Blog Tour Review: ‘Roam’ by Erik Therme ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Today is my stop on the blog tour for ‘Roam’. Thank you to Sarah Hardy at BOTBS Publicity for the invitation to be part of the blog tour.

SYNOPSIS:

When Kevin finds Sarah stranded by the side of the road, he’s more than willing to give her a ride. Young, beautiful and distraught—she’s everything a single guy could ask for in a girl. What he doesn’t know is that she already has a guy: an abusive, drunken boyfriend who left her there in a fit of rage. And when that boyfriend comes back and finds Sarah missing, a simple ride will turn deadly.

Like Josh Gaylord and Daniel Kraus before him, author Erik Therme explores the angst of disconnected youth in his enthralling and powerful Roam. Therme’s darkly tinged novel is an unforgettable tale of three errant souls brutalized by life’s cruel circumstances, and a remarkable night of discovery and violence that will change them forever.

MY REVIEW:

Sarah’s 21st birthday isn’t going the way she imagined. Instead of the perfect romantic evening with her boyfriend Matt, she’s stuck in the middle of nowhere after their car breaks down. Matt becomes increasingly angry and Sarah is scared of what he might do, so she finds an excuse to leave to get help; his threats ringing in her ears as she walks away.

She’s soon spotted by Kevin who immediately offers her a ride. Though she fears the repercussions if Matt sees them, she decides to accept. We follow them over the course of the evening as a simple act of goodwill puts them both in danger and changes their lives in ways they didn’t expect.

Roam is a character driven story that is a mix of the coming-of-age, thriller and romance genres. The author delves deep into the characteristics and back stories of our main characters, making them people you cared about and were rooting for. All of the characters are lost and damaged souls, people fighting battles and scars both past and present. They were interesting and very raw. This is the first time I’ve read one of this author’s books but I already get the impression he has a knack of writing these kinds of people

Sarah is naive, spontaneous, lacks confidence and, frankly, is a bit annoying at times. Despite her lack of confidence she’s stronger than she thinks. Despite being terrified and being conditioned to accept abusive relationships, she walks away from Matt and is determined to end things. She is tired of walking on eggshells and knows she deserves better than his violence and verbal abuse. Kevin was my favourite character. He’s an old soul, wise, mature and kind. He is a character that is trying to overcome his bad childhood and rebellious years. He wants to do good, pay it forward and make something of his life. Kevin is a budding writer, this part of his character inspired me. The reminders about having to go after what you want couldn’t have been more timely.

There were a number of secondary characters but Scotty, one of Sarah’s oldest friends, ends up becoming another main character even though we don’t meet him until about a third of the way through the book. I didn’t like Scotty. I tried to. I understood his problems and that he’d been through a lot, but I just couldn’t take to him. He was an angry and bitter person, and even Sarah is fearful of him when she sees him that night. I didn’t initially see how Scotty would fit into the story but the author slowly reveals more until all is clear and we learn what a vital role he will play.

Kevin is instantly attracted to Sarah, but it takes her a little longer to realise she likes him. While this got a little cliched at times I was rooting for them to get together and enjoyed how they slowly connected more deeply as the night went on.

But alongside this sweet love story is the rising tension.The night becomes increasingly perilous and I couldn’t read fast enough, needing to find out if everyone would survive. I loved how the author brought it all together and ended the book. It was dramatic, surprising, and perfect.

Thank you to Thecker Books, BOTBS Publicity and Erik Therme for my ebook copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Out now.

GIVEAWAY:

Erik is running two giveaways. The first is an International giveaway to win a digital copy of Roam.The second is open to UK & US readers and is to win an audio copy of Roam. Follow the Rafflecopter link below to enter:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/791a8c8f5/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Erik Therme has thrashed in garage bands, inadvertently harbored runaways, and met Darth Vader. When he’s not at his computer, he can be found cheering on his youngest daughter’s volleyball team, or watching horror movies with his oldest. He currently resides in Iowa City, Iowa–one of only twenty-eight places in the world that UNESCO has certified as a City of Literature.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErikTherme.writer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErikTherme

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7831573.Erik_Therme

Blog: NAWebsite: https://eriktherme.com