Another wonderful romance novel from Roan Parrish. Not only does she deliver a story that I loved but her writing takes the whole thing to the next level. It reminded me of Corbin Wale (love the reference to this btw!) in that I fell in love with the story and the writing.

Jack and Simon are two misanthropic men for different reasons, I loved the way they came together, slowly getting to know each other and then developing their relationship beyond something sexual. I felt Simon’s frustration over his anxiety and Jack’s over his perceived helplessness. I appreciated that Jack finally came to terms with the fact that he wasn’t going to be able to “fix” Simon and just needed to support him however he could.

I too prefer animals to people and I loved the role that the pack played in their relationship. Jack’s terrible names were just perfect. I loved the role each of their family members played and how those relationships developed as well.

Overall this book was a delight and I’m already ready for a reread.

I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for my copy. I liked the book’s premise of two lonely men who needed love. It was a sweet story of trust, friendship and love. Simon loved animals more than people. Jack loved and trusted his animals more than people. Jack broke his leg, and he needed help walking his dogs. After meeting through an petshare app, they soon leaned on each other. I loved how they were stronger together. I absolutely loved all the dogs and cats in the story and their quirky names. This was definitely an enjoyable read.

3.75* Very sweet, and if you're a pet lover, you'll adore this. Just a little too low angst for me.

This is a lovely, organic tale of a couple of guys who come into each other's life when one has an accident and can't cope with his brood of pets, and the other, a pet lover who's not in a position to have any, comes to his rescue via an app. It's perhaps the most unique way of meeting each other, and Brit-me loved the pets and both guys' interactions with them. Tbh, because of how central to the tale, and how numerous they were, the pets stole the tale for me, and that's no complaint, believe me.

Both guys have stuff in their past that makes them wary, but not damaged and I liked that they were able to quickly trust each other and open up to each other. Simon was the more unique character because of a certain condition (I hope I'm not making a faux pas in using 'condition') and how he dealt with things and the difficulties he experienced; I warmed to him more than to Jack, who kind of seemed to love his devoted brother, but also have some resentment of him due to their past, which to me made him come across as a bit ungrateful. This tale comes under the newish Carina Adores line and it's my bad for not realising it's a sweeter tale with very little angst.

The tale ends in a lovely place, and is vaguely connected to a previous book by this author, The Remaking of Corbin Wale, but it's not necessary to read that in order to enjoy this one. And, it's worth noting that it's a really short tale that ends at 86% of the download, with the rest being made up of a sample of another Carina Press tale.

ARC courtesy of Harlequin Carina Press and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

I was super excited to get an ARC of this, seeing as Roan Parrish is pretty much my favorite when it comes to romance. Sadly, though, I have to say this wasn't my favorite.

Pluses: once I got into the story it did flow well and I devoured it in about a day or so. It also has Parrish's usual flair for portraying neurodiverse characters with a ton of compassion; I always like how each character meets the other where they're at, doesn't push their boundaries or try to make them into something they're not. I also enjoyed the references back to her earlier books.

Minuses: I found the overall story to be so low angst as to verge on saccharine, and the set-up was strangely awkward and underdeveloped. Also, maybe I'm not enough of a dog lover to appreciate this? I had a really hard time keeping straight the personalities of so many cats and dogs. Overall sweet but not as much for me.

I liked how each man gradually built trust and understanding between themselves after their bad past experiences. I identified with both men and their story resonated with me, because I have preferred animals over people for many years because they offer trust, loyalty, and love without question and there's never an issue of betrayal. Plus they have never asked for favors or money. Lol!!! This book was everything, and I came to adore both main characters fot their unique selves and gradual acceptance of each other at face value! So many warm and fuzzies by the time the story can to it's conclusion. I look forward to more from this author I found on Netgalley two years ago. Thank you. This book was provided by Carina Press through Netgalley for free. I voluntarily read an advanced copy and am giving an honest review. I highly recommend it.

This book was exactly what I needed! I started reading Roan Parrish’s books last year after a friend recommended Riven and I’ve fallen so deep for her writing, characters, and stories, and Better Than People is a wonderful addition to her delightful body of work.

A quick summary: After experiencing betrayal from his closest friend, Jack has cut ties with most of the world, living in seclusion with his pack of dogs and cats in a cabin in Garnet Run, Wyoming. He’s done with trusting other people but when an accident leaves him with a broken leg and limited mobility, Jack reluctantly reaches out for help. An app that matches pet owners with pet lovers brings Simon into his life. Simon finds talking to most people nearly impossible and his anxiety makes it difficult for him to meet new people or form relationships. When he meets Jack, Simon worries that Jack will reject him the way most people have, but instead the opposite happens. As days go by, Jack reaches out, looking for ways to engage with Simon without making him uncomfortable. What starts out as a bond of necessity and a love of animals turns into something more as Simon and Jack begin to open up and share their struggles.

Better Than People is a tender love story about two men who, due to very different circumstances, do not trust or love easily. Their story is told with patience and compassion as they learn more about each other and themselves. If you’ve ever read a book and raged about the characters not speaking to each other, this book is the opposite of that! While Simon sometimes can’t speak, he and Jack find ways to communicate and work through the issues confronting them. I appreciated that Simon, though quiet, is not shy about calling out Jack about his ideas of strength and usefulness being rooted in physical ableness, and that Jack, in turn, encourages and supports Simon while not trying to change him.

The romance is sweet and steamy and had me blushing and happy sighing in equal measures! I loved the supportive family members and I’m hoping that we will see more of Jack’s older brother, Charlie, in the future. The pack of dogs and cats were all quirky and adorable. All in all, a highly enjoyable read full of feels! I’m already looking forward to returning to Garnet Run, Wyoming.

A somewhat sweeter and more slow-moving Roan Parrish romance, this nevertheless features two men with plenty of angst and anxiety and an appealing group of pets with their own distinctive personalities. It was a pleasure to read and to see how they all adapted and learned how to build a meaningful life together.

Low angst and very romantic, Roan Parrish’s recent novel, Better Than People is an absolutely lovely hurt/comfort story. If pets are a beloved part of your life (and even if they’re not), the way Ms. Parrish inserts them into this couple’s relationship is truly special. A true feel good, comfort romance, Better Than People is a delight.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin/Carina Press for this eARC.

Don't let the stock photo fool you, this book fits right in with all the rest of Roan Parrish's moody, sweet, and cathartic romances. Fans of <i>In the Middle of Somewhere</i> (my fave of her books) will particularly like this one, I think - similar cozy cabin feel.

When Jack breaks his leg and can't walk his whole pack of dogs, Simon agrees to help via an app. Simon has deep social anxiety (and perhaps a different diagnosis that I don't know how to name), but Jack's patience and dogs unlock him a bit. As ever with Roan Parrish, the obstacles are the characters' feelings of their own worth and this book reads like some successful therapy. This book is angsty and steamy but also incredibly cozy and ultimately optimistic about humanity. Plus there are a million descriptions of how cute all of Jack's pets are and Simon's very lovely and sassy grandma.

If you need to feel your feelings, Roan Parrish is ya girl!