Rend

3.5 stars. I give Roan Parrish credit for writing a book about the real work that happens after two people get married, especially when they have said “I Do” after only knowing each other for a short time. I also give her points for eschewing the typical romance novel arc: couple falls in love, bad stuff happens, couple breaks up, and then reunites for the happy ending. Having worked in the child welfare field, I absolutely appreciate her highlighting the challenges faced by the youth who age out of the foster care system. All this good stuff, but I can't quite give Rend an unqualified recommendation. It felt like the plot was a little thin, and was padded with NUMEROUS sex scenes that didn't necessarily do anything to move the story along. It was satisfying to see Matt and Rhys achieve a deeper understanding about themselves and each other, but banging each other silly didn't seem to be the key to reaching that point. Also, the character development was a little too one-sided; Matt had to do all of the heavy lifting, while Rhys' slightly unnatural possessive streak was shrugged off as an endearing trait. Very happy to see Theo and Caleb from [b:Riven 36135552 Riven (Riven, #1) Roan Parrish https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1504270186s/36135552.jpg 57734745], and it was especially cute to see Matt and Theo strike up an awkward but sincere friendship. ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.

After the absolutely beautiful love story that was Riven, I thought I knew what I was getting into with Rend but wow was I wrong. This book put me through an emotional wringer and I have truly forgotten how much I cried. This is not the story of two people falling in love, but about how two married people deeply in love have to fight for their relationship when there are unresolved issues.

The story is through the single POV of Matt, who we realize from the get go has lot of issues to work through. Being a product of the foster care system, he has serious abandonment issues – first by his mother, then his aunt and then by the other foster parents before he ended up in a group home. He has really never learned how to want for anything, because he would never get it. He gets overwhelmed by even having to make the simplest of choices, can't believe why Rhys chose him and never trusts that their happiness will last. It's a very melancholic narration and being in his head is very sad and exhausting but it did make me feel satisfied when he decides to work on his issues.

Rhys is almost the exact opposite of Matt. He has a very larger than life personality, always lively and active and and only wants Matt to be happy. But being from a very happy family and having led an almost privileged life, he doesn't always understand what Matt is going through or why he wants to keep his past a secret. He is also possessive by nature and wants to fix everything by himself. However, the second half of the book revolves around both of them deciding to try to be more honest and more open with each other. It was wonderful to see that despite Matt almost falling apart and Rhys hurting due to it, they never leave each other and their unconditional love is never in question. They really are each other's partners and support systems and even though, sometimes it felt like they were too dependent on each other, I think it worked for them and also made me believe that it would only get better.

The writing in this book is truly magical. It made me sad, cry, laugh and fall in love with their love and adoration for each other. It shows us that marriage is not the end but the beginning, and I thought the author explored the highs and lows of the couple very well. The setting of their home in Sleepy Hollow, their late night walks to the cemetery and Matt's pensive sadness or even his nightmares made for quite an eerie ambiance and I don't think I could have chosen a more atmospheric book for the month of Halloween. It was also nice to see a little more of Theo and Caleb and they played important roles in helping our main characters – Theo's wanting to be friends with Matt and Caleb trying his best to help Rhys keep his sanity were definitely turning points in the story.

If you want to read a love story like Riven, then this is not that book. But if you want something that explores the deep issues of a man who has seen so much unfairness in his life but still wants to do good and hopefully, live a life of peace with the man he loves – then you will love this one. Its emotional, you'll end up crying buckets, but it'll ultimately make you happy because theirs is a love for the ages.