Better Than People is another wonderful offering by Roan Parrish, featuring winsome characters and a writing voice that evokes beautiful, rich imagery.

Simon has an unfortunate combination of shyness and intense anxiety around people he doesn’t know well – exacerbated by a difficult childhood with family and peers – and it renders him speechless, literally. That, in turn, draws unwanted attention which often sends him into panic attacks. What helps? The love of animals. He longs for a dog of his own, but he lives with his highly allergic grandma. So he seeks out a creative way to sate his furry yearnings and the answer is an app that matches him with Jack, who needs help walking his menagerie of pets after breaking his leg.

Jack is dealing with more than a broken bone, though. He was badly betrayed by a friend and work partner, and the trauma has left him unable to illustrate books – or even simply sketch; he’s been a shell of a broken man ever since. Over time, a mutual desire builds between Simon and Jack, very sexy times happen (their first kiss was … everything), and the men help each other heal.

“I don’t suppose…” Jack started. But he lost his train of thought as Simon sat upright. The redness had faded to just a blush on his cheeks, and his hair was mussed. He was so damn beautiful. Simon raised an eyebrow and Jack cupped his cheek. “Don’t suppose you wanna kiss me?” Jack said, voice rough with desire.

Grandma Jean is a wonderful character because of her gentle support and prodding of Simon to take a chance on Jack, no matter the discomfort. She’s also a bit irreverent, like when she asks Simon if Jack sent him a dick pic. Jack’s brother, Charlie, is the other significant side character. He served as Jack’s surrogate parent when they were teenagers, and in many ways, he still takes care of Jack. Charlie is single and lonely; I wonder if he might star in his own book someday. And I would be remiss if I failed to mention how much the cute and crazy canines and the furry, finicky felines are central characters and enhance the story.

To fans of Roan Parrish – in particular, the beautiful book The Remaking of Corbin Wale (a Love Bytes 2017 Book of the Year nominee) – you’ll be tickled by the references to Corbin in this book.

Better Than People has a lovely happily ever after.

[Being with Jack] gave him the unfamiliar sense of having a place in the world. Of being tethered, rather than floating ghostlike, through a land that belonged to others.

Whether you’re a pet lover or just in the mood for a sweet romance between two struggling men who complete each other, you can’t go wrong with this one.

VALERIE’S RATING:



SADONNA’S REVIEW:

Jack Matheson had been happy in his little house in Wyoming. He’s got his pack – a bunch of cats and dogs – and his art. He and a friend from college had collaborated for a number of years on children’s books with Jack providing the illustrations. But then he was betrayed 🙁 Then the true cherry on the top of the sundae, he falls while out with his dogs and breaks his leg. Needless to say, walking the pack is now out of the question. So he tries and app to find a dog walker. What he gets is so much more 🙂

Simon has lived his life with nearly crippling anxiety. What had seemed like shyness as a young child had only gotten worse as he grew up. His family wants better for him, but their attempt to “help” him have actually made things worse. But he’s got his own web-design business and was working towards getting a dog when his grandfather passed so he has moved in with his grandmother. He figures the app is a way to get some pet time without the pets since his grandma is terribly allergic.

Jack and Simon get off to a little bit of a rough start since Simon has a lot of trouble talking. But Jack is grateful for the help and he is mesmerized by the beautiful man who seems so in synch with the animals. But Jack is also pretty crabby and tired because of the leg and not being able to take care of himself. He resents having to ask for help from his brother Charlie and from Simon. He’s really interested in Simon though – kind of fascinated really.

As Jack and Simon get to know each other, Jack is able to share things with Simon that he hasn’t even told his brother. He begins to open up to him and share his feeling – the betrayal, the gratitude to his brother for stepping up, and how much he misses being able to draw. And Jack wants to know everything about Simon too – but he takes it slowly at first. But after their first kiss, things progress for them and Simon communicates what he’s feeling in other ways besides talking 😉

But the course of true love never did run smooth, and so there are obstacles to overcome. They both make mistakes and have to figure out how to make things right. But with Jack’s brother and friends and with Grandma Jean, Jack and Simon have a whole bunch of support that they didn’t anticipate. And mostly what they have is love and respect for each other.

Roan Parrish has a real talent for writing unusual characters and conveying the struggles that they go through brilliantly through inner dialogue. This story almost reads like fairy tale in some ways. I love the way Simon describes his issue internally. Simon knows what he wants to say, what he wants to know. He just has such trouble articulating it.

He still didn’t entirely understand it, the war inside of him.

It had been raging as long as he could remember, and as in any war, all sides lost.

I loved how creative Jack was in getting around Simon’s initial inability to speak. He’s such a compassionate soul with Simon and he really does want to know what Simon is thinking. He wants to know everything about him, but he knows it can only be at Simon’s pace. And yeah, he screws up sometimes. But he’s willing to do what it takes to get there. Simon really feels seen – all of him – for the first time. He still has a lot of fear to overcome. He hasn’t had the right kind of support from those who should have been there for him in the past. But his grandma Jean is the absolute best! I just loved her and I sure do miss my own grandmother after reading this 🙂

Jack has his own issues that we learn about over the course of the story. He’s also been a bit adrift – with his art really being his anchor, so when he loses that he’s completely off balance. Simon is a welcome distraction and then he becomes so much more. It’s just beautiful how they fill the gaps in each other’s lives. They encourage each other and admire each other. The fact that Jack recognizes how much it costs Simon to get his words out make me love the grumpy Jack <3 His kindness and patience was the key to Simon being able to open up to him.

On another note, for those long time fans of Roan Parrish, you will enjoy the little Easter Egg from The Remaking of Corbin Wale, another brilliant book. Whether it’s the Middle of Somewhere series, Small Changes series or these lovely standalones, this author continues to set a very high standard for romance. Her characters are the embodiment of my favorite Glennon Doyle quote – Life is Brutiful. Highly recommended for all the feelz!

I loved Roan Parrish’s books for the emotional depth she gives her stories. But as my reading habits have changed, I’ve come to realize that Roan isn’t an author I’m willing to continue supporting, for my own reasons. I’m glad Roan has the audience and support she does, but I find that I no longer am the right audience for her stories.

This first installment in the Garnet Run series follows two men as they fall in love after meeting on an app for animal lovers. A broken leg stands between children’s book illustrator Jack Matheson and being able to properly care for his pets. He's reluctant to let anyone in to help, but for his pets he'll do anything. His ad on PetShare is answered by Simon Burke, whose anxiety has often lead him to preferring the company of animals to that of people. As the two start to spend time together, they recognize their shared love of furry creatures and soon sparks are flying.

Parrish is such a thoughtful writer. I loved the way she explored Jack's frustrations over his leg and the way that it was preventing him from being as self-sufficient as he wanted. It was great to see him learning to trust and lean on Simon. Meanwhile, I thought Simon's anxiety rep was particularly well done, and I absolutely loved the texting between him and Jack as a way to help them communicate in more honest and comfortable ways.

Readers who love pets in their romances will find so much to love here (and in this series overall) so I highly recommend they check it out.

This is a new to me author and it’s taken me a while to read this, but I loved it. And I’m really excited this is the start of a series!

The hurt/comfort aspect is sweet…Jack is awesome with Simon in understanding his anxiety and social issues. And Simon helps bring Jack out of his funk, almost becoming a muse for him. They really seem to be made for each other, and they’re great with the dogs and cats!

It looks like Charlie is getting a book next and I can’t wait to read his book – I loved him in this one!

I am so late to getting to this, I’m so sorry! But this book is absolutely lovely. I adore the characters and the pets, the sex is great, and I’m excited to read the next one!

Loved this book - and the whole series - and talk about them all the time in the Book Riot When in Romance podcast: https://bookriot.com/listen/shows/when-in-romance/

This book was a joy to read, really sweet, lovely characters and of course, dogs!! Will def be picking up the next book in the series.

The premise of two men preferring to be surrounded by cats and dogs than other humans drew me in immediately-- how relatable! I was immediately charmed by all of Jack's animals, like Pirate, Mayonnaise, and Pickles-- three of his cats; and his assortment of dogs, Puddles being the best one, a goofy lab afraid of everything, including his namesake, puddles. Jack breaks his leg when rescuing that very hound, and can't take his animals out on their walks, along with a lot of other things. Through an app called PetShare, he reluctantly hires the shy and elusive Simon, a man with a love for critters, but he has a hard time interacting with people. And so, an unexpected romance was born.

This book made me feel very cozy and gave me a strong urge to snuggle up with my man. I do feel like it's a book I would have enjoyed a bit more if I were newer to romance. It is absolutely something I would have inhaled when I was a bit younger, especially having been a lot like Simon, who faces a lot of hardships with anxiety, but also able to find a soft, protective, and understanding love with Jack. If you want something sweet to read, this is a great choice.

I enjoyed this one.

-Opposites attract
-Loveable characters
-Chemistry
-Furbabies
-A little angst

3.75-4 Stars

I enjoyed this one more than the second book in the series.

This was such a sweet story full of feels, self-acceptance, healing, and moving forward. There were definite missteps on both their parts, but both of the men had things to work through alone as well as together so it was inevitable that there would be hurts and struggles along the way. How they worked things through, where they ended up, that was the magic. Add in some fantastically wonderful animals with personality, patience, and unconditional love and you've got a memorable story. I can't wait to get Charlie's story.

This was such a tender and quiet and beautiful read - I loved it.
I requested the book because of the animal content which I looked forward to but also dreaded because in some books I've read in the past animals get weird very fast. They are too much, too awkward and you can tell that the author clearly never had any pets and that they are over-doing it.
This wasn't the case here. As you get to know Jack's pack of dogs and cats (Great! Because in this book you can be both, a cat and a dog person!) you also get to know Jack, and it's beautiful how they all just work together. When Simon joins the scene he, too, fits perfectly into the pack - it's a really good balance between living with the animals and the development in Jack and Simon's relationship.
This balance and the wooden Wyoming cabin, the fire place, the over-sized sweaters, the handmade scarfs, the autumn smell, the snow, Christmas trees and walking the dogs (and cat) makes this story incredibly cozy.

Jack is a lovable character from the start. I like his grumpiness and his cursing and the bad place where he starts when he meets Simon - so there is room for development. With Simon, I struggled sometimes, to be honest. He is very aware of his anxiety and all the things he tried to get rid of it but never worked out for him and in some scenes that lets him appear quite selfish when he gets angry - he has done everything and he can't and won't change because that's who he is. And he is right about that, but Jack just wants to help and still has to learn for himself how to act around Simon (whom he loves to bits). Good thing: Simon knows he is unfair towards Jack and reflects about it. I loved that! And, tadaa, by the end of the book he is even able to talk to people other than his grandma and Jack.
I think, it might actually be an accurate description of what being trapped in an anxious head feels like, and what it feels like being on the outside and simply not being able grasp it. And this, sometimes makes you (or just me) not really like Simon - so, I think, it's great writing getting all that across.

The story itself is not terribly exciting - it's more about the characters and their development and their cozy relationship which was great and intense, I think. (Apart from the first few chapters where I would have wished for less jumping from scene to scene and for more experiencing their chemistry and seeing the two of them together and develop a friendship and feelings for each other.)

Two things I found strange:
First: Jack's strange habit of stalking the neighbour through his binoculars. Why? It was never unraveled why this house across from his cabin was important and at some point in the story it seemed to be.
Second: Maybe it was a bit much dirty talk.

Better Than People was lovely and sweet and hit all the right notes. Jack is a cranky man hiding from the pain of betrayal. After an accident leaves him needing help to care for his four dogs and three cats, it also fills another need sorely lacking in his life...connection.

Simon answers the call for help, unable to have his own animals, he believes helping through the pet share app will give him the animal connections he needs. If only he could get past having to deal with the people who own them. Cripplingly shy with a stutter, Simon's anxieties keep him from doing so many things he wants in life. Meeting Jack and his brood, pushes him out of his comfort zone and for Jack, Simon really wants to try. They slowly start becoming friends allowing the magnetic attraction between them grow as well.

What is so magical about this story is how the reader thinks that Jack will be helping Simon overcome his limitations, but maybe just maybe Simon will help Jack overcome the demons that might very well cost him his career. This story is about love, about friendship, and about what the characters are willing to do to keep hold of happiness and each other.

I cannot wait for book two, which is about Jack's brother, who we meet in book one. He is a sweet cinnamon roll that you know just by his actions and loving nature that he needs to find a love of his own. Roan Parrish is on my authors to watch list.

I became a fan of Roan Parrish after reading her gorgeous novel, The Remaking of Corbin Wale. Imagine my excitement at discovering this book is also set in the same world.

The story begins with Jack Matheson, a children’s book illustrator who rescues animals. He has grown isolated after a falling out with his friend and writing partner. During a walk with his animals, he suffers a severe leg injury that keeps him off his feet for weeks. To care for his pets, he signs up for PetShare, an app that matches pet owners with animal lovers.

Enter Simon Burke, a graphic artist who has always wanted a dog. He lives with severe anxiety, which makes interacting with people difficult and painful. He is paired with Jack through the PetShare app. They find that their interests and compatibility extend beyond animals.

It takes time for Jack to break through Simon’s anxiety to build a relationship, but when he does, it becomes clear that they are both emotionally wounded in different ways, and in need of care. In addition to the pets, which have more than just a token role in the story, they find healing in each other. The story is realistic, in that their anxieties and insecurities are not erased, but met and confronted with love, determination and commitment. Honestly, what more does anyone want out of their partnership?

The love scenes are beautiful. Communication is everything between Jack and Simon and their ability to reach that intimacy is the heart of this book’s journey.

ARC provided by NetGalley/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

FULL INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND ON FRESHFICTION.COM

Hi, Roan! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. Thanks for visiting with us today. Will you tell us about yourself and a little bit about your new book, BETTER THAN PEOPLE?

Hi! Thanks so much for having me :-). I am extremely into cooking and baking, plants and gardening, Halloween, horror movies, DIY projects out of random stuff I find, and exploring abandoned buildings. I live in West Philadelphia with my magical cat, Dorian Gray, where I bake a lot and write queer love stories about people who feel like home to one another.

BETTER THAN PEOPLE is the first in my cozy new series, Garnet Run, and the whole series is my love letter to animals. BETTER THAN PEOPLE is about Jack, a grouchy children’s book illustrator, who eschews other people in favor of a pack of stray animals he’s collected. Jack’s favorite thing is walking his pack of dogs (and Pirate the cat, who leads the way). But one evening, chasing after Puddles, a jittery dog, he breaks his leg and needs someone to walk the animals for him. Enter Simon, an animal lover with no animals and intense anxiety around people. The more Jack and Simon know about each other, the deeper their feelings become. But Jack has to get over old betrayals and Simon needs to reckon with what it would mean to let someone into his life. I won’t spoil anything, but I’ll just say that the animals play a big part in Jack and Simon’s love story and happily ever after!

I love a love story with a menagerie of pets! What inspired this series and did you have any real-life inspiration for these furry friends?

I love animals. The way that they are completely emotionally genuine is an inspiration. In BETTER THAN PEOPLE, the animals—especially the dogs—demonstrate what it looks like to be your emotional self, and that’s a lesson that Simon really needs to learn. The animals in BETTER THAN PEOPLE are definitely inspired by the many cats and dogs I’ve known. A few years ago I lived on St. Bernard Street and there was a woman who would walk her huge St. Bernard down the street outside my window. I always wondered if she did it on purpose for ironic purposes, but anyway, I just fell in love with St. Bernards. They’re so big and fluffy and kind of can’t interact with other dogs except by standing or lying still, otherwise, they push them off their feet. And this dog would just kind of stand there and let other dogs come up to it. One summer I saw it at the cemetery during a craft fair and it was so hot that the dog was just lying on its side on the ground in the middle of the path, and any dogs could come up to it and sit with it and it let them. I just thought it was adorable. I love a gentle giant ;).

As an Anxiety Professional, I really understood where Simon was coming from in his debilitating fear of just....everything. I like that there was no push for him to be better or that being with Jack will suddenly fix Simon, and really loved that there was an actual conversation between the two of them about that matter.

Simon lives his life in a state of perpetual anxiety. The only part of his day that doesn't scare him or make him nervous is when he's with his grandmother and when he's around animals. Jack, on the other hand, is a curmudgeon with some personal trauma and a new injury that keeps him from being able to take his busload of pets for a walk. Thus, Simon enters his life as a pet-walker.

The only thing I felt was a bit of a stretch was the first meeting between the two. Not a whiff of Jack thinking it's weird that Simon was almost completely silent during the interaction? Other than that, I loved every minute!

This is a very sweet MM romance. A small story that is perfect for anyone who loves dogs or is a little bit shy when it comes to social interactions. Lots of cute, swoony moments.

I knew practically as soon as I started this that it was going to be a hit for me.
It just had such an easy flow and such a charming sentimental vibe to it.
I instantly felt at home with both Jack and Simon each with there own separate challenges and I could see them muddling along together quite nicely add in how bloody adorable they were together and I was totally sold.
Jack has such an exasperated outward persona he’s grumpy and gruff with a bark definitely worse than his bite and a tendency to stick his foot in it.
He likes his own company and what you see is definitely what you get with Jack.
Simon is anxious to the point he almost wants to disappear from sight.
His words clog-up in his throat and his awkwardness and fear take over.
With animals, he feels able to emerge from behind his protective shell much preferring them to his fellow humans.
So when Jack breaks his leg and is unable to walk his menagerie of four-legged friends it’s Simon that steps in.
Initially brought together by the petshare app they both start to feel a connection.
So I adored the way Jack was with Simon the way he coaxed and comforted him.
He was so protective and loving and his patience with Simons severe anxiety was boundless.
And Simon was willing to try and step out of his bubble for Jack.
Jack who makes him feel things he never thought possible.
This was an incredibly romantic and heartfelt story.
I adored the simplicity of this and it had such a feel-good factor to the whole thing.
This was a really great M/M romance that felt authentic in its emotion and was as hot as it was romantic.
A thumbs up from me I enjoyed this one a lot.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Better Than People.

I thought this was good. I really liked all the cats and dogs, and the two love interests were really precious. Jack and Simon are cute and I would say this has some low simmering angst? Like, it’s always there but just enough where it doesn’t overpower the story?

Trigger warnings for mentions of a family member who has passed away before the start of the book.

Jack is a children’s book illustrator and one day when he breaks his leg while out for a walk, he needs to find someone who can take his pets out twice a day for walks, and that’s how he meets Simon.

Simon has social anxiety around people but feels most calm when he’s able to be around pets. He comes off as shy, and that’s not really it? Because his society anxiety is just part of who he is and he’s used to working around it, well mostly.

I adore the pets. And I also adore Simon’s grandmother Jean and Jack’s older brother Charlie. Are we going to get a book for Charlie?? Because I need it and I want him to be happy!! I’m thinking if we do get a book, it could be that new person he hired for his store as a love interest?

This has a cute Easter egg for readers who love Roan’s books! There’s a lot of mentions about Corbin from The Remaking of Corbin Wale so that was fun.

I almost expected there to be this whole thing about a person from Jack’s past to come back and spoil the mood, but this book is pretty confrontational free from people like the guy from Jack’s past or even from Simon’s own family.

The only real gripe I would have is that in the eARC, the story ends by 86% and I wasn’t ready for that to be the end! The rest of the book is an excerpt of a book from another author.

***Thanks to the publisher for sending me a paperback and approving me for an ARC for review***

This one didn’t quite have that Roan Parrish Feel™️ I’ve come to expect, but it was still enjoyable. I mean, poor Simon. I’ve never read such a severe anxiety depiction before. The Corbin Wale Easter egg though!

Okay, this was absolutely adorable. You have Jack, a children's book illustrator, with an absolute pack of animals at home, who has broken his leg and needs outside assistance. And then you have Simon, who has debilitating social anxiety but, when he can't get a dog of his own, decides to sign up for a petshare, and borrow other people's dogs for some fuzzy companion time. Starting off super awkward between Jack and Simon, their relationship was absolutely lovely, and I sped through the story. Definitely recommend.