Melissa reviews Rend by Roan Parrish Published November 27th 2018 by Loveswept, 259 pages.
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.
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Why I read this: I loved Riven by Roan Parris so there was no way I was missing Rend. 😀
Wow. Just wow. Roan outdid herself with this one. Matt and Rhys are an amazing couple and my heart pounded when Matt was going through his troubles. We meet Rhys in Riven, which is another amazing book. Rhys was sort of involved with Caleb, but then Caleb and Theo get together and Rhys is their friend. I loved Rhys. His character was just beautifully written. He is a big man and he takes such care with Matt, which Matt can’t help but love. When Matt forgets his wallet and can’t pay for groceries, Rhys loves that and of course uses his card. And Matt on one hand doesn’t like himself when he forgets, but he LOVES it when Rhys takes care of him and, well, babies him, but in a good way. The whole time I am reading this Matt comes across as a man just waiting to be made into a submissive, kneeling and begging and serving. That doesn’t happen, but when Rhys is away on tour, Matt felt so lost and alone, and he didn’t have Rhys around telling him what to do, or reminding him to eat or go shopping for food. It would have been 100% genuine if their relationship had morphed into that. Shame it doesn’t, although still in a way they are because Matt is built that way and demands Rhys own him and hold him never let go.
This book isn’t just about Matt and Rhys’s relationship. There is a surprising supernatural element to this too. Matt’s friend from when he was a kid/teenager has been out of touch for several months, so Matt and his other friend, Grin, are calling around trying to find her. Matt fully embraces the search, and he has some extra sensory assistance I found extremely entertaining.
Matt’s emotions are all over the place and my heart ached for him. I think he needs professional help, and I don’t know how they plan to handle Rhys going on tour in the future. What really got me was that I wasn’t being force fed his emotions. They grew naturally and I never once felt like it wasn’t genuine. It’s hard to explain, and I don’t want to give away too much of the story anyway, but know that Matt couldn’t help himself when it came to loving Rhys and he still struggles with believing that Rhys loves him and really wants to be with him. This is part of what is driving Matt so crazy with Rhys being gone. His absence, regardless of the fact that he is coming back, makes Matt feel like he has been abandoned like when his mom left. Poor Matt. He needs Rhys just like Rhys needs Matt. These two wouldn’t survive without the other.
I whole heartedly recommend this book and the series and I see there is a 3rd book on the horizon. Can’t wait to see what it’s about! Squee!
5 stars/10 pots
Where to buy: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, Google Play Store, Kobo
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.
She is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary Agency.
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