Best Laid Plans (Garnet Run, #2) (2024)

dnf @ 62%

I can't believe I enjoyed this one even less than the previous book. I liked Charlie in that one and I was looking forward to his story. The beginning seemed promising, but ultimately the writing didn't work for me.

I liked Charlie at first and I felt for him, but as the story progressed it felt like the author was trying too hard to make us have all those feelings for him. There was something about his character that started to feel off to me.

I'm not feeling him and Rye as a couple. To be honest, this story feels like the least romantic romance I've read in a while. The way their relationship developed didn't work for me at all.

There were a couple weird scenes that involved pulling Rye's hair – the way they were written made them feel weird to me. Even weirder was Rye's list of things for Charlie to decide what he would be interested in when it comes to sex. How can he tell when he's had almost zero experience so far? The whole conversation felt like reading a therapist's manual. And then it happened. The one item on the list that caught his attention – spanking. Not only is it a big no for me, but I also can't associate it with Charlie's character.

There's another scene that didn't sit well with me – their first dinner with Jack and Simon when Rye verbally attacked Jack. Maybe he wanted to stand up for Charlie, but it felt very rude to me and it wasn't the time nor the place, especially not in front of Simon who has anxiety. Not to mention that Jack is helping him with his house. For free. Also, what's with the weird group of kids hanging out at Rye's house?

Extremely disappointing.

The premise itself is not believable. Obviously, in this genre, suspension of disbelief is required. This book did not just strain that; it rendered it impossible. So poorly written.

We are made to fall in love with Jack in the first book, and Rye does everything he can to make him seem like an ungrateful jerk. Speaking of Rye, he is a thoroughly unlikable main character. As in, complete asshole. And he’s not even hot. Charlie is such a sweet guy who deserves so much better.

I get that Charlie is naive and lonely, but who takes in a homeless vagrant that they don’t even know? And then cosigns a loan for said vagrant?

“Better Than People” is a page-turner--beautiful, romantic, and sexy! This is the opposite. I actually couldn’t wait for it to be over. I’ve had whiplash from authors who write a great one and then the follow-up is a dud...but is was horrendous.

The pan and non-binary stuff comes out of nowhere, making it gratuitous and pandering.

This book is an insult to the reader's intelligence.

This was so sweet 3.5 stars

*3.5 stars*

I was prepared to have mixed emotions about Best Laid Plans because my friends have wildly varying ratings for it, but I ended up enjoyed it. I didn't like it quite as much as Better Than People, but it was still a quiet, sweet read.

I think the pacing and the constant self-reflection may have been a stumbling block for many readers, and it did keep me from reading this book all at one clip. It feels a little bit like a prolonged therapy session, in a way, and you have to sort of get through that to enjoy the story. However, I enjoyed how the relationship slowly developed between Rye and Charlie, and I liked the interplay between the two of them. This isn't a light or airy story, and you have to wade through a lot of heavy feelings to get through the romance. It also isn't super angsty, just... dense, I would say.

Charlie's sexuality was interesting to me. I couldn't quite decide, in my head, if he fell somewhere in the gray-asexuality range or if his trauma just kept him from facing his feelings about sex, but it was interesting to have a main character where sex isn't front and center or easy. I enjoyed the dynamic of Rye and Charlie figuring out Charlie's preferences together, and exploring what they meant for both of them. Plus, spanking and hair pulling are always wins, in my book.

Personally, I'm really enjoying the Garnet Run series (plus, pets!), and I'm excited to see what else Roan Parrish has in store for us.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

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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.

Posted on Blue Mood Café

(Thanks for Harlequin Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)

I can't even sugar coat this. Underdeveloped primary characters, insta-love, and very little substance to the story...It's difficult to know where to jump in and review this one!

After fleeing his hom*ophobic father's house at 16, Rye spent the past few years (5ish?) flitting between shared apartments and roommates in Seattle. When he finds himself out of work (doing something? - the author never actually tells us!), evicted - again, and down to his last thousand dollars, salvation arrives in the form of an inheritance from a grandfather he never met. The inheritance, a house in Wyoming, could change his life. So he leaves Seattle with his cat and crappy car and heads for Wyoming - and a new start.

Unfortunately, the house is falling apart and not fit for living. Rye ignores the dangers - sinking floors, leaky roof, wild animals, signs of trespassers, and moves in anyway. He then promptly begins spending his life's savings (WHERE IS HE GETTING ALL THIS MONEY) on renovating the house. By himself. With no knowledge of construction. In the dark because NO ELECTRICITY. NO WATER. NO HEAT. NO NOTHING. But he can still google how to do things on his magically powered phone. Oh, and he gets a little author magic too - he shops at Mathieson's Hardware store, where the proprietor gets one look at him and knows he needs help.

FFS. Rye clearly needs help. And a backstory beyond sh*tty parents. Where is this info??!!

Moving on. Charlie is a doer and do'gooder. After his parents died in a car crash when he was 18, he was forced to raise his younger brother Jack (Better Than People), pay the bills, run the hardware store, and...well, he grew up fast and loves to help other people, too. Rye is catnip for this softie and despite Rye's dismissal each time he tries to offer help or advice, he keeps trying. And then he visits Rye's house. And he has so many ideas! But they cost money! Rye doesn't have money...or does he? So he offers him a place to live! And to co-sign on a mortgage since Rye can't get one with his bad credit, lack of any job history, and grungy appearance. FFS. No way. No one is this nice or so derange-ingly generous. FOR REAL MS. PARRISH.

These two have stars in their eyes from the moment their cats fall in love with each other and this story just goes absolutely nowhere from this point. We're supposed to be wholly invested in Charlie's sexual awakening (you know, he was too busy from 18 - 35 to even consider sex), sympathetic that his once high school hook-up ended days before his parents died and so now sex equals the struggle-grief bus (It was a stretch to just go with this premise, and meanwhile, I kept asking myself how he would even know this was a thing since he hasn't hooked up/dated/flirted? But that's the reason? It was a bit convoluted), and believe that a person who we only know has sh*tty parents and lots of tattoo's is some sort of sex savant who knows exactly how to coach Charlie in Sex 101 and intuits when he is struggling. He knows exactly what to say, how to say it, and the language to reach through Charlie's sexual anxiety.

Okay, okay, I hear you. That's really sweet right? NO. IT'S REEEEf*ckINGDICULOUS. THEY BARELY KNOW EACH OTHER AND we know ABSOLUTELY ZERO about Rye's romantic past aside from the fact that he's pan. Oh, you didn't realize that. ME NEITHER BECAUSE THE AUTHOR JUST CASUALLY DROPS THAT DETAIL IN. I mean, it was super random.

I know nothing about Rye until he arrives in Wyoming, and Charlie - well, he owns a hardware store. No hot guys ever come in? YES THEY DO. They do. He's never noticed anyone else? Okay. So he picks someone who appears to be homeless and is rude and dismissive. Um. Sure, whatever. I guess Charlie is the teacher on the job sites, and Rye is the teacher in bed. Right. Neato.

These two shack up, fall in love, and the house gets built. Oh sh*t, did I spoil it? No. That's literally the story.

This story goes absolutely nowhere very very very very very very slowly. I didn't like it and I don't recommend it.

This second entry in Roan's Garnet Run series gives us Charlie's story and oh, how my heart hurt for him so many times.

Unlike his brother Jack, who we got to see fall in love with Simon in Better Than People Charlie hasn't really ever had a chance at relationships, other than a brief encounter shortly before their parents were killed just before his 18th birthday.

So, seeing how he struggles when he finds himself attracted to Rye and not knowing what to do about it was both heart-breaking and uplifting at the same time.

Thankfully Rye, for all his prickly nature, is actually a truly kind-hearted soul who is dealing with his own demons and his own stumbling steps into a relationship are just what Charlie needs.

There is a little tension here, many of the beats in the story come from Charlie's growing self-awareness and awakening that he can put himself first and take things for his own pleasure.

There's a bit of angst, as a whole it's lowish steam and it makes perfect sense within the narrative, although there are lots of heated kisses and cuddles which lead to emotionally charged conversations.

But there is also a seriously sexy spanking scene which went in a direction I wasn't expecting and I loved it all the more for it. Overall, it's a quiet romance, not a lust-packed one, although the attraction between the two men is still clear to see.

The relationship development feels organic and has few of the irritating misunderstandings or lack of communication issues which are often thrown in just to cause tension.

I liked both characters, but felt this one perhaps lacked a bit of the otherworldly or magical feel which made Better Than People a more engaging read.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy this, because I did and I read it all in one go, but I didn't have that same sense of excitement at the romance as I had with the first book, which felt far more significant given the difficulties Simon faced in his daily life.

It also stars two fabulous cats, which as a lover of that most magnificent of animals, really made me happy and the usual feel-good, if somewhat in your face, meddling of a small town local community who seek to embrace the newcomer Rye.

#ARC kindly received from the publishers Carina Press via NetGalley in return for an honest and unbiased review

I definitely went into this read with slightly lower expectations than I did going into book one; and while this isn't going to be a favourite it definitely worked better for me. Mostly because of Charlie.

Characters (people) like Charlie just break my heart. And I thought Parrish did such a good job of making him big, tough, and caring but also giving him complex feelings and layers and a good chunk of angst. He felt so beautifully dimensional and the few parts that got me close to choking up were all for him.

Charlie Matheson wasn't a Boy Scout. He wasn't Mr. Perfect. And he wasn't a goody-goody. Charlie Matheson was an adult who'd never gotten to be a child, and Charlie Matheson was finally mad about it.

As for Rye, I liked him, too, prickly little man that he was but sadly he definitely didn't stand out in comparison to Charlie. Not that many people would! While he is definitely his own person, I liked him best as Charlie's champion. Those moments are definitely my kind of catnip.

This is definitely a more wholesome feel-good kind of series than Parrish's rockstar reads, though there are tie-ins!, but still with a good portion of steam, and plenty of four-legged characters running around for even more sweetness. All that and a gorgeous cover, too? I enjoyed this read and think you will, too!

** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

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This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.

Audio.. All the Stars! Greg B. always brings his best! 😍😍😍

Story dnf@69%

It sucks to be me! I love me some Roan Parrish. I really, really do, but I just couldn't fall in love with the story.

The beginning was absolutely dreamy, but the hurt/comfort started feeling more like therapy sessions. Nothing about therapy feels romantic or sexy to me. 🤷🏽‍♀️

So I'll leave it at this...

When Charlie Matheson sees something broken, his first instinct is to fix it. A broken machine, run down house, strange new man. Charlie can't help himself. It's all he's done since the age of eighteen when he set aside his own dreams to take on the role of "parent" to his younger brother Jack after the death of their parents. Now several years later, he lives his life on auto-pilot, running his hardware store, caring for customers and going home alone to his remodeled house and cat.

Rye Janssen is a couch surfer, staying in one place until he's asked to move on . . . yet again. He doesn't have a family or a place to call home and has been a drifter since he left home at the age of sixteen. When he gets a letter from a lawyer telling him his unknown grandfather willed him a house in Garnet Run, Wyoming, he strikes out cross country in his rusty, old car to find a rotting down house in dire need of repair - one inhibited by creepy, crawly things in the dark . . . and a forlorn, hungry cat. Rye's stayed in worse places so he throws his ragged sleeping bag in the corner, shares his scarce food supply with the cat, rolls up his sleeves and goes to work. By the way . . . how does one go about fixing a house? First stop, local hardware store where he meets Charlie Matheson.

Best Laid Plans is Charlie and Rye's journey - two polar opposite, emotionally damaged men coming together, learning to accept, trust, and love. It's a sweet story of innocence, in many ways second chances, and learning to embrace the true meaning of family and "home". As Charlie teaches Rye how to remodel a house and recognize his true life calling, Rye teaches Charlie how to let go of the past - how to relinquish control and trust that someone else has his back. The story that unfolds is low-angst, slow-burn romance at its finest with pages of laugh out loud banter, emotional turmoil and lots of steamy chemistry. Readers get an intimate view of both men's journey to emotional stability and a brighter future through insight into their thoughts and feelings as the story is told through dual points of view. Best Laid Plans is a great addition to the series. Highly recommended to fans of m/m romance.
*A special thank you to Carina Press for an arc and blog tour invitation for this book.
**Review Tour Stop on Feb. 22, 2021 at: Cross My Heart Reviews

I can't believe the rating I'm giving to this book from my favourite author 😌. This book really did not work for me, it did not really read like a Roan Parrish book, I don't know what happened. First I really did not like Rye, especially at first. He read as mean and very passive in his life, just going through the motion or really not thinking things through before acting. He did not really grew on me everyone mentions the disaster that is his conversation with Jack (Charlie's brother) and I have to agree. First he did not know enough about the situation to say what he said. Second he had no right to say that, if he had been in a relationship with Charlie for a long time, that Jack had berated Charlie several times over the course of several encounters it could have made sense but here a lot was missing. It really is a shame because usually Roan writes the best dialogue either for 2 characters or a group with a strong sense of found family, I'm referring to the epilogue of Out of Nowhere or one great chapter in Raze or even the dinner in the garden in Invitation to the Blues. In those every character retains their own personality, the conversation feels authentic .
Charlie I liked him but he did not feel real. Who in their right mind would commit to re-building a whole house for a stranger, would invite a stranger to live in their house and would co-sign a loan for said stranger. Yes the word stranger appears 3 times in my sentence but really at that point they don't know ANYTHING about each other. Where was the slow building? How was Charlie so enamoured with Rye (for no reason) so fast? We are told he has a martyr complex but aside from helping his brother what else martyrish has he done? We did not really see it (very un-parrish, again, they have written other martyr character (Dane or even Rafe to some extend) but in those we see the hero complex/martyr behaviour at play so that by the time someone says that's what they are doing, you just think "yeah that's what this is". Here we are told he is a martyr in like chapter 2, we have barely seen anything. I don't mind the fact that one character is helping the other more (the balanced happens later) but the one being helped need to at least show that he wants the help (even in very subtle ways, looking at you Colin). In here it took too long for Rye to ask for help, be helpful or be thankful. Again, grand gestures are not needed but the help provided here was so massive it did not sit well with me
the sex the dynamic felt off and not true to the characters to me. I've read a lot of sexual exploration and the way it was done here was WEIRD. Why whip out a piece of paper to ask questions instead of just trying things out and see how it feels? I did not get it. How was Charlie supposed to know what he wants/like when he has never been with anyone? The questions things was so un-sexy. I'm all for explicit consent but here it felt like too explicit (can't believe I'm saying that) .
the house everything was too easy and fast on that front. The teens who were hanging there were confusing to me. I did not understand that they needed that much help (maybe I zoned out).
I love this author and they'll remain an auto-buy for me but I would really recommend not starting with this series.

This is the second book in the series this time focusing on Jacks brother who we met previously in book one Charlie and Though connected it can definitely be read as a stand-alone no issue.
Essentially this is a sweet warm heartfelt M/M romance that relies on its pure sentiment and emotional connection to sell it and it definitely works.
It’s not a complicated or angsty story it’s the tale of two very opposite individuals connecting and building a bond that strengthens them both.

Charlie is just awakening to his own sexuality, having hit a roadblock when his parents died he put aside his own wants and desires and focused on other stuff he deemed more important than him like his brother jack and the store which he sees as his parents legacy.
He’s very much a practical no-nonsense sort he always seems to put others before himself he’s done this for so long it’s ingrained in his very character.

It was also apparent from the previous book and then this one that Charlie is lonely and aches to spend his life with that special someone but he’s spent so long putting himself last it doesn’t come easy for him.
Also behind his capable and efficient facade, he’s a contradiction of insecurity and fears and Ryes appearance in Garnet Run causes him to yearn for more but at the same time, he’s also fearful of making himself vulnerable to another person.

Rye is Charlie’s opposite he’s moving here because he has limited options, so after inheriting a house from his grandfather who he’s never met and along with his cat he leaves Seattle behind there’s nothing left there any way for him he’s been couch surfing since he was evicted and He sees Garnet Run as a new start but when he arrives his new home is a complete wreck.

Charlie seeing him out of his depth steps in bypassing all of Ryes prickly defensive barriers and before Rye knows it Charlie is a permanent fixture and Ryes feeling all mushy and sentimental towards him.

So I found it interesting that Rye is actually pansexual I also liked that this showed how you could build a life and be intimate and that intimacy can take whatever form you want it to not just the traditional route it was incredibly refreshing and it didn’t affect the chemistry and the hot factor one bit.

Charlie and Rye are so good together and the emotion and feelings between them projected off the page.
I especially liked that it wasn’t easy that they both had insecurity’s and at times felt awkward but together they communicated and overcomes these obstacles working together to forge the future they both desire.

There were subtle nuances that I picked up on here one being the teenager Rye helped, River is referred to here as they’re or they I’m assuming that river is actually gender-neutral it never actually said this but I’m reading between the lines and this is what I interpreted it as.

And the cats well they were bloody adorable, they were almost Charlie and Ryes surrogate children they were so bloody cute and they were as much a central piece of the story as other characters also Simon and Jack from the first book also make an appearance here and it was lovely to reconnect with them both.

This at heart was a thoughtful and sentimental read that makes you believe in the power of love and I really enjoyed it.
Don’t expect any shocks and angst here this story is all about people connecting and this one left me with a warm glow and feeling good about life.
This was well written dual POV and I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a feel good M/M romance that is all about the sentiment.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Best Laid Plans (Garnets Run #2).

Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

This book was warm and sweet - a young man who's never had much to call his own, and a slightly older guy who gave up his whole youth to responsibility and following in his father's footsteps, meet over an old tumbledown house.

Rye ditched his life in Seattle on the promise of a house he inherited in Wyoming. On arrival, he finds the place in an unsafe state of decay. But he and his cat have nowhere else to go.

Charlie finally has his brother Jack launched in the world, not just financially but in the arms of a man who loves him. At loose ends, he sees Rye come into his hardware store and is captured by his looks and his air of prickly lost uncertainty. Charlie's default mode is to help folks out. But first he has to get Rye to trust him.

Only after that does he realize that his own stunted younger years when he helped everyone but himself have left him uncertain of exactly what he needs or wants from life. Could the answer be someone like Rye?

The story moves along smoothly through Rye's tentative putting down roots, and Charlie's tentative self-discovery. Both men progress forward as individuals and together, and even though there isn't deep angst or a lot of plot, the result is a sweet, comforting romance with a solid happy ending.

[2.2] my lordy lord, Rye was….a nightmare. i was not expecting to meet such a dense and distastefully prickly kid who doesn’t seem to grasp when to keep his mouth closed (or when to just utter a simple thanks) and sincerely thought he could diy a home renovation with only the power of youtube videos and zero money 🤪 by the meatloaf confrontation, i was more than ready to wash my hands of him 👋

meanwhile, Charlie is Mr. McDo-Gooder with a heart of gold….to a fault, that is. from the very beginning with the mortgage situation (why are you co-signing a form for a literal stranger??), my brain might as well have been in a perpetual state of confusion when it came to some of his actions/behavior.

oh! and can’t forget how the third-quarter big conflict was “resolved” by dismissing Charlie’s apprehensions and Rye making him feel in the wrong for worrying about his money/livelihood 😌

don’t be surprised when you end up more invested in their pet cats than the mcs themselves 🐈

I loved Better Than People, and loved Best Laid Plans even more. The characters really resonated with me even more in Garnet Run Book 2, even though I adored the characters from Book 1 as well. Charlie and Rye have trauma from their pasts; and although they are in vastly different circ*mstances than each other, discover they not only have chemistry, but actually complement one another. I loved the synergy in the relationship once Charlie and Rye both started to let go of their fears. The animals, of course, only added to my investment in this book. I liked the pacing of events, and the unfolding of Rye's dreams and passions. Charlie and Rye complete each other and I loved their story.

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.75 stars

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.

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.

Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.

First read: 3 stars
Second read: 4 stars

I was in 2 star book slump, and I decided that the obvious remedy was a reread. Don't ask me why I thought of this series, since I clearly wasn't thrilled by it the first time (I suspect aliens were involved.) but here we are. I reread Better Than People which I originally rated 2.5 stars????? AND LOVED IT (4 stars), so naturally I had to reread this one as well.

The sentiments of my rereading experiences are very similar for both books:

This was so much lovelier than I remembered. It felt like a case of the exact right book at the exact right time and that is always a wonderful, magical thing.

I enjoyed both characters and their stories so much more this time, and I can't explain why. They're the same people I remember. they're story is still the same. I honestly don't know what to tell you.

ALSO.
The 'Garnet Run' series was my first encounted with RP's work. I stumbled across them on NetGalley and thought they sounded interesting. Flash forward to 2021 when my world was irrevocably changed by The Remaking of Corbin Wale and I also greatly enjoyed her Riven series, as well as Invitation to The Blues.
AND THERE WERE GODDAMN RIVEN REFERENCES IN THIS ONE

I cannot tell you the joy it brough me to see these stories cross.

My original review is below. I don't discount those observations, I'm just baffled at how my perception changed with time.

January/2021:
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley
In 'Best Laid Plans' we come back to Garnet Run with Parrish's sophmore novel in the eponymus series.
I have to admit Charlie intrigued me greatly during 'Better Than People' and I was positively giddy to finally read his story. But also. Ouch.

Charlie was dealt bad hand after bad hand, very early in life. He found himself the sole breadwinner and parental figure to a teenager, while he was still one himself.

I was curious about the kind of pairing that would attract, and I was not disappointed by Rye.

Rye is an equally damaged soul, for his own reasons, and finds himself unable, and somewhat unwilling, to stop depending on Charlie.

This isn't a steamy fast paced read, nor is it a slow burn per se - instead it was a quiet simmer, worthy of these characters. This was still quite unexpected, in its intimacy and reach.

The stars of the show however, are the cats! There, I said it! Marmot and Jane are incredible and always the perfect bit of humor during the darker parts of this story.

All in all, my stay in Garnet Run has been a pleasant one.

3.5 - Sweet, low angst, good for the cat lovers. I wasn’t as invested here as I was in book 1 and skimmed at times. I liked Charlie’s character and his anxiety felt believable but I didn’t care much for their relationship and I lost interest as the story went on. I think this could be a nice sweet comfort read for a low-angst reader.

I've given this a C at AAR.

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.

I don't think the book was great, but I think the yes-or-no sex checklist was amazing. I'm still thinking about it. Lock me up in horny jail and throw away the key.

3.5 stars.

I was not sure what to think going into this book. I loved the first book in the series and wasn't sure how it would hold up against that one. After reading a few of my friends reviews I wasn't sure I would even like it.
I did. So that's good.

We met Charlie in the first book. He's Jack's older brother. The caretaker, the nice guy. So nice that he forgets to take care of himself and go for what he wants. He's living on autopilot until he meets Rye. Rye is down on his luck. After being evicted from his last home he learns that he has inherited his grandfathers old house and he leaves everything to get to Garnet Run and the house he inherited. There's just one problem, the house is about to fall over...

Rye was hard to like in the beginning. He was prickly and harsh and had a hard time accepting Charlies help. I just needed him to get over himself and accept it. When he finally did I liked him more and more until at the end, he ended up being my favorite of the two MC's.

There was a point in this book where the roles between Charlie and Rye changed. Suddenly Rye was the one caring for Charlie. And while I can see why many people ended up with a DNF at this part (yes it felt too much like a couple of therapy sessions), I'm glad I didn't because what follows after that is so very sweet. Both Charlie and Rye are sure about their feelings for each others and together they build a life. I loved the last part.

The writing in this one wasn't as beautiful as it was in the first one and it didn't leave me with an emotional punch in the gut like that book did, but it's absolutely a worthy follow up.

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

Sigh. Roan Parrish is so f*cking talented, it’s a little silly. Their writing is just a delight. I’ve given 5 stars to every Roan Parrish book I’ve read so far and this one was no exception.

Charlie is such a sweet, big teddy bear. He sacrificed *so* much in his life to give everything he could to his brother, and I just wanted to give this vulnerable marshmallow a big-ass hug.

This book was just a charming, relatively straight forward love story, and I loved it. I so very highly recommend it, and if you can get the audiobook narrated by Greg Boudreaux, even better.

Another thing I loved was the representation of a sex life that isn’t just ‘🍆 in 🍑’. They have lovely talks about sex and what they’re each comfortable with, and it’s nice to read a book where penetration isn’t the end goal of every intimate touch. They have plenty of intimacy and hot moments without it, and I didn’t miss it at all. It was also nice to see that the 36 year old virgin wasn’t suddenly 100% comfortable with every single thing and automatically a sex god just because he’s a main character in a romance book. Luckily, his partner Rye is super sweet and understanding.

Unfortunately no quotes this time as I don’t have the ebook, but there were plenty of highlight-worthy moments.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Small town
Strangers to lovers
Cat dads
Tattooed MC
Past trauma
Forced proximity
Virgin MC
Hair-pulling
Erotic spanking
Opposites attract

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
References to evictions and homelessness
Death of parents (past, traumatic)
Intrusive thoughts (past and present)
Financial insecurity
Death of estranged family member (off page)
hom*ophobic and racist family (out of the picture)
Mentally ill parent (details, past, out of the picture)
Explicit sexual content
Hair-pulling, impact play (spanking)
Fear of abandonment

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: N/A, no penetration
Main characters’ age: 36 and not specified
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: No
Pages: 258
Happy ending: Yes


You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

I have loved everything I've read by this author so far. She delivers these heartfelt romances with people finding healing from past trauma that are sweet, steamy, and really moving. This was no different and I loved it.

Best Laid Plans is a small town romance between Rye- a man who has nothing to his name except a cat until an estranged grandfather leaves him a house that is falling apart, and Charlie- the owner of the local hardware supply store who offers to help him out. Charlie has spent most of his life taking care of other people, ever since his parents died leaving him the guardian of his younger brother at 18 years old. But maybe it's time for him to have something that makes him happy. Rye is rough around the edges, but really genuine and cares about animals and people with nowhere else to go. He is estranged from his parents who were both abusive and hom*ophobic.

I loved this- the slow development of this relationship was really beautiful and I love how the sex scenes were also tied into healing from trauma in a non-judgmental way. I'm always so impressed by how much Parrish is able to cover in her books and how much I'm rooting for the couple by the end. Definitely recommend! I received a copy of this book for review all opinions are my own.

I already loved the first installment in this series, Better Than People, but with this sequel the series is really cementing itself as one of my favourite romance series by one of my favourite romance authors.

This book just has everything I could ever want from a romance: a fun premisse, banter, yearning, domestic fluff, a hint of angst, a lot of emotional growth. CATS. Blend it all together and you get a perfect romance if you're looking for comfort.

3.5 ⭐️’s This was a good read but I guess I wanted Charlie to be a little more assertive with what he wanted but that's where Rye came in, Charlie just wanted to be loved, excepted and needed. Rye taught Charlie it was okay to ask for what you wanted and Rye finally felt at home in the small town where he inherited a broken down cabin from his grandfather.
Any reader that is a pet 🐕 🐈‍⬛ 🐶 lover will fall in LOVE with this series, it makes me want to get a small pack of pets for myself!!!

Bastante flojo, lo de los gatos ha sido too much.

Reread November 2021
Reread this one because I needed some extra queer joy, and also to double check that this doesn't have any penetrative sex in it after someone asked for romance without it. I can confirm this has no penetrative sex. Just spanking, blow j*bs, handjobs, and hair pulling. Demisexual rep. Pansexual rep.

Reread
😍😍😍

5+

Holy stunning book. I loved Better Than People and was really excited for this one and for Charlie's story.

There were so many things this book does right, the first is consent and communication because damn, I've never read a book that talked so openly and candidly about sex in a non judgemental way. My heart soared knowing that Charlie had Rye. Charlie is gray ace and no one can convince me otherwise. Here's my reasoning even though an actual label isn't ever discussed:

-Charlie only ever felt sexual attraction to two people, once in high school and then now, in his late 30s.
-he never really thinks about sex
-he never really thinks about sex that includes him (very much an aegosexual trait)
-Jack though Charlie was aspec since he never acted as though he was attracted to anyone.

There's a bunch more but I'm trying not to spoil everything.

I adored both Rye and Charlie as characters and the crossover with Jack and Simon.

CATS. Oh my cats. Adorable.

I basically loved every single thing and actually wished it was longer.

Author of some of the best hurt/comfort romances on the planet, Roan Parrish does it again with Best Laid Plans. Though this is the second book in the Garnet Run series, it works fine as a stanadalone, but I do recommend reading Better Than People as well.

Both of the main characters grow quite a bit throughout this story. Charlie, by finally opening himself up to physical love and intimacy, and Rye, by finally learning to trust. Perfectly crafted, Best Laid Plans flows beautifully from cover to cover, and just left me craving more of Roan Parrish's lovely words.

thank you to Carina Adores and NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own

And so my DNF journey continues...

This one was cute and fluffy, but that's about all the positives I can think of. My issues were mainly all due to the fact, that nothing made logical sense. Yes, things were romantic and people were super nice to each other, but it was so far from real life that I was unable to completely immerse myself in the story.

I don't know how mortgages and loans work in the US, but here they can get pretty f*cking bad, if you go into it with no job, no experience, and basically no idea how to pay it back. And no, no one would co-sign with you like that. NO ONE. Not even a relative. Also, you can make Charlie have a hero complex, but literally no one would invite a total stranger to live with them after talking to them for five minutes. Call me an asshole with no feelings, but it's just not something that happens, not even in romance novels.

At about 50% I realized I wasn't even paying attention anymore, I was just so determined to finally finish a new book this year, that I was completely ready to trudge through another super nice scene, where everyone was understanding of the other person's past/hang-ups/sexual preferences, where cats were almost telepathic creatures, and people could live happily ever after.

Maybe I've just got jaded by this point in my life, and people are capable of this much kindness.

Perfect is diffidently not the word you would use when describing Charlie and Rye. Both men have trauma from their pasts…and although they are in vastly different circ*mstances…they discover they not only have chemistry, but actually complement one another. I was impatient and wasn’t feeling much love or compassion for Rye to start with since he acted worse than a spoiled, angry 8 year old when Charlie was only trying to help him. Their acceptance for one another did finally begin to mesh and there began to be hope for a relationship once Charlie and Rye both started to let go of their fears. It was beautiful to watch them both finally seeing that they were worthwhile as human beings and would be absolutely perfect with each other… each being exactly what the other one needed. The two cats…Jane and Marmot… only added the final perfection to the story...along with all the other "fur babies" that they provided homes for. The events were nicely paced and the story unfolded smoothly once Rye’s temper tantrum was over. It’s another good story by Roan Parrish. Charlie and Rye complete each other and I loved their story. Of course there was a book #1 that I completely missed. What else is new?:)

Actual rating: 4.5