Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is the slow, sweet story of a young man who finally finds a place to belong. Rye has spent years moving between temporary homes, so he has nothing to lose when his grandfather leaves him a house in a small town. Charlie is Rye’s opposite. He has always had a home, but he’s given up hoping for someone to share his life with.

Fans of the author will remember Charlie as Jack’s brother in Better Than People. This book has much of the same feel to it as the first book. This is gentle realism. Charlie’s life is slow. He runs his family business in an isolated community. He feels much older than his years. Caring for his brother after their parents’ deaths has left him with an overwhelming sense of responsibility. Rye is a breath of Seattle hipster in Charlie’s life. The culture clash is instant, but so is the spark between them. Rye is desperate for a sense of belonging and Charlie needs someone to love.

The pet obsession continues in this book. Charlie and Rye don’t quite have Simon and Jack’s menagerie, but they are both devoted to their cats. Charlie and Rye are more sociable than Jack and Simon, but both are quiet men. This is a gentle romance that focuses on personal growth as Charlie and Rye restore Rye’s grandfather’s house together.

Roan Parrish always writes beautiful characters and relationships. This book is missing some of the exquisite prose I loved in the author’s first books, but it is still a compelling, satisfying read.


Angie – ☆☆☆
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, you can read this as a standalone though. Charlie and Rye are so sweet, there is a lot of miscommunication though. I kept waiting for this book to pick up the pace, but it was just slow and a tad bit boring. When the cats are the best part of the book for me, that's a little crazy. But Marmont was awesome – made me want a cat!

Roan Parrish is one of my favorite authors, so I was excited to read Best Laid Plans – the second in the Garnet Run series. They’re companion novels, so you can skip the first if you really wish to. I read and liked Better Than People, but I loved Best Laid Plans even more. It follows Charlie Matheson and Rye Janssen. If you’ve read Better Than People, then you know Charlie as the brother of Jack. Most of Charlie’s adult life has been spent working hard and taking care of his brother since their parents passed. He never really allowed himself to explore his sexuality or fall in love. Not until Rye blows into town, having been left a dilapidated house from a grandfather he never knew.

I really loved the relationship between Rye and Charlie. Rye is used to hopping from couch to couch, never really settling down or feeling at home. He’s a bit prickly at first, but it doesn’t take him too long to realize that Charlie might be a bit bossy, but he means well and he genuinely wants to help. It was lovely seeing Charlie finally find someone for himself, after always talking care of others. I also really loved that they both have cats that became best friends! This is a good one for animal lovers – as is Better Than People! I’d read more about Rye and Charlie if it was an option.

Charlie Matheson runs a hardware store in Garnet Run, Wyoming where he’s lived all of his life. He took it over when his parents died, right before he turned eighteen and became responsible for raising his younger brother. He put his dreams aside while he focused on Jack’s well being and education. Now that Jack is in a committed relationship and has a successful career, Charlie doesn’t see much beyond the one he has, which he shares with Jane, his Main coon cat. Then Rye Janssen walks into his store, all attitude, messy long hair and sexy gray eyes. Rye’s inherited a house from a grandfather he’s never met and is hoping his move from Seattle is the last chance he needs to start over. But the house is barely inhabitable and he’s clueless about home repair. When Charlie tries to help, his first reaction is to resist but eventually he gives in because YouTube videos just aren’t cutting it.

Charlie and Rye couldn’t be more different but they are similarly broken. Rye’s family rejected him and he’s broke and alone. Charlie has spent his life being the parent his brother needed and now doesn’t have the skills to pursue or manage a meaningful relationship for himself and it’s too late to do anything different. But somehow, these two found each other and muddle through not only developing a friendship but one that reaches deeper levels. Both see each others’ truths and learn to appreciate those qualities others rarely see. Charlie is the more even tempered and passive of the two while Rye’s straightforward nature just seems to work.

This was a beautiful love story between two people who wanted to be loved but never imagined it could ever happen. I liked how their differences actually worked to deepen and strengthened their relationship. They found family in each other and their cats, creating a partnership that transformed both of them. By the way, those cats were scene stealers! I listened to the story and loved how the narrator portrayed both characters. He seemed to get them and that came through resoundingly as I had vivid images of both. I very much enjoyed Charlie and Rye’s journey to happiness. It wasn’t perfect and that made it even better.

When I want to recommend a book with great mental health representation I immediately go to Roan Parrish because she has yet to fail me in this area. Her books almost always have characters who have depression, anxiety, or panic attacks – or a combination of all three. And Best Laid Plans is no different – Charlie has a lot of anxiety, particularly around other people’s health. And every time he expressed that anxiety I felt it so hard because Parrish writes it so well.

Charlie intrigued me when he showed up in the first Garnet Run book as the older brother who had to step up to be the caretaker when his parents died. I was so glad to get his story and get to know more about him. He had to grow up incredibly quickly and understandably that’s impacted him his entire life. When Rye comes to town and wants to renovate a house he inherits Charlie steps in and goes a bit overboard with those intense caretaking tendencies he has.

There’s so much I love about this book that just outshines what I didn’t like. Charlie is a virgin hero, which normally I’m like…virginity is a social construct so who even cares and we put too much emphasis on this. But in this instance, it made so much sense for this character who put himself and his needs to the side so completely to have no idea what he even likes. There’s a really sweet exploration of his sexuality that Charlie gets to do in this book because he feels safe with Rye. He may be an adult, but he never got to find out who he really was and the author wasn’t heavy-handed with this at all.

Rye is pansexual and I felt like Parrish did a wonderful job of having Rye help Charlie through everything. There is this wonderful scene where Rye basically sits Charlie down and has him list out romantic and sexual acts and what he is and is not okay with. It was not awkward at all – okay Charlie felt awkward in the moment! – but it fit the book so well.

Both Rye and Charlie have emotional damage and feel an intense loneliness about their lives. Rye has a not so great family in his past and I really liked his storyline and how it incorporated teens in the area who also have a bad home life. I love how that storyline was wrapped up and that the theme of animals from book one was incorporated in this one too! And in the audiobook, the narrator totally did animal sounds and it was perfection lol. My one quibble with this book was that Charlie co-signed for a loan *incredibly* early and I was like WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!? I’m still thinking about it tbh.

But I love this book and this author. Now I need to go re-read her whole backlist again.

CW: past parental death, intrusive thoughts, parental neglect

For Charlie Matheson, life has been essentially one long sacrifice. When he was 18, his parents were killed and he was left with the raising of his brother, Jack, and the running of the family hardware business. Even now, Charlie tends to spend his time caring for others rather than focusing on his own needs. He’s content and it’s enough that Jack has found a happily ever after with his boyfriend, Simon. And when Charlie meets Rye Janssen, his natural inclination to help rears its head.

For Rye Janssen, Garnet Run, Wyoming is the end of the line. He used his last bit of money to leave Seattle for a house left to him by a grandfather he never knew. But the house is on the verge of collapsing and Rye doesn’t have a clue what to do. When he meets Charlie at the local hardware store, he finds the man has plenty of ideas about how they might save the crumbling old house. At first, Rye sees Charlie as bossy and bulldozing his way into Rye’s life, but behind the bluff and bluster, Rye realizes Charlie desperately needs someone to take care of him. Convincing Charlie it’s okay to let his guard down may be even more work than rebuilding a house.

Best Laid Plans is the direct follow up to Better Than People in the Garnet Run series. I suppose these books could be read as standalones, but they work better when read together. When I initially reviewed Better Than People, Charlie struck me as such a sweet character and I was hoping the author would give Charlie his own story, so I was thrilled when this book came along.

Charlie has spent his entire adult life either caring for his brother or trying to keep the family business solvent. He hasn’t pursued any kind of relationship or even allowed himself to think such a thing is possible. Initially, it seemed as though Rye was going to be another person Charlie was destined to take care of. But Rye realizes that Charlie is desperate for affection, for something other than the rigid world he has created for himself. Their romance was sweet and warm and tentative, just as you’d expect when one of the characters is a virgin and so blind to his own needs he has no idea how to express himself. Rye’s character isn’t quite as dimensional as Charlie, but he still feels believable. Rye and Charlie just work and, while their moment of conflict read as far-fetched, I still appreciated their journey.

also appreciated that Jack was called out a bit for failing to see all that Charlie had done for him. He came off as being somewhat insensitive towards Charlie’s help in Better Than People. Here at least Rye calls him out and while Jack has been appreciative for all of Charlie’s sacrifices, it’s clear he didn’t know or care to know the true depth of them. The pacing issues that tripped up Better Than People are not present here for the most part and while there were a few laggy moments, I felt the book flowed well overall.

Best Laid Plans was an excellent follow up to Better Than People and in many ways surpassed it. Charlie and Rye are a great couple and they work together wonderfully. I enjoyed getting more of Charlie’s story and if you enjoyed Better Than People, then you’ll love the follow up.

I really loved Charlie and Rye even though they are very different from each other they just worked together. Both are a bit broken but in different ways. Rye was rejected by his family and left home when he was young. Charlie's parent's died and he spent his life being a parent for his brother, responsible and had given up his dreams to take care of others. Rye is prickly and Charlie has a savior complex but they manage to become friends and the beginning of a beautiful relationship is formed. There are also a couple of adorable cats in the book (and I'm not a cat person). Both Charlie and Rye have faults but the other not only sees them for who they are but appreciates qualities that other people either don't see or don't really understand. Both Charlie and Rye want to be loved they just don't believe it will happen and in Charlie's case, he has no idea how to go about it. I loved when Rye stood up for Charlie and opened his brother's eyes on a few things. The epilogue was a bit drawn out for me but over all I really enjoyed this one and of course I loved seeing the MC's from book one.

4.5 Stars

Charlie Matheson has never had a life of his own. He may be deep into his 30s but he went from 18 year old on the verge of leaving his hometown for college football glory to raising his sullen little brother, Jack, in an instant when their parents were killed in a wreck. Charlie gave up his dreams that day, though he's not sad about it. Now that Jack is grown, college-educated and living his best life with a loving, if shy, partner, Charlie wonders if he's just going to die alone, in the rut his life has become. See, Charlie is a fixer. He knows how to pick up the pieces of a shattered home or life and keep on enduring until things work out. That's why his legacy hardware store is the best one in several counties. And that's how he notices the new man in town, and all the messes he's making buying repair materials for a job he's not nearly qualified to attempt.

Rye Janssen never knew his grandfather--barely knows his own parents truth be told--and has been on his own since his late teens. Life in Seattle is expensive and he's about to lose his current sub-let shelter when he gets an unexpected call: his grandfather in rural Garnet Run, Wyoming, has left him a house. It seems too good to be true, and it is. The house is a shambles, not fit for habitation, but like the stray cat Rye adopts, it's all he currently has. And, once he establishes that the overly helpful hardware store guy, Charlie, isn't out to humiliate him he's not too proud to accept the freely given and incredibly necessary help--and living quarters AND job--that Charlie is able to provide.

It's amazing what some well-meant advice can do for both men, and as they share Charlie's neat and homey abode, it's clear that Rye has experience he's more than willing to share--once they are able to confront Charlie's huge shame, that he's a virgin, unsure of his own desires, or attractiveness. Oh wow! I was so blown away with the tender and loving situation that develops between these two. Charlie's struggle to articulate his desire is endearing to Rye. For the first time his life someone finds him worthwhile, and it's heady, being the focus of Charlie's earnest attention. Their romance has some hitches as both men struggle to discover what it means to be a boyfriend, or to be intimate. Their cats are more at ease then they are with one another, which is fun to see. I also loved the deeper connections that Charlie makes with his brother Jack, who has by default treated him like a parent, more than a brother. Both grown, they are able to make healthier choices in their relationship, once Rye shines a light on some of their unacknowledged dysfunction.

I honestly loved his book from beginning to end, connecting with both Rye and Charlie and experiencing their struggles like I was along for the ride. Each time Charlie coaxed Rye into making a good choice, or Rye's care took a burden from Charlie's shoulders was a moment to cherish. Rye is so fun in his young curmudgeon-y attitude that life is always going to be terrible, especially as he sees it's no match for Charlie's can-do, make-do, patient spirit and gumption. There are moments of sexytimes, but they are fraught with the tension that Charlie exists in, not wanting to ever mess things up, because he's used to dire stakes and its hard for him to let that anxiety go. Rye does great work getting Charlie out of his head, and helping him see that mistakes are okay, too, because we learn from them and grow. The house that he and Rye rebuild is a perfect metaphor for their own relationship, that it's harder than they ever dreamed, and probably going to cost them everything, but in the end it's a beacon of hope and light and love that even the townsfolk can all support. I'd move to Garnet Run just to see these guys find the happiness they so deserve.

[Thanks Netgalley for the ebook. This review is my honest opinion but just another opinion, you should read this book and judge it by yourself]

//REVIEW IN ENGLISH SHORTLY//

3'5 estrellitas
Como le haré reseña en el blog, no me voy a extender. Tenía muchas ganas de leer el libro de Charlie y, si bien a él lo he adorado, todo me ha parecido un poco flojo. Está bien escrito porque Roan Parrish escribe estupendamente, pero a veces ni lo mejor escrito funciona si lo que está pasando no te atrapa. La historia entre Charlie y Rye es dulce y bonita pero le falta tensión y emoción. De todos modos, es una lectura dulce y cuqui que se lee bien.

I enjoyed the previous book in this series, and was pleased when I learned that big-hearted, slightly awkward Charlie Matheson would be getting a story. Better Than People was warm and lovely, with a well-developed romance and well-rounded characters, and I’d hoped for more of the same here – but while there are glimpses of that warmth and loveliness, there’s not enough to hide the fact that the characterisation is sketchy and the plot is practically non-existent. There are lots of sweet moments between the two leads and I liked certain aspects of their relationship, but the whole thing is patchy and not on a par with the other books I’ve read/listened to by this author.

Best Laid Plans opens as Rye Janssen, unemployed and recently homeless, is driving from Seattle to Wyoming. He’d been couch-surfing with friends since he was evicted from his apartment, and when he got a phone call, completely out of the blue, from a lawyer telling him he’d inherited a house from a grandfather he’d never met, Rye thought must be a prank. But he soon realises it isn’t, and although it means leaving the only place he’s ever really called home, he packs up his few belongings (the most precious of which is his cat, Marmot) gets in his hunk-o-junk car, and off he goes. When he finally arrives, tired after a long drive, the misgivings he’d been harbouring about leaving Seattle come back in full force; the house is in such a terrible state of disrepair, it’s a wonder it’s still standing.

But turning around and going back to Seattle just isn’t an option, so Rye decides to fix up the house – somehow – and the following day (and after looking up some ‘how-to’ videos on You Tube) drives to the hardware store in Garnet Run to buy what he needs.

Charlie Matheson (brother of Jack from Better Than People) is one of life’s natural caretakers and truly does love to help people. When Rye first turns up in the store, Charlie is immediately struck by just how gorgeous he is; although as he soon discovers, the man’s prickly, standoffish manner doesn’t match his swoonworthy looks. He’s itching to help because that’s kind of what Charlie does, but he’s also really concerned for Rye’s safety. After a few days of watching Rye come and go with a new mountain of purchases each time, Charlie finally manages to get him to agree to let him take a look around the place. It’s an uphill struggle; Rye doesn’t trust easily and has become so used to doing everything for himself that he finds it hard to let go and accept help. But eventually he comes to see that Charlie really does want to help for no other reason than that he… wants to help, and from there, their friendship starts to take off.

The book gets off to a good start, but things start to derail not long afterwards. Before long, I was scratching my head asking myself how an adult with any pretension to common sense could think it would be possible to fix up a house in the state described a) on his own and b) at minimal cost. We’re told Rye is broke, so how does he buy all the stuff from Charlie’s store? But basically, after Rye has got over his scowly-leave-me-alone phase as far as Charlie and accepting help are concerned, it’s pretty much plain sailing. Rye gets a bank loan with spectacular ease. The renovations go well. Rye (who has temporarily moved into Charlie’s place) and Charlie become a couple with ease, too, falling into a relationship without there being any real consideration given to the massive power imbalance of Charlie supporting Rye financially.

Charlie is a big teddy-bear with anxiety issues who genuinely likes helping people, but his life has been far from easy. Probably the best thing about the book is the way the author explores the effect being burdened with huge responsibilities at a young age can have on a person. My heart really hurt for Charlie when the full extent of what his life had been and what he’d given up and missed out on became apparent; that he’d had to become an adult and a parent when he was still grieving and was little more than a child himself, and how he wasn’t able to experience young adulthood – college, dating, finding out about yourself – in the way that most of his contemporaries did. I liked Charlie’s relationship with Jack and how it changed – even though it took Rye saying some rather harsh home-truths to get there.

As I said at the beginning, the romance is underdeveloped. I couldn’t quite see what Rye and Charlie saw in each other beyond their obvious physical attraction to one another, and they didn’t seem particularly sexually compatible either. Apart from some teenaged fumbling years ago, Charlie has never had sex or been in a relationship and has no idea how to go about it; so it’s up to Rye to take the lead there, which he does, while paying careful attention to Charlie’s wants and needs, which is all well and good. But the sex scenes, while steamy enough, sort of appear out of nowhere, and I was surprised at the direction they took considering Charlie’s inexperience. (YMMV of course). And the other big problem overall is that there is practically zero conflict in the book. Rye and Charlie have a small fight in the latter part of the novel that is sorted out a few pages later – which might be how it sometimes goes in life, but it makes for a rather dull romance novel.

And then there’s what Rye decides to do with his house, as he’s going to live with Charlie for good. This veers into spoiler territory, so if you don’t want to know, then look away now.

He decides to turn it into a cat shelter. Now, I LUURVE cats – I am absolutely a cat person – but even the presence of a gorgeous Maine Coon (*sigh*) and cute, shoulder-perching moggy didn’t mean that I wanted to read several chapters (the last quarter of the book, give or take) about building and opening a cat shelter.

I had started to feel, earlier on, that there wasn’t enough substance to the story in this one to fill a full-length book, and that just confirmed it.

I really wanted to like this book a lot more than I did, and the parts I did like just couldn’t make up for the lacklustre plot and thin characterisation. Sadly, Best Laid Plans is a miss, which saddens me, because I’m a fan of Roan Parrish’s work. I’ll just have to hope for better next time.

C / 3 stars

After reading the first in the series, I was eager to read Charlie's story and am very happy with how it turned out. After losing his parents just shy of 18, it's no surprise that Charlie experiences a kind of PTSD from what happened, having catastrophic thoughts about what could happen to other people, something he's been able to cope with due to therapy though it still catches him unawares from time to time. Spending all his energy on making sure his younger brother could have a normal childhood, it's rare even now when they are much older that he does anything just for himself. He is a caretaker, always there to help other people and it just so happens that Rye Jannsen is in need of that help.

Rye has inherited a dilapidated house from a grandfather he never knew in a place he's never heard of but after bouncing from house to house he's hoping it could be a place for him to start over. Unfortunately, it's going to need a lot of work to be livable. Luckily, Charlie owns the local hardware store and is willing to give Rye all the helping hands he needs. They go from strangers to friends to roommates (when Charlie offers Rye a place to live while his house is being renovated) and eventually to lovers. Charlie's last experience was as a a teenager before everything changed for him whereas Rye is much more experienced but what happens between them is sweet, tender and loving. I'm so glad that Charlie found the right person for him and that Rye found a home and worthwhile partner. It's a story with a lot of emotion and heart and well worth the read.

Another fantastic emotional journey by Roan Parrish. Every book I read by this author, I continue to be impressed by the level of emotion that is leveled into the stories, without creating unnecessary angst. (I'm not an angsty reader...that's Erin...I like happy and sweet and an HEA that makes me feel squishy inside.)We met Charlie in Better Than People, as the mysterious brother who raised Jack after their parents were killed. We didn't learn a lot about Charlie in that book, other than he clearly loved his brother, and he was kind of stand-offish. In this book, we learn how he really dealt with their parents' death, how it changed his life forever in many ways. The scene where this is addressed...just powerful.Rye, in his own way stand-offish, but because of past hurts and challenges. But he was such a brave soul to pick up and move (and not leave his cat behind!!!!), and even when he saw the dilapidated home he was left didn't give up, just kept trying and moving forward. Watching him learn to accept help was touching. It wasn't easy for him, but he knew he could only do so much on his own.These two men really complimented each other, and were able to work together to make a challenging situation become a great situation. :) I love that Rye, despite his normal cynicism, saw the good in the kids at his house, and let them stay, even though he knew Charlie would not like it. He trusted the kids, and it said so much about the person he was. And in the end, he was right...he just had to convince Charlie of that. Side note...the cats...yes, this crazy cat lady loved every minute with those two. So well written, and it just felt warm and sunny and I felt happy when I finished. As an aside, the cover is perfect for the book!4.5 pieces of eye candy

What an amazing book! It’s a perfect example of the hurt/comfort trope, with two men who have painful pasts coming together to find support and healing.

Rye has been drifting, searching but never finding a place and people he can claim as his own. When he inherits a house from a grandfather he never met, he hopes that will change, only to be disappointed when he finds its near to ruin. That’s where Charlie comes in; he’s a natural caretaker who loves to be needed. He’s got a hardware store and construction skills, and Rye has a tumbledown house that needs rebuilding. It’s a match made in heaven! Of course, the two of them don’t just build a house; together they create a home.

Rye needs a nurturing soul like Charlie. Rye finds it hard to accept help, but Charlie just keeps giving—employing Rye at the hardware store, letting him live in Charlie’s house, cosigning a loan. Charlie ties Rye into the community of Garnet Falls as well, allowing him to start forming the kind of connections that he’s craved all his life. Finally, Charlie gives the great gift of his trust and opens himself up to having an emotional and physical relationship with Rye.

As much as Rye needs Charlie, Charlie needs Rye even more, I think. Charlie has been so focused on taking care of others that he’s lost himself in the role. His wants, his feelings have been denied to the point that Charlie almost can’t say what they are. Rye helps pull Charlie out of caretaker mode, encouraging him to put himself first for a change.

The way the romance develops is lovely. Tough Rye is softened by Charlie’s sweetness, and Rye defends Charlie’s tender spots. Both men need someone they can call theirs, and they find that in each other.

All that, plus cats! OK, one’s a terror, but they are all adorable.

I really loved this book. Highly recommended!

I love this book so much I literally can not stop talking about it to my friends. The relationship between Charlie and Rye is so beautiful and caring, it's just a glorious thing to read. Plus, the open, honest, and frank discussions around sex are truly refreshing and should become more mainstream in life and in books!

I covered this book for Book+Main and gave it a Loves Recommendation Review. See link below:

Incredibly beautiful and tender, with absolutely gorgeous characters who complimented each other so well. Watching them work on themselves and their issues as they moved through the book was very moving, and I felt genuinely connected to them all - including the side characters. I am utterly head over heels for this book (now that I've stopped weeping at the beautiful ending!).

As soon as I found out there was going to be another book in the series that brought me Better Than People, I jumped on board with a request to the publisher.

Taking place not long after BTP, Best Laid Plans features Charlie, the older brother of Jack from the first novel who has spent his life sacrificing for Jack since their parents died, and Rye, a down on his luck loner who has come to Wyoming after inheriting a dilapidated house because he has nowhere else to go.

I'm sad I didn't spend more time looking at the cover, because it makes so much more sense now that I see it on my screen. I originally thought it was really boring, because the last one had so much feeling, but the title being on graph paper = genius, right; like architectural plans. Wow (clearly I need more coffee this morning).

Overall, this novel was fine. It wasn't what I've come to expect from Parrish and it's definitely better than a lot of other romance novels I've read. I can't quite put my finger on what the one thing was that made me go meh. Some of it was the missing emotional wallop her novels usually pack. I mean, it was there but only sort of and was really glossed over in the vague references to Rye's family being homophobic and Charlie's almost complete lack of experience in the bedroom because he dedicated so much time to making sure Jack was okay and the business and house weren't taken away. But even the conflict of the novel just fizzles and then dies away very quickly. Unfortunately, the only word I can come up with is underwhelming.

There were a couple of great moments including this one:

"Having inadvertently tested their structural integrity with his whole body, Rye ascended the rest of the stairs quickly. The room at the top had probably been a bedroom—Rye's flashlight revealed a bathroom to the left—but instead of a bed frame or a dresser it contained only six chairs set in a circle.
'I do not have the capacity for this house to contain a satanic summoning circle,' Rye said." (Chapter 5)

Which totally made me think of this scene in Bob's Burgers (start at roughly 13 mins): https://youtu.be/VnH8errwkDo?t=779

And anything that can make me think of Bob's Burgers gets a bonus point in my opinion. Or if you don't want to watch it, it's the scene with the doll and the sticks and Gene whispers "that is not a good use of that room." Gets me every time.

And there was this great throw away which is so true. I mean you find your people, everyone does whether it's the queer web or the weirdos or craftivists, you just do ultimately.

"Apparently he's fallen into the queer web without even trying. (Chapter 9)"

Honestly, I'm not sure if I'll keep an eye out for a future book in this series and I hope this isn't a sign of Parrish's style changing. I really counted on her for the more emotionally struggling characters and beautifully written passages. Don't get me wrong the book's great, especially when you take in the fact that there was no anal sex throughout which has to be some sort of record/rare occurrence in a novel that doesn't feature an ace character. It just wasn't what I've come to expect from her stories.

<strong>Recommendation:</strong> I spoke too soon with my last response to a Roan Parrish novel. This one wasn't quite up to snuff for me when compared to her other works. I mean it was still really good and better than a lot of others, but it didn't have the emotional wallop or the beautiful descriptors of scenery I've come to expect from her stories.

Charlie has spent most of his adult life looking out for others -- his brother Jack, his hardware store -- anyone who needs help. He's a natural born caretaker, except he's also learned to neglect himself in the process. After years of taking care of others, he doesn't even understand his own sexuality but he's willing to try.

When Rye, the gruff new visitor/drifter to town happens to come to his hardware store, Charlie is intrigued, maybe more. In Charlie's eyes, he sees someone who needs help, and he's the guy to do it. But it's not that simple with Rye. He's got some issues that he needs to work through too.

This is a low angst, standalone M/M slow burn romance that examines how these two broken characters are going to accept and embrace what they have in front of them, with Charlie's sexual awakening and Rye's patient approach being something that I really liked in this story. Roan Parrish does a good job of showing their feelings as their relationship progresses, which is what I've come to expect in her stories. While there are some details regarding money that had me wondering, I did like this story of friendship, love and hope. It was great to see Jack from the first book in the series.

There was no denying that Charlie stole my heart in the first book, Better Than People, even when that wasn’t his tale. I knew, from what little we saw of him, that he had a heart of gold. Well, that has proven to be an understatement. Charlie Matheson is too good for words to describe. Not that he doesn’t have his faults, we all do. But when someone is a truly good person, there faults just seem to add to that somehow.

That’s not to say that Rye is not good. Rye definitely has a beautiful soul, he just has had quite a bit of crappy luck throughout his life. While Charlie had just as much of a rough go of things, in a different way, he had a sort of support system with the small town and the solid base his parents had raised him with. Rye was never shown love, yet he always found love to give others. Especially those in need of love; stray animals, neglected kids, and good guys that never let anyone see when they were in pain.

I’m not sure what drew these two together. It probably had a lot to do with Charlie’s need to help people. No matter how much Rye wanted to be left alone, he couldn’t help but be drawn to Charlie and his positive attitude. At first it seemed like Charlie had a lot more to give into this friendship than Rye did. In the end, they both contributed so much to one another. Charlie broke my heart with the things he’s been keeping inside since the death of his parents. And Rye was there to help him discover himself.

Rye and Charlie aren’t just extremely sexy together, they are also heartbreakingly tender and sweet. They deserve their HEA with each other. But Charlie also was able to get some closure I don’t think he even realized he needed with his brother, Jack.

After reading Better Than People, my first introduction to Roan Parrish, I said I wanted to read more. I actually bought The Remaking of Corbin Wale. Now I just have to find time in my schedule to read the book.

When Rye inherits a house from a grandfather he never met, it seems like a dream come true, so he picks up his cat, packs up his meager belongings in his car, and drives from Seattle to Wyoming. But expectation and reality are two very different things: Rye’s house turns out to be a dilapidated shack that’s literally falling apart, but it’s all he has. He has no idea how to turn his house into something livable, but he’s determined to try.

Readers who are familiar with the Garnet Run series already know that Charlie (Jack’s brother) solves problems and helps people, so it’s no surprise that he wants to help when a clueless Rye comes into his hardware store. But Rye isn’t used to people *wanting* to help him, and it’s hard for him to trust people because he’s been hurt so many times in the past.

Okay, if I say anything more about the plot, I’m going to end up telling you everything that happens. Needless to say, I loved every second of this book. The character arcs couldn’t be more perfect: Rye learns to trust people and find purpose with his life, and Charlie learns that he deserves to find happiness after half a lifetime of putting everyone else first.

One of the best things about Better Than People, the first book in the series, was how patient Jack was with Simon. I am pleased to report that this dynamic returns in Best Laid Plans. Exploring his sexuality was never a priority for Charlie, and Rye is so gentle and understanding with him, taking time to figure out limits and expectations.

While there aren’t nearly as many animals in this book as the first, Rye and Charlie each have a cat, and the felines stole the scene at every possible opportunity.

I would absolutely recommend Best Laid Plans. You don’t have to read Better Than People first, but that said, Jack and Simon play a secondary role, and readers will have a better appreciation for the interactions if they are familiar with the backstory. This is a sweet and tender romance with very little in the way of conflict or angst, but a whole lot of heart. Parrish is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers, and I’m looking forward to reading more books in the future!



I received an ARC of this book from Carina Press/NetGalley.

Based on the blurb, you’d probably expect quite a bit of angst here but Parrish has a surprising light hand with it. There are a few growing pains as Charlie and Rye get to know each other and fall in love, but it handled with minimal drama and a fair amount of sweetness & compassion.

For having a life big on struggle and light on close connections, Rye has an amazing understanding of people. He may be blunt and a little prickly but he’s got a big heart and a surprising perception of the complexity of relationships. Living with a lot of different people, with a lot of different quirks, has given him amazing insight into what makes people tick.

Charlie has spent so many years making sure that the rest of the world is happy and getting exactly what they want that he’s forgotten about himself. With a little help from Rye, he starts to explore who HE is and what he wants. And what he wants most is more time with Rye.

Best Laid Plans is a delightful and emotional read about two people finding each other, learning about themselves, feeling seen (and supported) for the first time, and inevitably falling in love.

I know Roan Parrish can craft words skillfully to create an amazing story. Yet each time I choose one of her titles, I’m surprised at the depth of my enjoyment, at the emotional engagement I feel with the characters, and at the powerful pull of a tale that becomes so much more than a mere book.

On the surface, Charlie Matheson is a successful business owner and a skilled carpenter. Charlie takes care of things, providing a home for himself and his brother when they were orphaned as teens, improving business at the hardware store inherited from his parents, expanding and redesigning his own home now that he’s an adult, and helping with anything and everything any of his friends or townsfolk need done. But inside, he’s stuffed his feelings so deep, he’s become a man who lives for others and his own to-do list and doesn’t allow himself time to explore his own needs.

It’s in his nature to help when a young man comes to the hardware store several times in one week to purchase lumber and tools. The man is tall, slender, tattooed, dressed in a way that leads Charlie to think he’s on his last dime, and he’s very, very unfriendly, insisting he needs no help from anyone.

The man is Rye Janssen, and he’s just inherited a house from a grandfather he never knew. The timing is great, however, as Rye is unemployed and has run out of couches to surf on with his Seattle friends and is desperate to start over. But what he’s inherited turns out to be a house in an isolated area that should have been condemned. With no choices left, he’s going to try to at least shore the place up so he has somewhere to stay while he looks for work. After failing miserably in figuring out how to do that, he finally gives in to Charlie and his well-meaning attempts to help, though even Charlie sees how impossible the task may be.

Throughout the story, each man changes, relaxes his guard, and ultimately reveals his true self to the other, and it’s quite evident to readers that each is a puzzle piece that together make a whole. Rye not only gives Charlie what he needs, but he brings out the person buried beneath the cloak of responsibility, and Charlie blossoms. And Rye? Rye allows himself to become grounded, to experience love, and to sense the depth of Charlie’s heart. “It said: I am letting you affect me. I am letting you into the parts of me that I have never shared with anyone—not even myself.”

Their struggle as a couple is never easy, but it’s motivated by caring and sharing, and the strength they show in their commitment and concern for each other is outstanding. Together they do great things. “Charlie used to think that the opposite of alone was together. Now he knew that the opposite of alone was being yourself with another person while they were also being themselves. It was more than together. It was in partnership.”

Though there are appearances by the principal characters from Better Than People, this book can stand alone. One of the previous characters is Charlie’s brother, Jack, and the author seamlessly weaves him in here so that those who haven’t read book one will not be lost or confused.

And not to be overlooked: both Rye and Charlie are cat lovers and both cats featured in this story get along well, but there’s so much more for cat lovers to enjoy here. As the story unfolds, an idea to support abandoned cats forms, and by the end, cat lovers should be pleased with Rye’s creation.

There is so much to this story, and the relationship is such a beautiful, complementary, slow-burn romance that I’m surprised it fits within only 78,000 words. I don’t want to say goodbye to Charlie and Rye. I’m so completely engaged with these men that I may just have to go to Garnet Run, Wyoming to seek them out. It goes without saying: I very highly recommend this book.