Title: Better Than People Series: Garnet Run #1
Author: Roan Parrish
Published: August 25, 2020
Genre(s): Romance: Contemporary
Page Count: 239
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads: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, waking, 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.
Me, when this book was first published: “eh, you know…it looks okay, maybe I’ll read it someday…”
Me at 1 a.m., having just read the entirety of Better Than People in a single sitting: “omg nobody touch me nobody speak to me just let me live inside this book forever amen”
Better Than People caters to very specific reading appetites that I feel that M/M romances can only fill: Gruff & Grumpy Guy + Socially Anxious Sweetie. I don’t make the rules, but there’s something extremely wholesome and heart-melting about watching a snarky, misanthropic asshole literally bend over backwards in order to get the shy, nervous newbie to give him the time of day. Like the grumpy character, the reader feels the reward of watching the anxious character open up and feel comfortable enough to be himself. Romances like this are very soft and tender and adorable, and they just gut me in that very specific way. It kind of hurts, but only because you’re the very definition of the “Now Kiss!” troll meme. (I’m sure the dynamic exists in F/M, F/F, and nonbinary romance, but it seems so much more common in this category.)
Here, self-sufficient Jack breaks his leg and needs somebody to walk his fifty-bajillion dogs twice a day; Simon loves animals but isn’t in a position to get a pet of his own. It seems a perfect match, except Jack’s grouchiness over his injuries doesn’t mesh well with Simon’s anxiety. All the same, both find each other fascinating and unique, and so they draw closer together in spite of seeming incompatibilities in terms of both personality and lifestyle.
As with any romance, Better Than People’s centerpiece is the two puzzle pieces of its protagonists and how they fit together to make a single, cohesive picture. Roan Parrish’s writing is beautiful, and she knows her characters inside and out. She also knows how to use a steamy scene to further develop the plot and the chemistry between the leads, which should always be the ultimate goal. This is all a lethal combination, in that the reader fully understands both Jack and Simon, their flaws and insecurities, and intimately understands the difficulties they face as individuals and as a couple. Watching it all get sorted out is beautiful, but also a little suspenseful, because even though you know it’s all going to be okay, you’re still a bit worried that maybe a Big Fight might tear them apart in spite of their honestly good intentions. That’s the beauty of a well-written romance: even though the happily ever after is assured, you can still believe in the fragility of the relationship.
I also liked how Parrish handled the animals in the story. I have two dogs, one of whom I would probably, actually die for. (I would also die for the other one, I guess, but he’s a real asshole and I cannot condone such behavior by waxing poetic.) I understand the comfort of having an animal friend, particularly as someone who’s terrible with forging lasting human connection. But! Just because I love my dog doesn’t mean I love everybody’s dog, or that I want to read an entire book about people gushing about their furry friends. And a romance novel, by its very definition, is a book that about forging lasting human connection, so I’m often leery of romances where it seems like the characters’ animals might play a large role. I’m always afraid the author will forget that the focus needs to be on the people and their developing relationship.
In Better Than People, Parrish does not forget that her human characters are the stars. In some ways, Jack’s herd is the bridge that helps start the connection between him and Charlie, but it never steals the show. I thought it was impressive how the book gives each of Jack’s near-dozen pets a defined personality, but doesn’t overindulge in descriptions of them. And while both characters rely on the pets for support and companionship, they don’t obsess to the point where it alienates readers. Jack and Simon are the stars, and the author never loses sight of that.
To recap: this book is (a) adorable, (b) sexy af, (c) has gloriously three-dimensional characters, and (d) is beautifully written. Better Than People is the platonic ideal of a romance novel. Or, at least, my ideal.
To put it succinctly, I loved this book. Obviously.
