with my family and their illegal activities. With Riven back, I worry things will get worse. He and Rex have always brought out the worst in each other, but then I discover Riven went to prison for something my brother did, and my family isn’t happy to have him home.Riven wants nothing to do with me, and I don’t blame him. But like a moth to the flame, I’m drawn to him. It starts out as mutual lust, Riven sating the pleasure he craves, while I get to fulfill my first-crush fantasies. But with every moment, I see there’s more to Riv than anyone knows.Not everyone would see him as a good man, but to me, he’s the boy who used to try to keep my family’s lifestyle from becoming mine.And now he’s the man who risked his heart to fall in love with me…and the one who’d risk more to protect me.Risk the Fall is an ex-best friend’s brother romance that contains violence, drug use, crime, and death of a non-main character.
269 pages, Paperback
First published November 8, 2023
About the author
Riley Hart
106 books6,440 followersRiley Hart is the girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. She's a hopeless romantic. A lover of sexy stories, passionate men, and writing about all the trouble they can get into together. If she's not writing, you'll probably find her reading.
Riley lives in California with her awesome family, who she is thankful for everyday.
Riley lives in California with her awesome family, who she is thankful for everyday.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews
November 20, 2023
3⭐️⭐️⭐️
Short-ish, enjoyable and that’s about it. Same melodrama, same whining, same “You’re good ppl,I SEE you” scenario but not entirely a bad book. It has no relationship angst but it does have a bit of external angst because of Parrish’s shitty family. As for the women in this book, it’s ironic that even when trying to make them seem nice the author still manages to make them unlikable. I thought at least the grandma was nice and that she adored her grandson but apparently not more than she adored her house. I mean she’d rather let Riven come back to a shitty town and in a place that was bad for him and which could put him in danger because she couldn’t part with her house 😒 And Becca isn’t even worth mentioning.
I liked the MCs , they were good for each other but the story was kind of underwhelming.
Short-ish, enjoyable and that’s about it. Same melodrama, same whining, same “You’re good ppl,I SEE you” scenario but not entirely a bad book. It has no relationship angst but it does have a bit of external angst because of Parrish’s shitty family. As for the women in this book, it’s ironic that even when trying to make them seem nice the author still manages to make them unlikable. I thought at least the grandma was nice and that she adored her grandson but apparently not more than she adored her house. I mean she’d rather let Riven come back to a shitty town and in a place that was bad for him and which could put him in danger because she couldn’t part with her house 😒 And Becca isn’t even worth mentioning.
I liked the MCs , they were good for each other but the story was kind of underwhelming.
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January 24, 2024dnf 40%
Riley's books are either a hit or a huge miss for me, this one is unfortunately the latter
Riley's books are either a hit or a huge miss for me, this one is unfortunately the latter
November 22, 2023
Part II
I wrote the first part of this review when I was tired and grumpy. It's not a particularly constructive review, thus part II.
I liked the first few chapters of this story. Riven is just so angry and lost. He doesn't trust the Hunt family at all. When he finds out Parrish Hunt is going to be his supervisor, he's none too happy.
Parrish isn't exactly thrilled either. He had a crush on his older brother's best friend for years, but how can he believe a murderer?
Cue Parrish (conveniently) overhearing his brother, Dex, and their father talking about Riven going to prison for Dex's crime.
He immediately drives over to Riven's house, and the two have rage sex.
That's when the story takes a nosedive. Parrish and Riven are all heat and wariness. They're not great at communicating, and the relationship development is sorely lacking.
Riven moves back home to protect his grandma, but his grandma refuses to leave town even when it becomes clear the Hunts (minus Parrish, obviously) won't leave Riven alone. Apparently, her house is more important than her grandson.
Becca, Riven's ex and Dex's girlfriend, plays a large part in the story, and I really didn't like her character. Yes, being trapped in a place, repeating destructive patterns, is real. Becca is very much a product of her environment, and that may be one reason for her choices, but it's not an excuse.
She cheats on Riven with Dex and gets knocked up. She is supposedly still in love with Riven but never went to visit him in prison. She has two kids with Dex who's involved in unsavory shit and blows through all their money. She can't keep a job to save her life.
Parrish supports her and the kids, yet he becomes the bad guy when Becca finds out he's with Riven. I didn't need to know this much about her, and she certainly wasn't the hero the book portrayed her to be at the end.
I don't mind angsty stories, but this is ALL angst. There are few feel good moments. It's all very grim, and the plot overshadows the romance.
The epilogue is definitely a HEA, but even here we get a two page summary of how great Becca is doing now. Dude, wtf? If you're going to fight the misogyny that sometimes creeps into M/M romance, be more subtle. Maybe write truly sympathetic female characters. They don't all need to be someone's ex either.
Finally, the bi thing. When I started reading M/M romance a decade ago, there were few, if any, bi MCs. It was all "gay for you," which is highly problematic. But I think some authors have become too heavy handed in writing ONLY bi characters.
Riley Hart is one such author. I won't name others, but you know who they are. My brother, who's gay, claims we're moving toward gay erasure in this genre. I don't know if I'd go that far, but I've noticed the trend for sure.
(To clarify, in this book, Parrish is gay, while Riven is bi.)
I can't fault Hart's writing. I have loved many of her books, but there have been more misses than hits lately, and this book is certainly the former.
Part I
I'm THIS close to giving up on Riley Hart.
The angst in this book was just sooo predictable.
Also, real question: Has this author ever written a book where both MCs are gay?
I mean, yay for bi representation and all that, but at this point it stinks of fetishism
Not every queer man is bi, lady, and being obsessive about it is not the flex you think it is.
The entire "romance" here is danger, drugs, and murder - blah, blah, blah.
I didn't even like the epilogue. The dirty talk was so awkward, I wanted to crawl under a rock.
This author writes extremely unlikable female characters and then shoves them down our throats.
I don't give a flying fuck about Becca.
Make it stop.
I wrote the first part of this review when I was tired and grumpy. It's not a particularly constructive review, thus part II.
I liked the first few chapters of this story. Riven is just so angry and lost. He doesn't trust the Hunt family at all. When he finds out Parrish Hunt is going to be his supervisor, he's none too happy.
Parrish isn't exactly thrilled either. He had a crush on his older brother's best friend for years, but how can he believe a murderer?
Cue Parrish (conveniently) overhearing his brother, Dex, and their father talking about Riven going to prison for Dex's crime.
He immediately drives over to Riven's house, and the two have rage sex.
That's when the story takes a nosedive. Parrish and Riven are all heat and wariness. They're not great at communicating, and the relationship development is sorely lacking.
Riven moves back home to protect his grandma, but his grandma refuses to leave town even when it becomes clear the Hunts (minus Parrish, obviously) won't leave Riven alone. Apparently, her house is more important than her grandson.
Becca, Riven's ex and Dex's girlfriend, plays a large part in the story, and I really didn't like her character. Yes, being trapped in a place, repeating destructive patterns, is real. Becca is very much a product of her environment, and that may be one reason for her choices, but it's not an excuse.
She cheats on Riven with Dex and gets knocked up. She is supposedly still in love with Riven but never went to visit him in prison. She has two kids with Dex who's involved in unsavory shit and blows through all their money. She can't keep a job to save her life.
Parrish supports her and the kids, yet he becomes the bad guy when Becca finds out he's with Riven. I didn't need to know this much about her, and she certainly wasn't the hero the book portrayed her to be at the end.
I don't mind angsty stories, but this is ALL angst. There are few feel good moments. It's all very grim, and the plot overshadows the romance.
The epilogue is definitely a HEA, but even here we get a two page summary of how great Becca is doing now. Dude, wtf? If you're going to fight the misogyny that sometimes creeps into M/M romance, be more subtle. Maybe write truly sympathetic female characters. They don't all need to be someone's ex either.
Finally, the bi thing. When I started reading M/M romance a decade ago, there were few, if any, bi MCs. It was all "gay for you," which is highly problematic. But I think some authors have become too heavy handed in writing ONLY bi characters.
Riley Hart is one such author. I won't name others, but you know who they are. My brother, who's gay, claims we're moving toward gay erasure in this genre. I don't know if I'd go that far, but I've noticed the trend for sure.
(To clarify, in this book, Parrish is gay, while Riven is bi.)
I can't fault Hart's writing. I have loved many of her books, but there have been more misses than hits lately, and this book is certainly the former.
Part I
I'm THIS close to giving up on Riley Hart.
The angst in this book was just sooo predictable.
Also, real question: Has this author ever written a book where both MCs are gay?
I mean, yay for bi representation and all that, but at this point it stinks of fetishism
Not every queer man is bi, lady, and being obsessive about it is not the flex you think it is.
The entire "romance" here is danger, drugs, and murder - blah, blah, blah.
I didn't even like the epilogue. The dirty talk was so awkward, I wanted to crawl under a rock.
This author writes extremely unlikable female characters and then shoves them down our throats.
I don't give a flying fuck about Becca.
Make it stop.
March 22, 2024
4 Stars
I put off reading this for a while because the reviews coming in weren’t painting a very positive picture. It definitely seems like some readers are a bit over the stories Riley Hart is dishing out in recent years, perhaps feeling a bit like everything is rinse and repeat in terms of the character dynamics, tropes and plot devices being utilised. Thankfully, for me, I actually enjoy the dependability of what Hart delivers in her stories. There may be a format to it, of a sort, but I enjoy the heck out of that format, and as such, I honestly don’t think I’ve read a Hart book in the past decade that has truly disappointed me, making me one of the very lucky few who continues to one-click and leave satisfied.
It had been a hot minute since I last read a story about an incarcerated man re-entering society and rebuilding his life from the ground up. Here, Riven had pleaded guilty to a crime he didn’t commit, confessing in order to keep his beloved gran safe from the harm of the small-town thugs he’d gotten himself caught up with. He’s morally grey in a lot of ways, but he’s got a good heart at his core, determined to stay on the straight-and-narrow upon his release, hoping to save enough one day to get himself and his gran away from the town and the people who could do much more than send him to prison.
Wanting and willing to work hard, Riven gets a job on a local construction crew, where he comes face to face with his ex-best-friend’s younger brother, Parrish. At first the two don’t want a bar of one another—Parrish assuming Riven committed the crime he did time for, and Riven hating Parrish’s entire family for ruining his life. But soon after re-meeting, Parrish learns the truth of Riven’s incarceration and the depths of his brother and father’s corrupt behaviours, which sparks a new bond between the two men, who have both spent their lives fighting against their environments and familial natures in order to make something of themselves, despite where they came from.
The romance that builds between Riven and Parrish is pretty speedy in terms of relationship development, but worked perfectly for my current mood and needs, following them as they went from childhood acquaintances, to co-workers, to no-strings-attached lovers, and quickly snowballing into uncontained, incendiary passion and feelings that both men (thankfully) made the mature decision to grasp onto and fight for without too much relationship conflict. As with all Hart romances, Riven and Parrish are fire together between the sheets and I bought into their growing feelings and the situational dilemmas they were facing with the looming threat of Parrish’s family ever-present.
I whipped through Risk the Fall at a fast pace, eating up the dire small-town vibes, the steamy ex-best-friend’s-brother romance and relishing in the flawed hero redemption arc, all of which provided me with the right amount of story angst and oomph I needed to feel truly engaged and invested in Riven and Parrish’s romance. This may not have reached the heights of some of my personal favourite Hart romances, but it was a very welcomed addition to her now extensive and always addictive collection of M/M romances.
I put off reading this for a while because the reviews coming in weren’t painting a very positive picture. It definitely seems like some readers are a bit over the stories Riley Hart is dishing out in recent years, perhaps feeling a bit like everything is rinse and repeat in terms of the character dynamics, tropes and plot devices being utilised. Thankfully, for me, I actually enjoy the dependability of what Hart delivers in her stories. There may be a format to it, of a sort, but I enjoy the heck out of that format, and as such, I honestly don’t think I’ve read a Hart book in the past decade that has truly disappointed me, making me one of the very lucky few who continues to one-click and leave satisfied.
It had been a hot minute since I last read a story about an incarcerated man re-entering society and rebuilding his life from the ground up. Here, Riven had pleaded guilty to a crime he didn’t commit, confessing in order to keep his beloved gran safe from the harm of the small-town thugs he’d gotten himself caught up with. He’s morally grey in a lot of ways, but he’s got a good heart at his core, determined to stay on the straight-and-narrow upon his release, hoping to save enough one day to get himself and his gran away from the town and the people who could do much more than send him to prison.
Wanting and willing to work hard, Riven gets a job on a local construction crew, where he comes face to face with his ex-best-friend’s younger brother, Parrish. At first the two don’t want a bar of one another—Parrish assuming Riven committed the crime he did time for, and Riven hating Parrish’s entire family for ruining his life. But soon after re-meeting, Parrish learns the truth of Riven’s incarceration and the depths of his brother and father’s corrupt behaviours, which sparks a new bond between the two men, who have both spent their lives fighting against their environments and familial natures in order to make something of themselves, despite where they came from.
The romance that builds between Riven and Parrish is pretty speedy in terms of relationship development, but worked perfectly for my current mood and needs, following them as they went from childhood acquaintances, to co-workers, to no-strings-attached lovers, and quickly snowballing into uncontained, incendiary passion and feelings that both men (thankfully) made the mature decision to grasp onto and fight for without too much relationship conflict. As with all Hart romances, Riven and Parrish are fire together between the sheets and I bought into their growing feelings and the situational dilemmas they were facing with the looming threat of Parrish’s family ever-present.
I whipped through Risk the Fall at a fast pace, eating up the dire small-town vibes, the steamy ex-best-friend’s-brother romance and relishing in the flawed hero redemption arc, all of which provided me with the right amount of story angst and oomph I needed to feel truly engaged and invested in Riven and Parrish’s romance. This may not have reached the heights of some of my personal favourite Hart romances, but it was a very welcomed addition to her now extensive and always addictive collection of M/M romances.
January 25, 2024
Book safety, content warnings and tropes down below.
“[…] Do you have a dream, Riv?” He had to, didn’t he? It was human nature to want something, to want more. He shook his head. “Nah, I don’t really think that way. Easier not to get let down if you don’t allow yourself to dream.”
Some of this was okay, but most of it wasn’t for me. The plot itself and the premise of the whole book is good and was really promising. No doubt about that. I also thought Parrish was amazing in the beginning. I didn’t like Riven much, though. He was dealt a shit hand (even more so than the others in their small town), and even though I felt sympathy for him, he wasn’t easy to like (to me anyway, for reasons). He did deserve a second chance, and I’m glad he ended up with Parrish. His love for his grandma and Parrish showed that he wasn’t a totally bad person, but I didn’t necessarily *like* him. Even the grandma managed to annoy me a little, lol
He tasted like Riven. I didn’t know how to explain it other than that—maybe broken dreams fused together by the hope I tried to feed him.
I do wish there was less focus on a certain side character, as even though she didn’t deserve all the horrible treatment she got, she was experiencing the consequences of her actions, and my unforgiving ass couldn’t help but feel annoyed when people made excuses for her. There was no need for that much of the story to be focused on her.
I wanted to be those things for him that he never had, for him to be able to depend on me, to lean on me, have someone who would always have his back and fight like hell so nothing would hurt him.
One thing I didn’t expect from this book was to dislike the smut so much. The dirty talk and wording used was very ‘dudebro’, and made me cringe while reading. Very unsexy. This is obviously massively subjective, but using ‘cummy’ as an adjective (more than once), ‘finger-banging’, and five variations of ‘busting a nut’, all unironically, is more than I can ignore, lol. I will say I ended up laughing a lot when an orgasm was described as ‘motivated’.
I enjoyed the premise, but the seriousness of it all was kinda lost on me because of the copious amount of awkward and unnatural dirty talk.
“You called me baby.” His head was leaning back against the headrest, and he turned it toward me. “No I didn’t.”
“Yes you did.”
“Shut up.”
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Ex-best friend’s brother
Small town
Ex con
Enemies to lovers
Coworkers
Forced proximity
Childhood crush
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Drug use
Mentions of drug dealing
Mentions of incarceration
Betrayal
Graphic violence
Crime
Death of a side character (on page)
Explicit sexual content
Gun violence
Graphic injury
Manslaughter
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MCs age: 31 and 29
“[…] Do you have a dream, Riv?” He had to, didn’t he? It was human nature to want something, to want more. He shook his head. “Nah, I don’t really think that way. Easier not to get let down if you don’t allow yourself to dream.”
Some of this was okay, but most of it wasn’t for me. The plot itself and the premise of the whole book is good and was really promising. No doubt about that. I also thought Parrish was amazing in the beginning. I didn’t like Riven much, though. He was dealt a shit hand (even more so than the others in their small town), and even though I felt sympathy for him, he wasn’t easy to like (to me anyway, for reasons). He did deserve a second chance, and I’m glad he ended up with Parrish. His love for his grandma and Parrish showed that he wasn’t a totally bad person, but I didn’t necessarily *like* him. Even the grandma managed to annoy me a little, lol
He tasted like Riven. I didn’t know how to explain it other than that—maybe broken dreams fused together by the hope I tried to feed him.
I do wish there was less focus on a certain side character, as even though she didn’t deserve all the horrible treatment she got, she was experiencing the consequences of her actions, and my unforgiving ass couldn’t help but feel annoyed when people made excuses for her. There was no need for that much of the story to be focused on her.
I wanted to be those things for him that he never had, for him to be able to depend on me, to lean on me, have someone who would always have his back and fight like hell so nothing would hurt him.
One thing I didn’t expect from this book was to dislike the smut so much. The dirty talk and wording used was very ‘dudebro’, and made me cringe while reading. Very unsexy. This is obviously massively subjective, but using ‘cummy’ as an adjective (more than once), ‘finger-banging’, and five variations of ‘busting a nut’, all unironically, is more than I can ignore, lol. I will say I ended up laughing a lot when an orgasm was described as ‘motivated’.
I enjoyed the premise, but the seriousness of it all was kinda lost on me because of the copious amount of awkward and unnatural dirty talk.
“You called me baby.” His head was leaning back against the headrest, and he turned it toward me. “No I didn’t.”
“Yes you did.”
“Shut up.”
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Ex-best friend’s brother
Small town
Ex con
Enemies to lovers
Coworkers
Forced proximity
Childhood crush
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Drug use
Mentions of drug dealing
Mentions of incarceration
Betrayal
Graphic violence
Crime
Death of a side character (on page)
Explicit sexual content
Gun violence
Graphic injury
Manslaughter
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MCs age: 31 and 29
November 7, 2023
Risk the Fall is an angsty redemptive story focusing on recently released from prison Riven and his ex-best friend's brother Parrish. I really enjoyed getting the backstory and history between these two characters. They both have misguided ideas of one another, so having them both reintroduced to one another eight years later is such a fantastic setup for one epic romance.
Riven is a wonderfully broken and prickly character, for obvious reasons. Parrish has a heart of gold and because of false information expects the worst from Riven. Eventually, both Riven and Parrish are enlightened to the actual truth regarding events from the past, which leads to an intense, passionate romance between the two.
One of my favorite aspects of their dynamic is the strong need to protect and be near one another. Both Riven and Parrish are touch-starved, so I loved getting to see this aspect of their dynamic play out in such an intense way.
Overall Risk the Fall is a beautiful redemptive story that gives you so many intense emotional payoffs worthy of these fantastically complex characters.
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.
Riven is a wonderfully broken and prickly character, for obvious reasons. Parrish has a heart of gold and because of false information expects the worst from Riven. Eventually, both Riven and Parrish are enlightened to the actual truth regarding events from the past, which leads to an intense, passionate romance between the two.
One of my favorite aspects of their dynamic is the strong need to protect and be near one another. Both Riven and Parrish are touch-starved, so I loved getting to see this aspect of their dynamic play out in such an intense way.
Overall Risk the Fall is a beautiful redemptive story that gives you so many intense emotional payoffs worthy of these fantastically complex characters.
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.
December 15, 2023
I’m convinced Riley must use a ghost writer. This book was so subpar she should fire them.
The cringy porn dialogue made me skim the sex scenes… they were THAT bad. Riven ( yes that’s his name 🙄🙄) was such a doormat he took a murder wrap for his super shitty best friend, Rex.
Then they (Rex and family) continued to torment him after he got out of prison. Truly bizarre plot. Parrish (yep that’s his name) the bother of Rex tangled with Riven. They hook up. Their chemistry just wasn’t there. I have no idea why I finished this book. The plot and dialogue were SO bad.
Don’t bother with this one. I’m glad I have KU or I’d be annoyed I paid $$$ for this crap.
Fire that ghost writer Riley.
The cringy porn dialogue made me skim the sex scenes… they were THAT bad. Riven ( yes that’s his name 🙄🙄) was such a doormat he took a murder wrap for his super shitty best friend, Rex.
Then they (Rex and family) continued to torment him after he got out of prison. Truly bizarre plot. Parrish (yep that’s his name) the bother of Rex tangled with Riven. They hook up. Their chemistry just wasn’t there. I have no idea why I finished this book. The plot and dialogue were SO bad.
Don’t bother with this one. I’m glad I have KU or I’d be annoyed I paid $$$ for this crap.
Fire that ghost writer Riley.
August 11, 2024
This was one of the MOST toe curling books I've read so far that will drag me to hell.
BUT What else? Mmmm, it was super entertaining and fast-paced to the point I couldn't keep my hands off my Kindle unless I had to. ( A lot of times, I feel so angry that I find it tempting to throw it at the damn wall)
It's the first time that I love the sunshine character more than the grumpy one, cuz it's Parrish we are talking about he never fails to make me laugh out loud every single time like I have no care in the world, he's that kind of person that will effortlessly make you feel tempted to approach him and be friends with even though friendships aren't your thing.( I fucking need him to be real)There's something sacred about him that you can't just fathom . And that what riven needed after the shitty things that he went through his whole life which unsurprisingly made them well suited for each other and capable of sacrificing their own selves just to find their way to happiness and their heart melting Love . Love them like there's no tomorrow ❤️
BUT What else? Mmmm, it was super entertaining and fast-paced to the point I couldn't keep my hands off my Kindle unless I had to. ( A lot of times, I feel so angry that I find it tempting to throw it at the damn wall)
It's the first time that I love the sunshine character more than the grumpy one, cuz it's Parrish we are talking about he never fails to make me laugh out loud every single time like I have no care in the world, he's that kind of person that will effortlessly make you feel tempted to approach him and be friends with even though friendships aren't your thing.( I fucking need him to be real)There's something sacred about him that you can't just fathom . And that what riven needed after the shitty things that he went through his whole life which unsurprisingly made them well suited for each other and capable of sacrificing their own selves just to find their way to happiness and their heart melting Love . Love them like there's no tomorrow ❤️
Read
November 12, 2023MM Romance
DNF @ 58%
There’s nothing wrong with this book but I’m just not feeling it. When Riley Hart said she was writing something a bit different than her recent books, I hoped she might go back to her more angsty ones and with an ex con lead character it seemed I’d get my wish. However, the way this started left all the angst out and now it’s just a love story between two people from the wrong sides of the track. And that’s fine, there’s nothing wrong with this book but I’m just kind of tired of reading the same, it’s just fine kinds of books. I’m tired of having to do 1&2 star reviews because I feel like they’ve been my norm this year. So I’m going to leave this be and maybe I’ll return to it, maybe I won’t but I’m going to read something drastically different. I’ve wanted to read an Emma Scott book forever and her Lost Boys series has always appealed to me but I haven’t wanted to read book 2 (MM) without reading the MF one that precedes it and I just have not been in the mood for MF in ages but I read the sample and loved it. My god, it’s angsty af already with Miller being head over heels in love with his best friend and writing all his songs about her unbeknownst to her. 😭 I just need something different so I’m not going to rate this because I’m the problem, it’s me.
On another note…this cover bothers me. His shoulder is positioned strangely and it looks weird? Like it’s popped out of the socket? From a distance it almost looks like a prop, I dont know. It makes me feel annoyed looking at it which makes me feel super type A and that’s so not me especially since I have a cat with asymmetrical markings and think it’s the cutest thing about him. 😂
DNF @ 58%
There’s nothing wrong with this book but I’m just not feeling it. When Riley Hart said she was writing something a bit different than her recent books, I hoped she might go back to her more angsty ones and with an ex con lead character it seemed I’d get my wish. However, the way this started left all the angst out and now it’s just a love story between two people from the wrong sides of the track. And that’s fine, there’s nothing wrong with this book but I’m just kind of tired of reading the same, it’s just fine kinds of books. I’m tired of having to do 1&2 star reviews because I feel like they’ve been my norm this year. So I’m going to leave this be and maybe I’ll return to it, maybe I won’t but I’m going to read something drastically different. I’ve wanted to read an Emma Scott book forever and her Lost Boys series has always appealed to me but I haven’t wanted to read book 2 (MM) without reading the MF one that precedes it and I just have not been in the mood for MF in ages but I read the sample and loved it. My god, it’s angsty af already with Miller being head over heels in love with his best friend and writing all his songs about her unbeknownst to her. 😭 I just need something different so I’m not going to rate this because I’m the problem, it’s me.
On another note…this cover bothers me. His shoulder is positioned strangely and it looks weird? Like it’s popped out of the socket? From a distance it almost looks like a prop, I dont know. It makes me feel annoyed looking at it which makes me feel super type A and that’s so not me especially since I have a cat with asymmetrical markings and think it’s the cutest thing about him. 😂
November 11, 2023
This was meh to me, it kept me reading so 2.5 rounded up. I need to mention something that bothered me but won't bother anyone else: the name of the 2 MCs. Riven is a series I love written by Roan Parrish and the MCs are Riven and Parrish. That bugged me and I know that's a stupid reason to be bugged. Onto the book proper
The MCs were really made for each, not the problem here. The relationship development was a bit fast but I still liked it because it wasn't insta. I didn't like the steam in this one and I'm not sure why.
Riven just got out of prison for something he didn't do. This didn't really have an impact on his personality or the plot. Yes he had to see his PO but that's about it. He doesn't really think about his time in prison (he stayed for 6 years). Riven doesn't really have a personality at all TBH: he just got out of prison, never really held down a job before going but now he is able to work construction. He loves his grandmother and used to be a "thug". That's it which didn't feel like enough for me.
Parrish wasn't that much better: he hates his family (for very good reasons), he has one "friend" Becca and that's it. He doesn't really have any friends. He works in construction. Again didn't really feel like enough to give me a feel for him.
Becca: I'm sure women like her exist but bloody hell was she annoying and making dumb decisions while being aware that her decisions are bad and stem from a toxic place which was weird. She had several ways out so really she didn't make sense.
The villain of the story really were one dimensional: they were so bad that you had to wonder how anyone could fall under their spell at first. The plot with Parrish family felt a bit OTT to me and its pacing was off.
All in all a lot more negative than positive for this one I'm afraid.
The MCs were really made for each, not the problem here. The relationship development was a bit fast but I still liked it because it wasn't insta. I didn't like the steam in this one and I'm not sure why.
Riven just got out of prison for something he didn't do. This didn't really have an impact on his personality or the plot. Yes he had to see his PO but that's about it. He doesn't really think about his time in prison (he stayed for 6 years). Riven doesn't really have a personality at all TBH: he just got out of prison, never really held down a job before going but now he is able to work construction. He loves his grandmother and used to be a "thug". That's it which didn't feel like enough for me.
Parrish wasn't that much better: he hates his family (for very good reasons), he has one "friend" Becca and that's it. He doesn't really have any friends. He works in construction. Again didn't really feel like enough to give me a feel for him.
Becca: I'm sure women like her exist but bloody hell was she annoying and making dumb decisions while being aware that her decisions are bad and stem from a toxic place which was weird. She had several ways out so really she didn't make sense.
The villain of the story really were one dimensional: they were so bad that you had to wonder how anyone could fall under their spell at first. The plot with Parrish family felt a bit OTT to me and its pacing was off.
All in all a lot more negative than positive for this one I'm afraid.
November 4, 2023
This romance is hard to sum up, but here I go.
Riven is just getting out of prison from a crime he didn't commit. He was forced to take the fall after his best friend, Rex, killed a man and he was left out in the cold. Now he is out on parole and just wants to live in peace with his grandma and never see his former best friend again. He isn't gonna nark or cause trouble, but no one seems to believe him.
Parrish is the younger brother of Rex but he wants nothing to do with his troubled family. He doesn't know the truth about Riven but when they end up working together, Parrish doesn't see Riven as a killer. All the things he's heard over the years just don't quite line up.
They start to grow closer and not everyone in town (aka Parrish's family) are happy to see it.
I loved watching these two find kindred spirits in each other. Both of them have felt tied to the town where they grew up. It's a toxic place in many ways and they just feel like they can't leave. They find a little bit of solace in each other and I love it.
Some terms used in the steamy scenes made me cringe but their romance was strong and I liked how it all played out.
4 stars
3 on the spice scale
TW: mention of drugs, family violence, murder
Riven is just getting out of prison from a crime he didn't commit. He was forced to take the fall after his best friend, Rex, killed a man and he was left out in the cold. Now he is out on parole and just wants to live in peace with his grandma and never see his former best friend again. He isn't gonna nark or cause trouble, but no one seems to believe him.
Parrish is the younger brother of Rex but he wants nothing to do with his troubled family. He doesn't know the truth about Riven but when they end up working together, Parrish doesn't see Riven as a killer. All the things he's heard over the years just don't quite line up.
They start to grow closer and not everyone in town (aka Parrish's family) are happy to see it.
I loved watching these two find kindred spirits in each other. Both of them have felt tied to the town where they grew up. It's a toxic place in many ways and they just feel like they can't leave. They find a little bit of solace in each other and I love it.
Some terms used in the steamy scenes made me cringe but their romance was strong and I liked how it all played out.
4 stars
3 on the spice scale
TW: mention of drugs, family violence, murder
October 19, 2023
5 stars
This was not like Riley Hart's other works: the story is difficult, with more dark themes, it's raw, hard and frustrating, the romantic feelings are there but they're hidden, the love story is there but is held back by hopelessness and fears; even the language of this book is different.
Riven hass been raised by his grandma, he spent his teenage years by doing illegal stuff pushed by his best friend's dad, Frank, who gave him the illusion of a family. When Rex kills a man, Frank forces Riven to take the blame and to go to prison. The story starts 6 years later, when Riven gets out of jail.
Parrish is Rex's little brother, he was always considered the odd one and he was ignored by his father; every time he was about to do something illegal or unsafe to have his father's attention, Riven was there, protecting him and preventing him from being roped into dangerous stuff.
Parrish and Riven work together for a construction company and slowly start reconnecting: Parrish is shocked to know the truth about Riven's conviction and wants to help him to get back on his feet, but Riven is closed off, he doesn't trust anyone, he just wants to be alone and work to take his grandma away from Frank's threats.
But Riven is also drawn to Parrish, he finds himself caring a lot for him, he feels like he can be himself around him, even if he doesn't know how to untangle all his feelings and be open with Parrish. Unfortunately, Riven is also completely convinced he's not worthy of being loved.
The romance, in this book, has not big declarations or deep speeches: love, between Riven and Parrish, is something powerful, but at the same time, it contrasts with the fragility of their lives. It could be their salvation or it could destroy them, if someone would take advance of it.
And Riven's heart is not ready to embrace the other's man love yet, it will take time and trust and all Parrish's determination until Riven will be ready to risk the fall.
One of the most emotional and romantic part, in my opinion, is when they kiss for the first time.
I loved grandma Betsy, she's the best, while I wasn't very fond of Becca (I cannot talk about her without leaving spoiler, so maybe I'll edit my review in a coupe of months).
There were parts of this book that frustrated me and made me angry, but I adored it anyway. Parrish and River's love is unique and beautiful. Also, Riley Hart always has the best epilogues for her boys and this one makes no exception.
Highly recommended.
I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.
This was not like Riley Hart's other works: the story is difficult, with more dark themes, it's raw, hard and frustrating, the romantic feelings are there but they're hidden, the love story is there but is held back by hopelessness and fears; even the language of this book is different.
Riven hass been raised by his grandma, he spent his teenage years by doing illegal stuff pushed by his best friend's dad, Frank, who gave him the illusion of a family. When Rex kills a man, Frank forces Riven to take the blame and to go to prison. The story starts 6 years later, when Riven gets out of jail.
Parrish is Rex's little brother, he was always considered the odd one and he was ignored by his father; every time he was about to do something illegal or unsafe to have his father's attention, Riven was there, protecting him and preventing him from being roped into dangerous stuff.
Parrish and Riven work together for a construction company and slowly start reconnecting: Parrish is shocked to know the truth about Riven's conviction and wants to help him to get back on his feet, but Riven is closed off, he doesn't trust anyone, he just wants to be alone and work to take his grandma away from Frank's threats.
But Riven is also drawn to Parrish, he finds himself caring a lot for him, he feels like he can be himself around him, even if he doesn't know how to untangle all his feelings and be open with Parrish. Unfortunately, Riven is also completely convinced he's not worthy of being loved.
The romance, in this book, has not big declarations or deep speeches: love, between Riven and Parrish, is something powerful, but at the same time, it contrasts with the fragility of their lives. It could be their salvation or it could destroy them, if someone would take advance of it.
And Riven's heart is not ready to embrace the other's man love yet, it will take time and trust and all Parrish's determination until Riven will be ready to risk the fall.
One of the most emotional and romantic part, in my opinion, is when they kiss for the first time.
I loved grandma Betsy, she's the best, while I wasn't very fond of Becca (I cannot talk about her without leaving spoiler, so maybe I'll edit my review in a coupe of months).
There were parts of this book that frustrated me and made me angry, but I adored it anyway. Parrish and River's love is unique and beautiful. Also, Riley Hart always has the best epilogues for her boys and this one makes no exception.
Highly recommended.
I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.
November 9, 2023
Unfortunately, this just did not capture my heart. I'm so bummed. Parrish and Riven were likable enough but I never fully bought into their romance. It felt a little too stiff and not fully developed. I felt like Riven never fully opened up and their love confessions felt too soon. I also was never fully invested in their physical relationship - it was almost like their dirty talk felt off - like it just didn't fit the vibe. Or maybe it was the periodic sentimental moments when Parrish was speaking that made it disjointed. Felt like two different characters. In any event, I wasn't enamored with them as a couple.
The conflict wasn't severe or balanced throughout the book. I didn't feel like Rex and Frank were enough of a threat. We know why Riven went to jail in the prologue, and while Rex and Frank were sprinkled in, we don't get the true threat until closer to 85%-90%. While they were genuinely terrible people, I felt like it was a bit too rushed and anticlimactic.
I also could've gone without Becca entirely. She added so little other than having two small kids with Rex and showing how caring Parrish was to them. I wanted more for her character but she remained the same.
I did love Riven's grandma. She was such a beautiful soul and I think Riven and Parrish would've been completely lost without her. She had so much love and compassion for those two.
The conflict wasn't severe or balanced throughout the book. I didn't feel like Rex and Frank were enough of a threat. We know why Riven went to jail in the prologue, and while Rex and Frank were sprinkled in, we don't get the true threat until closer to 85%-90%. While they were genuinely terrible people, I felt like it was a bit too rushed and anticlimactic.
I also could've gone without Becca entirely. She added so little other than having two small kids with Rex and showing how caring Parrish was to them. I wanted more for her character but she remained the same.
I did love Riven's grandma. She was such a beautiful soul and I think Riven and Parrish would've been completely lost without her. She had so much love and compassion for those two.
January 25, 2024
2.5 stars. Meh. I liked the idea for this story, but didn't love the execution and hated almost all of the side characters.
I didn't get the dynamic with Bec and I really didn't see why Parrish had to apologize to her for being with Riven. Bec cheated on Riven with his 'best friend', got pregnant and dumped him when he went to prison for Rex. I don't care that he maybe was emotionally distancing himself before that. She cheated, had kids with someone else and they didn't see each other for 6 years, so she had no claim on him whatsoever (seriously, she just wanted an out. She also tried to kiss Parrish just after her kid was born, knowing he's gay. I don't believe for a second she really loved Riven).
The pacing of the relationship was also a bit weird. They went from kind of f-buddies to 'I love you' really fast, especially considering Riven didn't trust anyone anymore.
And why oh why didn't Riven just tell his grandmother what happened when he got out of prison and moved away? I don't care about his grandmother's house and she shouldn't either. If you're in the vicinity of people who harmed you and they are liable to do it again, don't stay. Especially not once he and Parrish were together and were actually threatened. Run! And don't make the same stupid mistake twice.
The main characters were cute-ish together, which is why I didn't rate this even lower, but there were too many sex scenes and they were basically all the same, sometimes even with the same sencentes used. Please be more creative than that, especially when the story isn't even that long (ca. 225 pages).
It's a shame, because there are some Riley Hart stories that I really really love (The endgame, Endless stretch of blue, Of sunlight and stardust, Color me in), but there's also a lot of mediocre or even bland ones. This one didn't live up to what I hoped it would be and I'm kind of afraid for On the mountain. Really looking forward to that one, but we'll see how that will go.
*** If you want to read a great story about a guy on probation for a crime he didn't commit, with a bad family like Parrish's here, living in a small dead-end town (who falls in love with his probation officer), read On Davis Row by N.R. Walker. ***
I didn't get the dynamic with Bec and I really didn't see why Parrish had to apologize to her for being with Riven. Bec cheated on Riven with his 'best friend', got pregnant and dumped him when he went to prison for Rex. I don't care that he maybe was emotionally distancing himself before that. She cheated, had kids with someone else and they didn't see each other for 6 years, so she had no claim on him whatsoever (seriously, she just wanted an out. She also tried to kiss Parrish just after her kid was born, knowing he's gay. I don't believe for a second she really loved Riven).
The pacing of the relationship was also a bit weird. They went from kind of f-buddies to 'I love you' really fast, especially considering Riven didn't trust anyone anymore.
And why oh why didn't Riven just tell his grandmother what happened when he got out of prison and moved away? I don't care about his grandmother's house and she shouldn't either. If you're in the vicinity of people who harmed you and they are liable to do it again, don't stay. Especially not once he and Parrish were together and were actually threatened. Run! And don't make the same stupid mistake twice.
The main characters were cute-ish together, which is why I didn't rate this even lower, but there were too many sex scenes and they were basically all the same, sometimes even with the same sencentes used. Please be more creative than that, especially when the story isn't even that long (ca. 225 pages).
It's a shame, because there are some Riley Hart stories that I really really love (The endgame, Endless stretch of blue, Of sunlight and stardust, Color me in), but there's also a lot of mediocre or even bland ones. This one didn't live up to what I hoped it would be and I'm kind of afraid for On the mountain. Really looking forward to that one, but we'll see how that will go.
*** If you want to read a great story about a guy on probation for a crime he didn't commit, with a bad family like Parrish's here, living in a small dead-end town (who falls in love with his probation officer), read On Davis Row by N.R. Walker. ***
November 13, 2023
Honestly I was a little underwhelmed. I was expecting serious angst and drama and to cry a little bit at least, but it fell a bit flat.
I did really like the relationship between Riven and Parrish and how they were just trying to do everything to make the other happy, but everything else just seemed to be lacking.
The ending resolved too conveniently for me also with the whole phonecall thing and the colleague. A little disappointed with the overall story, but the relationship was very sweet.
I did really like the relationship between Riven and Parrish and how they were just trying to do everything to make the other happy, but everything else just seemed to be lacking.
The ending resolved too conveniently for me also with the whole phonecall thing and the colleague. A little disappointed with the overall story, but the relationship was very sweet.
November 9, 2023
3⭐️but being generous. 😬 I read to 50% and then skimmed the rest. This was not Riley’s best work. The plot was good but it was way too short and lacked all romantic connection, tension, and swoon-worthy romance. I didn’t feel anything while reading these characters which is very uncharacteristic of Riley’s books. Everything just felt rushed and disconnected.
December 11, 2023
I love stories about getting your life back together in the town you grew up in after being in prison so I was excited for this one. Everything was working for me but for one big plot point. Riven and Parrish had a dramatic enough storyline to carry the book without substantial time being devoted to Riven's ex, now the live-in baby momma of the man he took the fall for. I enjoyed their dynamic and the Riven's walls slowly crumbled for Parrish. There was plenty of drama to be had with Parrish's family.
This book would have been so much better for me if a good portion of it hadn't been trying to convince me that the world revolves around poor, pitiful Becca. She's Parrish's "best friend", which is sad because I saw no friendship, just manipulation and Parrish supporting her and her children (his nieces). Parrish even had the balls to ask Riven if he would consider taking her back and away from town because he would be a better father than Rex - all after Parrish finds out Riven took the fall and went to prison for Rex killing a man, Becca cheating on Riven (because she thought Riven was pulling away and she can't be without a man), and then Becca never visiting him in prison. But the sun shines out of her ass or something because she's got everyone tiptoeing around her. I did not buy her all of a sudden being the hero of the story either. I get women like her exist, but it really detracted from the story for me.
Also, I assume the names are a nod to Riven by Roan Parrish? Anyway a 4 star book dropped to 3 because every time Becca's name came up I rolled my eyes and cringed.
This book would have been so much better for me if a good portion of it hadn't been trying to convince me that the world revolves around poor, pitiful Becca. She's Parrish's "best friend", which is sad because I saw no friendship, just manipulation and Parrish supporting her and her children (his nieces). Parrish even had the balls to ask Riven if he would consider taking her back and away from town because he would be a better father than Rex - all after Parrish finds out Riven took the fall and went to prison for Rex killing a man, Becca cheating on Riven (because she thought Riven was pulling away and she can't be without a man), and then Becca never visiting him in prison. But the sun shines out of her ass or something because she's got everyone tiptoeing around her. I did not buy her all of a sudden being the hero of the story either. I get women like her exist, but it really detracted from the story for me.
Also, I assume the names are a nod to Riven by Roan Parrish? Anyway a 4 star book dropped to 3 because every time Becca's name came up I rolled my eyes and cringed.
November 8, 2023
4.5/5
Another book that goes straight to my favorites of this year! You know I’m all about hurt/comfort love stories and Riley never fails to deliver.
Riven is an ex-con who recently got out of prison for a crime he didn’t commit and now just wants to make things right, especially for his granma Betsy, who’s the only person he loves. Parrish, on the other hand, knew Riven his entire life being the younger brother of Riven’s ex best friend Rex, and had a huge crush on him ever since.
Now, this book is the proof every kid deserves a parent but not all parents deserve their kids. Frank and Rex were bad people and I mean it in every sense. They were selling drugs, doing illegal stuff and wanted Riven to do join them again. They were bullies, abusers and Rex never tried to change or to take care of his own family.
Fortunately, Riven was eager to make up for his past and Parrish helps him along the way. They were attracted to each other and had a rough start, but eventually we see them open up and give themselves a change at love.
I’m always fond of characters like Riven who don’t know how to love themselves until someone proves them they’re actually special and not so bad as they thought. This reminds me of my own love story so I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn’t stop reading.
"I don’t need someone to take care of me. You or anyone else can’t fix my life.”
“I don’t want to fix anything, but I do want to be here for you, to be a soft place for you to fall. Let me try to give you that.”
I think they fall in love when they both talked all night long, when they were vulnerable and willing to share a piece of themselves. I love the way Parrish sees the potential in Riven. And I still think about their kisses, and what it meant for Riven to love Parrish in return. They’re sexy together, of course, but there’s more to it. It’s listening, comforting and supporting each other despite the circumstances.
"I wanted to be with him. He made me want more. Made me look forward to my life, even if it wasn’t a real special one, but I’d get to spend it with him, and that’s what would make it spectacular.”
I truly believe Riley knows how to expose the wonderful idea that love makes us better. It truly can change our way of seeing things, how we perceive the world and overcome our struggles. Parrish and Riven bring the best in each other and Grandma Betsy approved it too! She was so dear to me and I love seeing such wonderful female characters portrayed. Also, their cute little dates were the best!
Last but not least, it’s clear you never choose who you fall in love with, but you do make the decision to make it work, to take the risk and choose a better life for yourself and your loved ones.
I received an e-book ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Another book that goes straight to my favorites of this year! You know I’m all about hurt/comfort love stories and Riley never fails to deliver.
Riven is an ex-con who recently got out of prison for a crime he didn’t commit and now just wants to make things right, especially for his granma Betsy, who’s the only person he loves. Parrish, on the other hand, knew Riven his entire life being the younger brother of Riven’s ex best friend Rex, and had a huge crush on him ever since.
Now, this book is the proof every kid deserves a parent but not all parents deserve their kids. Frank and Rex were bad people and I mean it in every sense. They were selling drugs, doing illegal stuff and wanted Riven to do join them again. They were bullies, abusers and Rex never tried to change or to take care of his own family.
Fortunately, Riven was eager to make up for his past and Parrish helps him along the way. They were attracted to each other and had a rough start, but eventually we see them open up and give themselves a change at love.
I’m always fond of characters like Riven who don’t know how to love themselves until someone proves them they’re actually special and not so bad as they thought. This reminds me of my own love story so I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn’t stop reading.
"I don’t need someone to take care of me. You or anyone else can’t fix my life.”
“I don’t want to fix anything, but I do want to be here for you, to be a soft place for you to fall. Let me try to give you that.”
I think they fall in love when they both talked all night long, when they were vulnerable and willing to share a piece of themselves. I love the way Parrish sees the potential in Riven. And I still think about their kisses, and what it meant for Riven to love Parrish in return. They’re sexy together, of course, but there’s more to it. It’s listening, comforting and supporting each other despite the circumstances.
"I wanted to be with him. He made me want more. Made me look forward to my life, even if it wasn’t a real special one, but I’d get to spend it with him, and that’s what would make it spectacular.”
I truly believe Riley knows how to expose the wonderful idea that love makes us better. It truly can change our way of seeing things, how we perceive the world and overcome our struggles. Parrish and Riven bring the best in each other and Grandma Betsy approved it too! She was so dear to me and I love seeing such wonderful female characters portrayed. Also, their cute little dates were the best!
Last but not least, it’s clear you never choose who you fall in love with, but you do make the decision to make it work, to take the risk and choose a better life for yourself and your loved ones.
I received an e-book ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 4, 2023
* 4.5 stars *
Risk The Fall is another great read delivered by Riley Hart. The main characters, Riven and Parrish, are both very interesting. After reading the blurb I had formed an idea about what to expect (from the characters and from the story) and just a couple chapters in I was sure I was way off in my expectations. What I got was so so so much better!
Both characters are not without flaws. They have good bones but they have to make do with the hand they were dealt in their life, so they both make questionable decisions at times (mainly while they were growing up and occasionally in the present too). Their life environment doesn't give them many opportunities, from what we're told, so they both try to survive as best they can.
Their friends and their families (aside from Riven's grandma) aren't good people so they basically have the bare minimum of a support system. They didn't have a positive influence while they were growing up, except for Riven's grandma, but it was Parrish's family they spent most of their time with.
Once Riven gets out of prison after serving time for a crime he didn't commit, he has decided to change his life, get out of the town he grew up in and which holds very bad memories, and take his grandma with him.
He does everything he can to avoid everyone from his old life, to mind his own business, save up some money, and convince his grandma to pack up her things and follow him. But they live in a small town and it's difficult not to cross paths with everyone.
There's not even half a good thing I could say for either Parrish's dad or his brother. They were vile, manipulative, selfish and untrustworthy,even with those they considered close friends or family.
Riven and Parrish start reluctantly and unexpectedly. Neither wants a relationship or for feelings to get involved but it happens anyway so they start spending more time together and eventually give up the pretense that what happens between them doesn't mean anything.
They had both made mistakes and I liked that they owned up to them and didn't try to make excuses or to blame someone else for their actions. Riven's attitude in particular showed how much he had changed, how aware he was of the faults of his past and how much he wanted to be a better person.
Parrish was the same but as Riven did everything he could to protect him from the worst of it when they were younger, he wasn't as involved as Riven had been. But he was also trying to make a better life for himself.
Risk The Fall is essentially a second chance story, not for the relationship part, but for the characters' lives in general.
Recommended.
~ I read an ARC of this book. ~
Risk The Fall is another great read delivered by Riley Hart. The main characters, Riven and Parrish, are both very interesting. After reading the blurb I had formed an idea about what to expect (from the characters and from the story) and just a couple chapters in I was sure I was way off in my expectations. What I got was so so so much better!
Both characters are not without flaws. They have good bones but they have to make do with the hand they were dealt in their life, so they both make questionable decisions at times (mainly while they were growing up and occasionally in the present too). Their life environment doesn't give them many opportunities, from what we're told, so they both try to survive as best they can.
Their friends and their families (aside from Riven's grandma) aren't good people so they basically have the bare minimum of a support system. They didn't have a positive influence while they were growing up, except for Riven's grandma, but it was Parrish's family they spent most of their time with.
Once Riven gets out of prison after serving time for a crime he didn't commit, he has decided to change his life, get out of the town he grew up in and which holds very bad memories, and take his grandma with him.
He does everything he can to avoid everyone from his old life, to mind his own business, save up some money, and convince his grandma to pack up her things and follow him. But they live in a small town and it's difficult not to cross paths with everyone.
There's not even half a good thing I could say for either Parrish's dad or his brother. They were vile, manipulative, selfish and untrustworthy,even with those they considered close friends or family.
Riven and Parrish start reluctantly and unexpectedly. Neither wants a relationship or for feelings to get involved but it happens anyway so they start spending more time together and eventually give up the pretense that what happens between them doesn't mean anything.
They had both made mistakes and I liked that they owned up to them and didn't try to make excuses or to blame someone else for their actions. Riven's attitude in particular showed how much he had changed, how aware he was of the faults of his past and how much he wanted to be a better person.
Parrish was the same but as Riven did everything he could to protect him from the worst of it when they were younger, he wasn't as involved as Riven had been. But he was also trying to make a better life for himself.
Risk The Fall is essentially a second chance story, not for the relationship part, but for the characters' lives in general.
Recommended.
~ I read an ARC of this book. ~
October 22, 2023
As soon as I saw the blurb for this book I knew I wanted to read it. Riley Hart writes angsty books so incredibly well I knew it would be amazing and it absolutely was. Surprisingly though it was less angsty than I thought it would be but that didn’t change my enjoyment of this story at all!
Riven and Parrish were born into terrible home situations and had to make the most of it. Choices were made and we fast forward to when they are more mature adults and meet again. It starts off as an enemies to lovers but quickly moves past that as they get to know each other again.
I absolutely loved watching Riven open up to Parrish and seeing all their late night chats, and Riven doing things he swore he’d never do. I also love how fiercely Riven wanted to protect those he loved! They had a very hard fought HEA but it ended up being exactly what I hope for for them!
I absolutely recommend this book (and any others by this author really) and hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Riven and Parrish were born into terrible home situations and had to make the most of it. Choices were made and we fast forward to when they are more mature adults and meet again. It starts off as an enemies to lovers but quickly moves past that as they get to know each other again.
I absolutely loved watching Riven open up to Parrish and seeing all their late night chats, and Riven doing things he swore he’d never do. I also love how fiercely Riven wanted to protect those he loved! They had a very hard fought HEA but it ended up being exactly what I hope for for them!
I absolutely recommend this book (and any others by this author really) and hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
November 26, 2023
This was the most predictable, cliché, naïve book I’ve read in a while… I can’t believe it’s a Riley Hart book… Jesus… it all sounds so bad… characters were so unlikeable, or winny , or weak… even the bad guys were mehhhh… sex scenes cringe AF, that dirty talk was just mechanical and without any sexiness … I don’t even know why I finished…
December 8, 2023
I actually hated this.
I liked Parrish and Grandma? Thats about it.
Becca and her being such a huge part of the story made me miserable. I’m so tired of reading about women in her situation, saddled with two kids and a POS boyfriend who is every type of abusive except physically. And yay, in the epilogue she is tied to another man and pregnant again rather than learning to be independent. Why do I even know this? Was this Becca’s book?
This whole book was honestly just sad.
I liked Parrish and Grandma? Thats about it.
Becca and her being such a huge part of the story made me miserable. I’m so tired of reading about women in her situation, saddled with two kids and a POS boyfriend who is every type of abusive except physically. And yay, in the epilogue she is tied to another man and pregnant again rather than learning to be independent. Why do I even know this? Was this Becca’s book?
This whole book was honestly just sad.
November 13, 2023
I thought for sure this was going to be a 4*, perhaps even a 5* but it fell short. They got together so quickly, I did not like how they went from a hook up to being together together almost overnight. I wanted that side a bit more developed. I also did not like where we ended up with Parrish's family. I liked that they got what they deserved but it felt quite predicable. I did not get all the feels that a story like this normally brings. I usually think the opposite but in this case I think the story needed perhaps 50/60 more pages.
I did not like how Riven needed to go back near the people who betrayed him and treated him so badly. Honestly, this is the weakest excuse I've ever seen, that he could not tell his gran the truth, sell the house and move away because she can't keep her mouth shut. I know a lot of people who can't keep their mouths shut but I don't think a single one would open theirs just willy nilly when so much was at stake. She's an adult ffs, not a 5 year old told not to touch the chocolate. Just explain the situation and make sure she understands the risks.
Meh, maybe it's just me, as most people seem to have loved it.
I did not like how Riven needed to go back near the people who betrayed him and treated him so badly. Honestly, this is the weakest excuse I've ever seen, that he could not tell his gran the truth, sell the house and move away because she can't keep her mouth shut. I know a lot of people who can't keep their mouths shut but I don't think a single one would open theirs just willy nilly when so much was at stake. She's an adult ffs, not a 5 year old told not to touch the chocolate. Just explain the situation and make sure she understands the risks.
Meh, maybe it's just me, as most people seem to have loved it.
December 19, 2023
Tropes: ex best friend's brother
Feels: 3.5/5
Steam*: 3/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: medium
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: past drug use, past cheating (not between the MCs), drug dealing, stealing, murder, manslaughter, violence, wrongful imprisonment of MC
Riven is 31, bi, and he just got out of jail after doing 6 years for manslaughter. He wasn't the one who killed the guy, it was his former best friend Rex and he was forced to take the fall. Riven just wants to live a quiet life and keep his grandma safe from Rex's family. But his job that he needs to fulfill his parole terms, requires him to work with Rex's younger brother Parrish.
Parrish is 29, gay, and always had a crush on Riven. He didn't know what his family did to Riven, but he finds out. He also wants a relationship with him now that he's heard that Riven is bi and he has a shot with him. He pursues Riven and they bond over their shared childhoods and attraction.
This is a decent book. It was something a little darker than the usual books the author writes. Bit of a different dynamic.
I wasn't a huge fan of the book just because some of the plot wasn't really entirely to my taste. Some of the power dynamics just were uncomfortable to watch, what with Riven being used in the past and present by Rex's family, Parrish being the one that had the power to sign his slips for proof of employment seemed an unfair kick in the pants, at first Parrish kind of bullied Riven into being with him when really Riven is better off staying away from that toxic family. And while Riven is a caring grandson and trying to do better, he's a flawed character who did a lot of bad stuff in the past. And it wasn't just teenage mistakes, it was until he was like 25ish and arrested. Drug use, cheating on his girlfriends, violence. Not terribly admirable.
"“I don’t want to fix anything, but I do want to be here for you, to be a soft place for you to fall. Let me try to give you that.” I walked over to him, risked holding his hips and looking him in the eyes, and he let me. “Take a risk with me. Don’t make me fall alone.” Because I was falling for him."
"“The only thing that matters to me is that no one else fucking touches you. If they do, there will be a problem.” I didn’t have to look to know he rolled his eyes. “You think I’m yours? You own me?” “Don’t worry, Riv. You own me too.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Feels: 3.5/5
Steam*: 3/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: medium
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: past drug use, past cheating (not between the MCs), drug dealing, stealing, murder, manslaughter, violence, wrongful imprisonment of MC
Riven is 31, bi, and he just got out of jail after doing 6 years for manslaughter. He wasn't the one who killed the guy, it was his former best friend Rex and he was forced to take the fall. Riven just wants to live a quiet life and keep his grandma safe from Rex's family. But his job that he needs to fulfill his parole terms, requires him to work with Rex's younger brother Parrish.
Parrish is 29, gay, and always had a crush on Riven. He didn't know what his family did to Riven, but he finds out. He also wants a relationship with him now that he's heard that Riven is bi and he has a shot with him. He pursues Riven and they bond over their shared childhoods and attraction.
This is a decent book. It was something a little darker than the usual books the author writes. Bit of a different dynamic.
I wasn't a huge fan of the book just because some of the plot wasn't really entirely to my taste. Some of the power dynamics just were uncomfortable to watch, what with Riven being used in the past and present by Rex's family, Parrish being the one that had the power to sign his slips for proof of employment seemed an unfair kick in the pants, at first Parrish kind of bullied Riven into being with him when really Riven is better off staying away from that toxic family. And while Riven is a caring grandson and trying to do better, he's a flawed character who did a lot of bad stuff in the past. And it wasn't just teenage mistakes, it was until he was like 25ish and arrested. Drug use, cheating on his girlfriends, violence. Not terribly admirable.
"“I don’t want to fix anything, but I do want to be here for you, to be a soft place for you to fall. Let me try to give you that.” I walked over to him, risked holding his hips and looking him in the eyes, and he let me. “Take a risk with me. Don’t make me fall alone.” Because I was falling for him."
"“The only thing that matters to me is that no one else fucking touches you. If they do, there will be a problem.” I didn’t have to look to know he rolled his eyes. “You think I’m yours? You own me?” “Don’t worry, Riv. You own me too.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2024
audio - 4.5 Stars
Story 3.5 Stars
Story 3.5 Stars
July 30, 2024
3.25⭐️
3🌶️
This Was Good Y’all, Really Good Audiobook And I Really Liked Parish And Riven. Recommend If Your Looking For A Good MM Romance Pallet Cleanser💕💕💕💕
3🌶️
This Was Good Y’all, Really Good Audiobook And I Really Liked Parish And Riven. Recommend If Your Looking For A Good MM Romance Pallet Cleanser💕💕💕💕
November 30, 2023
*** 2.5 Stars ***
April 29, 2024
Wow!
This was such an emotional, wild, and romantic ride. I went into RISK THE FALL blind and truly wasn’t expecting what I got! And I mean that in the best way possible.
I love when Riley writes real, raw characters with a bit of grit. She’s really good at it! She’s also really good at fluff. Honestly, just a great writer!
Absolutely fell head over heels for Riven and Parrish. Their love story was so beautiful and healing. It goes to show that light can come from darkness, flowers can grow through devastation, and hearts can heal again.
So good!
This was such an emotional, wild, and romantic ride. I went into RISK THE FALL blind and truly wasn’t expecting what I got! And I mean that in the best way possible.
I love when Riley writes real, raw characters with a bit of grit. She’s really good at it! She’s also really good at fluff. Honestly, just a great writer!
Absolutely fell head over heels for Riven and Parrish. Their love story was so beautiful and healing. It goes to show that light can come from darkness, flowers can grow through devastation, and hearts can heal again.
So good!
November 8, 2023
***ARC Review***
This is my honest and voluntary review for the ARC I received.
Riven and Parrish have my heart! Riley Hart is an amazing writer and this story is fantastic. I loved this book. It’s such an amazing and gritty story about trying to claw your way out of the only life you’ve ever known. Riven takes the fall for something his best friend, Rex, does. He spends six years of his life in prison for it. Parrish, Rex’s brother, is head of the construction crew at the job Riven lands once he’s released from prison and on parole. Even though they’ve know each other most of their lives and Riven tried to keep Parrish out of trouble when they were younger, Riven and Parrish are at odds once Riven gets out of prison. Riven and Rex are no longer best friends and Parrish is a Hunt, a family that Riven wants nothing to do with anymore.
Truths come out and things change between Riven and Parrish. While things start off physical and as a means to an end, it’s clear that these two are drawn to one another in a deeper and more meaningful way. There’s so many painful and beautiful moments in this book. It really puts you in your feelings. The despair and hopelessness that Riven feels is prevalent, so it’s glorious when a little bit of light and laughter comes into his life.
Riven thinks he’s trash and that couldn’t be further from the truth. I waited and waited for him to see himself the way Parrish and his grandmother did. I understand that it was hard to break from the cycle of negative thoughts and feelings of unworthiness, but gosh was I glad when Riven opened up bit by bit and allowed himself to be loved by Parrish (and love him in return). I loved how protective of one another Riven and Parrish were. It’s obvious that they put the people they love first. Those moments of intimacy, honesty, fragility, and vulnerability between them made my heart swell.
There are compelling side characters in this book. Betsy is the best grandma in the world. I was so happy to see Becca take agency over her life and ensure that her and her kids would be better off in the future. Riven and Parrish fight for their HEA. It’s not without struggle, but it’s so well deserved. The epilogue is set in the future, and it’s a good one. I was excited to see Parrish and Riven achieve their dream. Read this book as soon as it releases. You won’t regret it.
{CW: violence, drug use, crime, death of a non-main character}
I don’t ever put quotes in my reviews, but this one really stayed with me, so I’m sharing it with all of you:
“He made me want more. Made me look forward to my life, even if it wasn’t a real special one, but I’d get to spend it with him, and that’s what would make it spectacular.”
This is my honest and voluntary review for the ARC I received.
Riven and Parrish have my heart! Riley Hart is an amazing writer and this story is fantastic. I loved this book. It’s such an amazing and gritty story about trying to claw your way out of the only life you’ve ever known. Riven takes the fall for something his best friend, Rex, does. He spends six years of his life in prison for it. Parrish, Rex’s brother, is head of the construction crew at the job Riven lands once he’s released from prison and on parole. Even though they’ve know each other most of their lives and Riven tried to keep Parrish out of trouble when they were younger, Riven and Parrish are at odds once Riven gets out of prison. Riven and Rex are no longer best friends and Parrish is a Hunt, a family that Riven wants nothing to do with anymore.
Truths come out and things change between Riven and Parrish. While things start off physical and as a means to an end, it’s clear that these two are drawn to one another in a deeper and more meaningful way. There’s so many painful and beautiful moments in this book. It really puts you in your feelings. The despair and hopelessness that Riven feels is prevalent, so it’s glorious when a little bit of light and laughter comes into his life.
Riven thinks he’s trash and that couldn’t be further from the truth. I waited and waited for him to see himself the way Parrish and his grandmother did. I understand that it was hard to break from the cycle of negative thoughts and feelings of unworthiness, but gosh was I glad when Riven opened up bit by bit and allowed himself to be loved by Parrish (and love him in return). I loved how protective of one another Riven and Parrish were. It’s obvious that they put the people they love first. Those moments of intimacy, honesty, fragility, and vulnerability between them made my heart swell.
There are compelling side characters in this book. Betsy is the best grandma in the world. I was so happy to see Becca take agency over her life and ensure that her and her kids would be better off in the future. Riven and Parrish fight for their HEA. It’s not without struggle, but it’s so well deserved. The epilogue is set in the future, and it’s a good one. I was excited to see Parrish and Riven achieve their dream. Read this book as soon as it releases. You won’t regret it.
{CW: violence, drug use, crime, death of a non-main character}
I don’t ever put quotes in my reviews, but this one really stayed with me, so I’m sharing it with all of you:
“He made me want more. Made me look forward to my life, even if it wasn’t a real special one, but I’d get to spend it with him, and that’s what would make it spectacular.”
December 5, 2023
3⭐️ 3.25🌶️
This was a perfectly fine story, but it just didn’t move in the way I would have hoped. Gritty small town settings are admittedly not my favorite, it depresses me.
I felt for Riven and his current circumstance because of his past. I also liked Parish and the precarious link he was to not only Riven’s past (brother of his ex-best friend) and current employer. The tension and animosity created a nice setup for an eventual explosion of passion but that just didn’t happen. Parish found out about Riven taking the blame for a crime his brother committed early on. I thought this would have been dragged on a little more to help create that buildup of emotion. Their “romance” started as a FWB convenience but the flip over to real feelings was lackluster. The bright spot though was the spice 👌🏻🔥
Because the book was so short the underlying suspense plot with the two men who put Riven in prison was too rushed. Also the melodrama with Becca was wholly unnecessary as well.
I love Riley but this one was a miss for me.
This was a perfectly fine story, but it just didn’t move in the way I would have hoped. Gritty small town settings are admittedly not my favorite, it depresses me.
I felt for Riven and his current circumstance because of his past. I also liked Parish and the precarious link he was to not only Riven’s past (brother of his ex-best friend) and current employer. The tension and animosity created a nice setup for an eventual explosion of passion but that just didn’t happen. Parish found out about Riven taking the blame for a crime his brother committed early on. I thought this would have been dragged on a little more to help create that buildup of emotion. Their “romance” started as a FWB convenience but the flip over to real feelings was lackluster. The bright spot though was the spice 👌🏻🔥
Because the book was so short the underlying suspense plot with the two men who put Riven in prison was too rushed. Also the melodrama with Becca was wholly unnecessary as well.
I love Riley but this one was a miss for me.
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