Reviewed by Cindy
TITLE: Risk the Fall
AUTHOR: Riley Hart
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 234 Pages
RELEASE DATE: November 8th, 2023
BLURB:
Riven
I’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.
Parrish
I 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.
REVIEW:
Riven never stood a chance. He was born into trouble and it’s dogged him his whole life. Now that he’s out of prison, he just wants to live his life and figure out how to get him and his grandma out of the town that’s taken everything from him. But his past keeps coming back to haunt him.
Parrish wants to break free of the family that keeps dragging him down, but it’s hard to shake free until Riven comes home from prison. When he accidentally finds out the true about the past, Parrish knows he has to do something to change his life and to inspire Riven to change his.
I really loved the premise of this story. It’s actually very well written with likable characters that are easy to love. I think the author did a pretty good job of showing the pain that both men are going through as well as how decent they are underneath the filth they’ve been buried under their whole lives. I love how the author portrays the trust building between the the two men who have no reason to trust anyone.
However I would have liked to have seen a little more about Riven’s relationship with his grandmother. I would also have liked a few more scenes of Riven and Parrish doing more than having sex.
Don’t get me wrong, the sex is scorching hot and there’s no doubt that Riley Hart knows exactly how to write some of the sexiest scenes I’ve ever read.
But the plot itself is wonderful and I would have loved more of the actually story. I found myself skimming through the sex scenes after the 4th one. I would have liked to have had the angst and anger build a little more, letting us be in pain longer before giving us the sweet and sexy payoff that both men totally deserved. I feel like the last 1/4 of the book was really rushed and feel like more time could have been given to really flesh out this part.
Riley Hart is a very talented writer who has no problems giving us characters we can easily care about and this story is a really good example of that. There is really no need to fall back on the “magic dick that solves everything” when you can craft a wonderful story like this author can.
I’m giving it 3.5 out of 5 because the characters are amazing and the premise is fantastic. And if you are a ‘more sex is better’ kind of reader, then this is definitely for you.
RATING: 
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