Reviewed by Stephen
TITLE: Better Than People
SERIES: Garnet Run
AUTHOR: Roan Parrish
PUBLISHER: Carina Adores / Harper Audio
LENGTH: 7 Hours 19 Minutes
RELEASE DATE: August 25th, 2020
BLURB:
It’s not long before their pet-centric arrangement sparks a person-centric desire…
Simon Burke has always preferred animals to people. When the countdown to adopting his own dog is unexpectedly put on hold, Simon turns to the PetShare app to find the fluffy TLC he’s been missing. Meeting a grumpy children’s book illustrator who needs a dog walker isn’t easy for the man whose persistent anxiety has colored his whole life, but Jack Matheson’s menagerie is just what Simon needs.
Four dogs, three cats and counting. Jack’s pack of rescue pets is the only company he needs. But when a bad fall leaves him with a broken leg, Jack is forced to admit he needs help. That the help comes in the form of the most beautiful man he’s ever seen is a complicated, glorious surprise.
Being with Jack—talking, walking, making out—is a game changer for Simon. And Simon’s company certainly…eases the pain of recovery for Jack. But making a real relationship work once Jack’s cast comes off will mean compromise, understanding and lots of love.
REVIEW:
I started this audio-book a few month’s back but “Real Life” intervened and this temporarily got set aside.
The print version of this was reviewed in a dual-review by Valerie & Sadonna back when it was first released in print in August of 2020, so I thought I’d weigh in on the audio-book version as narrated by James Cavenaugh as a Flashback Friday Review.
As I’m coming to expect from Roan Parrish, this is NOT a typical light and frothy M/M romance. It’s a sweet and romantic tale, yes, But there’s some “nutritional value” for your empathy as well. It’s a tale of two somewhat broken people coming together.
Simon is a life-long struggler with crippling social anxiety – the kind that that goes way beyond nerdish shyness. He is naturally bright, and has learned to cope well enough to make a living doing graphic arts. Though admittedly he still flourishes best in a solo, work from home situation. He loves animals and finds them “Better than People.” One problem with that is that he lives with his recently widowed grandma who is highly allergic to animals.
Jack lost his parents at a young age and his raising was finished by his slightly older brother with whom he’s still close. Jack is an animal lover and has accumulated a menagerie of rescue dogs & cats. He’s also never been that much of a people person. He finds his refuge in his drawing. In college he and a friend began creating a series of children’s books with Jack doing the illustrations while his friend wrote the text. Following a particularly cruel betrayal by his co-creator/partner Jack has holding up “herming?” in his Wyoming cabin and has been unable to draw.
Jack’s troubles hit a new low when one of his dogs is spooked and Jack breaks his leg while rescuing the animal. Now unable to walk his dogs, Jack turns to an on-line app that matches pet owners needing support with pet lovers willing to help out. Jack meets Simon and both men begin their respective healing processes and a sweet romance.
One important point that the author makes (and that many people tend to overlook) some conditions (such as social anxiety) are not something that someone one can ever completely overcome. For me the best parts of this romance are the adjustments the two go through when Jack is once again ambulatory. Will a “recovered” Jack still have a place in his life for Simon?
This is told from the alternating points of view of the two men which works incredibly well in this situation.
This is a much lighter book than Invitation to the Blues which was my first encounter with the work of Roan Parrish. And yet if you really want to understand someone with an anxiety issue like Simon’s, this might be the best way to gain some understanding.
James Cavenaugh performs this book and does a great job with the narration. His voicing of Simon is representative without being exaggerated. It’s easy to follow just who’s POV we’re getting at any point. There are a few minor female characters. Their little bits of dialogue seem natural and not at all grating as so often happens when men read women’s dialogue.
Graphic sexual elements of this story are present. But they are well integrated into the story of the development of these guys’ relationship. The sex scenes feel organic and the narration never hits the thresh-hold where it felt like I was listening to “porn.”
I really enjoyed listening to this. I honestly feel that I’ve gained perspective and am probably a bit more empathetic as a result of encountering this. Now I’m curious about Best Laid Plans, book # 2 in this series and the story of Charlie Jack’s older brother.
RATING: 
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