Roar and Liv by Veronica Rossi

Goodreads Summary:

After a childhood spent wandering the borderlands, Roar finally feels like he has a home with the Tides. His best friend Perry is like a brother to him, and Perry’s sister, Liv, is the love of his life. But Perry and Liv’s unpredictable older brother, Vale, is the Blood Lord of the Tides, and he has never looked kindly on Roar and Liv’s union. Normally, Roar couldn’t care less about Vale’s opinion. But with food running low and conditions worsening every day, Vale’s leadership is more vital—and more brutal—than ever. Desperate to protect his tribe, Vale makes a decision that will shatter the life Roar knew and change the fate of the Tides forever.

I love that authors are now writing novellas to fill in the gaps or to add new insight into their books.  They feel like the bonus materials on a DVD, which I also love.  Veronica Rossi has given us a quick snapshot of what happened in the days leading up to Liv leaving The Tides to marry Sable, part of Vale’s plan to save his tribe.

I have always loved Roar, but getting his POV just made me love him even more.  He is so unfailingly loyal and accepting and it broke my heart when Vale sent Liv away, because his heart was broken.  I enjoyed learning more about Liv, as up to this point we’d only heard about her from others.  I also feel this novella gave us some additional insight into Vale.  I know he’s the bad guy but I think he’s a sympathetic bad guy – he was up against a wall and as Blood Lord, he made what seems like a cruel and impulsive decision, when in fact it probably was a last resort for him.  I also liked seeing Perry pre-Aria, as he seemed a bit lost and looking for something to fill a void.

Rossi’s writing is, as always, flawless, and she seamlessly builds the world and captures emotions.  Lots of love for this novella!

5/5