Follow the River

Ahhhhhhh...I love this book so much. Can't believe it's your debut book. I love rain and river. The chemistry between them are like fire in ocean. I can't wait to read more of them. The story was written so well I never bore while reading it.... Excited for book two

Loved the book. A really good read though it ended in a heart breaker .. cannot wait for the sequel

I will say my review does contain a few spoilers in respect of trigger warnings, but not the ultimate plot...Firstly the writing was excellent, particularly for a debut. I absolutely adored both Ciarain and River even when they weren't getting along. They are both flawed, and their character development was beautiful. It's been a long time since a book consumed my thoughts the way this one did, and even now I've finished both books, I find myself still thinking about it.The chemistry between the pair was off the charts and I loved all the heartbreak and angst. At times Ciarain was a total b*st*Rd and I was totally here for it.Some people have said there was no real reason for his behaviour towards River, but as someone who was questioning his sexuality, being around someone so openly comfortable with theirs, who was also continually antagonising him about it, I can see why he might lash out the way he did. I also loved that Ciarain didn't change to a totally different person once the enemies part of their relationship had progressed into lovers, as they so often do in enemies to lovers.However as much as I loved this book and I really did love it, there were a few things that took a star away from it for me. The first being the lack of trigger warnings. I appreciate that the author gave a blanket warning and also said that there was a full list of trigger warnings on her website, however when I think about how graphic the child rape scene was, I don't feel a blanket/redirection tw wasn't enough. Had it just been touched upon then fair enough, but the scene is extremely graphic and it was a difficult read. I would like to point out as some others have, the fact this character questioned whether or not he enjoyed what had happened to him because of the way his body reacted at the time. Personally I don't think this was insensitive. He wasn't romanticising what happened to him, just expressing the way his body reacted and the confusion that had ultimately made him feel. I do agree this scene could have been skipped and just alluded to, there was no need for a full reinactment, but that's only my opinion.Secondly I want to touch on some of River's actions. Had this been real life and Ciarain been a woman, there is not doubt in mind some of what he said and done would be construed as sexual harassment, and I would have liked to have seen some sort of acknowledgement of this. Just because Cairian is a man, one also questioning his sexuality, doesn't make it okay to behave that way. However, because River is seen as the sunshine character he is portrayed somewhat as the victim in all of this this, particularly after the shower scene, when actually he wasn't always so innocent himself.Finishing up with what I consider a positive, I would like to touch on the dubious consent scene between the two MC. Dubious consent for me is usually very off putting, and in some instances can lead to a DNF. Whilst I understand it has a place and many people enjoy it, the thing about dubcon fir me is it's fine as long as its portrayed as such. When it's romanticised or totally glossed over with no real conversation or reprocussions, thats when I have an issue. However I feel with this book, I found it refreshing that not only was there genuine acknowledgement of what had just happened, both characters questioned if it was right.It feels confusing to me whether this was Rape or not and I can't quite decide if the author thinks it was or it wasn't either. I feel like I need to reread it a few times to be sure. Whilst there was no prior discussion or even hint of what was to come before there was immediate penatration, River had made his intentions towards Cairian very clear leading up to this. The scene is told from River's POV and his inner monologue clearly states that whilst he was shocked at the initial intrusion and Cairains lack of foreplay (for want of a better word) he did enjoy being dominated and he did ultimately want the sex. It was only after Ciarain's harsh words and denial of any sort of climax for River did he then start to question the morality of what had happened, as did Ciarain.Ultimately I really enjoyed this book and these characters will now love rent free in my head. Absolutely brilliant can't wait to read more form this author

My Rating: 5/5My Thoughts: Follow the River is the second book I've read from CE Ricci. Rain is the brooding, new wide receiver, with so many hidden layers and secrets to him. River is the optimistic, friendly, quarterback. From the moment they meet there is so much tension, chemistry, angst, and heat. CE Ricci did an amazing job of vividly engaging the reader with her words to truly imagine the characters and a realistic story. River and Rain go through a tumultuous relationship. River fights to be a piece of Rain's life, showing him the positive side of letting go of the anger and resentment toward his inner demons, and how freeing it can be once he accepts who he is and what he wants in life. Rain struggles to free himself throughout the book, but River is committed to not letting him go down the dark path and seeing the light in the end. Just when I thought everything was turning for the good, a major plot twist comes in and we are left with a gut-wrenching cliffhanger. My heart broke for both Rain and River in this book. I loved both Rain and River's characters in this book. They both have their flaws and layers to them. I can't wait to read the next book in River and Rain's Duet. CE Ricci's gift of storytelling has made me a lifetime reader. She has become an automatic purchaser of any of her books. I can't recommend this book enough, it was so heartbreakingly good and even brought tears to my eyes. I couldn't sleep until I finished this book.

I have been searching for something to fill the void Savage Rivals by Becca Steele left in my soul and boy did I just fill it.River and Rain just tore open my heart, you will feel EVERYTHING.The hype is real, pick this up, don't adult just read.Thank me later 🖤

SPOILER FREEI have been raving about Follow the River to everyone that will listen but I really needed a minute to gather my thoughts and to put into words just how much I adore this book. I first discovered Follow the River on a bookstagram page when the beautiful cover immediately caught my attention. There was something mysterious, intriguing and just a tad bit disconcerting about the cover that told me this was just the kind of story to get my heart pumping. I then waited anxiously for a few weeks for the book to release with nothing more than a blurb and a cover. I am happy to share that my intuition was right and there was something special about this book, the characters, the writing and the whole River/ Rain World.I will begin by saying River and Rain own me. Not only did I invest in the outcome of their story, it has consumed my thoughts for weeks as I await book 2. River and Rain meet in college while playing football for the same team. River is a self proclaimed happy go lucky jock with a smile and dirty joke not too far from his lips. He is not without his troubles but he handles everything with a smile on his face. He is an honest to God good guy but thankfully without any annoying whiny elements. The author doesn’t tell you he’s good- the character shows you. Ciaraín on the other hand is the new kid in town and has some SERIOUS inner demons chasing him to his new school and new life. The chemistry between River and Rain is immediately palpable. Rain is not “playing” broody new boy - he is literally engulfed in darkness. While this book does fall under the enemies to lovers trope, I was very pleased there was a gradual shift to the enemies stage of their relationship rather than an unexplained and immediate animosity.Certain events lead to a forced confinement situation where the two MCs must spend five weeks in a Colorado cabin, and over those five weeks, I went through five million emotions ranging from sadness, joy, heartbreak, anger, and complete dread. A large part of the story is told against the backdrop of snow covered Colorado mountains and a river running through the woods near a secluded cabin adding to the disquieting but at the same time alluring tone of the story. The characters are broken and their love story more fragile than glass at times. The passion and connection between the two MCs despite the constant dark cloud over their relationship is potent. I will say that the story is a true enemies to lovers so please don’t go into this expecting light banter and locker room pranks.Music is a central and ongoing part of the story and, coupled with the imagery of the cabin in the woods, the music element turned reading into an all senses on board, consuming and palpable experience.Finally, I want to add, this book is part of a duet and does end on a cliff hanger but I can’t state enough that this story could not have been told appropriately in one book. The characters are so complex and their issues intricate and layered, any attempt to reach a resolution within the confines of one book would have been a disservice to the reader. And I must admit a quick break to digest everything the characters experienced will definitely enhance the reading experience for me. I did not feel like there was anything that could have been taken out to accommodate this story being told in one book, which is usually my complaint with some books that end on a cliff hanger.It was a thoroughly moody and dark book with real moments of joy and love and I throughly throughly enjoyed devouring every single word and detail.

“𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩, 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧.”Wrecked, absolutely wrecked….That is the only way I can describe how I am feeling. It was dark, gritty, emotional and horrific at times. It was a rollercoaster as River and Rain navigated the chemistry between them - moving from hatred, to love, and finally, to something else entirely. The triggers in this book are not to be taken lightly, they are so gut wrenching and heartbreaking.“𝙃𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙩. 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙢.”I loved the journey both main characters underwent in their amazing relationship progression that was original, authentic, and realistic. This book was expertly written - I loved how firey both characters were and their incredible and stunning chemistry that sizzles off the page. I will forever have the softest spot for Ciarain - he must be protected at ALL costs. After all, he is my type of fictional bf … what can I say, I like them broody and broken 🤷🏼‍♀️“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙚. 𝙐𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙩.”I am not ready to say goodbye to them but that is what makes a story so powerful. 🥹