Riff

Larkspur #2

by Zoe Piper

Cal thought graduating from MIT would set him up for life, but when he's laid off with crippling student debts to pay, he hits rock bottom. Overqualified for nearly every job he applies for, Cal finds himself jumping at the only opportunity offered to him.

Larkspur’s lead-guitarist, Seth, doesn't get involved. Tour crew members are off limits, and he isn't around anyone else long enough to start the real relationship he truly wants, so he keeps to himself and plays up his rebel rocker persona. But his resolve is tested as he finds himself drawn to the band's new assistant.

When Cal reveals why he is on tour with them, Seth can't help giving in and acting more like his rash rebel persona instead of the level-headed man he knows he is. When a fake arrangement turns into more, can Seth convince Cal that there's more to him than meets the eye?

Riff is a low-angst, sweet with heat MM romance. It is book two in the Larkspur series, and can be read as a standalone, however, for maximum enjoyment, reading book one first will enhance the experience as the storylines run concurrently.

Genres: M M Romance

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2023

Reviews

[Leelah🍁♋️ Orion · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Love a good rock star book. This one has the twist of fake marriage. Which I loved even more. This was a low angst book, with no drama. The characters worked out their problems pretty easily. This was just watching their love grow story. This story is happening at the same time as book one. It is still a stand alone. The writing was good. I love that there was detail for the smexy time. The side characters were great as they are all people you meet in book one.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fake relationships are always 'fun' reads...but this one goes past the superficial and takes you deeper into family expectations and true affection.

Seth is the lead guitarist, a rich one, who refuses to bow down to family expectations for getting a 'real' career. His brother, a lawyer, is fully supportive of him and the relationship that allows him to acquire his inheritance from his 'quirky' aunt. Especially since his parents won't get the money.

Cal, an IT brainiac, has been given the shaft by his previous employer. When he and Seth discover they've basically stolen games he's developed, Seth's brother gets involved and everything comes out in the open.

You're going to love the plot, and the dialogue as well as Seth, Cal, Sarge and Jax.

A fast paced romance with just the right amount of 'sass' to balance with the sweetness. Plus an HEA is always appreciated!

[Fay MMBookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riff was an excellent story to read.
Cal 26 was out of a job he'd had for five years until the company no longer needed him as a software designer. His cousin and his wife, Jax, saved him with a place to stay when his money got low. He was offered a new job as her assistant with the rock band while they tour.

The book goes straight into Cal walking in on his first day without a space to breathe in the writing.

Seth, 37 was the lead guitarist for Larkspur. Having a rule not to have relations with the band and crew, yeah, that included an assistant. But rules are meant to be broken, right..

Seth had a complication in that he had to marry soon to meet the arrangements of his Aunt's Will to stop his parents.

Hidden attractions and secret looks, fake relationship arrangements, alls fair in love and war of laser tag, Seth's many secrets he's not told Cal.

I loved the way things got solved with Cal's ex-workplace.

The story may be of a fake wedding arrangement for Cal and Seth, but their feelings are not fake. Riff includes both povs, and has a fantastic ending to the story. I have read Snare, book one in this series with Kellet and Jamie’s second chance story which I enjoyed reading. I recommend both books for the TBR’s, both can be read as standalone books.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

👥Execute a plan to kill two birds with one stone?📑

4-4.5🌟 stars
This tale of life and romance on the road with a rock band hit the right spot for me. No wild shenanigans, substance abuse or mindless hook-ups. Just some guys in the rock business for almost two decades making fans happy and exploring relationships.

This same sex couple had some worries and hitches to overcome and I loved how easy it was to sympathize with them as they worked out a way to support each other. IT expert Cal, the younger of the two, had a great subplot related to the cutthroat world of IT game development, buyouts and downsizing. And Seth, the band Larkspur's lead guitarist, had those hidden depths and family issues that gave him extra dimension. The steam is there but does not overwhelm the rest of the plot and took some time to develop.

I read the previous Larkspur novel several years ago and only vaguely recall the gist of the plot. But it did not really affect my enjoyment of Cal and Seth's story; it's easily read as a standalone.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Janice Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It was low angst and a very sweet romance. I loved that as assistant to the band, Cal was far from the usual musical/groupie type person. The MC’s opposing personalities were cute to watch as they interacted in different situations. They had a tenuous connection that grew into something more and their subsequent chemistry was like a small ember that grew into a steady flame. They fought their attraction, but when they ended up in their arrangement, they were able to get to know each other better, so their feelings grew from there. The characters were well developed and likable and the story was entertaining and kept my attention. I highly recommend this book.

I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one because of the two characters of Seth and Cal, how they meet and how their relationship develops. It was interesting to see a man with Cal's education and career plans have his life totally upended and have to take any job to make ends meet and try to keep up payments on his student loans. The fact that he ends up on tour with a rock band and meets Seth a rocker with which he turns out to have many things in common required for building a strong relationship made for a great read.

[K-Me · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was subtle opposites attract due to Cal and Seth being in a bit of a forced situation. Cal is in desperate need of a job which lands him as an assistant for a Band! This is not really Cal's scene at all, but when he meets Seth the bad boy rocker persona let's just say he is interested. It was fun getting to know more of who Seth really is underneath the rock and roll. Fun, slow burn to steamy romance on tour. Looking forward to seeing some more of the band fall in love. I actually read this as a standalone but I am going back for book one.

[BrittReadsALot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fantastic! It was sweet, low angst. I love the characters, I can't wait for book 3. I would definitely read them in order.
I loved that we had a member of the band and someone who was going to be a temporary assistant for the band. This whole relationship worked out very beautifully and really kept me intrigued throughout the entire thing. Sometimes low angst are boring and stereotypical.. this is NOT!

[Jo Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Poor old Cal everything disastrous happens at once and he is bailed out by his cousin giving him a place to stay and a job as an assistant for the rock band they work with. The attraction is instant with Seth the band's guitarist. What started as a convenient marriage morphs into a HEA.

[Amanda D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cannot wait until book 3

This series snuck up on me and grabbed me by the heart. I read the blurbs and it didn’t seem much different from any other rockstar book. But here is something about the dynamics between the characters and the members of the band that is just amazing..

[Janet Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riff is the second book in the Larkspur series. Cal is in a pickle. He takes a job as an assistant in a band. Seth is the bands bad boy and total opposite of Cal. This was a fun read! Loved being back in this world. Overall, a great read! Well written with nice pacing!

[Readingbks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book two in this series and I really loved Seth and Cal's story! Sweet story with very low angst! My type of story! I read an advanced copy of this book and this is my unbiased review!

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*

[Sandy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these guys. Seth and Cal were so sweet together. This is a fabulous series to read. I can't wait for Liam's story to come out. I received and ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something about the Larkspur series just resonates with me and this second instalment is no exception. It probably has something to do with the well written characters that are Seth and Cal. Seth may hide behind a bad boy rockstar persona but he’s really kind, warm and funny whilst Cal is an adorable empath who cries at social media videos.
Circumstances bring these two wonderful men into each other’s orbit and even though there’s an instant attraction on both sides it’s not immediately acted upon. It takes some time, a bit of flirting, a kiss or two and a fake marriage before they act on the chemistry between them. Steam is mixed with sweet and before long there’s nothing fake about their relationship.

The wonderful characters and plot make this a very enjoyable and engaging read. It’s low angst with an HEA that warmed my heart and left me smiling. I look forward to the next in the series.
This can be read as a standalone but reading the first book would add to the experience.

[Heather MMRomanceReviewed · Rating 5 out of 5]

We get a glimpse into the personas that Cal and Seth project to the world in Snare, but it's not until Zoe Piper shines the spotlight on the two of them that we see new sides of both men and we start putting the puzzle pieces together as their relationship unfolds...

An attraction both men fight, a way to solve problems both men have and a slow build to what could be a HEA, this book is well paced and the characters are both deep and intriguing... this book sucked me in and held me - even when I had to put it aside to finish another read that was due, it kept calling me back until I finished it!

I can't wait for the next book in the series to see how the breadcrumb trails laid for the other two band members play out!

Riff could be read standalone, but the interesting dynamic of following the same timeline as book one makes it delicious to read after the Snare, it's like fitting pieces together after seeing one side of the cube...

[Sarah Sargent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is one that has had me from the beginning. Sometimes you need sweet zero angst stories that makes you crave more. That is what this series is for me, bonus points for it being a rockstar. Cal joins the tour as a favor to his cousin for taking him in after he lost everything. He is always watching the party boy Seth and his bad-boy ways. Seth doesn't do relationships and tries to stay away from the crew. But the pair are drawn together and work out a business relationship. Cal learns more and more about Seth over time and learns that he is not what everyone assumes he is. There is an amazing tender artistic soul behind the persona he portrays. This is one series that I am drawn back to and I really can't wait for the rest of this series. This one can be read independently, but once you read it, you will want to check out Snare.

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this! I'm always up for a good rockstar romance and this is a fine example of the trope. Cal and Seth are great once they get together and I enjoyed meeting the rest of the bandmates and the supporting cast. I hadn't read anything by this author before but would definitely read them again, especially this series. I did find it was a little bit of a slow starter-- I didn't really get into it until I was thirty or forty percent through-- but once I did I was fully invested and read the rest in very short order. It's a sweet, sexy and romantic book with great characters and a satisfying HEA.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seth Worthington, rockstar, meets Callahan Stevens, IT whiz, serendipitously when Cal accepts a job working for Larkspur. Cal has had a crush on the sexy lead guitarist and is of course unable to resist the call of desire between them. And because of his personal circumstances and Seth's need to stick it to his horrid parents, they enter into a relationship that appears to have an end date. But sweet love overcomes their barriers and as they share their secrets and show their true selves, they find they need each other for more than convenience. It's a sweet, warm love story, quite light but satisfying nonetheless.

[Tracy Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riff is the second book in the Larkspur series and I enjoyed it just as much as the first. Cal and Seth are so good for each other. Cal has had to deal some some tough times- losing his job, apartment, car and trying find a way to pay his student loans. Seth loves what he does and has great relationships with his band members, but struggles with his need for his parents approval even though they are awful people. This is a sweet, low angst read that will leave you with a smile. I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing Liam and Miles in book 3.

[Sharing The Book Love (Kelli Maree PA) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been patiently ( kidding impatiently) waiting for Seth and Cal's story since we met them all in @Snare and the author didnt let me down.

This was a delightful read with sneakiness and fun fake arrangements that well you will see when you read the book!

But oh did I wanna slap Seth's parents so bad!!

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh yes. I definitely enjoyed Seth and Cal’s story. These band stories are so amazingly good. Loved to see the entire gang mentioned, from Snare.

I loved how Cal grew into his own. So satisfying. And Seth, that bad boy rocker was absolutely, a good guy. Such a wonderful pairing of MC’s.

I literally cannot wait for Liam story, which I have a feeling will be with Miles. And Art deserves his HEA too. Love this series!

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He thought he would be set up for life when he graduated from MIT but he is soon in trouble when he loses his job. He has huge student debts and he needs to find a job as quickly as he can. He takes a job with a band on tour. He will become involved with them and life is going to get interesting. What is going to happen for them? Will a fake relationship become real? See just how they get on

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed getting to know both Seth and Cal, who get to know each other over the time of the tour where Seth is part of the band and Cal is the assistant for the summer. They initial spark of attraction isn't acted upon instantly, instead both men get to know each other, and it's sweet to see how the story develops. A good read!

[kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Riff. I really enjoyed getting to know both Seth and Cal, who get to know each other over the time of the tour where Seth is part of the band and Cal is the assistant for the summer.
I loved how Cal grew into his own. Seth has that bad boy rocker image but was really such a good guy. Such a wonderful pairing of MC’s.
I'm looking forward to more in this series.

[Saskia Veldhuis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two very kind and sweet MCs. Both were allowed to be vulnerable and emotional. No big dramas in the plot but it still kept my interest. I didn't have the opportunity to read the first book, but although I think it would have been a bit easier to have read that first as the romances are certainly concurrent, this does work as a standalone.

[Jolanda van Osch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet and loving story about Seth and Cal.
A marriage start as a sort of businessaggrement ends in falling for each other.
I enjoyed reading this book.